61: I, a stinky man, am a hunter of fairies!

Three days later.

The 【hidden dragon list】 grand competition of the three Imperial Dynasties officially opened.

On the central plaza of Qianlong City, it was crowded with people, and the atmosphere was feverish to the extreme.

The Flying Boat of the seven top Sects, like seven floating fortresses, hung silently around the plaza.

And in the very center of the plaza, a huge stone monument, a thousand zhang high and made of unknown black crystal, was radiating a chilling, desolate aura.

— — The Hidden Dragon Monument!

At this moment, the mysterious Queen of Qianlong City, who had always been shrouded in divine light, was hovering above the Hidden Dragon Monument. Her voice, flat yet containing supreme majesty, resounded through heaven and earth.

"Everyone, proud daughters of heaven from the three Imperial Dynasties."

"The once-in-a-century 【hidden dragon list】 opens again today!"

"I assume you are all clear on the rules."

"But I must reiterate!"

Her voice suddenly became ice-cold!

"Beneath this Qianlong City you stand upon, an ancient battlefield called 【Fallen Dragon Valley】 is sealed!"

"That is where our Human Race ancestors fought against the Yao Race elites in the ancient era!"

"The valley still retains endless Yao Qi of extermination!"

"Under the evolution of millions of years, these Yao Qi of extermination constantly breed... Beast of Extermination that have no intelligence and only know how to kill!"

"These Beast of Extermination are fearless and breed extremely fast! If left unchecked, every few hundred years they will form a... World-Ending Beast Tide capable of breaking the Seal and sweeping through the three Imperial Dynasties!"

"Therefore!"

The City Lord's voice was full of iron-blooded killing intent!

"Your task is very simple!"

"It is to enter, and use your swords and your Spell to... clean them up!"

"Go and slaughter all those beasts attempting to threaten the safety of our Human Race!"

"This is a trial!"

"It is even more of a... war!"

"In the 【Fallen Dragon Valley】, you can use any means necessary!"

"You can hunt Beast of Extermination to gain points!"

"You can also hunt... your own kind to seize their points!"

"Because only those who know best how to survive in this 'Blood-Colored Hunting Ground' and stand until the end!"

"Are qualified to obtain that one and only... Supreme quota to head to the 【Central Continent Sacred Domain】!"

"Now!"

The City Lord raised her jade hand high!

"Offer your 'sacrifices' and open the... gate to the hunting ground!"

The words fell!

The leading Elder of the seven Sects flew out together!

They actually forced out a drop of their own majestic cultivation... Life Essence Blood!

Seven drops of Nascent Soul essence blood, brilliant as rubies, shot instantly toward that huge Hidden Dragon Monument!

"Buzz—!!!"

After absorbing the seven drops of Nascent Soul essence blood, the Hidden Dragon Monument instantly erupted with a terrifying black light capable of swallowing heaven and earth!

The black light condensed in the center of the plaza into a huge, ominous, and blood-soaked... spatial vortex!

"The hunting ground is open!"

The City Lord's voice rang out again!

"One hour later, the entrance will close!"

"One month later, those who are alive shall meet here again!"

"Go!"

"Use your blood and slaughter to fight for that supreme... glory for yourselves and your Sect!"

Accompanying the City Lord's "opening remarks" full of iron-blooded killing intent, the huge spatial vortex leading to the 【Fallen Dragon Valley】 stabilized completely.

"Yes!!!"

Amidst the mountain-shaking, tsunami-like fanatical shouts, the proud daughters of heaven from the major Sects, who could no longer hold back, instantly turned into streams of five-colored light. Like hungry beasts thrown into an arena, they crazily swarmed into that unknown world full of slaughter and death.

However.

Lin Chen remained unhurried.

He just stood there quietly, watching those "prey" rushing into the vortex like moths to a flame. In his deep eyes, a calm and playful light like a hunter's flickered.

