232: Chapter 233 Summoner's Little Fangirl

Before long, under Lin Muyang's frank and direct explanation, Xu Ruohan also realized that she had completely misunderstood. Her embarrassment was beyond measure, and she wished she could immediately use magic to dig a hole in the ground and hide. Her fair cheeks and neck were completely flushed. Before Lin Muyang, this genius Summoner of Xia Country, who was usually known for being calm, capable, and having a powerful Aura, rarely showed a helpless, young-girl-like posture.

"I... I..." Xu Ruohan stammered for a long while and could only lower her head in the end, saying in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "I understand... I misunderstood..."

To alleviate the awkwardness and to handle affairs more efficiently in the future, she calmed her emotions. After serious consideration, she agreed to Lin Muyang's words: "In that case... I'll have to trouble you during this time, Lin Muyang. I'll move in temporarily, which will also make it easier to communicate at any time."

She didn't mention how long she would stay, and Lin Muyang didn't ask. This was more like a tacit understanding, a pragmatic arrangement based on the current situation and future cooperation.

"By the way, Lin Muyang," Xu Ruohan seemed to remember something. She raised her pretty face, which still carried a slight blush, and looked at Lin Muyang with a hint of curiosity and expectation. "I remember you seemed to have summoned an Angel Maiden? Her name is Elena, right? What... kind of world is she from? Should I let her meet the angels I summoned to exchange some thoughts? Perhaps they might have some common language or cultivation insights?"

Xu Ruohan had eight powerful high-rank angels under her command. They came from a high-order plane where holiness and light were the main themes, and they possessed a complete inheritance and combat system. She thought that since they were both from the angel camp, perhaps Elena could communicate with them, which might also bring her closer to Lin Muyang.

However, Lin Muyang shook his head, his tone gentle but firm. "No need. Elena is quite special; she's very introverted and even a bit shy around strangers. When she sees someone she doesn't know, she might not even dare to speak. Moreover, although she is called an angel, her essence and power source might be different from the battle angels you summoned. Rushing into contact might not necessarily be a good thing."

Lin Muyang didn't elaborate on Elena's "tears of the angel" talent and her true origin as the last survivor of the destroyed high-order heaven world, as this involved core secrets. But the intent of refusal in his words was clear.

"I see... Alright then." A hint of imperceptible disappointment flashed in Xu Ruohan's eyes, but she quickly hid it. Her original intention was to find an excuse to have more interaction with Lin Muyang, but she didn't expect to be rejected so straightforwardly. However, she also understood that the young ladies around Lin Muyang were all extraordinarily mysterious, and it was normal not to want to share some secrets with outsiders.

"Then... you go ahead with your work. I'll go settle in and organize more detailed information about Bear Country for you." Xu Ruohan quickly adjusted her state, returning to her usual capability. She nodded to Lin Muyang and turned toward the exquisite guest room courtyard assigned to her. She needed some time to digest the embarrassment from just now.

Meanwhile, Shen Muyao had already used the small teleportation array within the garden to head alone to her first chosen trial secret realm—a Level 35 Sovereign-rank Dungeon. Holding her staff, she stood tall, her eyes flashing with a mix of determination and nervousness. With her Demigod Level [Frost Empress] talent and surging attributes, plus the God-Tier Aura Lin Muyang promised to provide throughout, she had the confidence to face the challenge. Her path to leveling up had officially begun.

Although she started later than Lin Muyang and her talent was slightly inferior, as long as she was given enough time and resources, catching up to the mainstream echelon was not out of reach. After all, Lin Muyang's Aura enhancement and her own talent were enough for her to have crushing monster-grinding efficiency at the same level.

One hour later.

Siberian Tundra, the Far North.

The sky here was eternally lead-gray, and the biting cold wind howled like knives, whipping up the year-round snow on the ground to form a white world of death. The temperature was terrifyingly low, and ordinary creatures couldn't survive here at all. Looking as far as the eye could see, there was only the endless ice field, exposed black permafrost, and the faintly visible ice mountains in the distance, piercing the sky like fangs.

However, deep within this forbidden zone of life, a small area appeared remarkably bustling.

In a relatively leeward mountain hollow, dozens of thick magic tents were pitched, painted with warmth and reinforcement runes. Between the tents, several simple shacks were built using sturdy magical materials, with roaring fires inside to dispel some of the cold. This was the temporary forward base established by Bear Country for pioneering the "Frost Corridor" legendary-rank secret realm.

