Chapter 122: Taking Part in the Trial

"Who on earth is this person? I’ve never seen him before, but to be wanted by so many sects at once, he must be a true expert."

"You can say that again. I heard that in the treasure vault, this guy single-handedly took down over fifty people from various sects. His strength is unfathomable."

"They say he must have the strength to rank in the top one hundred of the Lesser King Ranking; otherwise, he couldn't possibly be this powerful."

"..."

The crowd pointed at the portrait of Chu Han, whispering and speculating. The chatter left Chu Han feeling somewhat puzzled, as he had heard the term "Lesser King Ranking" for the first time. He wondered what kind of entity it took to be among the top one hundred on that list.

"Ahem, excuse me, brother. Sorry to bother you, but I’m from out of town. Could you tell me what the Lesser King Ranking is? Is being in the top one hundred considered very impressive?"

Chu Han took a black robe from his storage ring, put it on, pulled the hood over his head, and donned a black mask to disguise himself. He asked his question in a low, gravelly voice. Although he didn’t fear the bounty, it was better to be cautious; no matter how strong he was, he couldn't fight against so many sects at once. Besides, he wasn't in the treasure vault anymore, and his strength hadn't reached the level of invincibility.

"Of course! The Lesser King Ranking lists the top one hundred young geniuses in Central City. Only true geniuses can make it onto that list. As for the guy in the portrait, I reckon only those in the top hundred of the Lesser King Ranking could suppress him."

The man couldn't see Chu Han’s face, but he explained it nonetheless. Chu Han finally understood what the ranking signified. He couldn't help but feel a bit smug; it turned out that people here believed he was capable of entering the top one hundred. It wasn't bad—at least his strength was being recognized. However, he was now eager to see exactly how strong those top-ranked individuals truly were.

The geniuses of Central City were surely not comparable to trash like Tang Feng. At this thought, he felt a surge of excitement, though now was not the time for challenges. He had to pass the Taiyi Sect’s trial first.

After some inquiries, Chu Han finally learned the location of the Taiyi Sect’s trial. It turned out that the trial was held annually in a designated area in the suburbs outside Central City. Once someone entered the trial grounds, they could not leave at will. If one’s strength was insufficient, death was a real possibility. Yet, despite this, many people flocked to participate every year; if one were lucky enough to enter the Taiyi Sect, they would be set for life.

Chu Han arrived at the trial grounds. He could have entered through the main gate, but given the wanted posters, he decided to sneak in to avoid unnecessary trouble. He suppressed his aura and slipped in through a small gap on the side, unnoticed by anyone. Once inside, he found himself in a dense forest. The trial had officially begun the moment he stepped across the threshold.

The content of the trial was a mystery, changing every year. One had to gather various pieces of intelligence within the forest to figure out the final objective—a rather unconventional way to run a trial.

Chu Han strolled slowly through the forest. He didn't remove his disguise; after all, there were disciples from the very sects that wanted him present, as they were also hoping to join the Taiyi Sect. The sect was known for its inclusivity, accepting anyone who could pass the trial.

However, since he was already inside and disguised, there was no need to keep playing the part of a wanderer. Finding information on his own would take too long; extracting it from others was the most efficient method.

Before long, he sensed several people hiding in the nearby brush. They were likely harboring the same idea—gathering intelligence from others. He didn't retreat; instead, he walked straight into their trap.

Five people lunged out from the forest and surrounded him.

"Haha, look at this idiot! Coming to the trial grounds all by himself—he’s got some nerve. Alright, hand over whatever intel you’ve got and all your valuables. I might consider sparing your life."

The leader of the group laughed heartily, looking at him as if he were a fool. Usually, people entered the trial grounds in groups; those who acted alone like Chu Han were rare, usually only the truly confident experts. Because Chu Han was masked, they couldn't see his face and didn't suspect he was an expert from any major sect, so they prepared to attack.

Looking at the five of them—the strongest of whom had just reached the Dao Palace realm—Chu Han smiled faintly. Blue lightning began to coil around his body. Ever since his Lightning Body had reached perfection, he had become much more adept at manipulating electricity. He had completely merged with it; the lightning was him, and he was the lightning.

The five attacked in unison, their movements coordinated and their strikes sharp. If not for his perfected Lightning Body, Chu Han might not have even been able to track them. He nodded inwardly; the people of Central City were indeed different from those in the Imperial Capital. Even at the Dao Palace level, these five were much stronger, with solid foundations and impressive skill.

However, despite their strength, they had picked the wrong opponent. Chu Han was a veritable demon king. Faced with their attacks, he didn't even move, blocking their strikes with his bare flesh. The group was stunned.

Seeing that their attacks had no effect, they realized Chu Han's true caliber. Without a second thought, they turned to flee, but Chu Han wouldn't give them that chance. Lightning erupted from his body, instantly wrapping around all five of them.

They let out a collective scream as they collapsed to the ground. The numbing power of the lightning left them unable to move, shivering as they spoke, staring at Chu Han in terror.

"Now, tell me: what is the intel? Of course, you can choose to keep your mouths shut, but I suspect that would mean you don't care about your lives."

Chu Han smiled slightly, picked up a longsword from the ground, and held it to one of their throats, threatening them without wasting words.

"Don't do it! Don't! I'll talk! They say this trial is about collecting something, but we don't know what it is. That’s all the intel we have!"

The man was so scared he nearly wet himself, spilling everything he knew. Seeing his genuine fear, Chu Han knew he wasn't lying. He nodded lightly, stripped them of their belongings, and slipped away.

The remaining five huddled together, wanting to cry. They had intended to rob someone, but instead ran into this devil, who had left them stripped naked and paralyzed on the ground.

Of course, this was just a prank by Chu Han; he didn't intend to kill them, but he couldn't let them off too easily either. The thought of them lying there stark naked made him want to laugh.

As for the nature of the trial, if it involved collecting items, he just needed to find out what those items were. He had several theories, all of which were plausible. He shook his head with a bitter smile; without concrete intelligence, guessing was useless.

Ten minutes later, he reached the edge of the forest and saw the exit. No one had completed the trial yet. His eyes darted around—if that was the case, he would collect the items as quickly as possible. He had come up with a brilliant way to strike it rich.