24: Chapter 24 Preparations for the Secret Realm, Rough Pigeons Galloping

The entry token for the Provincial-level Secret Realm, Ten Thousand Beast Ridge, was properly stowed in Lin Zhou's storage ring; the cool sensation against his palm served as a constant reminder of the grand gathering three months away.

From then on, the training ground of Jiangcheng Martial Arts University became Lin Zhou's exclusive domain.

As the first ray of dawn pierced the clouds and scattered through the glass dome of the training ground, Lin Zhou was already standing before an arrow target. The explosive sniper bow hummed and vibrated in his hand, its string drawn into a full moon; the sharp sound of arrows piercing the air became the morning song of the training ground day after day.

"Phew—"

After shooting the final Sky-Splitting Piercing Arrow and seeing the alloy target a hundred meters away pierced through with a charred hole remaining, Lin Zhou took a long breath and wiped the sweat from his brow. Three months was neither long nor short; to stand out in the Ten Thousand Beast Ridge Secret Realm, he had to squeeze his strength to the limit.

[System Prompt: Current roguelike dungeon floor: 52]

[Current Rank: Lv.18 (Epic High)]

[Currently available Fusion talents: Armor Piercing (Epic), Combustion (Epic)]

[Remaining points: 12,000]

The System panel clearly surfaced in his mind, and Lin Zhou's lips curled into a determined arc. Since obtaining the entry token, he had spent almost day and night immersed in the roguelike dungeon. From the initial Zombie Town to the later Demon Spider Lair and Lava Hell, the strength of the monsters in the dungeon progressed level by level, soaring from elite rank all the way to Pseudo-King Rank; every clearance was a life-and-death battle.

But the benefit of the roguelike system lay precisely here—high risk was accompanied by high reward. The point rewards for clearing each floor and the talent fragments dropped by every monster became the cornerstones of his skyrocketing strength.

"It's time."

Lin Zhou sat cross-legged in the center of the training ground, adjusting his breathing and slowly calming the churning spiritual energy within his body. After a month of accumulation, he had not only saved enough points for the talent Fusion but had also fully grasped the characteristics of the "Armor Piercing" and "Combustion" talents through countless battles.

Armor Piercing could ignore thirty percent of a target's defense, specifically countering those thick-skinned and tough-fleshed exotic beasts; Combustion would trigger a localized fire explosion upon hit, proving exceptionally effective against swarming monsters. His core skill, the Sky-Splitting Piercing Arrow, was adept at single-target assault and penetrating groups; merging the three would undoubtedly form a nearly perfect attack chain.

[System Prompt: Do you wish to consume 8,000 points to fuse Sky-Splitting Piercing Arrow, Armor Piercing, and Combustion into a new talent?]

"Confirm Fusion!"

As Lin Zhou's thought fell, the points on the System panel instantly cleared to zero, and the icons of the three talents transformed into three streaks of light that surged into his forehead. A scorching energy suddenly swept through his entire body, as if magma were rushing through his Meridians and a sharp astral wind were howling in his marrow. Two completely different powers collided, tore, and blended within him, causing the veins on Lin Zhou's forehead to bulge in pain as he gritted his teeth, pea-sized beads of sweat rolling down his cheeks.

This was the inevitable suffering of talent Fusion; the more powerful the fused talent, the more intense the pain one had to endure.

After an unknown amount of time, the energy within his body finally stabilized, and a sense of power several times stronger than before surged out from his limbs and bones. Lin Zhou suddenly opened his eyes, a glimmer of golden-red light flashing within them; he raised his hand to grip the explosive sniper bow, and with a light flick of his fingers, an arrow was notched onto the string.

[System Prompt: Talent Fusion successful! New talent: Sky-Splitting Combustion Armor-Piercing Arrow (legendary rank)]

[Talent Effect: The arrow can split into five, carrying Armor Piercing (30% ignore defense) and Combustion (10-meter range explosion) effects, with penetration capability increased by 50%]

[Current Rank: Lv.19 (Epic Peak Boundary)]

"Good!"

Lin Zhou shouted softly and drew the bowstring to its limit. The arrow was entwined with golden-red flames; the sharp edge of Armor Piercing and the heat of Combustion intertwined, emitting a heart-palpitating aura.

"Whoosh!"

The arrow shot through the air and suddenly split into five in mid-air, like five streaks of light, accurately striking five different bullseyes.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Five consecutive explosions rang out as the five bullseyes were shattered simultaneously; the shockwave of the fire explosions baked the surrounding air until it distorted, leaving five charred deep pits in the ground. Even more amazing was that one of the arrows, after piercing through the bullseye, continued without losing momentum and actually penetrated the steel plate behind it, perfectly demonstrating the dual power of Armor Piercing and penetration.