The personnel composition in the camp was complex. There were Bear Country officers and soldiers in thick fur military uniforms with fierce Auras, responsible for security and logistics. There were powerful young genius Class Transferees from Bear Country's homeland, gathered in small groups, either talking in low voices or checking their equipment, their brows carrying the fatigue and anxiety of being unable to conquer the challenge for a long time. There were also a few helpers from other countries, with distinct temperaments, quite conspicuous in the crowd.

When Lin Muyang appeared at the edge of the camp like a ghost, silent and stealthy, with Lilia and Elabess, he immediately caught everyone's attention.

Without using any teleportation scrolls or conspicuous flying mounts, he appeared out of thin air just like that. Lin Muyang was still in his simple black casual wear, seemingly oblivious to the bitter cold of dozens of degrees below zero, his expression calm. To his left was the holy and beautiful Elf Princess Lilia with thin wings on her back, and to his right was the charming and enchanting Succubus Maiden Elabess with soul-hooking eyes. Both young ladies were also thinly dressed yet composed, forming a sharp contrast with the people around them who were wrapped up like zongzi.

This way of appearing was itself full of silent deterrence.

"Mr. Lin Muyang! Welcome! A warm welcome to Siberia!"

A tall and burly middle-aged man from Bear Country with a thick brown beard, wearing a general's fur coat, quickly came out from the largest tent with several officials and several extraordinary young people to greet them. His face was filled with a warm, even somewhat exaggerated smile as he extended a hairy hand, his tone excited: "I am Ivan Petrovich, responsible for the coordination here. We have been waiting for a long time! You've had a hard journey! In this bitter cold land of the Far North, there's nothing much to entertain you with, but we have specially prepared the most authentic vodka, roasted venison, and caviar for you! Please grace us with your presence at the welcome banquet we've prepared for you! By the way, I can also introduce you to the young talents from other countries participating in this raid!"

Ivan's words were enthusiastic, and the arrangements seemed thoughtful. But Lin Muyang keenly captured that when General Ivan mentioned introducing the young talents, his eyes seemed to inadvertently glance toward a certain direction in the camp, and his tone took on a bit of ambiguity.

Lin Muyang looked in the direction of the corner of his eye.

In that direction, near a sky-blue tent at the edge of the camp, gathered several creatures composed entirely of ice. There was an Ice Crystal Giant Bird over a person's height with translucent feathers, an Icefield Wolf shaped like a warhorse with ghostly blue flames burning on its hooves, and a massive Frost Giant Bear with sharp fangs. These ice element creatures stood there quietly, emitting a biting chill.

And in their midst stood a young lady.

She looked to be only eighteen or nineteen years old, short in stature and petite. Her smooth and shiny golden long hair was tied in a simple ponytail behind her head, revealing a smooth forehead and delicate features. Her skin was the snowy white characteristic of northern ethnicities, her nose bridge was high, and her large eyes were a clear azure blue, like the clear Siberian sky. She wore a thick white fur-trimmed magic robe, but her slender figure could still be seen beneath the robe.

At this moment, the blonde girl was slightly tilting her head, her large azure eyes unblinkingly and tightly staring at Lin Muyang. In that gaze, there was no curiosity, no scrutiny, only a nearly pure, fiery worship and admiration! It was as if what she saw was not a person, but a deity descended to the mortal world! Her small lips were slightly parted, as if she wanted to say something but didn't dare to make a sound. She just stared blankly like that, her fair cheeks flushed with two faint patches of red, whether from the cold or excitement.

Lin Muyang recognized her; this was the genius Summoner from Ice Bird Country mentioned in the data—Tashalin. It was by relying on the sacrificial rearguard actions of her ice element summons that the pioneering team could repeatedly retreat safely from the secret realm.

General Ivan noticed Lin Muyang's gaze falling on Tashalin, and the smile on his face deepened. He lowered his voice, speaking with a suggestive tone that men would understand: "Mr. Lin Muyang, Miss Tashalin is the treasure of Ice Bird Country. Not only is her talent outstanding and her summoning techniques superb, but her personality is also gentle, and her appearance is one in ten thousand. She has admired you for a long time and has always hoped for an opportunity to exchange insights with a legendary Summoner like you..."

The meaning in his words couldn't be more obvious.

Lin Muyang understood clearly; so this was the so-called arrangement. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, then smoothed out, but his gaze had already cooled by a few degrees. He had no interest in participating in such boring social gatherings, and even more, he detested others trying to please or bind him in this way.

"Look at Tashalin's eyes... tsk tsk, her eyeballs are about to fall out."

"Is that Lin Muyang really as divine as the legends say? To me, he looks like a pretty boy putting on an act with two beautiful girls."

"Shh! Keep it down! Do you want to die? Haven't you heard about the Crocodile Shark Island incident?"

