Using entries to cultivate immortality in chaotic times

"..."

At that moment, inside a private room of Xinghua House, Fat Long and a few others had already left for the adjoining chamber, accompanied by singing and laughter. Chen Qiu sat alone at a table by the window, overlooking the bustling street below, deep in thought and silent.

He indeed needed a suitable Magic Treasure.

The prospect of obtaining one of the top three Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasures from the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard was very enticing to him.

Only...

He felt the risks were a bit too great, with Golden Core Heavenly Prides competing, and the specific rules of the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm unknown. According to the information gathered by Fat Long, the selection process within the Secret Realm varied every year.

Nobody knew what it would be this year.

Perhaps it would be a good choice to wait until next year?

By next year, he would definitely be at the Golden Core stage one hundred percent. Even if he faced some difficult challenges, hurling a Self-Destruction Term would force them to kneel before him.

But what about this situation...Nôv(el)B\\jnn

He had considered other methods too, such as poisoning other Heavenly Prides before the competition or ambushing them, ensuring they'd be eliminated before even entering the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm. However, whatever he could think of, other sects would surely have thought of as well.

The Heavenly Pride Leaderboard wasn't being held for the first time.

Such scenarios must have occurred many times already, and those sects would have long since developed corresponding strategies.

The scholar was quite familiar with the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard. It would be better to ask him about it later and make plans accordingly.

...

"So soon?"

Chen Qiu lifted his gaze toward the scholar, who had swiftly redressed and, using his Spiritual Energy to support himself, flew over to take his seat cross-legged on a red chair opposite him. Chen Qiu asked softly, "You're quite knowledgeable about the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard. Tell me about the time you participated."

"Alright."

At this moment, the scholar only felt refreshed and invigorated. This was his first time indulging in such pleasures. Many years ago, he too had pursued the top beauty of Da Xia on the Heavenly Dao beauty rankings, Ji Renjian. Only... the story that followed was quite distressing for him.

After his Cultivation was wasted, there was no more to the story.

Perhaps noticing the scholar's distant gaze, Chen Qiu couldn't help but tease, "What, struck by a beauty's poison?"

"No." The scholar shook his head with a complex expression, "I'm just reminded of someone I admired a long time ago. If she knew of my fall from grace now, she might be disappointed."

"Admired? You expressed your love?"

"I guess so."

"What do you mean by 'guess so'?"

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"I helped her many times in secret. In all of Da Xia, no one wielded such dense Sword Intent but me. She must have recognized it, but she never sought me out, rejecting me in a rather indirect manner."

"That's good, you should learn more from Fat Long in this regard."

Chen Qiu shook his head, choosing not to continue the conversation on this topic and went straight to the point, "Tell me about your time at the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard."

"Alright."

After a moment of silence, the scholar spoke softly, "I've participated in the contest for the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard twice."

"The first time I was fourth, and Ji Taiping was fifth."

"Not very famous."

"After that, I cultivated arduously for half a year, and six months later I single-handedly fought the top three on the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard, slaying them all with my sword, becoming famous overnight."

"The next year I competed again, and without any doubt, I took first place."

"The following year, Ji Taiping also secured the first place in the Heavenly Pride."

Speaking of this, the scholar's face was filled with pride and disdain, "Ji Taiping didn't dare compete with me on the same stage the second year, refraining from participating in the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard contest, fearing he wouldn't get first place. The thing Sword Cultivators fear the most is hesitating to draw their swords."

"He didn't dare to cross swords with me. Even though he secured the top spot in the Heavenly Pride the following year—"

"It's nothing much."

"The Heavenly Pride Leaderboard is open only to those with Foundation Establishment or higher Cultivation, under the age of fifty, and one can participate in the contest a maximum of two times."

"The content of the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm for determining the rankings is always different."

"The first time I participated, it was a tournament of direct combat, sword against sword, blade against blade."

"The second time, it was a treasure hunt. There were 1,024 Heavenly Dao Fragments scattered in a small world, and the rankings were based on the number of Heavenly Dao Fragments one possessed."

"The battles were always brutal."

"However, one does not truly die in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm. When one is severely injured, the will of the Heavenly Dao expels them from the small world, or one can opt to concede and leave the small world early, unless one doesn't even have the chance to be severely injured, dying too swiftly."

"That's real death."

"And such cases were not rare in previous years."

"Every year there are Golden Core Heavenly Prides, these contestants often being strong contenders for the top spot, who go all out against Foundation Establishment Heavenly Prides from other sects, leaving them no chance of surviving the injury, thereby weakening the young generation's strength of other sects."

The scholar shook his head, speaking earnestly, "I think you really should give it a try, Brother Qiu. Even if you can't vie for the top three, you can still place around thirtieth or fortieth. After the rankings are set, you can receive the Heavenly Dao Blessing."

"It's not impossible to vie for the top three next year."

"I think with your strength, Brother Qiu, it's worth a try."

"..."

Chen Qiu nodded in understanding and then absentmindedly tapped his fingertip against the table surface, his gaze drifting out the window as he already had a rough plan in mind.

...

If it weren't for the stroke of luck that brought him a significant cache of Dragon Vein Stones and knowledge that the top three on the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard would receive Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasures, he wouldn't have set foot into the Capital before reaching the Golden Core stage.

And now he was already in a satellite city just outside the Capital.

Mainly, the allure of the Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure was far too great for him.