The wails from the ground below, the calm within the array.

Standing on the stone pillar, Xiao Ming was momentarily stunned.

The defender of the array had actually been quite strong.

The people trying to wear him down from the outside were also decent, and their Body Skills were impressive.

By all rights, even if they were no match for him, they should have been able to harass him.

Yet now, those two had just fallen, and the array’s defender was also swiftly defeated.

They were even grievously wounded.

Such speed made him think of the top prodigies from the various courtyards.

Their strength was astonishing, and their Magic Skills were formidable.

But these people were a tiny minority; they either didn’t need to go through the selection at all, or they were competing elsewhere.

This Secret Realm usually groups together people of similar strength.

’Could this guy have run a long way just to bully people here?’ Xiao Ming wondered.

’Otherwise, he couldn’t have been this fast.’

He thought it was entirely possible.

’Maybe he suffered a setback somewhere else, traveled for a few days, and came here to snatch the Top-grade Yuan Condensation Technique.’

He subconsciously took a step back.

He had no intention of getting closer.

And he certainly had no thought of challenging him.

In response to the other party’s invitation, Xiao Ming said softly, "Who in their right mind would announce their own weakness to others?"

Jiang Man looked at him and said earnestly, "Sometimes you have to seize an opportunity. How will you know if you’re right unless you try?

"If you succeed, you get a Top-grade Yuan Condensation Technique. If you fail, it’s just a thousand Spiritual Source."

Xiao Ming was about to speak, but before he could say anything more, someone suddenly appeared at the side and leaped up.

He headed straight for the array.

"He is weak! He’s just saying that to make you hesitate. Since you don’t have the guts, I’ll go!"

A deep, resonant voice rang out.

Immediately after, a figure charged into the array.

BOOM!

Thunder Flame appeared in the opponent’s hands.

Jiang Man was a little shocked. It was his first time seeing it, and its power was astounding.

’A rich kid.’

Jiang Man began to dodge.

He barely dodged using Cyan Smoke Prelude, then clashed with a Shadowless Palm.

After confirming that his opponent’s combat experience was also average, he fought while retreating.

He occasionally used the Nine Clouds Dragon Suppressing Technique to block.

But his opponent’s Thunder Flame erupted, stirring a tempest, making his body look as if it were wreathed in fire.

They were all Magic Skills and Combat Skills he had never seen before.

’Luckily, he’s learned a lot of them, but none are at a high level.’

’Otherwise, I’d have to use the Celestial Heart Seal and find another opening.’

BANG!

The force of the impact sent Jiang Man stumbling back two steps.

The opponent attacked again.

He was extremely fast. If not for Jiang Man’s high Spiritual Level, he would have been in a sorry state.

This time, Jiang Man dodged the attack and landed a palm strike on his opponent.

Nine-Layered Shadowless Palm.

BANG!

The man felt the power within his body thrown into chaos, and he was sent flying backward.

He landed outside the array, barely managing to stay on his feet.

Jiang Man swayed for a moment before steadying himself.

Then, he slowly spoke, continuing in the same tone as before, "It seems I really am too weak."

The man who had been knocked out of the array gritted his teeth. ’If he hadn’t dodged that last move, I would’ve won.’

Without further hesitation, he paid a thousand Spiritual Source and entered the array again.

This time, they were locked in a stalemate. Several times, Jiang Man was nearly knocked out of the array.

But he always managed to steady himself at the critical moment.

In the end, the man was sent flying out again.

"Thank you for the match," Jiang Man said softly, looking outside the array. "I almost lost."

The opponent was silent for a long time, then paid another thousand.

This time, the force behind his attacks was much weaker, but the fight still dragged on for a long time.

In the end, he lost by a hair’s breadth.

And his opponent quietly collected the thousand Spiritual Source.

The man stood before the array, silent again for a long while.

Finally, he turned and left.

He turned a deaf ear to Jiang Man’s words from behind him.

’Good thing no one here knows each other.’

’Otherwise...’

’I’d want to find a hole to crawl into.’

’I was scammed out of my Spiritual Source.’

’The guy isn’t weak at all. He’s just a poor bastard who’s desperate for money.’

Three thousand Spiritual Source wasn’t a lot to him, but he couldn’t afford the loss of face.

After silently glancing at the number beneath his opponent’s array, he didn’t linger any longer.

’Number 210, I’ll remember you.’

’When I get back, I’ll have to take a good look and see which genius from the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Courtyards is a pauper.’

’Can’t rule out someone from the First, Second, and Third Courtyards, either.’

’In that case, he wouldn’t be a genius, just someone who’s been stuck at this Realm for a long time and has an edge.’

Jiang Man watched the man leave, filled with emotion.

’He’s leaving just like that?’

’It was only three thousand Spiritual Source.’

Then, he turned his gaze to the man who had first come up—and the woman who had now sat up.

"My movements are a bit sluggish now. Don’t you want to take advantage of my predicament?" Jiang Man asked.

The two remained silent.

"Did you run over from another region?" the woman asked.

In this region, she had paid off two people and should have been able to secure this spot easily.

After all, the truly powerful could go seek out other top-grade items.

A Top-grade Body Refining Technique or a Top-grade Observation Method were both extremely important.

Body Cultivators and Sword Cultivators, in particular, would never have their sights set on this Top-grade Yuan Condensation Technique.

Jiang Man shook his head. "I’ve been in the area the whole time."

"Then you’re finished," the woman said, looking at Jiang Man. "Now that I’ve lost, no one else will come to challenge you. And the random selection isn’t really that random. For a top-grade prize, the opponents are usually other people defending top-grade prizes. You’ve only beaten two people. There are still eight more, and those eight could be geniuses from any field.

"Even if the randomly-generated opponents are just rigid copies of them, you still might not be able to win."

Jiang Man was rather surprised. "No one else is going to challenge me?"

"You’ll find out in a few days. It’s the eleventh day now, so you still have three days left." The woman struggled to her feet, preparing to leave.

Her body ached, and she was in a terrible mood.

Because in order to bribe those two people, she had almost exposed her identity.

Now, when the selection ended, she would surely be ridiculed after leaving.

Especially if this guy lost his random matches, she would be laughed at even more.

Even if he won, she would still be laughed at.