"Hearing is one thing, but I haven't seen it with my own eyes. Anyway, I don't believe a person can be strong to that extent. Tashalin too, she usually ignores us, but now seeing someone a bit handsome, she's like she's lost her soul."

"I bet if that Lin Muyang just hooks his finger, Tashalin will crawl into his tent tonight herself..."

Around the camp, some low-voiced discussions drifted over, filled with jealousy, doubt, and some lewd conjectures. Those who could come here were all the chosen ones of the younger generation from various countries, proud and arrogant. Lin Muyang's sudden emergence and terrifying battle record were both a shock and an invisible blow to them. Now, seeing Lin Muyang himself so young and accompanied by two stunning young ladies, that subtle psychological imbalance turned into these sour whispers.

With Lin Muyang's current perception, these discussions naturally entered his ears without missing a single word. He didn't even shift his gaze, just faintly glancing at the several directions where the voices came from. That gaze was calm and rippleless, yet it made those few young talents who were wagging their tongues feel as if they had suddenly fallen into an ice cellar. Their hair stood on end as if they were being stared at by some prehistoric beast. All sounds stopped abruptly, and their faces turned pale as they lowered their heads, not daring to say another word.

Lin Muyang then turned his gaze back to the face of General Ivan, who was full of warm expectation, his tone flat without a single ripple: "The banquet won't be necessary. Give me the latest situation and known data on the secret realm entrance. Then, have everyone inside withdraw and clear the entrance area. I'll handle this secret realm myself."

His voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly spread throughout the entire camp, which had suddenly become silent.

Handle it himself?

One person? Soloing a 40-person scale Level 92 legendary secret realm?

Although they were mentally prepared, when Lin Muyang personally said this in such an understated tone, there was still a wave of uncontrollable gasps and unbelievable low cries in the camp. Even the smile on General Ivan's face stiffened for a moment.

"Mr... Mr. Lin Muyang, you mean you're going in alone?" General Ivan thought he had misheard and confirmed, "The difficulty of this secret realm is extremely high. The first gate-keeping BOSS caused us to lose... uh, we were unable to conquer it for a long time. The attributes of the monsters inside, according to our calculations, have an actual combat strength probably close to the Level 150 level, especially the BOSS, whose health is extremely terrifying and the mechanics are complex..."

"I know." Lin Muyang interrupted him, his tone still flat but with a kind of unquestionable certainty, "That's why I'm telling your people to come out. To avoid getting in the way."

To avoid getting in the way...

These words could be said to be quite blunt, even carrying a hint of disdain. But no one on the scene dared to refute. The residual power of the battle on Crocodile Shark Island was still there, and the steady, mountain-like Aura that Lin Muyang unintentionally emitted at this moment also made people lose the courage to question him.

The muscles on General Ivan's face twitched, but he quickly recovered. He took a deep breath and nodded heavily: "Alright! Since Mr. Lin Muyang has such confidence, we will naturally cooperate fully! I will immediately order the last batch of reconnaissance personnel to withdraw and completely clear the entrance area! This is the latest map and BOSS skill analysis!"

He presented an ice crystal emitting a chill, which contained the latest intelligence.

Lin Muyang took the ice crystal, his spiritual power swept over it, and he instantly mastered all the information. He nodded and said no more. He signaled to Lilia and Elabess beside him, then turned and walked toward the area at the back of the camp where spatial fluctuations were exceptionally intense and faint ice-blue auroras were twisting and flashing.

That was the entrance to the legendary-rank secret realm "Frost Corridor."

Tashalin still stood in place, her azure eyes following Lin Muyang's tall back, her hands unconsciously clasped in front of her chest, her eyes almost overflowing with worship. The ice element creatures beside her also seemed to sense their master's intensely fluctuating mood and moved uneasily.

Around them, those geniuses who had been deterred by Lin Muyang's gaze still had unsightly expressions. Looking at Lin Muyang's back as he walked toward the secret realm entrance, their gazes were complex. There were those who still didn't believe, those who were gloating and waiting to see a joke, and those who were thinking solemnly.

"Put on an act, keep putting on an act! I'll see how many minutes he can last after going in!"

"Fuck, it's better if he suffers a bit! Seeing the way Tashalin looks at him makes me furious!"

"Maybe not... don't forget the previous intelligence; he's a monster who could frontally kill beings of the level of Slake and Hansa Bami..."

"That was outside! The environment and mechanics in the secret realm are completely different! No matter how strong an individual's strength is, some mechanics must rely on numbers and cooperation to be broken! How can he handle elite monsters and special mechanisms from multiple directions at the same time by himself?"