In the center of the dark stone platform stood a white pillar of light, with a saber and a sword embedded beside it, only half of each weapon exposed.

Gazing at the two weapons, Luo Feng's eyes shone brightly. Both exuded faint but detectable vibrations of Yuan Qi, far stronger than that of the Tiger Soul Saber.

Could these be second-grade Spiritual Artifacts?

Even with his calm demeanor, upon seeing these weapons, Luo Feng couldn't help but feel a burning passion, licking his lips in anticipation.

A first-grade Spirit Weapon alone was worth hundreds to thousands of gold, and a second-grade Spirit Weapon would be worth at least tens of thousands of gold.

Wealth, however, was secondary. Luo Feng desperately needed a suitable weapon now that he had lost his Tiger Soul Saber; ordinary weapons simply couldn't withstand his tremendous strength.

Without further hesitation, Luo Feng immediately executed Teng Dragon's Step, leaping onto the platform in a single stride and appearing beside the weapons.

Reaching out, Luo Feng grasped the saber hilt and pulled hard.

BOOM!

The moment the saber was drawn, crimson flames shot skyward, making the entire blade appear to be ablaze.

It was a long saber, complete with a scabbard.

The saber measured 1.63 meters, its scabbard exquisitely crafted and engraved with flying dragons and flames. The handle was long, with a subtly angled, flame-shaped handguard, as if born from fire itself. Upon closer inspection, two small characters were etched on the handle: Fury Flame.

"Fury Flame Knife! A good name."

Luo Feng raised an eyebrow and immediately drew the saber.

CLANG!

As the blade left the scabbard, a beam of fiery Saber Qi shot out, carving a foot-deep gash into the stone platform. It was extraordinarily sharp.

"Such strong Yuan Qi fluctuations! It can even emit Saber Qi on its own. It's indeed a second-grade Spiritual Artifact! I've struck gold!"

Luo Feng laughed aloud in his excitement. He could feel a potent Saber Qi concealed within the Fury Flame Knife. With just a slight surge of his Yuan Qi, this sharp Saber Qi would erupt, capable of killing from a distance.

A saber that could autonomously emit Saber Qi far surpassed first-grade Spirit Weapons; it was undoubtedly a second-grade Spirit Weapon, significantly better than the Tiger Soul Saber.

A second-grade Spirit Weapon. This saber can enhance my attack power by ten to thirty percent. If I encounter that light apparition again, I'll have at least a fifty percent chance of holding my ground!

Grinning, Luo Feng held the Fury Flame Knife.

A moment later, Luo Feng sheathed the saber, and the overflowing, sharp Qi instantly vanished.

His gaze then fell upon the sword beside it, and he picked it up.

This sword was also a second-grade Spirit Weapon, named Azure Blue. Its blue blade contained Water Yuan Qi, and the Sword Qi it emitted could create illusions, making it an unpredictable and invaluable treasure.

I've never given Ruolan a proper gift. This sword is perfect for her. The Azure Blue sword… it suits her well. She should like it…

A smile touched Luo Feng's lips as he thought of Bing Ruolan.

When Xue Ren had ambushed him, Bing Ruolan had protected him, disregarding her own life. Such a bond was worth more than his own life in return, let alone a mere second-grade Spirit Weapon.

As Luo Feng thought tenderly of Bing Ruolan and was about to store the sword and leave, a sudden change occurred.

WHOOSH!

A faint sound of something slicing through the air reached him, and a blood-red streak of sword light shot towards him. The concentrated sword light was as swift as lightning. Before it even neared, Luo Feng felt every pore on his body stand on end; he sensed extreme danger.

"Hmph!"

With a cold snort, Luo Feng didn't even turn around, instead throwing a punch backward.

BOOM!

His fist met the blood-red Sword Qi, and the two forces collided and annihilated each other. Luo Feng then got a clear view of the figure in the hall.

"Zhou Jianyi!"

Luo Feng's eyes turned icy. His opponent's first move was a killing blow, clearly intending to finish him off. If not for his powerful Soul Power and heightened senses from his advancement to the Ninth Heavy Heavenly Court Realm, that single strike would have left him severely injured, if not dead.

