In the game "High Martial Arts," players start with the blessing of the Martial God.

Before everyone had been waiting long, Liu Shuo, seeing that everyone had arrived, exchanged a glance with the other two teachers, nodded, coughed twice, and began to speak.

"Ahem!"

"We have some news to announce today!"

Liu Shuo slowly said, "Several months ago, Mayor Fang Yuan discovered a secret realm in the Black Xuan Mountains. Some of you may not know what a secret realm is, but that doesn't matter. Just know that this is a great opportunity, and it may even change your lives!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a glint flashed in Ji Ming's eyes, and he thought to himself, "Just as I thought!"

After a moment's thought, Ji Ming remembered that the Black Xuan Mountains were located on the border of Donghai Province, within the territory of Yuhui City, thanks to the knowledge he had gained from his recent visit to Master Luo's home.

Although Yuhui City is not as powerful as Xuanyue City, its foundation is far deeper than that of Baichuan City. It is firmly among the top ten cities in Donghai Province and is a true megacity!

Ignoring the various thoughts in the crowd, Liu Shuo continued, "However, the Black Xuan Mountains are too far from my Baichuan City and belong to Yuhui City. Logically speaking, they have nothing to do with us. But Mayor Fang has made a contribution to the excavation, and Yuhui City has given us ten slots."

He glanced at his bracelet. "Today is March 10th. The secret realm will open in two months, so at the end of April, 10 people will be selected to participate in this secret realm expedition. There are no class restrictions; victory will be determined by strength!"

After Liu Shuo finished speaking, he stepped aside and waited for everyone to process the news.

Ji Ming frowned. There were five Tier 2 professionals on the field, and they were almost certain to take one spot, so only five spots were left for everyone to compete for.

Moreover... by the end of April, all the mortals at the tenth level of the mortal realm present may be able to try to break through to the Jade Purity Realm again. Including the mages and immortal cultivators, the competition will be far more intense than imagined!

Ji Ming glanced around and saw that everyone's faces were very serious, clearly sharing the same thoughts as him, except for the five people who remained expressionless.

After all, they not only had the advantage of breaking through first, but also possessed extraordinary talent, making it extremely difficult for later generations to surpass them.

"Teacher, is this selection still about battling puppets?" a student asked, raising their hand.

Liu Shuo shook his head. "This time, you will be paired up and fighting against each other. You should also learn how to deal with different professionals."

"This time, we won't consider your cultivation level; the strong will rise, and the weak will fall! You still have a month and a half left. Whether you can seize this opportunity depends on yourselves."

"Similarly, you can treat the selection at the end of April as a rehearsal for the college entrance examination. After all, the college entrance examination doesn't offer such a 'puppet battle' scenario!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, and there was no objection.

Liu Shuo smiled and said, "Since our Mayor Fang was among the first to enter the secret realm, he has a little something for you that might be useful in the secret realm."

"But there are only five of those, so whether you get them or not is up to you."

When he said this, many people didn't react much. After all, it's not easy to even make it into the top ten, let alone the top five.

This is a real confrontation with those five individuals possessing extraordinary talents!

Almost everyone's gaze was subtly drawn to Ji Ming. Clearly, if there was one first-tier student present who had the best chance, it was him.

After all, no one can ignore the fact that Gu Yi scored as high as 640 in actual combat last time. Even Gu Yi might not be as strong as Ji Mingqiang at this level!

After glancing at everyone who had looked away, he wasn't really optimistic. This wasn't a competition of scores; it was a real battle. Ji Ming wasn't even qualified to try and cheat until he broke through to the Jade Purity Realm.

Even if he breaks through to the Jade Purity Realm, the chances aren't very high, and those five won't just stand still and wait for him.

"call!"

Ji Ming took a deep breath. He knew what everyone was thinking, but he had his own plans. He still needed to see Master Luo first.

"Alright, that's all for now. Go and practice diligently!"

