Chapter 232 – Arriving in the Three Thousand Worlds, Starting on Hell Mode? (Two-in-One, Ten Thousand Words!)

Chapter 232 – Arriving in the Three Thousand Worlds, Starting on Hell Mode? (Two-in-One, Ten Thousand Words!)

In the Real World, Su Xing’s heart immediately tightened when he saw this.

“Finally, contact has been made with someone from the Advent Cult’s headquarters in the Three Thousand Worlds…”

“Blood Three? What connection does this have with the Blood Immortal? Sure enough, the ties between the Blood Immortal and the Advent Cult run deep! Or perhaps… the Advent Cult was founded by the Blood Immortal?”

After a brief pause, Su Xing muttered:

“Just as I predicted, Old Dog Dragon was nothing more than a small-town CEO… He had some importance, but compared to the spirit vein dragon, he didn’t measure up!”

For this cultist, profit naturally mattered far more than a single subordinate.

Moreover, the fact that Su Xing could kill Old Dog Dragon while also being a member of the Advent Cult naturally proved his own value.

“Let me see how one travels to these Three Thousand Worlds!”

Su Xing silently recited.

“Activate immersive simulation function, duration twenty-four hours!”

【Ding, you have successfully activated immersive simulation… remaining energy: 1,406,280,000 points.】

As the simulator’s notification faded, Su Xing’s vision shifted and transformed, and he found himself inside the Advent Cult’s headquarters.

Within his field of vision, a figure radiating an unfathomably deep aura appeared before him.

The man appeared to be in his forties, with utterly unremarkable features. His face was expressionless as he asked:

“That little dragon — you killed it?”

Blood Three gave Su Xing a once-over, then nodded:

“I see. So you encountered a fortuitous opportunity and carry a Three-Inch Blessed Land pocket dimension on your person. No wonder you were able to kill that little dragon…”

Su Xing opened his mouth slightly, wanting to say something.

But Blood Three merely said in a flat tone:

“Hand over that spirit dragon… The master’s orders have come down. You’ll be credited for offering the spirit dragon, and naturally this matter won’t be pursued further…”

Hearing this, Su Xing pressed his lips together, then with a thought, summoned the still-sleeping spirit dragon.

The moment Blood Three laid eyes on the spirit dragon, his gaze brightened, and he nodded slightly:

“Not bad. Indeed a spirit vein dragon!”

“Tell me, what reward do you want?”

Blood Three merely extended his hand slightly, and a suction force trapped the Spirit Vein Dragon before drawing it into a space he had opened within himself.

Su Xing didn’t hesitate, responding directly:

“I want to leave this realm and obtain a pass to the Three Thousand Worlds!”

Upon hearing Su Xing’s words, not a trace of hesitation appeared on Blood Three’s face. He simply nodded:

“Heh, you’re quite the talent. It would be a waste if you died in this realm…”

“This opportunity was originally reserved for that little dragon… But who told him to be so useless? Since that’s the case, consider yourself lucky!”

With that, Blood Three casually tossed over a token.

Su Xing hurriedly caught it, only to find that the token was entirely crimson red, with the characters for “Advent” engraved upon it.

After examining it for a moment, Su Xing asked:

“How does one use this token?”

Having just obtained the spirit vein dragon, Blood Three seemed to be in a good mood, so he explained:

“Your realm has long been marked by that entity. All living beings in this realm will ultimately become sacrificial offerings…”

“That entity used supreme divine power to sever all routes in and out of this realm…”

“If you want to leave this realm, there are only two methods.”

After a brief pause, Blood Three continued:

“First, like me — if your comprehension of the spatial Great Dao is sufficient and your strength is great enough, you can use your cultivation and physical body to tear open space, allowing you to traverse the Three Thousand Worlds…”

“Heh, of course your current strength is far too weak. Before reaching the immortal realm, this is impossible…”

“As for the second path, that would naturally be to exit through the Slaughter Battlefield’s passage beyond this realm…”

“We once made an agreement with that entity. To account for special circumstances, a passage for traversing between worlds was left behind…”

“You need only present the token, and you’ll be able to pass through that gate, thereby leaving this realm. At that point, you’ll naturally be able to proceed to the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm. With this token, you’ll also be able to join our Advent Cult’s headquarters in the Three Thousand Worlds…”

Hearing Blood Three’s words, Su Xing nodded slightly, his mind racing.

