Zhao Tie's chest rose and fell evenly, his breathing calm.
The immense spiritual energy he had used for that powerful attack was already being replenished by his Nascent Soul.
His movements were still graceful, his eyes still sharp. He walked forward along the clear path he had made, moving with purpose.
He reached the Cold Sword Flower, its icy blue light still shining brightly, unharmed by the battle. With careful, reverent hands, he gently picked the rare herb.
He admired its delicate, sharp petals for a moment, then, with another practiced movement, he opened his space ring—a small, magical ring that could store many items in a hidden dimension and placed the precious flower safely inside.
The immediate threat was gone, the valuable herb secured. The jungle returned to a tense silence, ready for whatever came next. Zhao Tie was ready too.
On another part of the Secret Realm, in a place filled with huge, ancient trees, was another young disciple from the Eternal Sect.
He wore the same white uniform, but on his, the word 'Spear' was stitched. A special token of the Eternal Sect hung from his waist, showing he belonged to the powerful group.
He was only fourteen, but he moved with amazing speed and care, using his own special techniques.
He was in a tough spot. Three huge, black trees were attacking him! These weren't normal trees. They were dark, monstrous things, and from their thick trunks,
countless roots snaked out, whipping through the air like angry whips, trying to grab him. Each of these roots was strong and fast.
The young disciple moved like a blur, ducking and weaving. He was too fast for the roots to catch him,
continuously avoiding their attacks. It was clear these tree monsters were powerful.
In his journey through this part of the Secret Realm, this young spear user had already helped many other cultivators, especially those from the Western Region.
He had saved them from smaller monsters and dangerous spots. And when he saved them, he shared important news, the Secret Realm was being invaded by creatures from extraterrestrial races.
He warned them to be careful and watch out for strange, dark things.
At this very moment, while still dodging the roots of the dark tree monsters, he heard a loud, sudden noise in the distance.
It was a sound of struggle, maybe a cry for help or a fierce battle.
Without a second thought, his sharp eyes flickered towards the sound, and he pushed his special techniques even harder,
using his speed to break away from the attacking roots.
He ran towards the noise, his spear ready, eager to see if someone needed his help.
In a different part of the dense forest, a young man moved with amazing speed. He was incredibly handsome, with a gentle, beautiful face.
He also wore the white uniform of the Eternal Sect, but his had the word 'Wind' on it. This was Xiao Yun.
He wasn't just moving; he was fighting. And he was fighting a lot of bad guys all by himself! Around him were eleven huge tree monsters,
just like the ones the spear user was fighting. They were black, twisted, and threw out many roots to attack him.
But Xiao Yun was fast, super fast. He used his special 'wind techniques,' moving like a gust of wind, dodging and weaving. He wasn't just dodging; he was attacking.
With every quick movement, he would slice through the roots, cutting one monster after another.
He moved so quickly that he seemed to be everywhere at once, a whirlwind of white in the dark forest.
He was in the middle of this fierce fight when, suddenly, he heard a voice from behind him.
"Xiao Yun! You are here, at least I met someone I know now?"
Xiao Yun quickly glanced over his shoulder. He saw another familiar face running towards him.
It was Mu Chen, his martial brother, another disciple from their sect!
Mu Chen was also wearing the white uniform, the word spear shining on his chest, he was clearly a powerful fighter too.
"Let's finish these monsters first, then we'll talk!" Xiao Yun shouted back, not stopping his attacks for a second.
Mu Chen nodded and immediately joined the fight. Both of them moved with incredible skill, using their precise techniques.
Xiao Yun sliced with the speed of wind, while Mu Chen moved with his own powerful spear style.
Together, they were a force. They cut down one tree monster after another, working as a perfect team.
Finally, after a fierce battle, the last of the eleven tree monsters fell,
dissolving into dark wisps. Both Xiao Yun and Mu Chen let out a deep sigh of relief. The fight was over.
They were both very strong, at the ninth level of the Nascent Soul realm, just like Bai Wei and Zhao Tie.
They were almost ready to break through to the next, even higher level. But like Zhao Tie and Bai Wei, they were carefully holding back their power.
They wanted to make their current level as strong and perfect as possible before moving on,
making sure their foundation was unbreakable for future growth. Now, they could finally talk.
"Hehe, at least I found you here," Mu Chen said, a small grin on his face, though it quickly faded. "I don't know where the others are."
Xiao Yun let out a long sigh. "Yes, let's stick together from now on. I don't think this Secret Realm is normal anymore. Did you meet those rats?"
Mu Chen's handsome face turned serious, almost dark. "Yes, those Nether Shadow Rats. They are powerful. I even needed to use some 9th-tier talismans to kill them." He shook his head, remembering the nasty fight.
Xiao Yun nodded. "I met some cultivators from our Western Region. I warned them about the condition here."
Mu Chen also nodded. "Me too. I told a few groups to be careful."
Just as they were catching their breath and talking, a subtle rustling sound began to come from the shadows around them. It wasn't just a few rats, it was a lot.
The rustling grew louder, closer. Both Xiao Yun and Mu Chen snapped their heads up, their eyes darting to the edges of the clearing.
What they saw made them both go completely serious. Thousands and thousands of black shapes were pouring out from behind every tree, from under every bush.