Lin Zhou nodded in satisfaction; this Sky-Splitting Combustion Armor-Piercing Arrow was superb for both single-target bursts and group clearing, sufficient to handle most dangers in the Ten Thousand Beast Ridge Secret Realm.

But he did not stop there. With two months left before the Secret Realm opened, what he needed to do was polish his strength to the absolute limit.

In the days that followed, Lin Zhou remained immersed in the roguelike dungeon, launching assaults toward higher floors. From floor 52 to 70, and then to 90, the monsters in the dungeon grew increasingly strong, with Pseudo-King Rank lords appearing one after another. There were Thunder Beasts that controlled lightning and Ice Plain Snow Demons that manipulated frost; in every duel, Lin Zhou fought through many close calls, yet between life and death, he continuously tempered his archery and combat awareness.

His Rank also steadily reached Lv.20 through one Breakthrough after another, truly entering the epic peak Realm. His spiritual energy became increasingly profound, and his Mental Energy skyrocketed, allowing his control over arrows to be precise to the millimeter.

This day, Lin Zhou had just come out of the 99th-floor dungeon, covered in blood with his aura somewhat flagging. The lord of the 99th floor was a Pseudo-King Peak Shadow Magic Panther, whose speed was as fast as a ghost, nearly slitting his throat.

Just as he sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing, a figure in clothes as white as snow appeared silently at the edge of the training ground.

"Your progress is very fast."

Qin Yue's voice was clear and cold as a spring, carrying a hint of praise. She looked at the scars on Lin Zhou's body and glanced at the charred pits on the ground, a flash of amazement in her eyes. "In three months, breaking through from the mid-stage of Epic to the epic peak and even fusing a legendary rank talent—this talent is something even the geniuses of Jingdu Martial Arts University might not match."

"It's all thanks to the Focus Arrow Technique Senior Sister taught me previously," Lin Zhou said humbly as he withdrew his spiritual energy and stood up. The Focus Arrow Technique Qin Yue taught him allowed him to remain clear-headed during high-intensity combat and avoid spiritual energy rampages, which was what enabled him to venture deeper into the dungeon.

Qin Yue shook her head and took a jade bottle from her storage ring, handing it to Lin Zhou. "This is a mind-concentrating pill; it can stabilize your Realm and will be beneficial for your push toward the legendary rank. Additionally, I came today because I want to teach you a new technique."

"Please go ahead, Senior Sister," Lin Zhou said as he took the jade bottle, his heart warming.

Qin Yue drew the long sword from her waist; the blade shimmered with cold light, and a thread of sharp Sword Intent quietly spread out, making the surrounding air turn icy. "My class is Sword Immortal, and I specialize in Sword Intent attacks. You are an archer with superb skills. I have devised a 'Sword Intent Arrow Infusion' technique that can attach my Sword Intent to your arrows, giving them not just physical lethality but also the cutting and tearing effects of Sword Intent. It is extremely effective against targets with energy shields or powerful physical bodies."

"Sword Intent Arrow Infusion?"

Lin Zhou's eyes lit up; he had previously felt that although his arrows were powerful, they lacked some special effects. If he could attach Qin Yue's Sword Intent, it would undoubtedly be like a tiger with wings.

"Watch closely."

Qin Yue gave a light wave of her hand, the long sword trembling slightly as a slender thread of white Sword Intent, like a gossamer thread, drifted toward the arrow in Lin Zhou's hand. "Concentrate your Mental Energy on the arrow and guide the Sword Intent to merge; do not resist, and do not try to force control. Let the Sword Intent and the arrow's energy fuse naturally."

Lin Zhou did as instructed, concentrating all his Mental Energy on the arrow. That white Sword Intent seemed to gain life, slowly merging into the arrow; on the originally golden-red arrow shaft, a faint white pattern instantly appeared, emitting an incomparably sharp edge.

"Try shooting an arrow," Qin Yue said softly.

Lin Zhou once again drew the bowstring to its limit, aiming at the distant alloy target. This time, he could clearly feel the triple power contained within the arrow—the physical and fire damage of the Sky-Splitting Combustion Armor-Piercing Arrow, as well as the cutting damage of the Sword Intent.

"Whoosh!"

The arrow shot through the air, trailing golden, red, and white light, its speed reaching the absolute limit.

"Crack! Boom!"