The master Blood Three spoke of should be referring to the red moon in the Slaughter Battlefield…

So the World Gate Su Xing had seen at the end of the Slaughter Battlefield was actually the result of negotiations between the Advent Cult and the red moon?

Its purpose was to provide convenient passage for Advent Cult members whose strength was insufficient!

However, the requirements for passage were extremely strict. Across all of Earth’s branch, right up until the end of the world, only Old Dog Dragon alone had been granted this opportunity.

“But according to Blood Three, Earth — and even the countless dungeon worlds and minor worlds surrounding it — have all been marked by that red moon. In the future, they’re destined to become fuel for its resurrection.”

“Naturally, the red moon wouldn’t readily allow the food on its plate to leave… That’s why it deployed the Slaughter Apostles — precisely to prevent anyone from fleeing this realm…”

Su Xing thought to himself.

The information he’d previously obtained was gradually becoming clear. Like threading a needle, Su Xing’s understanding of this world’s secrets had deepened by another three parts.

“If I present the token, I might be able to avoid a battle and leave this realm directly… But after entering the Three Thousand Worlds, I’ll inevitably have to join the Advent Cult’s camp.”

Su Xing weighed the gains and losses in his mind.

Regardless, for Su Xing as he was now, entering the Three Thousand Worlds first was the best strategy!

While Su Xing was deep in thought, Blood Three spoke:

“Heh, this realm isn’t far from destruction… That master is about to awaken as well…”

“If there’s nothing worth concerning yourself with in this realm, you should leave as soon as possible…”

At this point, Blood Three glanced at Su Xing and said with a hint of deeper meaning:

“Your talent and potential are quite impressive… In the trials to come, I hope you perform well…”

With that, Blood Three tore open a spatial rift, turned, and stepped through, vanishing before Su Xing’s eyes.

Before long, the immersive simulation time ended, and Su Xing returned to the Real World.

“What trials was Blood Three referring to?”

Su Xing was completely baffled, with no answers to be found.

“No matter. The next simulation will surely reveal the answer…”

“For now, let me see what kind of scenery awaits upon entering the Three Thousand Worlds!”

Su Xing murmured, his gaze turning to the simulation panel.

【After the mysterious figure Blood Three handed you the token, he quickly departed from Earth.】

【After careful deliberation, you decided to make preparations before setting out for the Three Thousand Worlds.】

【Year twenty-five. Less than three years remain before the Demon Saint descends upon Demon-Sealing Pass.】

【With your current strength, there is no way to prevent this predestined apocalypse.】

【Therefore, you decided to set forth and leave this realm.】

【You traveled to Demon-Sealing Pass and entered the Slaughter Battlefield.】

【The red moon hung overhead, and beneath your feet stretched crimson earth…】

【You pressed onward toward the red moon’s direction, encountering many formidable demonic beasts along the way.】

【Heavenly King, Demon Sovereign, Legendary demonic beasts…】

【The red moon overhead grew ever larger as you drew ever closer to the end of the Slaughter Battlefield.】

【You encountered branching paths. Using coin tosses, you successfully navigated through dozens of forks.】

【You arrived at the end of the Slaughter Battlefield, where it seemed you could reach out and touch the red moon.】

【You quickly sensed the abrupt presence of the World Gate, and also detected the aura of the Slaughter Apostle.】

【The Slaughter Apostle attacked you…】

【You promptly retrieved the passage token that Blood Three had given you.】

【Upon seeing the credential, the Slaughter Apostle ceased its actions. A look of confusion crossed its face before it took the token and offered a prayer toward the red moon.】

【Before your eyes, the red moon flickered between bright and dim, as if in contemplation…】

【A beam of red light flashed, drawing closer to you.】

【You faintly perceived the red moon’s displeasure.】

【But in the end, the Slaughter Apostle allowed you to pass, returning the token to you and opening the white gate that led out of this realm.】

【You looked back at the red moon one final time, then stepped through the gate without the slightest hesitation.】

【You arrived in a strange world, permeated by an aura of nothingness.】

【You stood upon a transparent path of light resembling a galaxy. Far below your feet, in unreachable depths, stars seemed to twinkle.】

【You raised your gaze. Further in the distance, currents of chaotic spatial energy surged, brimming with terrifying power…】

【In this bizarre space, the passage of time seemed imperceptible.】

【You attempted to extend your divine sense to perceive this strange space.】

【But a peculiar barrier seemed to surround you, blocking your divine sense and limiting you to observation with the naked eye alone.】

