I want to tread the heavens

On the third day of Uncle Rong's coma, he was still not fully awake, only occasionally opening his eyes briefly, his gaze cloudy for a moment, before falling back into a deep sleep. The effects of the Meridian-Regenerating Pill were spreading, barely maintaining his life force and temporarily suppressing the rampant spatial cold poison and shattered meridians within his body to a delicate balance, but he was clearly decaying, like an old tree with its core hollowed out, barely holding on to its form.

Ling Xiao guarded the courtyard like an iron fortress. Apart from regularly feeding Uncle Rong some water and medicine, and feeding and changing the dressings of Fa Cai who was unconscious in the well, he spent all his other time doing three things: frantically practicing the fighting techniques and "swimming fish steps" that Uncle Rong had taught him; repeatedly circulating the "Star Sensing Chapter" in an attempt to extract every bit of nourishment from the sparse star power; and dealing with the various "historical problems" left behind by Fa Cai - mainly quietly "returning" or "destroying" the women's underwear of different colors and styles scattered in various hiding places.

He worked silently and efficiently, his eyes devoid of their former liveliness, replaced by a calm stillness beneath which burned a flame that burned day and night. Guo Yun had secretly sent some nourishing common medicinal herbs and clean food through her trusted confidant, without uttering a word. Ling Xiao silently accepted them, thanked her, and then continued his cultivation.

In this oppressive calm, a piece of news, like cold water thrown into a boiling oil pan, caused a stir throughout the entire Guo family.

At dawn, the largest notice board in the outer courtyard was surrounded by layers of people. A large notice, written with fine cinnabar and stamped with the seals of the clan leader and three elders, stood out prominently in the morning light.

"All members of the Guo family under the age of twenty, regardless of whether they are from the inner or outer courtyard, or their cultivation level, must participate!"

"The arena battles will determine the top fifty! The secret realm trials will then decide the top ten! The champion's title will be bestowed with glory!"

"The rewards are as follows: First place: One Foundation Establishment Pill, 1,000 spirit stones, special access to the third floor of the Clan Secret Pavilion, and one choice of cultivation technique or magic weapon! Second to tenth place: ..."

"Furthermore, this grand competition coincides with the presence of the Jiutu Lin and Su families. The victor will not only bring honor to themselves but also to their families..."

Foundation Building Pill! Family Secret Pavilion! Thousand Spirit Stones! Foreign Clan Observation!

Every word was like a red-hot branding iron, searing the hearts of the onlookers and eliciting heavy breathing and reddened eyes. For the resource-scarce and narrowly positioned children of the outer courtyard, especially those from powerless and lowly collateral branches or the descendants of menial laborers, this was practically their only chance to change their fate! For the self-important elites of the inner courtyard, this was also a crucial battle for resources and to establish their status!

The crowd erupted in cheers, their chatter, exclamations, and excited shouts nearly lifting the roof off.

"Foundation Establishment Pill! Heavens! With the Foundation Establishment Pill, my chances of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage have increased by at least 30%!"

"The Secret Pavilion! I've heard it even contains profound-level cultivation techniques brought back from outside by our ancestors!"

"A thousand spirit stones! My whole family couldn't save up a hundred spirit stones in ten years!"

"The Lin and Su families are here too? If they take a liking to us, maybe we can arrange a marriage or be recruited..."

Among the excited crowd, Guo Dahai's faction stood out. Guo Si, accompanied by several followers, stood arrogantly in the front row, arms crossed, pointing at the notice and speaking loudly so that everyone around could hear.

"See? This is an opportunity prepared for those who are capable and have powerful backers! Some arrogant and lucky guys shouldn't think they can keep jumping around forever!" Guo Si glanced sideways, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally sweeping over a certain direction on the periphery of the crowd.

"Exactly! The arena is all about real cultivation! There are no beasts to cause trouble!"

"In the secret realm, everyone relies on their own abilities, and life and death are determined by fate! Some people shouldn't be so scared that they wet their pants and don't even dare to go in!"

It was blatantly provocative. Many people followed their gaze and landed on Ling Xiao, who stood quietly on the outermost edge of the crowd, seemingly out of place with the surrounding noise.

