"Boss, what should we do? Should we continue the chase?" Ge Lei gritted his teeth and said.
Ha En's face revealed a cold expression. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Forget it. Since it has come to this, let's activate Plan B. Get in touch with A Shi for me!"
"Boss, are you really going to agree to their terms and cooperate with them?" Ge Lei said reluctantly.
"Haha, letting those guys enter the secret realm first isn't a bad idea. At the very least, we can understand the situation within the realm. As for cooperation! Tsk tsk, once she's been used up and dies inside, there's no cooperation left." Ha En sneered sinisterly.
Lin Chen and his companions moved quickly through the jungle. With the help of venomous bees, they finally escaped the pursuit of the Red Scarf Army, swiftly advancing toward the secret realm.
As night began to fall, the group finally spotted a cave, and that cave was the entrance to the secret realm.
Looking at the cave, excitement surged in everyone's hearts. The pursuit by the Red Scarf Army along the way had truly been a bitter ordeal.
The cave entrance was blocked by a massive boulder, and on the boulder was a groove.
Lin Chen placed the jade token into the groove, and with a violent tremor, the enormous stone cave finally opened.
The group entered the stone cave. Ahead of them stretched an endlessly deep tunnel. Even with their lights on, they could only see about a meter ahead.
Lin Chen walked at the front, Zhao Xiaohua brought up the rear, and the group cautiously advanced through the tunnel.
After walking for about three hours, Lin Chen suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"What's wrong?" Lan Xingyue asked curiously from behind.
"Listen, it's the sound of ocean waves," Lin Chen replied.
"Ocean waves? How could there be an ocean here?" The group looked puzzled.
Lin Chen and the others advanced another dozen meters, sensing the surrounding air becoming slightly humid.
Continuing onward, they suddenly saw a light ahead.
Turning a corner, everyone froze. Before them lay a vast ocean stretching as far as the eye could see.
Beneath their feet was a rocky floor washed by the seawater. In the distance, the faint outline of a coastline was visible.
Lin Chen stopped and said, "It seems we need to cross this water."
Fortunately, they were prepared. Lin Chen had an inflatable boat in his backpack.
The boat was flat when taken out, but once inflated, it quickly expanded to full size.
Six people jumped onto the inflatable boat one after another, venturing into the unknown waters.
"Look! The underwater view is stunning."
Clear water revealed numerous floating organisms, many of which were unfamiliar to the group.
The only recognizable creatures were jellyfish, although they were much larger and more vibrantly colored than those seen in aquariums.
A dark figure was swimming toward their inflatable boat from a distance.
"Something's wrong—it looks like a shark!" Lan Xingyue's expression hardened.
"No, its size is even bigger than a shark," Zhao Xiaohua said, narrowing his eyes.
The shark-like creature evidently considered them prey and charged rapidly toward the boat.
"This is bad. If this thing hits us, the inflatable boat will overturn," Lan Xingyue said grimly.
Just then, Mu Yuqiu raised her sniper rifle to shoot, but Lin Chen stopped her.
"No. We don't know what other dangerous creatures are lurking in these waters. If there's blood in the water, it'll drive them into a frenzy."
Lin Chen stared intently at the incoming prehistoric shark-like creature.
When the shark was just about to strike the boat, Lin Chen's eyes flashed with a golden light.
At the last moment, the shark suddenly turned its body and submerged again.
Moments earlier, the group had been on edge, their hearts pounding with fear. Although everyone could swim, in these mysterious waters, who knew what horrors might await?
"Xiao Shuai, what kind of place is this?" Lin Chen asked, bewildered, as he looked at the bizarre fish swimming in the water.
"Welcome to the prehistoric world," Xiao Shuai replied with a cheerful laugh.
"Prehistoric world?" Lin Chen froze.
"Have we traveled through time?"
"No, no, no, we're still on Earth. However, this is a part of the world untouched by human pollution. The creatures and plants here remain as they were thousands of years ago. Oh, and haven't you noticed how abundant spiritual energy is here?" Xiao Shuai laughed.
"I can feel it. This place is practically a paradise for cultivation," Lin Chen said excitedly.
"However, this isn't just a paradise for cultivation—it's also a perilous place filled with dangers," Xiao Shuai reminded.
"Yes, I've sensed that," Lin Chen said, his gaze sharpening as he looked ahead.
In the distance, Lin Chen spotted a massive creature with extended tentacles, dragging the surrounding fish into its mouth.
"Turn around immediately!" Lin Chen shouted urgently at Lan Xingyue, who was steering the boat.
But it was too late—the colossal creature seemed to have noticed them, stretching several tentacles toward them.
At that moment, the shark-like creature that had attacked them earlier suddenly charged at the giant beast.
Distracted, the enormous creature abandoned its pursuit of the inflatable boat and turned its tentacles toward the shark-like predator.
The shark-like creature fought fiercely, relentlessly biting at the tentacles with its razor-sharp teeth.
"Hurry, let's go!" The group paddled frantically to escape the dangerous waters.
As they continued their journey, Lin Chen and the others encountered more bizarre aquatic creatures: strange fish with claws and tails that hadn't fully evolved, jellyfish as large as houses, and whales the size of warships.
Their nerves stayed taut throughout, but thanks to some luck, the enormous creatures seemed uninterested in the small inflatable boat that had accidentally trespassed.
Finally, carried by the waves, the group reached the shore.
Gazing up at the azure sky, everyone let out a sigh of relief. They had finally arrived at the secret realm.
Just as Lin Chen's group set foot in the secret realm, another group arrived at the stone cave.
By now, the boulder had closed again.
Ha En looked at the boulder, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile.
"A Shi, it's all on you now," Ha En said with a grin to a cold and stunning woman beside him.
A Shi showed no expression. She glanced at Ha En and said indifferently, "Remember the promise you made to me."
Ha En burst into laughter. "Of course, of course. I, Ha En, always keep my promises."
A Shi nodded and pulled out a jade token identical to Lin Chen's, placing it into the groove.
Accompanied by a thunderous sound, the boulder opened once again.
A gleam flashed in Ha En's eyes as he waved to his subordinates. "Everyone, follow me into the secret realm. Our chance to strike it rich has arrived."
The mercenaries' faces lit up with greed and excitement as they rushed into the secret realm without hesitation.
But an ironic smile crept onto A Shi's face. "Idiots. Do you really think the secret realm is as simple as you imagine?"