【Several dozen meters ahead of you, a white luminous halo shimmered — what appeared to be a pre-established passage.】

【Taking out the token in your hand, you could sense the white halo and the token resonating with each other.】

【You understood instantly. This strange luminous halo must be a mechanism left behind by the Advent Cult. With the token, you should be able to enter the Three Thousand Worlds.】

【Token in hand, you attempted to take a single step forward…】

【However, with just that one step, you felt endless resistance, and a stinging pain spread faintly through your physical body.】

【You were alarmed. This strange space appeared calm on the surface, but in truth concealed hidden dangers…】

【Without at least Body Integration stage cultivation, or without sufficient physical strength… movement in this strange space would likely be impossible.】

【You took a deep breath and pressed forward several more steps… With each step, you felt immense pressure.】

【But with your Void Shattering Perfection cultivation, combined with your formidable physical body, this pressure was not enough to halt your advance.】

【After considerable effort, you finally reached the white halo. Just one step more, and you would pass through it to arrive in the Three Thousand Worlds.】

【But you didn’t rush to take that step. Instead, you turned your gaze toward the far distance…】

【At the edge of your vision, a hundred paces away, lay another passage. But between you and that passage, terrifying currents of chaotic spatial energy were everywhere.】

【After a moment of hesitation, you prepared to take a step toward the other passage to investigate.】

【But immediately, warning bells rang in your heart, your pulse quickening, as if you were about to perish beneath those chaotic spatial currents…】

【Exercising caution, you withdrew the step you’d been about to take, and turned your gaze back to the passage the Advent Cult had prepared.】

【This time, you did not hesitate. You stepped into the passage!】

In the Real World, Su Xing’s heart leapt into his throat at this point, unable to suppress his excitement.

Beyond this passage lay the Three Thousand Worlds!

“Once I enter the Three Thousand Worlds… this will undoubtedly be an enormous leap forward for me!”

“Setting aside the fact that entering the Three Thousand Worlds will certainly yield more resources… just the extended simulation time alone will definitely allow me to improve my strength even further with each simulation!”

Su Xing felt a surge of anticipation as his gaze turned to the simulation panel.

【After stepping into the passage, you sensed your physical body being torn apart from all directions by a terrifying force.】

【Your vision spun wildly, the violent spatial fluctuations causing your internal organs to shift out of place, and your divine soul felt as though it had suffered a devastating blow.】

【Your vision went black, and you lost consciousness…】

【An unknown amount of time passed…】

【When you opened your eyes again, you found yourself in an unfamiliar place.】

【You were in a dim, cramped space. The intermittent sound of dripping water reached your ears as you gradually regained your senses, feeling nothing but hunger, thirst, and weakness.】

【You surveyed your surroundings and were startled to discover that you appeared to be inside a dungeon.】

【The wounds from being torn apart by spatial forces still throbbed with pain. The wounds were wrapped in white cloth, crudely bandaged, and beneath the gauze lingered the smell of some low-quality healing medicine.】

【This rough treatment not only failed to heal your wounds but actually made them worse.】

【Fortunately, the Unkillable Cockroach talent activated. Even with fatal injuries, your condition was rapidly improving, and your life was not in danger.】

【You attempted to enter the spirit field grotto-heaven, only to discover that during the world crossing, the violent spatial fluctuations had severed the connection between you and your portable grotto-heaven. You simply could not locate the coordinates of your grotto-heaven blessed land.】

【What was worse, the spiritual energy throughout your body seemed to have vanished entirely. You couldn’t use even the slightest bit of spiritual energy to heal your wounds.】

【You gritted your teeth, got up, and slowly made your way to a small barred window in the prison cell, through which faint lamplight filtered in.】

【Your spiritual energy had disappeared for unknown reasons, but your physical body’s strength remained.】

【You tried to bend the bars of the cell with your hands, but discovered the bars were made of a terrifyingly sturdy material. With your severe injuries, you simply couldn’t break them.】

【You attempted to extend your divine sense to survey your surroundings.】

【But your divine soul was damaged, and on top of that, your divine sense seemed to be restrained somehow. You could barely perceive anything beyond a few dozen zhang around you.】

【You strained to extend your divine sense, surveying the environment within a range of several dozen zhang.】

【Sure enough, just as you had suspected, you were imprisoned in a dungeon. In the dozens of rooms surrounding you, there were scores of people imprisoned just like you.】

