Exploring the Trial Secret Realm

Xiao Tianhao returned to his home outside the institute, a house he had recently bought in Glory City.

He decided to begin exploring the Trial Secret Realm within the Profound Space Pearl.

His cultivation and lack of time had kept him from entering before. Now that he had some time to spare, he could finally see what lay inside.

Xiao Tianhao sat on his bed, took out the Profound Space Pearl, and placed it in his palm.

A mysterious sheen flowed across its surface, seemingly responding to his intentions.

He focused and slowly channeled his soul force into the Profound Space Pearl. In an instant, a gentle force enveloped him. Light flashed before his eyes, and he entered the pearl.

An endless plain stretched before him-the inner space of the Profound Space Pearl. A vortex glowing blue stood on the plain, leading into the Trial Secret Realm.

He walked in without hesitation.

The secret realm has nine floors. The first floor is now open. It contains various demon beasts of gold rank and below, allowing for live combat training. Demon beasts killed within the secret realm can also be taken outside.

Xiao Tianhao silently recited the realm's rules, his wary gaze sweeping his surroundings.

He stood in a dense forest. The trees were tall and thick, and sunlight spilled through gaps in the leaves, scattering patches of light across the ground.

Dampness hung in the air. Occasionally, a low beastly growl sounded in the distance, creating an invisible pressure.

Xiao Tianhao advanced cautiously. Suddenly, a rustling sound came from ahead.

He immediately stopped, every muscle tensing as he fixed his eyes on the source of the sound.

A fox darted out of the undergrowth. It had an agile build and silver fur, with a faint blue tint at the tips of its ears and tail.

Its eyes gleamed with cunning, and it moved with astonishing speed, like a phantom.

But he recognized it at a glance: a Bronze Rank demon beast, a Gale Fox.

Gale Foxes specialized in wind element techniques and could accelerate in an instant, making their movements difficult to track.

It let out a shrill cry at Xiao Tianhao, then lunged at him in a streak of silver.

Xiao Tianhao was ready. He sidestepped, easily avoiding its attack, while a Tactical Dagger appeared in his hand. Runes engraved on its blade greatly enhanced its power.

The dagger glinted coldly in the sunlight. It was the weapon he had brought from the Modern World and modified.

The Gale Fox did not lose heart after its failed strike. Instead, it kept circling Xiao Tianhao, searching for another opening.

Xiao Tianhao kept his gaze locked on it. He knew this demon beast was incredibly fast and could not afford even a moment's carelessness.

Suddenly, the Gale Fox attacked again, leaping high and snapping at his throat.

Xiao Tianhao seized the moment and thrust his dagger, striking the Gale Fox squarely in the head.

The Gale Fox screamed in pain and hit the ground hard, dying on the spot.

Xiao Tianhao walked over, confirmed that it was dead, and stored it in his Space Ring.

He knew its fur and demon crystal had some value. Killing demon beasts would also help him become more familiar with this secret realm.

Meanwhile, on the training grounds of the Sacred Orchid Institute, Xiao Ning'er diligently practiced using the methods Xiao Tianhao had taught her.

The sword in her hand flashed coldly in the sunlight, every movement brimming with powerful force.

After receiving Xiao Tianhao's guidance and taking the pills he had given her, Xiao Ning'er felt a clear improvement in her strength. She seemed only a step away from breaking through to bronze 4-star.

Elsewhere, Nie Li arrived at the Alchemist Association. He glanced at the large, archaic lettering above the entrance and walked in without hesitation.

To think that he, someone who had been reborn, had fallen behind another person. It made his desire to improve all the more urgent.

Xiao Tianhao ventured farther into the secret realm and soon reached a swamp.

A pungent smell filled the area. Black mud covered the ground, with bubbles rising from it from time to time.

He immediately grew wary and backed away quickly.

Suddenly, a massive Silver Rank Marsh Giant Bear slowly rose from the swamp.

The bear was enormous, more than twice a person's height, and covered in thick black scales that gleamed darkly in the sunlight.

Its paws were as huge as palm-leaf fans. Each step made the ground give a dull thud.

Marsh Giant Bears specialized in earth element techniques. They could manipulate mud to attack and conceal themselves within it, making them nearly impossible to guard against.

Upon spotting Xiao Tianhao, it unleashed a sky-shaking roar and slammed both paws into the ground.

Mud instantly shot toward Xiao Tianhao like cannonballs.

Xiao Tianhao hurriedly employed his movement technique, darting through the air to evade the mud.

As he dodged, he noticed that although the Marsh Giant Bear's attacks were powerful, its movements were relatively slow.

He seized an opening between its attacks and swiftly closed in.

Once he was close enough, the Tactical Dagger in his hand flashed as he thrust it toward the bear's eye. The eyes were a weak point for most creatures.

