Morning light filtered through the mist of the Secret Realm.
What had once been the underground Training Hall of the Lin Clan was no longer recognizable as a simple cultivation chamber. The ceiling had expanded into a distant sky of faint spiritual clouds, while soft currents of energy drifted across the landscape like invisible rivers.
The space was still young.
Still forming.
Yet already the environment had begun to develop distinct regions.
To the west, a stretch of terrain had begun filling with dense vegetation. Spirit grass, vines, and young trees grew at accelerated speed under the influence of the Vital energy flowing from the Earth Veins.
A forest biome was being born.
Further away, faint zones of elemental energy appeared where cultivators had trained repeatedly.
Cold regions where Bingdi's aura lingered.
Solar fire currents where Xu Tianzhen practiced her bow.
And scattered places where elemental energy condensed so densely that faint lifeforms were beginning to appear.
Tiny figures of light.
Shifting shapes made of frost.
Flickers of living flame.
Elemental spirits.
They were weak—barely conscious manifestations of elemental law—but their existence proved something important.
The Secret Realm was no longer just a pocket dimension.
It was beginning to behave like a living world.
Near the center of the realm, several tables had been arranged under a large spiritual tree that had grown surprisingly quickly over the past two months.
A group of young men sat around the table, flipping through a pile of old records and documents.
Chen Zifeng leaned back in his chair, holding a thin booklet.
"…Did you guys know something interesting?"
Ji Juechen didn't look up from the document he was reading.
"If it's about your terrible sword technique again, no."
Chen Zifeng ignored him.
"This one's about Tianshui College."
That name made Xiao Hongchen glance up.
"The all-female academy?"
Chen Zifeng nodded.
"Yeah. Apparently they merged with Shrek years ago."
Across the table, Lin Huang raised an eyebrow.
"…They did?"
Chen Zifeng tossed the booklet toward him.
Lin Huang caught it easily and skimmed the contents.
His brow slowly furrowed.
"…Why didn't I see that when I went to Shrek?"
Xiao Hongchen laughed.
"Maybe you weren't paying attention."
Chen Zifeng smirked.
"Or maybe someone would have been too distracted."
Lin Huang looked up.
"…Distracted by what?"
Chen Zifeng leaned forward slightly.
"If Tianshui had already merged with Shrek back then…"
He paused dramatically.
"…would you have gone there instead?"
Xi Xi, who had been sitting nearby listening, immediately burst into laughter.
Even Yuhao nearly choked on the tea he had been drinking.
Lin Huang opened his mouth to respond.
"Would I go to that para —"
His voice suddenly stopped.
Because two presences had appeared behind him.
One on each side.
Zi Ji leaned slightly toward his right shoulder.
Her voice was calm.
But dangerously calm.
"…Go on."
On his left, Meng Hongchen crossed her arms and leaned down slightly.
"Yes."
"Finish the sentence."
The entire table fell silent.
Chen Zifeng bit his lip to stop himself from laughing.
Ji Juechen slowly turned a page in his book.
Xi Xi was already shaking with suppressed laughter.
In the distance, Wu Ming glanced over and muttered mentally:
That bastard is still popular…
Lin Huang sighed.
Then he finished the sentence.
"…paradise of water techniques."
A pause.
Then he added flatly:
"You're jealous of an academy of women that disappeared ten thousand years ago."
Xi Xi lost the battle and started laughing loudly.
Chen Zifeng slammed the table.
"I can't believe you actually said it!"
Xiao Hongchen was barely able to breathe from laughing.
Yuhao quickly looked away, trying to remain polite.
Zi Ji stared at Lin Huang.
Expressionless.
Meng narrowed her eyes slightly.
"…We're jealous?"
Lin Huang leaned back in his chair.
"Statistically speaking, that academy no longer exists."
Meng crossed her arms.
"That wasn't the point."
Zi Ji said nothing.
Which was somehow more intimidating.
Chen Zifeng leaned closer to Ji Juechen and whispered quietly.
"…He's dead."
Ji Juechen nodded calmly.
"…Most likely."
Lin Huang rubbed his temples.
"…This is why discussing history with you people is dangerous."
But despite the teasing, the atmosphere remained relaxed.
For the first time since the Secret Realm was born, everyone was simply enjoying the moment.
Because outside the table—
The young world continued growing.
The forest region expanded slowly.
Tiny elemental spirits flickered through the air.
And the energy of the realm flowed quietly like a heartbeat.
