Nangong Wan to the Rescue!

The foxlike allure radiating from her very bones was like an insurmountable mountain, crushing the assets Dong Xuan'er had always been proud of into dust.

The male cultivators around them, who had originally been looking at Dong Xuan'er, all turned their gazes toward Hu Liena.

Their eyes grew unfocused, and even their breathing became heavy.

"Who is this woman?" Dong Xuan'er bit down on her lip, a powerful surge of jealousy rising within her.

Hu Liena sensed the gazes around her.

She frowned slightly, her eyes turning cold.

An icy aura spread from her, instantly dousing more than half of those male cultivators' improper thoughts.

At Spirit Hall, she had seen such looks countless times and had long known how to deal with them.

"Young Master..."

Hu Liena ignored Dong Xuan'er and continued watching Qian Renxue's direction from the corner of her eye.

She noticed that Qian Renxue's gaze had not lingered on the man in purple robes.

Instead, she was looking toward the very rear of the Covering Moon Sect's group.

Following Qian Renxue's gaze, Hu Liena looked over as well.

There stood a female cultivator dressed in white.

A white veil covered her face, concealing her features.

She stood quietly at the back of the crowd, her cultivation only at the eleventh layer of the Qi Refinement stage.

Surrounded by so many peak-stage experts, she appeared exceedingly inconspicuous.

Yet Qian Renxue's instincts were screaming warnings.

It was the intuition belonging to a true powerhouse.

When her pure yang spiritual power neared the direction of that veiled female cultivator, it actually felt as though its circulation had become sluggish.

This person is dangerous, Qian Renxue concluded inwardly.

The veiled female cultivator seemed to notice Qian Renxue's gaze.

She tilted her head slightly and glanced at Qian Renxue.

Above the veil, her cold eyes were so deep they inspired fear.

The instant their gazes met, Qian Renxue felt as if an invisible hand had clenched around her heart, stopping her breath for half a second.

This veiled female cultivator was Nangong Wan, a Core Formation-stage elder of the Covering Moon Sect who had suppressed her cultivation and infiltrated the Blood-Colored Forbidden Land.

Nangong Wan sized Qian Renxue up.

She was somewhat surprised as well.

Such pure yang-attributed spiritual power. Since when did Yellow Maple Valley take in such a promising seedling?

Nangong Wan muttered to herself.

She had entered this time to search for a special spirit herb needed by Core Formation cultivators and had no desire to create unnecessary trouble.

So she withdrew her gaze, lowered her head again, and pretended to be an ordinary low-level disciple.

Outside the light screen, everyone from Douluo held their breath unconsciously as they watched this undercurrent-filled scene.

The relationships within were far too complicated.

The outwardly arrogant young master of Great Jin.

The talented disciples of the seven sects, each harboring their own schemes.

The old Core Formation monster hidden in the shadows.

And the two peerless daughters of Spirit Hall.

Such a gathering of exceptional talents drove anticipation for this trial to its peak.

The sky grew increasingly dim.

The blood mist around the crater began to churn violently.

A deep rumble of thunder came from the top of the mountain.

Everyone stopped talking and raised their heads toward the mountaintop.

That was the entrance leading to the trial platform.

"The time has come."

The Covering Moon Sect's leader shouted.

A massive stone stele at the foot of the crater suddenly erupted with dazzling red light.

The red light interwove in midair, forming a towering gate of light.

Inside the gate was nothing but chaos; nothing could be seen.

A rich medicinal fragrance, mingled with an ancient, weathered aura, poured out from beyond the gate.

Greed gleamed in the eyes of every cultivator nearby.

The man in purple robes took the lead.

He laughed loudly, waving his folding fan as he strode toward the gate of light.

"I'll gladly take the honor of being the first to enter."

Though the surrounding cultivators were unwilling, the lingering intimidation from his instant slaying of the sword cultivator kept anyone from daring to step forward and stop him.

Qian Renxue gripped her golden spirit sword and was just about to move.

At that moment, the entire ring-shaped mountain suddenly shook violently.

The void above the gate of light seemed to be forcibly torn apart by a pair of giant hands.

A pillar of azure light descended from the sky and crashed directly onto the open ground before the gate.

The blinding radiance forced everyone to close their eyes.

When the light faded, they saw that an azure longsword had appeared on the clearing, embedded in a stone.

The sword was plain and ancient, with two archaic seal-script characters engraved upon its hilt.

Azure Origin.

Then, a voice rang out.

"The trial has begun."

"Those who enter this gate do so at their own risk."

"Only those who carry three thousand-year spirit herbs and reach the center of the trial platform are qualified to undergo this sect's assessment."

