Dual cultivation makes you stronger, everyone else is a prodigy, and I'm the only one slacking

Along the way, the group sped back to their sect.

Su Man'er received a message from the sect on the way, saying that Elder Chiyang's life tablet had been broken.

The sect sent people to investigate the Bone-Corroding Swamp.

Yu Luoning listened quietly from the side, her expression calm.

By the morning of the third day, everyone had returned to the sect.

Rumors had already spread like wildfire within the sect that Elder Chiyang had perished and his personal disciple Jiang Yuxing had disappeared along with him.

Due to the miasma shielding him from the Bone-Eating Swamp, the cause of Jiang Yuxing's death remains unclear.

As for Elder Chiyang's death, no one can explain it.

Rather than saying it's unclear, it's more accurate to say it's something deeply shrouded in mystery.

When that figure in purple appeared at the very last moment recorded on the fate card.

Cheng Min rubbed her forehead, sighed, and suppressed the matter.

Meanwhile, Liu Weisheng was unaware that the message he left behind on the shadow stone became proof that he had voluntarily taken the risk.

Anyway, it can't be blamed on Su Man'er and the others.

Yu Luoning walked past the crowd of people gossiping, her expression unchanged.

Once the rules of the competition were posted, everyone's attention was diverted.

The news of the Primordial Realm caused a sensation.

Countless outer disciples and their relatives could only sigh in despair.

Even if they had a way, they couldn't come up with 5 high-grade spirit stones as a sponsorship fee, and they all sighed in despair.

Yu Luoning's spot has already been secured through Su Man'er.

As long as she accumulates the corresponding contribution points within the Hongmeng Secret Realm, she will be able to enter the inner disciple assessment ahead of schedule.

A large crowd gathered in front of the bulletin board, including inner disciples eager to try their skills, as well as some prodigies from outer sects.

The main peak of the sect.

In the center of the enormous plaza, three celestial mirrors hung suspended in mid-air. Below the mirrors were countless figures of people.

As celestial music filled the air, the Autumn Water Fairy slowly descended, drawing the attention of thousands of gazes.

Autumn Water Fairy's voice was clear and melodious, spreading throughout the entire area with her spiritual power.

"You are all outstanding talents from various regions. In addition to our local disciples, there are also top-tier cultivation families, royal sects, and independent cultivators who are on good terms with us. It is a very rare opportunity for you to obtain this entry jade token. I hope you will cherish it."

"The Primordial Secret Realm has never been open to the public, but this year is an exception, which can be considered a good deed bestowed upon everyone by the Dongbao Sect."

Therefore, once you enter the secret realm, you are not allowed to attack any disciples of my sect.

These words immediately caused an uproar in the audience.

First, a rogue cultivator in brocade robes sneered.

He said, "Autumn Water Fairy, when opportunities arise, everyone must rely on their own abilities. The strong will seize them; this has been the principle since ancient times. The Eastern Treasure Sect charged us 5 spirit stones for entry, yet they expect us to act with restraint."

What if your disciples harbor murderous intent towards us? Are we just supposed to stand there and wait to die? How unfair would that be to us?

As soon as he finished speaking, voices of agreement rose and fell.

The small and medium-sized sects, aristocratic families, and rogue cultivators had long harbored immense dissatisfaction, and now they were venting their grievances.

Chaos reigned in the center of the square. Yu Luoning and Shi Shangxu huddled in a corner, quietly watching the scene unfold before them.

Faced with a barrage of doubts, Fairy Qiushui remained unmoved and said:

"Our disciples will not attack you without reason. As for the opportunity you mentioned, you can compete normally, but there is only one condition: you must not kill or harm the other party."

Whether they are disciples of my sect or fellow Daoists, they are all the hope for the return of the Eastern Treasure Continent's fortune. Losing their lives would benefit no one.

As soon as these words were spoken, the previously noisy chatter from the audience gradually subsided.

Some cultivators, who were not well-informed, began to ponder the deeper meaning behind Autumn Water Fairy's words.

Fortune has returned?!

