Chapter 40: Prey Takes the Bait – From Rank Two to Rank Eight Ascension Token
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Liu Qinghe, with ill intentions in his heart, finally left.
Yu Xian slowly released the killing intent he had built up.
Liu had arrived too quickly, and Yu’s traps were too hastily arranged. There were only a few laid down around him.
If a full-scale fight broke out between him and Liu Qinghe—who was at Qi Condensation Great Perfection—the outcome would be uncertain due to the vast difference in their cultivation stages.
Fortunately, Liu Qinghe was clever.
He realized that fighting Yu now wasn’t the best move, so he turned to hunt others instead.
Jumping down from the boulder, Yu Xian began refining his trap-laden battleground.
He arranged everything he had:
Leftover poisons and smoke bombs from his alchemy experiments,
Powerful talismans equivalent to attacks from early Foundation Establishment cultivators,
Over a dozen binding-type tier-one artifacts…
Within a 300-meter radius, Yu Xian transformed the area into his personal execution ground.
It took him an entire day to set up.
Then he returned to the boulder, crossed his legs, and entered meditation.
As night fell, he became like a spider sitting in a perfected web, waiting for prey to arrive.
Would others also think to set traps and wait?
Of course.
But it wouldn’t work.
Because Yu Xian had already taken the best possible position—the center of the island.
As the surrounding barrier continued to shrink, all remaining cultivators would eventually be driven into his territory.
Even if others laid traps, they would be crushed by the barrier before their prey arrived.
The restriction would herd everyone toward Yu Xian’s trap zone like wild beasts.
Not even Liu Qinghe had realized this point.
Sitting cross-legged, spirit stone in hand, Yu Xian began cultivating.
The Rank Two Ascension Token granted him a temporary enhancement in talent.
His previously inferior Low-Grade Wood Spiritual Root now absorbed and converted spiritual energy at a rate equal to a Mid-Grade Root.
Combined with the body tempering from the mountain ladder trial, Yu Xian’s cultivation speed had more than doubled.
His spiritual sea expanded steadily, and the deep green-blue Spiritual Pool within him grew denser—gradually taking on a mercury-like consistency.
Meanwhile, other cultivators were caught in endless battles, killing and being killed.
Empowered by their Rank One, Two, or even Three Ascension Tokens, they felt euphoric—mistaking the temporary boosts for true advancement.
Only Yu Xian knew the truth:
“Only the thickening of spiritual energy and the expansion of the spiritual sea are real.
When the false elevation from the token disappears, this foundation will remain.”
He cultivated for an entire month.
Eventually, his spiritual energy reached a peak—viscous like magma, shimmering like liquid silver.
He was on the verge of breaking through to late-stage Qi Condensation, with condensed Qi like mercury.
But he opened his eyes and suppressed the breakthrough.
Cultivation wasn’t the issue—if danger arose, he could stop immediately and defend himself.
But breaking through was different.
If he were attacked mid-breakthrough, he would be helpless and vulnerable, and likely killed.
He exhaled softly and scanned the surroundings.
After a month, the number of red dots in the distance had multiplied—over a dozen surrounded him.
Among them, two were marked “3”.
Besides Liu Qinghe, the other was an unknown killer.
There were also four Rank Two tokens, including his own.
The rest were Rank One.
Roughly half the island’s participants had already perished.
Those who remained were wily and cautious, not easily provoked.
Especially the two “Threes”—they didn’t hunt each other, and if they approached anyone else, the others would scatter immediately.
Chasing people down was extremely difficult.
But the longer they all waited, the more anxious they would become.
Everyone now knew about the barrier’s slow but relentless contraction.
Eventually, they would all be forced to fight.
Yu Xian’s gaze sharpened.
He noticed three red dots—all Rank One—suddenly group together.
But instead of fighting, the three quickly began moving toward him!
He had sat unmoving with a Rank Two token for an entire month—clearly a prime target.
The three likely believed that attacking a Rank Two token-holder was easier than challenging a Rank Three.
Yu Xian’s lips curled into a slight smile.
His eyes glinted with killing intent.
The prey… has arrived.
Half an hour later, their Ascension Tokens roared through the sky.
