Chapter 60
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Chapter 60: Secret Realm Trial
Within the Qingyun Tower, Ming He casually selected a room, pushed the door open, and after a brief glance at the interior, settled into a cross-legged position to begin her cultivation. With only twenty days remaining, she knew her cultivation level wouldn’t see significant improvement, but there was still potential to refine her swordsmanship and techniques. The foot-long golden dragon energy enhanced her comprehension and innate talent.
Ming He slowly closed her eyes, attempting to recapture that fleeting moment of clarity in her mind, immersing herself fully in the process of cultivation. Outside, the leaves swayed gently in the breeze, and the scenery was nothing short of breathtaking. Twenty days passed in the blink of an eye.
Rising to her feet, Ming He joined the other young cultivators as they followed the guards clad in black and white robes out of the Qingyun Tower. They made their way through the bustling streets of Dongfeng City, drawing the attention of the crowd, and eventually entered the Domain Lord’s mansion. They came to a halt in the Great Hall of Dongfeng.
The hall was vast, packed with a dense crowd of cultivators. Their sharp auras clashed, filling the space with an air of tension and aggression. Ming He reflected on the scenes she had witnessed on her journey and the current commotion in the hall. Tens of thousands had passed the Dragon Gate test, while the number of cultivators from the Eastern Region who met the age and cultivation requirements was at least several hundred thousand.
The ratio of tens to countless was undeniably harsh. Beyond the Eastern Region lay the vast Tianwu Continent, home to countless prodigies who had already reached heights that many in the Eastern Region could only dream of at their age.
“Dong!”
The deep toll of a bell silenced the noise in the hall. Powerful guards in black armor and robes formed orderly ranks, standing in a protective stance. At the forefront was a young and formidable guard leader, his armor darker than the others, marking his elevated status.
“Greetings, fellow cultivators!” the young guard leader said with a smile. “I am Mo Fang, leader of the Ninth Guard of the Domain Lord’s mansion in the Eastern Region. I am responsible for overseeing the second round of this year’s Small Dragon and Tiger Rankings—the Secret Realm Trial.”
“Mo Fang? The one who topped the Young Dragon List five years ago?”
“Yes, that’s him! He reached Dust Dispersal Stage Five back then, but now his cultivation…”
“First level of the Wind Master Realm!” Though his aura was slightly unstable due to his recent breakthrough, there was no mistaking it—he had indeed reached the first level of the Wind Master Realm.
He was only twenty-four years old.
A twenty-four-year-old at the first level of the Wind Master Realm.
The young cultivators who knew of his achievements fell silent, their gazes filled with a mix of reverence and aspiration as they looked at the black-armored leader. Ming He, too, paused for a moment as she processed the significance of his accomplishments. Then, her fists clenched, and a spark of battle intent ignited in her eyes. She felt even more eager for the Secret Realm Trial he had mentioned.
Mo Fang observed the expressions of the cultivators before him, his mind briefly wandering to the past. He, too, had once stood where they stood, filled with admiration and longing as he looked up to those who had come before him.
“Silence!” he commanded in a firm voice, cutting straight to the point. “The second round of the Small Dragon and Tiger Rankings is the Secret Realm Trial. I will transport you into the Tian Cang Secret Realm for one month.”
The Tian Cang Secret Realm, one of the spiritual realms under the Domain Lord’s mansion in the Eastern Region, was abundant in spiritual energy and ripe with opportunities. He hadn’t expected the Domain Lord’s mansion to invest so heavily this time, but it was a fortunate turn of events for the participants of this ranking battle.
“The Domain Lord’s mansion has placed one hundred disciple tokens within the Tian Cang Secret Realm. After one month, when the trial concludes, those holding the tokens will advance to the final round—the arena matches and the dragon energy contest.” He delivered this information calmly, watching as the expressions of the cultivators below shifted.
“This year, a total of forty-five thousand eight hundred sixty-one individuals passed the Dragon Gate. You will compete against this vast number for just one hundred spots in the second round. I wish you all the best of luck.”
Without giving Ming He and the others a moment to react, he activated the formation. In an instant, the hall was emptied, leaving only a faint smile on Mo Fang’s face.
“But remember, there is no turning back now. True strength is forged through adversity. You are here for a reason, just as I was, and just as those who came before us.”
“So, grow stronger quickly. The human race needs you, and the Eastern Region needs you even more.”
……
Ming He steadied herself as the world spun around her during the rapid descent. Once she adjusted to the flow of the air, she opened her eyes to behold the ethereal beauty of the Tian Cang Secret Realm, just as Mo Fang had described.
Towering trees pierced through the clouds, their branches swaying gracefully. Spiritual energy condensed into a sea of mist, with faint glimmers of light flickering in the haze. Skylarks perched on branches, while beasts roamed the mountains and forests. Golden-scaled fish stirred the stillness of the waters. Everywhere she looked, opportunities abounded.
Opportunities to Become Stronger.
Ming He bit her lip, her toes lightly tapping the ground as she prepared to continue exploring the beauty of the secret realm. Suddenly, a beast lurking beneath a tree charged at her, causing her to stagger back a few steps.
In a flash, she instinctively drew her sword and swung it in a swift arc. The clash produced a sharp "clang," and her hand trembled, nearly losing its grip on the hilt.
