Chapter 120: Nalán

In a few breaths, the true Qi in his dantian was instantly exhausted. At the same time, a suction force burst out of the dantian, followed the meridian points, and began to scour every inch of Lu Fan's body. The chaotic Qi flow was utterly unstoppable, slowly dissipating.

Time passed, silent and still. Within the secret realm, the sun and moon turned, and night gradually fell.

"Awo—"

A beast's roar suddenly rang out, and the forest instantly came alive. Giant apes, fear wolves, and all manner of bizarre demonic beasts burst from their caves and began to move.

The young hero who had entered this secret realm for training now faced a formidable foe. The hideout he had long sought was immediately discovered by the local beasts, and the slaughter began!

In a small hollow, Yang Sheng and several youths clad in Heavenly Source Academy robes hid behind a circular light shield. Their faces were tense, swords in hand, cautiously guarding the surroundings.

"Brother Yang, there's no problem with this formation, right?"

"The academy elders say most beasts in this secret realm aren't strong; with this second‑grade protective talisman formation and our strength, we should be safe, right?"

Among them, the two smallest whispered their question.

Yang Sheng frowned, then said solemnly, "We academy disciples, practicing the martial path, must train. As long as we unite, a few beasts can't harm us!"

His words sounded bold, but the others didn't share that view. Though they were top students of the academy, they lacked experience dealing with beasts, so fear and panic were unsurprising.

"Snap!"

A jet‑black tiger‑leopard snapped a branch and lunged down from above.

"Everyone, prepare and attack with me."

Yang Sheng, though startled, shouted, drew his sword and leapt forward. Qi surged, sword light flared in all directions. Those behind him also rushed forward; in an instant, a burst of Qi light illuminated the surroundings with clarity.

"Roar!"

The sword light struck the tiger‑leopard; it howled in pain, its ferocity flared, spitting wind blades that hissed.

"Swish swish!" Amid the sound, most wind blades were intercepted by Yang Sheng and others, but a few slipped through, striking the protective formation.

With a light "Bang," the wind blade was crushed by the formation's radiance, shattering into powder.

At that moment, Yang Sheng and the others felt a surge of spirit; each gained confidence, steadied themselves, Qi roiled, and power blossomed to its peak.

Yang Sheng vaulted upward, leapt out of the formation, sword in one hand, and charged at the tiger‑leopard.

"Cover Brother Yang!"

Someone shouted, and everyone snapped to attention. Various tactics were unleashed, and they summoned all their fighting spirit.

The tiger‑leopard roared and lunged at Yang Sheng, ignoring others' attacks; its jet‑black fur was quickly riddled with wounds, blood gushing.

Surprisingly, the fresh wounds sealed within a few breaths, seemingly having no effect on the tiger‑leopard.

"Such a strong regenerative ability; we must kill it in one blow, or we'll be in trouble!"

Yang Sheng roared, swung his long sword, extending a blade a yard long, and cleaved the tiger‑leopard's neck.

Even with a deep, bone‑visible wound, the tiger‑leopard merely snarled and lunged more ferociously.

The others were shocked, but Yang Sheng, unflustered, kicked the ground hard, brandishing his sword and thrusting toward the wound.

"Kach!" With a sound, the tiger‑leopard's head split open, blood gushing from its neck, and its body crashed to the ground.

"Ha ha! Everyone, this beast isn't that strong; together we can safely protect ourselves in this secret realm!"

He lifted the tiger‑leopard's snarling head, gave a hearty laugh, instantly boosting everyone's confidence.

Such slaughter occurred throughout the secret realm. Ferocious roars and wails echoed, some even shaking the air for dozens of miles.

In the dark cave, pitch black with no light, Lu Fan exhaled a breath of foul air, slowly opened his eyes, a flash of spirit light, and could see clearly in the empty space where his hand could not find his fingers.

"Eh? This place feels odd!"

His expression shifted slightly as he stared at a smooth stone wall, instinctively blasting his spiritual power outward.

When he first entered, he only glanced briefly, already badly wounded, and hadn't noticed anything unusual. Now, with his spiritual blast, he immediately sensed an anomaly.

"What a hidden formation's mystic light; if it hadn't refined Wang Yicai and the other two's true Qi, strengthening my spiritual power, I might not have been able to discern illusion from reality!"

The stone wall appeared ordinary, yet under his spiritual blast it neither penetrated nor absorbed; instead it subtly reflected his spiritual power back.

"The Dragon Tower secret realm contains many hidden treasure sites, mostly deliberately left by predecessors to conceal their true nature. My accidental stumble seems to have hit a chance!"

Lu Fan smiled faintly, about to roll over, when a dry leaf crunch sounded at his ear—someone was coming.

Without hesitation, he lightly patted his waist, a speck of yellow light blossomed, instantly enveloping his body. It slowly sank like into the ground, vanishing without a trace.

