The Outskirts of the Central Region

The first night after entering the Forbidden Grounds quickly passed as Xiao Yu refined his newly acquired magical artifacts.

After a day of slaughter, only sixty or seventy disciples from the various sects remained alive in the Forbidden Grounds by the second day-less than half the number who had entered.

Most of the elite disciples from the various sects had reached the vicinity of the central region in time, ready to begin the second day's great purge, lying in wait like hunters beside a stump for rabbits to come to them.

As in previous trials, everyone they deemed weak would be ruthlessly eliminated, one by one.

Of course, some clever people had anticipated this. Rather than rushing toward the central region, these disciples concentrated on gathering spirit herbs around the outskirts.

Others had no intention of going to the central region at all. Instead, they deliberately hunkered down in secluded corners to wait for the Forbidden Grounds to reopen. As long as they survived the final ambush before being transported out and escaped alive, that counted as a victory, earning them a consolation reward from their sect for nothing.

Indeed, in a mountain hollow north of the central region where rare herbs grew, three cultivators were fighting fiercely against a Gale Wolf.

A middle-aged man in black controlled a massive green sword, blocking most of the Gale Wolf's attacks, while an old man in blue and a young man in yellow supported him with attacks from either flank.

Before long, the middle-aged man in black took a Wind Blade spell head-on and severed the demonic beast's head with a single stroke. He then recalled his massive sword and threw back his head in laughter.

"Brother Lu, your magical power is truly profound! You even killed this Gale Wolf with a single effortless strike! Just what one would expect of an outstanding disciple of the Giant Sword Sect..." At the sight, the old man in blue immediately scurried over, pouring out an endless stream of flattery without the slightest blush.

"Heh heh! Without Brother Zhang and Brother Chen assisting me, how could I have succeeded so easily?" the middle-aged man in black said modestly, holding his massive sword.

"Why be so polite, Brother Lu? You deserve the greatest credit for slaying this demonic beast. There's no disputing that!" the young man in yellow added from the other side.

A smile flickered across the middle-aged man's face, but he immediately offered a few more modest remarks.

"Speaking of which, those fellows still fighting and killing each other really are fools! Isn't it much better to join forces like us, killing beasts and gathering herbs together? What good does fighting to the death do?" The man in black suddenly changed the subject.

"Exactly! Cultivators like us, with low cultivation and no powerful means at our disposal, couldn't protect our spirit herbs alone, no matter how many we gathered.

"How foolish would we have to be to throw away our lives for something that could never belong to us? Joining forces to gather rare herbs outside the central region is both safe and reliable!" the old man in blue said emphatically.

At this, the other two launched into another enthusiastic round of mutual flattery.

"All right, let's hurry and gather the Bewitching Heart Flowers! We'll divide them equally, one share each!" The man in black was the first to lose patience, urgency creeping into his voice. With that, he walked toward the few small pink flowers behind the Gale Wolf's corpse.

The old man in blue and the young man in yellow exchanged meaningful smiles, then followed him, readily agreeing.

Neither noticed the cold, sinister look that suddenly appeared on the black-robed man's face as he turned his back to them, only to vanish a moment later.

After daybreak on the second day, Xiao Yu set off toward the central region once more. He did not hurry, prioritizing caution and avoiding clashes with others whenever possible.

Along the way, he encountered four disciples from Yellow Maple Valley and the Qingxu Sect locked in a fierce battle. He merely watched from a distance for a moment before leaving, with no intention of playing the oriole waiting behind the mantis. The oriole did not succeed every time; who knew whether a hunter was watching from farther behind?

After traveling for more than half a day, he finally reached the outskirts of the central region and stood before an enormous wall.

The stone wall was several zhang high. Looking left or right, he could see no end to it, and there was no telling how far it stretched in either direction.

A short distance along the wall to the right stood a large, antique bronze gate, inscribed with numerous ancient characters that resembled decorative patterns.

The characters were crooked and intricate. Xiao Yu examined them carefully and found that he recognized none of them.

The bronze gate stood open, indicating that someone had already entered.

Beside the bronze gate stood four posts made from tree trunks. At a glance, they had clearly been planted there only recently.

Horrifyingly, a person had been "skewered" on each post. Some had been impaled through the crotch, others through the abdomen. Blood had run down the posts and pooled everywhere, staining the surrounding ground a dark, blackish red.

One of the impaled victims had not yet breathed their last. Their body still twitched involuntarily from time to time, and faint groans escaped their mouth. The sight sent a chill down Xiao Yu's spine.

The powerful cultivators who had entered first must have used this cruel method to "skewer" these people alive on the posts, warning anyone who came after them.

But would it really work? For cultivators truly determined to reach Foundation Establishment, such a sight was nowhere near enough to make them retreat.

Although Xiao Yu felt somewhat uneasy, his resolve was firm. The victims' wretched condition would not frighten him off. After watching for a moment, he stepped toward the bronze gate.

As soon as he passed through the bronze gate, a vision of an immortal paradise unfolded before him, alive with birdsong and fragrant flowers. Exotic flowers, unusual herbs, strange pines, and peculiar trees filled his view.

There were silver chrysanthemums as large as the mouth of a bowl, strange trees as red as blood, purple grasses that gave off an unusual fragrance, and yellow bamboo as thick as a person's waist. All were rarities seldom seen in the outside world, yet here they grew everywhere.

Amid this extraordinary vegetation, a winding path led from the gate into the distance, where branches and leaves obscured it. Its end was nowhere in sight.

The spiritual energy here was also exceptionally dense. Xiao Yu drew a deep breath, and a stream of spiritual energy rich with the scent of vegetation entered his body, permeating his lungs and leaving him refreshed.

Just as Xiao Yu finished surveying his surroundings and prepared to head farther inside, a cold voice came from nearby.

"Another one who isn't afraid to die. With your cultivation, I have no idea where you found so much confidence. You actually dared come in here to throw your life away!"

"What skulking rat is there? Get out here!" Xiao Yu's heart tightened at these words, and he shouted toward a clump of flowers.

"Heh heh! Since you're so eager to die, I'll oblige you!" A man dressed in a riot of colors, with several pouches hanging from his waist, stepped out of the flowers.

A disciple of Spirit Beast Mountain, at the peak of the thirteenth layer! Seeing the man's attire, Xiao Yu understood. With those colors, the man could hide among the flowers and be nearly impossible to spot without a careful look. No wonder Xiao Yu had failed to notice him earlier.

"If you want my life, we'll see whether you have the ability to take it. My cultivation may be low, but that doesn't mean I'm afraid of you!"

Xiao Yu spoke expressionlessly, simultaneously bringing out the Radiant Mother-and-Son Swords and the Spirit Turtle Shield, readying both offense and defense.

"Hmph! You'll pay for that stubborn mouth." Enraged by his words, the man in colorful clothes slapped his Spirit Beast Bag. A giant white-furred bear immediately appeared before him. The moment it emerged, it reared onto its hind legs and let out an enormous, furious "Roar!" at Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu's heart tightened. Standing upright, the giant bear was over a zhang tall. Judging by its aura, it was actually an upper-grade first-tier spirit beast. No wonder the man had spoken so arrogantly.

Although inwardly startled, Xiao Yu's hands did not slow. He immediately formed several Spell Seals, and the Radiant Mother-and-Son Swords transformed into seven streaks of green light that shot toward the giant bear.