Chapter 105

As each disciple queued up to receive their number card with love, without any precaution and without a trace of worry, the first round of the Ten Methods Assembly officially began.

The secret realm called “Shuijing,” located in the Jiuyou Mountains on the outskirts of Luan City, ensured fairness among the different ranks. The competition arenas for Foundation Building, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul stage contestants were systematically separated to avoid mutual interference.

Based on experiences from past lives, Ning Ning was accustomed to sudden surprise exams, so she didn’t feel much psychological burden. Therefore, she walked straight into it with the Xinghen Sword in hand.

Like Xiao Chongshan, disciples entering the trial realm would be randomly transported to different locations. She was fortunate not to end up at a cliff or a beast’s lair. When she opened her eyes, she found herself surrounded by a lush and dense forest.

It was nighttime now, and towering ancient trees obscured most of the moonlight. Only the glow emitted by spirit mushrooms and moss growing beneath the trees illuminated the surroundings faintly, casting a hazy, fog-like ambiance that made it hard to see clearly.

Within the vast expanse of the forest, the verdant branches and leaves converged into surging green waves, painting a landscape of emerald green and deep brown hues. There was an inexplicable sense of oppression that seemed to loom over everything, making Ning Ning feel somewhat breathless.

The spirit mushrooms, round and luminescent like lanterns, hung from the branches and trunks, casting colorful lights. Using the light they emitted, Ning Ning glanced at the token in her hand.

The token was only about half the size of her palm and made of fragrant pear wood, emitting a faint and elegant fragrance when held.

Carefully carved on the surface of the token was a talisman she couldn’t quite understand, probably designed to resonate with the trial realm and constantly monitor the movements of the bearer.

The token could only be carried on one’s person and was not allowed to be placed in storage bags. Without much thought, she tucked it into the pocket of her jacket.

Although the original text mentioned this trial, it was extremely perfunctory, with virtually no useful information—it didn’t even mention the pre-event assembly, and the plot was solely focused on “Pei Ji encountering someone, Pei Ji defeating someone, Pei Ji holding the most tokens, which astounded the elders.”

Like stale sugarcane, long and tasteless, she couldn’t understand why she had endured reading that book to the end.

She had spent the whole day playing in Luan City and had already exhausted most of her energy. She had planned to return to the inn to rest after the banquet, but she hadn’t expected the elders to suddenly initiate the trial.

Wild beasts often attacked people in the mountains and wilderness. The immediate priority was to find a safe place to rest.

Feeling a bit tired, Ning Ning yawned and was about to move forward when she suddenly sensed several faint spiritual energies approaching. The moment they touched her skin, they dissipated like thin smoke, leaving no trace.

Their presence was very faint, indicating that the people emitting these spiritual energies should still be some distance away.

Everyone was separated, and it was impossible for members of the same sect to successfully gather in such a short time, so the possibility of group crime could be ruled out. Judging from the vague sense of hostility in these energies, it was likely that several disciples had encountered each other and directly started fighting.

Ning Ning fully embraced the fine tradition passed down by Chinese people for thousands of years—loving to join in the fun. At this moment, being idle was as good as being idle, so she might as well become a spectator and admire the brilliance of the elite disciples of various sects.

If there was a chance, she might even take advantage of the chaos and snatch a few tokens.

She was never one to sit and wait for death. Taking proactive action was obviously more interesting than hiding like a salted fish.

So, Ning Ning decided to act immediately, sensing the source of the spiritual energy and moving forward step by step. Before long, she heard a woman’s voice admonishing, “We’re all music cultivators. Is it necessary to be so ruthless?”

With a flicker in her heart, she suppressed her breath and took a few steps forward. Through the dense and swaying tree shadows, she saw the silhouettes of four people facing each other.

Three men and one woman. The woman in the green dress had delicate features and wore the uniform of the Luming Mountain Sect. Standing not far from her was a young man with a fierce expression on his face, seemingly toying with a jade flute in his hand with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. Among the four, he exuded the strongest aura of hostility.

A delicate young man stood somewhat impatiently under a tree, his brows furrowed in irritation. Judging by his attire of pure white, he should be from the Baile Sect. Opposite him, a monk from the Fanyin Temple remained calm, though there was a hint of weariness in his demeanor as he leaned against the tree trunk with lowered eyes.