Yet beneath the calm surface—
Several events were about to reshape the group once again.
Because not far away, in the center of the realm—
Bingdi and Ling Luochen were preparing to complete their contract.
While laughter still echoed faintly around the table beneath the growing spiritual tree, another part of the Secret Realm had become noticeably quieter.
Near the center of the realm, a circular formation had been prepared on an open stone platform.
Unlike the massive formations used to create the Secret Realm itself, this one was relatively simple.
But its purpose was extremely important.
It was designed to stabilize the contract between a spirit beast and a human.
Ling Luochen stood within the circle.
Her expression remained calm, as always, but anyone paying attention could see the tension in her posture.
Across from her stood Bingdi.
The Ice Empress looked almost relaxed.
Almost.
Yet the cold aura around her body made the surrounding air frost over slightly.
The difference between their cultivation levels was enormous.
Bingdi had long surpassed five hundred thousand years of cultivation, and after surviving her tribulation not long ago, her aura had become even deeper.
She was already approaching six hundred thousand years.
And yet—
She had willingly chosen to form a contract.
Lin Huang stood at the edge of the formation with Gu Yuena beside him.
The others gathered around as well.
Even the Shrek students had stopped their conversations.
Because everyone understood how significant this moment was.
Contracts created through Lin Huang's system were fundamentally different from traditional soul rings.
They were not forced.
They were mutual agreements.
Shared cultivation.
Shared benefits.
And the rules governing them were precise.
Ling Luochen inhaled slowly.
"…Are you ready?"
Bingdi's voice carried a faint chill.
"I have been ready for two months."
Ling Luochen nodded.
She raised her hand slightly, allowing her soul power to circulate.
Cold air immediately gathered around her.
But compared to Bingdi's aura—
Her power still seemed modest.
That would change soon.
Lin Huang stepped forward slightly.
"This contract will not involve spiritual possession."
That was one of the major improvements of his system.
In the past, powerful spirit beasts entering a human's Spirit Sea could be extremely dangerous.
But the modern contract formation no longer required that.
Instead, it relied on resonance between cores of energy.
A direct connection between essence.
Gu Yuena added calmly:
"The contract will link your energies without merging your consciousness."
Ling Luochen nodded.
That made things far safer.
Lin Huang raised one hand.
The formation activated.
Lines of pale blue light spread across the stone platform.
The runes beneath Ling Luochen's feet began glowing.
Across from her, Bingdi's aura slowly expanded.
Cold mist spread through the air.
The temperature of the entire area dropped sharply.
Then the contract began.
Ling Luochen released her soul power.
At the same moment—
Bingdi released her essence.
The two streams of energy met in the center of the formation.
For a brief instant, the air froze completely.
Then the energies merged.
A shockwave of icy aura spread outward.
The surrounding ground froze instantly.
Chen Zifeng shivered.
"…That's intense."
Wu Ming crossed her arms.
"That's a half-million-year spirit beast."
The power difference was enormous.
But the formation stabilized the process perfectly.
Instead of overwhelming Luochen—
Bingdi's energy began synchronizing with her cultivation.
Ling Luochen felt it immediately.
Her meridians expanded.
Her soul power density surged.
The cold energy circulating through her body transformed.
It was no longer ordinary ice.
It became something far purer.
Something colder.
Extreme Ice.
Ling Luochen's eyes opened slightly as the power stabilized.
The aura around her body deepened.
A faint domain of frost spread outward.
Snow-like particles drifted through the air.
Her Ice Domain had begun forming.
But that wasn't the only change.
Her cultivation surged forward.
From Rank 58…
59…
Then—
The final barrier broke.
Rank 60.
The surrounding energy vibrated as the breakthrough stabilized.
Xi Xi gasped softly.
"She jumped two levels!"
Wu Ming whistled.
"…That's insane."
Chen Zifeng shook his head.
"Contracts with beasts that strong are basically cheating."
Ling Luochen slowly raised her hand.
Cold air condensed around her fingers.
Her control had improved drastically.
But something else appeared as well.
Above her head—
A new soul ring began forming.
Unlike ordinary rings obtained through killing beasts, this one emerged directly from the contract.
The energy condensed slowly.
Its color deepened.
Red.
Then deeper.
Until the aura became overwhelming.
A 500,000-year soul ring.
The pressure of the ring filled the area.
Even experienced cultivators could feel the difference.
This was not an ordinary red ring.
