Chapter 151 | Preparing for the Secret Realm

Chapter 151: 151 | Preparing for the Secret Realm

By the next morning, Lin Tian left Cloud-Sea Pavilion. The Abyssal Shadow Veil was fully active once again, masking his Middle Stage cultivation beneath the harmless presence of an Early Stage disciple. The morning mist clung to the stone pathways of the Inner Sect as he walked toward the Contribution Hall.

The massive hall was already crowded. Hundreds of disciples moved between the floating mission boards, their voices a constant, overlapping hum. Many were discussing the upcoming Myriad Herb Secret Realm expedition.

Lin Tian joined the registration line without drawing attention. When his turn came, he placed his jade identity token before the mission deacon.

"Application for the Myriad Herb Secret Realm expedition."

The deacon infused the token with spiritual energy and studied the glowing records. "Recent external mission?"

"Blood-Ash Canyon."

The deacon checked the entry. "Medium-difficulty corrupted land. Five Blood-Ash Scorpions eliminated. No mission violations recorded." He looked up. "You are applying voluntarily?"

"Yes."

The deacon studied him for a moment longer, then nodded. "Your record is sufficient. Report to the southern transit square in two weeks." He handed over a thin jade slip containing the preliminary expedition rules.

Lin Tian stored it and turned toward the exit. The application had gone exactly as expected. No special requests, no unusual attention. Just another disciple seeking experience and contribution points.

Near the high-tier mission board, two disciples in pristine white Alchemy Peak robes were discussing the expedition in low voices. Lin Tian’s gaze passed over them casually, but the taller youth noticed his token and glanced at the public roster mounted on the wall.

The taller youth’s expression hardened. He stepped directly into Lin Tian’s path.

"Halt."

Lin Tian stopped. The youth’s hand rested casually on his spirit-sword hilt, his posture radiating controlled aggression.

"Junior Brother Lin. I saw your name on the Secret Realm roster. You have quite the nerve."

Lin Tian faced him calmly. In his mind, a silent command triggered.

*Scan.*

A translucent blue screen flickered into existence, visible only to him.

```text

[Ding!]

[SYSTEM PANEL]

--------------------------------------------------

Target: Gu Yan

Cultivation: Foundation Establishment (Peak Early Stage)

Physique: Standard

Temperament: Arrogant, Volatile

Emotional State: Anxious, eager to prove himself

Affiliation: Alchemy Peak (Elder Liu’s disciple)

Threat Level: Low-Moderate

--------------------------------------------------

```

Lin Tian dismissed the panel. The data confirmed what he already suspected. Gu Yan was desperate to prove his usefulness to Elder Liu. Seeing Lin Tian on the same roster had triggered his insecurity.

"Is there a problem, Senior Brother Gu?" Lin Tian asked politely.

Gu Yan stepped closer, his voice dropping. "The Secret Realm is not somewhere an unprepared disciple should wander. Our group has a clear objective assigned by Elder Liu herself. Unnecessary competition will only complicate matters."

Lin Tian listened without interrupting. He noted the way Gu Yan’s fingers tightened on his sword hilt, the slight tension in his jaw. This was not calculated hostility. It was the reflexive aggression of someone who felt threatened.

"Elder Liu asked your group to search for a particular resource," Lin Tian replied calmly. "I have no intention of interfering with that objective. I want to temper my Dao and gain combat experience in a fragmented dimension."

Gu Yan frowned. The calm response irritated him more than an argument would have. "Do not mistake that permission for an invitation to follow us."

"I understand," Lin Tian said, giving a faint, respectful smile.

Gu Yan studied him for a long moment, searching for any trace of mockery. Finding none, he stepped aside with a sharp exhale. Lin Tian walked past him without changing his pace.

Behind him, Gu Yan narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to his junior. "Accidents happen in fragmented dimensions. Beasts are unpredictable. Stay out of our way, or you might not make it back."

Lin Tian gave a calm nod without looking back. "Understood."

Gu Yan scoffed and walked away. Lin Tian quietly stored the veiled threat in his memory. It was not empty words. Gu Yan’s volatile temperament made him capable of acting on impulse inside the Secret Realm, where supervision was minimal.

From a shadowed balcony on the second floor, Deacon Zhao watched the entire exchange. He slowly stroked his goatee, his narrow eyes fixed on Lin Tian’s retreating figure. Zhao had spent years in the sect’s bureaucracy and had a sharp memory for unusual records. Lin Tian’s progress was clean, almost too clean. Every mission completed without incident, every contribution point earned through standard channels.

"Keep an eye on his public movements," Zhao murmured to a junior standing beside him. "I want to know if anything unusual happens around his missions."