They suddenly recalled the various unusual things that Dongbao Shangzong had done in recent years, such as expanding its recruitment and making an exception to share secret realms. These actions, when put together, seemed to confirm a certain suspicion.

"It's strange. In recent years, I have indeed felt that it is easier to break through bottlenecks than before, and the spiritual energy in the world seems to be more abundant."

"I feel the same way. I thought it was just those geniuses with extraordinary talent, but it turns out the whole era has become better."

"How dare you! Is it that I've come at the wrong time of year? I'm an old man, almost turning to dust, and now this good era has finally arrived?"

Whispers rippled through the crowd. These subtle differences were imperceptible to ordinary people; only cultivators who regularly drew in qi and communicated with heaven and earth could vaguely perceive them, and the higher their cultivation level, the deeper their senses.

As Yu Luoning listened to these whispered discussions, his brows furrowed unconsciously.

She hadn't even been in this cultivation world for two years, so naturally she didn't know the details of her past. Only after hearing what the people around her said did she suddenly realize the truth.

In short, she quite liked the rule against killing.

She didn't like killing either. Her motto was always, "I won't offend others unless they offend me."

Fairy Qiushui continued, "Within the secret realm, each of you is equipped with a teleportation token. If you encounter danger, you can crush the token to automatically teleport out of the secret realm. After crushing it, you will have three breaths to cast the spell. Please be sure to leave the battle within the specified time, otherwise the remaining combat effects will cause it to malfunction."

As soon as he finished speaking, the three Xuan Tian Mirrors lit up, and three images appeared. The first image showed the Primordial Chaos Origin Qi.

"This item is a wisp of primordial energy, an essential material needed to repair and upgrade the sect's protective array. Whoever finds it will receive 10 contribution points and a qualification to advance to the inner sect."

Upon hearing this, the square fell into a deathly silence, which was followed by an even greater commotion.

10 contribution points is something an ordinary disciple might not be able to accumulate in ten years, let alone the bonus of inner sect qualification.

Some cultivators who purchased spots with spirit stones couldn't help but ask, "Fairy, may I ask if this rule also applies to us rogue cultivators without any background, or ordinary outer sect disciples?"

Autumn Water Fairy nodded and said gently, "That's fine. This is a blessing for this secret realm cultivation."

Of course, this move will naturally cause dissatisfaction among some outer disciples who are struggling to accumulate contribution points.

"Are you kidding me? I've toiled like a slave in the sect for nine years, accumulating contribution points and enduring countless hardships. And now you're telling me I can just stumble upon some good luck in a secret realm and advance to the inner sect?"

These words all reached the ears of Autumn Water Fairy and the many elders who were maintaining order at the scene.

However, the elders all kept their eyes down and pretended not to hear.

There's nothing we can do; times have changed.

The sects needed to quickly expand their recruitment of talent to cope with future changes, and they had no choice but to use such radical methods to break with convention.

After all, every new regulation goes through a period of growing pains.

Immediately afterwards, everyone's attention returned to the Xuan Tian Mirror in the center of the square.

At this moment, the image of the fruit of the Ancient Tree of Ten Thousand Spirits appeared on the second Xuan Tian Mirror.

"This is the Myriad Spirit Fruit, a fruit used to prolong the life and help Nascent Soul stage elders break through to the next level. Selling it to the sect will also earn you 10 contribution points and an inner disciple spot."

Before everyone could recover from their shock, the last Xuan Tian Mirror lit up.

The image shows an alchemy furnace covered with strange runes.

"This is the Nine Netherworld Pill Cauldron, containing fragments of ancient alchemy methods. Whoever finds and brings it out will be rewarded with 10 contribution points and directly promoted to the inner sect, in accordance with the same rules."

These projections were frozen in mid-air. Those geniuses who had just been complaining about the high ticket prices now had bloodshot eyes and were breathing heavily, all plotting how to fight their way into the secret realm.

Yu Luoning also looked up at the three illusory figures, seemingly lost in thought.

She'll give it her all for these three things.