Chapter 127: A Confrontation of the Strong

Huang Qianqian’s speed was extraordinary. It took her only an hour to travel from Xiluo City to Jiaogu City, and that was without even pushing herself to her full potential.

Viewed from afar, Jiaogu City was small and reduced to ruins, filled with crumbling walls and overgrown with weeds, exuding an air of desolation and decay.

The entrance to the Saint's Secret Realm was easy to spot. A massive pillar of light pierced the heavens, stretching into the unknown. On the ground, a slowly rotating ring of white, misty light connected to this pillar, emitting a rhythmic pulling force. There was no need for speculation; this was undoubtedly the gateway to the secret realm.

At this moment, the area in front of the light ring was packed with cultivators, their faces filled with fervent obsession. Before them lay the path to the pinnacle of power, yet they dared not act rashly.

Hovering in the air around the pillar were five cultivators radiating such intense pressure that it left the crowd below struggling to breathe. Zhou Qi, who had blended into the masses, secretly cast a Qi-observing technique to gauge them. It felt as if he were staring directly into several scorching suns, causing his eyes to sting with sharp pain.

Unable to discern their cultivation levels, Zhou Qi quickly deactivated the technique. Even that brief glance had been detected; the five cultivators sensed a lowly insect spying on them and turned their gazes toward him in unison. The pressure intensified, causing the cultivators surrounding Zhou Qi to panic and lower their heads, terrified to look up at the five figures again.

The five cultivators merely scanned the area casually and, finding nothing of consequence, returned to their standoff.

Zhou Qi surveyed his surroundings and noticed a group of several dozen women from the Xianxia Sect, led by Shui Bing, standing not far ahead. They were bracing themselves against the pressure, waiting for the outcome of the debate above. Scattered around them were various other cultivators of unknown origin, most likely rogue practitioners.

"Fellow Daoists, we have been at a stalemate for an hour. If this continues, the cultivators at other entrances will beat us to it, which would be highly disadvantageous," a woman in the sky spoke, her voice cold and detached, as if she were untainted by worldly concerns.

"Hmph, if merely entering first guaranteed rewards, then what would be the point of talent and enlightenment? The Saint's Secret Realm is not a place for picking up trinkets. It isn't necessarily true that whoever enters first gains the most," a burly male cultivator replied, his voice gruff.

"That may be so, but if we cannot agree on a plan, how long are we to remain in this standoff?" interjected a hot-tempered female cultivator.

"Your Xianxia Sect demands ten spots—that proposal is absolutely unacceptable. While I may not have the vast resources of your sect, I still have over a dozen disciples. If you take ten, how many are left for my followers? Not to mention there are two other fellow Daoists here," the burly man retorted.

"How about this: my Xianxia Sect will take eight, and the three of you can each take four. How does that sound?" the detached woman suggested. It was only then that Zhou Qi realized the five in the sky were haggling over the distribution of entry spots, leaving little to no hope for a rogue cultivator like himself.

Once the woman made her proposal, the burly cultivator fell silent, evidently accepting the terms.

"I find this method inappropriate. Why not give other cultivators a chance? I have entered the Saint's Secret Realm before; the intent of the Sword Immortal was to select talent for the human race and protect our kind. If the entry is monopolized by sects, it defies the Sword Immortal's original purpose and may not be a good thing. Why don't we cast aside our sectarian biases and give the rogue cultivators a chance?" one of the cultivators suggested. His voice was steady and unhurried, commanding an involuntary sense of trust.

"I agree with Fellow Daoist Feng Yuzi. If the great sects claim every benefit, I wonder how much help you will provide when catastrophe strikes," another cultivator added.

"Oh? I may not be a match for both of you, but I am confident that while fighting you, I could easily wipe out all the Xianxia Sect disciples present. Would you like to test that theory?" the cultivator challenged, refusing to back down.

The atmosphere grew tense. The cultivators on the ground felt as though a calamity were imminent. When gods fight, mortals suffer; it was unclear who would win, but if they truly clashed, those below would undoubtedly be caught in the crossfire.

"Suyu, stop this nonsense," the cold woman intervened, silencing the pair. She then asked, "Fellow Daoist Feng Yuzi, what is your proposed solution?"

"It is simple. Let qualifications be determined by strength. We shall not intervene; let them fight for their own spots. If anyone dares to interfere, the rest of us will join forces against them," Feng Yuzi declared.

"And how are they to determine qualification by strength? If it is a one-on-one duel, the entrance will likely vanish before we even select a handful of people. If it is a free-for-all, will that not lead to even more casualties?" Suyu questioned.

"We need not interfere. Let them decide for themselves how to secure their entry. Why must we set rigid rules? The competition begins now. Being able to carve a path through the masses is the only way that aligns with the laws of survival on the Tianxuan Continent," the cultivator who had been arguing with Suyu retorted.

This... the woman from the Xianxia Sect hesitated. If left to their own devices, it would devolve into a chaotic melee. There were three or four hundred cultivators below, but the Xianxia Sect only had twenty or thirty present. In a chaotic battle, they might not hold the advantage.

But if they did not use this method, Suyu’s point remained valid—there was no time left for one-on-one duels.

"Fellow Daoist Mingxia, are you afraid?" Feng Yuzi asked with a smile.

*So be it; this is the only way,* the woman named Mingxia thought. She would simply send a message to her disciples to ensure Shui Bing and the others made it inside. Her sect had the numerical advantage; they would not fear a chaotic brawl. *I wonder how these rogue cultivators even found out the entrance was opening in Jiaogu City,* she mused.

"If you all agree, I have no objections!" Mingxia replied after a moment's thought.

The remaining cultivators all answered, "Agreed."

The five high-level cultivators had not bothered to hide their discussion. Once the method was announced, hope reignited in the hearts of the background-less rogue cultivators, including Zhou Qi.

With the decision made, the five cultivators said no more. They did not inform the crowd of the details but simultaneously withdrew their oppressive auras and ascended high into the sky, continuing to monitor the scene only with their spiritual senses.

The crowd felt the mountain of pressure lift from their shoulders. The entrance to the Saint's Secret Realm continued to rotate slowly, fueling the burning desire in the eyes of the gathered cultivators.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Charge!"

Three or four hundred cultivators stopped waiting. With a display of various techniques and abilities, they surged toward the entrance.