The junior nodded and slipped away.

---

That night, Cloud-Sea Pavilion settled into deep silence. The defensive arrays hummed softly, sealing the estate from outside observation.

Lin Tian stood in his private study, reviewing the jade slip containing the expedition rules, when a soft knock came at the door.

"Enter."

Madam Shen stepped inside. She wore her dark-crimson robes, her long hair loosely tied. Her expression was calm, but her eyes carried a quiet weight that had not been there this morning.

"Master. Your application was approved without complications. The expedition remains two weeks away."

Lin Tian nodded and set the jade slip down. "Then everything is proceeding normally."

Madam Shen hesitated. She stood near the doorway, her fingers lightly gripping the fabric of her sleeve. "Gu Yan confronted you today at the Contribution Hall. His hostility may become troublesome inside the Secret Realm."

"A threat is only a threat until someone acts on it," Lin Tian said. He studied her face for a moment, then extended his hand. "Come here."

Madam Shen crossed the room and stopped before him. Lin Tian reached out and gently took her hand, his fingers wrapping around hers. The contact was simple, but the effect was immediate.

A warm, dense thread of Primordial Yang Qi passed directly from his palm into her meridians. It was not forceful. It moved like warm water flowing through a dry channel, filling spaces she had not realized were empty.

Madam Shen’s eyes fluttered shut. Her breathing deepened. The tension that had lived in her shoulders all day began to dissolve, replaced by a spreading warmth that settled deep into her Dantian. Her Yin meridians opened naturally, drawing his Yang energy inward with a quiet, aching gratitude.

She gripped his hand tighter, her knuckles turning pale. A soft, trembling breath escaped her lips.

"Your aura has changed since the breakthrough," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Even concealed, the difference is noticeable. It feels... deeper. Warmer."

"It will remain concealed from everyone outside this room," Lin Tian replied softly. His thumb stroked the back of her hand in slow, steady circles.

Madam Shen opened her eyes. They were glassy, carrying a vulnerability she never showed to anyone else. In the Resource Hall, she was the composed, calculating Deputy Hall Master who could silence a room with a single look. Here, in the quiet of his study, she was simply a woman who had given her complete devotion to the man standing before her.

"I worry," she said quietly. "Not because I doubt your strength. But because the Secret Realm is unpredictable. Spatial tears, ancient beasts, and disciples like Gu Yan who carry grudges into places where no elder can see."

Lin Tian stepped closer. His free hand rose and cupped her cheek, his palm warm against her skin. Madam Shen leaned into his touch instinctively, her eyes closing again.

"I have survived worse than an arrogant disciple with a sword," Lin Tian said. His voice was low, steady, and completely sincere. "And I have something now that I did not have before. A reason to return safely."

Madam Shen’s breath caught. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. The raw honesty in his golden eyes struck something deep inside her chest, a place she kept locked behind layers of discipline and composure.

She rose onto her toes and pressed her lips gently against his.

The kiss was soft, unhurried, and carried the weight of everything she could not say in words. Her hand moved from his grip to rest against his chest, feeling the steady, powerful rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her palm.

Lin Tian kissed her back with the same quiet intensity. His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them. The Yang energy flowing between their bodies deepened naturally, their meridians resonating in a slow, harmonious pulse.

When they finally parted, Madam Shen rested her forehead against his chest. Her breathing was slightly uneven, her cheeks flushed.

"Come back safely," she whispered.

"I will."

He held her there for a long moment, his chin resting lightly on the top of her head. The Irresistible Yang Scent surrounding them created a cocoon of warmth in the quiet room. Neither spoke. Words were unnecessary.

**

After a while, Madam Shen pulled back slowly. She adjusted her robes with careful hands, her composure returning piece by piece. But her eyes remained softer than usual, carrying a quiet warmth that had not been there before.

"Gu Yan’s threat concerns me," she said, her voice steadier now. "I will have Lady Yun monitor his movements before the expedition."

"Do that. But do not act against him unless he moves first." Lin Tian’s tone remained calm, leaving no room for unnecessary action or haste.

"Understood."

She turned toward the door, then paused. "Master."

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For... this." She did not specify what she meant. She did not need to. Her quiet expression made the meaning clear enough without further explanation.

Lin Tian gave a faint smile. "Rest tonight."

She nodded and left, closing the door softly behind her.

Lin Tian remained alone in his study. The warmth of her presence lingered in the air. He sat back down and picked up the jade slip, his expression returning to its usual calm focus as his thoughts settled once more.

The expedition was two weeks away. The first signs of trouble had already appeared. He would enter openly, follow the rules, and deal with whatever appeared before him.

For now, that was enough.