The Long Journey to Immortality

The three of them were only of average strength among the more than three hundred teams, so they were naturally a little intimidated when facing such a famous figure from within the sect.

Senior Brother Wu's gaze swept over Wen Erya and Han Lu, and in a short while, he drew the correct conclusion based on their rumored appearances and figures.

"So it's Senior Sister Han's team," he said with a smile. "I heard of Senior Sister Han's name in the sect a few years ago. I was quite envious when she went to the Ancient Cultivation Secret Realm. I only regretted that I advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage two months too early, which made me lose the qualification to participate in the selection and I didn't get the chance to fight against a genius like Senior Sister Han."

Among all the people involved in the Ancient Cultivation Secret Realm, the most frustrated were those like Senior Brother Wu, who believed they had the strength to compete for a spot, but who advanced to the Foundation Establishment realm before the secret realm was even made public.

"I never expected to actually have the chance to fight Senior Sister Han today," Senior Brother Wu said, brimming with fighting spirit, feeling confident that this battle would resolve any lingering issues. "So, Senior Sister Han, would you be willing to fight?"

Although he was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, Senior Brother Wu knew that the difference between the early and middle stages of Foundation Establishment was mainly in spiritual power, not in the absence of fighting ability. Therefore, he did not take the difference in their realms seriously.

Listening to Senior Brother Wu's words, Han Lu felt that the saying "a tall tree catches the wind" was reasonable and well-founded. She had not done anything wrong, but she had incurred the hatred of equally outstanding cultivators in the sect.

The lackey who had been swaggering in front of those three unlucky guys tugged at Senior Brother Wu's clothes and whispered, "Senior Brother, this Senior Sister Han Lu is quite famous, and her combat power must be considerable. Why don't we talk to them and see if we can settle this amicably?"

"What do you want to talk about?" Senior Brother Wu had clearly been harboring a desire to fight Han Lu for a long time because of a minor historical issue. He couldn't wait to have a fight with Han Lu here and settle his regret.

“Who says that having a big reputation equates to being powerful?” Senior Brother Wu argued vehemently. “To reach the mid-Foundation Establishment stage in less than five years, they must have found some quick-fix cultivation method or consumed some miraculous elixirs. How can their cultivation be as solid as the one we achieve through hard work day and night?”

"We'll see..."

Senior Brother Wu lowered his voice, trying to calm his two teammates who were already somewhat timid, "Han Lu's reputation has nothing to do with fighting. At most, she can fight a little when she is in the Qi Refining stage."

"With the three of us brothers together, how could we possibly be no match for these three female cultivators?"

The lackey whispered, "But a few years ago, that Senior Sister Han... no, Han Lu, she fought her way back to the Central Plains from the East China Sea."

"Don't listen to any rumors. Do you really think Han Lu came back to the Central Plains from the East Sea after killing hundreds of people?" Senior Brother Wu said disdainfully. "There are many capable people in the East Sea, and the cultivation world is a bit chaotic, but it's not some dangerous place like a dragon's den or a tiger's lair. If she keeps a low profile and hides carefully, I'm confident I can make a trip there. That's nothing special."

"Besides," Senior Brother Wu spoke the truth, "Han Lu and her two teammates are clearly after the Spirit Rhinoceros Pearl we have. Do you think we can just talk it out and let this matter go?"

The last sentence was the key; cultivators hoping to achieve something in the competition wouldn't readily surrender and give away the Spirit Beads they had painstakingly collected.

“Okay, Senior Brother Wu,” Senior Brother Wu’s two teammates said in unison, “It’s just another match, I’ll listen to you.”

Senior Brother Wu's words were reasonable and well-founded. Ignorance breeds fearlessness. The two who had just won a battle were no longer afraid of fighting. They only thought about moving from this victory to the next under Senior Brother Wu's guidance.

Hearing that the other party was not willing to back down, Yi Qiyan, who had been planning to fight for a long time, was overjoyed. "Great! You can't go back on your word!"

Wen Erya was still thinking about "harmony brings wealth," and said, "Why don't you think about it again? Junior Sister Han and Yi Qiyan are both in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. You can't beat them."

Wen Er Ya's actions, on the contrary, boosted the confidence of the three of them.

Senior Brother Wu had already grasped his spirit sword in his hand. "Come on, let's get into a fighting stance and have a battle. Don't say we started this war without warning."

Wen Erya said with a hint of helplessness, "Alright, let's fight."

