“Go!” Nangong Xianweng immediately barked sharply, grabbing the remains of the Green Tiger and activating the dimensional rupture talisman. The others reacted just as quickly, without a word, activating their own dimensional rupture talismans. Several streaks of white light flashed. The five of them vanished instantly. Before disappearing, all five saw a green light rapidly approaching them. Just before the green light arrived, the white light teleported them away. In the next moment, a Green Tiger at the Demonic Immortal Realm appeared, its eyes blood-red as it let out a roar: “Roar! Damn alien beings!” Soon, the Green Tiger frowned. “Why are these beings’ combat powers so strong?” Trial City. Five streaks of white light flashed across the plaza. Nangong Xianweng and the others looked around, still visibly shaken. “That was close!” “Just a hair away from being stopped!” All five were startled. “No, Wang Bo! Don’t die! Save him! Save him!” At that moment, a shout rang out. Read full story at novelfire(.)net Everyone turned toward the voice and saw a cultivator clutching a severed arm, desperately begging the elder for aid. But the elder looked at the arm helplessly. There was not a trace of soul residue, and its life force had been completely drained—death beyond saving. “My condolences.” Silence fell over the group. Now everyone realized this was no mere trial game, but a genuine life-and-death test where people really died! Gu You clenched his fists. Having just endured a mortal crisis and witnessed a comrade’s fall, his state of mind unknowingly surged to the late Tribulation Transcendence stage. He sighed deeply, finally grasping the harshness of the cultivation world and the fragility of life. Protected by the Seven Stars Sect and the Backing Mountain Sect before, he had lived too comfortably and completely forgotten that this was a ruthless world of cultivation where life and death could hinge on a single moment! Nangong Xianweng said solemnly, “Alright, everyone, gather the spoils and exchange them for resources to rest. We’ll depart again in three days!” Everyone nodded, not shrinking back despite witnessing death. After converting the Green Tiger’s corpse into contribution points and sharing them evenly, everyone restored their mana and entered the Trial Secret Realm once more. Just like Gu You and the others. A large number of disciples entered the Trial Secret Realm, engaging in fierce battles against the vanguard troops from the Tianheng Realm! Deaths occurred from time to time, but the disciples’ state of mind, cultivation, understanding of the laws, and combat skills all rapidly improved. The Seven Stars Sect disciples were top-tier geniuses from various worlds, most possessing Heavenly Spirit Roots or higher, with astonishing potential. Combined with the bonuses from Su Yuan’s absolute mastery, every disciple who went out was like a sacred son of a great sect. As long as they survived each trial, they would gain substantial progress. While the Seven Stars Sect disciples were full of fighting spirit, the subordinates of the Demonic Scorpion fared miserably. Each disciple from the Seven Stars Sect was shockingly powerful, capable of fighting above their level, causing heavy losses to the vanguard troops. The news reached the Demonic Scorpion, a Xuan Immortal, who was furious. He immediately realized that the three human immortals who previously scouted the alien realm must have been discovered, which was why they encountered resistance. Seeing this, Demonic Scorpion sneered coldly, “Do these aliens think I’d foolishly use a war of attrition? Since they’ve been discovered, I’ll throw all my strength into one push to wipe out their living forces in one fell swoop! This will also speed up my occupation progress!” He waved his hand. Behind him, three Xuan Immortals and thirty-three True Immortals stepped forward beside Demonic Scorpion. “Go, follow me to exterminate the alien realm!” More than thirty powerful figures flew into the passageway. Su Yuan immediately sensed something. His figure appeared inside the spatial passage connecting to the other side of the secret realm’s portal. He saw many alien cultivators passing through the portal, entering the Trial Secret Realm. Yet none of them noticed his presence as they passed by. Su Yuan pointed his finger and, using the authority of the Seven Stars Supreme, altered the teleportation rules. After finishing the modification, Su Yuan immediately vanished. Only a moment later, Demonic Scorpion led his team through the narrow spatial passage and arrived at the spatial portal. However, when they tried to pass through, a strong repelling force pushed Demonic Scorpion back! Demonic Scorpion was stunned. He looked at the spatial portal and saw other cultivators from the Tianheng Realm passing through smoothly without obstruction. His brow furrowed as he deduced the cause. He concluded this was an alien realm’s heavenly dao barrier. To break through it required blood sacrifices: the more killings, the higher the cultivators’ realm allowed passage. Currently, only cultivators at the late Human Immortal stage could cross to the alien realm. “Is it really like this?” Demonic Scorpion felt something was off. But this was a conclusion he deduced from the heavenly dao, which was supremely just and would not deceive him. So, he tested it. As