【Some appeared to have died from injuries too severe, while others were on their last breath, clearly not long for this world.】

【Among the dozens of prisoners, you were one of the few with relatively lighter injuries — at the very least, your life wasn’t in immediate danger.】

【Suddenly, you heard the sound of a large door closing in the distance. You strained your divine sense to gather information.】

【Then you saw several figures dressed in long robes, garbed like prison wardens, storm in.】

【They roughly shoved open the doors of several distant prison cells…】

【What followed were terrified cries for help and the crack of whips.】

【Because they were too far away and your divine sense was impaired, you could only barely make out a few phrases — something about “Advent Cult scum” and “Lesser Azure Cloud Realm trash”…】

【From these fragmented sounds, you could confirm that you had indeed left Earth and arrived in the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm.】

【And this prison you were currently in — the force behind it appeared to be an enemy of the Advent Cult… in other words, the so-called righteous side?】

【Although you considered yourself an undercover agent within the Advent Cult, in this current situation, revealing yourself voluntarily would be nothing short of suicidal.】

【Soon, the Advent Cult member being whipped breathed his last, body and soul completely destroyed.】

【The group of wardens then moved on to the next cell.】

【Your cell was located toward the back, but at this rate, it wouldn’t be long before they reached you.】

【Observing carefully, you noticed that the wardens did not open the cells of Advent Cult members who had already died — they skipped those rooms entirely.】

【A flash of inspiration struck, and you decided to play dead.】

【You lay quietly in the corner of your cell, concealing your divine sense and suppressing your breathing to feign death, relying only on your hearing to monitor your surroundings.】

【Soon, the wardens’ footsteps drew closer and closer, and you held your breath, not daring to make a sound.】

【The footsteps grew nearer. The wardens seemed to have stopped right in front of your cell door.】

【Suddenly, you heard a cold sneer: “Heh, playing dead in front of me? As if that would work!”】

【Soon came the sound of a cell door opening, followed by pig-like screams and the crack of whips echoing through the dungeon.】

【Mercifully, the one discovered was not you, but the person in the cell across from yours who had also been playing dead.】

【Seeing your fellow “colleague” get caught, your heart sank, because at this pace, you would be next.】

In the Real World, Su Xing’s face turned green when he saw this.

“Damn it, does it have to be this hopeless?”

“I just arrived in the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm and I’m already captured by a hostile force… and my cultivation is sealed on top of that. At this rate, it looks like I won’t survive a single day!”

Su Xing let out a sigh.

Good news: he had successfully reached the Three Thousand Worlds.

Bad news: the Advent Cult seemed to be in trouble, and he had been inexplicably thrown into a prison where it looked like he wouldn’t survive past episode three.

Su Xing could barely stand to watch anymore, but he took a deep breath and forced himself to keep reading.

【Just as you were on tenterhooks, a burst of chaotic noise suddenly erupted from the distance.】

【Terrifying spiritual energy fluctuations and the clash of weapons rang out. The commotion of battle made the ground itself begin to tremble…】

【Seeing this, you dared not even breathe heavily, holding your breath and maintaining your death act.】

【Moments later, the sounds of battle ceased. It seemed the wardens’ side had been completely wiped out.】

【You were curious about which faction had mounted this prison break — perhaps the Advent Cult?】

【But until you understood the situation, you didn’t dare act rashly and could only continue playing dead…】

【Soon, after a flurry of noise, you could barely make out the sound of a conversation.】

【A somewhat young male voice spoke: “Blood Twenty-Three, look at the mess you’ve made… the last several batches of blood seedlings have all been intercepted! When Lord Blood Nine finds out, he definitely won’t let you off easy!”】

【Then came a seductive female voice: “Twenty-Two, my dear brother~ just help me out, won’t you? I really don’t want Lord Blood Nine to blame me…”】

【Blood Twenty-Two: “Hmph, I can’t help you! The Blood Seedling Selection is coming up, and you let this happen!”】

【Hearing this, the coquettish female voice instantly changed its tone: “Hmph, they’re just a batch of useless people! There might not even be a single blood seedling among them! What’s the rush?”】

【While Blood Twenty-Two and Blood Twenty-Three bickered, another voice, this one carrying an air of authority, cut in: “Enough, stop arguing! This is someone else’s territory after all. Let’s hurry up and see if anyone’s still alive — save as many as we can…”】

