G. Tolley
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Chapter 452 – Life 117, Age 21, Martial Master Peak
🕑 Added 2025-12-17 06:32:29 +0000 UTCStepping out of the portal, my sect and I found ourselves on a raised wooden platform, staring out across a sea of young men and women. Some looked back at us with barely controlled excitement. The rest weighed us with cold, predatory intent.
Before we could become too fixated on this crowd, an older man in the black-and-silver robes of the Sect Affairs Bureau walked over, claiming our attention. A quick check in energy vision showed that he was a Martial Emperor—a Rank that seemed far too high to be playing host to a bunch of Masters and Disciples. Of course, considering the number of cultivators in front of us, it was clear that things had escalated far beyond my expectations.
While the rest of us stood next to our Disciples, playing the role of guardian elders, Sect Master Kan took a step forward and bowed in greeting.
“Welcome,” said the elder, catching Kan by the arm and steering him to the back of the stage. “You don’t know how pleased I am that a First-Class Sect managed to claim entry into the Shattered Blades Realm within my jurisdiction. Most First-Class Sects that earn this right come from the inner territories—prodigies of powerful factions who only started their sects as a way to prove themselves. None of them ever even think of coming out here. We’re usually happy if our sects can just gain the right to ascend.”
Kan cupped his fists politely and bowed his head. “Thank you, Elder.”
“I get why you took so long to activate your tokens, and I understand why you haven’t pushed for further advancement,” said the elder. “A solid foundation is important. However, you need to start thinking beyond the Warrior Tier. Once you reach the Ruler Tier, your advancement will slow to a crawl. Most Six-Star Sects only control a single city. It can take decades to raise even a handful of Peak Lords. Advancing to King and Emperor is even worse.”
He glanced past Kan, toward our waiting Disciples, then back again.
“Don’t allow yourselves to become complacent. You’re still young, but that doesn’t mean stagnation isn’t a threat. The longer you linger in the Warrior Tier, the less time you’ll have as a Ruler. If you plan to join a major sect someday, this might not be a problem, but if you want to remain First-Class—and I hope you do—then you need to manage your years more carefully.”
Kan gave another polite salute. “I understand, Elder.”
“Good.” The old man’s gaze swept over our group once more. “Also, while I understand the urge to limit your sect to members of your bloodline, Martial Sovereign is a long way off, and very few sects ever make it there. It’s reasonable to only allow members of your bloodline to become Premier Disciples, but you need to open your gates every few years and accept a few normal Disciples from the surrounding villages. This will help you develop a better relationship with the locals, and learning to lead a larger sect will prepare you for the challenges that come with being a Ruler. Understand?”
“Yes, Elder,” said Kan, doing his best impression of an obedient youth.
“Very good.” The elder turned and gave Kan a firm pat on the shoulder. “Now go. Stand with your sect. And, while you’re there, pay attention. If you do, you may find that Martial Sovereign isn’t as far off as you think.”
As Kan returned to us, the elder walked to the front of the stage. He paused there, taking his time as he stared out over the assembled crowd.
Anywhere else, packing together thousands of hot-blooded, cultivation-mad youths would have started a riot. Here, it remained contained. With powerful cultivators scattered throughout the audience, disturbances were ended before they could even begin.
The elder raised a hand, activating a wind formation that instantly silenced the entire crowd. Then, he spoke, and this same formation carried his voice into every ear.
“Today marks the first time in living memory that the Shattered Blades Realm will be opened within the Territory of the Sundering Blade Sovereign,” he announced. “This is all thanks to the contributions of the Amorphous Blade Sect. Bow and show respect to your benefactors.”
While the wind formation prevented anyone from voicing their displeasure, it did nothing to stop them from displaying it on their faces.
“Bow,” the elder commanded, and the wind formation pressed down like an invisible hand.
Thousands of cultivators bent—some stiffly, some trembling with resentment—forced into a show of respect.
“Usually,” the elder continued, allowing the formation’s pressure to fade, “when a sect gains entry into the Shattered Blades Realm, they are only joined by a handful of elites. This time, however, every sect in the territory was permitted to send as many groups as they desired.”
A silent wave of excitement moved through the crowd as shoulders tensed and eyes sharpened.
“Most of you who enter will not return. Even in the most optimistic of scenarios, for every ten who enter, nine will die.” A cunning grin crept onto the elder’s face as he let this number hang in the air. “As long as you survive, though, you will gain power far beyond that of your peers—power that is typically reserved for the domain’s elites.”
