Chapter 27: The Testing Ground

Yellow sand swirled across the vast, desolate wilderness. A youth clad in black stood gazing at a towering mountain peak in the distance, shrouded in a sacred halo. That peak marked the final destination of this Divine Sect selection trial. However, stepping onto that holy ground would be no easy feat.

Lin Fan glanced at the white bracelet on his wrist and smiled softly. "What a place full of miracles."

This bracelet had attached itself to him the moment he entered the trial grounds. It not only recognized him as its master but also transmitted a mysterious voice directly into the depths of his consciousness. Lin Fan had no way of knowing who the owner of that voice was, but he could sense that its power far exceeded the Divine Soul Realm.

From Lin Qiuyan, Lin Fan had learned of the three realms beyond the Divine Soul: the Cave Heaven, Nirvana, and Creation realms. The eight great Divine Sects stood so high above the rest precisely because they possessed experts at the Creation Realm. In the Southern Wilderness, the Cave Heaven Realm was considered the pinnacle, while the Nirvana Realm was the level attained by the masters of many sects. As for the Creation Realm, it was the exclusive domain of the eight great Divine Sects. Although Lin Fan did not know the cultivation level of the person who had spoken to him, his intuition told him it was at least that of a Nirvana Realm expert.

The bracelet was the key to the entire trial. According to the voice, only by raising the color of the bracelet to purple could one distinguish themselves in this trial land and earn a place among the hundred sects of the Southern Wilderness. The bracelet’s color began at white, followed by red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and finally purple. Purple was not the end; above it was gold, symbolizing the top one hundred participants in the trial grounds. To join one of the eight great Divine Sects, one had to upgrade their bracelet to gold.

There were various ways to upgrade the bracelet's color. First, by defeating the demonic beasts that roamed this land, the bracelet could absorb their essence. Once enough was accumulated, the color would change. The higher the grade of the beast, the faster the color changed. Second, one could collect rare spiritual herbs found on this land and infuse their medicinal power into the bracelet. These herbs appeared to have unique seals; only the first person to infuse their energy could accumulate it, leaving no such fortune for those who followed. The third method was more primitive and cruel: plunder. By seizing the energy from the bracelets of other participants, one could strengthen their own. This was the most direct and brutal method, and also the fastest.

Upon learning this, Lin Fan realized that every other participant in this place was a potential enemy. He finally understood how the thirty-percent mortality rate of the Divine Sect trial came to be.

"With my current strength, I am far too weak for this trial ground. For now, I must focus on improving my own power."

Since entering this region, Lin Fan had lost the ability to "communicate" with the Demoness. The sliver of her lingering consciousness that had attached itself to him had vanished without a trace, just as it had at the sword-master's cottage. No matter how he called out, there was no response. Helpless, he had to rely on himself. His primary goal now was to break through to the Divine Pill Realm. Aside from him, there were no Sky Pill Realm martial artists in this trial ground. His cultivation was at the very bottom. Of course, cultivation did not equate to strength; with his current abilities, dealing with an ordinary Divine Pill martial artist was not a problem.

Lin Fan was currently in a wilderness and needed to find a hidden place to cultivate. Closing his eyes to meditate in the open wasteland would be pure suicide. He scanned the horizon and spotted a dense forest. A smirk tugged at his lips—that was the place. The forest offered not only hidden caves but also demonic beasts; once he reached the Divine Pill Realm, he could start a massacre within those woods.

"Swish, swish..."

The sound of footsteps on grass echoed through the forest as the youth searched for the perfect spot.

"This place is not bad, but there are signs of beast droppings nearby; it must be the lair of some creature. Forget it, I’ll head back to the first spot I found."

After checking several caves, Lin Fan decided to return to the first one he had scouted. While it was less hidden than the others, it was remote and had few beasts, minimizing the risk of disturbance. He had brought all his Earth Flame Ore with him specifically to use it for a rapid breakthrough. After trekking through the forest for a long time, he realized that without reaching the Divine Pill Realm, he had no means of self-preservation. The beasts here were mostly Rank Six; Rank Five beasts were extremely rare.

In the center of the forest, he had even sensed the presence of beasts surpassing Rank Six. Fortunately, he had no intention of entering the center and had avoided those areas upon sensing the auras from afar.

*Eh?*

As he reached his original choice of cave, Lin Fan frowned slightly. A talented young man was standing right in front of the entrance. Sensing Lin Fan's approach, the youth spun around, his long sword erupting with a sharp, piercing aura. He stared at the boy warily and demanded, "What are you doing here?"

Lin Fan was unfazed by the display. He gestured to the cave behind the youth and said, "I intended to rest here for a while, but it seems you had the same idea. A gentleman does not take what others desire. Since you have claimed it, I shall take my leave."

"Wait!"

As Lin Fan turned to leave, the youth’s aura dissipated, and a smile appeared on his face. "No matter. I was just curious why this cave was intentionally hidden by vegetation. I thought it was the work of a beast, but it seems it was you. You clearly chose this place first; if I were to take it, it would be akin to a cuckoo stealing a nest."

He stepped back a few paces, smiled at Lin Fan, and turned to walk away. "The mountains are high and the rivers are long; farewell!"

"This guy..."

Watching the youth’s retreating back, Lin Fan narrowed his eyes, a strange glint flickering within them. He did not leave. This cave was the best place for cultivation on the outskirts of the forest, and since night was falling—the time for predators to hunt—wandering the woods would likely lead to a fatal encounter with a powerful beast.

He entered the cave and used the foliage at the entrance to mask his presence again. Inside, the youth sat cross-legged, entering a state of meditation. Time ticked by. Half an hour later, as his breathing stabilized, a sharp blade transformed into a brilliant streak of light, reaching his throat in an instant.

*Clang!*

A metallic sound rang out. Lin Fan snapped his eyes open, skillfully using the blade of his Fire Qilin Sword to parry the incoming strike.

"My friend, what is the meaning of this?"