【Hearing this, you were fairly certain these people were members of the Advent Cult, because their distinctive code names — Blood Twenty-Two, Blood Twenty-Three — were exactly like Blood Three, whom you had encountered before.】

【But out of caution, you didn’t rush to call for help. Instead, you continued playing dead to observe the situation.】

【Soon, several faint cries for help sounded from nearby — presumably fellow prisoners who had been playing dead and, upon realizing rescuers had arrived, called out in time.】

【”Oh my, there are still a few lucky little ones alive over here… How about I eat them? Destroy the evidence by eating it?” The seductive female voice reached your ears.】

【”Stop messing around! Every one you save now is one less lash of punishment for you!” The authoritative man’s voice cut in.】

【Soon, the group appeared to be feeding Healing Pills to the wounded and dying prisoners.】

【Before long, you heard an urgent voice: “Blood Nineteen, the Celestial Demon Prison’s people are closing in! We need to go, now…”】

【Seeing that these people were about to withdraw, you stopped playing dead and immediately called out: “Save me~ I’m still alive!”】

【”Well well, you little rascal — playing dead so well you nearly fooled even us!”】

【The authoritative man’s voice rang out. His name appeared to be Blood Nineteen. He extended his hand, and with a burst of mysterious power, the cell door — which in your estimation even a Body Integration stage cultivator would have struggled to destroy — crumbled like paper.】

【He grabbed you like a baby chick and hoisted you up, then called out to the others: “Everyone, get over here, quick!”】

【The group swiftly gathered around. Blood Nineteen produced a crimson magical artifact shaped like a vajra pestle and slashed it forcefully through the air!】

【A spatial rift slowly formed, and everyone hurriedly dove through it, escaping the Celestial Demon Prison!】

In the Real World, Su Xing let out a long breath of relief, then fell into thought.

“It seems the Advent Cult is universally despised in the Three Thousand Worlds too — it’s clearly the kind of organization classified as an evil cult…”

“But the Advent Cult appears to be far more powerful than I imagined! They’re no longer hiding in the shadows like they did on Earth… they’re even bold enough to raid prisons openly!”

“The Celestial Demon Prison — is that also a powerful organization in the Three Thousand Worlds?”

Su Xing murmured to himself. He now knew of three factions in the Three Thousand Worlds.

The Azure Cloud Sect, the Celestial Demon Prison, and the Advent Cult.

Su Xing took out paper and pen, sketching and jotting down notes.

“The Advent Cult consists of human traitors. Their ultimate goal is unknown… but what they do is help the demon race kill humans…”

“The Celestial Demon Prison — whether righteous or evil is unclear, but they’re hostile to the Advent Cult, so for now I’ll classify them as neutral-or-above!”

“Then there’s the Azure Cloud Sect! I hold the Azure Cloud Token, which would allow me to join the Azure Cloud Sect, so for now I’ll classify them as a friendly faction…”

Su Xing nodded slightly. With this, his objectives in the Three Thousand Worlds became clear.

Find a way to leave the Advent Cult and join the Azure Cloud Sect!

And in this current simulation, with the situation having shifted, Su Xing was no longer in mortal danger within the simulator.

So from here on, he should be able to use the Advent Cult as a stepping stone to make contact with the Three Thousand Worlds, right?

With that thought, Su Xing turned his gaze back to the simulation panel.

【Soon, you passed through the spatial passage that had been carved open and escaped from the Advent Cult.】

【The surrounding space rippled constantly as you quickly arrived at a secluded mountain valley — this appeared to be one of the Advent Cult’s secret bases.】

【Passing through a formation array, you entered an Advent Cult branch. The authoritative man casually tossed you onto the ground.】

【Alongside you were three other cultivators who had been rescued from the prison, all apparently members of the Advent Cult.】

【The authoritative man quietly gave a few instructions, then Blood Twenty-Two stepped forward, seemingly about to make an announcement.】

In the Real World, Su Xing’s heart stirred at this sight, and he murmured:

“There shouldn’t be any mortal danger at this point… I should enter immersive simulation to gather more information…”

Dying during an immersive simulation wouldn’t actually kill him, but the pain would be very real.

“Activating immersive simulation…”

【Ding. You have successfully activated immersive simulation… Remaining energy: 1,403,880,000 points.】

Su Xing’s vision shifted and transformed, and he found himself standing in an unfamiliar mountain valley.

