Chapter 999: I Want to Become the Secret Realm King…

Han Shanxue and the others returned before long. They brought the brother-sister pair they had found earlier and a brawny man.

Their group was gradually taking shape. Everyone began explaining their areas of expertise.

The Yang siblings specialized in close combat and long-range attacks, respectively.

The brawny man was a full-fledged body cultivator. His robust physique could prove advantageous in the upcoming battles within the secret realm.

“My surname is Ye. I specialize in spells.” Ye Wenxin mentioned one of the abilities she could currently reveal.

The others looked somewhat incredulous. The storyteller thought Ye Wenxin ought to be skilled in many things. Yet, she suddenly mentioned something she had never displayed.

The siblings exchanged glances after Ye Wenxin finished talking. They seemed to be having a silent conversation.

As an Azure Wings Sect disciple, the storyteller undoubtedly specialized in swordsmanship. Next, Fei Chai explained both his and Han Shanxue’s masteries. Young Master Lü only offered a brief statement before swiftly concluding the introductions.

The venue held roughly 100 people. Each team consisted of about 10 members to ensure sufficient combat strength.

“Strange. I could’ve sworn I saw Miss Yue moments ago. Where has she gone?” Young Master Lü looked around.

Little did he know, Long Qingyue had transformed into a dashing young man, charming a group of women with her wit. The oblivious Young Master Lü had even spent the last while sneering at her.

The sight amused Ye Wenxin. She glanced at the silent Han Shanxue.

“Master, are you alright?” asked Ye Wenxin. Han Shanxue’s blood essence had heightened her sensitivity to ice-element fluctuations. Hence, she could detect even the subtlest shifts in her master’s emotions.

Han Shanxue abruptly reached out.

The movement startled Ye Wenxin, but Han Shanxue merely touched her cheek. The chill condensed into moisture, trickling down her face. The impromptu cold splash baffled her.

“Master, did you do that to refresh me?” Ye Wenxin tentatively guessed. “Were you worried I might be nervous?”

“Your mouth corner had a red mark,” Han Shanxue replied coolly.

Ye Wenxin’s scalp prickled with dread. She had already wiped her lips repeatedly. There shouldn’t be anything left. She hastily pulled out a mirror from her bag of holding to check. Thankfully, her face was now spotless.

The red mark could only be Long Qingyue’s little “gift.”

Ye Wenxin didn’t know who was meant to see it. However, she was certain it was part of Long Qingyue’s scheme.

“Thank you, Master. I must’ve brushed against something by accident.” Ye Wenxin instinctively made an excuse and immediately cringed at how flimsy it sounded.

But this was Han Shanxue. She couldn’t care less about her disciple’s romantic entanglements.

She kept glancing around, maintaining a state of high alert since earlier.

Ye Wenxin wondered if she had spotted the peach blossom demon or something else that had unsettled her.

As these questions lingered in her mind, a man in a Secret Guard uniform finally appeared on the empty stage.

He bore a Secret Guard commander token, indicating his rank and cultivation level was far from low. He seemed to be the main guide for this recruitment.

“Everyone, the secret realm will open within half an hour. Once it does, you’ll enter by presenting your tokens.”

Secret Guards emerged from their hiding, distributing waist tokens randomly to the participants.

Their nonchalance made Ye Wenxin think these tokens had no actual use.

But after the distribution concluded, the Secret Guard commander added, “These tokens determine whether you qualify for the next stage. If yours gets destroyed or stolen, you’ll be immediately disqualified.”

It wasn’t much different from standard elimination rules. They’d better protect their tokens if they wanted to advance.

But seven days was far too long. Someone raised their hand and asked, “Isn’t there a faster way?”

“I was about to explain that.” The Secret Guard answered so quickly that Ye Wenxin suspected the inquirer might have been a plant meant to steer the crowd.

This was the Golden Age Dynasty’s home ground, though. There was no reason not to play by their rules.

Ye Wenxin resigned herself to listening.

“It’s simple. You can seize others’ tokens. Given the number of participants, once you’ve collected 100 tokens, you may call for a Secret Guard and advance immediately.”

The Secret Guard kindly provided this shortcut as if worried some might find the secret realm tedious.

But this was no ordinary competition. They’d be entering a secret realm. Anyone would cling to the end, hauling away as many treasures as possible.

“I have another question,” someone else called out. “What if someone accidentally kills another inside?”

“Everyone will sign a life-and-death waiver later.” The Secret Guard commander smiled. “If you die in there, it is your fate. Of course, withdrawing now is also acceptable.”

The two questions had piqued the crowd’s interest. A young woman raised her hand.

“What if someone is lucky enough to obtain something in the secret realm?”

Every participant went silent, ears pricked for the answer.

“Anything you find belongs to you, provided you have the strength to keep it until you make it out alive.” The Secret Guard’s eyes held no emotion, almost like he had already foreseen how much excitement this secret realm would bring.

A few more people asked minor logistical questions. Minutes later, when no further inquiries came forth, the Secret Guard added, “Alright, see that incense stick? The secret realm will open once it burns out. I wish you all good luck in the upcoming battle.”

He swiftly departed, leaving behind an exhilarated crowd.

“Gods, even if I don’t join the dynasty, I’ll be set for life if I can snatch something from that secret realm!”

“Yeah, but there are 100 here and nearly 10,000 outside—that’s too many wolves and too little meat.”

“How is that a problem? Killing in the secret realm is not a crime. We’ll just quietly take them all out inside.”

Various conversations erupted around them. Young Master Lü had the lowest cultivation and no interest in becoming an official. He was the first to consider withdrawing.

Ye Wenxin didn’t push him to stay. After all, he was far too weak, and she had her own goals. She’d rather not waste time babysitting him.