Its energy density was far greater.
Ling Luochen stared at the ring for a moment.
"…So this is what it feels like."
Bingdi watched calmly.
"This is only the beginning."
Because the contract had not only strengthened Luochen.
It had strengthened Bingdi as well.
Her connection with Luochen refined her own control over energy.
Her spiritual perception sharpened.
Her ability to regulate soul power improved.
Mutual cultivation.
Just as Lin Huang had designed.
The formation slowly dimmed.
The contract stabilized.
Ling Luochen stepped out of the circle.
Her aura was completely different now.
Colder.
Deeper.
Stronger.
Wu Ming looked at her and shook her head.
"…Rank 60 and a half-million-year ring."
Chen Zifeng sighed.
"This place is ridiculous."
Ji Juechen simply nodded.
"…It suits her."
Ling Luochen looked toward Lin Huang.
Her expression remained composed.
But the faint redness on her ears suggested she understood something important.
Because the contract was only the first step.
The next one—
Was the Resonance Technique.
For a short time after the contract ended, no one spoke.
The icy aura lingering in the air slowly settled as Ling Luochen stepped away from the formation circle. The newly formed 500,000-year soul ring continued orbiting around her body, its deep crimson glow reflecting faintly across the ground.
Even among powerful cultivators, the presence of such a ring was imposing.
Yet Ling Luochen herself remained as calm as ever.
She slowly exhaled, letting the surge of power stabilize inside her body.
Across the clearing, Chen Zifeng rubbed the back of his head.
"…I still can't believe that just happened."
Wu Ming crossed her arms.
"A Rank 60 breakthrough and a half-million-year ring."
She glanced at Lin Huang.
"…Your clan really isn't normal."
Ji Juechen simply nodded once.
"A good match."
Ling Luochen turned slightly toward Bingdi.
"Thank you."
Bingdi's response was brief.
"We will grow stronger together."
Her tone remained cold, but there was a trace of approval in her gaze.
Lin Huang stepped forward slightly.
His eyes briefly scanned Luochen's aura.
The changes were obvious.
Extreme Ice had stabilized.
Her soul power had become far denser.
Even her control over spiritual energy had improved.
Everything was progressing exactly as expected.
Which meant—
The next step was obvious.
Lin Huang opened his mouth.
"Now that the contract—"
He paused.
Because he had originally intended to make a joke.
Something light to break the tension.
Something about how quickly Luochen had just been "recruited."
But as his gaze shifted slightly—
He noticed something important.
Zi Ji was standing nearby.
Watching him.
And judging by the faint narrowing of her eyes—
She was not in the mood for jokes.
Not yet.
Lin Huang quietly stopped himself.
"…Never mind."
The silence lasted exactly two seconds.
Then Chen Zifeng leaned toward Xiao Hongchen.
"…Did he just cancel his own joke?"
Xiao Hongchen nodded slowly.
"…I think he did."
Wu Ming stared at Lin Huang in disbelief.
"You?"
"…Stopping yourself from talking?"
Ji Juechen closed his book calmly.
"That may be the most surprising event today."
Xi Xi covered her mouth to hide a laugh.
Even Ling Luochen blinked once.
Because Lin Huang stopping himself mid-sentence was something almost no one had ever seen.
Lin Huang sighed quietly.
"…It was a strategic retreat."
Chen Zifeng immediately grinned.
"Brother."
"You're scared."
Lin Huang glanced at him.
"You want to try?"
Chen Zifeng instantly looked away.
"Never mind."
Behind them, Meng Hongchen chuckled softly.
"That might be the smartest thing you've done today."
Zi Ji said nothing.
But the faint curve at the corner of her mouth suggested she had noticed the restraint.
Which meant Lin Huang's instincts had been correct.
After a moment, the mood relaxed again.
Lin Huang turned back toward Ling Luochen.
"Now that the contract is stabilized…"
He gestured toward the center of the realm.
"…we should continue."
Ling Luochen tilted her head slightly.
"Continue?"
Lin Huang nodded.
"Yes."
"Your cultivation advanced."
"Your ice evolved."
"But there's still one step left."
Wu Ming raised an eyebrow.
"…There's more?"
Lin Huang answered simply.
"The Resonance Technique."
That sentence immediately changed the atmosphere.
Because everyone present understood what that meant.
Especially Ling Luochen.
Her calm expression wavered for the first time.
A faint blush appeared across her face.
