"What miracle? My waist is broken!" Wang Xuan sighed, lying there motionless.

"Huh?" Zhao Qinghan was startled and quickly sat up to check on him.

"No need. I probably just hurt myself by hitting a tree trunk. It's not a big deal; I can just rest here," Wang Xuan said, refusing her help.

"Since all the fierce birds and beasts have fled, you should rest now. We'll leave as soon as it's light!" Zhao Qinghan urged.

Wang Xuan nodded and lay down to sleep, trying to maintain peak condition in the Secret Realm to handle any unexpected situations.

As the moonlight fell, Zhao Qinghan watched him, unable to sleep for a long time. She had many questions, and her sharp mind naturally made various connections, especially since Wang Xuan had been so calm at such a moment.

Regardless, the image of Wang Xuan leaping in the nick of time to save her filled her mind—this was a friend she could entrust her life to. She felt grateful and moved, then closed her beautiful eyes under the moonlight.

After two nights of incidents, she hadn't slept much and soon drifted off into a sound slumber.

At dawn, Wang Xuan remained still, his arm pinned down. He wanted to pull it out but feared waking Zhao Qinghan and thought it better to let her sleep a bit longer.

Finally, Zhao Qinghan's eyelids fluttered as she gradually woke up. Realizing she was holding an arm, she quickly let go and adjusted her clothes.

"It's fine. You didn't drool much while sleeping," Wang Xuan teased, easing the awkwardness.

"You're the one drooling! I never do!" Zhao Qinghan's face flushed.

"Then why is my hand damp?" Wang Xuan stood up, suddenly noticing a wet spot on his right hand. Could it be?

"What are you looking at? That's just dew!" Zhao Qinghan got up.

The two of them found their bearings, intending to return and reunite with their team. Although Wang Xuan had only been captured by the monster for a brief moment, he felt they had traveled at least dozens of miles.

"I missed the monster's nest and lost a chance at a spirit herb; what a pity!" Wang Xuan sighed.

Zhao Qinghan replied, "Don't think about strange items for now; let's hurry back. I need to reflect on this mission—the dangers of the Secret Realm far exceed my imagination."

This didn't align with the information she had received; the Secret Realm was now much more perilous than before, indicating something must have changed.

Cautiously, they set off on their way back, crossing mountains and valleys. Along the way, Wang Xuan used his strong mental perception to avoid dangerous areas.

This was still the outer region of the Secret Realm, and encountering extraordinary creatures like the golden raptors was unexpected.

"Someone's there!" Wang Xuan stopped, spotting a figure sitting by a lake in the woods—it was a human.

This middle-aged man bore several bloodstains, his protective gear torn, yet he seemed unharmed. Suddenly, he turned and noticed Wang Xuan and Zhao Qinghan.

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He waved at them, signaling for them to come over.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Wang Xuan asked him, walking over without concern.

He saw through the man's situation: a master-level gene supersoldier, uninjured and in good condition, but posed no threat to Wang Xuan.

"I'm just an adventurer who got separated from my team. I discovered some spirit herbs here and am waiting for them to mature," the man, in his thirties, said with a faint smile. "Since we've met, how about this: there are five Nourishing Spirit Lotuses in the lake—three for me and two for you?"

The lake emitted a faint fragrance, with five lotus flowers radiating brilliance, obviously not ordinary.

Nourishing Spirit Lotuses could enhance both health and spirit. From the name alone, it was evident they significantly benefited mental power, but the best effects were realized once the lotus seeds matured.

Though the blooming flowers had some effect, it certainly paled in comparison.

Adventurers typically wouldn't wait for the seeds to mature due to time constraints.

Wang Xuan thought if he consumed the Nourishing Spirit Lotus, his strength would surely improve!

"Young man, you go and pick the lotuses," the man suggested.

"I feel there's something in this lake that you're too scared to approach," Wang Xuan said, his heightened senses detecting anomalies.

He pointed out the obvious malice in the man's intentions, feeling no need to fear him.

Here, far from the new star, the absence of legal constraints led some individuals to shed moral shackles and act recklessly in the wilderness.

Veteran adventurers often said that if separated from their teams and encountering other adventurers in the wild, one should be cautious; sometimes, people's moral boundaries could sink to depths more horrifying than beasts.

"Just go if I say so; stop talking nonsense!" The man stood up, beckoning Zhao Qinghan to come over. "Miss, come here; we'll wait for him to gather herbs."

Although he smiled, his intentions were clear. He believed himself to be a gene supersoldier, ready to manipulate these two.

Clearly, he wanted to kill Wang Xuan, forcing him into the suspicious lake to gather herbs, thereby meeting a fatal end.

Leaving Zhao Qinghan behind, his eyes bore a hot gaze that any young girl would find disgusting, his intentions bare.

"Where else could humanity be illustrated so vividly? Only in this kind of wilderness, free from societal laws, can pure goodness and ugliness play out. Unfortunately, you are devoid of goodness, fully embodying the ugly side of humanity," Wang Xuan said coldly, showing no mercy.

A mere gene supersoldier dared to act recklessly, indulging in unspeakable atrocities here. There was no need for leniency against such a person crossing the line.

"Do you know who you're talking to?" the middle-aged man sneered.

He truly felt no fear; current master-level experts were all over thirty.

This young man before him was barely in his twenties and dared to confront him? He was just a young monster from the Old Earth, merely an exception, yet he had never left that starry sky.

"You're facing a master!" he declared coldly.

Zhao Qinghan's face changed immediately at this declaration, pulling Wang Xuan's hand to retreat.

Although she suspected Wang Xuan's strength, she still worried—this person was definitely a seasoned master.

Wang Xuan laughed, "Qinghan, you almost fell for it. This person is injured but too proud; he doesn't want to share the spirit herbs here and intends to trick us."

The gene supersoldier approached, thinking this young man was adorably naïve, wanting to face the bloody-handed master who wouldn't hesitate to kill his companions.

Wang Xuan released Zhao Qinghan's hand and strode forward. "You're just a paper tiger, trying to fool someone!"

The middle-aged master smiled, but a cold light flashed in his eyes. He reached out to grab Wang Xuan, intending to break his arm.

Wang Xuan grasped back, quicker and stronger, and with a crack, he broke the man's arm.

He turned to Zhao Qinghan, saying, "See, he's just bluffing. His arm was broken before and hasn't healed yet. Such a person dares to do evil?"

The gene supersoldier was sweating profusely, shocked and horrified—what kind of monster was this?!

"I'm..." He attempted to assert his identity as a master, but with another crack, his other arm also snapped, transforming his words into muffled groans.

"This is absurd; who would dare impersonate a master?" Wang Xuan shook his head in disbelief.

The middle-aged man wanted to say he wasn't fake but truly a master—couldn't he be treated with some respect? Then he felt a grasp on his shoulder and heard another crack!

"I..." He gasped but was suppressed by a powerful mental force, rendering him speechless, fear and shock driving him to the brink of madness.