69: Seeking the Origin Temple, one encounters spiritual plants; breaking through the temple's defenses, one obtains its inheritance.

The wind of the Origin Realm carried the residual warmth of the fused pearls as the team advanced toward the Sacred Hall, the Primordial Origin Talisman in Lin Chen's palm glowing with a faint golden light.

"Daddy, the grass ahead is so bright! Is it an edible Spiritual Plant?" Nian Xue sat on A Qing's dragon back, her small finger pointing ahead.

A Qing exhaled a Little Dragon Breath to scout the way: "Don't touch it, sister, let me check if it's poisonous first!" As the Dragon Breath swept over, the Spiritual Plant shimmered with golden light—it was an "Origin Spiritual Plant."

The Origin Clan warriors stepped forward: "This grass can replenish Origin; picking it to refine medicine would be even more effective!" The Metal Clan immediately took out shovels to harvest them, obtaining twenty stalks.

Lin Chen picked a stalk of Spiritual Plant and performed a Sublimation; after absorbing it, his Origin concentration went from 10% (Early Stage Origin Realm) to 12%, and his Divine Thought range expanded to 660 kilometers. Clear Snow's went from 75% (Middle Stage Transcendence) to 77% after absorption, and her Ice and Snow Domain expanded to eighty-seven zhang.

Nian Xue chewed a leaf of the Spiritual Plant, her concentration going from 87.5% (early stage late diamond) to 89.5%. Her little face was full of pleasant surprise: "It's sweet! Even tastier than origin fruit!"

The team continued forward, and the "Origin Canyon" appeared ahead—the canyon was filled with Spiritual Plants, and two stone beasts stood at the entrance, their auras reaching the Early Stage Origin Realm.

"They are the outer guardians of the Sacred Hall!" The Origin Clan Leader held his staff on high alert. "We need to use the energy of the origin core to activate the pass."

Lin Chen took out the origin core fragments and embedded them into the slots on the stone beasts—the beasts' eyes lit up, and the canyon entrance slowly opened, with Origin mist drifting out from within.

Stepping into the canyon, ten "Origin Spirit Beasts" emerged from the mist, their bodies crystalline white and their auras at the Peak Late Stage Transcendence: "Outsiders, you must pass our trial!"

"vanguard team, pin them down! main force team, attack the cores!" Lin Chen ordered. Clear Snow led the Wood Spirits and Sea Spirits to freeze the beasts' limbs, while he led the Metal Clan, stone spirits, and Dragon Clan to attack the beast cores.

A Qing spread his wings and charged forward, his golden wings striking at the beasts' eyes and his Dragon Breath burning their necks—the beasts tossed their heads in pain. Lin Chen teleported onto a beast's back and struck the Anti-Heavenly Dao Rule toward its core.

"Crack!" The beast core split, and the Spirit 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.

Nian Xue condensed a Void Light Orb and threw it at an approaching Spirit Beast: "Bad guys, don't come over! I'm protecting Daddy!" The light orb exploded, and the Spirit Beast's movements stiffened.

The Metal Clan's laser cannons, coated in origin crystal powder, fired into the cracks of the beast cores; the Stone Spirit Clan's stone projectiles smashed into the beasts' heads; and the Dragon Clan Dragon Guards' golden wings struck their chests—all ten Spirit Beasts fell to the ground, yielding ten Peak Late Stage Transcendence crystal cores.

"We won!" Nian Xue clapped and cheered, running to Lin Chen's side and handing him a freshly picked Spiritual Plant: "Daddy, here's some sweet grass for you!"

The team rested in the canyon. The Spirit Plant Clan used the Spiritual Plants and crystal cores to refine four batches of Origin Pills, while the Metal Clan refined the crystal cores to obtain fifteen bottles of Transcendence Level origin liquid.

Lin Chen broke the crystal cores into small pieces and distributed them to everyone: "Absorb these to stabilize your Realm; the protection of the Sacred Hall will be even stronger!"

After absorption, Lin Chen went from 12% to 15% (Early Stage Origin Realm); Clear Snow went from 77% to 80% (Middle Stage Transcendence); Nian Xue went from 89.5% to 91.5% (early stage late diamond); and A Qing went from 42% to 45% (Middle Stage Transcendence).

Continuing forward, the Primordial Origin Sacred Hall appeared ahead—the hall was a hundred zhang tall, entirely built from Origin Gold Crystals, with a massive origin pearl embedded in the roof, emitting a concentrated golden light.

The hall doors were tightly shut, with "Origin Legacy" carved on the lintel and three pearl-shaped indentations below—exactly matching the positions of the fused origin core.

Lin Chen embedded the origin core into the slots and injected Origin—the hall doors opened with a roar, and a thick aura of the Origin Realm drifted out.

Stepping into the hall, the Origin Realm Codex stood in the center, surrounded by four Sacred Hall Guardians. They were made of gold crystal, held Origin staves, and their auras reached the Middle Stage Origin Realm!

