Chapter 83

Chapter 83

As the sun rose, its brilliant rays illuminated the vast wilderness with a resplendent glow.

The radiance of the dawn was so intense that it stung everyone's eyes, causing them to squint instinctively. They finally realized that the trial had ended, and they had been teleported out of the Demon Sealing Mystic Realm by the tokens.

Although the environment in the Northern Region was rather harsh, with a thinner essence energy compared to the Central Continent, it seemed much better to the disciples who had spent half a month in the Demon Sealing Mystic Realm.

Still immersed in the aftermath of their battles and the sudden departure from the realm, they saw the three Sect Leaders step forward to announce the conclusion of the Demon Sealing Mystic Realm trial. They requested that each sect's disciples present the Demon Spirit Beads they had obtained, marking the beginning of the tallying process for each sect's gains.

Yi Xuan placed the Magic Spirit Beads submitted by the Crimson Cloud Sect disciples into a storage pouch, then handed it over to Sect Leader Sheng Zhenhai for counting.

Scanning the pouch, Sheng Zhenhai swiftly calculated the total number of beads. After verifying their authenticity with a few cultivators responsible for this task, he announced loudly, "Fifty Crimson Cloud Sect disciples participated in the trial, three were eliminated early. The total harvest of Magic Spirit Beads is as follows: Thirteen High Rank Magic Spirit Beads, Eight thousand one hundred and twenty Middle Rank Magic Spirit Beads, and Three hundred and thirteen thousand five hundred and eighty-eight Low Rank Magic Spirit Beads."

Upon hearing the Crimson Cloud Sect's report, the faces of the assembled cultivators twitched slightly.

As the first to report, and considering their past performance, it was evident that the Crimson Cloud Sect would once again secure the top position. Furthermore, the number of Magic Spirit Beads they had obtained this time surpassed previous years, suggesting that they had slain a significant portion of the demonic creatures within the Sealed Demon Secret Realm.

One could only hope that the disciples from the other sects hadn't performed too poorly. Otherwise, if the gap became too vast, it would be a major loss of face.

The Unity Sect reported next, "Unity Sect has fifty trial disciples, with eighteen eliminated early. Total gained Magic Spirit Beads: Three high-grade, four thousand one hundred and two mid-grade, and two hundred and thirty-one low-grade."

Upon hearing the Unity Sect's numbers, everyone inwardly acknowledged the vast disparity. Just the number of high-grade demonic spirits they had slain couldn't compare.

The third to report was the Qingyun Sect.

The Sect Master of the Qingyun Sect wore an ashen expression as he spoke in a calm tone, "Qingyun Sect has fifty trial disciples, with forty-nine eliminated early. Total gained Magic Spirit Beads: One high-grade, one thousand five hundred mid-grade, and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-six low-grade."

Upon hearing the Qingyun Sect's report, everyone present couldn't help but turn their gaze towards the sect.

The eliminated and the persevering disciples were clearly separated. At a glance, they saw the distinct lines of the Qingyun Sect—forty-nine on one side, eliminated early, and only one on the other side, Mu Ziming, who was severely injured.

Oh dear, the Sect Master of the Qingyun Sect looked grim. Indeed, the Qingyun Sect had suffered a significant loss of face this time.

The ever-compassionate Unity Sect's Sect Master, Ding, kindly consoled him, "Comrade Cheng, due to the interference of high-grade demonic spirits during this trial, your nephew, Disciple Mu, managed to hold on until the end before being teleported out. It's clear he's a determined child with great potential. Congratulations on his promising future."

Master Cheng appeared as if he wanted to say something but ultimately held back, forcing a smile as he replied, "Comrade Ding, you flatter me."

If it weren't for the fact that the Grand Unity Sect's Sect Master was famously amiable, he might have suspected that the man was mocking him.

The three sects were equally renowned and had always been subjects of comparison by outsiders.

