Don't Die!

Ye Tianming was utterly stunned. Just what realm was this senior sister in? Her strength was downright frightening.

Without dwelling on it, Ye Tianming rose on his sword and hurried after them.

About half an hour later, Song Shi brought Ye Tianming and Fu Zang to the Immortal Treasure Pavilion in the Central Divine Province. He led them straight into its teleportation array area, where an old man came forward to greet them, his face wreathed in smiles. "Academy Master Song, what wind blew you here today?"

Song Shi said, "I'm taking two students to the Transcendent Dao Field."

The old man was startled. "To the Transcendent Dao Field?"

He looked at Ye Tianming and Fu Zang. "Them?"

Song Shi nodded. "Yes."

The old man's expression turned strange.

"How much?" Song Shi asked.

The old man said gravely, "Ninety thousand crystals per person."

"What?"

It was Ye Tianming who spoke. His eyes went wide. "Ninety thousand spirit crystals?"

The old man glanced at him. "That's ninety thousand supreme-grade spirit crystals."

Ye Tianming's expression froze.

Ninety thousand supreme-grade spirit crystals was the equivalent of three hundred thousand spirit crystals...

That was outrageous.

Fu Zang, on the other hand, remained expressionless and unruffled.

Song Shi said gravely, "Yu Lian, give us a discount."

The old man named Yu Lian smiled bitterly. "Academy Master Song, there are rules about this."

Song Shi shook his head. "A discount. Fifty percent off."

Yu Lian's face darkened. Why don't you just rob me? Damn it, how can you even say that?

In the end, after Song Shi pestered him again and again, the old man gave him a twenty percent discount. After paying, Song Shi led the old man and the other two into the teleportation array, and they vanished from it.

Yu Lian glanced in the direction the three had gone, looking thoughtful.

Just then, a man came over and said respectfully, "Manager Yu, that young man seems to be Ye Tianming... Should we notify the Xiao Family?"

Yu Lian glanced at him. "You notify the Xiao Family and curry favor with them, and they'll treat you like a brother?"

"Uh..."

The man was dumbfounded.

Yu Lian said calmly, "You can go through life without a backer or strength, but you must know your own limits. That young man survived the Xiao Family and Qingzhou Academy. He's not someone we can afford to offend. Besides, do you really think the Xiao Family wouldn't know he was out here? Get back to hauling bricks."

With that, he turned and left.

The man said, "..."

Inside the teleportation passage.

Ye Tianming was curious. "Academy Master, what sort of place is the Transcendent Dao Field?"

Song Shi said, "A mysterious ruin that recently appeared, outside the Guanxuan Universe. For now, it's divided into low, middle, and high regions. You're going to the low region this time."

Ye Tianming was surprised. "Outside the Guanxuan Universe?"

Song Shi nodded. "There's less than half a year until the Myriad Provinces Grand Competition. Ordinary tempering would be pointless for you, so I'm taking you straight into a high-level match."

"How high?" Ye Tianming asked.

Song Shi glanced at him. "As high as the heavens."

Ye Tianming said, "..."

About an hour later, the three emerged from the teleportation passage. They were now high in the sky. As far as they could see, a range of mountains stretched endlessly into the distance, their peaks hidden in clouds and mist. From the ground, they looked as though they reached the heavens, a magnificent sight.

Song Shi suddenly said, "I can only take you this far."

Ye Tianming looked at Song Shi, who gazed at the endless mountain range in the distance. "This is the beginner region of the Transcendent Dao Field. Anyone above the Divine Being Realm is forbidden from entering. Once you're inside, don't go to the intermediate or advanced regions..."

He turned to Fu Zang. "Your task is to obtain a dragon vein."

Fu Zang said nothing and walked off into the distance.

Song Shi turned to Ye Tianming. "Your task is to come back alive."

Ye Tianming was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. "All right."

He too walked off into the distance.

Song Shi suddenly called, "Tianming."

Ye Tianming turned to look at him. Song Shi looked at him and said again, "Come back alive."

Ye Tianming nodded. "I'll do my best."

Song Shi nodded. "Go on."

Ye Tianming took out a storage ring and handed it to Song Shi. "Academy Master, please give this storage ring to my eldest brother, Ye Nan."

The ring held all his spirit crystals. He knew the Ye Family needed them more than he did right now.

Song Shi accepted the ring. Ye Tianming bowed deeply to him, then turned and left.

Soon, as Song Shi watched, Ye Tianming and Fu Zang disappeared into the distance.

Song Shi's expression was complicated. What Ye Tianming lacked most now was actual combat. And what was actual combat? It was real fighting, not finding a few people to spar with him. That was all hollow. Only battles in which one could feel the reality of death could truly temper a person.