Chapter 528 A Happy Ending

Although what they did did did not conform to the values ​​of the Central Plains cultivation world, the attitudes of Senior Brother Wu and the other two were quite upright.

They wish they could "create a justification for war" before the fighting even begins, then issue a declaration of war, and finally turn their weapons against each other.

This left Wen Er Ya, who still wanted to resolve the issue peacefully, somewhat helpless.

Although I don't want to fight, it doesn't mean I can't fight.

The six people each set off separately, and if a referee were added to keep track of the time, it would really feel like a ring battle.

However, when they actually fought, it wasn't as well-organized as a ring battle.

A chaotic battle became the stage for Han Lu's team to practice their tactics.

The opponents were much weaker than they had imagined; their only redeeming qualities were their teamwork, tactical awareness, and fighting spirit.

However, these things seem insignificant in the face of suppression of realm and suppression of strength.

Not to mention that Han Lu and the other two also possessed these icing on the cake.

Wu's team of three was frustrated, feeling completely suppressed and helpless, unable to advance from one victory to another.

Han Lu and the other two were also playing with little energy.

In the eyes of the three, their opponent was not even a qualified punching bag, as he was defeated in just a few moves, and it did not serve much purpose in terms of practical combat training.

Only the three unfortunate souls sitting on the ground, clutching their wounds and enduring the pain, watched with great interest.

It felt like reading a revenge-themed novel, completely immersing myself in the story of Han Lu and the other two.

In less than fifty breaths, the three men who had just been swaggering around as victors were lying on the ground, their fates unknown.

It wasn't that Han Lu and the other two were being reckless; it was simply that Wu Shixiong and his two companions had an insatiable fighting spirit. If they weren't beaten to this state, they would likely continue to pester Han Lu and the other two, as if they wanted to tear out their own hearts and lungs to fight to the death.

Before he fell into a coma, that senior brother Wu was completely baffled.

"I remember four years ago, Han Lu wasn't this amazing."

Four years ago, the scenes he witnessed while watching the fight from the sidelines flashed through Wu Shixiong's mind, tightening the knot in his heart even further.

Perhaps, four years ago, Senior Brother Wu, who had not yet advanced to the Foundation Establishment Realm and was still at the twelfth level of Qi Refining, might have actually had a chance to compete for a spot, and might have even been able to fight Han Lu for dozens of rounds.

But that's all in the past.

Han Lu had no idea what kind of feelings this Wu senior brother, whom she didn't know at all, had for her, and she didn't see this battle, which she thought had already been decided, as a "revenge battle" or a "fateful battle".

The joy of defeating an opponent and obtaining the Spirit Pearl far surpasses the happiness of defeating three nameless nobodies.

All the Spirit Beads in the secret realm are restricted and considered unclaimed, making them impossible to store properly in storage bags.

Therefore, although Wu and his two companions had fainted and could no longer hand over the Spirit Beads in their storage bags, Han Lu and her two companions could still bypass the storage bags' "insurance mechanism" and directly snatch them, taking out all the Spirit Beads they had previously obtained.

After falling from the sky, Han Lu and the other two separated in tacit agreement, each searching the other's body and looking for the Spirit Rhinoceros Pearl in the storage bag of one of them.

The Spirit Rhinoceros Pearl was naturally stored in the storage bag of Senior Brother Wu, the leader of the three.

With quick eyes and hands, Yi Qiyan took out the eight spirit rhinoceros beads from Wu Shixiong's storage bag.

"Only eight?"

Yi Qiyan was slightly disappointed.

“It’s normal,” Wen Erya said, even finding it somewhat surprising. “With their combat strength, obtaining eight Spirit Rhinoceros Pearls clearly means they’ve used up all their luck.”

“They used up all their luck, which is why they ran into us,” Han Lu said, following Wen Erya’s words. While hanging the storage bag she had just picked up back on the cultivator’s waist, she reminded him, “Yi Qiyan, remember to hang the storage bag back after you take the Spirit Rhinoceros Pearl. Also, let’s help tidy up any scattered magical treasures nearby and put them next to them.”

"When the token is activated later, the elders will help send these things back as well."

What Han Lu said was an unwritten rule in the Secret Realm Competition.

Fight, but don't kill or maim.

They may steal, but they only steal the Spirit Pearl and not other valuables.

This matter had been discussed before entering the secret realm. Han Lu was simply giving a timely reminder to prevent Yi Qiyan, who was also a cultivator from the Southern Frontier, from making any small mistakes.

