Deep within the Primeval Forest lay a rare expanse of stone spires.
The trees here grew sparse, replaced by grotesque formations of jagged rock. Some resembled twisted men or beasts; others rose sheer and precipitous, as though cleaved by blade and axe. Ferns sprouted from the fissures between stones. The cloying, hallucinogenic sweetness that permeated the forest had thinned, supplanted by a faint tang of sulfur.
Lu Chen's five-man squad concealed themselves inside a rocky cavern.
The entrance was camouflaged with vines and stones. The interior was cramped, yet sufficient. Lingque deployed perimeter sentries near the mouth of the cave. Hawkeye climbed atop a protruding slab above the cavern, setting up his rifle to keep watch. Iron Shield and Wang Meng tended to their wounds—the previous battle had been victorious, but none had escaped unscathed.
Lu Chen sat cross-legged at the rear, reviewing their spoils.
Bai Yunsheng's storage pouch was rich indeed: thirty bottles of assorted pills, five of which were Qingyun Sect's signature Azure Cloud Pills, capable of rapidly restoring true essence; more than twenty talismans, ranging from offensive fire and lightning charms to defensive Vajra seals; over a dozen jade slips containing Qingyun sword techniques and cultivation manuals. Most valuable of all were three hundred and forty-seven point crystals—three of them crimson, each worth ten points, signifying trophies earned by killing other contestants.
Including their previous gains, the squad's total now stood at 524 points.
Lu Chen glanced at the tactical terminal. The rankings had refreshed:
[1st: Lin Xiao Squad — 524 points]
[2nd: Chen Jing Squad — 331 points]
[3rd: Military Squad Seven — 298 points]
[4th: Ghost Shadow Sect Squad — 265 points]
[5th: Blazing Gate Remnants — 212 points]
The Qingyun Sect squad had vanished entirely. With Bai Yunsheng dead, the remaining disciples had either been slain or fled, causing the team to disband automatically.
"We're in first place…" Lingque murmured, disbelief coloring her voice.
"For now," Lu Chen replied coolly. "Bai Yunsheng died by our hands. Qingyun Sect won't let this go. In the coming days, we may face the pursuit of the entire sect."
"Then what?" Iron Shield asked. "Withdraw from the secret realm?"
"That would be suicide," Wang Meng shook his head. "Inside the realm, there are limits—no one above level forty can enter. Outside, Qingyun's elders could strike directly."
"So we hide here for seven days?" Hawkeye frowned. "Too passive."
"We don't hide," Lu Chen said. "We move deeper—and harvest Dragonblood Vine."
He projected the map. "The vines grow at the deepest reaches of the Primeval Forest, near the border of the Mist Marsh. According to records, there's a cultivation zone there guarded by a level-35 Iron-Armored Earthwyrm. Each vine is worth fifty points. Ten vines alone mean five hundred points—plus the Earthwyrm's bounty."
"Enough to secure first place outright," Wang Meng nodded. "But can we handle a level-35 beast?"
"We can," Lu Chen said calmly. "I have a trump card."
He did not elaborate, yet all of them recalled the strike that had annihilated Bai Yunsheng. If such a card existed, then a level-35 aberrant beast was not beyond hope.
"Then let's do it," Iron Shield clenched his fist. "Fortune favors the bold."
"But first," Lingque interjected, pulling up surveillance feeds, "we need to deal with our immediate surroundings. About half of those who fled earlier are still nearby. They may report our location or regroup."
"Then we strike first," Lu Chen rose to his feet. "Before they organize—divide and eradicate."
He issued orders. "Lingque, stay here and maintain surveillance. Hawkeye, find high ground for ranged support. Iron Shield, Wang Meng—you're with me. We clear the perimeter."
"Understood!"
The three slipped out into the stone forest.
Night had fallen, plunging the forest into near-total darkness. For Lu Chen, it posed no obstacle—Ancient Ring Soul Perception allowed him to sense living auras, while the night-vision granted by the Demon-Suppressing Canon let him see clearly within ten meters.
Their first targets were three nearby rogue cultivators.
They had joined the encirclement earlier but escaped unharmed, now hiding in a crevice between rocks, arguing in hushed tones.
Lu Chen signaled Iron Shield and Wang Meng to flank. He advanced head-on.
The rogues were still debating whether to keep following Qingyun Sect when footsteps sounded.
"Who's there?!" the leader barked, drawing his blade.
Too late.
Lu Chen emerged from the darkness and cleaved downward.
Steel shattered. Man fell.
The other two tried to flee, only to be intercepted by Wang Meng and Iron Shield. Moments later, they lay dead.
Loot yielded twenty-seven point crystals and assorted scraps.
"Next," Lu Chen said.
For the next two hours, the trio roamed the stone forest like phantoms.
They targeted isolated individuals and small groups—avoiding teams of five or more, annihilating any with fewer than three. The efficiency was brutal.
By the time night fully settled, six groups—eighteen people—had been erased. Their points climbed by over two hundred.
Total: 751 points. An unassailable lead.
Those still alive in the stone forest either fled or hid so deeply they dared not surface.
"That's enough," Lu Chen said. "Back to the cave. We leave for the Dragonblood Vine at dawn."
They returned.
