touchnovel Chapter 15: Exploring the Secret Realm, Encountering Old Grudges
Chapter 15: Exploring the Secret Realm, Encountering Old Grudges
The teacher leading the team from No. 4 Middle School whispered coldly to the four students beside him who were participating in the Secret Realm Competition:
"We lost one player in the group stage, and our spot in this competition was taken away, causing our Fourth Middle School to lose face. It's all thanks to the Third Middle School and Lin Chen. This round of the competition is inside the secret realm, unlike the arena outside. There are no referees or rules inside, and it allows contestants to compete for resources and confront each other. The four of you can go in together later and wait for the right opportunity. As long as Lin Chen is alone, you must teach him a lesson he will never forget."
Of course, there's no need to kill him. Just cripple his cultivation and break his limbs. Make sure he understands that a spot he picked up by chance can't support his arrogant confidence.
The four students from No. 4 Middle School bowed their heads in unison, glancing in Lin Chen's direction, their eyes growing increasingly cold. However, none of them noticed that when they turned around, the swords at their waists had simultaneously collided, making a piercing sound.
On the high platform, the leaders of various factions displayed different expressions.
Li Changfeng, the president of the Martial Arts Association, used the association's secret Qi Observation Technique to manipulate his fingers. His gaze swept over the thirty-two finalists, and he could clearly see the faint aura of fortune floating above each youth's head: Chu Tiankuo's fortune was as blue as a vast ocean, Zhao Xuan's fortune was as red as a raging fire, Su Qingyue's fortune was as white as the bright moon, while Lin Chen's fortune was only a faint wisp of silver starlight, as thin as a spider's thread yet condensed and unyielding, with a hidden potential to soar to the sky. He nodded to himself: This year's contestants can be said to be full of talent. The outstanding ones are like Zhao Xuan, who is domineering and unparalleled; Chu Tiankuo, who is as fiery as the sun; and Su Qingyue, who is as cold and reserved as ice. Lin Chen, who seems to be the last-ranked winner, actually has a fortune of purity that far surpasses all his peers. Any one of these people would be a strong contender for the championship in previous competitions.
Wang Hu of the Mercenary Guild tapped the armrest lightly with his fingertips, understanding in his heart: among the undefeated contestants, Lin Chen has the most solid foundation, abundant and extremely condensed blood and qi. In addition, he possesses the strange movement technique and superior fist martial arts skills that he used in the previous round. Finally, he also has a special talent that can sense the origin of the starry sky. In this secret realm competition, he will definitely be the biggest dark horse among the contestants.
The owners of the three martial arts schools each had their own agendas and plans: Lei Meng was still upset about his disciple Zhang Meng's defeat in the group stage and was secretly plotting how to test and suppress Lin Chen if they encountered him again; Shen Qingzhou, on the other hand, had his eye on Lin Chen's talent for cultivation and his problem-solving skills, and was already planning how to secretly recruit him after the competition; and Zhou Cang of the Iron Fist Martial Arts School watched coldly, hoping that the contestants would fight each other and wear each other down.
Lin Chen stood in the queue of contestants, his expression cold and aloof. He had already taken in the venomous looks the students from No. 4 Middle School had given him. He didn't consider himself a pushover; his motto was "I won't offend others unless they offend me; if they do, I'll retaliate a hundredfold." Carefully sensing his dantian, he noticed a sudden, fiery pulse emanating from its core, as if it too sensed the impending battle. The stellar energy flowing within him became increasingly active. While queuing, a low-grade spirit stone, overlooked by someone, had rolled past his feet. He casually picked it up and stuffed it into his pocket, not paying much attention—a subtle manifestation of his rising fortune.
After a day of rest, at 8 a.m. on the second day, the seal on the Qingmang Mountain Auxiliary Secret Realm slowly loosened.
Two deacons clad in the association's robes stepped forward, raised their hands to form hand seals, and bursts of spiritual light flashed in mid-air. Suddenly, a spatial rift several meters high appeared. The rift slowly opened, revealing swirling clouds and mist inside, with spiritual energy rushing out. A fragrance of grass and trees mixed with the wild aura of ferocious beasts also spread from the rift.
"The top 32 contestants, line up immediately and prepare to enter the secret realm!"
Li Changfeng gave a solemn order, his voice carrying spiritual power and resounding throughout the arena: "Contestants, please remember the rules: The secret realm is limited to four hours. The ranking will be based on the sum of resource points, ferocious beast hunting, and battles against strong enemies. The top eight in points will advance to the next round of the finals."
Intentional killing is prohibited within the Secret Realm. Players' legitimate self-defense and competition for Secret Realm resources are not subject to behavioral restrictions. Players' participation in the Secret Realm is based on fate, and they are solely responsible for their own gains and losses.
Additional note: Because of the abundant spiritual energy in the secret realm, one's own fortune will automatically manifest. The higher one's fortune, the more opportunities one will experience. Those with wicked intentions will have their fortune dissipate on its own, and in severe cases, their cultivation may even suffer a backlash.
I hereby declare: Now—Enter the Secret Realm!
Thirty-two young powerhouses stepped forward one after another, their figures disappearing into the gaps in the clouds.
Chu Tiankuo stepped in first, his figure proud, heading straight for the high-level resource area deep within the secret realm; Su Qingyue moved lightly, her cold aura concealed, choosing a secluded path to discreetly collect spiritual materials and avoid unnecessary conflicts; Zhao Xuan was domineering, killing any ferocious beasts he encountered and taking any resources he found, rampaging through the area, and no one dared to provoke him easily.
Lin Chen was in the middle of the queue. The moment he stepped into the secret realm, he immediately activated the Star Martial Body Forging Technique - Perfection. His Star Martial Core between his eyebrows felt slightly warm, and a faint wisp of star intent spread out. He could clearly perceive the flow of spiritual energy, the hiding places of resources, and the lurking locations of ferocious beasts within a radius of dozens of feet.
At the same time, the wisp of silver fortune above his head, nourished by the spiritual energy of the secret realm, quietly grew stronger, and the originally blurry starlight became clearer.
The most unique ability inherited from the Star Martial lineage is the ability to sense various treasures and trace their origins. Coupled with his ever-growing fortune, he can easily discover and encounter opportunities that others cannot find.
He didn't rush to venture deeper into the secret realm, nor did he compete with the others for the visible core resources along the way. Instead, he directly changed direction and headed towards the secluded dense forest on the southeast side of the secret realm—thinking that the more overlooked an area is, the more likely it is to discover hidden top-tier resources, such as the fragments of the Starry Sky Origin that everyone covets.
Lin Chen hadn't gone far when four deliberately heavy footsteps approached from behind, their malice undisguised as they pressed closer. It was Li Qiang and his three friends from No. 4 Middle School, arrogantly striding towards him. Suddenly, Li Qiang, caught off guard, was struck hard in the face by a tree branch lying nearby, leaving a light-colored welt. Immediately afterward, Zhao Gang, following behind, lost his footing and nearly fell into a nearby ditch.
Lin Chen stopped and slowly turned around, his eyes filled with a hint of coldness.
In this round, the four contestants from the fourth school who entered the secret realm finally caught up together.