Overnight, the name Lin Chen had spread to every corner of the Qingyun Sect. The news of his Chaos Divine Spirit Root, a god-tier root beyond the mortal grading system, had shocked every elder and disciple in the sect. Where he had once been mocked as a small-town lucky trash, he was now regarded as the future of the Qingyun Sect, a genius who might one day ascend to the Immortal Emperor throne.
But Lin Chen paid no mind to the endless praise and admiration. He shut himself in his temporary cave residence, focusing solely on stabilizing his Half-Step Foundation Establishment cultivation and preparing for the second round of the selection: the Qingyun Secret Realm survival trial. He knew well from his previous life that the secret realm was not just a test of strength and survival skills—it was a hunting ground. His enemies would not let this opportunity slip by to kill him in the shadows, where no one could see.
As the first rays of dawn spilled through the cave's stone opening, the familiar cold mechanical voice rang in his mind.
[Ding! Daily sign-in refresh completed! Do you want to sign in now?]
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Lin Chen's mouth. This sign-in would be his final preparation for the trial ahead.
"Sign in."
[Ding! Sign-in successful! Congratulations to host for obtaining:
1. Cultivation Base Stabilization: Peak Half-Step Foundation Establishment!
2. High-Grade Heaven-Rank Skill: Chaos Stealth Technique!
3. Special Item: Full Map of the Qingyun Secret Realm (marked with all hidden treasures, danger zones, and token locations)!
4. Special Item: Beast Deterrence Talisman x1 (can suppress all demonic beasts below the Foundation Establishment realm)!
5. Spirit Stones: 180,000!]
A warm, boundless surge of spiritual energy flooded Lin Chen's body, solidifying his cultivation to the absolute peak of Half-Step Foundation Establishment. He was now only a single step away from breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm, a level most outer sect elders spent decades trying to reach. At the same time, the complete map of the secret realm appeared in his mind, every corner of the trial grounds laid out clearly before him. The Chaos Stealth Technique would allow him to hide his aura completely, rendering him invisible even to Foundation Establishment experts—perfect for avoiding ambushes, or setting his own.
An hour later, the deafening sound of the giant bell rang out again, calling all the remaining disciples to the testing square. Over two thousand disciples had been eliminated in the first round, leaving less than eight hundred to advance to the secret realm trial.
The Grand Elder stood on the high platform, his deep voice booming across the square. "The second round of the selection is the Qingyun Secret Realm survival trial! The rules are simple: you will have three days and three nights inside the secret realm. To pass to the final round, you must collect at least 10 Qingyun Tokens. Tokens can be found on the demonic beasts inside the realm, or in the hands of other disciples—you are permitted to seize tokens from your competitors. The top 100 disciples with the most tokens will advance to the final life-or-death arena duels. The top 10 will receive sect treasures and direct entry into the inner sect!"
A murmur of excitement rippled through the crowd. This was the real test of strength and wit, the round that would separate the true geniuses from the rest.
But as the Grand Elder finished speaking, Steward Zhang, who stood at the edge of the platform, shot a cold, malicious glance at Lin Chen. He had secretly passed a message to Zhao Lei the night before, along with three high-grade detection talismans that could see through stealth, and a Foundation Establishment level puppet—all to ensure that Lin Chen would never leave the secret realm alive.
Zhao Lei, standing in the crowd with the two remaining Black Water City geniuses and six other top disciples from the region, stared at Lin Chen with venom in his eyes. He had been humiliated too many times by this small-town trash, and his reputation was in tatters. Today, in the secret realm, he would make sure Lin Chen died a painful death. He had gathered eight of the strongest remaining competitors, all of whom were jealous of Lin Chen's sudden fame and eager to take him down.
The Grand Elder waved his hand, and a huge, glowing portal formed in the center of the square, swirling with mist and spiritual energy. "Enter the portal now. You will be randomly teleported to different locations in the secret realm. Good luck, disciples. May the strongest survive."
One by one, the disciples stepped into the portal, disappearing into the mist. Lin Chen walked forward calmly, ignoring the cold stares from Zhao Lei and his group, and stepped into the portal. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and when he opened his eyes again, he was standing in a dense, ancient forest, the air thick with rich spiritual energy and the faint growl of demonic beasts.
The moment his feet touched the ground, the system's voice rang in his mind again.
[Ding! Special location sign-in triggered!]
[Location: Qingyun Secret Realm Outer Forest]
[Do you want to complete the special sign-in now?]
Lin Chen's eyes lit up. "Sign in."
[Ding! Special sign-in successful! Congratulations to host for obtaining:
1. High-Grade Heaven-Rank Sword Skill: Azure Cloud Thunder Sword Art!
2. Special Item: Nine Revival Spirit Pill x2 (can heal even fatal wounds and restore full spiritual power in an instant)!
3. Qingyun Tokens x20!
4. Spirit Stones: 150,000!]
Lin Chen smiled faintly. With 20 tokens already, he had already passed the trial's minimum requirement before it had even truly begun. The Azure Cloud Thunder Sword Art would pair perfectly with his Thunder Dragon Blade, amplifying his attack power even further.
But just as he was about to head toward the secret realm's core, where the most valuable treasures and highest-point tokens were located, three figures burst out from the trees around him. They were all peak 8th level Qi Refining disciples, their faces twisted with greed and malice, their blades drawn and pointed at Lin Chen.