"Outsiders, if you wish to take the Legacy, you must break our defense!" The guardians' voices were thunderous, and their sword tips shimmered with golden light.

"Divide into four teams! I'll attack the first on the left, Clear Snow the second on the left, the Dragon Clan the first on the right, and the Origin Clan the second on the right!" Lin Chen ordered, leading the charge toward the first guardian on the left.

The Anti-Heavenly Dao Rule struck the guardian's sword, the clash of rules sparking golden light—the guardian's sword technique faltered, and Lin Chen took the chance to strike his palm against its core.

Clear Snow's Ice and Snow Domain froze the second guardian's feet, and ice blades pierced its joints; the Dragon Clan Dragon Guard Leader's golden wings struck the first guardian on the right, and his Dragon Breath burned its sword blade.

The Origin Clan Leader used his staff to fire golden light, entangling the second guardian's sword, while the Origin Clan warriors took the opportunity to attack its back—all four guardians shook simultaneously, their auras weakening.

Nian Xue condensed a Void Light Orb and threw it at the nearest guardian: "Daddy, I'll help you!" The light orb exploded, and fine cracks appeared on the guardian's gold crystal.

A Qing exhaled golden wing Dragon Breath toward the guardian's wound: "Lord Lin Chen, I'm here to support!" The Dragon Breath, wrapped in Origin light, scorched the gold crystal until it smoked.

"Concentrate attacks on the cores!" Lin Chen shouted, condensing Origin Realm energy in his palm and combining it with the Anti-Heavenly Dao Rule to strike with his strongest blow—the first guardian on the left crashed to the ground, turning into gold crystal fragments and leaving behind a Middle Stage Origin Realm crystal core.

Clear Snow's Ice and Snow Domain suddenly contracted and then exploded, her ice spear piercing the second guardian's core; the Dragon Clan and Origin Clan also resolved their opponents one after another, obtaining a total of four crystal cores.

"We finally reached the Codex!" Lin Chen walked forward, and the Origin Realm Codex automatically flipped open, its page runes flying into his mind—it recorded the complete Cultivation method for the Origin Realm, as well as the location of the "Origin Realm Core."

Floating beside the Codex was an "origin inheritance crystal," emitting the aura of the Peak Origin Realm, capable of helping one Breakthrough to the Middle Stage Origin Realm.

"Everyone, take turns absorbing the energy of the inheritance crystal!" Lin Chen broke the inheritance crystal into small pieces and handed them to everyone:

- He himself reached 25% (Early Stage Origin Realm) after absorption, his Divine Thought range expanded to 680 kilometers, and his Anti-Heavenly Dao Rule could now crush Middle Stage Origin Realm attacks;

- Clear Snow reached 90% (Middle Stage Transcendence) after absorption, her Ice and Snow Domain expanded to ninety zhang, and she could freeze Early Stage Late Origin Realm attacks;

- Nian Xue reached 94.5% (early stage late diamond) after absorption, her Void Power covering forty zhang and capable of neutralizing Middle Stage Origin Realm attacks;

- A Qing reached 52% (Middle Stage Transcendence) after absorption, his Dragon Breath becoming a golden pillar of light that could penetrate Middle Stage Origin Realm crystal armor;

- The Star Spirit Clan Leader went from 55% to 65% Late Stage Transcendence, his crystal light able to penetrate the thick mist of the Primordial Origin Sacred Hall;

- The Dragon Clan Dragon Guard Leader went from 58% to 68%, his golden wings expanding to six zhang and his Dragon Breath range extending to eighty zhang;

- The Origin Clan Leader went from 70% to 80% (Middle Stage Transcendence), his origin staff attacks able to shatter Middle Stage Origin Realm crystal armor.

The team rested in the Sacred Hall. The Metal Clan used the four guardian crystal cores to refine eight bottles of origin realm medicinal liquid; the Spirit Plant Clan used the inheritance crystal fragments to refine three batches of Origin Legacy Pills; and the Stone Spirit Clan reinforced the defenses around the Sacred Hall to prevent Vicious Beasts from approaching.

Nian Xue sat on A Qing's dragon back, stroking the Primordial Origin Talismans on his dragon wings: "A Qing, your wings are even brighter! Like a little sun!"

A Qing spread his wings and flew a circle, the runes lighting up: "It's the light of the inheritance crystal! I'll be able to protect my sister even better in the future!"

Clear Snow leaned beside Lin Chen, looking at the records in the Codex: "Husband, the Codex says the Origin Realm Core hides the 'Peak Origin Power,' which allows one to Breakthrough to the Late Stage Origin Realm."

Lin Chen nodded and put away the Codex: "We'll return to the Origin Clan camp first to help everyone improve their strength, then we'll go find the Origin Realm Core!"

The team packed their supplies and headed back to the camp. The golden light of the Sacred Hall shimmered behind them, the residual warmth of the inheritance crystal still in their palms; the path to the Peak of the Origin Realm had already begun to unfold beneath their feet.