Chapter 302: "I Don't Want to Fight All the Time, It's So Tiring"

Chapter 302: "I Don't Want to Fight All the Time, It's So Tiring"

As Chen Qiu and Fat Dragon exchanged pleasantries, the atmosphere became more harmonious, and the few Bai Clan Elites who had been hiding on the side, too afraid to even breathe, glanced at each other and sighed in relief.

Although they didn't know the specifics, they had missed a lot of the conversation, but judging by the atmosphere, it seemed that peace had been restored.

Truly, accompanying such a powerful figure was like walking alongside a tiger.

This senior's temperament seemed to be as fickle as the wind.

The other challengers around them were even more confused. They couldn't hear anything, only seeing the Realm Host kneeling on the ground at one moment and being embraced by Chen Qiu the next.

Just moments ago, Chen Qiu had been seething with anger, but now he was all smiles.

It seemed like the crisis had been averted.

Although they didn't know what had happened, they could tell from the cracks appearing in the corridor that this Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm was not safe and was on the verge of collapse.

At this moment, they were unaware that Chen Qiu had already saved their lives several times.

If not for Chen Qiu's repeated interventions, they would all have turned to ashes by now.

Just then—

The blinding radiant light that had been constant finally faded, and the entire corridor slowed down, leading them to a place resembling a "uterine chamber."

Indeed, although the description might be a bit unseemly, it was accurate.

In front of them was a massive flesh globe with an uneven surface covered in tumors, occasionally dripping viscous liquid. A larger hole in the globe allowed them to witness the corridor flying straight into the globe.

Inside the globe was an infinite amount of viscous liquid.

For some reason, the liquid didn't flow out through the hole but remained within the globe, which seemed somewhat illogical. Perhaps the resistance from the viscous liquid was too great, causing the corridor to slow down.

Until it came to a complete stop.

At that moment, the wooden door reappeared on the corridor wall.

"Fifth Gate"

"Content: Defeat the Fallen Self. If you did not pass the first gate, you will need to defeat a version of yourself with your full strength in this gate. If you passed the first gate, you will need to defeat the Realm Host in this gate."

"Reward: A strand of Earthly Elite Fortune."

"Note: Those who did not pass the previous gate will receive ten times the reward upon passing this gate."

As they read the panel, everyone instinctively looked at the Realm Host, who had already changed into a new set of clothes without anyone noticing. Standing there with a cold expression, he scanned each person's face, clearly ready to accept the challenge.

No one knew that the content of the fifth gate was to defeat the Realm Host, not even Chen Qiu and his companions.

The Realm Host's strength was evident to all, and defeating him would undoubtedly be a formidable challenge.

However, as the cold-faced Realm Host met Chen Qiu's gaze, he quickly put on a flattering smile, winking repeatedly to indicate that he would go easy on Chen Qiu and his group.

This seemed to be within his authority.

Chen Qiu raised his eyebrows slightly but didn't say anything. He just smiled and accepted the Realm Host's goodwill, though he wanted to say that there was no need to go easy on them. But after some thought, he realized that they were all family now, and if he went too hard and accidentally killed the Realm Host, it wouldn't be a good situation.

However, this was also good.

Many times, accepting someone's goodwill is also a blessing for them.

"Um..."

Fat Dragon, standing beside Chen Qiu, pulled out a cleaver from his bosom and held it in his hand, looking at Chen Qiu. "Qiu Ge, should I go in first?"

Since he hadn't passed the first gate, his task for this gate was different from the others. He had to face himself and confront the fallen version of himself.

"Wait."

Chen Qiu shook his head and took out a storage ring from his bosom, just as he was about to hand it to Fat Dragon. The Realm Host spoke up, "Senior, no matter what you give him, after entering, it will replicate the same abilities and Spiritual Treasures as the original."

"Hmm?"

Chen Qiu's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he pondered. Fat Dragon grinned, "Qiu Ge, don't worry. Although I haven't fought much in recent years, I feel like it won't be a big problem."

Hearing Fat Dragon's words, Chen Qiu didn't say anything more. He just reminded him, "Be careful."

"I understand."

Fat Dragon carried the cleaver on his back and strode towards the wooden door, not looking back as he waved his hand, "I'm off."

He looked quite carefree.

The Bai Clan Elites watched Fat Dragon's departing figure, and a strange light flashed in their eyes. Although he was a bit chubby, his composure in the face of danger was indeed very impressive.

Moreover, from his tone, it seemed that he had been a formidable figure in his youth, but after following the senior, he rarely showed his strength.

