67: Rest and prepare for the secret realm at the camp, break through obstacles, fight beasts, and seize the core pearl.

The wind of the Origin Plain carried spots of light from spirit butterflies. The team headed back to the camp, with the peak bead glowing with a warm golden light in Lin Chen's palm.

"Daddy, the spirit butterflies are coming home with us!" Nian Xue sat on A Qing's dragon back, her fingertips lightly touching the dancing spirit butterflies. Concentration: 67.5% → 69.5%.

A Qing spat out Little Dragon Breath to help the spirit butterflies disperse Origin Insects. Her own Origin concentration reached 18% → 20% in the Middle Stage of the Transcendence Level, and her dragon scales glowed even more intensely with golden light.

Back at the camp, the clans immediately divided the work: the Metal Clan refined four Puppet crystal cores into eight bottles of Transcendence Level origin liquid; the Spirit Plant Clan used fragments of the peak bead to perform Alchemy, producing three batches of Peak Pills.

Lin Chen broke the Puppet crystal cores into small pieces and distributed them to the experts of each clan: "Absorb these to stabilize your Realm. We'll be more prepared to venture into the Core Secret Realm tomorrow."

He absorbed a piece himself. His Origin concentration: 55% (Middle Stage of Transcendence Level) → 57%, and his Divine Thought range expanded to 610 kilometers. After Clear Snow absorbed hers, her concentration went from 45% → 47%, and her Ice and Snow Domain expanded to seventy-eight zhang.

Nian Xue ate a Peak Pill. Her concentration: 69.5% (early stage late diamond) → 72.5%, and the demon god mark on her forehead flashed with intense purple-gold light. After A Qing absorbed hers, her concentration went from 20% → 22% (Middle Stage of Transcendence Level), and the temperature of her Dragon Breath rose by another thirty percent.

That night, the camp was brightly lit: the Stone Spirit Clan reinforced shields, embedding origin crystals into the shield surfaces; the Dragon Clan Dragon Guards polished their golden wings and applied origin liquid to enhance defense; the Sea Spirit Clan checked their Breathing Talismans to ensure they were usable in the Secret Realm's waters.

Nian Xue played "Origin Hide-and-Seek" with the children of the Origin Clan. A child hid in the origin grass, and Nian Xue used Void Power to sense them: "Found you!"

A Qing competed with the Origin Clan warriors in Dragon Breath. Their golden lights collided, stirring up a sky full of Origin light spots, drawing applause from everyone.

Clear Snow leaned against Lin Chen, watching the lively scene: "Husband, once we get the core bead, we'll have all three beads. We're not far from the Origin Realm."

Lin Chen held her hand and swept his Divine Thought toward the Core Secret Realm: "The Origin Beasts there won't be easy to deal with. We must fight with everything we've got."

The next morning, the team assembled. The Origin Clan Leader brought ten staff-wielding warriors along: "The Secret Realm has three sections: Crystal Cluster Valley, Origin River, and the Core Platform. The beast is at the Core Platform."

After setting out, they first entered Crystal Cluster Valley—the valley was filled with pale gold crystal clusters that refracted golden light under the sun, the clusters pulsing with Origin fluctuations.

"These crystal clusters can be refined into 'Origin Crystal Powder'; adding a bit during Alchemy makes it purer!" The Metal Clan members immediately collected them, obtaining ten high-purity crystal clusters.

Lin Chen took a crystal cluster and performed Sublimation. After absorbing it, his concentration reached 57% → 59% (Middle Stage of Transcendence Level). Clear Snow's concentration went from 47% → 49% after absorbing hers, and her Ice and Snow Blade shimmered with the light of the crystal clusters.

Exiting Crystal Cluster Valley, the Origin River appeared ahead—the river water shimmered with deep gold, with origin pearls at the bottom and Origin Duckweed floating on the surface.

"Step on the duckweed to cross the river. Don't touch the water, or it will drain your Origin!" the Sea Spirit Clan Leader warned, being the first to step onto the duckweed and move forward steadily.

Lin Chen held Nian Xue as her little feet lightly tapped the duckweed, causing ripples. Her concentration went from 72.5% → 73.5%. A Qing spread her wings and flew low, her dragon claws gripping the duckweed. Her concentration went from 22% → 23%.

After crossing the Origin River, they finally reached the entrance of the Core Secret Realm—a circular stone platform surrounded by an Origin Barrier glowing with deep golden light, requiring the resonance of the five clans' keys.

