Tian Shu City central plaza, a thousand cultivators who passed the Heavenly Stairs preliminary round stood solemnly. The air was filled with tension and anticipation. An elder wearing a star-patterned Daoist robe suspended in mid-air, his voice like a grand bell, announced the second round rules.
"Second round trial, location - 'Small Cave Heaven' secret realm!" The elder swept his sleeve, and brilliant light greatly increased in the plaza center. A twisting, rotating, flowing-light and colorful spatial portal slowly took shape, emanating ancient and primeval aura. "You thousand enter within, time limit three days. Inside the secret realm, fighting is not prohibited, any means allowed! Each person will receive a token jade talisman upon entry."
His gaze swept over the cultivators below with various expressions, his tone growing heavier: "There is only one rule - after three days, those holding at least three jade talismans and returning through the secret realm exit will pass! If jade talismans are insufficient, or if you fail to exit on time, all are considered eliminated! Jade talismans can be seized, and can also be... voluntarily surrendered. Life and death, each accepts their fate!"
As soon as the words fell, low gasps rose from the crowd. Thousand-person melee, seizing tokens, meant not only facing the secret realm's own dangers, but also constantly guarding against attacks from other cultivators. Alliances, betrayals, slaughter, would surely become the main theme of these three days.
The elder said no more, waving: "Enter in order! Teleportation landing points are random, good luck to you all!"
Cultivators immediately turned into streaks of flowing light, scrambling to throw themselves into that spatial portal. Tang Xiao Qi took a deep breath, exchanging a glance with Mu Xue beside him, both seeing gravity in each other's eyes. He clenched his fist, spiritual power circulating within, one step into the light gate.
After brief dizziness and spatial distortion, his feet touched ground. Xiao Qi quickly steadied his figure, his spiritual sense spreading out like mercury to all directions, while warily assessing the surrounding environment.
He was in an unfamiliar ancient tree forest. Towering giant trees blocked the sky, their branches twisted and knotted, only scattered spots of light filtering through gaps. The air was rich with spiritual energy, yet carried a primitive restlessness. Beneath his feet was a thick layer of humus, soft to tread on. The surroundings were filled with damp plant scent and faint miasma. In the distance, the low roars of unknown demonic beasts could be faintly heard, adding to the danger.
"Truly random teleportation." Xiao Qi thought to himself, confirming no other cultivator auras nearby for the moment, slightly relaxing. He looked down at his waist, where a warm white jade talisman had appeared - the token. He carefully put it away, hiding it close to his body.
The immediate priority was to familiarize with the environment, ensure survival, then find jade talismans, and try to rendezvous with Qingxu Temple fellow disciples, especially Third Senior Sister and the others. Being alone in this environment was too dangerous.
He selected a direction, used his movement technique, quietly shuttling through the forest. The "Swimming Dragon Nine Turns" movement technique showed great advantage here; in motion he was like a ghost, making almost no sound, and his aura perfectly merged with the environment.
After walking about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the edge of his spiritual sense suddenly caught a faint spiritual power fluctuation and rapid panting. Xiao Qi's heart tightened, immediately restraining all aura, climbing a giant tree like a civet cat, hiding his figure among dense branches and leaves, looking down.
Below not far away in a clearing, two cultivators in unified attire were surrounding a rogue cultivator-dressed man. That rogue cultivator was clearly seriously injured, his left arm bleeding profusely, his aura withered, only barely supporting himself. And those two sect disciples, both at Foundation Establishment middle stage, coordinated smoothly, faces wearing cat-playing-with-mouse teasing smiles.
"Hand over the jade talisman, spare your life!" One of the tall disciples shouted sternly, his long sword swinging a fierce sword gang.
The rogue cultivator man gritted his teeth to resist, but was shaken back repeatedly, hissing: "You... your Xuan Shuang Pavilion acts too domineeringly!"
"Domineering?" The other short fat disciple sneered, "The rules are thus, the weak are prey to the strong! Blame your bad luck for being alone and running into us brothers!"
Just as that tall disciple's sword was about to pierce the rogue cultivator's throat, preparing to end his life, a sudden change occurred!
A black shadow shot out from the forest to the side like a ghost, extremely fast, targeting that short fat disciple! It was a black-robed cultivator with a sinister face, his cultivation impressively Foundation Establishment late stage! In his hand was a poisoned short blade, carrying a bloody wind, straight for the short fat disciple's back.
"Careful!" The tall disciple exclaimed, turning to rescue already too late.
The short fat disciple also sensed the fatal crisis, hurriedly turning to block, but was shaken away by the black-robed cultivator's absolute power, the short blade about to stab in.
"Puh!"
A muffled sound, yet not the sound of a sharp blade entering flesh. Only saw a black, oily-edged object, arriving first, precisely slapping onto the black-robed cultivator's knife-holding wrist!
"Ah!" The black-robed cultivator screamed, feeling only wrist pain as if hit by a small mountain, the short blade flying from his hand. He looked in horror to see a youth had appeared in the field at some point, holding in his hand a... frying pan?
It was Xiao Qi!
He had not intended to meddle, but that black-robed cultivator hiding and ambushing with ruthless methods made him even more disgusted. Moreover, the opportunity of snipe and clam fighting, fisherman profiting was right before his eyes. So he decisively acted, using this seemingly ridiculous yet actually indestructible frying pan to interrupt the other's ambush.
The situation in the field instantly reversed.
Those two Xuan Shuang Pavilion disciples were stunned, then reacted. Though not knowing the origins of this frying pan-holding youth, he clearly had helped them. The two immediately perked up, joining forces to attack that wrist-injured, shocked and angry black-robed cultivator.
The black-robed cultivator having suffered a hidden loss, and seeing the other side had numbers, fiercely glared at Xiao Qi, seeming to memorize his appearance, then without hesitation turned and fled, his figure flickering several times before disappearing into the depths of the dense forest.
The two Xuan Shuang Pavilion disciples did not pursue; their consumption was not small either. The two turned to look at Xiao Qi, their eyes carrying gratitude, and also a trace of wariness. The tall disciple cupped his hands: "Thank you fellow daoist for your help! May I ask your name?"
"Qingxu Temple, Tang Xiao Qi." Xiao Qi said calmly, his gaze however sweeping toward the rogue cultivator man paralyzed on the ground nearby, struggling to treat his wounds.
That rogue cultivator man sensing Xiao Qi's gaze, showed a tragic look on his face, struggling to take out that blood-stained jade talisman from his bosom, trembling as he said: "I... I am willing to hand over the jade talisman, just beg... just beg you spare my life..." He knew, with his heavily injured body, there was no way to keep the jade talisman, let alone seize others'.
Xiao Qi did not reach for it, but looked at those two Xuan Shuang Pavilion disciples.
The tall disciple hesitated a moment. According to their original plan, naturally they would kill this rogue cultivator and take his jade talisman. But with Xiao Qi present, and having just helped them, they could not figure out Xiao Qi's intentions. The short fat disciple whispered: "Brother, one jade talisman, the two of us can't split it either..."
The tall disciple's eyes flickered, finally saying to that rogue cultivator: "Consider yourself lucky! Leave the jade talisman, get lost!"
That rogue cultivator was as if granted a great pardon, putting the jade talisman on the ground, struggling to get up, stumbling into the forest to escape.