Starting from iron smelting

Chapter 97 Elixir

Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Mingyue stood at the entrance of the secret realm, the unbelievable scene in front of them reflected in their pupils. For a moment, both of them were deeply shocked.

Time seemed to stop at this moment, and all the sounds around them disappeared, leaving only the green world in the secret realm before their eyes. They originally thought that after so many years of baptism, this secret realm had long been deserted, or at most only some ruins were left. But the actual situation before them was very different from their expectations.

In the secret realm, an ancient house came into view. It looked simple but revealed the vicissitudes of time. Lu Xiuyuan gently stroked his chin and thought: "This house should have been built by the owner of the secret realm. It may have been used to cultivate spiritual medicine and tame spiritual beasts."

Wen Mingyue nodded. She reached out her hand and gently touched the mottled marks on the outer wall of the house, as if she could feel the warmth left by the former owner. "Indeed, judging from the architectural style and design, this house is by no means an ordinary residence. It is more like an environment specially built for spiritual medicine and spiritual beasts."

The two of them walked slowly into the house, and saw that the furnishings were simple and quaint, revealing a strong ancient atmosphere. The neat rows of medicine shelves, although empty now, still showed that they were once filled with precious spiritual medicines. On the other side, there were some spiritual beast pens that had long been empty, and it seemed as if one could still hear the roars of spiritual beasts in the past.

"Logically speaking," Lu Xiuyuan said slowly, "after so many years, the spiritual medicine should have withered and the spiritual beasts should have turned to dust." He looked around, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, "but this place is still lush and green, and the spiritual medicine and spiritual beasts seem to be still thriving here."

Wen Mingyue was also very surprised. She bent down and gently stroked a green plant on the ground. "These magical herbs look very old, but they still maintain their vigorous vitality. It's really magical."

The two continued to explore the secret realm and found that not only were there luxuriant medicinal herbs growing here, but also a fresh spiritual aura permeated the air. They couldn't help but start to wonder if there were some unknown secrets hidden in this secret realm, or if it was protected by some mysterious power, which allowed these medicinal herbs and spiritual beasts to remain alive for such a long time.

Lu Xiuyuan stopped and looked into the distance, "Perhaps, the owner of this secret realm left behind some special mechanism or formation to maintain the ecological environment here."

Wen Mingyue also agreed, "It is indeed possible. The owner of this secret realm is obviously a master. He may have foreseen everything here, so he left a backup plan to protect this land."

Wen Lingyue's character still retains her childlike innocence and curiosity. She can never resist new and beautiful things, like a child who never grows up. When she sees those sparkling, colorful gems and rare animals, her eyes light up and she can't help but reach out to touch them and feel the real touch of beautiful things.

At the same time, Wen Lingyue was deeply attracted by the scene in front of her. She stared at the front without blinking, as if she was in a fantasy zoo. Those rare animals and dazzling gems were so fascinating in her eyes. She couldn't help but hold Lu Xiuyuan's hand, eager to explore this mysterious world with him.

However, just as they were about to step into that alluring fantasy land, Lu Xiuyuan suddenly noticed something. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes revealed a sense of vigilance and seriousness. He suddenly grabbed Wen Lingyue and stopped her from moving forward.

"Be careful," Lu Xiuyuan whispered, "It's dangerous here. What we saw was probably what the owner of the secret room wanted us to see on purpose."

Wen Lingyue was startled by Lu Xiuyuan's serious tone. She turned back to look at him, her eyes full of doubt and worry. Lu Xiuyuan stared closely at the rare animals and gems in front of him, as if looking for some clues.

"Although these beautiful things are tempting, we must remain vigilant." Lu Xiuyuan continued, "The owner of the secret room would not display these treasures for no reason. He must have his purpose. We cannot be fooled by the superficial beauty and ignore the potential dangers."

Wen Lingyue was somewhat unwilling to listen to Lu Xiuyuan's words, but she also knew that this was not the time to be willful. She nodded, indicating that she would follow Lu Xiuyuan's arrangements.

