Can a Scholar Be Called a Villain - Book 2: Chapter 13: Entering the hidden realm

Murong Lin observed the clones of the ten sect leaders perched high atop the city wall, a sense of amusement creeping over him. Their seemingly friendly and harmonious coexistence stood in stark contrast to the conflict he had anticipated.

He followed the Ridge Fir Alliance members, finding his place around the platform amidst a throng of individuals who sought to forge alliances. Those who occupied the platform were brimming with anticipation, fully aware that being among the first to enter the Heaven Martial realm could yield them the opportunity to find fortuitous encounters first.

With the exception of a few oblivious souls, the vast majority of participants had congregated beneath the Heaven Martial hidden realm. The area around this congregation was bustling with onlookers and companions of tournament contestants. They encircled the assembly, giving the entire scene the grandeur of a momentous occasion.

At that instant, a figure materialized above the gathering, capturing everyone’s attention. It was an immensely powerful elderly man exuding an aura more formidable than that of the Virtuality realm.

Clad in a Dao robe that unmistakably marked his affiliation with the Tiger Dragon Hall, the elderly man extended his arm, releasing a surge of energy that amplified his voice.

As he began to speak, his words carried throughout the entire platform.

“All participants, heed my words! You were each provided with a token upon disembarking from your flying ships earlier. When you enter the hidden realm, remember this: every entity you defeat within that realm will be transformed into points, which shall be recorded within your tokens!

Furthermore, I must reiterate for those who are not participants in this tournament – entering the hidden realm without a token will result in instantaneous death, casting you into the unforgiving void.”

With that, he concluded his message and withdrew.

The crowd below stirred with anticipation as they waited for the hidden realm’s appearance. However, a few individuals among them experienced an abrupt shift in their expressions, descending into panic. Some even crumpled to the ground, crying out in desperation:

“I can’t do this! I’m a fraud! Please, someone save me! I don’t want to die!”

“Please, I beg you all! I was wrong!”

But before they could kneel down to plead for mercy, the hidden realm materialized. The air in the sky quivered, reminiscent of the ripples that danced on the surface of water.

The ripples expanded erratically, swiftly enveloping the entire expansive platform.

The Heaven Martial hidden realm was materializing!

Formless patterns of light instantaneously shrouded the entire platform, halting their spread as if confined to a designated area. Then, the very air trembled, causing the tens of thousands of people on the platform to vanish in an instant.

Even the individuals suspended in the sky disappeared abruptly, catapulted into the hidden realm. Simultaneously, those who attempted to infiltrate the hidden realm without tokens met an explosive end, denied even the chance to utter a scream before their blood was scattered on the ground.

Witnessing this spectacle, the surrounding crowd that numbered in the tens of thousands, grew even more fervent. Some urgently cried out, “Everyone, hurry! Enter now, or we’ll fall behind!”

As a result, another ten thousand individuals surged onto the platform. Depending on the timing of their arrival, they were dispatched to different locations within the hidden realm.

Participants with less formidable cultivation levels that had formed alliances opted to bind their divine senses together, entering the platform simultaneously to ensure that they would be transported to the same destination.

Murong Lin and the Ridge Fir Alliance members followed the crowd onto the platform at a leisurely pace.

This platform had the capacity to teleport more than ten thousand people per second.

In a brief span, Murong Lin and his group found themselves standing at the periphery of the platform. Guided by Ling Yu’s divine senses, they synchronized their steps onto the platform. As the ripples within the air shimmered, an indescribable energy swiftly engulfed Murong Lin, and his surroundings transformed.

It was akin to quantum teleportation from a futuristic world, where the scenery changed before one’s brain could even process the shift.

More than a hundred individuals materialized within a forest. Apart from the members of the Ridge Fir Alliance, there were several dozen others who had boarded the platform at the same time.

Given the vast number of participants, it was inevitable that even with the teleportation occurring in just a second, they would encounter some fellow travellers.

The Sky Reaching realm cultivators in their group, including Ling Yu, immediately took to the skies. Though they didn’t soar above the forest canopy, they could still spot individuals from a different alliance.

The expressions of these newfound acquaintances swiftly altered, as they had never anticipated sharing their entry into the Heaven Martial hidden realm with such slim odds. They promptly began to hasten deeper into the forest, even offering courteous farewells to Ling Yu and the others.

In an instant, only the members of the Ridge Fir Alliance remained in the vicinity. After confirming the presence of all participants from the twenty-eight countries, they commenced their reconnaissance of the surroundings.

Murong Lin positioned himself at the forefront of the group, attuned to the energy emanating from his token.

Though the token contained a map, it wasn’t a map that would guide them to fortuitous encounters. Instead, it displayed their location within the Heaven Martial hidden realm and their proximity to the central point.

Ling Yu, too, was examining the map and initiated a conversation with the other Sky Reaching realm experts, “Our current position is in an eastern forest. Our priority is to make our way toward the central area in the west.

Here’s the plan: as we journey there, everyone is free to hunt and accumulate points. We’ll reassess the situation once we depart the forest.”

Murong Lin maintained his silence, drawing upon Sheng Yi’s memories to recollect the potential fortuitous encounters within the forest. While Sheng Yi had been teleported to a southern location in his memories, he possessed a rudimentary understanding of the hidden realm’s opportunities. Some individuals specialized in recording and selling information regarding areas where participants had discovered fortuitous encounters during previous tournaments.

Coincidentally, there was a specific fortuitous encounter in this very forest that Murong Lin coveted.

He glanced at the others and proposed, “Here’s a suggestion: I’m the strongest among us, so I’ll take the lead to provide us with advance warning in case we encounter danger.”

Ling Yu and the others exchanged glances, acknowledging that this arrangement, while allowing Murong Lin to accumulate more points, was fair given his superior strength.

The group unanimously nodded in agreement with the proposed plan, and it didn’t take them long to prepare before embarking on their journey.

Murong Lin took to the skies, scouting ahead to assess the path.

Demonic beasts in the forest weren’t particularly formidable, with the strongest among them reaching only the Manifestation realm. Thanks to Murong Lin’s keen divine senses, he quickly detected these creatures.

Employing his spiritual power, Murong Lin conjured large hands to capture the beasts and fling them behind him, offering the Manifestation realm members of his group the opportunity to kill them and amass points.

The group grew to greatly respect Murong Lin’s strength and generosity, expressing their gratitude with cheerful shouts of his name. After all, Murong Lin alone had assisted them in defeating numerous demonic beasts.

According to the token’s rules, Manifestation realm demonic beasts were valued at one point each, Sky Reaching realm demonic beasts at a hundred points, Cognizance realm demonic beasts at ten thousand points, and Abhijñā realm demonic beasts at a million points each. Those surpassing the Abhijñā realm, whether human or demonic beasts, were expelled from the Heaven Martial realm instantly as dictated by the realm’s governing laws.

Despite the high mortality rate, there were still around ten thousand participants actively hunting. They recognized that if they could survive for a month and depart from this realm, they could trade the points they had amassed for valuable spiritual items from the ten great sects. Thus, even the weak were eager to partake in the Great Nanyue Wan Guo tournament. The substantial rewards it offered made it an enticing prospect for those who lacked resources.

Gradually, the group’s perception of Murong Lin shifted. What had initially seemed like prideful arrogance now appeared to be genuine kindness. As a result, the trust in Murong Lin within the group significantly increased.

However, this shift in perception was all part of Murong Lin’s plan.

Translator’s note:

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