Chapter 123: Opportunities in the Secret Realm

At the moment of Chu Dongliu’s death, the massive scroll suspended above the city suddenly shifted. Chu Dongliu’s name vanished from fourth place, replaced by a new name in fifth.

This unexpected change shocked the cultivators within the city who were closely watching the rankings on the scroll.

“His name disappeared?! Was he killed or forcibly removed?”

“The competition for the top ranks isn’t a trivial matter. Once it starts, it’s a fight to the death, no mercy whatsoever. He probably lost his life.”

“Chu Dongliu’s swordsmanship was so powerful that even the major sects avoided crossing blades with him. Who could have killed him?”

“No change in rankings means his token hasn’t been refined yet. That’s not typical behavior for a major sect. Could it be a dark horse emerging from somewhere?”

“Let’s wait and see. Whoever suddenly has more tokens must be the one who struck. It’s a pity, a top-tier figure with the potential to reach the Golden Core stage just fades away like this...”

For nearly a month, the top ten on the villain list had remained stable, with no one disappearing suddenly. Chu Dongliu was the first to experience such a change.

This event instantly tightened the atmosphere throughout the city.

Following the disappearance of Chu Dongliu’s name, battles within the city escalated. Not only were sects clearing out lone cultivators, but they were also fighting amongst themselves. Over the next few days, names at the top of the list continued to vanish, replaced by new ones.

As night fell, Jiang Min sat in the corner of an abandoned house, counting her tokens by the moonlight.

“Four thousand eight hundred and thirty-three…”

She looked up through the window’s crack toward the bright scroll hovering in the night sky. The first place was still held by Yan Honggu, who already had five thousand and twenty-eight villain tokens.

“I still don’t have enough tokens,” Jiang Min frowned in slight frustration.

“No one can say for certain. What if Yan Honggu has hidden tokens she hasn’t refined? Moreover, as someone leading disciples here, she could, at a critical moment, seize her disciples’ tokens for herself, or betray them once the time is right, robbing her own Blood Sect followers.”

“Also, the Black and White Twin Eagles have been evenly splitting tokens all along. If the two brothers combine their tokens, they could surpass Yan Honggu and claim first place.”

“The road ahead is long and arduous!”

Suddenly, in the stillness of the night, a distant voice echoed across the city.

“The first place winner of this villain battle will receive an additional reward: a slot in the Ancient Celestial Cave secret realm!”

A commotion arose in the darkness.

Cultivators engaged in fierce battles and those resting in hiding alike were shaken and stirred.

A secret realm slot?!

How could such an announcement come so suddenly, halfway through the contest?

Yet, the Old Ghost Mountain Elder had been in Villain City for many years and was known to keep his word. Whatever rewards he promised would be granted to the cultivators ranked accordingly—whether rare heavenly materials or precious pills. Now, an additional secret realm slot was offered.

For lone cultivators, secret realms were incredibly rare opportunities.

Whenever a secret realm appeared, the strongest cultivators or powerful sects would claim it immediately. There was no place for lone cultivators to even enjoy leftovers, let alone the main prize.

Unclaimed opportunities went to the strongest.

How often would powerful cultivators or sects show mercy and share with lone cultivators?

Resources for lone cultivators were limited. They could rarely enter ancient mansions, ruins, or tombs. At best, they scavenged remnants after the strong had finished sweeping through. Thus, the newly announced secret realm opportunity in the villain battle was irresistibly attractive for lone cultivators.

Moreover, it was an ancient secret realm with an old legacy…

Upon the announcement, countless cultivators, influenced by the dense murderous aura pervading the city, gleamed with red eyes at the prospect of this reward.

What had been a quiet night under the cold moon—sweeping, faction fights, even internal strife among allies—now erupted everywhere, adding further cruelty to the blood-stained atmosphere of Villain City.

“An ancient celestial cave secret realm?”

In the abandoned house, Jiang Min’s eyes flickered thoughtfully.

