The next morning, thick clouds covered the peak of Cloud Mountain.
A heavy pressure filled the air as the final sixty participants gathered in front of a huge stone gate carved into the mountain wall.
The stone gate was ancient and covered with mysterious runes.
A faint golden light flowed across its surface.
Lin Kai stood among the participants, still using the name Chen Yan.
He kept his aura controlled, but he could feel many people glancing at him from time to time.
After his fight with Feng Jian, almost everyone in the test now knew who he was — at least under his fake name.
Zhao Rong stood not far away, calmly fanning himself.
When he noticed Lin Kai looking in his direction, he gave a small smile.
Luo Qingya stood alone, her cold aura keeping others away from her.
Feng Jian stood silently with his sword on his back.
He glanced at Lin Kai once, then closed his eyes again.
Elder Zhou floated in the air above the stone gate and spoke in a loud voice.
“This is the final test — the Cloud Mountain Secret Realm. This realm opens only once every three years. Inside, you will face demonic beasts, natural traps, and opportunities left behind by ancient cultivators. Your goal is simple: survive for three days and collect as many Cloud Spirit Fruits as possible. The more fruits you collect, the higher your evaluation will be.”
He waved his hand, and a small jade bottle appeared in front of each participant.
“Each of you will receive one empty bottle. Put the Cloud Spirit Fruits inside it. After three days, the realm will automatically send you out. Those who collect at least three fruits will be accepted into the outer sect. Those who collect more will receive better rewards and higher status.”
Elder Zhou’s eyes swept across the participants and stopped briefly on Lin Kai.
“Remember, the secret realm is dangerous. If you meet an enemy you cannot defeat, crush the emergency jade slip in your hand. You will be sent out immediately, but you will also be eliminated.”
After finishing his explanation, Elder Zhou formed a series of hand seals.
The runes on the stone gate lit up brightly, and a swirling black tunnel slowly opened in the center.
“Enter!”
The participants began walking into the tunnel one by one.
Lin Kai stepped forward calmly.
The moment he entered the black tunnel, a strong pulling force wrapped around his body.
The world spun for a few seconds, and then his feet landed on solid ground.
He found himself standing in a vast forest filled with strange trees.
The sky above was a deep purple color, and the air was rich with spiritual energy.
[You have entered the Cloud Mountain Secret Realm]
[Time Limit: 3 days]
Lin Kai immediately activated Void Eye and scanned his surroundings.
There were no other participants nearby.
The entrance had scattered everyone to different locations.
He started moving carefully through the forest.
After only a few minutes, he sensed a weak energy fluctuation to his left.
A small green beast that looked like a mix between a rabbit and a fox jumped out from the bushes.
It was only a Level 3 demonic beast.
Lin Kai did not waste time.
He raised his hand and released a thin black tentacle.
The tentacle pierced the beast’s body and quickly devoured its core.
[Devoured Level 3 Beast Core]
[Void Energy +45]
He continued moving deeper into the forest.
Along the way, he found two Cloud Spirit Fruits growing on a small tree near a stream.
The fruits were light blue and gave off a sweet fragrance.
Lin Kai picked them and placed them into the jade bottle.
As he was about to leave, he suddenly stopped.
His Void Eye detected several human auras approaching quickly from behind.
Four participants appeared between the trees.
The leader was a Late Stage 6 young man with a proud expression.
When he saw the jade bottle in Lin Kai’s hand, his eyes lit up with greed.
“Chen Yan! Hand over your fruits and we will spare you,” the young man said with a cold smile.
Lin Kai looked at them calmly.
“Four people to rob one person. You are quite confident.”
The leader laughed.
“You may have defeated Feng Jian, but that was luck. Now there are four of us. Attack!”
The four of them charged at the same time.
Lin Kai’s eyes turned cold.
He no longer needed to hide as much as before.
Black energy exploded from his body as he activated Lightning Flash Step and appeared behind the weakest of the four.
The black flame hit the young man’s back, and the devouring power immediately started pulling his energy.
The man screamed in pain and collapsed within seconds.
The remaining three were shocked.
“His technique is real!”
Lin Kai did not give them time to recover.
He moved like a shadow between them, touching each one at least once.
Every time his hand made contact, their strength dropped rapidly.
In less than a minute, all four were lying on the ground, heavily injured and unable to continue fighting.
Lin Kai looked down at them coldly.
“Next time you try to rob someone, make sure you are strong enough.”
He turned around and left without killing them.
There was no need to create unnecessary trouble inside the secret realm yet.
After walking for another hour, Lin Kai found a quiet cave near a small waterfall.
He decided to rest there for a short time and refine the energy he had just absorbed.
While sitting in meditation, he suddenly received a faint feeling of danger from the depths of the forest.
Something strong was moving in the inner region of the secret realm.
At the same time, in other parts of the forest, Zhao Rong, Luo Qingya, and Feng Jian were also beginning their own journeys.
Each of them had already started collecting fruits and dealing with both beasts and other participants.
Far outside the secret realm, in the spectator area, Lin Feng stood with his arms crossed.
A cold smile appeared on his face.
“The secret realm is the best place to die without anyone knowing the truth,” he whispered.
“Lin Kai… I hope you enjoy your last few days.”
He turned to a black-clothed man standing behind him and said in a low voice, “Proceed according to the plan.”
The black-clothed man nodded and disappeared into the shadows.
Inside the secret realm, Lin Kai opened his eyes slowly.
The purple-black light in his pupils flashed once.
He could feel that this secret realm would not be simple.
And someone was already planning to use it as a hunting ground.
End of Chapter 21