The Secret Realm was quiet… too quiet.
Dense fog floated between twisted trees, and the ground was cracked with strange red lines glowing faintly. The air felt heavy, as if something dangerous was hiding just around the corner.
Shen Yue and Li Yueru walked carefully, dressed in simple traveling robes. Their auras were hidden, just like Lin Xian had taught them before they entered the realm. They thought they were alone.
But they weren't.
High above them, hidden behind a tree formation, Lin Xian watched them closely. His eyes were sharp. He had noticed something strange a few minutes ago—traces of a formation buried under the ground.
"A trap…" Lin Xian muttered under his breath.
His guess was right.
Just as the two girls reached a small stone platform, the air suddenly twisted. Sharp spikes burst out of the ground, and a deadly poison gas spread from the center of the formation. It was a killing array—one meant for strong cultivators.
"Yueru, watch out!" Shen Yue shouted, pulling her friend back.
But it was too late. The trap had activated.
The ground crumbled under them, and they began to fall into a deep pit filled with black vines.
Before they hit the ground, a blur shot forward.
Lin Xian.
He moved faster than the eye could follow, his robes fluttering like wings. He caught both girls mid-air and slammed his palm into the side of the pit, using his strength to slow their fall.
Boom!
They landed safely, but the poison gas was already spreading through the cave they were in.
"You… why are you here?!" Li Yueru asked, shocked and confused.
Lin Xian smiled, even though his face was pale. "I followed you both. I felt something was wrong."
As he spoke, he stumbled a little. A thin black mark was spreading along his arm.
He was poisoned.
Shen Yue's eyes widened. "You… you saved us! But—your arm!"
Lin Xian gritted his teeth. "I triggered the trap before it hit you. But the poison was too fast…"
He tried to sit down and calm his breathing. The poison was not normal—it was cold, slow, and clearly meant to weaken the body and spirit together. Even his Foundation Realm body couldn't fight it off completely.
"I'll be fine," he lied, giving Shen Yue a soft pat on the head to calm her down. "Don't cry, little one. You're safe."
Li Yueru bent down and placed her hand over his wrist, trying to use her spiritual energy to push the poison out. But her face turned serious.
"This… this is a Yin Soul Poison. It targets your spiritual core and life force. You can't heal it alone."
Shen Yue looked panicked. "What do we do then?! There must be a way!"
Li Yueru hesitated, her cheeks turning red.
"There… there is a method," she said slowly, not meeting Lin Xian's eyes. "But… it's taboo. Only dual cultivation with someone who has pure Yin energy can drive it out completely."
Shen Yue's face turned red as well. "You mean…"
Lin Xian coughed, still smiling calmly. "Don't worry. We'll think of something later."
But deep inside, he already understood. This was a trap set by Shen Tian—not to kill, but to steal an opportunity. He must've known about the danger in this spot… and sent others here first.
So the Son of Destiny let others fall into a trap… just so he could look like a hero if he came later, Lin Xian thought, eyes narrowing.
But this time, it was Lin Xian who had saved the day.
Even if he was poisoned in the process.
Shen Yue grabbed his hand tightly. "We'll help you. No matter what. You saved us."
Li Yueru looked away, her heart filled with complicated emotions.
As they slowly climbed out of the pit, supporting Lin Xian between them, both girls looked back one last time.
The killing formation had already disappeared.
But something else had taken root.
A bond.
And perhaps… the first cracks in destiny.