Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

Lin Yan stood rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed on Jiang Hu and his thugs, who lay sprawled on the ground, their faces contorted with resentment and malice. His eyes were calm and unwavering, devoid of any pity. Considering they were all neighbors, he ultimately refrained from killing them. A wisp of warm yet refined pale blue spiritual energy slowly condensed at Lin Yan's fingertips. With a light lift of his finger, he precisely struck the meridians around the men's bodies, crippling their rudimentary external martial arts skills that had enabled them to commit evil, thus cutting off their means of further harming their neighbors.

Afterwards, Lin Yan found a hidden cave deep within the secret realm, gently tossed the group inside one by one, circulated his spiritual energy, and lifted a massive boulder several meters high to firmly block the entrance. After a flurry of activity, the bustling secret realm returned to tranquility. The soft, pale blue light still lingered, permeating every inch of the stone walls, so quiet that the subtle sounds of spiritual energy flowing could be heard.

Yi Azhu followed closely behind Lin Yan, her small face no longer showing any of the panic and fear from before. Her eyes were full of dependence and trust, and the hand that had been tightly gripping the hem of her clothes slowly loosened. The spirit tortoise beside them remained vigilant, its black bean-like eyes fixed on the depths of the secret realm. Its short limbs pawed at the sand and stones beneath its feet, emitting low, rapid chirps. Its thick shell gleamed faintly, each line conveying a warning, clearly telling the two that unknown dangers still lurked deep within the secret realm.

Upon seeing this, Lin Yan's previously calm gaze suddenly sharpened, and he became instantly alert. He had long suspected something was amiss. The crab demon and Jiang Hu's group's earlier intrusion into the secret realm was no accident; they must have been drawn there by some hidden aura deep within. This secret realm was far from being as peaceful and tranquil as it appeared on the surface. He turned to look at Yun Xi beside him. Their eyes met, and without a word, they understood the same resolve in each other's eyes—to investigate deeply and uncover the truth behind the secret realm.

"Ah Zhu, you should wait here peacefully and not wander around." Lin Yan said gently, placing a small, lustrous sea spirit pearl into her palm. "This pearl contains the energy of the sea spirit and can protect you from evil. If there is any disturbance, crush it immediately, and I will rush back right away." Yi Ah Zhu nodded obediently, holding the sea spirit pearl tightly in her hand, feeling the warmth emanating from the pearl on her fingertips, and slowly retreated to the sea spirit core bed.

After settling Yi Azhu in, the spirit tortoise led the way, followed by Lin Yan and Yun Xi, who walked side by side, following the increasingly rich and mellow spiritual energy deep within the secret realm.

The deeper one ventures into the secret realm, the denser the surrounding spiritual energy becomes, almost liquefied. The initially pale blue light gradually transforms into a deep, dark blue. The sea spirit grass on both sides of the stone walls grows ever more lush and verdant, its broad leaves adorned with crystal-clear beads of spiritual energy, poised to drip. Occasionally, a bead of spiritual energy slips from the leaf, landing on the ground and transforming into wisps of spiritual mist that slowly rise and swirl around, soothing the soul. After walking about a hundred steps, an ancient and imposing stone platform comes into view. Carved from a single piece of deep-sea jade, the platform is warm and hard, its surface engraved with intricate water-patterned restrictions, the patterns shimmering with a faint spiritual light. Despite enduring the erosion of millennia, it remains intact and exudes the profound aura of ancient sea cultivators.

On the stone platform, two objects were placed quietly. One was the deep blue sea jade token that had been glimpsed from afar. The token was smooth and translucent, without any flaws. Its surface was engraved with obscure and difficult-to-understand ancient sea cultivation runes. It was warm to the touch, and pure and powerful sea spiritual energy continuously emanated from it, swirling around the stone platform. The other was a half-rotten ancient scroll made of animal hide, gently wrapped in a layer of faint spiritual light. Although the edges were somewhat worn, it was not completely decayed. It was quietly pressed in the corner of the stone platform, exuding the weight and mystery of time.

Lin Yan stepped forward slowly, picked up the Sea Jade Token, and gently infused his spiritual energy into it. Instantly, the token's blue light surged, illuminating the entire area. A gentle yet boundless sea energy flowed rapidly into his body through the meridians in his arm. He immediately activated the "Laoshan Sea-Gazing Technique," and the speed of his spiritual energy circulation suddenly increased several times. The spiritual energy vortex in his dantian spun rapidly, becoming increasingly condensed and solid, and the compatibility between his body and the sea's spiritual energy also greatly improved. Putting down the token, he picked up the ancient scroll wrapped in animal hide. He gently brushed his fingertips with spiritual energy, and the scroll slowly unfurled, revealing a tattered yet clear map of a vast sea before him.

