After all, they were just rigid Puppets with no real combat experience.

A far cry from the person themselves.

And besides being mocked, one might even have their resources reduced.

Losing is one thing, but to use your reputation to buy a win... once you’ve paid, you can’t afford to lose.

Xiao Ming glanced at Jiang Man, then left as well.

Jiang Man checked the Array’s display. He had only defeated two people so far.

It seemed the key to "ten people, ten matches" was the ten different people.

Jiang Man wasn’t in a hurry. Instead, he began his Cultivation of the Celestial Heart Seal while he waited.

There wasn’t quite enough time, but after he got out, another day or two at most would be enough.

「Day Twelve.」

Someone challenged him.

But it was a free challenge.

Jiang Man still fought with him for a long time.

In the end, his opponent hesitated for a moment before leaving.

Jiang Man was quite curious.

’He was so close to beating me. Why give up?’

The man’s answer was simple: he had already lost the first match.

Even if he won the second one,

he wouldn’t be able to hold his position.

Because the loser could just challenge him again.

It would become a contest of who ran out of Spiritual Source first, because the Array would soon start charging a ten percent fee.

And he, unfortunately, didn’t have much Spiritual Source.

So he could only leave.

Jiang Man was rather surprised. ’It seems the people who entered this time really aren’t that wealthy.’

Mainly because no one would bring too much Spiritual Source into the Secret Realm.

「Day Thirteen.」

Jiang Man cultivated the entire time. No one came.

「Day Fourteen.」

A few people did show up today, but after seeing Jiang Man constantly cultivating inside, they hesitated and left.

Fortunately, two more people arrived in the afternoon and challenged him one after another.

Jiang Man won both fights by a hair’s breadth.

Unfortunately, neither of them looked back as they left.

They had no intention of spending Spiritual Source to fight again.

Jiang Man had hoped to use this to earn some Spiritual Source.

It seemed that wouldn’t be happening now.

Still, that was five people down, with only five more to go.

He was also a little worried about tomorrow’s random matches.

After all, no one competing for a Top-grade item was weak.

’I can use the Celestial Heart Seal, but...’

’As the defender with the home-field advantage, I can’t drag out the time.’

’If it goes on too long, I’ll be the one to lose.’

「Day Fifteen.」

The random matches began at dawn, and he could proactively choose his next opponent.

But before the sky had fully brightened,

he saw a woman being helped onto the stone pillar by two people.

Although he couldn’t see her features clearly, he could make out some details through the mist.

It was the same woman he had defeated before.

"I came to watch you lose," the woman said.

She had already obtained a Magic Skill, though it was just a common one. She’d had no choice if she wanted to leave the Secret Realm with something.

Jiang Man paid her no mind and initiated the random selection.

A moment later, a sturdy man appeared within the Array.

He took a step forward and launched an Attack at Jiang Man.

BOOM!

A Magic Skill, charging straight ahead.

Jiang Man felt a powerful Gang Qi.

He wasn’t even sure he could successfully execute the Cyan Smoke Prelude against it.

But Jiang Man wasn’t concerned.

The moment he struck with his palm, he activated the Celestial Heart Seal.

BOOM!

The two forces collided, and Jiang Man stumbled back two steps.

His opponent did the same.

Then, with a flash of cyan smoke, Jiang Man appeared behind the sturdy man.

He threw a palm strike!

BOOM!

The instant his palm was about to land, his opponent had already turned and thrown a punch.

BANG! The two were once again forced back.

Jiang Man was a little surprised.

’A Body Cultivator?’

At that moment, fists began to rain down, carrying a tempestuous force.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Jiang Man used the Cyan Smoke Prelude to evade.

His opponent’s fists could only follow the trail of his cyan smoke, always a step behind.

Immediately, Jiang Man stamped his foot on the ground. Bengliu Technique.

BOOM!

The ground across from him trembled.

However, his opponent stomped down heavily, shattering the Bengliu Technique in an instant.

Jiang Man was astonished.

’Foundation Establishment... seems to be much stronger than I thought.’

Without further hesitation, Jiang Man waved his hands, and palm images began to trail his every move like shadows.

Then, he struck out with a single palm.

In that instant, it was as if ten palms, a hundred palms, a thousand palms had appeared.

A thousand palms—Shadowless Palm.

RUMBLE!

The Palm Skill landed ceaselessly on the Body Cultivator.

The man was forced back step by step.

But his body was like iron; he only sustained some minor damage.

He wasn’t seriously injured.

But soon enough, Jiang Man stopped.

His opponent had been forced out of the Array.

With that, Jiang Man had one more victory to his name.

The woman looked on, somewhat surprised. "How is your Spiritual Qi so abundant? At which layer of Nascent Condensation did you start your Cultivation?"

