157: The trial is over, the holy corpse under Hidden Sword Peak

In the time that followed, Mo Fan immersed himself in sword dao classics, gaining new insights into the way of the sword.

The Hidden Sword Manor's library had a vast collection of books, similar to a place like the Skill Transmission Pavilion.

Even core inheritances like the Sword Cultivation Art and the Primordial Sword Canon could be found there.

Of course, in addition to sword dao classics, Mo Fan also found some strange tales and historical records collected by the Hidden Sword Manor in the library.

Through these books, Mo Fan gained a certain understanding of that era.

It was countless tens of thousands of years ago from the present.

It was also a time of spiritual energy resurgence.

It was also a time when humans, demons, and devils stood in a three-way confrontation.

The martial arts realms were the same:

Body Tempering, Innate, Foundation Establishment, Transcendent, Heavenly Mandate, Primordial Return, and Ultimate Power.

Mo Fan knew that the martial arts of Blue Star were actually inherited from the ruins; although there were slight adjustments, they were largely consistent.

However, from some scattered words, Mo Fan learned that the upper limit of cultivation in that era was not Ultimate Power.

Some people had already forged new paths, broken through their shackles, and reached another level.

As for what that other level was, or what the names of those realms were, Mo Fan was unsure, as he hadn't seen any relevant information.

That era was very prosperous, and Ultimate Power cultivators were not as rare as they were now.

Almost every major power had several Ultimate Power cultivators overseeing it.

Based on some information, it was estimated that the spiritual energy in that era had been resurgent for over five thousand years.

It's worth noting that 'spiritual energy resurgence' was just Mo Fan's translation.

In reality, what resurged in that era was not spiritual energy, but a higher quality primal energy.

Because the quality of the cultivation energy was higher,

martial artists in that era generally cultivated faster, and the combat power they erupted with at the same realm was even more terrifying.

The human race of that era was very strong; within about two thousand years of the spiritual energy resurgence, they completely wiped out the demon and devil races.

As for how that era ultimately vanished into the dust of history... Mo Fan didn't know.

He hadn't seen any related records.

Looking at the yellowed book in his hand, Mo Fan seemed to think of something, and his brows involuntarily furrowed.

"If nothing unexpected happens, our era will also come to an end in about twenty-odd years..."

Mo Fan frowned, gazing at the hazy sky outside the window, lost in thought.

"After the spiritual energy resurgence in that era, it existed for at least five thousand years.

"But now, on Blue Star, spiritual energy has only been resurgent for less than a thousand years, and we're already facing an apocalyptic crisis..."

According to Mo Yingying's account, in twenty-six years, there would be a colossal hand that covered the sky... Mo Fan shook his head.

All he could do now was seize the time to become stronger.

Mo Fan took a deep breath and continued reading, while frantically absorbing the primal energy from the air to improve his cultivation.

Fortunately, once the energy supply was sufficient, his physique seemed quite good, and he didn't appear to encounter any bottlenecks.

After a few days, his cultivation steadily rose, getting closer and closer to the peak of Foundation Establishment.

The only regret was that he didn't have time to explore other places.

In fact, he had long harbored the idea of packing up all these books and taking them with him.

That way, he could study them slowly after he left.

The time saved could then be used to explore other areas, and perhaps even gain some benefits.

Unfortunately, all these books had engraved inscriptions, and they would automatically self-destruct as soon as they left the library.

Mo Fan had also tried to put the books into the system space.

However, the books instantly turned to ashes the moment they entered the system space.

So, Mo Fan could only stay here and read.

He should have thought of it earlier, actually.

If these books weren't special, they would have been taken away long ago.

After all, even Sword Mountain (Hidden Sword Peak) had been dug up, so there was no reason for the library to remain intact.

"Never mind, I can't become a fat man in one bite; I'll take it one step at a time. This time's harvest is already substantial.

"After becoming a sword cultivator, my combat power has skyrocketed!"

...Immersed in cultivation and reading, thirteen days passed in a blink of an eye.

This was the last day of the secret realm trial.

On this day, Mo Fan looked at the book in his hand with a strange expression.

"So, two Saint Corpses are sealed within Hidden Sword Peak?

"Saint Corpses... What are those?

"Beings above Ultimate Power?

"Why would they be sealed in Hidden Sword Peak?

"Last time, when the demon and devil races cooperated, were they after these two Saint Corpses?

"Are the sealed corpses those of demons or devils?"

Looking at the scattered words recorded in the book, Mo Fan fell into deep thought.

"The activation point of the formation is in the back mountain?

"So it requires special techniques to make it appear?

"No wonder I always felt something was off there, but couldn't figure out exactly what.

"I just don't know if this book contains records of these so-called special techniques..."

Mo Fan rubbed his temples and continued reading.