Because the Resonance Technique wasn't just cultivation.
It was the core bond shared by Lin Huang and his wives.
And entering that system meant something very clear.
Wu Ming leaned toward Chen Zifeng and whispered.
"…Here we go again."
Chen Zifeng nodded solemnly.
"…Another Madam Lin."
Ji Juechen closed his eyes briefly.
"…The pattern continues."
Xi Xi simply giggled.
Meanwhile, Ling Luochen stood very still.
Her gaze drifted briefly toward Lin Huang.
Then toward Bingdi.
And finally toward the others around them.
The decision was obvious.
But it was still a decision.
Lin Huang didn't rush her.
He simply said calmly:
"The choice is yours."
Ling Luochen remained silent for a few seconds.
Then she nodded.
"…I understand."
Which meant—
The next phase of her cultivation was about to begin.
The atmosphere around the clearing shifted after Ling Luochen gave her quiet answer.
It was not a loud moment.
No one cheered.
No one interrupted.
But everyone present understood what that acceptance meant.
The Resonance Technique was not a simple cultivation method.
It was the core cycle Lin Huang had built with the women who had chosen to walk beside him.
A shared circulation.
A shared refinement of essence.
A shared future.
And now—
Ling Luochen was about to step into that world.
The group moved deeper into the Secret Realm.
Not far from the central area of the realm, another cultivation formation had already been prepared.
This one was broader than the contract formation.
More intricate.
Layer upon layer of runes were arranged in concentric circles, each one connected to the Three Path Cultivation Platform through hidden channels beneath the ground.
Soft spiritual mist drifted across the formation.
The earth beneath it pulsed faintly with the power of the veins.
At the center stood Lin Huang.
Around him, one by one, the women of the resonance system took their positions.
Zi Ji.
Qiu'er.
Ma Xiaotao.
Zhang Lexuan.
Ning Tian.
Wu Feng.
Jiang Nannan.
Xu Tianzhen.
Meng Hongchen.
Bi Ji.
Ju Zi.
Su Mei.
Each of them had already benefited from the technique.
Each of them had deepened their cultivation through the circulation Lin Huang had designed.
And each of them now formed part of the stabilizing structure of that shared system.
Ye Guyi did not step forward.
She remained outside the formation, watching quietly from the edge along with the others.
Her relationship with Lin Huang had changed over time, but she was still not part of this technique.
And she understood that clearly.
Ling Luochen stepped forward.
Her expression remained composed, though the faint redness on her ears had not completely disappeared.
Bingdi stood beside her, her aura calm and cold.
"You do not need to force yourself."
Ling Luochen shook her head slightly.
"I'm not forcing anything."
That was true.
She was nervous, yes.
But not unwilling.
This was a choice she had already made the moment she accepted Bingdi's contract.
And now she would take the next step.
Lin Huang looked around the circle.
Everyone was ready.
He raised one hand.
The formation activated.
Golden lines spread across the ground.
Three layers of energy began circulating through the array.
Soul Power.
Qi and Blood.
Spiritual Power.
The Three Path Platform beneath the realm responded immediately, feeding the resonance formation from below.
At the center—
Lin Huang's aura expanded.
Not with aggression.
Not with dominance.
But with warmth and stability.
Like a steady sun.
The center of the cycle.
The origin point from which all the circulating energy began.
The first current moved outward.
From Lin Huang toward the others.
Then returned.
Then expanded again.
A complete circulation system began to form.
When that current reached Ling Luochen for the first time—
Her body stiffened slightly.
Because what entered her meridians was not simply external soul power.
It was an entire structured resonance cycle.
Not chaotic.
Not invasive.
But impossibly refined.
Extreme Ice within her body reacted immediately.
The cold aura around her, which had only recently advanced through the contract with Bingdi, began settling into a much more stable form.
The edge of her cold did not weaken.
Instead—
It became clearer.
Sharper.
More obedient.
Then a second change followed.
Through the resonance technique, Luochen could faintly feel the traces of the other women's essences.
Not enough to replace her own path.
Not enough to overwhelm her identity.
But enough to broaden her foundation.
A trace of draconic essence from Zi Ji.
Solar fire from Xu Tianzhen.
Phoenix flame from Ma Xiaotao.
Moonlight and radiance from Zhang Lexuan.
Supportive amplification from Ning Tian.
Vitality from Bi Ji.
Mental clarity and strategic stillness from Ju Zi.