Seeing this, Lu Xiuyuan felt a little relieved. He knew very well how dangerous this secret room was, so he had to stay alert at all times. Wen Lingyue was still the curious little girl. Her mind seemed to have never grown up, and she always maintained a strong interest and desire to explore all the beautiful things around her. Whenever she encountered something new and beautiful, her bright eyes would flash with unconcealable excitement and desire. At this moment, her eyes were firmly attracted by the colorful and dazzling gems and flowers in front of her, just like a child who saw a long-admired rare animal in the zoo, full of joy and eager to try.

"Lu Xiuyuan, look at those gems and flowers, they are so beautiful!" Wen Lingyue's voice was full of admiration and yearning. She couldn't wait to get close to these things that seemed like dreams in her eyes.

As she spoke, she took Lu Xiuyuan's hand and wanted to move forward, as if she was an adventurer eager to explore the new world, completely disregarding the potential dangers.

However, Lu Xiuyuan was much more cautious than her. He was not fooled by the beautiful scenery in front of him, but remained alert at all times. In his eyes, behind these seemingly beautiful things, there might be unknown traps. He keenly noticed some subtle changes in the surrounding environment, such as the subtle strange smell in the air and the arrangement of some floor tiles on the ground seemed to imply some rules. These details reminded him that this place was not simple.

Just as Wen Lingyue was about to take a step forward, Lu Xiuyuan quickly and decisively grabbed her and said in a serious tone: "Be careful, Wen Lingyue, there is danger here. These beautiful things we see are most likely just illusions that the owner of the secret room wants us to see to confuse our eyes."

Wen Lingyue was startled by Lu Xiuyuan's sudden actions and words. She turned around and looked at him with some confusion. Her eyes, which were originally full of curiosity and desire, now had a hint of confusion and doubt.

"Are you saying that these are all fake?" she asked, with a hint of reluctance and disappointment in her tone.

"No, these things may be real, but the way they appear and the atmosphere around them make me feel something is wrong." Lu Xiuyuan explained, "The owner of this secret room is obviously an extremely smart person. He is very likely to use these beautiful things as bait to lure us into a trap."

After hearing what Lu Xiuyuan said, Wen Lingyue was still a little unwilling, but she also realized the seriousness of the situation. She was not a stupid person, but her curiosity and desire to explore always made her too impulsive when facing the unknown. At this moment, with Lu Xiuyuan's reminder, she gradually calmed down and began to look at the surrounding environment with a more cautious eye.

"So what should we do next?" she asked, her tone no longer as frivolous as before.

Lu Xiuyuan pondered for a moment and said slowly: "The one who tied the bell should be the one who can untie it. Since you said you were bitten by a snake, then according to common sense, there must be an antidote within seven steps. Now, we are in this secret room, and the antidote is likely hidden nearby."

When Wen Linglingyue heard this, her eyes suddenly sparkled with hope. She asked anxiously, "Are you saying that the antidote is on the mermaid in that room just now?"

Lu Xiuyuan nodded solemnly and said in a deep voice: "Do you still remember the story about the mermaid's tears? According to legend, the mermaid's tears can turn into pearls, which contain mysterious power. Now, I would like you to take out the pearl formed by the mermaid's tears, inject your spiritual power into it, and then observe the surrounding environment carefully. Perhaps, we can find clues to the antidote through this method."

"Okay." Wen Lingyue answered without hesitation. She quickly took out the crystal clear mermaid pearl from the storage bag she carried with her. The pearl emitted a faint light, as if it contained some mysterious power.

Wen Lingyue carefully held the mermaid pearl and began to slowly inject her spiritual power into it. As the spiritual power continued to be injected, the mermaid pearl began to change, emitting an increasingly strong light. This light was as dazzling as the sun, illuminating the entire secret room, and also illuminating the faces of Wen Lingyue and Lu Xiuyuan.

