Chapter 37: Zhao Wuyuan

Across the vast expanse of the wilderness, a flash of realization crossed Lin Fan’s face. He whispered in admiration, “So, this assessment ground actually holds such a profound history.”

As an outstanding talent of the Tiandu Dynasty, Gu Ningyun naturally possessed knowledge far exceeding Lin Fan’s. She revealed to him that the land beneath their feet was, in fact, an ancient battlefield. In that era of chaos, the Southern Wilderness was fractured among many factions, and the Eight Great Divine Sects rose to prominence during those turbulent times. The assessment ground they now stood upon was a portion of that ancient battlefield, stripped away from the Southern Wilderness by the most powerful masters of the Eight Great Divine Sects to serve as a vital venue for selecting disciples. As time passed, more sects rose and swore allegiance to the Eight Great Divine Sects, thereby gaining the authority to recruit disciples of their own. However, in the Southern Wilderness, no matter how many sects emerged, the Eight Great Divine Sects always held absolute authority.

This former battlefield contained countless treasures left behind by the fallen, and even the ruins of major sects. For the many geniuses of the Ten Thousand Nations, the assessment ground was not merely a selection process, but a feast where opportunity and challenge coexisted. Some attained the inheritance of great sects and became famous throughout the Southern Wilderness, while others remained on this land forever. Lin Fan and his group were currently heading toward the burial site of a master in the Spirit Core Realm, their goal unanimous: to find the spiritual essence left behind after the master’s passing.

“Over there, that is the gate to the ruins.”

Deep in the wilderness, an ancient ruin loomed, half-buried under wind-eroded sand and stone. It had lost its former glory, with only mottled walls and broken fragments remaining to tell the story of its vicissitudes. The ruin was far from the golden splendor one might imagine; instead, it exuded a sense of desolation and abandonment. A massive stone gate leaned to one side, its carvings eroded by time and now difficult to discern. There were no longer any guards at the entrance, only a few tenacious weeds poking their heads through the cracks in the stones, as if telling the world that even in this barren land, life still stubbornly sought a chance to survive.

A crowd had already gathered here. The arrival of Lin Fan and his group drew attention. With Gu Ningyun and Han Feng—both in the Origin Mansion Realm—leading the way, they were considered a fairly powerful force in this place. Their gazes fell upon the light barrier at the entrance; it was a restriction.

Just then, several figures approached, causing the crowd to turn and look. Several young talents swept in from the side.

“So strong!”

Gu Ningyun’s beautiful face froze slightly, a flicker of wariness crossing her eyes. Judging by their presence, the cultivation levels of these young talents were all a cut above her own, especially the young man in white leading them; from him, she even felt a sense of intense danger. His strength had undoubtedly reached the mid-stage of the Origin Mansion Realm. She, however, could only be considered to be in the upper-tier of the early stage, not even having reached the peak.

Of course, there were no rigid classifications for these levels. Gu Ningyun could only judge the white-clad youth’s cultivation by the terrifying aura emanating from him.

“This person is very dangerous.”

Hearing Gu Ningyun’s quiet words in his ear, Lin Fan nodded with a grave expression; he, too, had sensed the terrifying aura radiating from the young man in white.

“Brother Zhao, there seem to be quite a few small fries here,” a young man with a thin mustache and a pretentiously mature air remarked with a mocking smile, glancing around.

The moment these words were spoken, they immediately sparked dissatisfaction among the surrounding people. They glared at the mustachioed man with resentment, feeling the urge to retort. But when they caught sight of the young man in white, they involuntarily fell silent, not daring to utter a single word of rebuke.

*Zhao?* He was surnamed Zhao.

“Could it be…” Gu Ningyun’s eyes flickered with a sharp glint, staring at the white-clad youth in shock, seemingly guessing his identity.

“Everyone, the key to this door is in my hands. According to my friend Qian here, we have no intention of letting you enter. However, considering you have all waited for so long, I find it difficult to drive you away by force. Once we enter the ruins, I have only one requirement: whoever dares to covet the spiritual essence, dies!”

The white-clad youth appeared refined, but when he spoke, his overbearing aura was even more intense than that of the mustachioed man. He clearly did not regard the ten Origin Mansion Realm experts present, including Gu Ningyun, as worthy of his attention.

“Indeed!” Gu Ningyun’s eyes flashed with a cold light, and she whispered, “You know him?”

Lin Fan looked at Gu Ningyun in surprise. The white-clad youth’s words were harsh, but in this world where strength was king, hearing unpleasant words was better than losing one’s life.

“You should know that the Eight Great Divine Sects each support a dynasty in the land of the Ten Thousand Nations, right?”

Lin Fan nodded. The Eight Great Divine Sects of the Southern Wilderness had reach that spanned the heavens; even in the land of the Ten Thousand Nations, they held influence. The eight dynasties of the land were established with the support of the Eight Great Divine Sects to provide a steady stream of fresh blood. Of course, relying solely on the talents of a single nation was not enough. Thus, the Eight Great Divine Sects created the Divine Sect Assessment, a grand event intended to recruit geniuses from across the entire land.

“If I am not mistaken, this person comes from the Zhao family, one of the four great families of the Xuanming Dynasty, which is supported by the Xuanming Sect. It is rumored that the Zhao family is quite overbearing. Relying on a Nirvana Realm master in their family who serves in the Xuanming Sect, they act recklessly and with extreme arrogance within the Xuanming Dynasty. I have heard of this person; judging by his age and cultivation, he must be Zhao Wuyuan, the fifth son of the current Zhao family head.”

*To possess a Nirvana Realm master!* Lin Fan was slightly startled. The Zhao family was truly extraordinary to house such a figure. In his understanding, a Nirvana Realm expert was at the level of a sect leader. Just like the Tiandu Dynasty where Gu Ningyun originated—it was overseen by the Tiandu Prefecture, one of the hundred sects of the Southern Wilderness, and the Prefecture Master’s cultivation was apparently only in the Nirvana Realm.

“We might as well forget about the spiritual essence this time,” Gu Ningyun said, shaking her head. Not to mention Zhao Wuyuan’s formidable background, his mid-stage Origin Mansion cultivation alone was enough to crush everyone present. Furthermore, he had several other Origin Mansion experts at his side. Such a luxurious team was enough to pose a massive threat to everyone around the ruins.

“It seems everyone is quite cooperative. In that case, I shall proceed to open these ruins.”

The white-clad Zhao Wuyuan exuded an overbearing air, clearly showing no regard for the people present. The jade key in his hand turned into a beam of light and struck the barrier at the entrance. The barrier shattered, and a desolate aura surged out from within. Seeing this, the crowd’s eyes turned red, and they prepared to rush into the ruins.

However, a fierce blade-aura descended from the sky, claiming the lives of several peak-stage Spirit Core warriors. This single strike caused the others to stop in their tracks, staring in horror at Zhao Wuyuan and his group.

Zhao Wuyuan smiled slightly, seemingly satisfied with their expressions. He walked slowly into the ruins, but after taking a few steps, his expression suddenly shifted. His aura surged violently, a domineering pressure erupting as he shouted, “You dare!”

As he spoke, a black shadow darted out from the crowd with such speed that even ordinary Origin Mansion experts could barely track its movement. In the blink of an eye, it had entered the ruins ahead of Zhao Wuyuan.

“Damn you, you bastard! You dare to snatch my opportunity? I will tear you into a thousand pieces!”