In his hand, he was fiddling with a pitch-black identity jade token just distributed by the City Lord's mansion.

The jade token felt cold to the touch, engraved with his name and his Sect—Purple Cloud Holy Land.

And an initial number.

— — 100.

(Interesting rules.)

Lin Chen's mind had long since sunk into the detailed rules of this grand competition that Luo Bingli had collected for him in advance.

(The 【Fallen Dragon Valley】 ancient battlefield is full of ownerless Heaven And Earth Treasure and 【Beast of Extermination】 that only know how to kill...)

(Killing Beast of Extermination can earn points. Collecting Spirit Medicine can also be exchanged for points.)

(But the fastest way to get points is...)

His mouth curled into a cold arc.

(— — "Hunting" your own kind.)

(Defeating or killing other contestants can seize half of their points. And those defeated have their points cleared and are directly eliminated.)

(One month's time...)

(Only the top ten in points will receive rewards in the end. And only the first place can obtain the qualification to go to the 【Central Continent Sacred Domain】...)

(Where is this a "grand competition"?)

(This is clearly a... Dark Forest game that encourages everyone to kill and devour each other.)

"Revered Master..."

Luo Bingli behind him looked at the other Sects that were almost gone, a trace of anxiety appearing on her face.

"We... if we don't go in now, I'm afraid we will fall behind others."

"What's the rush?"

Lin Chen smiled and put away the jade token.

He glanced at the female Disciple of the Purple Cloud Holy Land beside him, who were also full of high Battle Intent but looked to him for guidance.

He then glanced at the "prey" in the distance who were already full of killing intent and greed toward him.

In his heart, he already had a perfect... "hunting" plan.

(Going in now is the stupidest choice.)

(It will inevitably become the target of public criticism.)

(I am an "unremarkable" late Golden Core stage "male Saint".)

(What I should do now is...)

(— —Stay low and develop, don't be reckless.)

(Let them go bite each other first.)

(Let them scout the way for me.)

(Let them collect all the most precious "fruits" for me.)

(When they fight to the point of both sides suffering and exhaustion...)

Lin Chen's eyes flashed with a devilishly cold chill.

(— —I, this "hunter", will then enter the arena and start...)

(— —Harvesting.)

Thinking of this, he no longer had any hesitation.

He nodded faintly to Luo Bingli and the others behind him.

Immediately, amidst the fanatical and worshipful gazes of the Purple Cloud Holy Land female Disciple, he walked slowly, like a leisurely stroll, into that... blood-colored hunting ground, the last one to enter.

【Fallen Dragon Valley】.

This was an ancient battlefield that was desolate and dead, shrouded in blood-colored fog all year round.

The sky was an eerie dark red.

On the earth, huge, long-weathered dragon bones and skeletons of various unknown ancient Yao Beast could be seen everywhere.

The air was filled with an oppressive and ominous... Yao Qi of extermination.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Dozens of figures dressed in black, carrying long swords on their backs, descended like ghosts into a "Sword Tomb" ruin composed of countless broken swords.

It was the crowd from 【Myriad Sword Pavilion】!

And in their team, there were two figures that shouldn't have appeared here.

— — Extinction Sword Crone and another Grand Elder of the Myriad Sword Pavilion who was also in the Early Nascent Soul Stage!

They had used an inner contact in the 【Sky Patrol Hall】 to use a secret technique to successfully suppress their cultivation to the "Half-step Nascent Soul" Realm and mixed in!

"Humph! That man was indeed teleported to a different area than us."

Li Hanyue looked at the compass in her hand that could roughly sense the location of other team leaders, a cruel sneer appearing on her face.

"Elder!" She bowed to the Extinction Sword Crone and asked for instructions, "Should we kill him directly now?!"

"Fool!"

The Extinction Sword Crone snorted coldly, her turbid old eyes flashing with the cold, venomous light of a viper.

"Cat playing with a mouse is fun."

"Killing him directly is too easy for him."

