The ancient ruin collapsed behind them.
Massive stone pillars shattered as dust and debris rained down like a storm.
Lin Ye ran at full speed while pulling Su Qingyue and Mu Ling'er with him.
"Hurry!"
Behind them—
BOOOOM!
The entire underground chamber caved in.
A huge shockwave chased them through the tunnel.
Mu Ling'er laughed breathlessly while running.
"This is exciting!"
Su Qingyue frowned.
"Less talking, more running!"
Lin Ye pointed ahead.
"There!"
A narrow crack of light appeared at the end of the tunnel.
They rushed toward it.
At the last second—
The three of them jumped out of the collapsing ruin.
BOOM!
The entrance sealed completely as thousands of tons of rock buried the ancient structure forever.
Silence returned to the forest.
Lin Ye collapsed on the grass.
"…I hate ancient ruins."
Mu Ling'er dropped beside him, still smiling.
"But you got the treasure."
She glanced at the Shadow Dragon Spear and the beast core in his hand.
Lin Ye shrugged.
"Worth it."
Su Qingyue stood nearby, catching her breath.
"Stop celebrating."
"The secret realm closes tomorrow."
Lin Ye blinked.
"…Already?"
System Notification
Right on cue—
DING!
The system appeared again.
SPECIAL EVENT DETECTED
The Final Treasure of the Secret Realm is about to appear.
Objective: Find and obtain the final inheritance.
Reward:
Unknown Legendary Item
50,000 EXP
Luck Surge
Lin Ye's eyes widened.
"Fifty thousand?"
Mu Ling'er noticed his expression.
"What happened?"
Lin Ye stood up instantly.
"We're treasure hunting again."
Su Qingyue sighed.
"Of course."
Meanwhile – Zhao Tianlong
Several miles away in another part of the secret realm—
Zhao Tianlong stood beside a lake with several injured disciples.
His face was dark with humiliation.
"That bastard…"
One disciple spoke nervously.
"Senior Brother, we lost too many people fighting the beast."
Zhao Tianlong clenched his fists.
His pride had been destroyed repeatedly by Lin Ye.
First the arena.
Then the ruins.
Then the treasure.
He whispered coldly.
"I don't care."
"I will kill him before we leave this realm."
Suddenly—
A shadow appeared behind him.
A mysterious black-robed man stepped forward.
Zhao Tianlong turned sharply.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled calmly.
"Someone who can help you."
Zhao Tianlong frowned.
"And why would you help me?"
The man's eyes gleamed.
"Because…"
"Lin Ye must die."
Night Falls
Back in the forest—
The sun slowly disappeared behind the mountains.
Darkness filled the secret realm.
Lin Ye looked around.
"…We should probably rest."
Su Qingyue nodded.
"Traveling at night is dangerous."
Mu Ling'er stretched lazily.
"Then we camp here."
Lin Ye built a small fire.
Soon the three of them sat around it in silence.
But the silence quickly became… awkward.
Lin Ye looked left.
Su Qingyue sat calmly with her sword across her lap.
He looked right.
Mu Ling'er was staring at him with a mischievous smile.
"…What?"
She leaned closer.
"You seem nervous."
Lin Ye coughed.
"I'm trapped in the forest overnight with two beautiful women."
"Of course I'm nervous."
Su Qingyue rolled her eyes.
"Control your imagination."
Mu Ling'er laughed softly.
"Oh?"
"You're not imagining anything?"
Su Qingyue remained silent.
But her ears turned slightly red.
Lin Ye quickly changed the topic.
"So…"
"Who's taking first watch?"
Both women answered instantly.
"You."
Lin Ye sighed.
"Of course."
The Embarrassing Situation
Later that night—
The forest became quiet.
Lin Ye sat near the fire trying to stay awake.
But after the long battle and escape…
His eyelids slowly became heavy.
Eventually—
He fell asleep.
Hours later—
He woke up feeling… strange.
Something warm was pressing against his left arm.
Something soft leaned against his right shoulder.
Lin Ye slowly opened his eyes.
Then he froze.
Su Qingyue was asleep beside him.
Her head rested gently on his shoulder.
Mu Ling'er was curled up on his other side.
Her arm wrapped around his waist.
Lin Ye's brain stopped working.
"…System."
"This is dangerous."
As if on cue—
DING!
ROMANCE CHAOS MISSION
Objective: Escape this situation without waking either female lead.
Reward:
+10 Charm
Romantic Progress
Failure: Extreme embarrassment.
Lin Ye whispered desperately.
"…You're kidding."
He carefully tried to move.
But the moment he shifted—
Su Qingyue stirred slightly.
Lin Ye froze completely.
Mu Ling'er tightened her arm sleepily.
"Don't move…"
Lin Ye stared at the sky.
"…This is how heroes die."
Morning Disaster
When the sun finally rose—
Su Qingyue woke first.
Her eyes slowly opened.
Then she realized something.
Her head was resting on Lin Ye's shoulder.
She immediately sat up.
Mu Ling'er also woke up and noticed the scene.
Her smile widened.
"Well…"
"This looks intimate."
Su Qingyue's face turned slightly red.
"It was an accident."
Mu Ling'er laughed.
"Sure."
Lin Ye raised both hands.
"I'm innocent."
Both women glared at him simultaneously.
Lin Ye sighed.
"Why am I always the villain?"
The Final Treasure Appears
Suddenly—
The sky above the secret realm changed.
A massive pillar of golden light shot into the heavens from a distant mountain.
The entire realm shook.
Every disciple saw it.
Su Qingyue's eyes sharpened.
"That must be the final inheritance."
Mu Ling'er grinned.
"Looks like the real competition begins now."
Lin Ye stood up and stretched.
"Perfect."
Inside his mind—
DING!
FINAL TREASURE LOCATION DETECTED
Distance: 12 miles
Time remaining before realm closes: 10 hours
Lin Ye smiled slowly.
"Let's go."
But far away—
The mysterious black-robed man stood beside Zhao Tianlong on a mountain cliff.
He looked toward the golden light.
"The trap is ready."
Zhao Tianlong frowned.
"What trap?"
The man's smile grew darker.
"The final inheritance…"
"Requires a sacrifice."
His eyes glowed with strange power.
"And Lin Ye will deliver it."
The final stage of the secret realm had begun.
And this time—
The entire battlefield had already been prepared.