Ambition flared through the crowd, burning away their earlier hesitation. Everyone began fantasizing about returning with strength enough to dominate their rivals, and survival was no longer a question. It was a certainty.
“However.” The elder’s voice was like the crack of a whip, waking people up from dreams of immortality. “This power is not free. The leaders of your sects should have already informed you of this, but in case they didn’t, I will do so now.”
The elder paused to ensure that the crowd was hanging on his every word. “The Li Clan of the Nine Rivers Domain has issued a Declaration of War. In one year, they will invade the Territory of the Steel Knuckle Sovereign, which sits across our northern border. Anyone who enters the Shattered Blades Realm will be expected to join in the defense of our domain.”
He let these words settle over the crowd, then continued, colder.
“The terms of this conflict have already been agreed upon. The invading force will be commanded by a young cultivator in the early stages of Martial Master. No one with a higher cultivation base than this commander may join their army. Likewise, so long as these invaders do not assault the core holdings of a superior cultivator’s lands, no defender whose cultivation base exceeds the commander’s by more than one full Rank may oppose them.”
A few faces in the audience tightened, while others brightened.
“The invasion of an Eight-Star force may sound insignificant, but remember this: War is one of the fastest ways to gain power. Their leader may be a Martial Master now, but we expect them to reach Grandmaster within only a few short years. If they are then able to conquer a few cities, they will rapidly advance through the higher realms—Lord, King, Emperor…”
He paused again, giving his words time to sink in.
“While I am confident that the Heroes Domain will ultimately prevail, if we have to wait for seasoned Lords and Kings to enter the fray, our dignity will have already been trampled into the dirt.” The elder’s gaze sharpened. “Therefore, we must rely on you to end this threat early. Use this Secret Realm to gain power. Then, use the invasion to gain glory.”
As the crowd’s wariness melted into zeal, I felt a cold weight settle in my gut. An endless horde of challengers wouldn’t weaken Jon. It would feed him. His blessing thrived on conflict. It turned opposition into fuel.
Had no one been listening in when I described the danger of his blessing? Or did they understand perfectly… Did they want this challenge? Had my subtle warnings only made the situation worse?
Either way, the die was cast. All I could do was try to survive the fallout.
The elder let silence stretch, offering one last chance for anyone to step away. No one did.
“Good,” he said. “If you are determined to enter the Shattered Blades Realm, then listen carefully. Inside, you will face the most terrifying situation known to anyone in this domain: surviving outside during a beast tide.”
He raised a gray stone token high in the air, displaying it to the crowd. “Each group has been issued one of these tokens. Once inside, the Martial Masters leading each group must press their token against their wrist, transforming it into a bracer that will track your group’s kills.”
Rolling the token between his fingers, the elder looked over the crowd with measured appraisal.
“Any group that survives for seven days will receive a reward. However, the group with the most kills will receive the greatest rewards.” The elder’s voice sharpened, his thin smile carrying no trace of warmth. “Be careful, though. No one will be monitoring you inside. No one will see what happens. If your group starts doing too well, your competitors may decide to prevent you from receiving any reward at all.”
This sounded like a warning, but to the crowd of ambitious youths, it was permission. All around, eyes turned hungry as cultivators scanned their competition—weighing threats and picking targets.
Ignoring this, the elder lifted a hand, and two stone pillars rose from the earth.
A formation sprang to life, and space rippled.
A hole opened between the pillars, rapidly expanding until it filled the space between them. Within, gray clouds swirled into a vortex, creating a spiraling corridor that stretched into infinity.
Narrowing my eyes, I activated energy vision.
The gray vortex was a lie. I couldn’t see beyond it, but the subtle flow of light and dark qi was unmistakable. The true passage into the Secret Realm was likely just one of the plain black portals that I was familiar with. The Sect Affairs Bureau, it seemed, wasn’t above theatrics.
“The first to enter will be the groups from the Amorphous Blade Sect. They made this possible, so the right of first entry is theirs.”
YuLong stepped forward at once, leading his team of Disciples toward the portal.
Before they could enter, I connected to an avatar in my inner world. “System, I still have a temporary reset point from the tournament. Move it forward to this moment. If I die, bring me back here, with all of our sect members still alive.”
Purchase confirmed. Cost 1 credit. 57,955 credits remaining.
I breathed a sigh of relief. As time went on and our people grew stronger, the “temporal anomalies” they represented would make these reset points impossibly expensive. For now, though, I could still afford to protect them.