These were Zhao Lei's lackeys, planted at the outer forest's teleportation points to ambush him the moment he arrived.
"Well, well! If it isn't the famous Lin Chen!" The leading disciple sneered, his eyes blazing with arrogance. "Hand over all your tokens, your storage bag, and cripple your own dantian right now. If you do, we might let you live long enough to crawl out of the secret realm. Otherwise, we'll kill you right here and leave your body for the beasts."
The other two laughed mockingly. "Do you really think you're special just because you have a fancy spirit root? In here, no one can hear you scream. Zhao Lei has put a price on your head, and we're here to collect."
Lin Chen looked at them calmly, a cold, faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You three are not even worth my time. Tell me where Zhao Lei and his group are waiting for me, and I'll let you leave with your lives."
The leading disciple's face twisted with rage. "Arrogant little bastard! Die!"
He roared, and the three of them rushed forward at the same time, their blades wrapped in spiritual power, stabbing straight at Lin Chen's heart and dantian, aiming to kill him with a single strike.
But before their blades could even get close, Lin Chen moved. He flicked his wrist, and three thin beams of blue thunder shot out from his fingertips, piercing straight through the three disciples' dantians before they could even react.
"AHHH—!"
They let out shrill screams and fell to the ground, their cultivation completely crippled, their faces pale with terror and pain. They had never imagined that the so-called small-town genius could defeat them with a single flick of his wrist, without even drawing his sword.
Lin Chen stepped forward, looking down at the leading disciple coldly. "Now. Where is Zhao Lei waiting for me?"
The disciple trembled with fear, and quickly spilled everything. "He… he's in Black Wind Valley, in the western part of the secret realm! He gathered eight of the strongest disciples, including the Black Water City geniuses! They have a Foundation Establishment puppet that Steward Zhang gave them! They're planning to trap you there and kill you! Please, spare me! I was just following orders!"
Lin Chen's eyes turned cold. He had expected an ambush, but he hadn't thought Steward Zhang would dare to smuggle a Foundation Establishment puppet into the secret realm. This was no longer just a competition—it was a premeditated murder.
But he was not afraid. If they wanted to trap him in Black Wind Valley, he would go there willingly. Every enemy that came for him was just another stepping stone, another chance to gain more rewards from the system.
He waved his hand, and the three crippled disciples were thrown out of the forest, their tokens seized. Then he turned and headed west, straight for Black Wind Valley.
Along the way, he encountered a pack of Flame Wolves, led by a peak 9th level Qi Refining wolf king. The pack had surrounded four terrified disciples, who were on the verge of death, their spiritual power almost exhausted. Just as the wolf king was about to strike, Lin Chen activated the Beast Deterrence Talisman.
A powerful, ancient aura exploded from his body, pressing down on the entire pack. The Flame Wolves froze instantly, their legs giving out, whimpering and bowing their heads to the ground. The wolf king, which had been roaring with rage a second before, crawled forward on its belly, placing a storage bag with 15 Qingyun Tokens and its own beast core at Lin Chen's feet, begging for mercy.
The four disciples stared at this scene in shock, their mouths hanging open. They had never seen anything like this— a peak 9th level demonic beast bowing down to a young disciple like a tamed dog.
"Thank you! Thank you so much, Senior Brother Lin Chen!" The leading disciple said, bowing deeply, his eyes filled with gratitude and awe. "We would have died without you! We also saw Zhao Lei and his group heading to Black Wind Valley an hour ago. They have a powerful puppet with them, and they've set up a killing array around the valley! Don't go there, it's a trap!"
Lin Chen nodded slightly. "Thank you for the warning. But I'm going there anyway. They want to kill me, so I'll give them the fight they're looking for."
He turned and continued toward Black Wind Valley, using his Treasure Seeking Divine Sense along the way to find a thousand-year-old Scarlet Spirit Fruit. He swallowed it in one bite, and the rich medicinal energy flooded his body, pushing his cultivation even closer to the Foundation Establishment realm.
By sunset, he had reached the entrance of Black Wind Valley. The valley was shrouded in black mist, the air thick with killing intent. At the mouth of the valley, Zhao Lei stood with the eight other top geniuses, all of them at the peak 9th level of Qi Refining, their blades drawn, their eyes blazing with malice. Behind them floated a pitch-black puppet, its aura powerful and oppressive—a genuine Foundation Establishment level killing machine.
Zhao Lei sneered when he saw Lin Chen walk forward, his voice filled with triumph. "Well, well. You actually walked right into our trap, you stupid trash. Did you really think we'd let you leave the secret realm alive? Today, Black Wind Valley will be your grave."
The Black Water City geniuses laughed mockingly. "You crippled our brother, and now you're going to pay with your life. No one is coming to save you here, Lin Chen."
Lin Chen looked at them calmly, a cold smile on his face. He drew the Thunder Dragon Blade from his back, the blue thunder glow wrapping around the blade, accompanied by the low roar of a dragon.
"You all came here to kill me," he said, his voice cold and clear, echoing through the valley. "Good. Don't waste my time. All of you, come at once."
The entire valley fell silent. The killing intent in the air exploded.
The final showdown in the secret realm was about to begin.