With a loud rustle, the trees in front of Yu Xian exploded outward as three figures burst into the clearing.
They all wore Xuan Tian Sect robes—disciples from the same sect.
Yu Xian sat motionless atop the boulder, eyes closed, breath faint, face pale—seemingly injured and meditating.
“No wonder he hasn’t moved for a month—he must’ve been healing.”
“Looks like he was severely injured after killing two people. Probably never recovered.”
Another one grinned greedily.
Only the third seemed cautious.
“Careful. He might be pretending.”
“Who!?”
Yu Xian suddenly opened his eyes, bloodshot and glaring.
He looked at the three with venom in his voice.
“You three suicidal fools dare come for me!? Get lost!”
The trio frowned.
Clearly… bluffing!
He must be injured.
“Attack!”
With mutual eye contact and a shared killing intent, all three simultaneously exploded with power.
They formed hand seals and launched their artifacts, rushing straight for Yu Xian.
“You’re seeking death! I’ll kill you all!! Cough, cough!”
Yu Xian shouted in fury, raising his hand to form seals—but suddenly began coughing violently, vomiting blood.
His aura dropped to its lowest point.
At that moment, it looked like anyone could finish him off with a single blow.
The three hesitated for only a moment—then accelerated.
Whoever landed the killing blow would absorb his Rank Two token!
Now they even competed with each other—dropping their defensive spells and artifacts to reach Yu Xian first.
They flew across half of the 300-meter trap zone in an instant.
Their faces were full of madness, greed, and excitement!
But just then—
Yu Xian, who had been coughing with head bowed, suddenly lifted his head.
His mouth curled into a cold, bloody grin.
A chill ran through all three of their hearts.
They tried to stop mid-flight—
But it was too late.
“Break!”
Yu Xian pointed a finger.
BOOM!
An explosion erupted beneath their feet, spewing a thick, toxic green mist.
The smoke reeked of acid, rot, and poison—it instantly enveloped them.
“AH! It’s a trap!”
“Poison! My eyes! Damn it!”
They tried to scatter—
But boom, boom, boom!
Three hidden traps detonated, activating binding artifacts.
A net, a chain, and a golden cuff launched and temporarily bound all three.
“Damn it! What is this!?”
“Binding artifacts?! Open up!!”
“Get off me!”
They struggled and began forcefully breaking free.
Their cultivation erupted, and the artifacts trembled—another few breaths, and they would escape.
But Yu Xian wouldn’t give them the chance.
They entered my hunting ground…
Now they’re mine.
SHRING!
Two swords flew out—Rumbling Heaven Sword and Bamboo Edge Sword, both driven by his Green Spirit Sword Art.
Instead of one sword for each target, both blades focused on one enemy—to guarantee a kill.
Splat!
Both swords pierced through a single man’s chest. He screamed in agony and died on the spot.
At the same time, Yu Xian stood and formed two sets of hand seals:
Fire Flood Dragon Art!
Water Whirlpool Spell!
Casting two spells at once!
The remaining two panicked.
Fueled by desperation, they broke free from the binding artifacts and turned to flee.
But Yu Xian had let them get halfway in for a reason.
He was never going to let them escape.
BOOM! BOOM!
Two powerful talismans—imbued with the strength of Foundation Establishment cultivators—detonated beneath them.
Both were blasted away, crashing to the ground, severely injured.
“Go!”
Yu Xian flew forward, both hands pointing.
Fire and water surged forth—
The flaming flood dragon roared, and the water vortex howled.
“Spare me!!”
“No! Please!!”
Their injuries were too severe to defend properly.
Desperately, they summoned glowing artifacts and forced hand seals.
But they were too slow.
The fire dragon wrapped around one—its heat melting even his protective artifact. He screamed and writhed in agony before collapsing as a charred corpse.
The water dragon wrapped the other—then exploded like dozens of detonation runes, instantly breaking his defenses and turning him into a mangled heap of blood and flesh.
Above, the three Rank One Ascension Tokens flew to Yu Xian and merged into his own.
In that moment, the red glow from his token burst outward, illuminating a 200-kilometer radius—visible across the entire island.
The blood-marked “Two” on his token—
In the blink of an eye…
Became: Eight.
