167: Trial Realm (VI)

This bell turned out to be a treasure capable of detecting Cultivators. Once rung, all Cultivators within a two-kilometer radius would appear as a red dot on your map. No matter what method they used to conceal their aura or become invisible, or if they hid in some unseen patch of grass, they would be discovered. This was practically a Divine Artifact to prevent sneak attacks! But why didn't the Flame Tail Fox use it just now?

He struck the bell once to see if anyone else was hiding nearby, trying to play the fisherman. Unexpectedly, there really was someone—a 'sparrow' hiding in a nearby tree. Gu Yuchuan immediately shot a Water Sword over. The opponent knew they were exposed and immediately bolted. Gu Yuchuan found it difficult to pursue them, as the most important thing right now was the Golden Toad in front of him, not the points from one person's head.

Gu Yuchuan watched the two people still fighting intensely and joined the fray himself. He consumed two Medicinal Pills, and his condition instantly returned to its peak. He divided the ten drops of Heavenly Profound Heavy Water into two parts, attacking each person with five drops. However, both of them were extremely cautious. Ever since Gu Yuchuan's victory, they had started paying attention, diverting some focus toward him, so they managed to react to the surprise attack.

However, their current state was definitely inferior to Gu Yuchuan's. They had also run out of Medicinal Pills. They understood that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Golden Toad would ultimately belong to Gu Yuchuan.

Understanding was one thing, but whether they were willing to accept it was another matter entirely. The Golden Fur Demon General used the momentum to directly retreat. He possessed the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment cultivation base; even without the Golden Toad, he could still contend for a top rank. There was no need to fight desperately here. If he were eliminated now, his ranking would certainly be poor.

But not everyone could be so open-minded. At the very least, the Jade Gourd Demon General couldn't accept it. At this moment, the only ones who could compete were him and Gu Yuchuan. If he could obtain this purple resource, he might genuinely achieve an excellent ranking.

He formed hand seals, and countless lights appeared behind him. He was a rare light-attribute Yao Beast, whose strength was formidable, but after continuous fighting, he was now at the end of his tether.

"Azure Scale Demon General, I desperately need this item. I also deeply desire a good ranking this time so that I can advance further. I was born alone and haven't joined any faction. I exchanged a large amount of resources for this spot. Please yield it to me. I will compensate you after we leave. I see that your talent is outstanding; you can continue to advance even without this."

He was starting to plead for sympathy. Gu Yuchuan wouldn't fall for that trick. As long as he had no conscience, he couldn't be coerced. In fact, he immediately picked up his Long Spear and charged over. He could tell that the Jade Gourd Demon General was weak in close combat.

Sure enough, once they engaged in close quarters, Gu Yuchuan completely suppressed his opponent, who didn't even have a moment to catch his breath.

The Jade Gourd Demon General was unwilling, but things in this world are never solved simply by being unwilling. He had used all his methods and had no more resources from the Secret Realm. No matter how unwilling he was, he could only die by Gu Yuchuan's hands, raising Gu Yuchuan's score to fourteen points—a terrifying total.

He struck the bell in his hand, confirmed that there were no other Cultivators nearby, and then turned his attention to the Golden Toad. This Golden Toad only possessed magic power but had no techniques, making it very easy to fight. After the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, Gu Yuchuan was victorious, and two masses of purple light appeared before him—these were the purple resources.

The first was a purple Long Spear. This Long Spear could increase his attack power by sixty percent and also possessed a Divine Ability called Dragon King Break. With one strike, it could not only send the enemy flying but also disrupt the flow of magic power within the enemy's body, preventing them from using it. This was considered a very powerful Divine Ability, and although not as good as his own Spiritual Artifact's Divine Ability, it was usable.

The second item was impressive: a purple armor. It could increase Physical Body defense by forty percent and ignore the curse effects of all green Talismanic Incantations, while also reducing the effects of blue Talismanic Incantations by half. This would definitely be highly advantageous during a fight.

Gu Yuchuan immediately put on these two pieces of equipment. He felt his strength had increased significantly. It seemed his strategy was correct: only by finding enough resources could he proceed further.

Killing the Golden Toad even gave him a point. Now, his score had reached fifteen points. He didn't know what his ranking was among these people, or if he was first, but he secretly felt that he must be among the top ranks.

Night was approaching, but he was not anxious. The title of War God could locate the nearest Safe Zone. He knew where this Safe Zone was, and he could reach it very quickly without any trouble. He searched for a while longer but found no resources. He then thought of a solution: ambush people around the Safe Zone. He was sure he could intercept a few people this way.

After all, everyone had to go to the Safe Zone at night, otherwise it would be very difficult to continue the subsequent battles.

On the second day, only five Safe Zones remained, indicating that quite a few people had died during the day. From afar, Gu Yuchuan saw four Cultivators in the Safe Zone. He found a spot and hid himself.

Before long, a Cultivator passed by. Under the cover of a sneak attack, coupled with Gu Yuchuan's purple-grade weapon, he actually instantly killed a Cultivator at the Ninth Layer of Foundation Establishment. This greatly surprised him; he realized he was already this powerful.

Not long after, another person arrived. He ambushed again and succeeded, having killed two people in quick succession. His score reached twenty points. He now genuinely felt that his score must be among the very top.

However, at this point, there were six people in the Safe Zone. The Safe Zone didn't only have one entrance; people could enter via other paths too. As soon as he walked in, many people kept their distance from him. After all, they had witnessed Gu Yuchuan's ambush. In their eyes, Gu Yuchuan was murderous, sinister, and powerful—a very dangerous person. No one spoke to him voluntarily; they all stayed far away.

But Gu Yuchuan wasn't worried. He knew exactly what he was doing. Besides, he was here to achieve a good result, not to build relationships with everyone. Once he advanced, these people would naturally come forward to mend relations with him.

He found a spot, sat down, and began resting with his eyes closed.

"Congratulations, Azure Scale Demon General. With a score of twenty points, you rank first and retain your War God title, earning a reward of three points. Killing the War God or surpassing the War God's score allows you to seize the War God title."