However, he didn't find the answer even after turning to the last page of the book.

Mo Fan wasn't discouraged by this; he put the book back in its place and continued to flip through the subsequent ones.

This time, he didn't read carefully but skimmed through, searching for information at a glance.

One book, two books, three books... When Mo Fan reached the seventeenth book, his eyes lit up, and he quickly began to read intently.

He had found the relevant clue!

"So that's it; these special runes need to be carved to make the formation appear and open the way to the sealed place."

Mo Fan concentrated, carefully memorizing these runes.

At the same time, he also felt a bit confused.

If the demon and devil races' goal was indeed these two Saint Corpses,

then how did they obtain this information?

"Do the demon and devil races also possess secret realms with similar records?" Mo Fan mused thoughtfully.

After a moment of contemplation, Mo Fan shook his head, no longer dwelling on it, and focused on memorizing the runes.

Memorizing runes was not simple; it even involved the spiritual level.

Runes were not merely about remembering their outward appearance.

Instead, one needed to release their spirit, intertwine it with the spiritual imprint on the rune, and capture the frequency within it that resonated with heaven and earth.

Similarly, when carving runes, one also needed to leave a corresponding spiritual imprint for the rune to take effect.

If it was merely a rune drawn on paper, even if remembered and replicated, it would have no effect whatsoever.

Fortunately, the Hidden Sword Manor's collection was quite professional; the runes recorded in them were carved by professionals in the field of formations, possessing complete spiritual imprints that could be comprehended.

However, this stuff was somewhat complex; even Mo Fan, with his exceptional comprehension, spent a full ten minutes memorizing all of them.

After memorizing the runes, Mo Fan wanted to find a few more related books to read.

However, just then, his mind stirred, and an inspiration struck him; he quickly sat down cross-legged and circulated his cultivation technique.

Whoosh—

A terrifying surge of primal energy suddenly converged towards Mo Fan, flowing directly into his glabella without any hindrance, entering the mysterious Sea of Qi.

Subsequently, Mo Fan's star-sea-like Sea of Qi seemed to ignite, instantly boiling, with large star systems flickering, as if evolving something.

Above the star sea, thunder rolled, gathering into streaks of lightning dragons, traversing the void cosmos.

Under the boundless might, Innate True Qi instantly formed, gushing out of the Sea of Qi and feeding back into Mo Fan's body.

Mo Fan felt warm all over, clearly perceiving all his attributes rapidly increasing.

"I'm about to break through—" Mo Fan rejoiced.

Half an hour later, Mo Fan opened his eyes, a golden electric gleam flashing and disappearing in his pupils, emitting terrifying pressure.

"I've broken through!"

With a focused expression, Mo Fan connected to the virtual panel with his mind to check his attribute information.

"Name: Mo Fan"

"Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Peak (+)"

"..." (Click to expand/collapse)

"Available Attribute Points: 11100"

Clenching his fist, Mo Fan felt significantly stronger.

"My cultivation has finally broken through to the peak of Foundation Establishment. I've already comprehended 'Intent,' so next, I can directly advance to Transcendent!

"These breakthroughs were all achieved by absorbing primal energy, saving over ten thousand attribute points. This secret realm is truly a treasure trove..."

Mo Fan sighed with emotion; the experiences of these two months felt like a dream.

When he entered, his cultivation had just broken through to the second stage of Foundation Establishment.

Now, he was about to reach Transcendent.

As he thought, Mo Fan closed his eyes again, intending to break through to Transcendent in one go.

However, he quickly seemed to realize something and got up from the ground again.

"Judging by the time, the trial period seems to be almost over.

"The teleportation array will activate in at most half an hour."

At this thought, Mo Fan frowned slightly: "Breaking through at this time might not be appropriate.

"What if I'm teleported out right as I'm breaking through, affecting the breakthrough..."

Thinking this, Mo Fan took a breath and continued to walk to the bookshelf, quickly flipping through books.

Indeed, a dozen minutes later, space twisted, and Mo Fan's vision blurred, almost causing him to faint, and he instantly lost consciousness.

Before losing consciousness, he quickly threw the books back onto the shelf.

With a thud, Mo Fan fell to the ground.

Soon, a strange spatial vortex appeared, slowly engulfing Mo Fan.

At the same time.

Main city center.

Guard camp.

A figure clad in crimson armor sat on a dilapidated wall, looking up at the twisted and distorted sky.

"Meow—"

A completely black cat, with fur like satin, lightly leaped onto the broken wall and then onto the red-armored figure's shoulder.

The Crimson-armored figure turned his head, looking at the black cat, and slowly asked, "Tell me, why hasn't he come?"

The black cat shook its head, speaking in human tongue, "Perhaps his time hasn't come yet."

"When will his time come?" the Crimson-armored figure asked, puzzled.