The map, drawn with special spiritual ink, remains vibrant despite the passage of a thousand years. Pale blue lines boldly outline the vast and boundless Canglan Sea, with landmarks clearly marked throughout. The current location is prominently displayed with eight ancient characters: "Canglan Sea Eye · Lingxi Secret Realm." The surrounding sea is also marked with three hidden places: "Shipwreck Ruins," "Black Reef Abyss," and "Guixu Sea Mouth." Next to "Shipwreck Ruins," smaller characters read "Remnants of Armor and Relics of Sea Cultivation." "Black Reef Abyss" is marked "Heavy Demonic Aura, a Place of Great Misfortune." "Guixu Sea Mouth" is simply inscribed with "Sea God Temple, Ultimate Inheritance," the ancient and powerful characters conveying endless mystery and majesty. On the edge of the map, there was a line of ancient characters that were barely legible. Yunxi slowly approached, her cool gaze scrutinizing the characters, and softly read them out: "The legacy of the sea veins, scattered across the vast ocean. Hold the token and search for the map to open the secret realm. Deep-sea demons and calamities, proceed with caution."

As soon as he finished speaking, the previously restless spirit tortoise suddenly leaped up and landed steadily on Lin Yan's arm. Staring at the animal hide map, its tense expression instantly calmed, and a hint of intelligence and familiarity flashed in its black bean eyes. Then, the spirit tortoise slowly crawled to the stone platform, gently rubbing its small head against the edge of the animal hide. A faint light, perfectly matching the map's patterns, shone on its shell, the interplay of light and shadow suggesting an innate and inseparable connection to this ancient map and this secret realm.

Lin Yan suddenly understood. This Lingxi Secret Realm was not an ordinary place that existed in isolation, but a secret realm left behind by ancient sea cultivators. The Sea Jade Token was the core key to opening the secret realm and controlling the restrictions, while the ancient map of the sea was the key clue to guiding future opportunities. And this spirit turtle was probably the spirit pet that guarded the inheritance of the ancient sea cultivators back then.

"This ancient map of the sea is incomplete; presumably, the rest is scattered among various relics in the Canglan Sea."

Yunxi gazed at the ancient scroll, a hint of surprise and solemnity flashing in her clear, cold eyes. "The Canglan Sea is vast and boundless, teeming with demons and monsters, and many hidden cultivator forces are entrenched there. This ancient map and the Sea Jade Token will surely attract countless cultivators to fight over them in the future, stirring up endless strife." Lin Yan pondered as he carefully put away the ancient map and the Sea Jade Token, his expression growing increasingly serious. He spoke softly and firmly to Yunxi, "This matter is of utmost importance and must not be divulged. If word gets out, not only will we be in danger, but the fishing village at the foot of the mountain will also face annihilation. Let's first explore the remaining secrets of the secret realm before making any further plans."

Just as the two were about to take another step deeper, a soft gasp of surprise came from behind them, her voice filled with barely concealed panic. Lin Yan's heart tightened instantly, and his figure transformed into a pale blue afterimage, flashing back to A-Zhu's side in a flash.

Several palm-sized, jet-black Spirit-Devouring Insects were circling around Yi Azhu, their bodies gleaming with a cold, eerie light. These insects, called Spirit-Devouring Insects, feed exclusively on spiritual energy. Although their offensive power is weak, they can disturb the mind and erode protective spiritual energy. Although Yi Azhu was protected by the Sea Spirit Pearl and had not been approached by the Spirit-Devouring Insects, she was still terrified by these strange creatures, her face turning pale and her body trembling slightly.

"Stop hurting anyone!" Lin Yan shouted coldly, his voice clear and sharp. A terrifying aura instantly emanated from him. Pale blue spiritual energy rapidly condensed at his fingertips, transforming into several incomparably sharp finger strikes. With a flick of his finger, the strikes pierced the air, instantly and accurately annihilating several spirit-devouring insects. He quickly walked to Yi Azhu's side, gently patting her shoulder and soothingly saying, "Don't be afraid, I'm here. No one can hurt you." After carefully checking and confirming she was unharmed, he slowly breathed a sigh of relief. Yun Xi arrived close behind, her slender hands quickly forming hand seals. A sharp sword aura swept across, clearing away all the hidden insect burrows in the stone wall.

