Chapter 157: The Warning Bell

The dawn in the Secret Realm was profoundly tranquil. Perhaps out of shyness, the moon had tucked itself away, casting the surroundings into an even deeper gloom. A gentle breeze brushed by, causing the leaves to rustle as if whispering mysterious tales. A thin mist permeated the area, and within moments, the hems of the trio's trousers were dampened.

Visibility was poor at night, though this only affected Chou Niu. Despite his eyes having adjusted to the dark, he could only vaguely discern the silhouettes of Lin Xiao and Luo Yao. Lin Xiao, however, was unaffected; possessing night vision, the landscape appeared no different to him than it did in the daylight. Luo Yao, endowed with dark-element abilities, could see far better in the night than any ordinary person, even if she couldn't match Lin Xiao’s prowess.

After scouting a wide perimeter, they failed to find any valuable spirit herbs, much to Lin Xiao’s disappointment. Throughout the search, Lin Xiao had kept a sharp eye on their surroundings, yet he had not detected a single trace of any spirit beasts. This led him to consider other options. Perhaps if he ventured a little further, he might find something.

With this thought, Lin Xiao looked toward Luo Yao and Chou Niu. "I'm thinking of heading a bit further out. What do you think?"

Though Chou Niu felt it might be imprudent, he did not voice an objection. Chen Long and Xu Gou were back at the camp, and they were more than capable of handling any spirit beasts that might appear. "No problem, but it’s best not to go too far."

Luo Yao simply gave a soft nod. She favored the current environment; the sensation of being immersed in darkness caused the dark-element energy within her to stir with great vitality.

With their agreement secured, Lin Xiao hesitated no longer and set off in a random direction. He wasn't necessarily hunting for a precious herb; he simply wanted something to do to pass the boring time. After walking for about a thousand meters, Lin Xiao’s nose twitched. He caught the scent of a delicate, refreshing fragrance.

"Tell me, you two, do you smell that?"

Chou Niu and Luo Yao sniffed the air and both nodded.

"There is a scent. Just smelling it makes one feel refreshed. Could there really be some high-grade medicinal herb nearby?"

"Let's look for it, but be careful. A spirit beast’s sense of smell is sharper than ours. If it truly exists, some beasts might be drawn to it."

Lin Xiao kept his night vision active, but so far, he hadn't detected any danger. He had only spotted some faint traces of spirit beasts underground; judging by their aura, they were all low-level creatures, and they all seemed to be in a state of hibernation. Following the trail of the fragrance, the three continued forward, the intoxicating scent growing more and more potent with every step.

After some searching, Lin Xiao finally found the source. It was a Three-Leaf Green Ganoderma.

Lin Xiao’s gaze grew fervent. The Three-Leaf Green Ganoderma was extremely rare, no less valuable than the Century-Old Returning Origin Ginseng he had previously obtained. The herb possessed a unique trait: it was completely scentless until it was on the verge of ripening, at which point it emitted this alluring, refreshing fragrance. The ripening window was short—only two hours. If it wasn't harvested within those two hours, the herb would wither, becoming worthless and even turning poisonous. This was precisely why a ripe Three-Leaf Green Ganoderma commanded such a high price. The Mercenary Hall had a standing request for one, with a reward of one hundred thousand points.

Lin Xiao did not strike immediately, choosing instead to scan the area. A natural treasure of this caliber should not be left unguarded; there was a high probability of a high-level spirit beast nearby. He scouted the area again but found no signs of danger, which put his mind at ease. It seemed he had been overthinking things.

This Three-Leaf Green Ganoderma was his!

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. Just as he was about to harvest the herb, he felt a tug on his sleeve. Lin Xiao turned, puzzled, to look at Luo Yao, who was holding his jacket.

"What is it?"

"Something is wrong. I sense a dense dark-element aura in the vicinity. There may be a high-level dark-element spirit beast here. If you rush in, you might be in danger."

Lin Xiao paused, taken aback. Given the serious expression on Luo Yao’s face, she didn't seem to be joking. He was also mildly surprised that she had managed such a long sentence without stuttering—perhaps it was due to her intense focus. Though he was confident in his night vision, he knew better than to ignore Luo Yao’s warning. It was always better to be cautious.

Lin Xiao stopped and began to re-examine the area. Spirit beasts were indeed present, but he had dismissed them earlier as non-threatening. This time, he utilized all his spirit skills, determined to uncover the hidden threat. His target was soon locked onto a tree a hundred meters away from the Green Ganoderma. There was a palm-sized spirit beast on the tree; he had noticed it before, but because of its tiny size, he had subconsciously ignored it.

Now, looking closer, he realized it wasn't so simple. What made him most suspicious was the presence of a spirit core within the creature. While it was normal for a first-level spirit beast to possess a core, the combination of its location and the circumstances made it highly suspicious.

Lin Xiao pointed at the tree and said to Luo Yao, "There is a spirit beast on that tree. Can you sense anything wrong with it?"

Hearing this, Luo Yao didn't look at the tree; instead, she closed her eyes. A moment later, she opened them. "You're right. The dark energy there is extremely dense—stronger than anywhere else. It’s definitely that one!"

The confirmation sent a cold shiver down Lin Xiao’s spine. Had it not been for Luo Yao’s warning, he would have walked right up, and even with Chou Niu’s protection, he likely would have been attacked. If the beast’s level was high enough, the probability of him being killed outright was significant. This incident served as a wake-up call; he could not afford to be so impulsive in the future.

This beast had dared to ambush him—he wouldn't let it get away with that!

With that, Lin Xiao grabbed his sniper rifle and aimed at the creature. *Thanks for the warning; as a token of my gratitude, please die.*

He pulled the trigger without hesitation. To his surprise, the beast seemed to have sensed the danger in advance. The moment he fired, it dissolved into a shadow and vanished.

*A dark-element spirit beast indeed. I underestimated this thing.*

"Be careful, it’s a dark-element spirit beast!"

Alerted by Lin Xiao, Chou Niu immediately stepped in front of him, scanning the surroundings vigilantly. Luo Yao also slipped into the shadows. She had promised to protect Lin Xiao, but until now, she hadn't had the chance. Now, the opportunity had finally arrived. When it came to dealing with dark-element beasts, no one was better suited than she.