Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Secret Realm
On the arena floor,
Yue Lan’s legs began to stumble, then weakening as she was about to fall to the ground.
However, a hand landed softly on her shoulder.
"Child, enough. You’ve done well," Elder Yu Lianru’s calm, feminine voice reached Yue Lan’s ear as she felt a powerful presence beside her.
Elder Yu Lianru’s presence was like a soft breeze, calming the tense aftermath of the battle in the arena.
With one graceful hand, she help steadied Yue Lan, while letting a stream of spiritual energy flow into her body, easing the strain and fatigue that weighed her down.
The audience stirred once more, murmurs of respect rippling through the crowd as their eyes fell upon Elder Yu Lianru who draped in the flowing blue robes of the Azure Moon Sect, her graceful and mature bearing left no doubt that another esteemed elder of the sect had arrived.
Then—
Whoosh!
A streak of light descended from the skies as several other elders arrived, their robes billowing in the sky like heavenly banners.
Among them stood Elder Xi, distinguished by his prominent curly beard.
His expression remained kind as he swept his gaze across the arena.
Soon, Elder Xi’s deep voice resounded, echoing across the entire arena, instantly silencing the crowd.
"Today’s tournament ends here, and we now have our final winner. On behalf of the sect, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all friends and guests who have come to witness this humble tournament of our sect."
Gasps echoed through the crowd as they realized the thrilling tournament had come to an end.
Elder Xi turned his attention back to the arena. "Those who ranked in the top ten, remain here. We have an important matters to discuss with you. As for the rest... you may disperse."
The disciples hesitated only for a moment before bowing respectfully and taking their leave.
Soon after, the sea of spectators began to stream out of the stadium, their excited chatter filling the air. Once outside, the crowd gradually dispersed into smaller groups, while the earlier tension giving way to murmurs of excitement and admiration.
Some of the stronger disciples were seen being approached by cultivator families probably being offered something. Most accepted the offers of sponsorship, but every one of those top disciple refused to leave their ’seed’ with the families.
They were all eager to return to seclusion, determined to further strengthen themselves, having greatly benefited from the experience of battle.
If they choose to waste their yang energy and precious time, they will soon be left behind by their peers, so the competitive spirit among these top disciples was extremely high.
Many Cultivator Families also left in dejection, but they also somewhat expected this result.
Seeing the crowd begin to leave, Li Feng casually rose from his seat, stretching his arms.
Beside him, Lin Yu looked almost dazed, his eyes wide and still filled with awe, as if he had been enlightened.
"That... that was unbelievable,"Lin Yu muttered, his voice trembling with excitement. "The sword intent, the clash of elements... just witnessing it gave me so much insight. If I meditate on this, I might even break through my bottleneck...!"
He rambled on enthusiastically as they made their way out with the dispersing crowd.
Li Feng, on the other hand, only half-listened, his mind drifting to thoughts of Yue Lan’s stubborn figure, his blood still boiling from watching the battle, as if he wanted to unleash something, both in combat... and in the bedroom.
Meanwhile, Fen Ziyan walked gracefully a step beside Li Feng, her arms crossed under her chest in her usual proud posture. She didn’t move closer to him or continue her provocations, having felt the fire of his desire-laden gaze on her just moments ago.
Her lips curved upward ever so slightly, pride gleaming in her crimson eyes.
’Hmph... just now, with so many eyes on us, you still couldn’t hide your hunger, Junior Brother Li. Hehe... my plan is working. Now then.....’
Instead of trying to blatantly seduce him, Fen Ziyan now switch to a subtle, deliberate gestures: the slight lift of her chin, revealing her delicate white neck; the faint, knowing curve of her smile, as if to entice him; and the way she adjusted her robe to hug her chest just a little tighter.
It was all a silent, deliberate attempt to draw Li Feng’s attention.
Li Feng caught it, of course. That smug little smile of hers, the way she proudly flaunted herself without saying a word...it only made the heat in his chest rise.
His lips curled into a weird smile as he thought,
’What is this women doing?... doesn’t she know the consequences?’
Li Feng looked at Fen Ziyan strangely, who had been enticing him for quite some time.
She was either incredibly smart... or incredibly stupid for doing this.
He tore his gaze away with difficulty, aware they were still in a public space, letting Lin Yu’s endless chatter drown out his thoughts and distract him.
--
At the arena, the spectators and crowd had all left, leaving only the top ten disciples standing within the vast arena. The air was calmer now, but some of the disciples stood stiffly, as this was the first time they were this close to many powerful Elders.
The only ones who seemed calm and steady were Yue Lan and Liu Yanyue, appearing accustomed to being in the presence of Elders.
Elder Xi stepped forward once more, his hands clasped behind his back. His expression was kind and carried a faint smile of pride as he look at these disciple.
"You have all fought bravely," he said, his voice steady and calm "Each of you standing here are the best of this batch in the Outer Sect. For that, the sect recognizes your strength."
With a wave of his sleeve, ten small jade bottles floated forward, each landing gently before the chosen disciples.
"These are Essence Nurturing Pills, rare treasures that will purify your meridians and deepen your cultivation foundation... and a Foundation Pills, I’m sure you know their value. This is a reward for your hard-earned efforts."
All the disciples nodded eagerly, their eyes bright as they received the pill bottles. Each of them wanted to win, mostly for the Foundation Pill which would help them break through to the next realm.
Disciples ranking from 6 to 10 smiled bitterly, thinking they wouldn’t receive the Foundation Pill. However, to their surprise, each one of them found a Foundation Pill in their pill bottle. This was unexpected, because normally only the top 5 would receive these pills.