"Insert the keys! Inject Origin!" Lin Chen shouted. The clan leaders inserted the keys into the slots in the barrier. The moment the Origin was injected, a passage cracked open in the barrier.

Stepping into the passage, they found a spiral staircase inside. Origin Lamps on both sides of the stairs lit up, illuminating the path ahead—the top was the Core Platform.

Ascending the stairs, the core bead was suspended in the center of the Core Platform. Beside the bead lay the Origin Core Beast—thirty zhang long, its entire body crystalline gold, with an aura reaching the Early Stage of the Origin Realm!

"Roar!" The beast opened its eyes and spat out a golden Origin wave, rushing straight at the team. Clear Snow immediately deployed her Ice and Snow Domain, freezing the crest of the wave.

"Divide into two teams! The vanguard team will distract it, while the main force team attacks the core!" Lin Chen ordered. Clear Snow led the vanguard team (Wood Spirit, Sea Spirit) to freeze the beast's limbs, while he led the main force team (Metal, stone spirit, Dragon Clan) to attack the beast's core.

A Qing spread her wings and charged forward, her golden wings slapping at the beast's eyes and her Dragon Breath burning its neck. The beast shook its head in pain. Lin Chen teleported onto the beast's back and struck the core crystal with the Anti-Heavenly Dao Rule.

"Crack!" Fine lines appeared on the core crystal. The beast struggled frantically, swinging its tail toward Nian Xue. Nian Xue condensed a Void Light Orb and smashed it against the tip of the tail: "Bad guy, stay away!"

The light orb exploded, and the Void Power neutralized the beast's Origin. The beast's aura plummeted. Clear Snow took the Opportunity to pierce the beast's limbs with ice spears, and the Wood Spirit Clan's vines entangled its body.

The Metal Clan's laser cannons, coated with Origin Crystal Powder, fired at the cracks in the core crystal; the Stone Spirit Clan's stone projectiles smashed into the beast's head; and the Dragon Clan Dragon Guards' golden wings slapped against the beast's chest. The beast crashed to the ground, turning into spots of Origin light.

Lin Chen picked up the core bead, which glowed with the golden light of the Origin Realm, along with an Early Stage Origin Realm crystal core.

"We finally got the core bead!" everyone cheered. Nian Xue ran over and touched the core bead: "It's so warm! Even brighter than the peak bead!"

Lin Chen suspended the core bead in mid-air, guiding the energy to be distributed:

- After absorbing it, his own concentration reached 59% (Middle Stage of Transcendence Level) → 65%, his Divine Thought range expanded to 620 kilometers, and his Anti-Heavenly Dao Rule reached the Origin Realm;

- Clear Snow's concentration went from 49% → 55% (Middle Stage of Transcendence Level), her Ice and Snow Domain covered eighty zhang and could freeze Early Stage Origin Realm attacks;

- Nian Xue's concentration went from 73.5% → 77.5% (early stage late diamond), her Void Power covered thirty-three zhang and could neutralize Peak Late Stage Transcendence attacks;

- A Qing's concentration went from 23% → 28% (Middle Stage of Transcendence Level), and her Dragon Breath became a golden pillar of light that could penetrate Early Stage Origin Realm defenses.

The experts of each clan absorbed the energy from the crystal cores, and their strength rose again: the Star Spirit Clan Leader went from 40% → 45% in the Late Stage of the Transcendence Level; the Dragon Clan Dragon Guard Leader went from 43% → 48%; and the Origin Clan Leader went from 45% → 50% (Middle Stage of Transcendence Level).

Lin Chen held the three beads—the origin pearl, the peak bead, and the core bead. The three beads resonated, emitting a deep golden light. The Transcendence Codex flipped open automatically, and the pages revealed: "Merging the three beads at the Origin Altar can break through to the Origin Realm."

"Where is the Origin Altar?" Lin Chen asked the Origin Clan Leader.

The leader pointed toward the depths of the Secret Realm: "It's in the center of the Origin Realm. We need to pass through the 'Origin Storm.' We can lead the way!"

The team rested for a moment before heading toward the Origin Altar with the three beads. Nian Xue sat on A Qing's dragon back, playing with fragments of the core bead in her hand, her small face full of expectation: "Daddy, will we become the strongest after merging the beads?"

"Yes, then we can protect more companions and go to a wider world," Lin Chen said with a smile. In his Divine Thought, the aura of the Origin Altar was getting closer and closer—it was the ultimate Opportunity to break through to the Origin Realm.