"Well then..."

At that moment, the Realm Host's face turned cold again as he looked at the crowd, "Who's first? You must use your full strength, or I will truly kill you. The time limit is one hour. Anyone who doesn't come forward within that time will be considered to have failed the challenge."

For a moment, a sense of panic spread among the crowd. The situation was now clear—many of them would have to pass the challenge again to leave this Mystic Realm, and the fifth gate might be the easiest of the remaining gates.

But...

The Realm Host's strength had been evident from the beginning, and they were no match for him. They were caught in a dilemma, and for a while, no one dared to step forward.

Finally—

"I'll go!"

A robust man with a sullen expression stepped forward from the crowd. As spiritual energy surged around him, a massive hammer appeared in his hand. The ferocity in his eyes and the countless scars on his body all indicated that he was a ruthless fighter.

"In my life, I've gambled countless times, and I've never lost. This time will be no exception."

"Isn't your strongest ability lightning?"

"As it happens, I have a specialized set of techniques to deal with lightning cultivators. Back then, I killed three thousand people to obtain the pink entry slip, 'Heavenly Thunder Sacred Body', from a secret realm. Although it's a lightning cultivation entry, it's useless to me. However, one of its effects allows me to become highly immune to lightning attacks upon reaching the peak of its cultivation."

"Since no one dares to step forward, I'll be the first to take the plunge!"

"Boom!"

A loud noise suddenly erupted, and the spiritual energy around the burly man erupted violently. In the next instant, he vanished from his original spot. The crowd's gaze instinctively turned towards the direction of the realm host.

To their surprise, a spear made of heavenly thunder had appeared in the realm host's hand, its slender body shimmering with countless streaks of purple-blue lightning, an awe-inspiring sight. At the spear's tip hung a burly man, impaled through the heart.

The burly man was already coughing up blood, suspended in mid-air, his eyes filled with disbelief and resentment as he stared at the realm host with difficulty, saying, "This... this is impossible. How could you completely ignore my defense?"

"I can be immune to most lightning attacks."

"Impossible."

The realm host let out a soft sigh. His right arm trembled slightly, and the spear made of heavenly thunder in his hand instantly transformed into a pale blue spring. With another tremor, it became a blazing flame, and with the final tremor, it turned into a brown-yellow earth.

"Let me show you the truth. This power is the power of the Heavenly Dao. Lightning is just one way I like to express it. In essence, the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm has granted me the power of the Heavenly Dao. What good will absolute defense against lightning do you?"

"I'm not a lightning cultivator."

"This foolish child."

At this moment, the burly man could no longer hear these words. He was already on the brink of death, and the spear piercing his body kept changing, alternating between extreme cold and extreme heat. He closed his eyes and completely dissipated into the heavens and earth.

For a person to grow and cultivate to the Body Integration Stage, it takes a very long time, perhaps thousands of years, or even tens of thousands of years.

But to die, it only takes an instant.

From a certain perspective, this is somewhat unfair; it's an unequal transaction.

"Next, who else is there?"

The realm host, holding the spear diagonally, swept his gaze across the faces of the crowd with an indifferent expression. The crowd also looked at each other with uncertain expressions, and no one dared to step forward. There was no way they could win in a fight.

The burly man from earlier was a late-stage Body Integration cultivator, yet he was instantly killed.

This meant that the realm host's true strength was at least at the peak of the Body Integration stage, or even the initial stage of Tribulation Transcender. They were not on the same level at all. How could they possibly fight? There was no chance.

For a moment, no one dared to step forward.

"I'll go."

Chen Qiu rolled up his sleeves, leaned on the Heavenly Oracle Umbrella, and stepped out of the crowd. Before he could make a move, he saw the host's body shoot backwards and slam into the wall. He then spat out blood and looked at Chen Qiu with eyes full of admiration and a trembling voice.

"As expected of a senior, with just a glance, you've severely injured me."

"Senior, you've passed this trial."

". . ."

Chen Qiu's mouth twitched slightly as he looked at the host lying on the ground, spitting blood. He was about to say that this was too fake, wondering if the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm would acknowledge this. He hadn't even made a move yet; at least let him make a symbolic gesture.

However, he soon heard the sound of passing the trial, and a jade slip with the fortune of 'Earthly Elite' floated down from the corridor ceiling and landed in front of him.

It actually worked.

"This is too much!"