This was the first time Yi Qiyan had ever experienced knocking someone unconscious and then having to help them dispose of the magical artifact.

After finishing these clean-up tasks, Han Lu activated the tokens of the three people she had just obtained using a magic incantation.

Only after the token began to tremble violently did she throw it back at the three of them.

Three breaths later, a teleportation portal appeared in mid-air, sucking in the three unconscious people and the magical artifacts beside them that had lost their spirituality, and bringing them back to the Zhengyi Sect.

The hero has dealt with the opportunistic villains, and now it's the turn of the rescued "unlucky guy" to thank the hero.

"Thank you, Senior Sister Han, Senior Sister Wen, and Fellow Daoist Yi," a cultivator who was dragging half an arm stood up with difficulty and bowed to the two to express his gratitude. "If it weren't for you, the three of us would probably have already returned to the inner treasury of the Zhengyi Sect and been eliminated."

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Han Lu was still thinking about how to ask for protection money, and her answer was somewhat perfunctory.

To be honest, it's a bit difficult to ask for the Spirit Pearl, but one of the three unlucky guys is good at reading people and took the initiative to help Han Lu solve the problem.

“Senior Sister Han, words cannot express my gratitude for your help. How about this,” another cultivator took out the Spirit Rhinoceros Pearl from his storage bag, “these four Spirit Rhinoceros Pearls are a token of my thanks to Senior Sister Han, Senior Sister Wen, and Fellow Daoist Yi. What do you say?”

"This isn't quite right..." Han Lu hesitated, trying to win him over, only thinking of taking three steps back and then taking the Spirit Bead into her arms again.

Wen Erya was a bit more straightforward, and she asked directly, "How many Spirit Rhinoceros Pearls did you obtain in the secret realm today?"

"Just these four or five..." The cultivator holding the Spirit Rhinoceros Pearl wasn't very good at lying.

Upon hearing this, Wen Erya said, "Since it is a token of your goodwill, I will accept it on behalf of my junior sister, but I will only accept two Spirit Rhinoceros Pearls from you."

"Keep the remaining Spirit Rhinoceros Pearls safe."

Wen Er Ya's initiative to lower the price took the three cultivators by surprise.

"This... Senior Sister Wen, isn't this a bit inappropriate..."

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Wen Erya said righteously. “If we took all your Spirit Rhinoceros Pearls, how would we be any different from the three cultivators who just robbed and ambushed you?”

After speaking, Wen Erya looked at her two companions.

Han Lu agreed with Wen Erya's words, while Yi Qiyan didn't care about the gain or loss of just two Spirit Rhinoceros Pearls.

The ending was a happy one for everyone.

In the blink of an eye, Han Lu and her two companions gained ten more Spirit Beads, while the three who were ambushed retained their qualifications and continued to stay in the secret realm to seek opportunities and search for Spirit Beads, trying to hold out until the last day, bring more Spirit Beads out of the secret realm, and improve their ranking in the competition.

Congratulations! Congratulations!

Chapter 529 Tracing the Magic

After agreeing on the "protection fee," the three unlucky guys, who had suffered serious injuries, finally felt relieved and stopped regarding Han Lu and the others who had just saved them as "tigers and leopards."

Out of kindness, Wen Erya even offered to sell them quick-healing pills to help them recover their combat strength as soon as possible so that they could survive in the dangerous secret realm and continue their adventures.

But they were short of money, and even with the price reduction, they still couldn't afford the pills that cost a full five spirit stones each.

It wasn't that they couldn't even afford five spirit stones, but rather that, in the eyes of these three cultivators, it wasn't worth spending another five spirit stones for the competition.

The battle they had just fought made them realize the gap in combat strength between themselves and the other squads.

Avoiding battle for the remaining two days became their only thought.

Find a safe place to hide them, protecting the remaining three Spirit Rhinoceros Beads in the storage bag.

If one can hold out for twenty-four hours, until the moment of leaving the secret realm.

With three Spirit Beads, they might rank in the middle of the final rankings, achieving their goal of being among the top three in the competition after entering the secret realm.

After all, not everyone is like Han Lu and her two companions, participating in the competition with the ultimate goal of winning the championship.

Most disciples of the Zhengyi Sect have a general understanding of their own strength and know, barring any unforeseen circumstances, where they will stand in the competition.

The ultimate goal for most Zhengyi disciples in the competition is to ensure their ranking matches their strength, or to improve it slightly with a bit of luck.