Chương 146: Chapter 40: Entering the Trial Realm

"Nine into one... the Mu Jade Sword has finally manifested." Reyn whispered the realization to himself, his gaze lingering on the Azure Jade Palace for a heartbeat longer than necessary. He didn't dally. Alongside his companions, he pressed forward, his footsteps echoing against the cold stone of the mountain path.

"Cultivators of all provinces, enter the Azure Jade Palace!" A thunderous command erupted from the palace entrance. An elder clad in midnight-black robes stood there, his aura vibrating with the terrifying pressure of the Great Circle of Foundation Establishment—thePseudo-Core StageStage stage. The sound waves rolled over the crowd like a physical tide, forcing the weaker cultivators to catch their breath as a chill of reverence swept through the ranks.

"We pay our respects to the Venerables of the Mu Family!" Reyn followed the collective movement, dropping into a respectful bow. He dared not show the slightest hint of arrogance here. Inside the hall, seated at the center of power, was a middle-aged cultivator with a fair complexion, holding a scholar's fan and wearing a silk headcloth. He looked like a refined poet, yet the subtle, rhythmic fluctuations of energy radiating from him sent a shiver of primal fear down the spines of everyone present.

Flanking this man were eight figures—six elderly men and two women in their prime. Every single one of them radiated the unmistakable, suffocating presence of the Golden Core stage. The man with the scholar's fan was Mu Yunsheng, the current Head of the Mu Family. His eyelids lifted slightly, and two bolts of lightning-like divine sense swept across the assembled youths. His gaze paused for a fraction of a second on a specific spot before he offered a thin, knowing smile.

"Be seated."

"Our thanks to Venerable Mu Yunsheng!" The crowd rose in unison, offering a final disciplined salute before settling onto the prayer mats arranged in neat rows below the dais. Reyn remained a mask of absolute tranquility. He sat cross-legged, eyes downcast, projecting the image of a focused, unremarkable disciple. Internally, however, his mind was a storm of calculation. Mu Yunsheng's gaze lingered on me. It was brief, nearly imperceptible, but my senses didn't deceive me. Did he see through my disguise?

He tightened his mental grip on the Hunyuan True Scripture. With my current soul strength and this scripture's concealment, a Golden Core cultivator shouldn't be able to peer into my true depths. Am I overthinking this? An unsettling prickle of anxiety danced along his spine, but he crushed it with cold logic. Mu Yunsheng spoke again, his voice as warm and inviting as a spring breeze.

"You are the elite of your respective provinces and sects—the future pillars of the Zhao Kingdom's cultivation world. To see you gathered here in the Mu ancestral home brings me great pride."

"The Venerable is too kind! We are honored to receive the Holy Land's invitation!" The disciples responded with practiced fervor, their voices thick with a mix of genuine awe and calculated flattery.

"There is no need for such formality," Mu Yunsheng said with a dismissive wave of his fan.

"You all know why you are here. The rules of the Trial Realm remain unchanged from previous years. However, as an apology for the sudden advancement of the schedule, our Ancestor, the Manifest Saint, has issued a decree. Should any of you manage to secure more than half of the Mu Jade Swords, you shall be granted the privilege of remaining by his side for three years to receive his personal guidance." You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

He paused, letting the weight of those words sink in.

"The Ancestor remains in seclusion for decades at a time. Even our own direct descendants rarely have the chance to study under him. This is a providence of the highest order. It remains to be seen who among you has the destiny to claim it." Though the rumors had already circulated, hearing it confirmed by the Family Head ignited a wildfire of ambition in the hall. Eyes that were once cautious now burned with a predatory heat. Reyn's brow furrowed slightly. A golden lure for the fish, he thought.

They want us to fight to the death for these swords. What secret are they hiding behind this 'generosity'? He couldn't see the full picture yet, but the scent of a conspiracy was thick in the air. But if a Nascent Soul ancestor truly intervenes, my path to Foundation Establishment would be guaranteed. Even if this is a trap, I have no other choice but to walk into it. I will simply have to break the cage from the inside.

"Take your Trial Stones," Mu Yunsheng commanded. With a flick of his sleeve, dozens of jade boxes flew through the air, landing precisely in front of each participant.

"Inside the Trial Realm, if you face a fatal threat, shatter this stone. The teleportation array sealed within will pull you out instantly. Do not lose it. It is your only lifeline." The stones were smooth, egg-shaped, and pulsed with a faint green light. Reyn stowed his into his storage bag without a word, noting that everyone around him was doing the same with trembling hands. Mu Yunsheng's expression turned solemn.

"Elders, bring forth the Mu Jade Swords."

"As you command!" The eight Golden Core elders stood. Simultaneously, they tapped their storage bags, and eight identical green daggers, each a foot long and radiating a vibrant, life-affirming glow, appeared in their palms.

"The eight provinces of Zhao gather today. May you all find your fortune," Mu Yunsheng said. He produced a piece of azure crystal and tossed it into the air.

"Rise!" He pointed a finger, and the crystal exploded into a ten-丈-wide pillar of blinding light. When the radiance faded, a massive, ancient gate stood suspended in the air. It was carved with archaic patterns that writhed like living serpents, emitting a heavy, primordial pressure. A staircase of pure light descended from the threshold to the floor, forming a path to the heavens.

"Open the Gate!" Mu Yunsheng roared. The eight elders hurled their jade swords. The daggers streaked through the air like emerald meteors, sinking into the gate as if passing through water. Ripples distorted the air, and the massive doors began to groan. Creeeeeak... The gate swung open, revealing a swirling vortex of grey mist that obscured everything within. Mu Yunsheng's face paled slightly; maintaining such a massive spatial rift was clearly taxing his divine sense to the limit.

"Enter the Trial Realm! Now!" The cultivators didn't hesitate. They bolted from their mats, sprinting up the light-stairs. As the first disciple stepped through the threshold, his body dissolved into ripples and vanished. Reyn waited, his eyes scanning the crowd. He saw Yang Dawei and Xing Tianxie moving toward the gate, but two others caught his attention. One was a man in a robe embroidered with the myriad beasts of the world, a constant, mocking smile on his face—a disciple of the Three Thousand Dao Sect.

The other was a youth in stark black, his eyes filled with a tyrannical, overbearing light—the scion of the Supreme Demon Sect. The real competition, Reyn noted, his heart turning to ice. He turned away and stepped into the vortex. The world spun. A sensation of being torn apart by invisible hands washed over him—the standard disorientation of long-distance teleportation. When his vision finally cleared, the scent of damp earth and ancient rot filled his lungs.

He was standing in the shadows of a primeval, savage forest.