Zhou Jianyi stared at Luo Feng, a thick look of astonishment still lingering in his eyes.

The third trial was to challenge an opponent two cultivation stages higher, an extremely dangerous task. I barely managed to last ten moves. I never imagined Luo Feng would pass too, and seemingly before me! Moreover, judging by his aura, he has undoubtedly reached the Ninth Heavy Heavenly Court Realm.

This man cannot be allowed to live!

A murderous intent lay hidden deep within Zhou Jianyi's eyes. His gaze suddenly fell upon the saber and sword in Luo Feng's hands, and his eyes lit up, undisguised greed flashing within them.

THUMP!

Taking a step forward, Zhou Jianyi arrogantly sized up Luo Feng, then extended his hand. "Second-grade Spirit Weapons, not bad! Luo Feng, I'll be taking these two Spirit Weapons. Hand them over."

Hearing this, Luo Feng scoffed internally. I knew he was arrogant, but I didn't expect him to be this brazen, demanding someone else's possessions so openly!

"Hand them over to you? On what grounds?"

As he spoke, Luo Feng stored the sword in his storage ring, secretly gathering his power.

He just tried to kill me. I've decided to finish this here and now.

Zhou Jianyi's brow furrowed. He hadn't expected Luo Feng to dare speak to him in such a manner. His face twisted into a sneer. "It seems your courage has grown along with your cultivation to the Ninth Heavy Heavenly Court Realm. Let me tell you, I am already a mid-stage Ninth Heavy Heavenly Court Realm Martial Artist. Killing you would be as easy as slaughtering a chicken! Give me the Spiritual Artifacts, and I won't make things difficult for you."

"Mid-stage Ninth Heavy Heavenly Court Realm? So what?"

Luo Feng looked down on Zhou Jianyi, sneering, "The Spiritual Artifacts are right here. Come and take them if you have the ability!"

Luo Feng wasn't the least bit concerned that his opponent had broken through to the mid-stage Ninth Heavy Heavenly Court Realm.

My body possesses eighteen Meridian Wheels, and I've cultivated the Condensation Yuan Technique. The moment I broke through, my strength was already comparable to a mid-stage Ninth Heavy Heavenly Court Realm Martial Artist. I even forced back a light apparition at the late-stage Ninth Heavy Heavenly Court Realm!

Now that I have a second-grade Spirit Weapon in hand, why should I fear Zhou Jianyi?

"You're seeking death! Since you insist on being stubborn, don't blame me for being ruthless! I can obtain the Spirit Weapons just the same by killing you!"

Murderous light flared in Zhou Jianyi's eyes. The moment he finished speaking, he attacked, drawing his sword and slashing.

A flash of blood-red light, and a terrifying beam of blood-red Sword Qi appeared silently, aiming straight for Luo Feng's face.

The blood-red Sword Shadow was incredibly condensed, exuding boundless Evil Qi. It created the illusion of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood; an ordinary person would be driven mad by the intense killing intent it embodied with just a single glance.

"Strike!"

Facing the blood-red Sword Qi, Luo Feng's expression remained unchanged. The Fury Flame Knife sang out as it left its scabbard, and a sharp burst of fiery Saber Qi erupted.

CRACKLE... FIZZ...

The two starkly different energies met in mid-air, devouring each other before finally vanishing completely.

Zhou Jianyi's eyebrows twitched. He blocked it? I didn't pay much mind to my earlier sneak attack, but for him to block my strike a second time… it's somewhat surprising. His Yuan Qi is incredibly profound, not at all like a Martial Artist who has only just stepped into the Ninth Heavy Heavenly Court Realm.

"Hmph! You're acting arrogant before me? You're eight hundred years too early!"

Zhou Jianyi's aura intensified further. His clothes billowed though there was no wind, and his eyes radiated an endless killing intent, making him resemble a god of slaughter.

"Blood Cloud Death Sword!"

Zhou Jianyi roared, his Longsword a blur as he thrust repeatedly. Streaks of blood-red Sword Qi swept towards Luo Feng, carrying a sickeningly sweet, metallic scent, as if congealed from fresh blood, enough to make one's blood run cold.

"Eight hundred years is too long! I'll defeat you today!"