The surroundings were somewhat dim. Su Xing looked up and saw a massive formation array overhead, apparently concealing the presence of this valley.

Before him stood a gloomy-looking young man who appeared to be in his twenties — Blood Twenty-Two — making his announcement:

“You little runts, focus on healing your wounds for now. In one month, it’ll be time for the Blood Seedling Selection…”

“Survive, and you’ll become an exalted blood seedling. Fail to survive, and you die!”

After a pause, Blood Twenty-Two tossed several bottles of pills at them and said:

“These pills are for healing your injuries. Otherwise, if you die too pathetically when the time comes, it’ll make me look bad too!”

Blood Twenty-Two gave one final instruction:

“During this period, you may only move about within the valley. The rear mountain is off-limits, but you’re free to go anywhere else…”

After these parting words, Blood Nineteen and the others all departed.

Su Xing observed the situation thoughtfully, but the other three prisoners who had shared his time in the dungeon reacted quickly, scrambling to snatch up the pills on the ground.

Just before leaving, Blood Twenty-Two had tossed down four bottles of healing pills.

Su Xing was a step too slow, and one of the prisoners managed to grab two bottles of Healing Pills.

“Haha, with two bottles of Healing Pills in hand, my injuries will heal in no time!”

This man was a hulking brute with a fierce face, marked by two blade scars — the kind of person who looked like trouble incarnate.

Seeing that his Healing Pill had been stolen, Su Xing stepped forward and extended his hand:

“That’s my Healing Pill. Give it back!”

He saw the burly man across from him say: “Heh, what do you mean YOUR Healing Pills? If I grabbed them, they’re mine!”

Su Xing frowned at this. “That lord tossed out four bottles of pills before leaving, and there were exactly four of us. Obviously that means one bottle each!”

Hearing Su Xing’s words, the fierce brute let out a hearty laugh:

“Oh? And what proof do you have? If you can get that lord to come back and settle this personally, I’ll happily return the pills to you!”

“How naive can you be! Coming to this place… and you still think there are rules? You still expect fairness?”

Seeing the brute’s arrogant demeanor, Su Xing’s heart turned cold.

Clearly, this man was a body cultivator, which meant that despite his considerable injuries, he held a natural combat advantage over Qi Refinement cultivators — hence his brazenness.

But this was only a simulation. Was Su Xing really going to back down?

The brute may have been a body cultivator, but his cultivation was merely equivalent to an early-stage Void Shattering realm practitioner, and his foundation wasn’t even stable.

Su Xing was injured, yes, but dealing with trash like this — he could crush the man with one hand!

“Since that’s how it is, there’s nothing more to discuss…”

Without hesitation, Su Xing channeled what little primordial energy remained in his body and drove his fist straight at the brute’s face.

The brute’s heart lurched in alarm. He hastily activated a technique, his entire body inflating like a balloon as black light coiled around him — apparently some kind of defensive supernatural art.

BOOM!

A thunderous crash rang out. The balloon-like brute was instantly deflated back to his original form by Su Xing’s blow. The man spewed a mouthful of fresh blood, his aura wilting.

What had been only light injuries moments ago now became grievous wounds, leaving the brute in a wretched state.

“Sir! Good sir… please spare me! I’ll give it back — I’ll return your Healing Pills!”

The man who had been so fierce just a second ago was now on his knees begging for mercy, blood streaming ceaselessly from his mouth.

Su Xing took back the Healing Pills, but continued to hold out his hand. He said coldly:

“There’s still one more bottle!”

Fear flickered across the brute’s face, and he stammered hesitantly: “Good sir, please leave me a way to survive…”

Before he could finish, Su Xing kicked the brute flying, then planted his foot on the man’s thigh.

With a forceful stomp, one of the brute’s legs was crippled by Su Xing.

Su Xing pried the other bottle of Healing Pills from the brute’s palm and walked away without a backward glance, utterly ignoring the man’s wailing behind him.

“Heh, as expected. A heretical cult like the Advent Cult naturally follows the law of the jungle… there are no rules to speak of!”

“Fighting in the open goes unpunished… but as a newcomer who doesn’t yet know where the Advent Cult draws the line, I’d best not kill anyone rashly…”

Su Xing shook his head.

Though he hadn’t killed the brute, he had essentially crippled the man. There was no way his injuries would heal within a month.

When the time came for the blood seedling tournament, this brute would have zero chance of surviving — death was practically guaranteed!