Ling Xiao merely glanced at the notice, his face expressionless. Sunlight fell on his face, highlighting the faint dark circles under his eyes, but also making his features appear even clearer and more defined than half a month ago. After reading the notice, his gaze lingered for a moment on the words "Family Secret Pavilion," then swept over "Foreign Clan Attendance," before he lowered his eyes, turned, parted the crowd, and silently walked back.

"Hey, isn't this our young master Ling? What's wrong, running away after you've seen it? Are you feeling guilty?" One of Guo Si's henchmen blocked his way with a smirk.

Ling Xiao stopped and looked up at him. His gaze was calm, without anger, fear, or even any emotion; he simply looked at him calmly, as if he were looking at a stone or a piece of wood.

The lackey felt a chill run down his spine under his gaze, and the sarcastic remark he had prepared got stuck in his throat.

"A good dog doesn't block the way." Ling Xiao said, his voice low and hoarse, carrying the fatigue of not having rested properly for several days, but every word was clear.

"Who are you calling a dog?!" the henchman retorted angrily.

"Whoever's in the way, is the one who gets in the way." Ling Xiao said, shifting his feet slightly and sliding past the other man at a tricky angle, like a fish swimming by. The lackey instinctively reached out to grab him, but only caught air and stumbled because of the excessive force.

"Useless!" Guo Si cursed, his eyes filled with malice as he stared at Ling Xiao's departing figure. He leaned close to a young man in brocade robes who had been silently reading the notice and whispered, "Young Master Xiaoyue, what do you think of this kid..."

The young man in brocade robes was Guo Dahai's nephew, Guo Xiaoyue, one of the renowned geniuses of the inner academy, with a cultivation level of the fourth level of Qi Refining. He was fairly handsome, but his eyes always carried an air of superior arrogance. Upon hearing this, he chuckled and patted Guo Si's shoulder, his voice not loud, but loud enough for the nearby people to hear clearly:

"They're nothing but ants. No matter how high they jump, I'll just crush them with one foot. But this secret realm... I heard that the one chosen this time is the recently discovered 'Ancient Vine Forest' ruins deep in the back mountains. The terrain there is complex, the monsters are bizarre, and there are some remnants of ancient restrictions..."

He paused, then gave Guo Si a meaningful look: "Make sure your men are well-prepared. Don't let some lucky bastards manage to slip through. The Lin and Su families are watching; it'll be a disgrace to our Guo family… no, to our entire lineage."

"Don't worry, young master, everything will be foolproof!" Guo Si grinned knowingly.

The crowd was still excitedly discussing the rewards and planning how to make a name for themselves in the competition. No one noticed that several figures dressed in inconspicuous gray robes, their auras restrained, quietly emerged from the inner courtyard. They glanced at the notice board in the distance before disappearing like ghosts into the depths of the alley. They were envoys sent ahead by the Lin and Su families to scout ahead; discreet, yet with sharp eyes.

Ling Xiao returned to the courtyard and bolted the door shut behind him.

He didn't immediately go inside to see Uncle Rong. Instead, he went to the yard, picked up the wooden stick that was almost worn down, and began to repeat the monotonous thrusting, blocking, and sliding movements. Sweat quickly soaked his shirt again, but he didn't care, as if he wanted to vent all his emotions and pressure in this mechanical practice.

He was exhausted when he leaned on a wooden stick, panting heavily. His chest ached from the exertion, a lingering injury from when he cushioned Uncle Rong's fall last time.

He raised his head and looked towards the depths of the inner courtyard, towards the direction of the "Family Secret Pavilion." His eyes were as sharp as a drawn sword.

The secret chamber... might contain clues to curing Uncle Rong, records about the bloodline to wealth, a way to leave the old land, and even... perhaps fragments about "Zi Qiong" and the Starfall Clan. This is an opportunity he must seize.

But Guo Dahai would never let him have his way. The arena groupings, the secret realm arrangements, even "accidents" during the competition… he could think of countless underhanded methods. Moreover, the Lin and Su families were watching. Under everyone's watchful eyes, Fa Cai absolutely could not show himself; any abnormality could bring about his annihilation.

"I must enter the secret realm... and I must achieve a high enough ranking." Ling Xiao muttered to himself, wiping the sweat from his face. "Qi Refinement Level 3... not enough, far from enough."