302: Chapter 303 Arrives Again

The next morning, the Eternal Garden was shrouded in a misty drizzle.

The sky was gloomy, grey clouds hung low, and fine rain fell silently, splashing on the courtyard's pond, leaves, and eaves. The entire garden seemed to be covered by a layer of thin gauze, appearing quiet and hazy.

Lin Muyang stood under the corridor at the entrance of the main building, watching the continuous curtain of rain outside the eaves. Today, he was going to take several young ladies to the Atlantis World to continue leveling up. The candidates had been decided—Shen Muyao, the sisters Gu Shuanglin and Gu Xiaoyu, Tashalin, and Chiba Ruri. These five young ladies had followed him for a long time, but they were not his summons; rather, they stayed in the Eternal Garden as companions or subordinates. Their strength was already top-tier on Blue Star, but they still needed to grow faster to keep up with his pace.

"Are you all ready?" Lin Muyang turned and looked behind him.

The five young ladies had gathered. Shen Muyao wore a simple white combat suit, her black hair tied into a neat ponytail, her expression calm with a hint of subtle anticipation; the sisters Gu Shuanglin and Gu Xiaoyu wore similar light blue martial arts outfits, one lively and one quiet, both appearing somewhat nervous now, their fingers unconsciously twisting together; Tashalin, from Northern Europe, had dazzling blonde hair and emerald eyes, her tall figure wrapped in form-fitting leather armor, her temperament cold and elegant; while Chiba Ruri wore a modified Japanese-style shrine maiden outfit, her black hair flowing like a waterfall, her features gentle, holding an unsheathed katana in her hand.

"We're ready, Lord Lin Muyang," Tashalin spoke first, her voice cold.

"Yes, we can set off anytime," Shen Muyao nodded.

Lin Muyang said no more. With a slight thought, a faint golden Aura quietly expanded with him at the center. An invisible force field enveloped him and the five young ladies. As the falling drizzle approached within about half a foot of their bodies, it seemed to encounter an invisible barrier and automatically slid to both sides; not a single drop could dampen their clothes.

This magical scene made Gu Xiaoyu unable to help but whisper in amazement, "Wow... so convenient."

"Let's go to the back garden." Lin Muyang stepped into the rain. The fine rain automatically diverted as it neared him; on the path he walked, the ground wasn't even wet. the young ladies hurriedly followed, each looking in wonder at the invisible "umbrella" around them.

In the back garden, the mist was thick. Gui Wanwan was already waiting there. Seeing them approach, a slight smile appeared on her cold little face. "Master, is everyone here?"

"One more missing," Lin Muyang checked the time. "Waiting for Teacher Su."

Shen Muyao and the others stood quietly under the corridor, watching the rainy garden scene with mixed emotions. This was the first time they were leaving Blue Star for a completely unfamiliar otherworld. Excitement, nervousness, curiosity, unease... all sorts of emotions intertwined in their hearts. Although they were no longer green novices and had experienced many battles and crises, crossing between worlds was an unprecedented experience for anyone.

Lately, the few of them had been teaming up to train in various secret realms across Blue Star. Relying on the ample resources provided by the Eternal Garden and Lin Muyang's occasional guidance, their levels had risen quickly, and all had reached Level 99. Last night, Lin Muyang brought back many sky-opening grade Elemental Essences from Atlantis, allowing them to successfully break through the Level 100 mark, resulting in a qualitative leap in their strength. However, except for Shen Muyao, whose talent had improved due to an opportunity she gained while following Lin Muyang early on, the others' talents remained at their original levels, and their combat power increase was relatively limited. This was also why Lin Muyang focused on bringing them along this time.

Taking advantage of the wait, Lin Muyang closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into the depths of his soul. Through that Soul Contract, he contacted Kandas, who was far away in the Atlantis World.

"What's the situation?" Lin Muyang asked directly.

Kandas's information was quickly relayed back, carrying a trace of fatigue and tension. "Lord, yesterday's matter blew up. Stanro City is furious and has sent out three investigation teams to conduct a carpet search of the surrounding areas. I didn't dare go back and am currently hiding in a hidden base in the surface world."