However, at this moment, something strange happened. As Wen Lingyue's spiritual power continued to be injected into the mermaid pearl, the surrounding environment began to change dramatically. The originally lush and vibrant scene suddenly disappeared, replaced by a dilapidated and desolate ruin.

Wen Lingyue and Lu Xiuyuan looked at the changes in front of them in amazement, their hearts filled with shock and confusion. It turned out that all the beautiful scenes they had seen before were illusions and false appearances. This ruin was the true appearance of this secret room.

"What's going on?" Wen Lingyue asked in astonishment, with a hint of trembling in her voice.

Lu Xiuyuan frowned, and he looked around, trying to find the answer. Suddenly, his eyes fell on the mermaid pearl in his hand. At this moment, the mermaid pearl was no longer a crystal clear pearl, but a black bead, emitting a strange light.

"I understand." Lu Xiuyuan took a deep breath and said slowly: "This mermaid pearl was originally the key to this ruin. When we injected spiritual power into it, it unlocked the seal of the illusion and allowed us to see the true appearance of this ruin. This also explains why what we saw before were all illusions."

Wen Lingyue was silent for a long time after hearing this, and then she asked softly: "What should we do now?"

Lu Xiuyuan's eyes wandered around the surroundings, trying to find any signs to reveal the secrets of this mysterious place. He realized that the place where those rare treasures were just now may have become a dangerous area full of traps. Those conspicuous treasures may be baits to attract explorers, but they hide deadly dangers. He knew that the most important thing now was to protect himself and Wen Lingyue and avoid falling into any possible traps.

Even though this place has been forgotten by the years, he still has a glimmer of hope. He believes that even in the dilapidated ruins, there may be endless treasures and opportunities. As the saying goes, "a broken ship still has two pounds of iron", even in the dilapidated, it is still possible to find unexpected treasures. As long as he and Wen Lingyue work hard together to search, even if they only find a little bit of ancient relics, it will be a huge gain and help for them.

What made him even more excited was that he guessed that this place might be the inner residence of the ancient great power of Beiya Cave. This meant that there might be legendary skills and unique skills preserved here. He was full of yearning and desire for these legendary skills. If he could find them, it would greatly improve and benefit his practice. Maybe there was also the lost legendary skill of beheading the gods. His eyes were shining with excitement, and he was determined to do everything he could to explore this mysterious place and find possible treasures and secrets.

Facing the possible dangers, Lu Xiuyuan felt his inner excitement and determination strengthened. He knew that even at the risk of exploration, it was worth it because there might be endless opportunities and treasures hidden in it. He decided to go all out and continue on his journey despite the dangers.

Pulling Wen Lingyue over, Lu Xiuyuan looked at her with a firm gaze, his tone revealing a hint of calmness and trust: "Please follow behind me. If anything unexpected happens, we will deal with it together."

Wen Lingyue also seemed very determined and trusting. She nodded solemnly, her eyes revealing her trust and reliance on Lu Xiuyuan: "I won't leave you alone, we will deal with it together."

The tacit understanding and unity between them made Lu Xiuyuan feel warm and firm. Then, he took Wen Lingyue's hand and led her to explore the secret realm. Every step was cautious, prudent, and vigilant at all times. They cooperated tacitly, supported each other, and faced the unknown and challenges ahead together.

In this mysterious and dangerous secret place, the unity and trust between Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue will be their most powerful weapon. They are determined to overcome all difficulties and obstacles together to find their opportunities and treasures.

Lu Xiuyuan's eyes suddenly shone with golden light, as if he had discovered an endless treasure. He realized that there was a hint of green not far away, which made him feel like he had found a treasure. In this desolate and dilapidated environment, the appearance of a hint of green was extremely eye-catching. He felt an indescribable excitement in his heart, because he knew that this hint of green might be the trace of some natural treasures.

The green light in front of them was flickering faintly, like a bright signal, guiding them in an unknown direction. Lu Xiuyuan felt as if he was standing at the threshold of a whole new world, waiting for him to explore and discover.