Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

The entrance to the secret realm is shaped like a giant volcano. The ancient fire restriction of the Burning Heaven Gate has been eroded layer by layer over the years and great battles. Earth fire surges out of the cave entrance like a tide, and the heat wave is scorching. Ordinary cultivators who get close will have their spiritual energy dissipated and their bodies burned.

Lin Yan's body was surrounded by surging Canglan Sea Qi. He directly activated the "Canglan Sea Emperor Technique," using the vast ocean's water rhythm to suppress the raging flames. The boundless and cool sea rhythm spread out layer by layer, instantly suppressing and subduing the surging flames. Only then did he lead everyone safely into the secret realm.

Upon entering the secret realm, the intense heat of the earth's fire filled the air, and the spiritual energy swirled among the charred rock walls, its concentration several times greater than that of the outside world. Scattered along the way were fragments of magical artifacts and dried bones left behind by cultivators of the Burning Heaven Sect, silently testifying to the dangers and battles that had once taken place here.

Lin Yan and his group followed the resonance between the inkstone and the Dingyuan Pearl deeper into the area. The spirit turtle led the way, and the heavy water-based spiritual energy quietly permeated the air. Any hidden fire vein restrictions or rock traps were sensed and neutralized in advance by the turtle.

Gu Azhu and Qingyao stood on either side, their eyes filled with astonishment at the secret realm; Yun Xi held a gleaming white sword, her demeanor aloof and cold; Chen Dagang carried a giant axe, his aura imposing and fierce; Ye Qing followed closely behind, warily scanning the surroundings. The female disciples of Shuiyue Pavilion glanced around with their beautiful eyes; Shen Qinghan and the disciples of Qingyun Sect exuded a cold and solemn aura, constantly on guard against any monsters that might appear.

"What is that?" Gu Azhu suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

Following the sound, the group moved into a spacious stone chamber.

In the center of the stone chamber, a palm-sized, azure-blue crystal shaped like a teardrop floats in the air. Inside the crystal, it seems as if a vast ocean is surging, with the faint sound of waves emanating from it. The surrounding air is imbued with a warm and cool ambiance, completely out of place with the scorching environment around it.

Even more astonishingly, within Lin Yan's fingertip storage ring, the inkstone and the Dingyuan Pearl trembled and hummed violently, as if they had encountered a common origin. The power of their resonance was so violent that it caused ripples to spread across the surrounding spiritual energy.

"This is……"

Everyone was startled.

This item possesses extremely pure spiritual energy and an ancient and boundless aura, making it no ordinary treasure. It is clearly a rare and precious material closely connected to the origin of the water system.

"Such pure sea elemental energy!"

Before the words were finished, a series of light footsteps suddenly came from the entrance of the stone chamber, accompanied by a sweet and melodious female voice:

"Oh dear, we finally made it! We can't let you guys get this amazing treasure first!"

The group turned to look and saw several cultivators dressed in crimson robes with cinnabar patterns slowly walking in. The one in the lead was a young girl who looked to be about the same age as Yun Xi. She was stunningly beautiful, with bright eyes and fair skin. When she smiled, she revealed two shallow dimples. She was truly as beautiful as a fairy. Her lively and charming temperament made it impossible to look away at first glance.

Behind her stood several cultivators with composed auras, each with a pill furnace token hanging from their waist, clearly indicating that they were from top-tier forces specializing in pill refining.

The young girl walked forward confidently, her gaze falling on the azure crystal, then curiously glancing at Lin Yan, before speaking in a clear, crisp voice:

"Our Dan Clan will take this Sea Spirit Crystal Marrow. I know you want it too, so how about we exchange it?"

Lin Yan remained calm: "Who are you? We discovered this item first, so what is this talk of exchanging it?"

"My name is Dan Wan, and I come from the Dan clan of Wumen!" The girl raised her chin, her tone carrying a hint of pride.

"Wu Men?"

Lin Yan remained calm, his brows showing no emotion. He had clearly never heard of this name before and assumed it was some reclusive alchemy family from the outer seas.

Yunxi, Shen Qinghan, and the others beside him all had indifferent expressions. They exchanged glances and looked equally unfamiliar with each other. It was clear that the Laoshan, Qingyun, and Shuiyue sects had long lived in the Eastern Sea and had very little contact with the Dan Clan of Jiangnan. They were also completely unaware of the forces in this area.

"You don't even know about the Wu School?"