He paused and continued his report, "As for the secret realms... I've investigated two that might meet your requirements. One is a Level 118 legendary-rank secret realm of medium scale; the other is a Level 145 mythical-rank secret realm, though smaller in scale. I figured you wouldn't need anything below legendary-rank, so I didn't pay much attention to them."

Lin Muyang frowned slightly. The experience gain from a Level 118 legendary-rank secret realm would certainly be inferior to a mythical-rank secret realm of the same level. He had originally hoped to find a mythical-rank secret realm around Level 120 so that after a day of high-intensity grinding, reaching Level 140 shouldn't be much of a problem. But now it seemed the plan would have to be adjusted slightly.

"What about that Level 145 mythical-rank secret realm? Is no one there?" Lin Muyang asked.

"Yes, and a team has already been raiding it for four days," Kandas replied. "It's a guild's main team, very strong, with an average level above 140. Leading them is their guild's vice-chairman, a Level 158 Fire Archmage. Their progress doesn't seem very smooth, but having invested so much time and resources, they definitely won't give up easily."

Lin Muyang pondered. Taking it by force wasn't impossible, but it wasn't necessary. What he needed now was efficient, low-profile development, not making enemies everywhere. Although a Level 118 legendary-rank secret realm offered less experience, it had the advantage of being undisturbed, allowing for peaceful grinding.

"Send me the coordinates," Lin Muyang made a decision. "Watch yourself and don't return to Stanro City for now. Once things stabilize here, I'll arrange a new identity and a place for you."

"Yes, Lord!" Kandas's tone was clearly relieved. What he feared most was being used by Lin Muyang as a disposable tool and then tossed aside. Now it seemed that although this mysterious master was ruthless, he was somewhat considerate toward his own people.

Ending the communication, Lin Muyang opened his eyes. He just happened to see a slender black figure flying through the rain and landing lightly in front of the corridor.

It was Su Qingyue.

She was wearing form-fitting black light armor today, the plates shimmering with a dark luster in the rain, perfectly outlining her curvaceous figure. The design of the light armor balanced defense and flexibility, with flexible materials used at the joints to avoid hindering movement. She tied her long hair into a high ponytail behind her head, with a few strands of hair dampened by the rain sticking to her cheeks, adding a bit of valiance. Her long, straight legs were encased in boots and leg guards of the same material, every step steady and powerful.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm a bit late." Su Qingyue saw everyone waiting for her and smiled somewhat apologetically, raising her hand to tuck the damp hair by her cheek behind her ear. "There was something temporary to handle over in Zhongnan City, which caused a delay."

"It's fine, just in time." Lin Muyang nodded to her, not asking further about what the matter was.

Everyone was here.

Lin Muyang looked at Gui Wanwan. The black-haired girl understood and walked to a relatively open lawn in the center of the garden. She closed her eyes, her hands forming seals in front of her chest, her silver-white long hair moving despite the lack of wind.

A deep, icy energy fluctuation began to permeate the air. It was the power of the Underworld, but unlike death and destruction, this power contained a sense of order and creation. Greyish light spots gathered in front of Gui Wanwan, and space began to twist and fluctuate, like a stone being thrown into a calm water surface.

"It's starting..." Gu Shuanglin whispered to her sister, gripping the staff in her hand.

Chiba Ruri gripped her sword hilt, Tashalin's emerald eyes stared intently at the gradually forming rift, and Shen Muyao's expression was calm, but her breathing quickened slightly.

"Open," Gui Wanwan shouted softly, pushing her hands forward.

"Chi-la—"

A sound like cloth being torn rang out. An elliptical rift with grey mist flowing at its edges and chaotic-colored light swirling inside was suddenly torn open in the air! The rift was about three meters long and two meters high, and stable spatial fluctuations radiated from it, completely out of place with the surrounding rainy garden scene.