Anything bearing the title “ancient” could involve a celestial path inheritance dating back thousands of years. The cultivation technique and the method to refine her life-treasure she sought could only be found in such ancient celestial legacies.

“The Old Ghost Mountain Elder wouldn’t claim this ‘ancient celestial cave’ without reason. Could it truly be like the ancient battlefield or the Nine Sect Hall, possibly containing celestial path inheritance?”

Jiang Min pondered, her gaze shifting slightly.

“No matter what, I can’t let this opportunity slip away.”

Even though there would be another Nine Sect Hall opportunity eight years later, that was long in the future. Since this chance lay before her now, she resolved to fight for it with all her might.

Had she not reached the Sword Intent realm, she might have given up, unwilling to overreach beyond her abilities.

But now, even if she met Yan Honggu again, she had the confidence to fight.

Besides, she still had her trump card—the Peach Demon—which she had yet to use.

“These tokens are still far from enough; I have to gather more.”

Jiang Min lifted her hand gently, and a stream of light coiled around her wrist, forming a wooden bracelet of unremarkable appearance. She hadn’t taken it out before because she wanted to cultivate swordsmanship without distraction. Now that her sword intent was formed, she was no longer so rigid. If she could win, she would naturally bring out her strongest means.

“But why wouldn’t the Old Ghost Mountain Elder reserve the secret realm slot for his own people?”

Jiang Min’s eyes flickered as she mused.

“If I get this chance, I’ll ask my master about it first.”

…

With the ancient celestial cave secret realm reward glaringly displayed, the frequency and savagery of killings in Villain City intensified. Everyone wanted to fight and compete for it.

On the villain list,

Fates shifted dramatically.

Several prominent figures died one after another, their names disappearing from the upper ranks of the scroll.

Among them,

The most shocking to Villain City was the fall of Yan Honggu!

The Twin Eagle Alliance, led by Black Eagle and White Eagle, encountered the Blood Sect by chance. It began when a subordinate cultivator struck first, triggering chaos and fierce slaughter between the two factions.

Amidst the turmoil, the Black and White Eagles launched a joint surprise attack on Yan Honggu, killing her. They then swept through the Blood Sect’s followers, seizing a large number of villain tokens.

Their rankings suddenly surged to the top.

They stood as first and second place!

If the two brothers combined their tokens, they would far outpace all other cultivators, making them the most likely to obtain the secret realm opportunity.

For a time,

The Twin Eagle Alliance dominated, their prestige at its peak.

On a pile of broken stones,

Jiang Min pointed her sword at a middle-aged woman dressed in blue, calmly saying, “Hand over your villain tokens, and I’ll spare your life.”

The woman begged repeatedly, terrified: “Don’t kill me! I’ll give you all my tokens!”

She reached into her spatial pouch as if to retrieve the tokens. Suddenly, her expression hardened, and she swept out a cloud of dark green poisonous mist. Within the mist flew over a hundred venomous spiritual needles glinting with a sinister black light, rushing toward Jiang Min like a thunderbolt.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The dense poisonous mist that could even corrode divine senses spread rapidly, hiding countless toxic needles. Anyone touched would be poisoned to death. Yet Jiang Min had prepared against this. Almost simultaneously with the woman’s sweeping hand, Jiang Min’s toes barely touched the ground, summoning the wind and thunder to create afterimages and dodge sideways. She then raised her hand, releasing a slash of sword light.

“Ugh…”

The poison mist and hidden weapons were evaded.

The woman fell dead.

Jiang Min snapped her fingers, summoning flames to burn the woman’s body, then took the spatial pouch.

Counting the tokens, Jiang Min gathered them together.

“Still far behind the Black and White Eagles. Looks like I’ll have to find those ranked near the top and snatch their tokens…”

Suddenly,

Her peach wood bracelet on her wrist sensed a familiar malevolent aura to the southwest.

“Malevolent aura? Could it be Liu Fenglian?”

Jiang Min’s eyes flickered, a faint smile curling her lips.

Concealing her aura, she set off swiftly toward the southwest.