165: Trial Realm (Part 4)

Seeing Chasing Wind Demon General recover from his injuries, Gu Yuchuan wasn't surprised or afraid in the slightest. The gap in their strength was far too large; even if the general had another life, it wouldn't change the outcome of the battle much.

Chasing Wind Demon General's expression turned extremely unsightly. He looked up at the sky; it was already too late, and finding another Safe Zone would be difficult.

At this moment, Flame Tail Fox, who was inside the Safe Zone, spoke up. The Demon Kings behind them were collaborators, so the two of them shared some mutual respect.

"Chasing Wind Demon General, I advise you to admit defeat and find another place. If you leave now, you might still have a chance at survival. You are no match for Azure Scale Demon General, so just retreat."

In truth, he had already considered admitting defeat, but since they were both Cultivators of the same Rank, surrendering was quite embarrassing. Now that someone had given him a way out, he immediately took it.

"Fine, I admit defeat in this arena battle."

As soon as he finished speaking, the arena vanished. "The arena battle has ended. Azure Scale Demon General is the victor and gains one point. Chasing Wind Demon General, please leave this Safe Zone immediately."

This event taught Gu Yuchuan a lesson: a Safe Zone challenge can only happen once, and the loser must leave. Therefore, when choosing an opponent, it's best not to worry about Face but to ensure a steady win. If Chasing Wind Demon General had chosen a Cultivator at the Eighth Layer of Foundation Establishment or the Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer, his chances of winning would have been high, and he wouldn't have ended up like this.

Just as Chasing Wind Demon General was about to leave, a Long Spear suddenly pierced through his heart. It was Gu Yuchuan who had acted; he wouldn't let a free point slip away.

Chasing Wind Demon General couldn't believe it, but with his life force fading, there was nothing he could do but watch his life come to an end. After he turned into fragments, he didn't drop anything. It seemed he had used everything up in the previous fight, which wasn't great news. Gu Yuchuan's points reached five.

"Congratulations to Azure Scale Demon General for being the first to defeat three Cultivators and reaching five points. You have obtained the title: War God."

A golden light flashed, and two large golden characters appeared above his head: War God. This title wasn't just for show; it actually had some utility.

First, it allowed him to know the location of the nearest Safe Zone, giving him more time during the day to search for resources and kill others, which would surely help accumulate points. Second, it provided a Divine Ability that could be used once a day: Teleportation. This allowed him to escape the battlefield, serving as an excellent life-saving measure.

After Gu Yuchuan returned to the Safe Zone, Flame Tail Fox spoke up with a hint of jealousy, "Azure Scale Demon General truly has extraordinary means and a ruthless heart. I am impressed."

Gu Yuchuan didn't care about the other's opinion. "This Secret Realm is for killing. If you can't even adapt your mindset, I'm afraid you won't qualify for the dragon gate in the end."

Outside the Secret Realm, the Demon Sovereign and the Fox Immortal watched this scene and nodded slightly. The Fox Immortal spoke.

"So this is the little snake demon the Sovereign values. He does have some Comprehension Ability and can see our intentions. Many others still haven't figured it out. We created this illusory Secret Realm so they could kill without hesitation. If they're worried about status and position, why spend so much effort? Sigh, they still have a lot to learn."

The Demon Sovereign also nodded. "Indeed. Although Cloud Sea Marsh has been flourishing these years, our policies and laws have protected them too well, causing them to gradually lose the Yao Race's survival-of-the-fittest killing intent. There are pros and cons. It's fine; this time we'll give them a strong dose of medicine to cultivate a few powerful characters. This is just an appetizer. We'll gather the lessons learned so we can avoid detours during the Golden Core Stage selection."

The two of them discussed the people inside as they watched.

Finally, night fell. The sounds of ghosts wailing and wolves howling came from outside the Safe Zone, as if an endless number of Ghostly Creatures were on a night parade. It seemed this was the danger of the night. Although he might be able to defeat them one-on-one, there were too many of them. Gu Yuchuan calculated that even with his Golden Light Incantation active, he might not last the night. However, he should be able to barely run from one Safe Zone to another, which gave him some peace of mind.

He sat in the Safe Zone all night. Most people did the same; few actually slept. After all, it was hard to feel at ease in such a place. Finally, dawn broke.

"The second day begins. In three hours, the Secret Realm's area will shrink by one-tenth. Cultivators still in the outermost area will be eliminated. Please remember to move."

A small map appeared before Gu Yuchuan. A purple circle marked the new Safe Zone. The more he looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. This was just Battle Royale! A Xianxia version of Battle Royale. No wonder it felt so familiar. Now it was time to run from the 'poison,' but he was already inside the circle and safe. He just needed to continue searching for resources without any pressure to travel.

Once the Safe Zone that had protected them all night vanished, everyone scrambled away. After all, they could kill each other now. Why stay and wait for death?

Gu Yuchuan didn't immediately chase anyone. His priority was to find more resources. From yesterday's battle, he had learned that resources were the most important thing. If he hadn't had that blue Talismanic Incantation yesterday, he might not have been able to deal with Chasing Wind Demon General. That was just a blue resource; what if it were purple? He didn't even want to think about it. It might even be possible for someone to defeat him. So today, he wanted to see if he could get a purple resource.

He didn't walk far before entering a small river, where he found two blue resources. One was a Talismanic Incantation to weaken the opponent, and the other was a Medicinal Pill that restored sixty percent of one's status. They were quite useful, but not what he was looking for. He continued his search.

He searched all morning without much success, not even finding any more blue items. This made him a bit frustrated, but suddenly his map changed. A glowing golden circle appeared nearby.

"In one hour, five Golden Toads will drop into the Secret Realm. Killing them will drop purple resources. The Golden Toads have the strength of the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment."

Good grief, isn't this an air drop? Gu Yuchuan now had reason to suspect that the person who designed this Secret Realm was also a transmigrator, and likely an internet-addicted youth. This was just too similar to Battle Royale.

He had to fight for this Golden Toad. Anyone who had played Battle Royale knew that having resources early on was the key to victory in the final showdown. Conveniently, many people would surely go for the Golden Toads, so he could also pick up some points along the way. Wasn't that perfect?