Chapter 1655: Harder Than Imagined

"I think we should take the initiative." Lin Qian proposed, "We cannot keep evading passively like this. We can try to investigate the background of those pursuers; perhaps we can find a breakthrough."

After thinking for a moment, Su Wan said: "Good idea, but this is too dangerous. We cannot act blindly; we must formulate a meticulous plan."

In the next few days, Lin Qian and Su Wan worked together. Lin Qian was responsible for inquiring about news in nearby towns and villages, while Su Wan continued to study the ancient book, attempting to find more useful clues from it. They agreed to meet in a hidden forest every evening to exchange information.

One evening, when Lin Qian returned to the meeting place with the information he had collected, he found that Su Wan was already waiting for him, and her expression was solemn.

"What's wrong? Any discoveries?" Lin Qian asked hurriedly.

Su Wan spread out the ancient book in her hand and pointed to one of the pages: "I found a major clue. This ancient book may not only record the secret of a certain secret realm, but it is also related to an ancient family—the Yunyin family."

"Yunyin family?" Lin Qian was stunned when he heard this, "I have never heard of this name."

Su Wan explained: "This is an extremely mysterious family; it is said that they have guarded some unknown secret for generations. And this secret is likely the secret realm we have been looking for. More importantly, I found some information about the pursuers; they seem to be sent by the Yunyin family."

Lin Qian's brows locked: "If this is the case, wouldn't we be in even bigger trouble? The power of the Yunyin family is not something we can easily resist."

Su Wan said firmly: "That's right, but we cannot just give up like this. Since we have come to this step, we must persist. Moreover, I have another idea."

"What idea?" Lin Qian asked impatiently.

Su Wan took a deep breath: "We can try to contact the Yunyin family and negotiate with them. Perhaps they are not our enemies, just misunderstood our intentions."

Hearing this, a flash of light crossed Lin Qian's eyes: "This is indeed a method worth trying. But how do we contact them?"

Su Wan smiled slightly: "The ancient book records an ancient ritual; through this ritual, we can convey information to the Yunyin family. However, this ritual requires some special materials and locations."

In the following days, Lin Qian and Su Wan began to collect the materials needed for the ritual and, according to the description in the ancient book, found a mysterious location that was said to be able to communicate with the Yunyin family. It was an ancient altar hidden in the deep mountains, surrounded by dense forests, appearing exceptionally quiet.

When night fell and the moonlight spilled over the altar, Lin Qian and Su Wan followed the instructions in the ancient book and began the ancient ritual. They lit incense and candles, placed the offerings, then clasped their hands together and recited the incantations silently. Suddenly, the flame in the center of the altar jumped violently, and immediately after, a faint light and shadow emerged in the flame.

"Is it someone from the Yunyin family?" Lin Qian asked nervously.

The light and shadow gradually became clear, revealing the image of an old man in a long robe. His eyes were deep, as if he could see through the human heart: "Who are you? Why summon my Yunyin family?"

Lin Qian took a deep breath and told their encounter and purpose in detail. After listening, the old man was silent for a moment and then said: "So that's it. The secret realm you are looking for is indeed related to my Yunyin family. But you are not the first people to attempt to explore this secret."

Su Wan asked hurriedly: "Then can we see the head of the Yunyin family? We have important things to discuss."

The old man smiled slightly: "I can take you there, but you must agree to one condition."

Lin Qian and Su Wan looked at each other and asked in unison: "What condition?"

The old man said slowly: "You must prove your sincerity and strength. Only after passing the test of our Yunyin family will you be qualified to negotiate with us."

Hearing this, Lin Qian and Su Wan were uneasy in their hearts, but they also knew that this was their only opportunity. Thus, they resolutely agreed to the old man's condition and followed him into the teleportation portal leading to the secret realm of the Yunyin family.

The subsequent tests were even harder than they had imagined. They not only had to face the repeated challenges of the masters of the Yunyin family but also had to solve a series of complex puzzles and mechanisms. But Lin Qian and Su Wan, relying on their firm belief and extraordinary wisdom, overcame the difficulties one by one and gradually won the respect and trust of the members of the Yunyin family.

Finally, on a night when the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, they were brought before the head of the Yunyin family. The head was an old man with white hair and beard, his eyes revealing the vicissitudes of time and the light of wisdom.

"You have done very well." After the head was silent for a while, he finally spoke slowly, "You don't need to say anything now, because I have already heard about your deeds. Now, what I need you to do is tell me, why are you so persistent in looking for this secret realm?"

Lin Qian and Su Wan smiled at each other, and after a long silence, Lin Qian represented them and spoke slowly: "Actually, to tell the truth, we are not for private desire, but because we want to uncover the truth behind this secret realm from the bottom of our hearts and protect it from being used by people with ulterior motives. At the same time, we also hope that the Yunyin family can share this secret with us and guard it together."

Hearing this, the head was silent for a long time. Finally, he nodded slowly: "I have already seen your sincerity and determination. This secret realm does indeed hide a major secret; it concerns the peace of the whole world. Since you are willing to take on this responsibility, then I will tell you the secret of the secret realm."

Following the head's narration, Lin Qian and Su Wan finally understood the truth behind the secret realm. It turned out that an ancient and powerful force was hidden there; once it lost control, it would bring huge disaster to the world. The Yunyin family had guarded this secret for generations just to prevent this force from falling into the hands of evil people.

After learning the truth, Lin Qian and Su Wan strengthened their belief even more. They decided to join hands with the Yunyin family to guard this secret realm together and ensure that this force would never be abused. And their journey also opened a new chapter because of this. In the days to come, they will face more challenges and tests, but as long as there is love and belief in their hearts, nothing can stop their footsteps forward. ===== CHAPTER 1656 =====