Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

The moment the words left his mouth, the entire little world seemed to be suddenly pushed by an invisible hand.

Dongfang Weiwo felt the ground beneath his feet tremble slightly, and a rumbling sound came from afar—the sound of the restriction being activated, like the low roar of an ancient beast awakening.

The clouds in the sky began to churn, and the wind on the grassland picked up again, several times stronger than before. In the distance, faint lights flickered among the mountains—the restrictions were being activated.

"Top 100..." Dongfang Weiwo murmured, his gaze slightly narrowed, "That means not only do we have to be fast, but we also have to be faster than everyone else."

He didn't rush to set off.

Several figures were already rushing around—these people were clearly prodigies who had been teleported in from nearby. Some were unlucky; they had only taken two steps when they triggered a hidden underground restriction, and a burst of blazing flames erupted from the ground, instantly engulfing them.

"ah--!"

A heart-wrenching scream echoed across the grassland as the man desperately tried to extinguish the flames engulfing his body, but the fire was like a persistent, insidious infection, impossible to put out. In just a few breaths, he was reduced to ashes, which vanished without a trace in the wind.

The remaining people's expressions changed drastically, and they all slowed down, observing the ground more vigilantly.

Some people, however, refused to believe in the supernatural and, thinking themselves to be exceptionally skilled, ran wildly. But after running only a few dozen feet, their feet suddenly gave way, and a bottomless crack appeared in the ground. Before they could even scream, they fell into it, and the crack immediately closed, as if nothing had ever happened.

"The restriction... is indeed dangerous," Dongfang Weiwo said in a low voice.

He took a deep breath to suppress the agitation in his heart.

It can't be rushed.

The more rushed you are, the more likely you are to make mistakes.

The surrounding area is vast and boundless, stretching from grasslands to forests, from swamps to deserts, with complex and varied terrain, resembling a miniature continent.

The restrictions are everywhere—fire traps, frost traps, lightning traps, poison mist traps, and various illusion arrays, confinement arrays, and killing arrays, layered upon each other, interlocking in one another. The slightest carelessness will lead to utter destruction.

But at the same time, rare and precious materials are everywhere.

Someone passing by an ancient tree discovered a thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum growing on its trunk. The Ganoderma lucidum was entirely crimson and emitted a faint medicinal fragrance, making them so excited that their hands trembled. Someone else found a top-grade spirit stone in a stream. The spirit stone was pulsating with spiritual energy, as if it were alive. Someone else found a ten-thousand-year-old He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum) in a crevice of a rock. It was shaped like an infant and had distinct roots...

The treasures are tempting, but time is more precious.

Everyone is racing against time for a spot in the top 100.

Ye Xingchen

Ye Xingchen walked alone through a dark forest.

Ancient trees reach for the sky, their branches and leaves blocking most of the sunlight, leaving only scattered patches of light on the ground. The air is filled with the scent of decaying leaves, and occasionally, rustling sounds come from the shadows.

Instead of rushing on his way, he stopped and closed his eyes.

In his mind, an old yet gentle voice rang out; it was the old man residing in the ring—the remnant soul of an ancient powerhouse.

"There's a mid-grade Earth-rank spiritual herb about 300 meters to your left; you can pick it up along the way. However, there's a Grandmaster-level demonic beast guarding it nearby, so be careful."

Ye Xingchen opened his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Mid-grade Earth Rank? Not bad luck."

He turned and moved silently to the left, like a falling leaf. His steps were light and almost silent, as if he had become one with the forest.

A moment later, he arrived at a bush. Parting the branches and leaves, he saw a spirit herb that was entirely silvery-white, with a faint radiance flowing across its leaves, like moonlight condensed.

"Silverfrost Grass." A hint of joy flashed in Ye Xingchen's eyes. "The main ingredient for refining Frost Essence Pill is worth at least five thousand spirit stones outside."

Just as he was about to reach out to pick it, a sharp sword aura attacked from the side, the sound of it cutting through the air sharp and piercing.

Ye Xingchen's eyes narrowed, and he dodged to the side. The sword energy grazed his clothes and severed several bush branches.

He turned his head and saw a young swordsman in a blue robe emerge from behind a tree, staring coldly at him. The swordsman was about twenty years old, with a sinister face, and the long sword in his hand gleamed coldly.

"I was the first to see this Silver Frost Grass," the young swordsman said, raising his chin in an unquestionable tone.

Ye Xingchen straightened up, her expression calm: "Just because you saw it first doesn't mean it's yours."

"Heh." The young swordsman sneered. "So, you're going to try and take it from me?"

"It's not about stealing," Ye Xingchen said calmly. "It's about each person relying on their own abilities."

"Well said, each according to their own ability!" A murderous glint flashed in the young swordsman's eyes as he thrust his sword forward, the sword's momentum fierce, aiming straight for Ye Xingchen's throat.

This sword strike was as fast as lightning, clearly the result of long preparation.

Ye Xingchen neither dodged nor evaded. He raised his right hand, bringing his index and middle fingers together, and a solid stream of true energy condensed at the tip of his finger. He aimed at the sword tip and flicked his finger out.

"Ding!"

The force of the finger collided with the tip of the sword, producing a crisp metallic clang. Sparks flew, and the young swordsman felt a tremendous force coming from the blade, his tiger's mouth went numb, his entire arm throbbed with pain, and the longsword almost flew out of his hand.

His expression changed drastically, and he staggered back several steps, staring at Ye Xingchen in horror: "Peak Grandmaster! You...how old are you?"

"Younger than you." Ye Xingchen withdrew his finger, his tone indifferent.

A layer of cold sweat broke out on the young swordsman's forehead. He knew he had kicked a hornet's nest, and without saying a word, he turned and fled, not daring to utter a single threat.

Ye Xingchen did not chase after them. Instead, he bent down, picked the Silver Frost Grass, and carefully put it into his bosom.

The old man's laughter echoed in his mind: "Not bad, you've made great progress this past year. However, that was just a minor character; the real prodigy hasn't even made his move yet."

"I know." Ye Xingchen nodded, his gaze fixed on the depths of the forest. "Chu Yunxiao, Li Tianxing, Wu Zhao... those are the ones who are my opponents."

"It's good to have self-awareness," the old man chuckled. "But you don't need to underestimate yourself. The ring on your hand is your biggest trump card. Come on, let's aim for the top 100."

Ye Xingchen took a deep breath, his figure flashed out, and he continued on his way.