Secrets of the Trial

"You...!"

As the sword light came hurtling in, the Youth in Silk Scarf's expression changed abruptly. Ignoring his bleeding wound, he hurriedly drove all the True Yuan in his body toward his chest.

At the brink of life and death, a Turtle Pattern Shield rose from his chest. The shield was struck by the sword light, and a long, narrow crack instantly appeared across it.

Yet it also blocked that fatal strike.

"Hmm? As expected, you still had another trump card?!" Su Shi'er raised an eyebrow. Without giving anything away, he pulled back from his opponent while continuing to channel the White Mist Sword in his hand.

Since they were risking their lives, he would fight to the bitter end.

The Youth in Silk Scarf lay on the ground. Seeing this, he was so terrified that his liver and gallbladder seemed to split apart, his very soul fleeing his body.

One of his arms had been severed, and many of his methods could not be used for the time being. This Turtle Pattern Shield was his final defensive measure.

But the Turtle Pattern Shield was only a mid-grade Magical Artifact. It could not hold out for long. ????

As the sword light came again, the Youth in Silk Scarf hurriedly shouted, "Don't attack yet! I know a secret about this Newcomer Trial. If you kill me, you'll definitely regret it!"

"Newcomer Trial?"

Hearing those words, Su Shi'er froze slightly.

After hesitating for a moment, he looked at his opponent and slashed out three times in rapid succession. Three streaks of sword light fell, severing the tendons in the man's arms and legs.

"Ah..." The Youth in Silk Scarf collapsed to the ground, his face twisting from the pain.

But the moment he opened his mouth, Su Shi'er cut him off.

"Speak. If your information fails to satisfy me, the next strike will take your life."

Su Shi'er held the White Mist Sword aloft, killing intent blazing in his eyes. He also gripped an Offensive-Defensive Talisman in his hand, ready to throw it at any moment.

"I can tell you, but you must let me leave alive," the Youth in Silk Scarf said through the pain.

Seeing how decisively Su Shi'er had acted, he knew he had run into a ruthless man.

So long as his limbs remained intact, he would still have a chance to launch a sneak attack. But now, that chance was as faint as a thread.

At this moment, all he wanted was to leave alive.

"No problem!" Su Shi'er agreed without hesitation.

"Uh..." The Youth in Silk Scarf hesitated. Su Shi'er had agreed too readily, making him feel even more uneasy.

But he also knew that he had no room to choose now.

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Drawing a deep breath, he swiftly sent True Yuan to his wounds to stabilize them, then said, "Do you know why, in this year's Newcomer Trial, even servant disciples who failed the assessment in previous years are allowed to participate?"

Hmm? Even servant disciples who had failed previous assessments could participate?

Su Shi'er frowned slightly. Of course, he did not know.

But this news alone made him realize that danger was lurking.

After all, servant disciples who had failed the assessment in the past had cultivated for many years. Even if their cultivation was not high, their strength would certainly not be weak.

No matter what the trial involved, once old and new disciples clashed, the newcomers would be the ones out of luck.

Pressing down his doubts, Su Shi'er said with a stern face, "I have no interest in answering your questions. You'd better get to the point. Otherwise, I can't guarantee your injuries will hold out until you leave alive."

The Youth in Silk Scarf shot Su Shi'er a resentful glare, then continued, "The reason for this rule is that ten years ago, while the Tianyin Peak Master was studying an Ancient Teleportation Array, he accidentally located an Ancient Forbidden Zone."

"That forbidden zone contains dense Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, along with vast quantities of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. There are even medicinal herbs that have grown for hundreds or thousands of years."

"The sect changed the rules of the Newcomer Trial in order to explore that Ancient Forbidden Zone."

Su Shi'er listened intently, his eyes fixed on the other man without blinking, afraid that he might try to pull some trick.

After hearing this, Su Shi'er frowned and said flatly, "An Ancient Forbidden Zone? Vast quantities of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures? If such a place truly existed, would the sect send people like us?"

He voiced his doubts without the slightest politeness.

Though he had spent the past few years cultivating bitterly, he had also found ways to read quite a few books.

He could not claim to have seen much of the world, but he still possessed basic common sense.

Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures were things every cultivator desired.

"This is not a matter of whether the sect is willing. That Ancient Forbidden Zone is filled with ancient formations. The stronger the cultivator who enters, the greater the pressure they suffer. Several elders of the sect were gravely injured after rashly entering it."