The Crimson Heaven Sect could be overlooked; they didn't compare themselves with these young prodigies who relied solely on their own strength. However, the overall capabilities of the Grand Unity Sect and the Qingyun Sect were roughly equal. How could the outcome of the trials differ so vastly? If not for the interference of high-ranking demons this time, the Qingyun Sect wouldn't have been reduced to just one surviving disciple.

Regardless of how displeased the Qingyun Sect's Sect Master was, the situation was set in stone, and he had no choice but to accept it.

Next came the announcement from the four gates.

"The Qixing Sect had fifty trial disciples, nineteen of whom were eliminated early. Total number of Demon Spirit Orbs collected: Three High Rank Demon Spirit Orbs, three thousand seven hundred and seventy-three Mid Rank Demon Spirit Orbs, and one hundred and fifty-nine thousand six hundred and sixty-six Low Rank Demon Spirit Orbs."

"The Talisman Cauldron Sect had fifty trial disciples, twenty-eight of whom were eliminated early. Total number of Demon Spirit Orbs collected: One High Rank Demon Spirit Orb, two thousand six hundred and sixty-eight Mid Rank Demon Spirit Orbs, and eleven thousand and three Low Rank Demon Spirit Orbs."

"The Purple Sun Sect had fifty trial disciples, thirty of whom were eliminated early. Total number of Demon Spirit Orbs collected: One High Rank Demon Spirit Orb, one thousand five hundred and fifty-one Mid Rank Demon Spirit Orbs, and nine thousand eight hundred and ninety-five Low Rank Demon Spirit Orbs."

...

The leaders of various sects and schools took turns announcing the results, maintaining a solemn atmosphere in the venue.

Upon completion of all the sects' reports, the Qingyun Sect's Sect Leader finally appeared much more at ease.

It seemed that the Qingyun Sect was not the worst off. There were three unfortunate ones who had been entirely eliminated by the high-ranking demons, their acquired Magic Spirit Beads counted in the rankings but surely not as many as those who had persevered until the end.

Without a doubt, the first place of this trial belonged to the Crimson Heaven Sect.

The Crimson Heaven Sect had utterly crushed all opponents with its superior strength. Be it the number of disciples eliminated or the quantity of Magic Spirit Beads collected, they stood towering above all other sects, deserving the title of champion without question.

In contrast, the second-placed Unity Sect and third-placed Qixing Sect paled in comparison.

Smiling warmly, Sheng Zhenhai accepted congratulations from the various Sect Leaders, passing the first-place reward to his second disciple to distribute among the participating disciples.

After awarding the top three, he instructed the participating disciples from each sect to return to the flying ships for cleaning and rest.

Next, they summoned the team leaders of each sect who had participated in the trial, inquiring about the situation in the Demon Sealing Mystic Realm, particularly regarding the high-ranking demons within.

Five hundred years ago, during one such trial, a high-ranking demon had infiltrated the competing disciples, nearly resulting in total annihilation and heavy casualties, leaving all sects on high alert. To everyone's surprise, this time around, not only did high-ranking demons reappear, but there were multiple, their numbers causing widespread alarm.

Due to their choice to cooperate, Yi Xuan, Nie Shenxuan, Fu Rui, Qi Jiake, and Zhong Liyi had encountered an overwhelming number of these demons. They recounted their experiences and observations to their respective Sect Leaders in detail.

With knowledge of the Sealed Demon Realm's circumstances, the various sect leaders and masters discussed and decided to let their disciples return to their respective sects first while they themselves entered the Sealed Demon Realm to investigate its conditions.

The leaders of various sects joined forces once more to unlock the Sealed Demon Realm, entering its depths.

The elders from the various sects who remained addressed their Yuanling Realm disciples, "You have all worked hard. Go back and rest now."

One by one, they acknowledged, bowed to the group, and then headed for their respective sect's flying vessels.

Zhong Liyi fell in step with the elder from Purple Sun Sect, couldn't help but cast a glance back at Yi Xuan and the Crimson Heaven Sect's flying boat not far away. She had originally planned to wait until the trial ended to seek out Ning Yuzhou and discuss the matter of the spirit pills, but now it seemed that chance had slipped away.