Only if Ye Tianming came back alive would he be qualified to enter the Myriad Provinces Grand Competition.

Of course, such tempering was undoubtedly cruel to Ye Tianming, but Song Shi had no other choice. He could only resort to strong medicine.

True top-tier geniuses were never raised in greenhouses; they fought their way out of the battlefield.

Soon, Ye Tianming and Fu Zang arrived at the entrance to the secret realm. It was a cleft between two towering mountains that rose into the clouds. The gap between them looked as though it had been carved by a sharp sword, its edges smooth as mirrors.

After the two passed through the cleft, a sense of vast emptiness swept over them. Before them lay a wasteland, and at its far end, tall buildings and halls were faintly visible.

Just then, Fu Zang suddenly leaped forward, turning into a terrifying wave of force as she hurtled toward that area.

She had only traveled several thousand zhang when a roar suddenly rang out from the mountains below her. A gigantic wolf-like demonic beast shot into the sky, its bloody maw wide open as it lunged at her. Without so much as looking at it, Fu Zang stomped down.

Bang!

With a howl of agony, the enormous demonic beast exploded in midair, scattering into a bloody mist that filled the sky...

Ye Tianming watched, dumbstruck.

That demonic beast had been at least at the Divine Being Realm, yet she had crushed it with a single stomp?

Ye Tianming said excitedly, "As expected of my senior sister. She's fierce."

Little Pagoda said, "..."

Ye Tianming didn't fly on his sword. Instead, he headed into the distance on foot. Without his senior sister's strength, he was better off keeping a low profile.

On the way, Ye Tianming said with some excitement, "Tower Ancestor, this is my first trial. What should I watch out for?"

Little Pagoda said, "Watch out that you don't die."

Ye Tianming said, "..."

Soon, Ye Tianming entered a dense forest. The trees were enormous, blotting out the sky and sun. Not even sunlight could get through, making it very oppressive.

Ye Tianming was on high alert. Since cultivating the mental cultivation method Pagoda Master had given him, his mental power had become exceptionally strong, far stronger than that of an ordinary Major Tribulation Realm cultivator. As he sensed his surroundings, he could clearly detect the slightest movement.

Ye Tianming asked again, "Tower Ancestor, if I run into a demonic beast or something, should I greet it first or attack right away? Are there any rules of the jianghu or anything?"

Little Pagoda said, "..."

When Little Pagoda didn't answer, Ye Tianming said, "Tower Ancestor?"

Little Pagoda said, "Don't overthink it. Just act according to what you really think. But I have to warn you: in a place like this, people are often more terrifying than demonic beasts."

Ye Tianming asked, "Tower Ancestor, I read in a book that killing people and taking their treasures is the fastest way to make money. Is that true?"

Little Pagoda said, "That's not wrong. What, do you want to kill people and take their treasures?"

Ye Tianming thought for a moment, then said, "Killing people and taking their treasures for no reason doesn't befit a scholar. Is there a way to do it without my conscience reproaching me?"

Little Pagoda said, "There is."

Ye Tianming hurriedly asked, "What is it?"

Little Pagoda said, "Entrapment, but I don't recommend it."

"Why?" Ye Tianming asked.

Little Pagoda said, "Because it'll make you more and more shameless. You're an honest, kindhearted child. Don't learn those fancy tricks. That wouldn't be good, really, because once a person chooses to be shameless, he has no principles left."

Ye Tianming said, "..."

Rumble...

Just then, a series of tremendous crashes came from the distance. Ye Tianming's heart jolted. What happened? While he was wondering, a massive creature suddenly came hurtling toward him from afar. His expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly dodged aside. The creature crashed to the ground, twitched, and stopped breathing.

Ye Tianming looked closely. It was a demonic beast at the Immortal Realm.

It had died just like that?

He turned to look. Not far away, four women were approaching with a sedan chair. All four were beautiful. A man in brocade robes sat in the chair with his legs crossed, holding a bunch of grapes, eating them and spitting as he went.

A sedan chair?

Ye Tianming was a little bewildered. He thought, Tower Ancestor, what's he doing?

Little Pagoda said, "Nothing much. He's just a show-off."

Ye Tianming said, "..."

At that moment, the man in the sedan chair suddenly looked at Ye Tianming and smiled. "Brother, I didn't scare you, did I?"

Ye Tianming said, "No."

The man smiled. "Are you here to temper yourself?"

Ye Tianming nodded. "Yes... Brother, you're here to experience life, aren't you?"

Little Pagoda said, "..."