Elder Xi, sensing their confusion, smiled and said, "The reason why the top 6-10 received the Foundation Pill isn’t anything deep. The sect simply chose to upgrade the rewards in the hopes of nurturing more talent to rise. And your batch is the first to enjoy this new reward."
Upon hearing this, a murmur of gratitude rippled among the five as they bowed deeply.
Yue Lan also received her pill bottle, her eyes glinting as she finally achieved one of her goals.
Meanwhile, Liu Yanyue casually put her pill bottle away.
But Elder Xi was not finished. His gaze then swept across them again, turning sharp and serious.
"There is something else you must know. A month from now, there will be a great opportunity for all of you....the Hidden Phoenix Realm, which only opens once every 100 years. And this cycle... it happens to fall into your generation."
The disciples on the arena opened their eyes in surprise, as most of them did know about this legendary secret realm.
Legend has it that it is a burial ground of the ancient past, where many powerful cultivators died trying to subdue a Phoenix. It is said to be full of countless treasures and legacies left by those powerful cultivators who perished during the battle. And there are also many precious natural treasures being born there, believed to be nurtured by the Phoenix’s powerful vitality after its fall.
Elder Xi continued, his tone solemn, "The Hidden Phoenix Realm only allows entry to those beneath the Foundation Establishment Realm. For those who do not want to miss this opportunity... it may be wise to delay your breakthrough if you wish to join in this exploration."
He paused deliberately, letting the weight of his words sink in.
"Within that realm are countless opportunities—heavenly herbs, ancient inheritances, even treasures left behind by cultivators of the past. But... it is also dangerous, as the realm will also be explored by the other powerful major sect near us."
One of the disciples heard this and frowned, raising his hand. "Why can’t it be only us who explore the secret realm?"
Elder Xi smiled and answered back as if he had already anticipated this question, "It’s simple. The secret realm is too big for the Azure Moon Sect alone to keep, and it only opens once every 100 years, with only Qi Refinement juniors allowed to enter. So, it’s not worth offending.... other major sect for this."
Upon hearing this, those disciples who didn’t know much about the realm also understood.
"But there is a limit to how many people the realm allows in, and our Azure Moon Sect has managed to secure 20 quotas," Elder Xi smiled proudly.
"20?" The disciples looked at each other, realizing there were only 10 of them.
Elder Xi chuckled and said, "Yes, 20. Each of you may bring one other disciple with you. Make sure to choose wisely."
Hearing this, the crowd broke into murmurs.
Elder Xi smiled at the sight, knowing well the reason why the sect had chosen to allow each of these genius to choose one helper rather than making it a top 20.
The purpose was simple....the sect wished for these ten prodigies to nurture a true friend or companion, someone who could walk beside them or lend support in their long and arduous pursuit of immortality.
The Azure Moon Sect, being a righteous sect, placed great value on bonds of friendship and camaraderie. They did not wish for their seedlings to grow into cold, solitary figures, or worse, into cultivators so detached that they cut all the ties with others.
Elder Xi still remembered the words of his master from his youth.
Back then, he was young and had been brimming with spirit yet walked the path as an extreme loner, believing strength and dao was the only thing worth pursuing.
"The path toward the Dao is long and lonely. Wouldn’t it be better to have at least one trusted friend by your side...to share the joy, to laugh with? Even if the endless flow of time one day parts us through death, the memories we leave behind will be enough to accompany us forever. Don’t you think so, Disciple Xi?"
"In fact..." Elder Xi reminisced a bit, then a faint smile touching his lips as he continued, "we elders also once fought tooth and nail in similar trials to reach where we stand today. Opportunity never waits for anyone....it must be seized with your own hands. Of course, we will not force those who do not wish to join."
The elders behind him nodded in agreement, their expressions distant, as though recalling their own youth.
As Yue Lan heard the words about bringing one helper, almost immediately, one figure entered her thoughts—Li Feng.
’Without him... I might not have even reached this stage... Yes, I should repay him the favor.’
Yue Lan doesn’t even think of not accepting the choice to explore this secret realm.
Around her, the other disciples were equally determined. Each one of them appeared eager, unwilling to let this chance slip through their grasp.
Elder Xi smiled faintly, clearly pleased with their spirit. "Good. I see determination in your eyes. To prepare you for upcoming journey, the sect will open the a high-grade Immortal Cave for all of you. For an entire month, you will cultivate within it. Use it well to temper your bodies and minds."
Everyone gasped once again upon hearing this, the sect was truly generous.
Even most Inner Sect disciples never had the chance to use a high-grade Immortal Cave, as they cost a lot to rent, so most Inner Sect disciples could only use low- to mid-grade caves.
Elder Xi’s words filled the arena with suppressed excitement, as everyone was eager to experience these Immortal Caves they had only ever heard about.
At that moment, Elder Yu Lianru stepped forward, her gaze settling on Yue Lan. Her brows knitted slightly as she saw Yue Lan’s pale complexion and trembling body.
"Disciple Yue Lan," she said gently, "your body condition is poor. Stay here for today and recover. The High grade Recovery Formation in this arena will help restore your strength. You must not risk harming your foundation."
Yue Lan bowed weakly. "Yes, Elder."
The elders then dispersed, their robes trailing in the wind as they left the top disciple to ponder the weight of what had just been announced.
And,
Slowly....
The wheel of fate began to turn.
The rise,
...or the fall of a Scion would soon be decided.
---
Outside the arena,
[Ding!]
Li Feng, who was walking beside Lin Yu while enduring Fen Ziyan’s enticement, suddenly heard a notification from the system.
Then surprise flashed in his eyes as he read the message.