She sighed inwardly, dismissing the matter swiftly.

There was no rush; time was on their side. They could visit the Crimson Heaven Sect another day.

***

When Yi Xuan returned to the flying ship, he found the disciples who had participated in the trial already cleaned up, gathered in the main hall where they were being treated for their injuries by the accompanying alchemists.

Upon seeing him, the group swarmed around, chattering eagerly about what the Sect Master might have wanted, wondering if it was related to the mystic realm.

Yi Xuan said, "The Sect Leader has already entered the mystic realm alongside the other sect heads for an investigation. They've instructed us to return to the sect first."

"Is the Sect Leader planning to personally inspect the mystic realm?"

"It seems so."

After giving a few instructions, Yi Xuan went to freshen up.

When he emerged in clean clothes, he was pulled aside by a Grade Earth Alchemist who wanted to help him detoxify.

In his battle against the high-ranking demonic cultivator the previous night, Yi Xuan had won, but it had been a perilous victory, and he had sustained severe injuries. Relying on spirit pills and his own resilience, he had managed to suppress his injuries. However, the demonic poison had already seeped deep into his organs; continuing to suppress it without proper treatment could spell disaster.

For this trial, Scarlet Heaven Sect had sent two Grade Earth Alchemists along with them.

These two alchemists, of course, did not enter the mystic realm but remained aboard the flying ship, ready to tend to the injured disciples as soon as they returned.

The three Scarlet Heaven Sect disciples who had been eliminated early were also due to their severe injuries. They had no choice but to crush their tokens and leave prematurely. By now, their wounds were mostly healed, but the demonic poison was a more complicated issue. In previous years, they would have needed Fei Yubai's personal assistance upon returning to the sect to fully detoxify.

Fortunately, with Ning Yuzhou around this year, there was no need to seek out Fei Yubai at the sect.

Two Earth Rank Alchemists, holding the two jars of green spirit medicines given by Ning Yuzhou, smeared them onto the disciples' wounds. Instantly, a chorus of wails and howls echoed throughout the flying ship, even alerting the peak masters of Tianjian Peak and Skymetal Peak who were left in charge of protecting them; they hurried over to investigate.

The peak master of Skymetal Peak was a robust middle-aged man with a jovial smile. "Does it really hurt that much?"

Tears welled up in the eyes of a Skymetal Peak disciple as he pleaded pitifully, "Peak Master, it does! You can try it if you don't believe me."

"I'm not poisoned, why would I try it? Men should endure such pain," the Skymetal Peak's peak master said without any sympathy.

The Tianjian Peak's peak master also spoke, "You're all valiant sword cultivators, what are you afraid of? Show some of that sword cultivator spirit!"

"Yes..."

A few sword cultivator disciples displayed steely determination, their eyes brimming with tears.

Seeing how pitiful they were, one of the Earth Rank Alchemists asked, "Junior Apprentice Brother Ning, can this green spirit medicine really not be refined into a spirit pill?"

The other Earth Rank Alchemist added, "Yes, I've heard that the King Rank Alchemist of the Qingyun Sect has already developed a detoxification pill that can counteract demonic poison. During this trial, every Qingyun Sect disciple had one, so they didn't suffer much."

As the two Earth Rank Alchemists spoke, their faces betrayed a hint of longing.

What kind of Detoxification Pill could a King Alchemist produce? One could only wonder!

However, there couldn’t be too many of them. Otherwise, the Qingyun Sect wouldn’t have kept it under wraps so tightly. It was only natural for the Qingyun Sect to do this, just like how the Crimson Heaven Sect had kept their Devil-Extermination Pills tightly guarded without allowing the outside world to know about them too early.

As top major sects, they naturally had some tricks up their sleeves and wouldn’t reveal all their cards at once. Without a doubt, the new Detoxification Pills that the Qingyun Sect’s King Alchemist had refined to counter demonic poison and the Devil-Extermination Pills of the Crimson Heaven Sect were both cards they held close to their chests.