Thousand-year spirit herbs!

At those words, the entire crowd erupted in uproar.

Outside, even a hundred-year spirit herb was enough to make Qi Refinement cultivators fight bloody battles.

Three thousand-year spirit herbs—this was practically an impossible task.

Even more frighteningly, thousand-year spirit herbs within this forbidden land were surely guarded by powerful second-rank or even third-rank demonic beasts.

The smile on the purple-robed man's face faded as well.

He looked at the azure sword embedded in the stone, a trace of wariness flashing through his eyes.

Yet he did not retreat. Great Jin's geniuses all possessed their own pride deep in their bones.

He took one step forward and crossed directly into the gate of light.

His figure instantly vanished into the chaotic radiance.

With someone taking the lead, the others no longer hesitated.

Under Nangong Wan's covert command, the Covering Moon Sect group entered in an orderly fashion.

Zhongwu released several venomous bees to scout ahead, then cautiously followed after them.

Chen Qiaoqian tightened her grip on her longsword, took a deep breath, and entered the gate as well.

Hu Liena turned back to look at Qian Renxue.

Qian Renxue gave her an almost imperceptible nod.

Hu Liena understood at once and lightly leaped into the gate of light.

In the end, Qian Renxue was the only one left on the clearing.

She raised her head and glanced at the azure longsword.

The vast pressure belonging to the Azure Origin Sword Sect made her feel as though she were looking up at an insurmountable mountain.

"Thousand-year spirit herbs, huh."

A stubborn curve lifted at the corner of Qian Renxue's lips.

She put away her sword and strode toward the gate.

Her short golden hair appeared especially dazzling beneath the red glow.

Amid a surge of spatial distortion.

Qian Renxue's figure was completely swallowed by the gate of light.

After a dizzying whirl, Qian Renxue felt her feet land on soft grass.

She immediately opened her eyes and surveyed her surroundings.

The sight before her made her breath catch.

This was no longer the bleak, gray wasteland outside.

Instead, it was a vibrant paradise hidden from the world.

Ancient trees towered everywhere, and the air was filled with dense spiritual energy, several times richer than that of the Yellow Maple Valley cave abode.

Sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves, scattering golden patches across the ground.

It looked peaceful and serene.

But Qian Renxue's nerves were stretched to the limit.

In this world of cultivation, the more beautiful a place was, the more likely it concealed deadly danger.

She did not move recklessly. Instead, she carefully extended her spiritual sense.

Beneath a flowering tree less than thirty zhang away from her, she discovered a spiritual herb emitting a faint white glow.

The herb bore a crystal-clear red fruit, giving off an enticingly sweet fragrance.

"Jade Spirit Fruit."

Qian Renxue recognized the herb. It was one of the supplementary ingredients for refining Foundation Establishment Pills recorded in the jade slip.

Judging by its age, it had to be at least several centuries old.

She tightened her grip on her longsword and slowly approached the flowering tree.

But when she was still ten zhang away from the Jade Spirit Fruit, the grass beneath her feet suddenly collapsed without warning.

A huge mouth lined with sharp teeth burst from the earth.

Carrying a pungent, fishy stench, it snapped straight at Qian Renxue's legs.

It was as fast as lightning, leaving no time to react.

Qian Renxue remained calm in the face of danger. She stepped through the air, and the pure yang spiritual power within her erupted.

A burst of golden flame exploded beneath her feet. Using the recoil, she shot several zhang into the air.

Barely avoiding the enormous jaws.

Looking down, she saw a beast resembling a crocodile, though its back was covered in earthen-yellow spikes.

Having missed its attack, the beast let out an enraged roar.

Under its control, the surrounding soil transformed into more than a dozen sharp earthen spears that shot toward Qian Renxue in midair.

The earthen spears howled through the air, raining down upon her from all directions.

Suspended in the air, Qian Renxue had nowhere to brace herself.

She took a deep breath as the pure yang spiritual power within her began circulating wildly.

The golden longsword in her hand erupted with a blinding blaze.

She swung the sword, swiftly drawing a semicircle before her.

The golden flames formed a fiery shield, blocking every earthen spear.

The soil was scorched by the intense heat into glassy fragments, which crackled as they fell onto the grass.

The crocodile beast let out an unwilling roar, its massive body leaping up once more.

A flash of resolve passed through Qian Renxue's eyes.

Rather than retreat, she charged straight at the crocodile beast.

Her blade sliced along the beast's soft underbelly.

Blood and organs spilled across the ground. The crocodile beast crashed heavily into the soil, twitched a few times, and then went still.

Qian Renxue landed on the ground, her face slightly pale.

