123: Lingyuan Crystal

More and more Cultivators chose to leave, giving up on the second round; for them, their goal had already been achieved.

Over five thousand people participated in the first round, but by the second, only about five hundred remained.

Among these five hundred or so people, those from the nine Great Holy Lands occupied the majority, while the rest were dreaming of reaching the heavens in a single step, hoping they might be lucky enough to be favored by that Mysterious Realm Emissary.

The Cultivation World was just like this; even knowing it was impossible, one would still do it!

Half an hour later, not a single person remained on the vast Arena Stage, and the shimmering white ball of light dissipated along with them. In its place, a faint blue mist curled above the Arena Stage, and the scenes within the Myriad Spirit Affinity Realm were displayed before everyone's eyes.

"Is this a Formation?" Chen Xuan asked indifferently.

Qin Tianxing nodded with a smile, "Chen Xuan has a good eye. This Secret Realm is located on a deserted island south of the Central Region. That ball of light from before was a teleportation Formation."

A teleportation Formation?

Hearing this, Chen Xuan couldn't help but imagine a scene: if I had entered that ball of light, wouldn't I still be standing in the same place!

Qi Yue, who was nearby, lifted the jade flask, her slender hand tilting it slightly as the clear spirit wine slowly poured along the rim into Chen Xuan's cup. Once finished, her beautiful eyes looked toward the blue mist, searching for the figures of Xiao Lingxian and her group.

Inside the Myriad Spirit Affinity Realm!

Mu Wanqing raised her jade hand, spiritual light flickering in her palm as a jade-green square stone floated in the air.

Xiao Lingxian said softly, "It seems this is the spirit fate crystal."

Xie Xingchen put away the spirit fate crystal and said in a humble tone, "Senior Brother, Senior Sister, what should we do now?"

Hearing this, Li Pingan and the others couldn't help but look toward Mu Wanqing, who was dressed in a yellow gown. After all, it was still very necessary to listen to the Eldest Disciple's advice.

Li Pingan urged, "Senior Sister, what do you say?"

Mu Wanqing puffed out her cheeks slightly and blinked. Her gaze swept over her four Junior Brothers and sisters one by one, and she suddenly felt a bit of a headache.

Sigh, it seems being the Founding Senior Disciple isn't that easy after all!

At this moment, Mu Wanqing only felt that it would be great if Revered Master were here; then she wouldn't need to use her brain and would only need to follow orders.

Remembering that the second round of the competition was to arrive at the Central Stone Tower in the middle of the Myriad Spirit Affinity Realm alive three days later, a spark flashed in the young girl's eyes as she smiled and said, "Let's first find the location of that Central Stone Tower, and then think of a way to collect more spirit fate crystals."

Ye Hao thought for a moment and nodded, "Feasible!"

"We'll listen to Senior Sister!" Xiao Lingxian responded without hesitation.

Li Pingan stood to the side and looked around; it was filled with trees that blotted out the sun. With branches and leaves interlacing, it was impossible to distinguish directions, let alone find any trace of the stone tower.

He frowned and said in a heavy voice, "I'll go up and take a look."

The moment his words fell, he suddenly exerted force with his feet. With a "bang," a shallow pit was stepped into the layer of rotting leaves beneath him, and he leapt upward like an arrow leaving a bow. His figure blurred in the air, and in an instant, he landed on a thick branch of an ancient tree.

Standing on the branch, he gazed into the distance and quickly noticed an unusual movement coming from the forest to his front right.

He saw the branches and leaves there shaking violently, accompanied by a series of hurried footsteps; it seemed something was rapidly approaching.

Before Li Pingan could speak to warn them!

"Roar—"

A deafening beast roar echoed through the forest.

A figure flew out suddenly, smashing into a nearby tree trunk, shaking down leaves before sliding to the ground.

Mu Wanqing and the others looked over, only to find it was actually a person. However, seeing his withered aura and blood-covered appearance, it was clear he was beyond saving.

Immediately after!

A Yao Beast with a body like a bull and covered in greenish-black scales rushed out from the forest. Its eyes were blood-red, and its fangs were exposed. Its target had shifted from that Cultivator to the four people in front of it.

Ye Hao spoke to warn them, "This beast is at the Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer."

The Yao Beast did not hesitate; in its blood-red eyes, there was only a thirst for slaughter.