The nourishing calm of Su Mei's cultivation path.
And beneath all of it—
The stabilizing center that belonged to Lin Huang himself.
The effect was immediate.
Her circulation began adapting faster than it should have been possible.
Ling Luochen's breathing slowed.
Her spiritual sea grew still.
Inside her body, the energy from the contract and the resonance technique began aligning.
That was when Lin Huang moved.
He raised two fingers and guided a thread of power into the formation.
The runes beneath Luochen brightened instantly.
This was not a natural condensation.
Not something left to chance.
It was guided.
Controlled.
Built according to the method Lin Huang had long since refined.
"Follow the cycle."
His voice was calm.
"Do not force compression."
"Let the energies align first."
Ling Luochen closed her eyes and followed his guidance exactly.
The first structure of a Soul Core began forming within her cultivation foundation.
Energy gathered.
Compressed.
Rotated.
Then loosened.
Then compressed again.
Not through brute force.
But through repeated guided refinement.
Bingdi's contract stabilized the ice element.
The resonance stabilized the circulation.
And Lin Huang's method guided the structure.
Slowly—
A dense sphere of power began taking shape.
Luochen's brows tightened faintly.
This was far more difficult than a breakthrough.
But also far deeper.
The others around the formation remained silent.
No one interrupted.
No one moved.
Even Wu Ming, outside the formation, had stopped making comments.
Because everyone present understood—
They were watching Lin Huang guide the creation of yet another Soul Core.
Minutes passed.
Then the rotating energy within Luochen's foundation suddenly stabilized.
A faint pulse spread outward.
The surrounding air chilled slightly.
The structure held.
Her first Soul Core was complete.
Ling Luochen slowly opened her eyes.
A visible wave of cold spiritual power spread outward from her body before settling down.
Her aura had changed once again.
Rank 60.
A 500,000-year soul ring.
Extreme Ice.
And now—
A Soul Core built through contract, resonance, and guided condensation.
Across the formation, Ning Tian smiled faintly.
"Congratulations."
Wu Feng stretched her shoulders.
"You adapted fast."
Ju Zi observed Ling Luochen quietly, then gave a small nod of approval.
Su Mei smiled warmly.
"You feel much steadier now."
Bingdi looked at Luochen for several seconds.
Then simply said,
"Good."
For Bingdi, that was already high praise.
Outside the formation, Chen Zifeng let out a long breath.
"…That was not normal."
Xi Xi laughed quietly.
"Nothing here is normal anymore."
Wu Ming crossed her arms.
"This clan really is unfair."
Ji Juechen stood silently with his sword at his side, watching Ling Luochen's aura settle.
Even he could not deny the truth.
This was not luck.
This was not coincidence.
It was the result of a cultivation system so advanced that it had begun reshaping what "normal" even meant.
At the center of the formation, Lin Huang lowered his hand.
The resonance cycle gradually dimmed.
The circulation returned to a resting state.
Ling Luochen stepped forward out of the array.
Her posture remained elegant and calm.
But the power around her had clearly risen to another level.
And in the distance, throughout the Secret Realm, subtle changes continued spreading.
The forest region grew denser.
Elemental spirits drifted through the air.
The realm itself was responding to the people within it.
Which meant the next thing worth observing…
Was no longer just the cultivators.
But the world they were shaping.
For a time after the resonance formation dimmed, no one rushed to speak.
The clearing remained calm.
Ling Luochen stood quietly a short distance from the formation, adjusting to the changes inside her body. The faint cold aura surrounding her had become far more refined, no longer the unstable frost that followed her breakthrough.
Extreme Ice now moved with precision.
Like a blade rather than a storm.
Above her, the 500,000-year soul ring slowly rotated, its deep crimson glow reflecting softly across the ground.
Even those who had seen powerful rings before could feel the difference.
A half-million-year ring carried an oppressive presence.
And yet Luochen controlled it smoothly.
Across the clearing, Chen Zifeng scratched his head.
"…Rank 60."
Wu Ming exhaled slowly.
"And a five-hundred-thousand-year ring."
She looked toward Lin Huang.
"…I feel like I'm watching cultivation rules get rewritten."
Ji Juechen glanced briefly at Ling Luochen's stance.
Then nodded once.
"Her control is stable."
That was what mattered most.
Raw power meant little without control.
But the cultivators were not the only things changing.
While everyone had been focused on Luochen's breakthrough, something else had quietly continued evolving.
The Secret Realm itself.