Liu Shuo said that was all he could say. Whether or not they could seize the opportunity was none of his concern. These students were lucky to be able to access the secret realm so early, but such opportunities were limited, and it was still unknown whether they could turn their "luck" into real benefits.

"Ji Ming!"

He walked over, patted Ji Ming on the shoulder, nodded, and left without saying anything.

Ji Ming knew that this was both encouragement and expectation; he was already standing at a crossroads.

"It's time to go see Master Luo!"

He slowly exhaled, wanting to inquire about the secrets of the Tenth Level of Mortal Realm and the Qian Tian Yi Qi Gong, as this would influence his next steps.

……

Small courtyard

Ji Ming looked up in surprise as soon as he arrived. "Uncle Fang?"

"Since you call Brother Luo your master, then call me Uncle-Master!" Fang Yuan said with a faint smile on his honest face.

"Uncle-Master!"

Ji Ming bowed again solemnly. It was clear that this person's attitude towards him had changed again, showing more recognition. The change from Uncle Fang to Martial Uncle was different from the former, which was just a polite way of addressing him.

Fang Yuan scrutinized Ji Ming for a long time before finally speaking, "Tenth level of the Mortal Realm?"

"My senior uncle has discerning eyes!"

"soon!"

Fang Yuan seemed to be sighing, "You must know about the Azure Profound Secret Realm. To tell you the truth, this secret realm is extremely suitable for martial artists. If you can enter, you should benefit a lot."

Ji Ming nodded. "Qingxuan" should be the name of that secret realm, suitable for martial artists. He was both surprised and not surprised.

"Although it is suitable for martial artists, I still give other professions a chance. This is a necessary rule. Similarly, there are some things you must fight for within the rules."

Fang Yuan's gaze was sharp. He could indeed do whatever he wanted in Baichuan City, and the secret realm quota was originally obtained because of him. It seemed that it was not unreasonable for Ji Ming to directly occupy a quota, or even for him to directly ask for an additional quota. However, this might not be a good thing for Ji Ming.

His and Brother Luo's arrival in Baichuan City was no secret to some people, and Ji Ming's ambition to rise in rank couldn't be kept secret either. Although these things were minor, they would subtly lower his reputation.

Is this an explanation to him?

Ji Ming's mind raced, and he slowly shook his head. "Why must you do this, Uncle-Master?"

He never thought anyone owed him anything. Perhaps because of Master Luo, they were closer, but that didn't mean Fang Yuan would ignore everything and side with him.

With just a few spots available, why would anyone need to pull strings?

He was confident that he would feel no pressure facing everyone in the class, after all, there was still a long time to go.

Fang Yuan nodded. "You can't give up on the Azure Profound Realm, so you need to break through to the Jade Purity Realm as soon as possible. Sometimes you have to give up something to gain something; there's no need to pursue perfection blindly!"

"Remember this! Remember this!"

Having said that, Fang Yuan turned and left.

Ji Ming stood there, only then realizing that what had happened before was just a prelude; his martial uncle had waited for him here specifically for the last sentence.

What are you trying to persuade him to give up?

Is it related to what Master Luo wanted to tell him?

This will hinder his breakthrough to the Jade Purity Realm? Is that why this person came to advise him at this time?

Anyway, we'll find out soon!

Ji Ming steadied himself, pushed open the courtyard gate, and stepped inside.

Fang Yuan watched from behind, his eyes filled with complex emotions. What would you choose?

He recalled that when he was young, his conditions were far better than Ji Ming's, even more than ten thousand times better!

He heard the news from his elders, thought about it all night, and finally gave up.

Some of his contemporaries who chose that path have mostly achieved less than him.

Of course, there are also exceptional talents who leave him far behind, but they are very, very few.

Fang Yuan didn't know why Brother Luo would tell that kid about the "Path to Godhood." Did he really have any hope?

With this kind of background... the road ahead will be too difficult!