The Nether Shadow Rats were back, and this time, there were even more of them. They had silently surrounded the two young disciples, trapping them in a sea of red, hungry eyes.
Mu Chen moved first. He was a spear user, just like he cleared the tree monsters earlier. His body blurred as he activated his special movement technique, "Thousand Steps."
This technique made him incredibly fast, almost like he was teleporting short distances. He moved among the rats, a whirlwind of motion, his spear a gleaming silver line.
As he moved, his spear became a deadly dance. He trusted it forward, then pulled it back, then spun it around. Each thrust found a target, killing rats one after another.
He was a master with his weapon, his movements precise and strong. But even with his skill, the sheer number of rats was overwhelming. They just kept coming.
Seeing the endless wave, Mu Chen knew he needed to use something more powerful.
He took a deep breath, focusing his spirit energy into his spear. Then, with a mighty roar, he unleashed his technique:
"Thousand Thrust: First Form!"
"Thousand Shadow Thrust!"
In the blink of an eye, the space around Mu Chen shimmered. It wasn't just one spear anymore. Thousands of ghostly sharp,
shimmering spears, made of pure spiritual energy, appeared in the air, surrounding him like a deadly halo.
They hovered there for a moment, glinting. Then, with a single, powerful thrust from Mu Chen's own spear, all the thousands of shadow spears shot forward.
WHOOSH!
They swept through the hordes of Nether Shadow Rats like a monstrous broom. The black rats had no chance.
The shadow spears pierced through them, cut them apart, and flung them into the air. Thousands upon thousands of rats were instantly killed, their bodies dissolving into dark energy as they fell.
The ground, already disturbed, became a bloody mess, filled with the dying squeals of the last few rats. Mu Chen had cleared a massive area around him, creating a temporary safe zone.
While Mu Chen was doing this, Xiao Yun was also fighting, moving with his own precise, swift moves.
He wasn't using a spear; he used his 'wind techniques' to create many sharp wind blades.
These invisible blades zip through the air, slicing through the Nether Shadow Rats one by one.
He was effective, but the constant fighting, the never-ending stream of disgusting creatures, was starting to wear him down. He felt a deep tiredness. These things were too numerous, too relentless.
He knew he couldn't keep fighting like this forever. He needed to clear them out, and fast. He closed his eyes for a split second,
gathering his remaining strength, and then, with a powerful shout, he released his own ultimate move:
"Swift Wind Arts: First Form!"
"Whispering Current Waves!"
As he spoke, the air around him changed. It wasn't just wind; it was as if the very space itself froze for a moment.
Then, a tiny ripple, almost invisible, moved outwards from Xiao Yun. This ripple quickly grew into a terrifying wave of wind, not a gentle breeze,
but a powerful, destructive force. It started from Xiao Yun's center and swept outwards, twisting and turning, becoming a miniature storm.
The remaining Nether Shadow Rats, caught in this sudden, powerful current, were instantly lifted, tossed, and then shredded by the sheer force of the wind.
They were torn apart, their shadowy forms obliterated. The powerful wind waves continued to sweep through the area, clearing every last rat.
When the wind finally died down, the entire area was silent. The ground was now covered in what looked like dark, bloody stains and traces of shadowy goo.
All of those filthy rats were dead. None of them were left. The threat was completely gone from this spot.
Xiao Yun, still breathing heavily from using so much power, waved his hand. A 9th-grade earth talisman, glowing with a soft brown light, appeared in his palm.
He waved his hand again, and the talisman dissolved into energy.
Earth and dust surged upwards from the ground, covering all the gruesome remains of the rats. In mere seconds,
the battlefield was cleaned, the bodies buried and hidden, leaving only a disturbed patch of ground.
Both young men stood in the quiet clearing, exhausted but victorious, ready to face what came next.
They continued their journey through the ancient forest, but they weren't alone. In another part of this thick, dark forest, two little guys were running for their lives.
One was a boy, and the other a girl. They were both very young. The boy, Da Zhuang, was only thirteen years old. The girl, Lin Ruo, was even younger, just twelve. They ran side by side, their young faces streaked with dirt and fear.
"Lan Ruo!" Da Zhuang shouted, his voice a bit strained. He quickly stomped his foot, and a small, rough earth wall shot up behind them, slowing down the rats for a moment. He glanced at the girl running beside him. "Use something, or else we'll die at this rate!"
Lan Ruo scoffed, even while panting. She quickly waved her hand, and a small wave of water rose from the damp ground, splashing against the rats chasing them. It knocked a few over, buying them another precious second. "Da Zhuang! Do you have no shame at all? You're asking a girl to help you?"
But the rats just kept coming. There were countless of them, a never-ending wave of black, filthy creatures, their red eyes gleaming in the dim light of the forest.
Lan Ruo grumbled, still running and pushing out small water attacks. "These filthy rats! Who the hell used these idiot rats to invade the Secret Realm? Can't they find at least something beautiful?"
Da Zhuang, almost out of breath, rolled his eyes. "Stop complaining about their appearance! What good would it do if they were beautiful? They'd still want to kill us!"
Lan Ruo clicked her tongue. "At least we could look at them with admiring faces while they tried!"
Da Zhuang almost stumbled and fell, shaking his head at her strange logic. But there was no time to argue.
They both kept running, they couldn't stop at this moment at least.