Lu Fan thought about how he felt after killing these bandits but realized he didn't feel much. Maybe it was like how soldiers feel when they kill enemy soldiers—it doesn't weigh as heavily on the conscience compared to harming an innocent person. His situation might be similar; these robbers had stolen from others and killed to silence witnesses, so eliminating them didn't leave him with any psychological burden.
While in Swordward City, he learned that a secret realm would soon open. This realm, once the trial grounds of an ancient sect, was accessible only to cultivators under fifty years old who were in the Qi cultivation realm. The realm opened every twenty years, originally intended to select promising seedlings. The Sword Sect had owned it for thousands of years, and for the last three hundred years, it had been open to the public. The sect had already taken most of the realm's resources, leaving only the inheritance hall containing ancient techniques. Just because techniques were ancient, however, didn't mean they were superior; techniques and cultivators had evolved, and the Sword Sect's current methods were better than the old ones. For this reason, the realm was now open to the public.
So, Lu Fan traveled to Celestial Ridge City to wait for the realm's opening.
After a month, the Celestial Realm finally opened, and Lu Fan entered it alongside other participants. He was teleported into a dense forest and tasked with hunting as many beasts as possible. A symbol on his arm displayed his accumulated points as he hunted. Attack talismans, enchanted weapons, and formations didn't work here, rendering magical swords as mere metal, though storage items and pills remained functional.
In the forest, Lu Fan soon encountered a pack of Level 1 mid-grade wolves. The first wolf charged at him, baring its fangs and flashing fiery eyes filled with hunger. Lu Fan, fortified by his Blood Tempering Body Art, held his ground. The wolf lunged, jaws snapping inches from his neck. Lu Fan sidestepped, bringing his fist down on the wolf's skull with crushing force. A loud crack echoed, and the wolf dropped dead instantly.
Two more wolves darted at him, their claws slashing the air. He threw a knee into the chest of one, sending it sprawling. The other managed to clamp its jaws onto his forearm, but his tempered body resisted the bite, absorbing the impact with only minor cuts. With a powerful twist, he dislodged the wolf and drove his elbow into its spine, breaking it. The wolf crumpled to the ground.
The remaining wolves began circling him warily, growling in low tones. He didn't give them a chance to regroup, charging forward like a juggernaut. Each punch, each strike, was delivered with deadly precision, breaking bones and sending blood splattering onto the ground. One by one, he dispatched the wolves until all eight lay dead. With that, he earned 80 points.
He continued moving through the forest and found a lake where a Level 2 lotus grew, guarded by a Level 1 peak-grade crocodile. The crocodile lay half-submerged, its slit-pupiled eyes glaring at him with a predatory gaze. Sensing a tougher battle ahead, Lu Fan prepared himself. The beast launched from the water, its jaws snapping at him with terrifying force. He barely dodged, countering with a hard punch to its snout. The scales absorbed the blow, though a shudder ran through the creature.
The crocodile retaliated, swinging its tail in a wide arc that struck his ribs, sending him staggering backward. But Lu Fan's Blood Tempering Body Art had toughened him, dulling the impact. When the beast lunged again, he sidestepped and grabbed its tail, grounding his stance as he swung it in a wide arc. The crocodile thrashed, but he threw his weight into one last pull, smashing its head against a rock. The scales on its back cracked from the impact. With a final leap, he brought his fist down on its skull, delivering a fatal blow. After storing the crocodile's body in his storage talisman, he carefully picked the lotus from the pond, securing it in his storage bag, earning an additional 100 points.
He traveled deeper into the forest, hunting various beasts and avoiding encounters with foundation-building creatures. This trial lasted an entire month, and by the twentieth day, he had accumulated 5,000 points. Feeling more confident, he decided to test himself against an early foundation-building Level 2 bison beast.
The bison charged, its massive horns lowered to gore him. He narrowly dodged, retaliating with a punch to its flank, but the bison barely flinched. It retaliated with a powerful kick, and the blow struck him in the side, forcing him to take a step back. Pain lanced through him, but his tempered body prevented serious injury.
Realizing he couldn't overpower it directly, Lu Fan shifted tactics. He began circling, aiming his strikes at the beast's legs and joints to wear it down. The bison roared in frustration and charged again, kicking up dirt. In a daring move, he leaped onto its back, grappling its fur as it bucked violently. He rained down blows on the base of its neck, but even those hits barely staggered the beast. When he felt his strength ebbing, he leaped off and, seeing the beast's power, decided to retreat. The encounter gave him a clearer sense of his limits. He understood he was no core disciple who could fight beyond his realm.
After recovering with healing pills, he resumed his hunt of Level 1 beasts. By the end of the month, his points totaled 11,464.
On the final day, he was transported to a grand hall with a large stone monument. His symbol connected to the stone, displaying his points and allowing him to exchange them for items and techniques. Most items had already been claimed, leaving only techniques available.
Since he was already practicing the Blood Tempering Body Art, he needed only the Nascent Soul level technique. The cost for each cultivation level was high: 10 points for Qi Cultivation, 100 points for Foundation Building, 1,000 points for Core Formation, and 10,000 points for Nascent Soul.
He paid 10,000 points to acquire the Nascent Soul level Blood Tempering Body Art, then purchased a pill-forming technique called Titan Qi Art for 1,000 points. With 464 points remaining, he spent 100 points on a storage bottle gourd—a rare, natural storage item. Few cultivators wanted it due to its limited size compared to a storage ring, but he found its uniqueness worthwhile.
He then purchased the Lifebond Armament Art, a natal weapon refining technique, for 100 points and the Spirit Chain Art for another 100 points. Spirit Chain Art allowed him to create soul-linked chains for both attack and defense, a rare technique known for its soul recovery ability. Although resource-intensive, it didn't alter his original soul but created a soul weapon. Many cultivators avoided it since it didn't directly increase soul strength, but he valued its healing potential.
Next, he spent 200 points on Silent Aura Medallion, a concealment art allowing him to refine a medallion to hide his presence. The level of concealment depended on the medallion's rank; a Level 1 medallion would hide him from Qi realm cultivators, Level 2 from Foundation Building cultivators, and so on.
With his remaining points, he bought Level 2 sword grass seeds, a rare find outside the Sword Sect. After completing his transactions, he received a silver token, officially marking him as an inner disciple of the now-absent sect. Exiting the realm, he began his journey back to his home over the following months.