Lin Huang turned slightly, his gaze drifting toward the distant forest region.
Two months earlier that area had barely existed.
Now—
Trees stretched upward in thick clusters.
Spirit grass grew beneath them.
And faint streams of vitality energy drifted through the branches.
Tang Ya noticed the direction of his gaze.
"The forest grew again."
Bi Ji nodded softly.
"The vitality circulation improved after the resonance."
The realm had begun reacting to the cultivation happening within it.
Not just to individual elements.
But to the presence of life itself.
Farther inside the forest, small flickers of light drifted between the trees.
One of them briefly approached the clearing before darting away again.
Xi Xi leaned forward curiously.
"…Was that alive?"
Ning Tian adjusted her glasses.
"Yes."
"That was an elemental spirit."
Small spirits had begun appearing in several areas of the realm.
They were weak.
Barely conscious.
But their existence proved something important.
The Secret Realm was beginning to generate lifeforms from its elemental balance.
In the colder region of the realm, frost gathered across the ground.
Tiny spirits shaped like drifting snowflakes floated through the air.
Those had appeared after Bingdi and Luochen began cultivating there.
Meanwhile—
Near another part of the realm where Xu Tianzhen frequently trained, faint golden sparks flickered through the air.
Solar energy condensed there naturally.
Small fire spirits occasionally appeared.
Gu Yuena watched the distant regions quietly.
"The realm is responding to the laws used inside it."
Lin Huang nodded.
"That was expected."
Worlds were not static environments.
They adapted.
They evolved based on the energy flowing through them.
Gu Yuena continued observing the distant forest.
"And the vitality concentration here is rising."
Bi Ji smiled slightly.
"That explains the forest."
Tang Ya crossed her arms thoughtfully.
"If the vitality keeps increasing…"
"…we could grow rare herbs directly inside the realm."
Su Mei immediately looked interested.
"That would make spiritual cooking much easier."
Ju Zi observed the expanding forest silently, already calculating the logistical possibilities in her mind.
Even agriculture could be transformed if this environment continued evolving.
But another change drew Lin Huang's attention.
Not far from the forest region, a faint fluctuation of fire energy appeared.
He turned his head slightly.
There—
Standing on a small stone ridge—
Was Xuedi.
The Snow Empress stood perfectly still, her sword resting loosely in her hand.
Cold mist drifted around her.
But mixed within that frost—
A faint trace of warmth flickered.
Ma Xiaotao noticed it immediately.
"…Is that fire?"
Xuedi opened her eyes slowly.
"Yes."
Her voice remained calm.
The surrounding air cooled instantly.
"Just a little."
Everyone nearby turned toward her.
The idea sounded almost absurd.
The Snow Empress, master of extreme ice, learning to control fire.
But Lin Huang only nodded slightly.
"Extremes balance each other."
Electrolux had once said the same thing.
When a cultivator reached the true peak of one element—
Its opposite eventually appeared.
Xuedi looked at the faint flame flickering at her fingertips.
Then extinguished it.
"I still prefer cold."
Wu Ming shrugged.
"Fair."
A moment later, another subtle surge of energy appeared around Xuedi.
Lin Huang glanced toward her again.
"…You stabilized it?"
Xuedi nodded once.
The energy within her body shifted.
Four distinct rotational centers could now be felt circulating through her cultivation system.
Her fourth Soul Core had finished forming.
Chen Zifeng stared.
"…She made another one?"
Ji Juechen closed his eyes briefly.
"…Of course she did."
At this point, no one was surprised anymore.
Not far away, Ye Guyi also stood quietly near the edge of the forest.
Her wings of light folded behind her back as she slowly adjusted to the power flowing through her body.
Her own breakthrough had occurred not long ago.
Rank 60.
And the soul ring she had obtained through her contract with the 100,000-year light deer now circled her body.
The red ring glowed faintly with solar brilliance.
Her aura had become far brighter than before.
Xu Tianzhen glanced toward her.
"Your light feels stronger."
Ye Guyi nodded.
"The sun responds more easily now."
Her understanding of Sun Law had deepened significantly since the breakthrough.
Lin Huang quietly observed everything.
The forest growing.
Elemental spirits forming.
New soul cores appearing.
Breakthroughs stabilizing.
The Secret Realm had only existed for a short time.
And yet—
It was already evolving alongside the people inside it.
Gu Yuena spoke softly beside him.
"Worlds learn from their inhabitants."