This demonic beast had thick hide and tough flesh, consuming nearly thirty percent of the spiritual power in her body.

The demonic beasts of the cultivation world were indeed far more troublesome than the soul beasts of the Star Dou Forest.

After steadying her breathing, she turned and walked toward the Jade Spirit Fruit.

Just as her fingers were about to touch the red fruit, two sharp whistles suddenly came from the grass behind her.

Two throwing knives gleaming with green light flew in from opposite sides, aimed directly at Qian Renxue's back.

Qian Renxue's heart skipped a beat.

She did not even have time to pretend to turn around before instinctively throwing herself aside.

"Shk!"

Although she avoided the fatal strike, one of the throwing knives still cut across her left arm.

A numbing sensation rapidly spread from the wound.

The throwing knife was poisoned!

Qian Renxue clutched her wound and swiftly turned around.

Two young Daoists in gray robes leaped down from the canopy of a tree not far ahead.

The insignia of the Clear Void Sect was embroidered on their robes.

The tall Taoist in the lead held a yellow talisman in his hand, an insidious smile on his face.

"This junior sister from Yellow Maple Valley is quite nimble."

The shorter Taoist's gaze roamed brazenly over Qian Renxue's body.

"Senior Brother, this girl is really pretty—far better than those female cultivators at our temple."

"Today, not only do we get a Jade Spirit Fruit for free, we can have some fun too."

Hearing their filthy words, a blaze of fury rose in Qian Renxue's eyes.

She endured the numbness in her left arm, raised her right hand, and condensed the golden longsword once more.

"Courting death."

Just as she was about to mobilize her spiritual power, the tall Taoist moved first.

He tossed the talisman in his hand forward.

The talisman transformed into a massive net in midair and fell over her head.

No one knew what material the net was made from, but it gave off a foul, fishy stench.

Qian Renxue swung her sword at it, only to find that the golden flames gave off a sizzling sound the moment they touched the net.

The firelight dimmed instantly.

"Don't waste your strength."

The tall Taoist burst into laughter.

"This is a poisonous net woven from century-old Bone-Rotting Vines. It specifically counters all kinds of spirit fire."

The net rapidly tightened, binding Qian Renxue's entire body securely within it.

The barbs on the net pierced her skin, draining all the strength from her body like a receding tide.

Qian Renxue collapsed onto the grass, her golden hair stained with dirt.

She gritted her teeth and desperately tried to break free.

But the poison was far too overbearing; she could not even move a finger.

Outside the light screen, everyone in Spirit Hall broke out in cold sweat at the sight.

Bibi Dong abruptly rose to her feet, her grip on the scepter creaking.

"Despicable and shameless!"

Qian Daoliu's face was equally livid.

They could only watch as Qian Renxue fell prey to a sneak attack, powerless to do anything.

The despair of watching one of their own prodigies face humiliation made all the soul masters feel the harshness of the cultivation world.

For the sake of profit, no one cared about honor or decency.

At Shrek Academy.

Dai Mubai clenched his fists, gritting his teeth.

"Two men ambushing an injured girl—what kind of righteous sect is that?!"

Yu Xiaogang let out a sigh, his tone filled with helplessness.

"This is the cultivation world."

"There are no righteous sects or evil sects. Only the living have the right to speak."

"Qian Renxue is still too young. She lacks the vigilance needed for life-and-death battles like this."

In the scene, the two Taoists approached slowly with lewd grins.

The shorter Taoist crouched down and reached out to touch Qian Renxue's face.

Watching that filthy hand draw near, a trace of resolve flashed through Qian Renxue's eyes.

She was even prepared to forcibly reverse her meridians and perish together with the two of them.

At that critical moment, a gentle white light suddenly lit up in the distant woods.

The white light appeared slow, but it was actually fast beyond measure.

Like a crescent moon, it silently swept across the two Taoists' necks.

The shorter Taoist's hand froze in midair.

The smile on the tall Taoist's face stiffened instantly as well.

The next second, two heads rolled onto the grass.

Blood sprayed out, dyeing the earth beside Qian Renxue red.

The two headless corpses swayed before collapsing to one side.

Qian Renxue froze. With difficulty, she raised her head and looked in the direction from which the white light had flown back.

A female cultivator in white stepped over the fallen leaves and slowly approached.

A white veil covered her face, revealing only a pair of cold, detached eyes.

She was the Covering Moon Sect disciple who had alerted Qian Renxue outside the forbidden grounds earlier.

The streak of white light flew back into the female cultivator's hand, transforming into a crystal-clear ring-shaped artifact.

She walked over to the two corpses, her eyes filled with disgust.

"Those scum from the Clear Void Sect are still as despicable as ever."