Jiang Man looked at her and smiled without a word.

She already had her answer, so there was no need for him to explain.

Silence speaks volumes.

Jiang Man didn’t rest, instead choosing his next opponent.

This time, it was a slender woman.

Without hesitation—Shadowless Thousand Palms.

His opponent was beaten to a pulp.

Seven victories.

On to the next match.

The eighth match was against a well-proportioned woman.

When Jiang Man attacked with his Shadowless Palm, she simply countered with a palm strike of her own, completely neutralizing it.

Seeing this, Jiang Man was a bit surprised.

"The Celestial Heart Seal?"

He then moved closer and used the Shadowless Palm again.

But each strike was nullified.

He then let out a breath, struck with his palm, and closed in on her.

The moment she struck back, he intercepted her wrist, twisted it, and lifted her off the ground.

Then, he kicked out. Bengliu Technique.

BANG! She was sent flying backward.

The battle was over.

The spectating woman was surprised. "How did you do that?"

Jiang Man looked at her calmly and said, "Isn’t it obvious? It’s because I’m strong."

The woman was speechless.

Jiang Man said no more. ’Her Puppet Celestial Heart Seal was at the Fifth Layer, while mine is at the Eighth Layer.’

’On top of that, with the Old Yellow Ox’s guidance, my understanding of it is countless times more thorough than hers.’

’At only the Fifth Layer, I can easily find a way to intercept and stop it.’

’As a peerless genius, in a field he excelled at, others could only admit defeat.’

Meanwhile, on the other stone pillars.

Everyone was struggling.

Especially on another pillar, within the Array for the Top-grade Observation Method.

The defender was a young man.

He was currently staring intently at the male Puppet before him. No matter what Magic Skill he used to Attack, his opponent could imitate it perfectly.

"Damn this Celestial Heart Seal! What layer is it at?!"

He’d used Low Grade Techniques, and Mid Grade Techniques; all that was left was a Top-grade Technique.

He hadn’t wanted to waste his energy, saving it for later.

After all, there were a few experts he knew who would definitely be matched with him randomly.

His powerful Magic Skills were meant for them, but now he was forced to use them on this inexplicable "No. 210".

He had never heard of anyone cultivating the Celestial Heart Seal to such a high level.

Without further hesitation, he formed a hand seal and then grabbed at the sky.

In an instant, an immense sword materialized in his hand, and he swung it down.

SWOOSH!

Its speed was incredible.

At that moment, his opponent also struck out with a palm.

RUMBLE!

A powerful force erupted.

The giant sword was neutralized.

The man was stunned. "At least the Eighth Layer... How am I supposed to fight this? Damn it."

He only needed to defeat two more people, yet his ninth opponent had to be this one.

But he was unwilling to give up and could only continue to fight.

Half an hour later, the Array ejected him.

He had lost.

The man stared blankly at the Array.

He was in total disbelief.

In the end, he paid one thousand Spiritual Source and stepped back inside.

After stalling for half an hour, his opponent was finally sent away.

But the man was also quite exhausted.

Thankfully, he wouldn’t have to face that opponent again.

---

On the stone pillar for the Top-grade Technique, a woman exchanged several blows, but each was neutralized by a Puppet.

A high-level Celestial Heart Seal.

This was her tenth match.

But she simply couldn’t win.

A high-level Celestial Heart Seal was the most troublesome opponent.

Magic Skills were useless, and Sword Skills weren’t very effective either. If her Sword Skill was Top-grade, she might have a chance.

The other option was to be a Body Cultivator and win in close combat.

In the end, she chose to surrender.

Then she would have to endure all over again.

’After I get out, I have to find out who this is.’

’So obnoxious.’

---

On the stone pillar for the Top-grade Body Refining Skill, a Body Cultivator was chasing a wisp of cyan smoke.

He was furious.

Run, run, run.

"How can we fight if you just keep running?!"

He then tried to obstruct his opponent with his Qi and Blood Gang Qi.

However, it was easily dispelled by a palm strike from his opponent.

Who then continued to run.

The man fell silent.

Half an hour later, he lost.

He fell silent again.

As the matches concluded one by one,

the fifteenth day came to an end.

Jiang Man had successfully obtained the Top-grade Yuan Condensation Technique.

The woman who had been watching was stunned to see Jiang Man win all ten matches.

’He seems pretty strong, but I’m still going to be mocked when I get out of here.’

When the Secret Realm ended, everyone was teleported out.

Just before he left, Jiang Man suddenly saw 15,000 Spiritual Source appear before him.

Only after collecting it was he teleported out.

It wasn’t until he appeared back in his residence that Jiang Man felt a sense of bewilderment.

He was especially baffled to see that the 15,000 Spiritual Source had indeed come out with him.

’Where did this Spiritual Source come from?’