The surrounding challengers were initially startled, then they couldn't help but shout angrily in unison, "At least put on a show! This is too much. You're blatantly taking advantage right in front of us. This is the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm! Isn't it supposed to be a place of absolute fairness and competition? Even with the most powerful background, once you enter the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm, you have to rely on your own strength."

"Why is it that when it comes to you, you can openly take shortcuts?"

"Exactly! This is so unfair!"

"Heavenly Dao, can I report this? I want to report this realm host and some of the challengers for colluding behind our backs!"

"Report?"

The realm host slowly stood up, looked at the crowd, and laughed coldly, "Here, I am the Heavenly Dao. Who are you going to report to? Stop making a fuss. You will all die in this realm today. Who told you to be so greedy?"

"I forgot to tell you, over the years, the death rate in this realm has been 97%, and no one has ever passed all nine trials."

He quickly put on a smile and asked Chen Qiu, "Senior, I do have some authority over this trial. Do these people want to pass?"

"Go ahead."

Chen Qiu waved his hand at the Bai Clan's elite cultivators without saying much.

The Bai Clan's sword cultivation elite took out his sword from his chest, took a deep breath, and made the initial sword stance. But before he could do anything, he saw the host spitting blood and flying backwards again. He could only silently sheathe his sword and receive the reward, a jade slip with a strand of Earthly Elite fortune.

How to put it.

This experience was quite extraordinary. It was his first time having such an experience in the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm. He felt like he was openly cheating, and no one could say anything about it. To be honest, it felt pretty cool.

He had been to many Heavenly Dao Mystic Realms, but this time, following the senior to the realm was the most enjoyable. He didn't have to do anything; he just followed along and passed through the trials.

Soon.

The Bai Clan's female cultivation elite also stepped forward and passed the trial. Amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, ten jade slips with the fortune of 'Earthly Elite' fell into her embrace. The Bai Clan's female cultivator chose to forfeit the next trial, which had ten times the reward.

Ten strands of Earthly Elite Fortune.

They could be combined into one strand of "Peerless Talent Fortune", and there would still be one extra strand of Earthly Elite Fortune left. This was indeed a significant fortune.

Not to mention anything else,

The difficulty of obtaining just one strand of Earthly Elite Fortune could be described as extremely absurd, and now there was a whole strand of Peerless Talent Fortune. Up until this point in the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm, the biggest gain was this female cultivator from the Bai Clan.

"Thank you, Senior. Thank you, Senior."

For a moment, the female cultivator from the Bai Clan, her face filled with excitement, tightly hugged the jade slip in her arms, her voice trembling slightly as she looked at the Realm Host in front of her, bowing repeatedly in gratitude. She had already obtained the qualifications to leave this secret realm. As long as she exited the realm and returned to the Bai Clan, with this strand of Peerless Talent Fortune, she would firmly establish her position and become the strongest talent in the Bai Clan, and even in the entire Heaven-reaching Continent!

The Realm Host's expression turned slightly speechless at this, but he merely turned his body, raised his hand, and pointed at Chen Qiu, indicating that the female cultivator from the Bai Clan was thanking the wrong person.

At this moment, the female cultivator from the Bai Clan quickly realized her mistake. Holding a pile of jade slips in her arms, she looked at Chen Qiu with gratitude and bowed repeatedly, "Thank you, Senior. Thank you for your care. When I return to the Bai Clan, I will definitely inform the Clan Leader of your kindness towards me."

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded slightly, not saying much. He turned his head towards the wooden door on the corridor wall next to him. It had been a long time, and he wondered how Fat Dragon was doing.

Defeating a version of oneself with equal strength.

This required a breakthrough during the battle.

This might be a bit challenging for Fat Dragon.

Just then—

An elderly man in the crowd suddenly stood up, looked at Chen Qiu, and said, "Senior, since things have come to this, I'll be straightforward. If I give you fifty percent of the reward for passing this stage, can you guarantee my passage through this gate?"

"Fifty percent?"

The elderly man's voice brought Chen Qiu's thoughts back. This person had chosen to give up on the previous stage, and if he passed this stage, he would receive ten strands of Earthly Elite Fortune. Giving Chen Qiu fifty percent meant five strands.

This was a good deal.

This was a valuable item, and Chen Qiu was quite interested in it. Fighting and looting were not allowed in the secret realm; if such a situation occurred, the Heavenly Dao would intervene, leading to a series of complex consequences. To avoid scrutiny, the host would have to force himself into a deep sleep to evade the Heavenly Dao's review.

"Sure."

Chen Qiu smiled and nodded, gesturing to the female sword cultivator from the Bai Clan to prepare to collect the reward.