"When the time comes, it will come," the black cat replied.

The Crimson-armored figure: "..."

"Don't worry, he'll come back in," the black cat comforted.

"I hope so," the Crimson-armored figure cast a final glance at the distorted sky, then turned and walked towards the training ground.

"Meow—" The black cat squatted on the ground, looking up at the hazy sky, deep in thought... When Mo Fan regained consciousness, he found himself back on the desolate mountain where the teleportation array was located.

At the same time, he heard fragmented voices.

"Phew, finally out!"

"This secret realm trial was incredibly dangerous!"

"Yeah, so many people died!"

"Good thing we stayed hidden in the Immortal Pond until the end, and didn't encounter any more danger!"

"All thanks to Senior Brother Wang Yang!"

"Mhm, mhm, thanks to Senior Brother Wang Yang, after cultivating in the Immortal Pond for nearly two months, my cultivation directly broke through two minor realms!"

"Besides Senior Brother Wang Yang, we should be even more grateful to Junior Brother Mo Fan. If it weren't for Junior Brother Mo Fan deciphering the array on the city wall, I'm afraid none of us would have survived..."

As they spoke, everyone quickly looked around, searching for Mo Fan's figure.

"Junior Brother Mo Fan only stayed in the Immortal Pond for ten days before venturing out alone. I wonder if he encountered any misfortune—"

"Most likely, he met with misfortune. Yang Yi, Luo Chuan, Jiang Liu, who ventured out alone, and several senior brothers who later went to explore the Wind Cloud Tower, all seem not to have been teleported back..."

"Sigh, it seems Junior Brother Mo Fan really did meet with misfortune. Heaven envies talent. With such outstanding array talent, given time—"

Before he could finish speaking, everyone heard two dissatisfied coughs, and immediately paused, looking in that direction.

"Eh, Junior Brother Mo Fan?" Someone was startled.

"Why was Junior Brother Mo Fan teleported to the edge?" Someone looked at Mo Fan, who was on the edge of the cliff, with a look of surprise.

"Hiss! Junior Brother Mo Fan is still alive?!" Someone's eyes widened, seemingly unable to believe it.

"Hahaha, I knew it! Junior Brother Mo Fan has immense good fortune, he definitely wouldn't be in trouble!"

"Hehe, Junior Brother Mo Fan, do you still want elemental stones? I still have two here!"

Soon, a group of people enthusiastically surrounded Mo Fan.

Mo Fan: "..."

These people are crazy!

They actually thought he was dead!

Too much! Do I look like someone who would die young?

Mo Fan scanned everyone, seeing familiar faces.

Gu Shuiyue, Wang Yang, and other disciples who looked familiar but whose names he didn't know.

At this moment, Gu Shuiyue and Wang Yang were pushed to the outside, as a group of disciples held up elemental stones, wanting to exchange them with Mo Fan.

There was no other way; it was all to cover up the previous awkwardness!

Mo Fan didn't stand on ceremony and exchanged elemental stones with them.

This time, he didn't have the nerve to freeload again, paying spirit stones one by one.

From their conversation, he learned that in the last two days, the disciples had organized again and scoured the safe zone for resources.

Unfortunately, the harvest this time was very small.

They only found a few cultivation techniques and martial arts skills.

Similarly, not many elemental stones were found.

This time, Mo Fan only exchanged for twenty-three elemental stones.

This time, Mo Fan didn't absorb these elemental stones.

Outside the secret realm, without elemental energy, he couldn't cultivate normally.

Elemental stones were the only energy he could absorb.

So, he planned to keep these elemental stones for a rainy day.

If he accidentally got injured in the future, these elemental stones could also help him quickly recover from his injuries.

After exchanging the elemental stones, the crowd no longer surrounded Mo Fan.

At this point, Gu Shuiyue and Wang Yang finally had a chance to squeeze through.

"Junior Brother, it's so good that you're okay!" Gu Shuiyue was very excited.

No matter how much she tried to persuade him back then, Mo Fan insisted on leaving, and in the end, he didn't even go to the Immortal Pond.

She had thought Mo Fan had met with misfortune and would never return.

"Oh, right, Junior Brother Mo, where did you go these past few days?" Wang Yang looked at Mo Fan curiously.

"Courting death in the inner city," Mo Fan replied.

"Ah, this—" Wang Yang was stunned and asked no further questions.

He naturally didn't believe Mo Fan actually went to the main city.

Even if he did, it would be impossible to stay there for so long.

Because that was no place for humans to stay!

Anyone who could stay in that hellish place for over a month and still be alive definitely wasn't human!

Moreover, this secret realm was even more dangerous!

Courting death in the inner city? That's too outrageous!

Gu Shuiyue, however, didn't think much of it and patted her flat chest, saying, "It's good that you're safe!"

