Using entries to cultivate immortality in chaotic times

Chen Qiu, accompanied by Fat Long, walked along the mountain path all the way to the Mountain Gate of Chao Tian Sect. Along the way, other cultivators entering the Secret Realm looked at each other cautiously. As a rule, "trial" type Secret Realms generally posed little danger to life.

Just confidently take on your trial.

But you can't stand those who have itchy hands.

They just have to stab you.

Stepping through the Mountain Gate, what came into view was a vast expanse of ruins and magnificent buildings, covered in moss, while a decaying scent wafted through the air. Behind the Mountain Gate was a copper bell that stood ten zhang high.

Etched upon the bell were lines filled with the Sword Intent of looking down upon the world.

"The first round, sever worldly ties."

"Pass this round, and you may become a menial Disciple of Chao Tian Sect; only then does the path of the Sword Cultivator truly begin."

Not a speck of dust could be found near the copper bell, as if an invisible Barrier blocked the dust from falling. Clearly, as soon as one stepped into this Barrier, the first round should start smoothly.

At this moment, people also gathered in front of the copper bell, exchanging gazes, each hesitating and none daring to be the first to step forward.

The first one to eat the crab often reaps a bountiful harvest.

But the first to eat the poisonous arrow pig probably won't gain much.

...

Chen Qiu wasn't in a hurry either; he and Fat Long stood quietly in their spot, his gaze bypassing the copper bell to survey the ruins behind it. However, he did not see any traces of Zhao Yishi, indicating that Zhao Yishi had probably not entered this round yet but had instead gone to other places to search for treasures.

At that moment—

Several cultivators also came to their senses, deciding to ignore this first round and spread out to other ruined buildings to see if they could scavenge some treasures. It seemed to be ruins of an Ancient Sect; it was impossible that there were no treasures at all.

Even something like Spirit Grass of a hundred thousand years would be satisfying enough.

"Let's go!"

Besides those cultivators who preferred to explore, there were still a great number of cultivators who felt that the rewards for passing the trials might be better. They watched a middle-aged man with a stern face and an imposing air stride decisively towards the copper bell.

The moment he stepped into the range of the Barrier,

the whole person suddenly appeared as though struck on the head by a blunt object, stunned on the spot. But after a breath's time, he regained consciousness, his eyes had turned bloodshot, and his body trembled violently, obviously having gone through some unknown ordeal in a place invisible to the onlookers.

The man did not speak but with bloodshot eyes, briskly walked past the copper bell towards the deeper parts of the ruined buildings.

"I see."

Fat Long nodded thoughtfully, "It seems like creating an illusion where you have to kill your loved ones, is that simple?"

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu spoke softly, "In the past, it probably was real, but after the sect's decline, for some reason, it appeared again in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, so it probably turned into an illusion."

After someone had shown the way,

those who followed didn't dawdle anymore.

They stepped into the range of the Barrier one by one, and after a single breath, they successfully passed the round, but each person reacted differently. Some had bloodshot eyes, some shook uncontrollably, some bore ferocious faces, some showed neither sorrow nor joy, some were full of grief.

Thousands of people, thousands of faces; it was nothing more than that.

"Let's go too."

Without any further hesitation, Chen Qiu stepped into the range of the Copper Bell Barrier. He felt a jolt in his heart, and with a buzz in his mind, he found himself in a white space surrounded by clouds and mist, obscuring the distance.

And standing before him was... Fat Long.

"..."

He was somewhat at a loss for words. Had they, failing to find his family and children, simply decided to use Fat Long, the one closest to him, as his Heart Demon instead?

The Fat Long standing before him looked innocent, gazing at him with pitiable eyes, and said with his usual cautiousness, "Brother Qiu, where are we going next?"

Just then—

A panel wrapped in mist slowly emerged beside Fat Long.

Your adventure continues at empire

'This is your beloved kin and sworn brothers.'

'Together, you have slain demon beasts, cultivated, and fought side by side. He has accompanied you through many days and nights, and you both could confidently entrust your backs to each other.'

'To become a Sword Cultivator, you must first slay this man.'

'Can you bring yourself to do it?'

"..."

Chen Qiu sighed quietly, his view of the ancient Chao Tian Sect's filter diminishing once more. It was no wonder it had declined; there were reasons after all. He shook his head, ignoring the innocent expression on Fat Long's face, and casually cast three Thunder Summoning Techniques.

Amidst the flickering of Thunder Light,

Fat Long had turned into a charred skeleton, the air filled with the scent of scorched fat.

The surrounding mist gradually dissipated, and everything returned to normal. But just as he was about to turn back to give Fat Long some instructions, he suddenly saw Fat Long standing outside the copper bell, his face incredulous, covered in bloody wounds, as he toppled backward.

"Fat Long!"

He couldn't help but cry out in shock, rushing over, and at that moment, that hollow and ethereal voice echoed in his ears again.

'Cut through worldly attachments, enter the path of Sword Cultivation.'

'The Heart Demon you have slain in this round is not an illusion, but a physical manifestation. You have killed your own beloved kin by your own hand, and you now possess the qualifications to become a Sword Cultivator.'

Chen Qiu, somewhat in disbelief, hurried to Fat Long's side, and was just about to take some Healing Pills from his Storage Ring to feed to Fat Long, only to find that Fat Long had already breathed his last, without a trace of life.

Meanwhile, the surrounding crowd only glanced his way before moving on without pause, stepping confidently into the range of the Copper Bell Barrier.

He finally understood why every person who had passed the round wore a face of sorrow; they must also know that what they had killed was not an illusion, but a physical manifestation, that their kin had truly been killed by their own hands.

What kind of damned Sword Cultivation is this?!

His face blank with confusion, he sat there holding Fat Long's corpse in his arms, sitting on the ground and looking around, feeling somewhat dazed. There was no sorrow on his face, only a blankness of not knowing what to do next.

His memory seemed to slip back to several days before.

Fat Long had called out to him, snatching his pork head meat, and took him to the bamboo forest to give him a Potion that awakened his first entry in the Qi Refinement Realm, making Fat Long his guide. He had always been grateful to Fat Long.

In the first Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, Fat Long had helped him severely injure numerous demon beasts, passing his Cultivation Progress on to him. It was truly Fat Long that had allowed his initial Cultivation Progress to advance so swiftly.

But now...

"..."

After a long while, the sitting Chen Qiu sighed lightly. His lifeless eyes gradually regained their brightness, and after a long silence, he stood up and used the Thunder Summoning Technique to blast a large pit in the ground. He buried Fat Long's body into it.

Then he filled the pit back up.

"You led me into the sect, and now I lay you to rest."

"That's not so bad."