“You…!”
Seeing the sword light closing in, the young man in the silk headband paled instantly. Ignoring his bleeding wounds, he frantically channeled all of his True Essence to his chest.
At this critical moment of life and death, a Tortoise Pattern Shield rose from his chest. The round shield took the brunt of the sword light, instantly forming a long, narrow crack.
However, it successfully blocked the fatal strike.
“Hm? So you really did have a trump card?!” Su Twelve raised an eyebrow. He calmly put some distance between himself and his opponent while continuing to channel True Essence into the White Mist Sword in his hand.
Since they were fighting for their lives, he would see it through to the bitter end.
Lying on the ground, the young man in the silk headband watched this unfold. He was so terrified that his courage shattered, his soul nearly fleeing his body.
With his arm severed, he was unable to use many of his techniques. This Tortoise Pattern Shield was his final means of defense.
But the Tortoise Pattern Shield was only a Middle Grade Magical Artifact; it could not hold out for long.
Seeing the sword light coming at him again, the young man in the silk headband hurriedly shouted, “Stay your hand! I know secrets about this Newcomer Trial. If you kill me, you will definitely regret it!”
“The Newcomer Trial?”
Hearing this term, Su Twelve paused slightly.
After a moment of hesitation, he looked at his opponent and slashed out three quick sword strikes. Three streaks of sword light fell, severing the tendons in the young man’s remaining hand and both feet.
“Aaah…” The young man in the silk headband collapsed completely, his face contorted in agony.
But the moment he cried out, Su Twelve cut him off.
“Speak. If your information fails to satisfy me, the next sword will take your life.”
Su Twelve held the White Mist Sword aloft, chilling killing intent blazing in his eyes. He also clutched a handful of offensive and defensive talismans, ready to throw them at a moment’s notice.
“I can tell you, but you must let me leave here alive,” the young man in the silk headband said, enduring the pain.
Seeing how decisively Su Twelve acted, he knew he had encountered a truly ruthless person.
If his hands and feet had still been functional, he might have had a chance to launch a sneak attack. But now, that hope was slim!
In this moment, all he wanted was to escape with his life.
“Not a problem!” Su Twelve agreed without hesitation.
“Uh…” The young man in the silk headband hesitated. Su Twelve’s quick agreement actually made him feel even more uneasy.
But he also knew he had no room to negotiate.
Taking a deep breath, he quickly circulated his True Essence to stabilize his injuries, then asked, “Do you know why this year’s Newcomer Trial allows Menial Disciples who failed the assessment in previous years to participate as well?” Read this novel at novelping.com for the best experience.
Hm? Menial Disciples who failed the assessment in previous years can also participate?
Su Twelve frowned slightly. Of course, he had not known this.
But just this piece of news alone made him realize the lurking danger.
It had to be known that Menial Disciples who had failed previous assessments had still cultivated for many years. Even if their cultivation realms were not high, their actual combat strength would definitely not be weak.
Regardless of what the trial entailed, once the old and new disciples clashed, the ones who would suffer would definitely be the newcomers.
Suppressing this doubt in his heart, Su Twelve said with a stern face, “I have no interest in answering your questions. You had best get to the point. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee you will live long enough to leave here!”
The young man in the silk headband glared hatefully at Su Twelve and continued, “The reason for this change in rules is that ten years ago, the Peak Master of Tianyin Peak, while studying an Ancient Teleportation Array, accidentally located an Ancient Restricted Zone.”
“That Restricted Zone contains dense Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth, as well as a large amount of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. Among them are many medicinal herbs that have grown for hundreds or thousands of years.”
“In order to explore this Ancient Restricted Zone, the sect altered the rules for the Newcomer Trial.”
Su Twelve listened intently. His eyes remained unblinking as he stared fixedly at his opponent, wary that the man might seize the opportunity to play tricks.
Hearing these words, he frowned and said indifferently, “An Ancient Restricted Zone? A large amount of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures? If such a place truly existed, would the sect let people like us go?”
He openly expressed his doubts without the slightest courtesy.
Although he had been bitterly cultivating these past few years, he had also managed to find quite a few books to read.
His knowledge could not be called extensive, but he possessed basic common sense.
Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures—to cultivators, these were absolutely things everyone coveted.
“It is not a matter of whether the sect is willing or not. Rather, that Ancient Restricted Zone is filled with ancient formations. The more powerful a cultivator is when they enter, the greater the pressure they endure. Within the sect, several Elders suffered severe injuries because they entered rashly.”