After receiving Chen Qiu's approval, the elderly man took a deep breath and walked up to the Realm Host. Before he could even speak, he saw the Realm Host being knocked back.

The elderly man looked at the scene before him, his mouth twitching slightly, unable to speak. He wasn't sure how to describe his feelings at the moment. Just a moment ago, he had been waiting in despair for his death, but now he had passed this stage so easily. This contrast made it difficult for him to process his emotions for a while.

However, the elderly man didn't think too much about it.

Instead, he quickly walked up to the female sword cultivator from the Bai Clan, took out five strands of Earthly Elite Fortune, and handed them over. He then bowed respectfully towards Chen Qiu before slowly retreating.

Seeing this, the others—

Followed suit, one by one, they approached Chen Qiu, reached agreements, and smoothly passed through the stage, giving the female sword cultivator from the Bai Clan five strands of Earthly Elite Fortune.

Finally—

Half an hour later.

Most of the crowd had passed through the stage. Even those who had chosen to pass through the previous stage decided to pay fifty thousand spirit stones to have Chen Qiu protect them through this stage. These people didn't receive double rewards, so they were essentially buying one strand of Earthly Elite Fortune with fifty thousand spirit stones.

But this item was rarely available outside, so buying one strand for fifty thousand spirit stones was an extremely profitable deal.

Most of the time, when people obtained Earthly Elite Fortune, it appeared directly in their Dantian, making it impossible to trade. However, this Earthly Elite Fortune, stored in a jade slip, could be freely traded, making it even more valuable.

A single strand of Earthly Elite Fortune stored in a jade slip could be worth three to five times more on the market, or even higher, depending on the buyer's background and their urgency for the item.

"Senior."

The female sword cultivator from the Bai Clan handed over a storage ring, saying cautiously, "Senior, all the Earthly Elite Fortune we collected is here."

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded slightly, and when he scanned his divine sense over the storage ring, he found that it contained a whopping 150 strands of Earthly Elite Fortune. This was an astonishing amount.

With 150 strands of Earthly Elite Fortune, one could combine them into 50 strands of Heaven's Pride Fortune, 16 strands of Peerless Talent Fortune, and 5 strands of Peerless Elite Fortune.

His supply of Heaven's Pride Fortune had almost run out over the years, so this would be a great opportunity to replenish it.

He hadn't tried combining three strands of Peerless Elite Fortune before, and he wondered if it would create an even higher-grade fortune. He would have to wait until he left the realm to try it out. However, his mind wasn't entirely focused on this at the moment. After taking the storage ring and taking out three jade slips containing Earthly Elite Fortune, he tossed them into the female sword cultivator's arms and gestured for her to leave. Then, he frowned slightly and looked towards the wooden door on the corridor wall.

Half an hour had passed, and Fat Dragon still hadn't come out. He hoped nothing had happened.

The female sword cultivator from the Bai Clan looked at the three jade slips of "Earthly Elite Fortune" in her hands, her eyes flashing with surprise and excitement. She quickly retreated with a more respectful expression, not wanting to disturb the senior cultivator further.

Beside her, another female cultivator from the Bai Clan, who had been quiet until now, looked at the female sword cultivator with a hint of envy. After setting up a soundproof array, she whispered, "Your luck is incredible! You get three strands of Earthly Elite Fortune just for collecting some items!"

"That's a huge reward for such a simple task!"

"Why didn't you call me when I was standing right next to you?"

"Hey!"

"Baijia Jianxiu Tianjiao smirked and tucked the three jade slips into his chest. "Maybe it's because I'm so handsome. This will further boost the grade of my Refining Illusory Body. Once I break through to the Body Integration Stage, the grade of my Fusion Kill Move will also be higher. I guess this counts as having a solid foundation."

"What kind of foundation is that?"

At this moment, the Baijia female cultivator standing beside them raised her eyebrows and took out her ten jade slips, waving them in front of the two. "Look, I have ten. You only have three, and you're still happy about it. If you had been a little smarter and given up on passing the previous stage like I did, you'd have ten now too."

"Why don't you two use your brains for once?"

"We were personally assigned by the Clan Leader to follow the senior. How dare we disregard our lives for him? Of course, we might feel discontent, but what can we do about it?"

"After we leave this Secret Realm, the senior will go his way, and we'll return to the Bai family. Perhaps we'll never meet again. Even if we're discontent, what impact can it have on us? But this Destiny is a tangible opportunity that we've grasped with our own hands."