Frowning, Ming He tightened her hold, channeling her first stage sword intent into the sword tip. With a deft twist of her body, she deflected the obstacle and plunged her blade deep into the beast that had ambushed her, ending its life in a single strike.
A loud "boom" echoed as the beast’s body hit the ground, leaving a shallow crater.
Ming Sheathed her sword and stepped forward to inspect the creature. It was a two-headed crocodile, a heavy and resilient beast native to swamps, known for its ambush tactics beneath trees.
A common sight in the secret realm, the beast had met its end as her sword pierced its mouth, severing its life force in one decisive thrust.
Ming He carefully sliced off a small piece of black armor from the crocodile’s chest, near its heart. The creature lacked a demon core, and this black armor was its only valuable part.
It would likely fetch a decent amount of spirit stones.
Weighing the black armor in her hand, a faint smile touched her lips as she locked eyes with an approaching figure.
It was a young man wielding a short knife, his gaze fixed on the black armor in her hand. His posture was tense, leaning forward as if poised to strike.
Ming He met his gaze calmly, her demeanor steady and composed, as though she were the rightful ruler of this secret realm.
Yet, she was only at the Xuan Wei Third Level…
The young man hesitated, his courage faltering at the sight of the unflappable sword cultivator in blue. He turned and swiftly disappeared into the forest.
Ming He watched him go with a hint of regret, then dug a shallow pit to bury the two-headed crocodile. Had he chosen to attack, she might have gained another storage ring.
No matter. It was time to search for a disciple token. With her current cultivation level, many would underestimate her, and she was certain there would be no shortage of people willing to part with their spirit stones.
A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she set off in a random direction, her steps light and swift. She had a month ahead of her, and now at the Fifth Level of Xuan Wei, she aimed to climb even higher.
"Sword-shaped Herb!" Ming He exclaimed as she darted through the landscape, her eyes scanning the surroundings for opportunities.
In a secret realm so rich in spiritual energy, even without deliberate cultivation, she could feel her internal energy circulating and growing stronger. Truly, those born into privilege were different.
With a sigh of admiration, she paused and approached a spirit herb nestled beneath a peculiar rock. It was slightly damp, about the length of a forearm, with serrated edges that resembled a miniature sword.
Ming He recognized it instantly—it was the Sword-shaped Herb. She had encountered one shortly after arriving in this world, an event that had led to her being hunted by both beasts and fellow cultivators, eventually crossing paths with Qin Chu Yi.
Her gaze grew distant. Without that Sword-shaped Herb, she might never have achieved her current mastery of first stage sword intent in swordsmanship.
The version of herself from back then still felt weak, yet she had managed to rise above the confines of the small Liu Yun.
However, the one she had found before was dark green, while this one… Ming He recalled the description from the scripture repository, her heart stirring slightly. The Sword-shaped Herb before her was pure white, glowing faintly even in daylight, its radiance illuminating the damp shadows beneath the rock like a hidden treasure.
This was the pure white Sword-shaped Herb, the rarest and most potent of its kind. With it, her strength could surge, and the distance to the top of the Young Tiger List might not seem so insurmountable.
Ming He held her breath, carefully scanning her surroundings. After confirming the absence of any guarding beasts, she swiftly plucked the herb and placed it into an empty jade box, her spirits lifting.
With this pure white Sword-shaped Herb, she felt she had secured the opportunity she had come to the Tian Cang Secret Realm to find.
Now, it was time to locate a disciple token and then find a quiet place to cultivate.
But where to find a token? Ming He’s gaze darkened slightly. The secret realm was vast, almost unimaginably so, while the tokens were no larger than a palm. Searching for one here was akin to finding a needle in a haystack.
If she couldn’t find one on her own, she would simply take it by force.
With that thought, Ming He rose to her feet, her expression brightening as she glanced around before heading east without hesitation.
After walking for about half an hour, she came upon a large crowd gathered in a valley.
From the snippets of conversation and the gaps between the onlookers, she pieced together what was happening.
It had nothing to do with tokens or opportunities.
With tens of thousands participating in the Secret Realm Trial, many knew each other, and rivalries were common. People like Ming He, who neither knew nor had seen anyone, were rare.
At the center of the valley, two renowned geniuses from the younger generation of the Eastern Region were engaged in a heated confrontation: Young Master Gongsun Sheng of the Gongsun clan and Young Master Nan Gong Yao of the Nan Gong clan.
Both hailed from prestigious families and had risen to prominence as Young Masters at a young age, making comparisons between them inevitable.
Over time, the two had developed a rivalry, and now they were clashing over… a woman.
A woman of remarkable lineage, beauty, and cultivation, known as the paragon of the four leading clans of the Eastern Region alongside Gongsun and Nan Gong: Young Master Chang Sun Su.
Both men sought her favor, yet she seemed indifferent to both. They might have bonded over their shared plight, but for the sake of family advancement, rumors had spread that Chang Sun Su was to be betrothed to Gongsun Sheng.
Thus, the competition had escalated: whoever ranked higher in the Small Dragon and Tiger Rankings would win the right to become Chang Sun Su’s fiancé.
This was the cause of the lively scene before her.
Ming He leaned against a tree at a comfortable distance, watching the spectacle with a mix of curiosity and cool detachment. The prowess of these Young Masters, both at the Xuan Wei Seventh Level, was worth observing, as it would prepare her for future arena matches.