She slowly spread out an ancient map drawn on animal skin.

It detailed the terrain of the entire 【Fallen Dragon Valley】 and the danger Rank of each area!

This was obviously top-secret intelligence that their Myriad Sword Pavilion had spent hundreds of years accumulating through successive grand competitions!

"Our primary goal is to win the championship!"

"That man is just a... bug that we can crush on the roadside!"

"Listen to my order!"

She pointed to several areas on the map and began to issue their "grand competition plan"!

"This 【Fallen Dragon Valley】 can be roughly divided into the outer circle, the inner circle, and the most core 'Land of Dragon Fall'."

"The outer circle is mostly 【Blood-Extermination Beasts】 formed by ordinary Yao Qi of extermination, in the Early or Middle Stage of the Golden Core. Although there are many, they are not to be feared. We will spend ten days sweeping the outer circle to rush our points to the first echelon!"

"After that, we will enter the inner circle!"

Her finger pointed to a black swamp area marked as "Extremely Dangerous"!

"This is the 【Ghost Swamp】! A terrifying plant called 【Soul-Eating Yao Flower】 lurks within! It can swallow the Divine Soul of a Cultivator! Even a Half-step Nascent Soul falling into it would be a narrow escape!"

"But!"

A fanatical greed flashed in her eyes!

"In the deepest part of this swamp grows a top-level treasure that would make even a Nascent Soul Cultivator go crazy—【Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Herb】!"

"We must get it!"

"As for that man..."

The Extinction Sword Crone showed a cruel, grinning smile like a cat playing with a mouse.

"We will lure him into this 【Ghost Swamp】. Then 'accidentally' 'force' him into the lair of the 【Soul-Eating Yao Flower】. Let him be swallowed alive and become a walking corpse in endless despair and fear. This is the best... judgment for him!"

Meanwhile.

In another volcanic area burning with raging flames, the First Imperial Princess of the 【Crimson Sun Divine Palace】—High-Grade Fertilizer, also gathered her subordinates.

"Your Highness," Ji Wuye, who had provoked Lin Chen outside the City Lord's mansion before, said with a flattering face, "According to intelligence, that man named Lin Chen was teleported to the most barren 'Black Stone Wasteland' area."

"Should we... now..."

"No need."

High-Grade Fertilizer shook her head slowly.

Her phoenix eyes, which were as hot as the sun, were full of absolute self-confidence and arrogance.

"A 'gigolo' who only knows how to hide behind women is not worth this palace personally taking action."

"We have only one goal!"

She looked far into the deepest part of this volcanic area! That... ten-thousand-foot active volcano that seemed to want to burn a hole in the sky!

"— — 【Earth Heart Fire Lotus】!"

"Pass my order!"

"Everyone, advance to the 'Heart of the Fire Dragon' with all your might!"

"As for that man..."

Her mouth curled into a disdainful sneer.

"Let him live for a few more days. After this palace takes the Fire Lotus and my cultivation advances further, I will go and personally trample his ridiculous 'male dignity' into pieces!"

Just as the Myriad Sword Pavilion and the Crimson Sun Divine Palace regarded Lin Chen as "in the bag" and a "roadside ant".

In another quiet valley filled with strange Spiritual Plant in the 【Fallen Dragon Valley】, the team of the 【Yaochi Holy Land】 also slowly descended.

This time, the leader was not Elder Yuheng.

Instead, it was a young woman—Fairy Moon Spirit Luo Shui, who had also reached the peak Golden Core stage, but had a gentler temperament and looked harmless to humans and animals.

She was one of Elder Yuheng's most proud Disciple, known for being meticulous and good at socializing.

Before entering the Secret Realm, Elder Yuheng had called her aside and urged her repeatedly.

"Shui'er, remember! After entering the Secret Realm, your primary task is not to fight for points, nor to find treasures!"

"But to... spare no cost to find Lin Chen of the Purple Cloud Holy Land and make friends with him!"