Lin Yan gazed into the depths of the secret realm, his eyes deep and serious. He thought to himself, "This secret realm is indeed fraught with danger. It's not just about crab demons and spirit-devouring insects. There must be something even more terrifying and dangerous than the crab demons hidden within." He gripped the ancient map of the sea and the sea jade token in his arms, feeling a warm touch in his palm.

Returning to the core of the secret realm, surrounded by the Sea Spirit Core and the colorful coral reefs, Lin Yan slowly sat down cross-legged. His spiritual energy, somewhat depleted by the vast sea energy drawn by the Sea Jade Token and the destruction of the Spirit Devouring Insects, was now in a delicate balance. The vortex of spiritual energy within his dantian rose and fell gently, echoing the surrounding spiritual energy of the secret realm. He looked up at the faint demonic aura emanating from the depths of the secret realm, but his mind unconsciously returned to his dantian, carefully sensing the flow of spiritual energy.

His gaze fell upon the Sea Spirit Core Bed beside him. The bed was enveloped in a dense aura of spiritual energy, and towering coral reefs surrounded it in a picturesque arrangement. The ancient sea patterns carved into the rocks seemed to respond, shimmering faintly with his presence. Lin Yan stopped thinking about it. His hands swiftly formed the hand seals of the *Laoshan Sea-Gazing Technique*, he closed his eyes, concentrated, and focused all his energy on circulating the technique. The rich sea spiritual energy around him flowed continuously into his body, following the patterns of the coral reefs and the Sea Spirit Core Bed, rapidly circulating through his meridians.

The spiritual energy vortex within his dantian began to spin rapidly, and the previously stable boundary of the second level of Qi Refining quietly loosened. A massive amount of spiritual energy surged into his meridians like a tide, permeating every inch of his skin and every meridian. The pure spiritual energy of the Sea Spirit Core Bed intertwined and merged with the ancient sea rhythm of the coral reef, forming a gentle yet incredibly powerful force that continuously challenged his cultivation bottleneck.

"Buzz—"

A barely audible yet extremely clear sound rang out within Lin Yan's body. The spiritual energy vortex in his dantian first suddenly expanded, then quickly contracted, and finally transformed into a more condensed and heavier vortex, which steadily settled in his dantian.

"Qi Refining Level 3, you've broken through!"

The spiritual energy around him instantly became more active and abundant. The surrounding sea spirit grass seemed to sense this, its leaves swaying more luxuriantly, emitting even more spiritual energy than before. Lin Yan slowly opened his eyes, a fleeting pale blue light flashing in them. His aura was several times more mellow than before, and his perception of the surrounding sea spirit energy was increasingly sharp and clear. Every gesture he made carried the composure and power unique to a Qi Refining Level 3 cultivator.

He raised his hand and grasped the Sea Jade Token in his arms, feeling the powerful sea energy within the token increasingly resonating with his own aura, and understood. This breakthrough to the third level of Qi Refining was not only an improvement in his cultivation, but also another source of confidence to step into the ancient sea cultivation tradition, and a reliance for dealing with deep-sea demonic calamities and protecting the fishing village and those around him in the future.

Before he could fully stabilize his cultivation, the demonic energy deep within the secret realm suddenly became intense and violent. A decaying, cold, and furious aura rapidly spread out, dimming the pale blue light of the entire secret realm.

Then, a crack suddenly appeared in the stone wall deep within the secret realm, and a thick, black, and foul-smelling demonic aura surged out. The demonic aura slowly condensed and transformed into a semi-transparent, aged phantom, which was the remnant soul of the Crab Demon Ancestor.

The remnant soul was hunched over, its crab shell patterned and cracked with the marks of time and battle. Its crab eyes were blood-red, filled with endless resentment and violence. Its broken claws trembled slightly, radiating a chilling aura of malevolence. Though merely a remnant soul, it still possessed the oppressive power of someone above the fifth level of Qi Refining, sweeping across the core of the secret realm. It stared intently at Lin Yan and the others, its hoarse, unpleasant voice like the scraping of metal, slowly resounding: "Dare to destroy my descendants, trespass into my inheritance secret realm! You juniors, you're courting death!"