The Gold Essence Technique!

"Director, the passage to Secret Realm No. 7 has been disrupted..."

"Understood." The middle-aged man's face remained impassive as he turned a cube-like object over in his hand.

Ripples spread continuously from the cube, vanishing into the surrounding void.

"Keep things as they are. Don't alert them."

"Yes..."

Chu Yuan watched Xiang Ning grit his teeth and felt a little speechless, but he had no time to waste arguing with him.

He simply ignored Xiang Ning and began reading through the Gold Essence Technique in his hands.

The quality of this technique was indeed high. As he read, he actually sensed a faint spiritual will emanating from the book.

It wasn't strong, nor did it seem to have any other effect, but it appeared to guide cultivators and make it easier for them to get started...

Fortunately, after beginning his cultivation, Chu Yuan's soul had been strengthened again and again. Even though the Gold Essence Technique was extensive, he still memorized it after one read.

He then closed his eyes, drew on the Spiritual Power within him, and tried to circulate it along the route described in the Gold Essence Technique.

The Stone Platform wasn't exactly a suitable place to cultivate, especially with Li Ji and Qi Ying still there.

But the outside world might be even more dangerous!

Besides, Chu Yuan wasn't going into deep seclusion. He only needed to get started with the Gold Essence Technique.

The system would naturally handle any problems that came later...

Seeing that Chu Yuan really had no intention of speaking to him, Xiang Ning narrowed his eyes slightly.

But he didn't leave. He sat nearby, propping himself up with his hands behind him, and quietly watched the Stone Platform.

He'd known from the start that Chu Yuan was no ordinary person!

What he'd said earlier had been half true and half false. The trial really was being held because of the Martial God Record... But now that it had been offered as a trial reward, who would end up with it was anyone's guess!

Now that everything was out in the open, naturally, everything had to follow the rules!

The powerful figure who had arranged the trial was himself a guardian of the rules. Otherwise, even if he'd simply handed the Martial God Record to one of his juniors, who would dare say a word?

So Xiang Ning had come for the technique created by the former director of the Martial Suppression Bureau, too!

Before entering the Secret Realm, he'd already used his family's influence to gather information on the talented youths from every prefecture.

His main targets had been the major martial arts families.

But Chu Yuan hadn't appeared in any of the information...

Of course, it wasn't because someone had concealed Chu Yuan's information. Xiang Ning simply hadn't paid attention to a small city like Chenyang City in the first place.

When he first encountered Chu Yuan, he'd noticed that Chu Yuan was incredibly fast—even faster than him!

And just now, Chu Yuan had dealt with Qi Ying with ease...

If that were all, it might only mean that Chu Yuan had exceptional martial arts talent.

But he'd also produced Blood Pills and Spirit Nourishing Pills, medicines even Xiang Ning had never seen... There was no doubt that Chu Yuan had a mysterious background, too!

So Xiang Ning vaguely suspected that perhaps... Chu Yuan was that "vinegar"?

"Xiang Ning, come over here." In the distance, Mao Rui beckoned.

Xiang Ning shook his head without getting up.

So Mao Rui jogged over...

"What are you doing here? Is this guy... cultivating?" Mao Rui glanced at Xiang Ning, then at Chu Yuan, and immediately looked at him with newfound respect.

"Yep."

"All right... Xiang Ning, the Internal Breath Realm trial takers from the various prefectures are having a meeting over there. Want to go see what's up?"

"I think watching them is entertaining enough." Xiang Ning drawled. "Fatty, don't go hanging around with them."

"No, it's just that a few of the girls there have pretty nice figures. We've got nothing else to do..." Mao Rui seemed reluctant. "You sure you don't want to go?"

"No."

"Then what are you doing here? Don't tell me you're guarding this guy while he cultivates?"

Xiang Ning couldn't help laughing. "Guarding him, my ass. He just read the Gold Essence Technique. He can't get into a deep cultivation state.

"Don't believe me? Punch him and see if he jumps up and chops you to death."

"...The Gold Essence Technique? Isn't that the same technique you were planning to use? What's this guy's deal?"

"It's not the same technique I was planning to use... That damn thing is mine!"

"Uh..." Mao Rui froze for a moment, his expression turning complicated. "Your family prepared the Gold Essence Technique for you, and you let him cultivate it?

"So that's why you seem like you're not into girls...

"Xiang Ning, you've got a problem!

"If your grandpa finds out, won't he break your legs?"

Xiang Ning took a deep breath, his voice turning sultry. "Fatty, you finally figured it out... Now do you understand why, out of everyone at school, you're the one I'm closest to?

"Someone like you... You're a little girl in my eyes."

"Don't, don't. I never got your Gold Essence Technique." Mao Rui waved his hands frantically. "You'd better stick with this guy instead... So what is he to you? An older woman?"

Xiang Ning laughed and swore at him. "Go to hell. He traded something for it. I didn't just give it to him.

"He can hear you, you know. Careful, or he'll teach you a lesson later."

"So what if he can hear?" Mao Rui scoffed, then sighed. "What a shame. Those guys were planning to team up.

"Even if they couldn't earn many points, at least they could go out and look around!

"It's so boring staying here..."

"They're still going out? Aren't they afraid of dying?" Xiang Ning said, impressed.

"You're the one who said there were high-level Warriors in the Secret Realm to bail us out. They think as long as they're careful, nothing will happen..."

"Fatty, quit talking nonsense. It's not like this is some secret. Am I the only one who knows?

"Even if I hadn't said anything, they'd still go out and get themselves killed."

"True." Mao Rui nodded. He fell silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke again. "Cui Qi still hasn't come back..."

Xiang Ning paused. Cui Qi was the third student from their school.

Divine Martial High School was directly affiliated with Divine Capital Martial Arts University. As one of the students selected from the best of the best, Cui Qi was naturally no slouch. He'd already reached the peak of the Impermeable Realm!

But by now, most people had returned to the Stone Platform.

Those who hadn't come back were either fools who couldn't read the situation—or they were already...

"Maybe he found somewhere to hide."

Time passed, and night soon fell.

There was no moon or stars in Secret Realm No. 7, and certainly no sun.

But there was still a distinction between day and night.

The brighter periods counted as daytime.

When the light dimmed... it was night.

As for where the light came from... the trial takers had no idea. The information provided by the military hadn't mentioned it, either.

Some people had already left the Stone Platform to search nearby for food and water.

Chu Yuan was still cultivating with his eyes closed, his body not having moved at all.

A small figure approached, carrying several backpacks. She stopped not far from Chu Yuan and paced back and forth hesitantly.

Xiang Ning recognized her. She was the girl who had exchanged glances with Chu Yuan earlier.

"What do you want?" he asked rudely.

"I... I need to talk to Chu Yuan..."