At these words, Fairy Jinghong and the Middle-aged Steward immediately fell silent, their expressions turning grim.
How could they possibly handle this?
They didn’t even know the opponent’s Realm, so they couldn’t come up with any plan.
To be capable of such a feat meant the opponent’s power was far beyond their own. It might even be a Martial King Powerhouse.
If they forced a confrontation, they would just be throwing their lives away for nothing.
The Middle-aged Steward asked, "Can we try to make peace with them?"
’Make peace?’
Li Nan refuted, "That’s unrealistic. We can’t even find them. How are we supposed to make peace?"
The Middle-aged Steward sighed. "Then all we can do is wait and see."
They all looked completely helpless.
This was supposed to be a simple martial tournament for the benefit of the Northern Profound Domain’s geniuses. Who could have expected such a strange complication?
First, there was Su Mo poking anthills and taking a nap during the assessment. Now, some unknown, mysterious powerhouse has shown up.
All they could do was pray.
...
「The next morning」
Everyone gathered in the plaza.
Li Nan stepped forward and announced, "Yesterday, you were all given Healing Elixirs. I trust your injuries have stabilized. Therefore, we will now begin the second round of the assessment. It’s time to enter the Holy Spirit Secret Realm."
"What? The second round of the assessment is today?"
"This has to be a mistake!"
"Elder Linan, our injuries may have stabilized for now, but we haven’t fully recovered. Are you sure you want to start the second round of the assessment?"
The crowd erupted in a chorus of complaints.
Li Nan said sternly, "You heard me. The second round starts now. If you have a problem with it, keep it to yourself or withdraw from the competition."
Originally, they had planned to hold the second round of the assessment three days later, giving everyone enough time to heal.
However, after yesterday’s incident, the elders had unanimously agreed to move the assessment forward to prevent any further complications.
Su Mo, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprised by this.
’This means I can get the Holy Spirit Spring Water soon!’
The Middle-aged Steward announced, "Anyone who wishes to withdraw, report to me or leave the plaza now."
But no one moved a muscle.
They had survived a near-death experience yesterday, almost losing their lives just to barely pass the first trial and earn the right to enter the Holy Spirit Secret Realm.
Giving up now would be an incredible waste.
Besides, the Holy Spirit Secret Realm was filled with countless opportunities. With just a bit of luck, one could save years of arduous cultivation and rise to prominence overnight.
Faced with such an immense temptation, no one was willing to give up.
Even if it meant death!
Seeing that no one was backing down, Li Nan said with satisfaction, "Daring to enter the Holy Spirit Secret Realm while severely injured... Very good. I wasn’t wrong about you all. I’m certain that some of you will become great figures in the Northern Profound Domain. Allow me to congratulate you in advance."
"Heh, we Martial Artists should be indomitable. That’s what it means to be a true man."
"A real man ought to risk it all."
"My fate is mine to control, not the heavens’."
The crowd was fired up.
Li Nan held up a hand to quiet the crowd. "To compensate for your severe injuries and lack of preparation, I declare that this time, any Treasure you find in the Holy Spirit Secret Realm will be yours to keep. You will not be required to turn anything in."
"What? We get to keep the Treasure? Does that mean we’re going to strike it rich?"
"This is amazing!"
"I just learned a new searching technique. Looks like it’s finally time to put it to use."
The crowd shrieked with excitement.
Su Mo was just as excited.
’This means that as long as I find the Holy Spirit Spring Water, it’ll be mine, with no strings attached to Holy Spirit Manor!’
"Heh, don’t celebrate too soon," Li Nan said, throwing a bucket of cold water on their excitement.
At his words, the crowd froze.
’What does he mean?’
’Is he threatening us?’
Li Nan’s expression turned serious. "I’m not threatening you. I just want to remind you that while the Holy Spirit Secret Realm is full of Treasure and opportunities, it is also rife with danger. There are countless Demon Beasts."
"Demon Beasts? Who gives a damn? It’s not like we’ve never seen them before."
"I’ve not only seen them, I’ve killed them."
"Elder Linan, you don’t need to trouble yourself with such matters. Just hurry up and send us in."
The crowd was completely unconcerned.
Li Nan asked with a faint smile, "And what if these Demon Beasts are highly coordinated and attack in packs?"
Huh?
’Demon Beasts form packs?’
The entire crowd was dumbfounded.
One of the young men mused, "If the Demon Beasts form packs, can’t we team up as well?"
"What about the Treasure we find?" someone next to him asked.
"We split the Treasure evenly!" the young man replied.
"Don’t be ridiculous," the person beside him scoffed. "You might agree to that, but others won’t. Not unless everyone contributes equally."
The young man retorted, not backing down, "Then why not team up with people of similar strength? That way, everyone’s contribution would be equal. What’s the problem with splitting the Treasure then?"
"That’s a good idea!"
"I say we should all stop being so picky. If anyone wants to hoard all the loot for themselves, let them go it alone. We’ll see how long they last."
"Right, that’s the fairest way."
Li Nan continued, "Aside from the Tier Three Demon Beasts that move in packs, there are also several Tier Four Demon Beasts in the Holy Spirit Secret Realm. The exact number is unknown."
"What? Tier Four Demon Beasts?"
"You’ve got to be kidding."
"A Tier Four Demon Beast is comparable to a human master at the Grand Martial Artist Realm! Who the hell can fight something like that?"
The crowd burst into a clamor of discussion.
Chen Ge laughed. "It’s just a Tier Four Demon Beast. It’s not like I haven’t killed one before. What’s the big deal?"
Hearing this, everyone turned to stare at Chen Ge in astonishment.
They had already heard rumors that Chen Ge had slain a Grand Martial Artist. Now, hearing that he had also killed a Tier Four Demon Beast, they were utterly shocked.
Just then, a young man in brocade robes sneered, "You’re not the only one here who’s killed a Tier Four Demon Beast. What the hell is there to brag about?"
"It’s Wang Xuan!"
"I heard he can fight anyone to a standstill. He’s even challenged several Grand Martial Artists and fought them all to a draw."
"So that means he also has the strength to kill a Tier Four Demon Beast."
Everyone looked at Wang Xuan with deep admiration.
Chen Ge’s face darkened. "Wang Xuan, what the hell did you eat? Your breath stinks. If you’ve got nothing good to say, shut your mouth. No one will mistake you for a mute."
"What about it? You want to start a fight with me?"
Wang Xuan taunted, "I wonder who was acting so high and mighty yesterday, ordering people to make way for him, only to get slapped so hard he was driven into the ground with only his head sticking out. He was so stuck they couldn’t even pull him out."
"You... I’ll kill you!"
His sore spot exposed in front of everyone, Chen Ge flew into a rage. Killing intent boiling, he stalked toward Wang Xuan.
Wang Xuan flicked his sleeve. "You think I’m afraid of you?"
Seeing that they were about to come to blows, Elder Linan barked, "If you want to fight, do it in the Holy Spirit Secret Realm! Killing is not forbidden there. I don’t care if you tear the whole place apart!"
Only then did the two of them back down.
However, a sense of wariness began to spread among the other participants.
’Killing isn’t forbidden?’
’Doesn’t that mean anyone here could try to kill us?’
’Everyone here is a goddamn enemy.’
Hua Tianmen licked his lips, his voice taking on a demonic quality. "Heh heh... In other words, I can kill all of you and conveniently help myself to the Treasure on your corpses."