Dan Wan blinked her phoenix eyes, looking incredulous, then tilted her chin up and recounted the splendor of her hometown, her eyes sparkling with light. Her lively demeanor was endearing, yet she wouldn't budge an inch: "This Sea Spirit Crystal Marrow isn't very useful to you, but it's a treasure for us alchemists. How about I trade you this Nine-Turn Qi Condensation Pill? This is a secret treasure of our Pill Clan; you can't buy it anywhere else, no matter how much money you have!"

As she spoke, Dan Wan flipped her palm, and a golden pill with a fragrant aroma appeared before everyone's eyes.

Before Lin Yan could speak, the people behind him were already moved.

The Nine-Turn Qi Condensation Pill is a superior Foundation Establishment Pill that greatly benefits a cultivator's cultivation and is extremely valuable.

But Lin Yan's gaze remained fixed on the Sea Spirit Crystal Marrow, and he said calmly, "I won't trade."

He could clearly sense that this object shared the same origin as the "Canglan Sea Emperor's Technique" within his body, and even within the crystal, there were faint traces of incomplete cultivation techniques and incantations flowing. This was far beyond what a single pill could compare to.

"How can you be like this!" Dan Wan puffed out her cheeks, looking both angry and helpless. "I even used good pills to exchange for it, and you're still not happy..."

The other cultivators of the Dan Clan frowned slightly, their auras suddenly tightening as they were about to snatch the item, but Dan Wan stopped them with a raised hand.

Although lively, she was also reasonable. She could tell that Lin Yan and his group possessed extraordinary auras and were well-organized, and unwilling to easily make enemies, she could only glance resentfully at the Sea Spirit Crystal Marrow, her tone softening slightly: "Then... at least give me a small piece of the crystal, okay? You took this treasure, it's not unreasonable to leave some for me, is it?"

Lin Yan raised his hand and inhaled, and the Sea Spirit Crystal Marrow fell directly into his palm.

Just then, the crystal trembled slightly, and a few fine light patterns appeared on its surface. Several tiny, shimmering blue crystal fragments, each the size of a little finger, fell off and scattered on the stone platform below, their faint light swirling with pure sea spiritual energy.

Only then did everyone realize that this ancient crystal marrow had long since disintegrated into many fragments due to the erosion of time, but it had been obscured by the main crystal's intense light and no one could see it clearly before.

In an instant, a vast and boundless aura surged into Lin Yan's body. The inkstone and the Dingyuan Pearl simultaneously erupted with brilliant light, and a fragmented yet powerful incantation directly flooded into his consciousness—it was the missing middle-level method of the "Canglan Sea Emperor's Technique"!

Inside the crystal, there is a fragmented mark of an ancient water-based magical artifact, which subtly echoes the Dingyuan Pearl, as if they were different parts of a set of treasures.

"As expected, it's related to the Azure Sea Emperor's Technique."

Lin Yan was overjoyed. He gently stroked the crystal marrow with his fingertips, feeling the fusion of the power of the same origin. A look of determination flashed in his eyes.

Dan Wan stared at the shattered crystals on the stone platform, her eyes suddenly brightening. Just as she was about to speak, a cold shout suddenly came from outside the stone chamber, domineering and carrying a strong sense of the biting cold of the north:

"What a magnificent treasure from the sea!"

Several tall figures strode in. The leader was clad in black iron armor, with a cold and hard face and a fierce aura like a tiger. The disciples behind him were all burly, their iron armor clanging, and their imposing presence was overwhelming.

Shen Qinghan frowned and said in a deep voice, "What force dares to act so presumptuously here?"

The leading man sneered, his tone carrying an undeniable domineering air: "We are the Xuanjia Sect of Liaobei! The treasures of the Crimson Fire Reef Secret Realm belong to the virtuous. You mere juniors, even if you seize this treasure, you may not have the ability to take it away!"

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere instantly became tense.

The Wu Clan, the disciples of the Three Sects, and the Liaobei Xuanjia Sect—three forces suddenly came to a standoff.

Seeing this, Dan Wan immediately stepped aside, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Lin Yan and the Xuanjia Sect members, looking like she was enjoying the show, but secretly keeping an eye on the broken crystals on the stone platform.

Lin Yan held the Sea Spirit Crystal Marrow in his hand, his aura slowly rising. The Azure Sea Emperor Technique circulated continuously, and the sea energy around him surged. A cold light gradually appeared in his eyes.