"No matter what requirements he makes, as long as it is not excessive, you can agree!"

"Even when necessary, you can give up a part of the benefits to help him!"

"This person, his future is limitless! He is the... biggest Opportunity for our Yaochi Holy Land to go to the next level in the next hundred years!"

However.

At this moment, Luo Shui looked at the compass in her hand that could also sense Lin Chen's location, but a trace of undisguised... disdain and reluctance flashed across her gentle face.

"Senior Sister, do we... really have to go find that man?" A Junior Sister beside her couldn't help but mutter in a low voice, "Revered Master... isn't she looking too highly on that man? Didn't he just have good luck and rely on a powerful Magic Treasure to win against the Myriad Sword Pavilion?"

"That's right," another Disciple echoed, "Men, are men after all. What kind of pure reputation does our Yaochi Holy Land have? Do we really have to offend the powerful Myriad Sword Pavilion and the Crimson Sun Divine Palace for a man? This... if this gets out, what will others think of us?"

Listening to the Junior Sisters' discussion, Luo Shui's heart became more and more irritable.

How could she not think so?

Let her take the initiative to please a man?

It was a humiliation!

But the Revered Master's order could not be disobeyed.

She pondered for a long time, and finally gave the order reluctantly.

"Forget it. We cannot disobey Revered Master's orders."

Her voice carried a hint of perfunctoriness.

"Let's send someone to send him a piece of 'intelligence'. It can be considered as fulfilling our 'courtesy' of the Yaochi Holy Land."

"However..."

A shrewd calculation flashed in her eyes.

"Revered Master only said to make friends with him, but didn't say to tell him all our trump cards."

"Just send him the map of the outer area and some information about well-known treasures."

"As for those top-secret intelligence about the inner circle and those few real 'Great Opportunities'..."

Her mouth curled into an imperceptible, mocking arc.

"— —Let him 'explore' slowly by himself."

Meanwhile.

On the other side, in a golden mountain range full of masculine energy.

The monk Bunu of the 【Pure Yang Sect】 also found Lin Chen's location.

He did not hesitate at all, and directly took a few Junior Brother and strode toward the direction where Lin Chen was.

No conspiracy, no calculation.

There was only the... goodwill between the purest "same kind".

Soon, he found Lin Chen, who was sitting cross-legged as if "thinking about life", on that barren "Black Stone Wasteland".

"Amitabha."

The monk Bunu bowed slightly to Lin Chen with his hands together.

"Holy Son Lin, how have you been?"

"Great Master Bunu." Lin Chen also slowly opened his eyes and nodded to this "same kind" who was the only one who had shown him goodwill.

"Holy Son Lin," the monk Bunu said straightforwardly with a sincere face, "This place is full of crises and the human heart is sinister. Especially those women from the Myriad Sword Pavilion and the Crimson Sun Divine Palace, who have long wanted to kill you."

"It is too dangerous for you to be here alone."

"Why not walk with us so we can take care of each other."

He paused, as if afraid that Lin Chen would misunderstand, and hurriedly added a sentence.

"Holy Son, please rest assured. This poor monk also knows that our Pure Yang Sect has weak strength and little influence."

"We have never expected to compete with the Holy Son for the so-called 'champion' position."

"To say something unpleasant..."

He showed a helpless bitter smile on his face.

"In this world, it is too difficult to let a man stand on the highest peak."

"We only seek to join forces with the Holy Son to protect ourselves and survive this cruel hunt."

"And then leave here safely."

"As for that so-called quota to go to the 【Central Continent Sacred Domain】..."

He looked at Lin Chen and said slowly in a tone of advice full of "experienced" experience:

"— —Better not to have it."

"With the Holy Son's talent and strength, even if you stay in this Eastern Wasteland, you will be enough to become an overlord and be respected by thousands of people."

"Why must you go to that more cruel and more exclusive Central Continent Sacred Domain to be a... 'servant' who is bullied by others?"