Sensing danger, the Marsh Giant Bear hurriedly swung a paw to defend itself.

Its paw collided with the dagger with a sharp clang. Xiao Tianhao felt a tremendous force surge through his arm, leaving it slightly numb.

At bronze 4-star, fighting a Silver Rank demon beast was still quite taxing. After all, demon beasts were far stronger than humans of the same rank. A human Silver Demon Spirit Master would have been much easier for him to handle.

But he did not give up and attacked again.

After a fierce battle, Xiao Tianhao finally found an opening and drove his dagger into the Marsh Giant Bear's throat.

The bear let out an agonized roar, and its massive body crashed to the ground.

Xiao Tianhao was in rough shape as well, panting heavily. Numerous wounds now covered his body, blood slowly seeping from them.

He hurriedly took an Origin-Restoring Pill from his Space Ring and swallowed it. His soul force and stamina quickly recovered. Although the Origin-Restoring Pill was not specifically a healing pill, it still had considerable healing effects.

After resting briefly, Xiao Tianhao stored the Marsh Giant Bear in his Space Ring. He no longer dared venture deeper.

He knew that with his bronze 4-star strength, going farther in might put his life at risk.

For the rest of his training, he stayed near the outskirts and hunted demon beasts. He encountered several more Bronze Rank beasts and successfully killed them all with his agile movement technique and Tactical Dagger.

As the sky darkened, Xiao Tianhao left the Trial Secret Realm.

He sat on his bed and began taking stock of his gains.

His Space Ring held several Bronze Rank Gale Foxes, Crimson Flame Rats, Earth-Splitting Tigers, and Phoenix-Tailed Crested Snakes, along with one Silver Rank Marsh Giant Bear.

Their flesh, fur, and demon crystals were all worth a considerable amount. The Marsh Giant Bear's demon crystal, in particular, would be a great help in improving his strength.

Moreover, the live combat within the secret realm had given him a clearer understanding of his own strength and enriched his combat experience.

He knew this Trial Secret Realm would be an important place for him to grow stronger, and he would continue exploring its depths in the future.

During his absence, the Sacred Orchid Institute and Glory City had also continued to change. The progress of Xiao Ning'er, Nie Li, and the Alchemist Association filled him with anticipation for the future.

The Sacred Orchid Institute.

Xiao Ning'er's cultivation had also reached a crucial moment.

She could feel that only a hair's breadth separated her from a breakthrough. One more step, and she would reach bronze 4-star.

She took a Soul-Nourishing Pill from her Space Ring and swallowed it, then sat cross-legged and circulated her soul force, repeatedly battering the bottleneck of her cultivation.

The bottleneck slowly began to loosen, and her tension gave way to ease.

A soundless rumble erupted.

Boom!

Bronze 4-star-achieved.

At the Alchemist Association, the atmosphere was also quite tense.

"It-it worked!" A group of alchemists crowded around a pill furnace, including both Junior Alchemy Masters and Intermediate Alchemy Masters.

Joyful smiles now spread across their faces.

"I never imagined this little violet orchid grass could have such an effect."

"Indeed. Adding purple mist grass to Soul-Gathering Pills and Spirit-Nourishing Pills actually increased the success rate by fifty percent, while improving their efficacy by over thirty percent." A middle-aged alchemist placed a Soul-Gathering Pill in his mouth and spoke with emotion after refining it.

"It seems our Alchemist Association is truly about to rise. Two alchemy geniuses have appeared, one after the other."

"Oh, and produce pills from the four pill formulas young Nie Li provided-the Soul-Consolidating Pill, Soul-Tempering Pill, Nine-Transformation Pill, and Divine Wind Pill. Put them on sale together tomorrow," President Gu Yan said, stroking his beard, equally moved.

With this batch of pills, the name of their Alchemist Association would surely resound throughout Glory City.

Meanwhile, in Xiao Tianhao's house.

Having just gone through a battle, this was the perfect time to cultivate.

He sorted out the day's gains, then sat cross-legged, took out a Soul-Nourishing Pill and a Body Tempering Pill, and swallowed them together.

The bottleneck loosened by battle shattered in an instant.

"Bronze 5-Star. It's time to consider what demon spirit to take into my body," Xiao Tianhao murmured, exhaling.

In the coming days, Xiao Tianhao planned to continue exploring the Trial Secret Realm while keeping an eye on the Alchemist Association.

He knew that as his strength improved and the various factions developed, Glory City would undergo even more changes. And in that process, he would play an increasingly important role.

In his room, Xiao Tianhao considered his future cultivation plans.

He looked forward to his next venture into the secret realm, hoping for greater gains and further breakthroughs.

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