Baili An kept a calm expression, but inwardly, he was on guard.
That look… he knew it well. Definitely trouble.
Fortunately, the woman didn't press him. She simply smiled as she watched him step into the teleportation array.
After entering the secret realm, Baili An recalled the strange pair from before, especially the red-haired woman's gaze.
"She hid it well, but she definitely knows me… or at least she's seen my face before."
As for why she still looked at him like that…
Probably because he looked better in person than in photos.
So who exactly were they?
He couldn't gauge their strength at all. It was as if they were using some method to conceal their aura. He hadn't even sensed the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy from them.
Hopefully, he wouldn't get dragged into whatever trouble they were involved in.
All he wanted was to focus on hunting monsters, unlock the Mangekyo Sharingan, and then take first place in the national selection without any complications.
…
Spirit Realm Secret Areas were usually much larger than ordinary secret realms.
Their danger level was also on a completely different scale. Even seventh-rank monsters were not uncommon.
Because of this, the heavy security outside wasn't just to keep people out. It was mainly to prevent monster outbreaks from spilling into the city.
Inside the secret realm, within a valley.
A group of third-rank monsters, Black Tusk Boars, were running frantically.
Above them, countless illusion crows filled the sky. Through constant harassment and intimidation, they drove the herd together and forced them in a single direction.
"Grand Fire Annihilation!"
Boom!
Suddenly, in the direction the boars were fleeing, a sea of flames erupted.
A massive wave of fire, nearly a hundred meters wide, formed in an instant and swallowed the entire herd.
Grand Fire Annihilation was the widest-area fire technique Baili An had mastered, though it consumed a significant amount of spiritual energy.
The overwhelming flames left the boars with nowhere to escape. They struggled helplessly, burning alive in the intense heat.
At the moment each one died, streams of pure energy emerged from their bodies and flowed into Baili An.
This unique energy nourished his body, steadily enhancing his physical strength.
[Black Tusk Boar slain. Source Essence +40.]
[Black Tusk Boar slain. Source Essence +45.]
[Black Tusk Boar slain…]
Notifications appeared continuously.
When the flames finally subsided, Baili An calmly finished off a few survivors before leaving the area.
At this point, he wasn't focused on training anymore.
Efficiency was all that mattered.
And the fastest way to gain Source Essence wasn't hunting high-rank monsters, but wiping out groups like this.
As he moved deeper into the secret realm, most monsters he encountered were instantly subdued with the Sharingan and killed in a single strike.
Only when his illusion crows discovered large groups did he deliberately change direction and eliminate them with fire techniques.
This method was highly efficient, though mentally taxing.
Gradually, Baili An reached the inner zone of the Spirit Realm.
Here, even his crow clones were frequently destroyed during scouting.
So he kept the main body of the illusion crow by his side and only sent clones ahead.
By midday, he had spent the entire morning hunting.
Most of his time, however, had been spent searching and traveling.
Even so, his Source Essence accumulation far exceeded expectations.
At this rate, combined with what he had saved over the past six months, he wouldn't even need a full month to unlock the Mangekyo Sharingan.
As noon arrived, feeling slightly fatigued, Baili An chose not to leave the realm.
Instead, he headed toward a rest area located in the central region.
It was surrounded by high walls and razor wire, with special repellents deployed to keep monsters away.
On the way there, he encountered another group.
Turning his head, he saw around a dozen young men and women, all dressed in combat suits of varying styles and colors, each expressing their individuality.
At the front was a tall young man with a sword at his waist.
His gaze was sharp and deep, his calm expression tinged with arrogance. His presence alone made him hard to ignore.
Beside him walked an elegant young woman.
Her figure was graceful, her skin flawless without makeup, her smile gentle yet carrying a hint of cool detachment.
Several boys behind her occasionally glanced at her back.
"These must be students from Teacher An's class."
Baili An quickly guessed their identity.
At this time, people this young appearing here could only be fellow representatives preparing for the national selection.
And gathering more than ten people like this… only the Rocket Class from No.1 High could manage that.
An Lan had mentioned yesterday that his class would be training here for five days until the selection.
He had even invited Baili An to join them.
The one leading them was likely Fan Jing, the prodigy An Lan had specifically mentioned.
A direct descendant of a major family from the capital.
Baili An observed briefly and confirmed he didn't recognize anyone from his past.
With little interest, he withdrew his gaze and continued toward the rest area.
At the same time, the group noticed him as well.
Especially when they saw the illusion crow quietly circling above him, their expressions shifted in surprise.
After a brief exchange, one of them received approval from the leading youth and quickly approached Baili An.
"Hey, wait a second!"
Baili An stopped and glanced back.
"What is it?"
The approaching student, a bespectacled young man, smiled. "We're students from No.1 High. You're from another school, right?"
"What do you want?"
"…Right, I'll get straight to the point." The young man coughed lightly. "Would you be interested in teaming up with us?"
"No."
"…Wait!"
The bespectacled student instinctively stepped forward to stop him, suddenly feeling immense pressure.
He had thought this would be an easy success. That was why he volunteered in the first place.
Quickly thinking, he spoke earnestly,
"We're all here to hunt monsters and improve. You're probably a summoner, right? Going solo here is extremely dangerous, even with your illusion crow.
"Your combat power alone won't be enough. Even if you find monsters, it'll be hard to kill them efficiently.
"But if you join us, everything changes. We can support each other. Your crow can help locate targets, and we can guarantee your safety.
"Even strong fifth-rank monsters wouldn't stand a chance against us working together.
"And don't worry about rewards. We'll reserve a portion of the kills for you. How about reconsidering?"
He finished confidently, convinced he had made a persuasive case.
But Baili An's expression didn't change in the slightest. His voice remained calm.
"I don't need it."
With that, he stepped past him and continued walking forward.
…