The Fury Flame Knife in Luo Feng's hand seemed to come alive, transforming into a blazing inferno. With a flick of the blade, he executed Boundless Evil Cloud, the fastest technique in the Sky Slayer Saber Technique.

The dark crimson Saber Qi coalesced into a terrifying whirlwind, rampaging across the hall. The blood-red Sword Qi was drawn into it. This whirlwind contained not only dense Evil Qi but also the Fire Yuan Qi from the Fury Flame Knife. Their fusion amplified its power, causing the temperature in the entire hall to spike.

In an instant, the dense barrage of blood-red Sword Qi was utterly obliterated. The dark red whirlwind, formed of saber light, slowly bore down on Zhou Jianyi.

Meanwhile, as Luo Feng and Zhou Jianyi fiercely clashed, the Red Flame Desert was far from tranquil.

After Young Master Yue Haitang was teleported out, everyone waited for the last two: Luo Feng and Zhou Jianyi.

However, as time passed, neither of them appeared.

This led everyone to speculate about what might have happened within the Secret Realm.

"Why haven't Zhou Jianyi and that Luo Feng from the Flowing Cloud Region come out yet?"

"Could something have happened? Did they both perish?"

"That's unlikely. Setting Luo Feng aside, Zhou Jianyi is a master of the Ninth Heavy Heavenly Court Realm. How could he die so easily?"

"It's hard to say. Xue Ren was also a master of the Ninth Heavy Heavenly Court Realm, and didn't he die in there? This Secret Realm is somewhat sinister."

"That's true."

The Zhou Family was a major clan in Red Maple Lead. The young disciples they had sent into the Secret Realm this time were all family elites. Zhou Jianyi and his brother, in particular, were the sons of a high-ranking clan elder, which was why ten high-level Zhou Family members had escorted them.

Hearing the surrounding discussions, the ten Martial Artists from the Zhou Family looked grim.

Of the six Zhou Family disciples sent into the Secret Realm, all had now perished. Only Zhou Jianyi's fate remained unknown. If something were to happen to him as well, it would be a tremendous loss for the family.

"Zhou Jianyi will definitely be fine. You don't need to worry so much," one Zhou Family Martial Artist said to a tall, middle-aged Martial Artist beside him.

The tall, middle-aged Martial Artist was Zhou Jianyi's father. He clenched his fists, his voice deep. "I know that! What I want to know now is who killed Yan'er!"

"This matter indeed needs to be thoroughly investigated. I heard it was a martial artist who uses a saber."

The tall Martial Artist gritted his teeth, the sound audible. "No matter who it is, once I find out, they will be shown no mercy!"

He had deliberately raised his voice, and his words, laden with killing intent, reached the ears of everyone present.

"To think someone dared to attack Zhou Jianyi's younger brother. I wonder who it was. Such audacity!"

"Yes, I'm also very curious who killed Zhouyan."

"I heard it was a martial artist who uses a saber."

"Very few martial artists using sabers entered the Secret Realm this time. Zhouyan was an elite on the level of a Young Master; those capable of killing him can be counted on one hand. I have a candidate in mind."

"Who?"

"The top newcomer of the Flowing Cloud Region, Luo Feng!"

「Among the Flowing Cloud Region contingent.」

Zi Yuan watched the unchanging light curtain, her fine brows furrowed. "It's been so long. Why haven't they come out yet?"

The others were equally puzzled. Bing Ruolan clenched her fists tightly, her beautiful eyes filled with deep worry.

He Qin suddenly said, "Could it be that they passed the third trial?"

Hearing this, Zi Hongyuan frowned slightly and said, "According to what you said, the third trial involves fighting an expert two cultivation stages higher. In that case, Luo Feng would have to face a mid-stage Ninth Heavy Heavenly Court Realm Martial Artist. Passing that would not be easy."

At his words, everyone fell silent.

If they truly hadn't passed the trial, they should have been ejected by now.

Since they haven't appeared yet, unless…

Over with the Ivy School group, Zhu Huo looked at Zi Hongyuan and the others, their faces dark, and a cold smirk played on his lips. "It seems that brat has died in this Secret Realm! What a delightful turn of events!"

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