Su Xing had always preferred not to leave loose ends.

With that thought, Su Xing examined the pills in his hand. They were blood-red in color and gave off a faint stench of blood. They appeared to be healing pills, but taking them might carry unknown side effects.

Still, desperate times called for desperate measures. With the blood seedling tournament only a month away and Su Xing knowing nothing about what lay ahead, he had no choice but to take them for now.

Rather than swallowing one immediately, he first surveyed his surroundings. He quickly spotted the two “cellmates” who had stood by and watched the earlier confrontation.

Seeing Su Xing approach, both of them grew wary, standing together and glaring at him — apparently worried he would try to take their Healing Pills as well.

Su Xing maintained a safe distance from the two cultivators and gestured that he meant no harm, then spoke:

“Friends, I’m new here. I don’t know which realms you two hail from. If you could share some information, I’d be most grateful…”

With that, Su Xing flicked his finger, sending two Healing Pills arcing through the air — one landing neatly in each cultivator’s hand.

The two accepted the pills without hesitation, then gave Su Xing a suspicious look.

Once they were satisfied he bore no ill intent, one of them — a man with a shrill voice — spoke up:

“Heh, it seems you ascended from a lesser realm… I’m not from another world, actually. I’m a native cultivator of the Azure Cloud Realm. I’ve long admired the Advent Cult, which is why I joined…”

Su Xing listened with a smiling nod, though inwardly he felt a twinge of contempt.

Hmph, so he was a willing traitor!

Su Xing then turned his gaze to the other cultivator, a dull-looking man. After a moment of silence, the man spoke:

“Heh, I come from the Black Water Lesser Realm…”

Su Xing nodded slightly. This cultivator appeared to be like himself — someone who had ascended from a lesser realm.

Su Xing flicked his finger again, sending two more Healing Pills to each of them.

The two caught the pills, their faces brightening with delight.

After all, each bottle contained only ten pills, yet Su Xing had just given away nearly half a bottle in the blink of an eye.

Having offered these gifts, Su Xing continued his questioning:

“I’m not very familiar with this so-called blood seedling tournament. Could you two enlighten me?”

The shrill-voiced man waved his hand upon hearing this:

“Brother, you’re quite generous. In the future, when we both become blood seedlings, it’ll be good to look out for each other…”

“As for the blood seedling tournament, it’s no secret. I’m happy to explain!”

He paused for a moment, then elaborated:

“The blood seedling tournament selects candidates from the countless blood seedling reserves and Advent Cult members. It’s held once every three years as an all-out melee…”

“Those who perform well can advance from ordinary member to blood seedling reserve… and those blood seedling reserves who advance further can become actual blood seedlings!”

At this, the man’s eyes gleamed with longing:

“Becoming a blood seedling… that’s practically having one foot in the Immortal realm!”

Su Xing listened thoughtfully, then asked:

“And the participants in this tournament — how strong are they?”

The man shook his head at this:

“Hard to estimate… At the low end, you might even see Spirit Transformation cultivators. At the high end, there might be Immortal-level participants for all anyone knows…”

“Since I see you as a friend, let me offer a word of advice: for people like us, the goal of the blood seedling tournament isn’t to rank well — it’s to survive. Staying alive IS victory!”

As he said this, the man gave Su Xing a meaningful look.

Su Xing nodded slightly. This information alone was well worth a Healing Pill.

Su Xing then turned his gaze to the other man, the dull-looking one.

The man shook his head slightly and said: “I… ascended from a lower realm. I don’t know anything either…”

Despite providing not a single useful piece of information, he showed absolutely no intention of returning the pills.

Su Xing’s mouth twitched at this, secretly thinking that this man might look dull on the surface, but he was truly thick-skinned!

Before long, Su Xing bid farewell to the two and began wandering around the valley, hoping to gather more useful information.

The valley was vast, comparable in size to a small town.

Several thousand people occupied the valley. Their cultivation levels ranged from as low as Nascent Soul and Spirit Transformation to as high as Body Integration and Mahayana — the valley had them all.

Beyond the cultivators, the valley contained restaurants, inns… even brothels and black markets… as well as ordinary residential courtyards.

It was like a settlement built specifically for cultivators.

Su Xing browsed the valley’s marketplace and noticed quite a few valuable items on offer.

The accepted currencies for trade included spirit stones, spirit liquid… and even Blood Coagulation Pills, Blood Spirit Liquid, and the like.

