Secret Realm, Limited Spots

Disciples with better connections and wider networks thoroughly spread the truth.

Over the past half-month, the outer disciples who had gone missing or perished were not victims of rogue cultivators.

Nor were they ambushed by demonic beasts.

They were all deliberately hunted by Devil Dao cultivators from the Ghost Fire Sect!

The enemy had quietly infiltrated the territory of the Azure Cloud Sect, lying in wait to intercept and slaughter disciples who ventured out!

Once the news broke, the entire crowd was in an uproar.

The complaints and irritability on everyone's faces were instantly swept away, replaced by lingering fear.

"The Ghost Fire Sect?! Isn't that a Devil Dao Sect?!"

"My god! Devil Dao cultivators have snuck up to the sect's doorstep to kill people?"

"No wonder people have been dying in the outer mountains lately! So it was them all along!"

"It's a good thing the sect issued a ban! If we had been foolish enough to go out on missions, we would have been throwing our lives away!"

"Earning contribution points is nothing compared to staying alive! If you're dead, no amount of spirit stones matters!"

Fear overwhelmed all greed.

The low-level disciples instantly became completely obedient.

Those who had been full of complaints one moment now abandoned all thoughts of leaving.

In the world of cultivation, one's life is always the top priority.

Only by living can one have the chance to cultivate.

Once dead, everything is empty.

Someone quickly adjusted their mindset and spoke in a low voice.

"Forget it, if we can't go out, we won't. Cultivating in peace is the greatest blessing."

"Anyway, there are only two months left until the sect tournament, so I might as well go into seclusion and prepare with all my might!"

This statement instantly piqued everyone's interest.

The sect tournament!

This was the major event that all disciples in the sect were currently focused on.

Someone lowered their voice, their face full of excitement.

"Have you heard? The top twenty Qi Refining disciples in this tournament will receive entry spots for the Magneto Secret Realm!"

"The Magneto Secret Realm? What is that? I've never heard of it." A disciple who had joined the sect not long ago asked with a blank, curious expression.

A veteran outer disciple at the eighth level of Qi Refining nearby heard this and began to explain.

"The Magneto Secret Realm is a secret realm jointly controlled by the five major sects of Spirit Province."

"It doesn't belong to any single one; the five sects guard it together, open it together, and share the opportunities within."

"The realm only opens once every twenty years; the cycle is extremely long, and the opportunity is incredibly rare."

"Furthermore, the restrictions are extremely strict. Only Qi Refining disciples are allowed to enter; those at the Foundation Establishment stage or above are strictly forbidden."

The young disciples present pricked up their ears, listening with rapt attention.

The veteran disciple continued:

"The realm is filled with remnants of spirit veins, and the concentration of spiritual energy is more than three times that of the outside world."

"Low-level treasures, spirit herbs, ores, and opportunities left behind by cultivators, such as fragmented techniques and magical artifacts, can be found everywhere."

"Many lucky ones have used a single opportunity in the realm to ascend to the heavens, break through bottlenecks, and solidify their Dao foundation."

"Some even broke through their shackles and successfully reached Foundation Establishment within half a year of coming out!"

The crowd listened, their hearts surging with excitement and their eyes filled with longing.

Someone couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother, is the realm very dangerous? Will we die if we go in?"

The veteran disciple waved his hand.

"There is definitely danger, but for top-tier disciples, it's manageable."

"The realm has been opened dozens of times, and the second-tier demonic beasts have long since been cleared out."

"What remains now are all first-tier demonic beasts, which pose limited threats."

"As long as you aren't greedy, don't wander into the restricted deep areas, and play it safe, you generally won't lose your life."

At this point, his tone became wistful.

"Come to think of it, I was lucky enough to go in once twenty years ago."

"It's a pity my vision was too narrow back then; I didn't get any real opportunities and only managed to scrape together some ordinary spirit herbs."

"Consider it a wasted trip, just chalk it up to gaining some experience."

The group of young disciples instantly filled with longing, their hearts stirring with restless ambition.

A single stroke of fortune could defy the heavens and change one's destiny.

