48: The Hall of Relics is familiar with the source energy, and the crystal core encounters a new race.

The hall of the Legendary Rank ruins glowed with a faint golden light. Lin Chen leaned against a stone wall, holding a fragment of an origin level crystal core between his fingertips, feeling the flow of energy.

Clear Snow sat beside him. The Ice and Snow Law condensed into small ice crystals in her palm, with faint golden Origin light spots encased inside, as beautiful as tiny lanterns.

"The energy here is five times purer than in the Azure Dragon Realm; Cultivation speed can be thirty percent faster." With a flick of Clear Snow's finger, the ice crystals turned into light spots and merged into her body, her Origin concentration stabilizing at 70%.

Nian Xue pulled A Qing along, chasing Origin Butterflies around the hall. Her little skirt fluttered, leaving a trail of fine light spots: "A Qing, look! The butterflies glow!"

A Qing exhaled a Little Dragon Breath, wanting to help her catch the butterflies, but only startled them into scattering. This made Nian Xue giggle: "A Qing is silly! The butterflies flew away!"

The Star Spirit Clan Leader held up a crystal and walked around the hall before returning to report: "There are four passages around the hall leading East, South, West, and North. Only the Eastern passage has no aura of danger."

Lin Chen stood up, his Divine Thought sweeping through the four passages—the Eastern passage glowed with soft Origin light, while the other three passages had faint fluctuations of hostility.

"We'll explore the Eastern passage first. We'll check the others after we're familiar with the energy," Lin Chen told everyone, picking up Nian Xue. "Nian Xue, stop running around. Let's go see a new place."

The team advanced along the Eastern passage. The runes on the walls grew brighter, and occasionally origin liquid seeped from the stone cracks, dripping onto the ground and condensing into small crystal beads.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, the end of the passage suddenly opened up—outside was a vast, boundless Crystal Core Plain, even larger than what they had seen before. The crystal cores glowed with various colors, looking like an overturned palette.

"So many colored stones!" Nian Xue slid down from Lin Chen's arms and ran toward a pink crystal core, reaching out to touch it.

"Be careful!" Lin Chen teleported over and grabbed her hand—the surface of the crystal core flickered with a faint electric current; it was a "Lightning Attribute origin crystal," and touching it would cause a shock.

"Daddy, does this stone bite?" Nian Xue pulled her hand back, her little face full of surprise.

"It's not biting; it's releasing electricity. In the future, ask Daddy before touching new stones." Lin Chen picked up the crystal core, activated Sublimation, and handed it to her. "It's safe after Sublimation. Take it and play."

Nian Xue took the crystal core and happily handed it to A Qing: "A Qing, this is for you. It doesn't shock anymore."

The team continued across the plain. Members of the Metal Clan picked up crystal cores from time to time and put them into Storage Pouches—these crystal cores could be used to forge Legendary Rank weapons.

Suddenly, the Star Spirit Clan Leader's crystal flashed violently: "There is a clan aura ten miles ahead. It's the Legendary Rank 'Crystal Spirit Clan,' and they are not hostile."

Lin Chen's Divine Thought probed forward—there were dozens of people with translucent crystal-blue bodies. They were small, only half the height of a human, and were busy around a huge golden crystal core, holding small crystal tools.

"They are a clan that guards crystal cores," Clear Snow said softly, her Ice and Snow Law condensing in her palm, ready to respond to any sudden situation.

As the team approached, the Crystal Spirit Clan members stopped their actions. A Crystal Spirit Elder led the way forward, its body glowing with a faint golden light, its aura reaching the Legendary Rank Early Stage: "Outsiders, who are you? Why have you come to the Crystal Core Plain?"

Lin Chen cupped his hands: "We come from the Diamond World and have just entered the Legendary Level World. We are passing through and mean no harm."

The Crystal Spirit Elder stared at the origin crystal core in his hand, surprise flashing in its eyes: "You can Sublimate crystal cores? That is a Legendary Rank ability!"

"I know a little bit." Lin Chen took out an unsublimated crystal core and activated his Sublimation Talent. The crystal core instantly turned from pale blue to deep gold, promoting it to the origin level.

The Crystal Spirit Elder's eyes lit up: "My Lord! Please help us Sublimate our core crystal core! Our crystal core is almost out of energy!"

Lin Chen nodded: "I can, but we need to know about the situation in the Legendary Level World, as well as news of other clans."

The Crystal Spirit Elder quickly agreed and led the team toward the Crystal Core Tower in the center of the plain—it was a high tower made of stacked crystal cores, with a basketball-sized pale blue crystal core floating at the top, which was their core crystal core.

"This crystal core supports the Crystal Spirit Clan's protective shield, but only thirty percent of its energy remains." The Crystal Spirit Elder pointed at the crystal core, his tone anxious. "If it runs out, we will be bullied by the 'Dark Crystal Clan'."

Lin Chen stepped forward and placed his fingertips on the core crystal core, activating his Sublimation Talent—with the first touch, the crystal core turned from pale blue to deep blue, promoting to Legendary Rank; with the second touch, the deep blue was stained with gold, reaching the origin level, and the energy aura instantly became ten times stronger.