"Pa pa!"

A crisp footstep sound rang out, a cluster of faint glow appeared at the cave entrance, vague yet revealing a slender, youthful woman.

A dark silhouette lingered, illuminated by a sliver of light from the entrance, making her shape hard to discern. Yet her bright eyes shone like stars in the night, crystal clear.

Her star‑like gaze swept the entire cave, then fixed on the smooth stone wall. A flash of heat rose in those eyes, a thudding "dong dong dong" that seemed to echo her heartbeat.

"Xing Hui, appear!"

A short, forceful shout rang, and a strand of light suddenly filled the cave, like moonlit stars spreading to illuminate the space.

The woman's figure finally emerged: a black silk robe, jade‑colored cords at the waist, accentuating her tall stature. A slightly lifted chest, a proud snow‑white neck, exuding noble elegance that made onlookers feel humbled.

A sheer veil covered her face, giving an air of mystery. Anyone daring to glimpse her visage would instantly be drawn by those crystal eyes, unable to look away.

She inhaled lightly, seeming to calm herself, then flicked her wrist, pointing at the stone wall from a distance. A dark‑night starlight, like liquid, surged and vanished into the wall.

The entire cave fell back into darkness, eerie and silent.

But the next moment, the stone wall erupted with flashing light, ten thousand star glimmers appearing, converging in an instant into a river, like a celestial sea of stars.

The woman showed no hint of admiration, stepped forward slowly, and her delicate, almost ethereal hand pressed onto the star‑river on the stone wall.

In an instant, the wall's light burst, swirling vapor, turning into a spatial ripple that engulfed the woman, making her vanish.

The star‑river's glow dimmed immediately after the ripple, and within a few breaths it began to fade away.

"Stabilize!"

A yellow light flashed, revealing Lu Fan's form; with one hand he lightly tapped the stone wall, as if time stood still, and the starlight barely clung to the wall.

Powerful spiritual energy surged out, immediately reaching for the starlight on the wall. After a brief glance, Lu Fan's expression darkened, showing slight doubt.

"What an impressive formation; without a guide, with my current divine abilities I probably wouldn't have any chance to enter!"

What a keen sight he has; since his rebirth, no place in the Mingyue Empire is beyond his reach. Especially the flow of talismanic array arts, all can be seen through their mysteries. He never expected that in this unremarkable cave he would encounter a secret array beyond his own capabilities.

"Hehe! Such a mysterious array likely hides a treasure not simple; I'll go in and take a look, perhaps I can get a share!"

He chuckled, a faint excitement and curiosity in him. Without a second thought, he mimicked the woman's motion and pressed directly against the stone wall.

The stagnant starlight flashed again, barely forming a spatial ripple that rolled toward Lu Fan.

He only felt an unfathomable suction pulling his whole body; before he could react, dizziness seized him. In the whirl of heaven and earth, he found himself inside a secret passage.

Behind him solid mountain rock, ahead a bright expanse where blocks of luminous Heavenly Star Stone were embedded in the passage. As far as his eyes could see, they were dense and countless, looking at first like a night‑sky river of stars.

Lu Fan subconsciously released his spiritual power, scanned the area, and, finding no trace of the woman, relaxed and muttered:

"That woman must be Huang Haiming's disciple, the lady Nalan. At that banquet she demonstrated the Verbal Spell Technique; I hadn't paid attention, but the star‑refining divine skill she just used was actually the most mysterious Star Spell Technique within the Verbal Spell Technique."

His expression grew slightly solemn, as if recalling something, and he murmured, "Harvesting the power of the stars, refining the nine‑heaven radiance, sensing the Dao's changes within the hidden mysteries. Once spoken, the constellations fall; this Nalan is indeed extraordinary!"

Martial cultivation at first is merely refining the primordial Qi of heaven and earth, forging the body and strengthening health. The way of the martial kings is generally like this.

Upon reaching a certain realm, one can borrow the power of celestial phenomena to amplify one's strength. Like Qing Yi's Wind and Wave Technique, which embodies such power. Though Wang Wu is exceptionally gifted, his use of the "Wind and Wave Technique" is only superficial and cannot attain that realm.

As for higher levels, they involve the Great Dao of heaven and earth; throughout the Mingyue Empire, no one can grasp that vague might.

But the Star Spell Technique is precisely of that caliber. For a lady Nalan of her age to achieve such a feat is unimaginable. Even Lu Fan, after two lifetimes of experience, has never seen such a person.

"Hmph! Interesting!" he snorted coldly, the corner of his mouth lifting. Since his rebirth, it was the first time he showed battle intent toward a junior. Rather than a junior, he was more a peer; reborn Lu Fan is also of the younger generation.

"With so many Heavenly Star Stones in this secret passage, the starlight flickering, they'll surely be of great benefit to you; don't disappoint me!"

He finished speaking, stepped forward, and walked slowly along the passage.