Locking its target onto Xiao Lingxian, who was dressed in red, it charged rapidly with a "whoosh."

Xie Xingchen's figure moved slightly, and with a flick of his wrist, a completely emerald-green wooden sword appeared in his hand. Immediately after, a several-foot-long green Sword Qi burst from the blade, slashing toward the Yao Beast like a raging wave!

Wherever the Sword Qi passed, the air seemed to be torn apart.

Only a crisp "clang" was heard as the Yao Beast's greenish-black scales shattered upon impact. Blood sprayed out like a fountain, and it let out a shrill wail of pain. Its massive body staggered backward, the wound on its shoulder blade deep enough to see the bone, with jagged white bone fragments faintly visible.

A sharp light flashed in Li Pingan's eyes from the tree branch; he gave the Yao Beast no chance to counterattack.

He stomped heavily on the branch, making the entire ancient tree seem to shake slightly as rotting leaves fell in clusters.

He clenched his right fist and leapt down like an eagle pouncing on a rabbit.

"Bang!" A dull, heavy sound!

His fist smashed without hindrance into the Yao Beast's head, whose defense had been greatly reduced after being injured. The hard skull shattered instantly, and the ground of thick rotting leaves immediately caved in, forming a large pit.

Ye Hao stood to the side, his gaze falling on Xie Xingchen, who stood with his sword retracted. He praised with a hint of cheerfulness, "Good swordsmanship, Junior Brother!"

"Revered Master's eye for recruiting disciples is always so sharp."

Xie Xingchen said modestly, "Senior Brother overpraises me."

Xiao Lingxian withdrew her gaze from the Cultivator who had already breathed his last and then looked at this bull-like Yao Beast. "I didn't expect that just after entering this Myriad Spirit Affinity Realm, we would encounter a Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer Yao Beast. No wonder so many Cultivators chose to give up directly."

Li Pingan wiped his hands and added, "This Yao Beast doesn't seem to be fully grown yet; there might even be Golden Core Realm Yao Beasts later on."

"How can it be called training if there's no danger? Since the last time in the Spirit Void Secret Realm, it's been a long time since I've stretched my limbs," Ye Hao laughed.

Xie Xingchen took the spirit fate crystal from the dead Cultivator's hand and asked, "Senior Brother, did you find the direction of that Central Stone Tower from up there earlier?"

Li Pingan shook his head somewhat awkwardly, his gaze looking at the layers of ancient trees all around. "It's too dense. I looked from the branch for a long time just now, and besides an endless sea of trees, I didn't see even a hint of the stone tower's shadow."

Mu Wanqing tilted her head slightly, looked around, and suggested, "Since we can't tell the direction, let's just pick a path and go. It might be good to try our luck."

"The Eldest Disciple is right; maybe we'll encounter a turning point in a while!"

...Elsewhere!

Several Cultivators wearing the same uniform were kneeling on the ground, their foreheads pressed tightly against the earth, not even having the courage to look up.

"Thi... This Senior, we have already handed over the spirit fate crystals to you. We beg you to be merciful and spare our lives."

They were from the Yellow Sea Sect of the Central Region, a somewhat famous second-rate power.

Not long after entering this Myriad Spirit Affinity Realm, they encountered the group from the Blood Shadow Cult. Knowing they were no match, they decisively chose to hand over their spirit fate crystals in exchange for a chance to live.

Mo Yanya stood with his hands behind his back, the corner of his mouth curling into a mocking arc as he looked down at the three people on the ground. "Spare your lives?" He sneered, his voice carrying undisguised contempt. "Once you step into the Myriad Spirit Affinity Realm, you should be prepared for your Dao to end in death. If you have no skill but still come to snatch opportunities—with such little ability, how do you have the face to make a fool of yourselves in this Secret Realm?"

"If I, Mo Yanya, were inferior and fell into someone else's hands, I would simply die."

As his words fell, Mo Yanya's body didn't move, but his right palm suddenly rose, a thick blood mist condensing in his palm.

In the next instant, his wrist sank slightly, and he struck out with a palm!

With a dull "bang," the blood mist turned into a sharp palm wind, slamming heavily into the several Cultivators.

The several people didn't even have time to scream before their bodies flew backward like kites with broken strings, crashing into the withered trees behind them, their breath cutting off on the spot.