One group after another stepped through the portal.
Mine went last. It consisted of Ye Sheng, Bao Ming, the two Sulan alchemists, and one of JiuLi’s refiners—the one whose blessing allowed him to reinforce threads while weaving.
These were not our sect’s best warriors. Those had all joined Kan and YuLong. These were the ones who would benefit the most from my guidance.
---------------------------------------------------
We appeared within a dense forest. No beasts were immediately visible, but that meant little. Trees and shrubs pressed in from every side, trapping us in a world of green.
Motioning for my Disciples to keep watch, I followed the elder’s instructions and pressed the gray stone token against my wrist.
Dormant formations flared to life, and the coin-sized token transformed—unfurling into a bracer that wrapped itself around my forearm. A silvery 0 shimmered upon its surface.
I wanted to take a few moments to study the bracer’s newly activated formations, but with more important matters to deal with, I forced my focus outward, to the world around me.
What was this “Secret Realm”? Was it really a Small World, like the Nine Rivers Continent, or was it just a hidden location in the Heroes Domain?
Calming my mind, I pulled on my qi and performed a few simple experiments.
My guandao qi flowed cleanly. It was sharp, obedient, and responsive. My metal and earth qi, however…
Inside my body, they behaved as expected. I was able to strengthen my muscles and speed up my reflexes as normal. But the moment I tried to push them outward—into the air and soil around me—they turned slippery and unpredictable.
This matched reports from the residents of my inner world. Qi types that hadn’t been unlocked couldn’t be controlled properly. So, this was a Small World.
The nature of the trial still bothered me, though. How could the Heroes Domain provide us with an entire beast tide to contend against?
Reaching down, I picked up various items: rocks, twigs, and mortal plants. With each one, I used my analysis ability, checking them, but they all proved to be genuine items, not illusions.
As I worked, the Disciples kept their eyes on the forest, guandaos at the ready.
A sudden rustle snapped through the undergrowth, and two monstrous boars exploded out of the bushes. Seeing us, the beasts didn’t hesitate. They simply lowered their heads and charged, shredding the earth and roots beneath their feet.
My Disciples needed experience, but this wasn’t the time for it. I lifted my guandao, activated a formation etched along its spine, and fired two sharp bursts of qi, each one spearing a boar through the skull.
With each death, a pale beam of light shot from the body of the slain beast and entered my bracer. When I looked down, I found that the number on its surface had increased to 2.
Setting this aside for the moment, I focused on the boars and activated my analysis ability.
Unknown Rank Unknown Illusion
So, the world was real, but not the beast tide.
As I pondered this, the sounds of a great battle echoed in the distance—shouts, cracking wood, and the dull, wet impacts of steel meeting flesh. I signaled my group to stay quiet, then led them forward in a cautious line, keeping to the shadows to avoid undue attention.
The noise faded as we drew closer, giving way to an uneasy stillness.
By the time we reached the source of the commotion, the battle was already over. Six corpses lay on the forest floor, their robes torn and dark with blood. Beside them lay a dozen dead boars, identical to those that had attacked us.
Bao Ming swallowed hard and pointed. “What’s that?”
A gray token lay beside one of the corpses, pulsing with brilliant light. I approached and picked it up.
The token crumbled to dust, releasing a beam of light that shot into my bracer and increased the counter from 2 to 14.
I sucked in a deep breath, my expression hardening.
The Bureau hadn’t given us any way to escape or signal for help. This wasn’t an oversight. The elder had deliberately encouraged us to fight each other, and these glowing tokens made the rewards for doing so clear.
It wasn’t just that people were going to die in here. The Bureau wanted people to die. The only question was: Why?
Comments
InfernoDroid
Honestly, I don't think it's Jon. And dealing with him for awhile would be easy is Fang is willing to not completely reset. Just do the following: Teleport to the main content Set up the following purchase in a sequence purchase (as he's done multiple times) 1. Teleport in a secluded room near Jon in the herb hall that he knows Jon is in. 2. Set up a phrase to Teleport him to a city in the saint of heros territory. 3. Set like 100 temp respawn points upon arriving As soon as he Teleports the the hall dump Jon in his inner world in a plane without people. (As far as we are aware since Jon is low rank he shouldn't be able to resist. ) then immediately use the phrase before anyone knows he's gone. Outside of the exiting to the main continent, the whole think takes like 1-5 mins and costs like 2 credits. 100 cycles is many thousands of years for Fang
Stephen Pearson
How interesting! Thanks for the chapter:-)
