Translator: CinderTL
Xu Sanyan was intimately familiar with this scene. Some games from his previous life operated similarly, granting rewards for each cleared stage, with the rewards growing more substantial as he progressed.
He extended his hand, summoning a porcelain bottle that flew into his grasp. He uncorked it, releasing a refreshing fragrance.
"This is an Azure Pearl Qi-Replenishing Pill, suitable for cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Stage. It's of little value," an elder remarked from the side.
Xu Sanyan casually tossed the bottle to Xiang Tan. "Here, you take it."
"Thank you, Senior Brother," Xiang Tan said, beaming as she accepted the pill. She didn't care much for a mere Qi-Replenishing Pill, but since it came from her Senior Brother, it was special.
At that moment, a staircase leading upward and another leading downward materialized in a corner of the room. The upward staircase likely led to the second stage, while the downward one was probably the exit.
"Let's go see what the next stage holds," Xu Sanyan said, his interest piqued. He hadn't realized the drum tower relic was structured this way, with treasures in each stage. He'd assumed there was only one grand prize.
Xu Sanyan paused, considering. If he exited first and guarded the entrance, could he seize the rewards from the others?
He shook his head. Never mind. Let's see what treasures are available first. If it's all just Qi-Replenishing Pills, it won't be worth the effort.
As Xu Sanyan stepped onto the second floor, Lin Fan and Zuoqiu Yi had already reached the fifth stage.
Their first stage had been a horde of mundane corpse demons, their cultivation level equivalent to the Initial Stage of the Celestial Being Realm—hardly a challenge.
The second trial was against corpse demons at the Peak Stage of the Celestial Being Realm, which they passed with ease.
By the fourth trial, the corpse demons had reached the strength of Foundation Establishment Perfection. After a prolonged and arduous battle, they barely managed to secure victory.
Now at the fifth trial, Lin Fan held Zuoqiu Yi's small hand. "Be careful," he said. "If things get too dangerous, we'll retreat."
The staircase back remained accessible, allowing them to withdraw at any time. The drum tower didn't force trial-takers to fight to the death; everything within the secret realm was designed to temper them, not to claim their lives.
"Mm," Zuoqiu Yi replied.
She gazed at Lin Fan with admiration. She hadn't expected this newly acquainted "Little Brother Lin," despite his relatively low realm, to possess such formidable strength. In the fourth trial, he had single-handedly slain two of the three corpse demons.
"Little Brother Lin," Zuoqiu Yi asked, "are all cultivators from the demonic sects as powerful as you?"
"Well... I guess I'm alright," Lin Fan replied, trying to sound modest but secretly beaming with pride.
She thinks I'm strong!
"Watch out!"
The moment they stepped onto the fifth level, Lin Fan's sword flashed from its sheath, deflecting a volley of sharp projectiles. His eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze on the figures across the chamber.
There was another staircase on the opposite side, where two figures stood watching them—one stout, the other gaunt.
"Huh, have the corpse demons on the fifth level transformed into humans?" Zuoqiu Yi asked, surprised.
"They're also trial participants," Lin Fan murmured.
The tall, lean man across from them shouted, "Hey, you two over there! Where are you from?"
"This young lady is Zuoqiu Yi, one of the Huai Lake Seven Heroes!" Zuoqiu Yi confidently stepped forward, puffing out her chest.
"Oh~ those little ladies," the two men laughed, clearly having heard of them before.
The plump man turned to Lin Fan. "Are you also from the Zuoqiu Clan?"
"Harmonious Heart Holy Sect, Lin Fan!"
"From the demonic sect? When did the Zuoqiu Clan start associating with the demonic sect?" The tall man frowned, sizing Lin Fan up and down.
"A mere Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivator dares to seek death? Be smart and retreat now." He harbored some apprehension toward the demonic sect and didn't want to provoke them, yet he refused to abandon the treasure. His best hope was that Lin Fan would withdraw voluntarily.
"Hmph! Enough with the pointless talk! Let's settle this with our blades!" Zuoqiu Yi flipped her wrist, her longsword appearing in a flash and darting straight for the tall man's heart.
Seeing this, Lin Fan also charged forward, engaging the plump man in battle.
The plump man initially underestimated Lin Fan, seeing him as just a Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivator. But the moment their blades clashed, he realized his mistake. The young man's swordsmanship was fierce and relentless, making him a formidable opponent.