But virtually all of Su Xing’s wealth was stored in his spirit field grotto-heaven, and with its coordinates now lost, he was essentially penniless…

Soon, the immersive simulation time ran out, and Su Xing returned to the Real World.

“It seems this blood seedling tournament is a very important event for the Advent Cult…”

“If I can achieve a good ranking in the tournament, I should be able to access deeper secrets.”

Su Xing sighed:

“What a shame that the spirit field grotto-heaven’s coordinates were lost during the cross-world transit. Decades of accumulated wealth, gone…”

“If I could find a way to bring the spirit field grotto-heaven across in the future, I wouldn’t have to start from such a difficult position.”

“In this blood seedling tournament, I should perform my best — that’s the fastest way to gain access to the cultivation world beyond this valley…”

With these thoughts, Su Xing turned his gaze to the simulation panel.

【Over the next few days, you recovered from your injuries while exploring the valley.】

【This valley was like a small cultivator settlement. After observation, you discovered that everyone in the valley was a cultivator here to participate in the blood seedling tournament.】

【Over those few days, aside from the restricted rear mountain area, you explored virtually every corner of the valley.】

【You even peeked inside the brothel… though of course, with empty pockets, all you could do was observe from afar by the entrance.】

【Through observation, you found that the vast majority of people in the valley were cultivators. However, a small number possessed mysterious powers similar to Luo Shuying’s — people who did not follow the path of cultivation.】

【You surmised that they, too, had ascended from other worlds…】

【The valley’s inhabitants fell into two categories. The first were ordinary Advent Cult members like yourself, here to participate in the blood seedling tournament in hopes of becoming blood seedling reserves.】

【The second were cultivators who had already survived two or three blood seedling tournaments and become blood seedling reserves. They were noticeably stronger — you even sensed the aura of Mahayana-stage cultivators among them.】

【Conflicts were inevitable in the valley. One altercation nearly resulted in a death, after which Blood Twenty-Three personally intervened, warning everyone that no killing was permitted before the blood seedling tournament!】

【Over the following month, you quietly recovered from your injuries in the valley, occasionally gathering information.】

【During this time, you took a job as a menial worker at one of the inns, earning some Blood Spirit Stones.】

【These Blood Spirit Stones were of decent quality, comparable to mid-grade spirit stones. You used them to purchase a low-grade magical artifact spirit sword from the marketplace for self-defense.】

【Soon, one month passed.】

【Over this month, you consumed half a bottle of Healing Pills. Though the pills carried unknown side effects, their healing properties were reasonably effective.】

【Combined with the triple recovery bonus from “Unkillable Cockroach,” your injuries healed to roughly seventy or eighty percent.】

【The spiritual energy cultivation that had been sealed by that powerful cultivator also gradually unlocked.】

【Your strength recovered to approximately seventy to eighty percent of your peak.】

【One day, Blood Nineteen appeared in the valley and announced to the thousands of cultivators that the blood seedling tournament had officially begun!】

【Immediately, he cast a technique that opened a spatial passage. Everyone present, including you, was ordered to enter.】

【You observed the expressions of the cultivators around you — some panicked, some excited — but all of them entered the passage. You followed suit.】

【Stepping through the passage, you entered a small world.】

【This small world was extraordinarily vast, spanning roughly ten thousand square kilometers… and the spiritual energy within it was fairly abundant. While it didn’t quite reach the level of a blessed land, it could still be considered a spiritually rich treasure ground.】

【Those entering this small world were not limited to the cultivators from the valley.】

【Advent Cult cultivators from other locations had also come to participate in the blood seedling tournament.】

【Tens of thousands of cultivators in total entered this small world.】

【Blood Twenty-Three then announced the rules of the blood seedling tournament.】

【Everyone who entered was to kill one another. Each kill, regardless of the victim’s strength, counted as one point!】

【Anyone who accumulated one thousand points, or ranked in the top ten by points, would directly become a blood seedling!】

【The tournament would last three days. Anyone still alive after three days would qualify as a blood seedling reserve!】

【Your expression remained unchanged upon hearing this, but the cruelty of these rules exceeded your imagination…】

【Yet there was no time for second thoughts. The moment Blood Twenty-Three finished announcing the rules, she declared the blood seedling tournament officially begun!】

【The instant the competition started, cultivators who had been calling each other “brother” moments ago began slaughtering one another…】