more of his personnel died as sacrifices in the alien realm, the cultivators’ realm limit gradually rose. Previously, he could only dispatch cultivators at the late Human Immortal stage;now he could send cultivators at the peak Human Immortal stage. “If that’s the case, then I can only slowly wear down the alien realm!” Demonic Scorpion stood helplessly before the spatial passage. He couldn’t directly kill his own subordinates as blood sacrifices to the heavenly dao, so he could only send them to die slowly! But this gave the alien realm cultivators time to grow, which made Demonic Scorpion uneasy. He frowned, choosing to withdraw himself but still sending his subordinates to continue attacking the alien realm. After retreating to the Tianheng Realm, he still felt unsettled inside. “I originally wanted to monopolize it alone, but this alien spiritual realm clearly has something wrong. I’d better share the pressure.” Demonic Scorpion pondered deeply, then resolutely transmitted the news to the other four peak Xuan Immortal elders of the Feitian Sect! Just half a day after his message was sent, four fleeing lights rapidly approached! The fleeing lights dispersed, revealing four cultivators. All four radiated powerful auras and overwhelming momentum, clearly high-ranking figures. “Demonic Scorpion, I didn’t expect you actually found an alien realm, and a natural spatial passage at that.” An elder looked at the army of cultivators entering the spatial portal with an odd expression. “Speak, Demonic Scorpion. Since you’re willing to share this alien realm, you must be facing a difficult situation. Tell us the truth!” Demonic Scorpion immediately began, “The situation is like this...” He roughly explained the circumstances. “Hahaha, Demonic Scorpion, Demonic Scorpion, to think you and we are the five Feitian Elders, yet you lack the courage for this? You want to sit on the Golden Immortal Fruition position?” a middle-aged man sneered. “This is simple: cultivators die and return to the world—that’s natural law. When the world’s origin strengthens, it can support stronger cultivators. This is perfectly normal.” “If sacrifices are needed, then everyone shares the cost. There are plenty of cultivators at the Mortal Realm and Human Immortal Realm;losing some is not a big deal because others quickly grow up.” Demonic Scorpion said, “I don’t care what you think. This spiritual realm is obviously a top-tier one. I demand at least one Golden Immortal Fruition position guaranteed. You must not oppose me. How you divide the remaining positions is none of my concern. As for conquering the alien realm, I can send my subordinates, but I won’t go personally.” The four were momentarily taken aback but still nodded in agreement and swore an oath. Since this alien realm was discovered by Demonic Scorpion, by the rules, he naturally took the largest share. After some discussion, the four Xuan Immortal elders confirmed a hundred-year plan to conquer the alien realm, then began dispatching large numbers of personnel to fight there. During the trial, Gu You couldn’t help but ask, “Why can the enemies in this secret realm refresh endlessly? After killing one batch, another quickly appears. Were they all created by the Founder?” “You can ask the enemy where they come from!” Xie Yingying said. “I asked, but they don’t explain. Soul searches find nothing—seems their memories are sealed,” Gu You replied. “Who cares! They attack us on sight, and we kill without guilt!” Zhuge Jian said casually. Nangong Huoyu then said, “I feel my state of mind has improved enough. It’s time to return and listen to teachings.” “Same here. I should break through to the Great Ascension Realm once I return,” Gu You nodded. “Me too!” Xie Yingying smiled. Zhuge Jian also showed a smile. “Life-and-death trials really temper a person!” Only Nangong Xianweng looked a bit uncomfortable and gave a perfunctory response to the others. Upon returning to Trial City, they saw Gu You and the others find Valley Master Lan Si and teleport away. Nangong Xianweng stayed behind, continuing to seek other teammates for trials. He pondered why Gu You and the others had improved their state of mind, but he had not. Soon, he realized. “I’ve actually been through many trials before. I’ve grown numb to life and death. The recent experiences barely stirred my state of mind, so my progress is slow. But Gu You and the others are young with little experience;the terror of life-and-death moments shook their spirits deeply, so their states of mind advanced quickly!” Nangong Xianweng sighed. No wonder geniuses always progressed astonishingly. If life-and-death crises are considered a ‘resource,’ geniuses utilize this resource far more efficiently than ordinary people. Living longer is actually a disadvantage, not an advantage. “Is this ‘bravery and diligence’?” Su Yuan, contemplating, suddenly gained countless disciples’ insights out of thin air, including a trace of insight from Nangong Xianweng. He thought it over and found Nangong Xianweng’s insight quite logical. Many geniuses surge ahead at first but, if stalled, may fade into mediocrity! This theory that treats ‘life-and-death crises’ as a cultivation resource resonated deeply with Su Yuan. “So, I think we shouldn’t waste this resource. We should try not to avoid life-and-death crises too much.” Su Yuan quietly thought.