The peak master of the Celestial Tool Peak wasn’t pleased and said sarcastically, "How useful can their detox pills be if they still ended up with only one person left?"

"Indeed," said the peak master of Tianjian Peak, his eyes sharp and brows knitted. "Spirit pills and such are external objects; cultivators should prioritize cultivating their own strength and character."

The words held great logic, but the two Earth Rank Alchemists found them irksome to hear.

"If you have the ability, detoxify it yourselves. Don't come seeking us Alchemists."

A single sentence fell, and all present dared not utter a sound.

If they could dispel this demonic poison themselves, they wouldn't be desperately seeking an alchemist.

Though cultivators' strength was crucial, supplementary skills were equally significant at times, especially when it came to spirit pills – even sword cultivators couldn't do without them occasionally.

After the two Earth Rank Alchemists triumphantly turned their noses up, they turned to Ning Yuzhou with affable expressions, discussing the feasibility of refining the green spirit herb into a spirit pill.

"Ning Yuzhou," one said, "Shi Fu and I have studied it. For now, it's unfeasible to refine it into a pill. The most effective method would be to turn it into an ointment, though the process might be somewhat painful... We'll work on improving it later."

The injured disciples present, tears welling in their eyes, begged earnestly, "Junior Apprentice Brother Ning, please, ask Shi Fu to improve it quickly!"

Ning Yuzhou smiled warmly and replied, "We will, for sure."

Even if they could improve the process, these people might not get another chance to use it, as the Demon Sealing Mystic Realm trial only occurred once every ten years – there was still a long way to go.

After treating everyone's injuries, Yi Xuan took out the first-place reward from the sect and allowed the group to choose what they desired, striving to maintain fairness. The peak masters oversaw the proceedings, acting as witnesses.

After another bout of excitement, everyone selected their desired items and left contentedly.

Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao returned to their room on the flying ship to rest. After setting up barriers around them as a habit, they sorted out the spoils they had obtained during the trial – some found in the Pure Land, others exchanged with fellow participants, and those acquired from the sect and as the first-place reward.

The rewards of the trial were mainly provided by the sect, and every participant would receive them. These rewards consisted primarily of spirit pills and various materials, including spirit herbs and substances for forging weapons and crafting array plates. Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao didn't take the spirit pills but did select some spirit herbs and other materials.

When they were selecting their rewards, everyone had spontaneously allowed them to choose first.

The two peak masters overseeing the scene raised their eyebrows at this sight but didn't comment.

After counting their gains from the trial, Wen Qiao's eyes sparkled as she said, "Husband, there are so many items. I didn't know participating in the sect trials could bring such great benefits."

Ning Yuzhou smiled, not finding it surprising.

Resources on the Continent were limited, with most of them already under the control of various factions and major sects, apart from some unexplored secret realms. Each time these factions joined forces to hold trials, they were essentially indirectly securing cultivation resources for their own disciples, strengthening their sect's foundation.

This was also why cultivators aspired to join major sects.

Though independent cultivators enjoyed freedom, they lacked backing. Not only might they be bullied during their travels, but they also had difficulty finding high-quality resources.

Wen Tuzi held a spirit fruit in her arms, gazing at the spirit herbs and fruits stored in jade boxes, drooling slightly.

So many fruits, so fragrant, so delicious~~

"Wen Tuttu, no sneaking snacks. These spiritual fruits are scarce, so we need to consume them strategically," Wen Qiao caressed her pet's head, admonishing gently.

Wen Tuttu reluctantly nodded, reluctantly tearing his gaze away.

After inventorying their findings, Wen Qiao's eyes fell upon the muddy spiritual herbs and medicines. "Husband, let's hurry and cultivate more before we return to the sect."

They had to submit a third of these items to the sect, hence it was wise to keep some for themselves first.

Ning Yuzhou observed the young girl's eager demeanor, as if she feared leaving him with too little, and couldn't help but chuckle in agreement.