After exchanging over twenty strikes, the plump man hadn't gained the slightest advantage. Growing increasingly anxious, he began attacking with even greater ferocity.
In that moment, Zuoqiu Yi made a misstep, and the tall, gaunt man struck her chest with a palm strike. A dull thud echoed as her pale yellow figure was sent flying backward.
Pfft!
Zuoqiu Yi felt a metallic sweetness rise in her throat, and she spat out a mouthful of dark, clotted blood.
"Hmph, the Huai Lake Seven Heroes? Big name, but your skills are nothing special. I'll spare your life out of respect for your ancestor. Now get lost." The gaunt man didn't press his advantage, wary of the Zuoqiu Clan's considerable influence.
"Pah! If you've got the guts, kill me!" Zuoqiu Yi's face burned with fury. She didn't fear death, but she refused to be underestimated.
"You think I wouldn't dare? In this secret realm, what consequences could there be even if I did kill you?" The gaunt man sneered. He loathed these noble clan scions who flaunted their family's power like a tiger's skin, as if no one could ever challenge them.
Nearby, Lin Fan gritted his teeth at the sight of Zuoqiu Yi's peril. His pitch-black sword darted out like a swimming dragon.
Clang!
The two swords clashed with a crisp ring. The chubby man's treasured Profound Iron Sword, which he had spent a fortune forging, shattered instantly. He stared in disbelief—how could it have been broken?
"Damn it! Help me! This kid's got something weird going on!" The chubby man roared, abandoning all pretense of composure as he dodged another strike and retreated rapidly.
"Useless!"
The tall, gaunt man cursed inwardly. A dignified Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator, yet I can't even defeat a Foundation Establishment Initial Stage opponent? What a waste!
Lin Fan faced two opponents without a trace of fear. He took a deep breath, bit his middle finger, and drew a vertical line of blood between his eyebrows. Closing his eyes, the crimson line glowed with an eerie, malevolent light.
The pitch-black longsword in his hand vanished silently, only to reappear moments later, its tip pressed against the tall man's throat.
"What kind of sorcery is this?!"
The tall man's heart jolted with terror, his face frozen in disbelief. He hadn't even seen the sword move!
The blade trembled violently, emitting a faint, vibrating hum. Its razor-sharp aura pierced his brow, making it ache. If the sword moved just two inches further, his life would be forfeit.
"Don't kill me! I surrender!" the tall man shrieked, throwing up his hands in panic. All his courage had vanished.
Nearby, Zuoqiu Yi stared in stunned silence, her mind reeling. What had she just witnessed?
With a single strike, he had terrified two opponents into submission!
Little Brother Lin... is he really this powerful?
The plump man's eyes flickered as he glanced at the distant black sword, then at Lin Fan, who stood unarmed with his eyes still closed. Gritting his teeth, he suddenly raised his head and hurled a palm-sized dagger, which transformed into a ghostly streak of light aimed straight at Lin Fan's forehead.
Clang!
A pitch-black longsword materialized abruptly, deflecting the dagger in a single strike. It then reappeared behind the pudgy man in an instant, its blade dripping with crimson blood that splattered onto the ground.
"Ah! My arm!"
The pudgy man clutched his severed limb, howling in agony as his severed arm lay motionless on the floor.
"Get out!" Lin Fan spat out a single word.
"We're going, we're going!"
Cold sweat beaded on the lanky man's forehead. He hurried forward, dragged his companion to his feet, snatched up the severed arm, and fled down the stairs.
Once the two men had descended, the staircase vanished, disqualifying them from further participation.
Clang!
The pitch-black longsword clattered to the ground with a crisp metallic ring. Lin Fan's face turned deathly pale, as if all his strength had been drained. He collapsed limply onto the floor.
Zuoqiu Yi, startled, sprang to her feet and rushed to support him. "Little Brother Lin, are you alright?" she asked anxiously.
Lin Fan managed a weak smile. "I'm fine. Just exhausted my Spiritual Power. I'll recover with a rest."
The technique he had just used had consumed an immense amount of Spiritual Power. As a Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivator, his reserves were limited. He would never have risked using such a draining move had Zuoqiu Yi not been in mortal danger.
(End of the Chapter)
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