The Trial Ends

Cloud Sword's attacks had fallen behind, leaving Shen Xinghe momentarily flustered.

Chen Xuan seized on that tiny opening. The Floating Cloud Sword suddenly accelerated, knocking Shen Xinghe's flying sword aside before thrusting straight for his face.

Shen Xinghe hurriedly dodged, his movements somewhat awkward.

Before Shen Xinghe could steady himself, several Cloud Qi Silk Scarves controlled by Chen Xuan silently rose from beneath his feet and instantly wrapped around his legs.

Shen Xinghe realized what was happening too late. The Cloud Qi Silk Scarves quickly wound around him, restricting his movements.

He tried to struggle, but the scarves were exceptionally tough, and he couldn't break free right away.

Chen Xuan gave him no more time. More Cloud Qi Silk Scarves surged in from all directions, binding Shen Xinghe tightly from head to toe.

Still, Shen Xinghe was different from the other disciples.

Even bound, he wasn't completely helpless. He could still control his sword.

By now, Shen Xinghe understood that the man before him was the one who had been making waves throughout the secret realm.

He didn't want to lose all his tokens.

After all, it was already the final day of the trial. If he lost every token, he would probably have little chance of finding half as many as he currently had in the time remaining.

So rather than lose them all, he would rather lose half.

Shen Xinghe immediately controlled his sword, sending the Floating Cloud Sword toward himself.

Chen Xuan hadn't expected Shen Xinghe to choose suicide.

He tried to stop the other man's flying sword, but it was too late.

Just as Shen Xinghe's flying sword was about to strike him, the grand formation teleported him out.

"Damn... He really went through with it..."

Chen Xuan exclaimed in astonishment.

He knew that when someone suffered a fatal injury, the grand formation would automatically ward off the damage and teleport them out.

But unless it was absolutely necessary, he didn't want to test it. What if something went wrong with the formation?

As Shen Xinghe was teleported out, half the tokens in his Storage Bag disappeared.

At the same time, several hundred tokens appeared before Chen Xuan.

It seemed Shen Xinghe hadn't been idle these past three days. He'd searched for and seized plenty of tokens.

Chen Xuan collected all the tokens on the ground and put them in his Storage Bag.

The square.

Many people found it hard to believe that even Shen Xinghe had been eliminated.

"That guy's strength is terrifying! They're at the same cultivation level, and Shen Xinghe even has a Mystic Water Spirit Body, yet he still lost."

"His Dao Techniques are extraordinary. He seems far more skilled than we are. I suspect he has exceptional comprehension."

"Li Feiyu from Yellow Maple Valley... Which peak does Yellow Maple Valley belong to? Have any of you found out?"

"..."

After coming out, Shen Xinghe also went to watch the screens near Chen Xuan's.

Floating Cloud Secret Realm.

Chen Xuan tallied up what he'd gained in his Storage Bag. He'd collected around four thousand tokens by now.

If anyone saw the tokens in his Storage Bag, their jaws would drop.

The entire Floating Cloud Trial had only distributed ten thousand tokens.

He'd taken two-fifths of them all by himself.

With time still left,

Chen Xuan continued following the beams of light to hunt people down.

After spotting a beam of light, Chen Xuan immediately chased after it.

Unlike Shen Xinghe, this time the person didn't charge at him. Instead, he started running.

Do you think you can get away?

At the fourth level of Qi Gathering, Chen Xuan rode the White Cloud Artifact. Unless the other person was one of the two other Spirit Body cultivators, there was no way they could escape.

Soon,

Chen Xuan caught up.

On a white cloud in the distance, Feng Ran glanced back.

Their eyes met.

Feng Ran's expression froze instantly.

Holy crap, Li Feiyu!?

The next second, Feng Ran looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Well, if it isn't Senior Brother Feng. In such a hurry to get somewhere?"

Chen Xuan grinned too.

He hadn't expected Feng Ran to be so capable. After Chen Xuan had robbed him, he'd managed to claw his way back into the top hundred.

"Stop chasing me!"

Feng Ran shouted in terror.

He'd finally managed to seize some more tokens. He couldn't lose them again.

"Stop running."

As Chen Xuan spoke, he'd already summoned his flying sword.

Perhaps sensing the danger, Feng Ran immediately took out a Teleportation Talisman and tore it without hesitation.

Even as he tore it, he shouted with a grin, "Li Feiyu, you think you can tie me up and take all my tokens!?

Dream on! Even if I have to give up, I won't let you have your way again!"

As his words fell, Feng Ran vanished from the spot.

Although he'd torn the Teleportation Talisman himself, Elder Zhang was maintaining the grand formation. Based on what was happening in the secret realm, he judged that Feng Ran had been defeated, so half of Feng Ran's tokens landed in front of Chen Xuan.

Looking at the tokens before him, Chen Xuan shook his head with a smile.

Oh well. At least he'd still gotten half.

Chen Xuan put away the tokens and continued toward his next target.

In the blink of an eye, it was already the following morning, at the hour of the Snake.

The trial ended, and everyone still in the secret realm was teleported out.

After Chen Xuan appeared in the square of the Sect Main Hall, many people's gazes landed on him.

They were the victims Chen Xuan had robbed during this trial.

By a rough estimate, there were about a hundred of them.

If the trial hadn't lasted only ten days, the number of victims might have multiplied ten or twenty times.

The three elders rose and appeared before the crowd.

Elder Zhang gently waved his hand.

A force pulled a hundred people into the air and brought them to the front of the square.

These were the top hundred in this trial.

"The Floating Cloud Trial has now come to a successful close. The disciples of every lineage have displayed the spirit of our sect."

As Elder Zhang spoke, his gaze lingered on Chen Xuan for two seconds.

"The road of cultivation is long and fraught with obstacles. I hope none of you grow arrogant or restless in the days ahead. Be like clouds, drifting and curling freely; be like mountains, steadfast and composed. Cultivate diligently without pause, and keep your hearts set on the Great Dao."

Elder Zhang continued.

After the formalities came the actual rewards.

"Chen Xuan of Hundred Herb Valley."

Elder Zhang called his name.

Chen Xuan stepped forward and cupped his hands. "This disciple is here."

Quite a few people stared wide-eyed.

Come on, weren't you Li Feiyu from Yellow Maple Valley?

No wonder he was the most shameless disciple this year. He'd even given a false name.

"Chen Xuan of Hundred Herb Valley collected 4,572 tokens and takes first place in the trial."

As Elder Zhang spoke, he casually waved his hand.

More than four thousand tokens flew out of Chen Xuan's Storage Bag, were displayed for a moment, then returned to it.

Next, Elder Zhang took out the first-place rewards.

Three jade tokens and ten bottles of top-grade, first-tier Qi Gathering Pills appeared in Elder Zhang's hands.

The items flew from his hands and landed before Chen Xuan.

The three jade tokens looked nearly identical.

One was inscribed with the words "Top-Grade Artifact," another with "Top-Tier Dao Technique," and the third with "Ten Thousand Contribution Points."

"You may now take these three jade tokens to the Artifact Hall, the Dao Technique Pavilion, and the Contribution Hall to claim your rewards. You can also exchange the four thousand or so tokens for Contribution Points at the Contribution Hall."

Elder Zhang spoke again.

"Thank you, Elder."

Chen Xuan cupped his hands in thanks and put away the rewards.

Just as he was about to return to his place,

Elder Xie, standing beside Elder Zhang, called out to him. "Chen Xuan, would you be willing to join Danxiao Peak?"

Chen Xuan cupped his hands again and replied, "This disciple is willing."