"Only Qi Refiners at Qi Refining Stage Six or below can move about freely inside without being affected."

"If word of such a place leaked out, it would surely draw the covetous eyes of other sects. That is why the sect decided to allow all servant disciples who had failed in the past and were below Qi Refining Stage Six to participate."

Lying on the ground, the Youth in Silk Scarf gave a bitter smile.

He had entered the sect much earlier than Su Shi'er and was also a Tianhua Peak disciple. The information he knew far exceeded Su Shi'er's.

Hearing this, Su Shi'er gave no outward reaction, but inwardly, he believed most of it.

In his view, the sect had two reasons for allowing those servant disciples to join.

One was to send in more cannon fodder and white mice to explore an unknown place like this. The other was the true purpose of the trial.

And that meant this Newcomer Trial would be more brutal than any before it. No one would ever complain about having too many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. When the time came, all kinds of conflicts would inevitably erupt.

As far as he knew, the servant disciples of the Yun Ge Sect were no simple group. There were mainly two kinds of servant disciples. One kind consisted of people like them, taken into the sect at a young age, who chose to remain as servant disciples after failing the trial. The other kind consisted of Rogue Cultivators entering the sect. These people already possessed some cultivation, had all manner of past experiences, and included an especially large number of ruthless characters. ??

"Is that all you have to say?" Su Shi'er asked flatly after the other man finished.

"Of course not. According to information sent back by the elders of our Tianhua Peak, there is a Spiritual Plant Garden within that Ancient Forbidden Zone. In the garden grows a Hundred-Year Vermillion Fruit Tree that takes two hundred years to sprout, two hundred years to flower, and two hundred years to bear fruit."

"Those Hundred-Year Vermillion Fruits can increase one's cultivation by more than ten years with just a single one."

"You defeated me with such strength, which proves your ability. And I have a map of that Spiritual Plant Garden. During this Newcomer Trial, we can join forces to search for that Hundred-Year Vermillion Fruit Tree."

The Youth in Silk Scarf spoke as he suppressed his hatred for Su Shi'er and extended an invitation.

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"Where is the map?" Su Shi'er stared at him and immediately asked.

He was not entirely ignorant about Cinnabar Fruits. Some miscellaneous records he had read before contained related descriptions.

A Hundred-Year Vermillion Fruit could indeed increase one's cultivation by more than ten years after being consumed!

With his Mixed Spiritual Roots, cultivation was especially arduous. Naturally, he was particularly tempted by spiritual medicines that could improve cultivation.

"The map is at my residence. Once the Newcomer Trial begins, I'll bring it and meet up with you. Neither you nor I can possibly seize that Spiritual Plant Garden alone. If we want those Cinnabar Fruits, joining forces is the only way!" Seeing that Su Shi'er was clearly tempted, the Youth in Silk Scarf hurriedly continued persuading him.

"Fine. How will we divide the spoils then?" Su Shi'er nodded.

"Six-four. You get six, I get four!" Hearing this, the Youth in Silk Scarf finally let out a silent breath of relief.

He knew very well that the only way to truly survive was to move Su Shi'er. Reaching a partnership was the best method.

Though his injuries were severe now, with his hands and feet broken, they could still be healed so long as he found a Rejoining Pill.

And once he recovered from his injuries, what happened afterward would be another matter entirely.

"No problem. You can leave," Su Shi'er said with a nod.

As he spoke, he sheathed the White Mist Sword and carried it on his back. With both hands clasped behind him, he appeared to be captivated by the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, while his mind recalled the Object Manipulation Technique he had once read about.

Seeing this, the Youth in Silk Scarf finally put his hanging heart to rest. "Fine. I'll remember this favor."

With that, he struggled to prop himself up and prepared to take out an Escape Talisman to leave.

But the moment he turned around—

Squelch.

A fragment of a broken sword pierced straight through his heart.

The Youth in Silk Scarf's breath caught. He turned to look at Su Shi'er and saw that Su Shi'er had not moved from where he stood, while the flying sword remained behind him.

Lowering his head, he realized that at some unknown moment, a fragment of his own shattered flying sword had landed beside him.

When he looked up again, his eyes were filled with unwillingness and hatred.

"You... you deceived me!"