This was the one thing every low-level cultivator craved above all else.

But the next second, the senior disciple poured a bucket of cold water over them, instantly extinguishing their fantasies.

"Stop dreaming."

"With your current cultivation at the second or third level of Qi Refining, you'd just be cannon fodder if you went—nothing but food for the slaughter."

"Every person who manages to secure a spot is among the very best disciples in the sect."

"The minimum requirement is the eighth level of Qi Refining, and the vast majority are at the ninth."

"With your measly cultivation, you wouldn't even pass the preliminary rounds of the grand competition, let alone talk about the secret realm."

The young disciples wilted instantly, their faces full of disappointment.

The cruel reality was laid out before them.

In the world of cultivation, there are countless opportunities.

But opportunities are only ever meant for the strong.

The weak do not even have the qualifications to enter the arena.

The senior disciple looked up toward the main peak, his eyes filled with helplessness as he muttered to himself.

"I'm planning to gamble one more time."

"I'm betting that in this sect grand competition, I can fight for a spot."

"I'm forty years old this year."

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding disciples fell silent.

Everyone understood the cruel rules involved.

There is an iron law in the world of cultivation.

Before the age of fifty, a cultivator is in the golden age for breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

At this age, one's blood is full, the soul is vigorous, and potential is at its peak.

Once past fifty, the blood gradually decays, the meridians harden, and cultivation potential drops significantly.

If one cannot break through to Foundation Establishment before sixty, there is basically no hope left for the rest of one's life.

They will be trapped in Qi Refining forever.

Qi Refining cultivators have a limited lifespan, at most one hundred and twenty years.

It seems long, but in reality, it passes in the blink of an eye.

Stuck in Qi Refining for a lifetime, without the longevity boost, one's blood will wither in old age, and one can only sit and wait for death.

The senior disciple clenched his fists, his eyes filled with unwillingness.

"I only have twenty years of opportunity left."

"This secret realm is the last great chance for me to turn my life around."

"If I can't get a spot, this is likely how my life will end."

The surroundings were deathly quiet.

Everyone felt a heavy weight in their hearts.

Cloud Abode.

Inside the cultivation room, the stone door was tightly shut.

Su Yun sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, having just finished a round of meditation.

He had gone out earlier and inadvertently overheard the disciples in the courtyard discussing.

In the sect grand competition, the top twenty could enter the Magneto Secret Realm.

This news instantly stirred his heart, sparking a deep interest.

The Magneto Secret Realm.

Jointly owned by the five great sects, it opened once every twenty years and was only accessible to Qi Refining cultivators.

There was no need to think twice; it must be hiding a massive amount of treasure inside.

A flash of brilliance crossed Su Yun's eyes as he quickly calculated the possibilities in his mind.

Within the secret realm, spiritual herbs, ores, and opportunities were scattered everywhere.

He could simply gather a batch of spiritual herbs and hand them over to the sect in exchange for a massive amount of contribution points and mid-to-high-grade spirit stones.

The returns would be absolutely terrifying.

Compared to alchemy or talisman-making, the efficiency was far higher.

Entering the secret realm was purely a case of making a profit out of nothing.

If he were lucky enough to stumble upon a high-level magical artifact or a high-tier cultivation technique, he would take off in a single step, saving himself years of struggle.

More importantly, the secret realm contained a vast number of top-tier spiritual herbs that were extinct in the outside world and impossible to buy, even with money.

Those were the core ingredients required for refining high-tier medicinal pills.

There were simply no channels to purchase them, no matter how much wealth one possessed.

With his current cultivation at the eighth level of Qi Refining, coupled with the blessing of Thousandfold Amplification.

He was invincible among his peers, capable of killing them instantly with ease.

The first-tier demonic beasts within the secret realm were no different from ants in front of him.

He could walk sideways without fear, going wherever he pleased, with no one able to stop him.

If he were to take some time to cultivate a treasure-seeking technique.

By then, while others relied on luck to find spiritual herbs, he would rely on spells.

Whatever others couldn't find, he would find with pinpoint accuracy.

How delightful.

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