"Defeat someone, and you can take one-third of their total Soul Essence. Remember, it’s only a defeat. The Secret Realm’s rules prevent death, but the loser will be teleported out immediately. All the Soul Essence they’ve painstakingly accumulated will just be handed over to someone else!"

"After five months, the Secret Realm will close. At that time, we will tally the total individual points for all participants. In the end, only the top ten participants in the Star Constellation, ranked by points, will advance to the next round!"

Zhu Zhao’s gaze swept over the ten of them, his eyes lingering on Qin Xuan.

"This means you won’t just be fighting the Secret Realm itself, but also battling rivals from other divisions! The Demon Cultivators from the Wing Fire Division and Zhuyin Division, in particular, will be sure to give our Human Race some special ’attention’."

"Liu Xingshi, I’m entrusting this to you. Please, you must act with caution and keep the team safe. For the sake of our Liaoyuan Division, fight for... fight to secure at least one spot for the next round!"

Zhu Zhao urged, his eyes filled with both hope and worry.

Just then, several terrifying auras descended upon the high platform in the center of the square.

"The Secret Realm is open! All groups, enter!"

Qin Xuan glanced back at his slightly nervous teammates, his expression perfectly calm. "Let’s go."

The ten figures plunged into the crimson vortex.

...

The world spun around him as a blast of scorching heat washed over his face.

Qin Xuan steadied himself and found that he was in a strange, new world.

"HISS—"

From behind a crimson rock not far away, a strange, ten-foot-long snake suddenly shot out.

The snake was crimson from head to tail, covered in tile-like scales. It had a pair of short wings on its back, sharp fangs, and a hideous appearance that was repulsive to behold.

A typical Low-Tier demon beast of the Winged Fire Serpent Secret Realm, with strength equivalent to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment realm.

’Looks like my luck is pretty good. I was teleported into the Winged Fire Serpent’s main Secret Realm,’ Qin Xuan thought with a slight nod.

The Winged Fire Serpent Secret Realm, as its name suggested, was a place where Fire Demon Serpent Beasts ran rampant. It might even contain residual traces of an Ancient Winged Fire Snake’s Demon Power.

The strange snake’s pupils were filled with savagery and greed as they fixed intently on Qin Xuan.

Qin Xuan’s expression remained unchanged. Forming a sword with his fingers, he sent out a blast of Finger Wind imbued with his Great Sun Heaven-Burning Sword Intent, piercing straight through the Winged Fire Snake’s vital point.

The strange snake shrieked in agony and thrashed on the ground, its Vitality rapidly fading.

However, a bizarre scene unfolded.

The snake’s corpse didn’t behave like that of a typical Demon Beast. Instead, it dissolved into a wisp of pure crimson smoke, which enveloped two faint, dark-red points of light.

Starfire Essence!

Qin Xuan recognized it at once. But just as he was about to absorb it with his Token, something unexpected happened!

The crimson smoke twisted violently, morphing into a venomous, human-like face that lunged straight at Qin Xuan!

A cold glint flashed in Qin Xuan’s eyes.

He didn’t even try to dodge. A brilliant point of fire suddenly ignited between his brows.

True Sun Fire!

The lunging, resentful face let out a piercing shriek as it was instantly incinerated into nothingness.

The number on his Token changed from "0" to "2".

’Just as I suspected. Something’s not right,’ Qin Xuan thought with a cold snort.

’The aura from that resentful face just now was clearly a mixture of a Cultivator’s remnant soul and Demon Power. It was definitely not a natural Demon Beast.’

’It seems many of the Demon Snakes in this Secret Realm have been deliberately created by refining members of the Human Race...’

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP... A round of applause came from atop a giant boulder off to his side.

A lanky young man with a sickly pale complexion sat there, dressed in a garish, multicolored robe. He chewed on a blade of grass, his eyes fixed on Qin Xuan with an amused expression.

"Heh heh, not bad. You actually neutralized the backlash from that Resentful Fire Demon Puppet instantly. Guess you’re not one of those idiots who fall for the trap the moment they arrive."

The young man leaped down, his movements flippant. His Cultivation was at the impressive level of Purple Mansion Perfection, and the insignia on the Token at his waist marked him as a member of the Wing Star’s Ghost Gold Division.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ghost Shark, of the Ghost Gold Division."

The young man tilted his head, sizing up Qin Xuan. "A human from the Liaoyuan Division? Interesting. Well? Fancy a little spar?"