"It's nothing, nothing. I made Senior Brother and Senior Sister worry," Mo Fan scratched his head awkwardly.

"Why say such things? We're all fellow disciples who've shared hardships. In the future, when you have time, you can come to Cangyan to drink with Senior Brother. Senior Brother's cave has a jar of aged Huadiao wine, enough for everyone!" Wang Yang said heartily.

"Definitely, definitely, next time for sure," Mo Fan promised.

Once he finished handling the matters at hand, he indeed needed to make a trip to Cangyan.

Without elemental energy and elemental stones.

He would have to start the arduous task of refining pills to earn spirit stones again.

To refine high-grade pills, he still had to go to Cangyan Peak to secretly learn some techniques.

Otherwise, with his current skills, he might never become invincible.

"If only I could enter the secret realm again—"

Thinking of this, Mo Fan frowned, lost in thought.

"Junior Brother, remember to come to Liuguang Peak to catch up with Senior Sister too!" Gu Shuiyue also quickly added.

"No problem, I'll definitely go when I have time," Mo Fan nodded.

He also needed to visit Liuguang Peak.

Movement techniques were still very important.

The top-tier movement technique, Imperial Wind, was already very useful.

If he learned the inherited movement technique of Liuguang Peak, his strength could improve another notch.

The three chatted casually for a few moments, then Xie Siyuan's figure appeared.

Scanning the crowd, Xie Siyuan's expression darkened slightly, and he said with a hint of disbelief:

"There were thirty-three people who went in, and now only twenty have come out? Where are the other thirteen?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Yang immediately stepped forward to explain the situation.

After listening to Wang Yang's account, Xie Siyuan's expression changed drastically, and he said with some disbelief:

"There was actually a late-stage Transcendent Realm spirit body outside the city?

"The array on the outer city wall had revived to such an extent?

"A Transcendent could be instantly killed by the array?

"This, this... how is this possible?"

Xie Siyuan found it hard to believe any of this.

Soon, he seemed to think of something and quickly looked towards the back of the teleportation array.

A moment later, a phantom figure in a gray robe slowly solidified.

Xie Siyuan's figure flickered, and he quickly walked over, asking in a low voice:

"Uncle-master, what exactly is the situation this time?"

The gray-robed figure was actually Mo Fan's guardian, who had entered the secret realm with everyone through special means.

It was naturally most appropriate to ask him if there were any questions.

However, the gray-robed figure shook his head, saying somewhat shamefully:

"The secret realm indeed has a problem. As soon as this old man stepped into the secret realm, he was trapped by a mysterious force and only broke free when the teleportation array opened..."

As he spoke, he glanced in Mo Fan's direction, saying with relief:

"Fortunately, this child is blessed with good fortune and didn't encounter any accidents, otherwise it would have been a loss for the Jade Void Academy, a loss for humanity..."

Xie Siyuan was first surprised, then nodded vigorously.

Someone who could clear the trial tower was definitely a rare prodigy, seen only once in a century.

If such a disciple were to perish in the secret realm, it would truly be a great pity.

"The secret realm is an ancient ruin, and a mutation is not a small matter. You should quickly go back and report to Qing Shan. This old man will also go and discuss it with those old fogeys.

"If necessary, discuss it with the other factions as well!"

After speaking, the gray-robed old man stepped forward, treading on thin air, covering hundreds of meters in a single stride, and vanished in an instant.

"You all go back!"

Watching his uncle-master's figure disappear into the horizon, Xie Siyuan gave a command, then quickly transformed into a streak of light and flew towards Jade Void Peak.

"The secret realm has a big problem!

"In previous years, the secret realm trial was always a chance to pick up opportunities for free!

"In previous years, one or two deaths were already an exaggeration.

"This time, eleven people died at once?!

"Even Uncle-master was trapped as soon as he entered the secret realm!

"Secret realm, what kind of change has occurred?"

..."Junior Brother, remember to come to Cangyan Peak to drink with me when you have time!"

Mo Fan: "Definitely."

"Junior Brother, remember to come to Liuguang Peak when you have time, Senior Sister will set you up with someone~"

Mo Fan: "..."

Bidding farewell to Gu Shuiyue and Wang Yang, Mo Fan rode his sword and flew towards Hidden Sword Peak.

He wanted to see what the "Sacred Corpse" sealed in Hidden Sword Peak actually was.

If necessary, he would have to inform Liu Xiyan and have her report it to the sect, so they could prepare in advance.

In short, no matter what the demons' and monsters' goals were, he couldn't let them succeed.

(PS: The update time has always been a bit unearthly. Don't wait for updates. It's much more enjoyable to read it while on the toilet in the morning! It's the beginning of the month, so how about some monthly votes (●''●))