The light from the Crystal Core Tower surged, and the protective shield on the plain became solid again, glowing with faint golden light. The Crystal Spirit Clan members cheered.

"Thank you, My Lord!" The Crystal Spirit Elder bowed and handed over a crystal map. "This is a distribution map of the clans in the Legendary Level World. The Dark Crystal Clan is to the West; they are our mortal enemies."

Lin Chen took the map, which marked ten clans: Crystal Spirit Clan (East), Dark Crystal Clan (West), Wood Spirit Clan (South), Stone Spirit Clan (North), Dragon Clan Branch (Northeast), Elf Clan Branch (Southeast), Machine Race (Northwest), Emerald Clan (Southwest), Ancient God Clan (Center), and the Void Clan (Unknown).

"The Dark Crystal Clan is skilled at absorbing Origin energy and often steals our crystal cores," the Crystal Spirit Elder added. "Their leader is at the Legendary Rank Middle Stage and is very powerful."

Lin Chen nodded and handed the map to the Star Spirit Clan Leader: "Record the locations. We may have to deal with other clans in the future."

The Crystal Spirit Clan members brought out crystal fruits and origin liquid to entertain the team. Nian Xue took a crystal fruit and took a bite, her eyes narrowing from the sweetness: "Daddy, this is even sweeter than origin fruit!"

A Qing also took a crystal fruit and ate a few bites. The temperature of his Little Dragon Breath rose a bit more, and the scales on his body glowed with a faint golden light.

Lin Chen and Clear Snow absorbed the origin liquid provided by the Crystal Spirit Clan, and their Origin concentrations improved again: Lin Chen went from 96% to 97%, Clear Snow from 70% to 72%, and Nian Xue from 88% to 90%, bringing them one step closer to a Breakthrough.

"My Lord, the Dark Crystal Clan might come to steal crystal cores today. Can you help us?" the Crystal Spirit Elder suddenly asked, his tone pleading.

Lin Chen nodded: "We can. It's a good chance to see the strength of the Dark Crystal Clan."

The team and the Crystal Spirit Clan members lay in ambush around the Crystal Core Tower. The Metal Clan set up laser cannons, the Elf Clan Archers readied their arrows, and the Dragon Guards prepared to charge.

Nian Xue hid behind Lin Chen, her small hand clutching the sublimated crystal core, and asked in a low voice: "Daddy, will the bad Crystal Spirits be very mean?"

"Maybe, but with Daddy here, there's nothing to fear." Lin Chen rubbed her head, his Divine Thought locking onto the West—the aura of the Dark Crystal Clan was approaching; there were thirty of them, and the leader's aura was at the Legendary Rank Middle Stage.

A moment later, a group of dark purple Crystal Spirits appeared from the West. They held crystal weapons and charged fiercely toward the Crystal Core Tower: "Crystal Spirit Clan! Hand over the core crystal core!"

"Attack!" At Lin Chen's command, the Metal Clan's laser cannons fired simultaneously, and the Elf Clan's arrows flew out. Faint golden lasers and arrows instantly shot toward the Dark Crystal Clan.

The Dark Crystal Clan leader raised his weapon to block the attack, but he didn't expect Clear Snow's Ice and Snow Domain to suddenly expand. Pale purple cold air froze their movements.

Lin Chen teleported behind the leader and struck his core with the Anti-Heavenly Dao Rule. The leader's body instantly shattered into crystal fragments, leaving behind a Legendary Rank Middle Stage crystal core.

Seeing their leader killed, the other Dark Crystal Clan members turned to flee, but they were blocked by the Crystal Spirit Clan. Coordinating with the team, they were all surrounded and killed, yielding thirty Legendary Rank crystal cores.

Lin Chen picked up the leader's crystal core, Sublimated it twice to the origin level, and distributed it to everyone to absorb. After absorbing it, Lin Chen's Origin concentration went from 97% to 98%, Clear Snow's from 72% to 74%, Nian Xue's from 90% to 92%, and the Star Spirit Clan Leader broke through from the mythical-grade Late Stage to the Legendary Rank Early Stage.

The Crystal Spirit Elder said gratefully: "My Lord, from now on, the Crystal Spirit Clan is your ally! If you need anything, we will help!"

Lin Chen nodded: "Good. We will visit often and also help you against the remnants of the Dark Crystal Clan."

The team rested with the Crystal Spirit Clan for half an hour, replenishing their origin liquid and crystal cores, and then continued deep into the plain—the map marked the Wood Spirit Clan to the South. they wanted to find the Wood Spirit Clan to learn more about the Legendary Level World.

Nian Xue sat on A Qing's dragon back, holding a small crystal toy given by the Crystal Spirit Clan, her little face full of happiness: "Daddy, can we come and play with the Crystal Spirit Clan again in the future?"

"We can. Once we deal with the remnants of the Dark Crystal Clan, we'll come and play with them," Lin Chen said with a smile, his Divine Thought sweeping South—the aura of the Wood Spirit Clan was getting closer. There was a rich life Origin there; it was clearly a place full of vitality.

The team's figures gradually disappeared at the edge of the Crystal Core Plain, the light of the Crystal Core Tower flickering behind them like a guardian lighthouse. The interaction between clans in the Legendary Level World had only just begun; more opportunities and challenges awaited them ahead.