The soft hum of dawn filtered through the layers of leaves above Li Qingyun as he sat cross-legged atop a massive root system, still and composed like a sculpture carved into the earth itself.
The first night in the Secret Realm had passed without incident. He had kept his aura hidden, avoided unnecessary confrontation, and used the night to cultivate while others might have fought or slept. Despite the realm's volatile terrain, the area he had chosen—a stretch of forest where spirit herbs grew with radiant energy—had proven to be relatively calm. Last night's gain of three herbs had been a good start, but not his true goal.
Now, as the early morning breeze passed through the foliage, Li Qingyun slowly opened his eyes.
With a faint thought, the familiar interface shimmered into view:
> [System Interface]
[Host:] Li Qingyun
[Realm:] Qi Gathering Realm (8th Stage)
[Physique:] Primal Chaos Vessel Physique
[Slots:]
Slot 1: Jade Body Tempering Scripture — [Slotted]
Slot 2: Ninefold Essence Sutra — [Slotted]
(Slot 3 Locked – Requires 100 Energy Points)
[Techniques:]
Jade Body Tempering Scripture – Perfect (Transcendent unlock at 100 points) — [Slotted]
Ninefold Essence Sutra – Perfect (Transcendent unlock at 500 points) — [Slotted]
Voidcleave Sword Manual – Perfect (Sword Intent: Budding Edge)
Phantom Step Art – Perfect
[Energy:] 33 points
The system had accepted the Ninefold Essence Sutra into the second slot without incident. Its value was obvious—the transcendence stage required 500 points, a significant leap beyond the 100 of the Jade Body Tempering Scripture.
His decision to slot the Ninefold Essence Sutra had been deliberate. Though he wouldn't yet gain energy quickly, having both his physical and internal cultivation methods progressing steadily would make his foundation unshakable.
But today's goal wasn't about cultivation—it was jade tokens.
He avoided fighting whenever possible. Not because he was afraid—he simply knew that not every test needed a sword.
---
The secret realm, though built for six-year-olds, wasn't a soft nursery.
Low-tier spirit beasts roamed the landscape. Most were no threat unless provoked, but occasionally they guarded hidden treasures.
Earlier that morning, Li Qingyun had bypassed a burrow where Burrowing Fanghares nested—a small beast known for speed and sharp claws.
–––
In the meantime, the participants began to encounter each other and formed alliance or rivalry.
Elsewhere, the sound of splashing water signaled a brief skirmish.
Tang Hu and Zhao Ruyan stood on opposite sides of a shallow stream, facing off.
"I found it first," Tang Hu declared, pointing to a jade token lodged in a tree stump in the stream.
"I spotted it before you even crossed," Zhao Ruyan replied, her stance light and fast.
The two darted forward at once, their movements clumsy but eager. They exchanged a few blows—not truly harmful, just enough to feel a sense of victory.
In the end, Zhao Ruyan snatched the token and grinned. "This one's mine!"
Tang Hu grumbled and splashed water at her.
Elsewhere, Han Zhen, Lu Qingzhi, and Rong Yue formed a temporary trio.
They'd been tracking a Shadowtail Fox, elusive and fast. The beast led them in circles before they cornered it in a stone ruin. Han Zhen trapped it with summoned vines, Lu Qingzhi conjured icy mist to slow it, and Rong Yue struck with a soft shockwave from her palm.
After the fox was subdued, they found three jade tokens in its den — likely stolen from other children or hidden as part of the trial.
They laughed and shared them, promising to go their own ways the next morning.
_____
Li Qingyun found many scattered jade tokens throughout the secret realm.
It seems that his soul power strength is much more than other's, maybe a benefit of a reincarnator. As he can easily find the jade tokens scattered here and there comparative to other participants.
------
Not all encounters were playful.
In a ruined temple covered in vines, Feng Jue, Xie Fen, and Wu Hong stood before a stone pedestal. A token hovered above it.
As they argued over who should get it, Ji Wuxin appeared.
She didn't speak. She simply drew her wooden sword and pointed to the token.
"You want to fight for it?" Feng Jue asked, raising a brow.
Ji Wuxin nodded calmly.
---
In contrast, Li Qingyun had now collected fifteen jade tokens.
Now in a sun-dappled open space, Li Qingyun stood before a pond.
A Copper-Scaled Frog lounged on a lily pad, unmoving. At first glance, it looked harmless. But when he moved closer, the beast's eyes gleamed with challenge.
Li Qingyun didn't fight immediately. He circled the pond, observing, until he spotted it — a faint glimmer of jade beneath the frog's pad.
He stepped forward.
The frog croaked, then leapt.
Its attack was swift, a tongue lashing out. But Li Qingyun sidestepped, fluid as mist. He tapped his foot, shifting into Phantom Step. His form blurred, and in one fluid motion, he drew his wooden practice sword.
Voidcleave.
The air split.
A thin cut grazed the frog's side. It croaked in confusion, dazed, and fell back into the pond.
Li Qingyun stepped forward, dipped his hand in the water, and retrieved the jade token.
Quiet. Efficient.
–––––
Beneath a withered willow, Qin Wushuang squared off against a snarling Ironhide Wild Boar, its tusks curved like sickles. The token shimmered behind the beast — embedded in a stone slab it had claimed as its nest.
Qin Wushuang's movement was sharp. His foot slid forward, leaving shallow grooves in the earth.
With a yell, he struck — his palm glowing faintly with essence.
The boar charged, but Qin deflected with a shoulder twist, spinning behind it. His next strike landed on its side, pushing the beast off-balance. After a few tense exchanges, the boar fled with a squeal. He panted, sweat on his brow, and grinned as he retrieved the jade token.
"Gotcha."
---
Meanwhile, Mei Xuan and Xia Shuying stumbled into a grove of golden thistles. A token floated above a thorny pedestal, but the real danger was the Thistle Serpent below — camouflaged among the vines.
It struck fast.
Xia Shuying caught its movement just in time and shouted. "Duck!"
Mei Xuan dropped as Xia Shuying slammed her sword hilt into the serpent's snout. It reeled back, and she leapt up, slashing with her sword. A flash of silver and the snake retreated into the underbrush.
Breathing hard, the pair stared at the token.
"You want it?" Mei Xuan asked.
"I will take this one , if you co-operate with me I will also help you collect the jade tokens," Xia Shuying replied.
'One step closer to being number one.' she grinned faintly.
---
By the time the stars peeked out from the sky, Li Qingyun sat atop a tree branch, legs swinging slightly as he looked over the quiet forest.
He hadn't fought many. But he had claimed the most.