Through the rift, the scene on the other side could be vaguely seen—it was a dark woodland with strangely twisted plants growing, and the sky was an oppressive deep purple, completely different from the greyish-white of Blue Star's rainy day.

"Let's go." Lin Muyang did not hesitate, taking the first step and entering the rift. His figure was instantly swallowed by the chaotic-colored light.

Su Qingyue took a deep breath and followed second. Then came Shen Muyao, Tashalin, and Chiba Ruri; the sisters Gu Shuanglin and Gu Xiaoyu looked at each other and also gritted their teeth and walked in. Gui Wanwan stayed for last, and after confirming everyone had entered, she stepped in gracefully, the rift slowly shrinking and closing behind her.

A brief sense of weightlessness and spatial disorientation followed.

When their vision cleared again, they were in a completely unfamiliar environment.

Damp, sweltering, the air was filled with a strange smell of rotting plants mixed with something fishy and sweet. Beneath their feet was soft, muddy black earth, with a large number of hideous-looking plants growing—vines covered in barbs, giant ferns secreting slime, and clumps of mushrooms emitting a dark purple fluorescence. The sky was an eternal deep purple, with no sun, moon, or stars visible, only some glowing moss and strange plants providing faint Light Sources. This was the surface of the Atlantis World, a desolate land where monsters dwelled.

"This is the other world?" Gu Xiaoyu couldn't help but whisper, looking around curiously and warily.

"The energy particles in the air are very active, but also very chaotic," Su Qingyue, as an experienced Class Transferee, quickly made a judgment. "Everyone, stay alert. The environment here is different from Blue Star's secret realms; the monsters' attack patterns and habits might also vary greatly."

Lin Muyang did not speak immediately; his perception had already spread out like mercury on the floor, quickly scanning the environment within several kilometers. He found no powerful monster groups, only some scattered low-level creatures active in the distance.

Just then, a rustling sound came from the nearby dense forest. Everyone instantly entered a combat state, weapons unsheathed, and staves glowing faintly.

A middle-aged man wearing a grayish-brown Disguise cloak emerged somewhat disheveled from behind the bushes; it was Kandas. When he saw Lin Muyang's group, especially when he saw several more beautiful young ladies with different temperaments but all of considerable strength beside Lin Muyang, a flash of undisguised shock crossed his eyes.

From which world did this lord kidnap so many genius beauties?

But he quickly composed himself and walked quickly to Lin Muyang, bowing respectfully. "Lord, you've arrived. It's temporarily safe here; there are no large-scale monster tribes nearby, so the threat is not great."

Lin Muyang nodded and asked directly, "Specific location?"

Kandas took out a hand-drawn map from his bosom and spread it out before everyone. The map was made of a special material, seemingly tanned from the skin of some monster, with terrain, dangerous areas, and several prominent coordinate points marked in magic ink.

"We are here right now." Kandas pointed to a red dot at the edge of the map. "The entrance is at this position, about fifteen kilometers away in a straight line. The route requires crossing a forest and a swamp, neither of which are pleasant places. However, with the strength of the Lord and the young ladies, it shouldn't be much of a problem."

He paused and added, "This secret realm was just discovered by a patrol three days ago, and news hasn't completely spread yet. Currently, it shouldn't have been officially marked or occupied by any major power. However, it's possible that some scattered adventurer teams have already entered to explore."

Lin Muyang looked at the map carefully and memorized the route. "Well done. You can leave now and find a safe place to stay. Once things here are settled, I'll contact you and arrange your next destination."

Kandas felt greatly relieved and bowed again. "Yes, Lord! Then I shall take my leave. I wish the Lord everything goes smoothly!"

With that, he quickly put away the map and, with a few leaps, disappeared into the depths of the forest.

Looking in the direction Kandas disappeared, Su Qingyue frowned slightly. "Is this person reliable?"

"A Soul Contract was signed; his life and death are within a single thought of mine," Lin Muyang explained simply, not saying more. "Let's go to that secret realm. On the way, you can adapt to this world's combat environment."