"Think about it yourselves."

"You two are as dense as wood."

"Hmm," the Baijia Magical Treasure Cultivator beside them hesitated for a moment. "It does make some sense. What do you think, Ping Ling?"

Ping Ling was the name of the Baijia Sword Cultivator Tianjiao.

"What do I think?"

Ping Ling paused for a moment before hesitantly saying, "Well, I think... just now, everyone else contributed half of their gains, but only you, Xiaoyue, didn't. Doesn't that seem a little unfair?"

"Are you asking me to contribute too?"

Upon hearing that she was being asked to give up half of her Destiny, the Baijia female cultivator instantly jumped up like a cat with its fur standing on end, filled with anger. "They had to contribute because they didn't know the senior, but we've been with the senior all along. Why would we, as family, need to contribute?"

"Let me tell you, don't be jealous of me and talk nonsense. If the senior asks me to contribute, I'll respectfully hand it over without a word."

"Besides..."

"The senior has already collected so much Earthly Elite Fortune. How can he still need mine?"

"No, you're overthinking it, Xiaoyue."

Ping Ling, the Baijia Sword Cultivator Tianjiao, hesitated. "That's not what I meant. What I'm saying is, no matter how much we develop in the Heaven-reaching Continent, there's a limit. If we can stay by the senior's side, won't our future development be even better?"

"If the senior takes a liking to us..."

"...and is willing to take us under his wing, won't the benefits be greater than some Earthly Elite Fortune?"

"At this moment, if you contribute all ten strands of Earthly Elite Fortune, the senior might think you're a grateful and teachable person, and he might..."

Before Ping Ling could finish his sentence, the Baijia female cultivator Tianjiao's face turned red with anger. She roared, "You want me to contribute everything? Your thoughts are so cruel! I risked my life to obtain this, and you make it sound like I got it for free?"

"If you're so jealous, why didn't you risk your life in the previous stage?"

"Moreover, you have three strands of Earthly Elite Fortune, plus the one from passing the stage, making it four in total. Why don't you contribute all of them to show the senior that you're grateful and teachable?"

"It's different for me," Ping Ling said with a hint of helplessness. "These were bestowed upon me by the senior. How could I possibly return them? It would only show a lack of manners, and besides..."

"Stop."

The Baijia female cultivator Tianjiao raised her hand without expression, cutting off the conversation. "That's enough. We have different paths and different aspirations. In my opinion, relying on others in cultivation won't get you far. In the end, you have to rely on your own strength."

"No one in this world can be relied upon forever. Only by becoming stronger ourselves can we find true security."

After saying this, the Baijia female cultivator Tianjiao turned around without expression and walked away from the Soundproof Array, unwilling to continue the conversation with her fellow clansmen.

"She..."

The Baijia Magical Treasure Cultivator gazed at the departing figure of the Baijia female cultivator Tianjiao, his expression dazed as he muttered, "She makes a lot of sense."

Soon, he turned to face Ping Ling and said with a wry smile, "Of course, what you said also makes sense. I feel like you both have valid points."

"..."

Ping Ling sighed heavily, looking at the Baijia Magical Treasure Cultivator with a helpless expression. "I'm used to it. You've always been like this."

The Baijia Magical Treasure Cultivator smiled awkwardly, but soon hesitated again. "But Ping Ling, have you really decided to leave the Bai family and follow the senior?"

"Mhm."

Ping Ling nodded with determination. "If I stay in the Bai family, my potential is limited. But by following the senior, I can witness things I've never seen before. I believe I can go further."

"Just look at this Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm. If it weren't for the senior, what do you think would have happened to us?"

"Of course, this is just my wishful thinking. So far, I haven't come up with a reason for the senior to take me in. I'm still thinking about it, but if there's a chance, I want to give it a try."

"Oh."

"Do you want to come with me?"

"I don't think so. I want to go home and fish. I'm tired of all this fighting."

"Standing in this position, you can't avoid the fighting."

"I cultivate to ensure that others can't kill me during the fighting. If I actively seek it out, it would go against my initial intention."

"..."

Ping Ling remained silent. He didn't agree with this idea, but he could accept it. Not everyone cultivates to reach greater heights.

Some seek a longer life to enjoy, a longer time to explore the world, and more room for mistakes to savor life.

But—

He, Ping Ling, wanted to reach greater heights.

Ping Ling's face was filled with mixed emotions as he looked at the senior's back in the distance. He was searching for a reason for the senior to take him in, but he himself felt like he didn't have much to offer.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end