Chapter 37: The Secret Realm Allows Only Ten to Survive—A Life-and-Death Duel with a Sword Cultivator
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At the mountain’s base, all six elders froze.
Yu Xian’s disappearance came as a surprise.
He had been left behind by thousands of steps compared to others and yet… he wasn’t the last to be transmitted into the secret realm!
There were still over a dozen people on the stairway who hadn’t been taken.
This shattered their long-held belief—speed might help earlier entry, but it clearly wasn’t the deciding factor!
The six elders fell into deep thought.
Meanwhile, Yu Xian took a step forward…
And the next instant, he appeared on a sandy beach.
Covered in blood and sweat, Yu Xian gasped heavily, eyes dazed as he looked around.
Moonlight poured down, the surroundings unchanged—distant howls of unknown beasts echoed in the dark, and the sea breeze carried a salty tang.
“This place…”
Yu Xian frowned in confusion. Wasn’t this the same beach they had all gathered on before the trial began?
Could it be… the mountain stairway was a teleportation array?
With a flick of his hand, he summoned a bottle of pills and popped five into his mouth.
Nourishment Pills.
Ideal for restoring body fatigue.
As the medicine took effect, his physical exhaustion and muscle aches faded rapidly. On top of that, with impurities purged from his body through the earlier climb, Yu Xian now felt incredibly light—his limbs brimming with power.
“Hmph… whatever brought me here, no big deal. I’ll just climb again if I must.”
He exhaled, composed himself, and prepared to head back toward the towering mountain.
But just as he stepped into the forest—
BOOM!
A thunderous voice echoed across the entire island:
“All participants have arrived. Ascension Trial begins. Duration: Three months. Only ten shall survive and ascend.
If, after three months, fewer than ten remain—all will perish!”
The sound was vast and majestic, shaking the heavens and earth.
At the same time, Yu Xian’s Ascension Token flew out from his robe, hovering five meters above his head and glowing with a blood-red light.
Beneath the characters Ascension, a bright zero was displayed in dripping scarlet!
He raised his head to look at it, and unease surged in his chest.
Only ten may survive. Everyone else must die.
If ten aren’t determined in time—everyone dies.
It was a cruel system designed to prevent people from hiding or stalling. The glowing red token above every disciple’s head made concealment impossible.
Yu Xian glanced around—three more red glows had already lit up in the northern, southwestern, and southeastern skies.
Three people… within a kilometer of him!
His expression darkened.
Every participant must have heard the voice and understood its meaning:
Out of 48… only 10 would live.
Suddenly, the red glow to his southwest moved.
The person had made a decision—to kill.
Yu Xian narrowed his eyes.
The three nearby red auras had taken different paths: one charged straight at him, while the other two fled in opposite directions.
Some were bloodthirsty.
Others were cautious.
Yu Xian had intended to observe first, but now his options were taken from him.
This aggressor—charging right at him—must be confident in his strength, most likely a peak Qi Condensation cultivator with high talent.
Within seconds, a sword-wielding man came into view, riding his flying sword with killing intent boiling off him.
A sword cultivator. From the Sword Sect.
“You heard the announcement! Some of us have to die! And you… are one of them! Split Blade Art!”
From over 100 meters away, the man shouted coldly, then slashed forward.
His sword multiplied into a dozen blade shadows that thundered toward Yu Xian.
A killing move, right from the start!
“Senior, please spare me!”
Yu Xian shouted, panic on his face as he retreated quickly, forming hand seals.
Stone Wall Technique!
A thick wall of earth rose to block the incoming blades.
The man laughed scornfully. “You think that can block my sword qi? Die!”
He pointed once more, and the sword shadows curved around the wall, slicing toward Yu Xian from all sides.
Yu Xian stumbled back in “panic,” yelling again, “No! Don’t kill me!”
“Hahaha! DIE!”
The swordsman sneered cruelly, believing Yu Xian was helpless prey.
But just then, Yu Xian’s terrified expression vanished, replaced with cold calm.
He extended a finger and pointed below the sword cultivator’s feet.
BOOM!
Explosions erupted.
The swordsman had stepped directly into a trap Yu Xian had laid—seven talisman bombs, each carrying the strength of an early Foundation Establishment expert.
Yu Xian had feigned panic, lured him in, then triggered the trap!
Even with Yu Xian’s own protective gear, the backlash from the blast made his limbs numb.
But the sword cultivator—
Screaming in pain—was now scorched, bloodied, and barely able to stand. His soft armor had barely absorbed the explosion. His legs were in shreds.
Still, his sword hovered nearby, glowing faintly.
He hadn’t died.
Yu Xian’s eyes turned icy. With a seal, a burning dragon took shape beside him.
Flame Flood Dragon Technique!
A six-meter flaming drake formed and roared, lunging toward the injured enemy.
“DAMN YOU! TRAP-LAYING SCUM!”
But the sword cultivator was still fierce.
Rather than retreat, he roared and thrust his sword at Yu Xian’s heart.
Ten meters. One breath.
Sword against spell.
Who would be faster?
Yu Xian didn’t flinch.
As his fire dragon surged forward, his body shimmered with green light—Wood Spirit Armor!
Dual-casting.
One spell per hand.
“What!? One-hand dual-casting?! Impossible!”
The sword cultivator’s face twisted in disbelief—but he had already committed to the attack.
The sword flashed—piercing Yu Xian’s Wood Spirit Armor, slowly pressing toward his heart.
Clang!
Just as it neared the fatal point—
A silver dragon surged from Yu Xian’s chest, roaring silently as it blocked the sword.
Five-Treasure Silver Dragon Armor. A fourth-tier defense artifact.
Even a top-grade tier-two flying sword could not penetrate it.
Yu Xian staggered from the impact, blood surging in his throat—but he stood.
The enemy was frozen.
“FOURTH-TIER DEFENSE?! THAT’S GOLD—ARGHHHH!!”
Before he could finish, the flame dragon struck.
WHOOSH!
The fire engulfed him, burning through his barrier and armor instantly.
In mere seconds, he was reduced to ash.
Breathing hard, pale-faced, Yu Xian stepped forward and retrieved the man’s storage pouch and sword.
Overhead, the fallen cultivator’s Ascension Token floated, then flew to Yu Xian’s own token and merged.
It glowed brighter, more saturated in red. Visible across several kilometers.
And the number beneath it?
Zero was gone.
Now, it read:
One.