First came a crisp sound as the alloy target's defense was instantly dismantled by the Armor Piercing effect, followed by a violent explosion where fire and Sword Intent intertwined, blowing the entire alloy target to smithereens. Shrapnel flew everywhere, and the power was a full double what it had been before!

"It worked!" Lin Zhou was overjoyed; the effect of this Sword Intent Arrow Infusion was far more powerful than he had imagined.

Qin Yue sheathed her sword, a faint smile appearing at the corner of her mouth. "The degree of Sword Intent Fusion depends on the strength of your Mental Energy. You have already achieved a preliminary mastery; practice a few more times, and you will be able to use it freely."

"Thank you, Senior Sister!" Lin Zhou bowed solemnly in thanks, his heart filled with gratitude.

With the addition of the Sky-Splitting Combustion Armor-Piercing Arrow and the Sword Intent Arrow Infusion, his combat power had risen to another level.

And right at that moment, the System's prompt sounded in Lin Zhou's mind.

[System Prompt: Detected that the host has reached epic peak and has cumulatively cleared 99 floors of the roguelike dungeon; unlocking the ultimate challenge—Floor 100!]

[Floor 100 Lord: Pseudo-King Peak · Thunder Beast]

[Clearance Reward: legendary rank skill · Space Jump Arrow, Celestial Fox Physique Awakening degree +10%]

Lin Zhou's heart shook, and a look of wild joy appeared on his face.

Space Jump Arrow!

Just by hearing the name, one knew it was a Heaven-Defying skill.

He did not hesitate for a second, turning and walking toward the teleportation array of the roguelike dungeon.

"You're going again?" Qin Yue was somewhat surprised.

"Yes." Lin Zhou looked back, a fervent light flashing in his eyes. "The 100th floor of the dungeon, the ultimate challenge—I'm going to take it down!"

Qin Yue looked at his determined back and smiled slightly, not trying to stop him. She knew that in Lin Zhou's dictionary, the word "retreat" never existed.

For the next three days, Lin Zhou completely disappeared from the training ground, devoting himself entirely to the challenge of the 100th floor.

The lightning power of the Thunder Beast was incomparably overbearing; every bolt of lightning that fell could tear a rift in space. Lin Zhou relied on the speed and perception of the Celestial Fox Physique to constantly dodge, while using the Sky-Splitting Combustion Armor-Piercing Arrow to wear down the behemoth's health.

Arrows collided with lightning, producing deafening roars.

Failure after failure, restart after restart.

Countless new scars were added to Lin Zhou's body, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Finally, at dusk on the third day, when Lin Zhou shot the final Sky-Splitting Combustion Armor-Piercing Arrow infused with Sword Intent and accurately struck the brow of the Thunder Beast, that insufferably arrogant Pseudo-King Peak behemoth crashed to the ground.

[System Prompt: Congratulations to the host for clearing the 100th floor of the roguelike dungeon!]

[Reward Distribution: legendary rank skill · Space Jump Arrow has been unlocked! Celestial Fox Physique Awakening degree increased to 30%!]

Lin Zhou sat paralyzed on the ground, gasping for breath, yet he could not help but laugh out loud.

The effect of the Space Jump Arrow was that the arrow could perform short-distance spatial jumps, ignoring terrain obstacles to strike the target accurately! This skill was practically tailor-made for Secret Realm exploration; whether for sneak attacks or escaping, it was a divine skill!

And as the Awakening degree of the Celestial Fox Physique rose to 30%, Lin Zhou's senses became sharper than ever before; he could clearly capture even the sound of a flying insect flapping its wings a hundred meters away. His speed also increased several times, his figure as agile as a fox.

The three months of preparation had finally reached a point of Perfection.

Lin Zhou walked out of the dungeon teleportation array, the afterglow of the setting sun spilling over him and stretching his shadow very long. In his hand, he held the explosive sniper bow, and at his waist hung the entry token for Ten Thousand Beast Ridge; his gaze was as sharp as an arrow, filled with confidence.

Just then, Su Ye's loud voice came from outside the training ground: "Lin Zhou! Senior Sister Qin Yue! The entry list for Ten Thousand Beast Ridge is out! That guy Zhang Hao is also on the list!"

Lin Zhou's eyes turned slightly cold, and his lips curled into a cold smile.

Zhang Hao, is it?

Good.

At Ten Thousand Beast Ridge three months from now, it would be the perfect time to settle an old score.

He looked up toward the distance, where the mist-shrouded mountain range loomed—the direction of Ten Thousand Beast Ridge.

A Genius showdown sweeping the entire province was about to begin.

And he, Lin Zhou, would surely radiate the most dazzling brilliance in this showdown!