“Only Qi Condensation Cultivators at the sixth layer and below can move freely inside without being affected.”
“Once the existence of such a place is leaked, it will inevitably attract the covetous eyes of other sects. Therefore, the sect decided to let all Menial Disciples who failed in previous years and whose cultivation is below the sixth layer of Qi Condensation participate.”
The young man in the silk headband smiled bitterly as he lay on the ground.
He had entered the sect much earlier than Su Twelve and was a disciple of Tianhua Peak. The information he knew far exceeded Su Twelve’s.
Hearing this, Su Twelve appeared noncommittal on the surface, but in truth, he believed most of it.
In his view, the sect letting those Menial Disciples participate meant two things.
The first was to have more cannon fodder and test subjects to explore such an unknown place. The second was the true purpose of the trial.
This also meant that this Newcomer Trial would be more brutal than any before it. No one would ever say there were too many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. When the time came, all kinds of conflicts were bound to break out.
According to what he knew, the Menial Disciples within the Cloudsong Sect were not simple. Menial Disciples were mainly divided into two types: those like him who had been recruited at a young age and chose to stay as Menial Disciples after failing the trial, and Rogue Cultivators who had joined the sect. These Rogue Cultivators already possessed a certain level of cultivation and had all kinds of past experiences; there were especially many ruthless individuals among them.
“Is that all you have to say?” After the opponent finished speaking, Su Twelve asked indifferently.
“Of course not. According to the news sent back by the Elders of our Tianhua Peak, within that Ancient Restricted Zone, there is a Spirit Plant Garden. Inside that garden grows a Hundred-Year Vermilion Fruit Tree that sprouts for two hundred years, flowers for two hundred years, and bears fruit for two hundred years.” Read the latest chapters at novelping . com.
“If one consumes a single Hundred-Year Vermilion Fruit, their cultivation will increase by over ten years.”
“You were able to defeat me, which is enough to prove your strength. I possess the map to that Spirit Plant Garden. During this Newcomer Trial, we can absolutely join forces to seek out that Hundred-Year Vermilion Fruit Tree.”
As the young man in the silk headband spoke, he suppressed his hatred for Su Twelve and extended this invitation.
“Where is the map?” Su Twelve stared at him and asked immediately.
He was not completely ignorant regarding the Vermilion Fruit. Some of the miscellaneous records he had read previously contained information about it.
Consuming a single Hundred-Year Vermilion Fruit could indeed increase one’s cultivation by over ten years!
Because of his Mixed Spirit Roots, his cultivation was incredibly arduous. He was naturally tempted by a spiritual medicine that could boost his cultivation so drastically.
“The map is at my dwelling. After the Newcomer Trial begins, I will bring the map and meet up with you. Neither you nor I could possibly seize that Spirit Plant Garden alone. Joining forces is the only way to obtain those Hundred-Year Vermilion Fruits!” Seeing that Su Twelve was visibly moved, the young man in the silk headband hurriedly continued his persuasion.
“Fine. How will we divide the spoils when the time comes?” Su Twelve nodded and asked.
“You take sixty percent, and I take forty!” At this, the young man in the silk headband secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He knew that the only way to survive was to win Su Twelve over, and an alliance was his best chance.
Although he was badly injured, with one arm severed and the tendons in his remaining hand and both feet cut, a Rejoining Pill could heal him.
And once he recovered from his injuries, the situation would be an entirely different matter.
“No problem! You may leave!” Su Twelve nodded and said indifferently.
As he spoke, he put away the White Mist Sword, carrying it on his back. Clasping his hands behind him, he appeared completely captivated by the thought of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. In his mind, however, he was recalling the Object Manipulation Technique he had studied.
Seeing this, the young man in the silk headband finally let his guard down. “Good. I will remember this favor.”
Enduring the pain, he propped himself up and prepared to take out an escape talisman to leave.
But the moment he turned around…
Squelch!
A broken section of a sword pierced straight through his heart.
The young man in the silk headband’s breath caught. He turned his head and saw Su Twelve standing perfectly still, the flying sword still resting on his back.
Lowering his head, he finally realized that a broken fragment of his own shattered flying sword had somehow been brought right beside him.
When he looked up again, his eyes were filled with defiance and resentment.
“You… you lied to me!”