Lingque reported, "No organized teams within three kilometers. But several fast-moving energy signatures are leaving—likely messengers."
"Let them go," Lu Chen replied indifferently. "By the time reinforcements arrive, we'll be long gone."
They rested in shifts.
At dawn, the five set out toward the forest's depths.
The deeper they went, the taller the trees grew, the dimmer the light. Decayed leaves piled thickly underfoot, sometimes swallowing their legs to the knee. The sulfurous scent intensified, laced now with a faint metallic tang—the unmistakable odor of Dragonblood Vine.
"Close," Lingque said, studying the readings. "Two kilometers ahead—strong life force and spiritual fluctuations. Earthwyrm territory."
"Slow down. Stealth advance," Lu Chen ordered.
They moved carefully, using trees and stone as cover.
After passing through dense woodland, the terrain opened abruptly.
A circular clearing roughly five hundred meters across lay before them. The ground was not soil, but dark crimson rock. At the center bubbled a spring ten meters wide, milky-white water gurgling softly—a spirit spring.
Around it grew thirteen extraordinary plants.
Each stood about a meter tall, crimson from stem to leaf, their stalks layered like dragon scales. Golden blossoms crowned their tips. Most striking were the roots—alive, gently undulating in the spring, drinking deeply of its essence.
"Dragonblood Vine," Lingque breathed, excitement trembling in her voice. "Fully mature—at least fifty years old."
Then they noticed the other presence.
A colossal reptilian beast lay beside the spring.
Over eight meters long, nearly three meters tall, its body was sheathed in black iron scales. Its head resembled an enormous crocodile's, broader and heavier, its jaws lined with fangs half a meter long. A massive tail trailed behind, tipped with a gleaming bone spike.
The Iron-Armored Earthwyrm slept, thunderous snores whipping the air into miniature whirlwinds.
[Iron-Armored Earthwyrm — Level 35. Earth-aspected aberrant beast.
Defense: Extremely high; scales resist all physical attacks below level 40.
Weak points: Eyes, oral cavity, ventral soft scales.
Abilities: Earth Spikes, Rock Armor, Dragon Might.]
The stele spirit's analysis was precise.
"How do we do this?" Wang Meng whispered.
Lu Chen studied the terrain and the beast's posture.
"When it sleeps, its belly is pressed to the ground, eyes shut. The only openings are the nostrils and mouth," he said. "When it breathes, the nostrils flare, and it occasionally opens its mouth to snore. That's our window."
"Plan?"
"Hawkeye—see that rock to its left?" Lu Chen pointed to a two-meter spire. "Firing point. One hundred fifty meters. When I force it to raise its head, shoot straight into its mouth. Armor-piercing explosive round."
"Understood."
"Wang Meng, Iron Shield—harassment only. Draw its attention after it's wounded. No hard engagement. Lingque, perimeter overwatch and drone interference."
"And you?" Wang Meng asked.
"I go in close," Lu Chen said. "Eyes and belly. Once I break its defense, it dies."
Simple. Brutal. Effective.
They took positions.
Lu Chen stepped from cover and advanced.
Fifty meters. The Earthwyrm snorted but did not wake.
Forty.
Thirty.
Twenty.
Lu Chen stopped, picked up a stone, and hurled it.
Crack.
The Earthwyrm jolted awake, massive head snapping up, eyes locking onto Lu Chen.
"ROAR—!"
The clearing trembled as its jaws yawned wide.
"Now!" Lu Chen roared.
Bang!
The round punched straight down its throat.
A muffled explosion followed.
The beast thrashed, blood and flesh spraying from its jaws. Not fatal—but agonizing.
"Go!" Wang Meng and Iron Shield charged.
Iron Shield slammed its face with his shield, drawing its focus. Wang Meng struck for the eye—deflected, but enough.
Lu Chen moved.
Demon-Suppressing Step carried him beneath the beast. He drove his blade into a patch of soft ventral scale.
Thrust.
The Earthwyrm howled, claws smashing down. Lu Chen rolled clear.
Then—again.
This time, the eye.
The blade pierced through lid and socket, straight into the brain.
The scream that followed shook the forest.
Moments later, the giant collapsed.
White light engulfed the corpse, leaving behind a golden core—worth one hundred points—and additional crystals totaling eighty.
Then the vines.
Thirteen Dragonblood Vines—six hundred fifty points.
Total: 1581 points.
An absolute lead.
"Withdraw," Lu Chen ordered.
Too late.
"Withdraw? And where exactly do you think you're going?"
Figures emerged from the forest.
At their head stood a gaunt elderly Daoist in Qingyun elder robes—Qingsong. Beside him stood a young man in plain blue garments, eyes closed, sword at his waist.
Lu Chen's perception screamed.
Danger.
"Li Xuanyi," Qingsong said coldly. "Level 38. Qingyun Sect's true prodigy."
The young man opened his eyes.
"You are… acceptable," he said softly. "Pity you must die."
His sword left its sheath.
Heaven and earth fell silent.
Lu Chen stepped forward, blade rising.
Demon-Suppressing Canon, Third Form.
"Come," Lu Chen said, eyes blazing. "Show me what Qingyun's true genius can do."
Steel and will collided.
The final battle began.