Lin Huang crossed his arms.
"Yes."
"And this one is still very young."
The realm still had much to grow.
Much to stabilize.
But the foundation was already visible.
A world that could one day support far more than cultivation.
A world that might eventually become something far greater.
And the next step toward that future was waiting somewhere deeper inside the realm.
Because the formation they had built earlier—
The one recording the birth of this world—
Was beginning to show its first results.
While most of the group continued exploring the newly formed regions of the Secret Realm, Lin Huang and Gu Yuena walked quietly toward the deeper center of the realm.
The path they followed was subtle.
Invisible to most people.
Yet anyone sensitive to the laws of space could feel the difference in the air.
The energy there felt… denser.
Not heavier.
But more structured.
The closer they moved toward the center, the clearer the fluctuations became.
This was the place where the Training Hall had first transformed into the Secret Realm.
And where the moment of creation had been recorded.
The structure they approached did not look impressive.
Not yet.
Several stone pillars surrounded a circular platform embedded into the ground. Between the pillars, faint runic patterns glowed softly, forming a delicate network that stabilized the area.
This was not the final chamber.
It was only the foundation.
The base of what would one day become the Creation Perception Chamber.
But even in this incomplete state, the energy inside the area was unusual.
Faint distortions lingered in the air.
Ripples of spatial law.
Echoes of the moment the realm had been born.
Lin Huang stepped onto the platform.
The runes beneath his feet responded immediately.
A low hum spread through the pillars.
Gu Yuena followed calmly.
Her silver eyes observed the surrounding fluctuations with quiet interest.
"…It held."
Lin Huang nodded.
"The recording formations stabilized faster than expected."
The structures he had placed during the birth of the Secret Realm had been designed to do one thing:
Preserve the law patterns that appeared during creation.
Not perfectly.
But enough that cultivators could study them later.
Gu Yuena extended her spiritual sense slightly.
Silver light flickered around her fingers as she touched one of the pillars.
The moment she did—
A faint ripple appeared in the air above the platform.
Space distorted briefly.
A small projection formed.
It was not a clear image.
More like a memory made of energy.
The moment when the Training Hall space had expanded into another dimension.
The moment when the Secret Realm had been born.
Even the faintest glimpse of that event carried incredible insight.
Lin Huang watched the projection quietly.
"…This should help."
Gu Yuena nodded.
"Yes."
"For anyone studying spatial law."
But that was not the only use.
Lin Huang looked around the unfinished chamber.
In the future, this place could become far more valuable.
Not just for studying space.
But for understanding creation itself.
The birth of realms.
The formation of natural laws.
The growth of worlds.
All of it could be studied here.
Footsteps approached from behind.
Several members of the group had followed them.
Chen Zifeng stepped onto the edge of the platform first.
"…So this is the place?"
Ning Tian walked forward slowly, examining the runic structure with fascination.
"You recorded the moment the realm was created."
Lin Huang nodded.
"Yes."
Wu Ming stared at the faint projection of distorted space still lingering above the platform.
"…That's insane."
Xi Xi tilted her head.
"So people can watch how a world is born?"
Gu Yuena answered calmly.
"In theory."
"But this chamber is still incomplete."
Ling Luochen observed the pillars carefully.
"The foundation is already very stable."
Lin Huang crossed his arms slightly.
"It still needs refinement."
The chamber would require several additional formations.
Energy stabilizers.
Perception amplifiers.
And proper law-recording arrays.
Only then would cultivators truly be able to study the creation event safely.
Not far away, tiny elemental spirits drifted through the air.
One small frost spirit hovered near the platform before disappearing into the forest again.
Even the realm itself seemed curious about this place.
Because the chamber marked something important.
The birthplace of the world.
Gu Yuena looked upward toward the sky of the Secret Realm.
"…It's growing."
Lin Huang followed her gaze.
The sky above the realm still looked artificial.
But faint currents of energy already moved through the clouds.
One day—
It would look completely natural.
A real world.
Not a constructed space.
Chen Zifeng leaned against one of the pillars.
"So what happens next?"
Lin Huang remained silent for a moment.
His gaze drifted across the realm.
The forest.
The elemental zones.
The cultivators training across the landscape.
Everything had begun with a simple training hall.
And now—
It had become something much larger.
Finally he answered.
"…Now we let it grow."
Because the Secret Realm had only just been born.
And like every world—
Its true future would depend on the people living inside it.