As Crystal Keys were found, pillars of light reaching to the heavens shot up from the ground. Visible from dozens of miles away, they moved constantly throughout the Mirage Thousand Faces Realm. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Almost there. Just a few more turns."

With a single step, the grim man in tight-fitting black clothes blurred into motion. Relying on his legs alone, his speed could almost rival some Escape Skills.

’The title of Champion Scholar in this assessment is as good as mine.’

A cold glint in his eyes, Wen Zong reached out and gripped the Eight-sided Sword at his waist.

He was a Sword Cultivator.

Not only had he mastered Li Fire Sword Qi and the Circular Light Sword Array,

his Cultivation had also reached the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. Among those in the Outer Mansion, he was definitively part of the small elite at the very top.

’In Magical Combat against those at the same level, no one is a match for a Sword Cultivator. I am determined to win the title of Champion Scholar!’

As he drew closer to one of the towering pillars of light, a coldness crept into Wen Zong’s eyes. The longsword at his waist began to hum, as if sensing its master’s thickening killing intent.

"Found him!"

Darting past a crystal wall, Wen Zong’s eyes locked onto a figure several hundred meters away. The towering pillar of light was emanating from him.

This was the Crystal Key’s holder.

With his target in sight, Wen Zong immediately activated his True Qi. His body became a blur, kicking up a terrifying gale as he shot straight toward the Crystal Key holder.

"Hand over the Crystal Key, and I’ll let you leave unscathed."

This was standard procedure for the Holy Sect: say one thing, do another.

Even a handsome young man like Wen Zong, with his strong brows and clear eyes, was tainted by this "fine tradition" of the Holy Sect.

Though his words offered a safe departure, his right hand, gripping his sword, was already surging with True Qi. Crimson Li Fire True Qi flowed over the blade, radiating a terrifying heat.

Hearing this, the Crystal Key holder slowly turned around.

But his face held none of the panic or desperation Wen Zong had expected; instead, there was only a bitterness that bordered on numbness.

He looked at the menacingly approaching Wen Zong, slowly shook his head, and his eyes held a hint of inexpressible pity.

Hm?

The Crystal Key holder’s reaction baffled Wen Zong.

Just then, a young figure in a gray-white robe appeared a dozen meters behind him, a faint smile playing on his lips.

’What great bait. I’ve hooked another one!’

Sword Qi pulsed at his fingertips. Qi Yun waved his hand, and two razor-sharp, blue-white streams of Sword Qi instantly shot out, tearing through the air and aiming straight for Wen Zong’s back.

CLANG—

Two deafening, ear-piercing shrieks of metal on metal.

The blue-white Sword Qi slammed against the Li Fire blade, erupting in a visible, transparent shockwave! The Sword Qi shattered on impact, dissipating into motes of Spiritual Light.

Wen Zong had sensed something was wrong just in time to turn and shatter the Sword Qi. Slowly, he flexed his numb wrist, his gaze fixed grimly on Qi Yun.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the young man opposite him was already forming hand seals and chanting an incantation.

"Basic Sword Qi?"

As a Sword Cultivator, Wen Zong of course recognized the seals and incantation for Basic Sword Qi. He sneered.

’Trying to ambush me with such a common, dime-a-dozen spell? How audacious!’

Forming his own seals and chanting, Wen Zong furiously poured the purer, more potent Li Fire True Qi from his body into his longsword.

The blade’s crimson glow erupted as fierce flames billowed forth. The terrifying heatwave was so intense it made the nearby ground SIZZLE!

"Let me show you what real Sword Qi is!"

With a snort, Wen Zong swung his sword. A massive, dazzling, golden-red torrent of Li Fire Sword Qi, like a river of molten lava, slashed fiercely toward Qi Yun. It carried a domineering, incinerating heat that tore through the air with a piercing shriek!

The utterly terrifying heatwave slammed into Qi Yun, making his robes whip and flutter, his face glowing red in its light.

"GAK GAK GAK!"

As the Li Fire Sword Qi closed in, a cackling White Bone Skeleton shot out. A wave of sinister Corpse Qi billowed from its mouth as it fearlessly smashed into the Li Fire Sword Qi, which looked powerful enough to boil the seas and incinerate the heavens.

BOOM—

The instant the Li Fire Sword Qi and the White Bone Skeleton collided, a massive impact swept out. A violent shockwave, mixing scorching heat with chilling Corpse Qi, created a storm that engulfed the area!

Amidst the swirling dust and smoke,

the White Bone Skeleton, now just a small fragment of a skull, came spinning back to Qi Yun’s side. Blocking the Li Fire Sword Qi had left it almost completely destroyed.

"You blocked that strike, but what about the next one?"

Looking at Qi Yun and the nearly destroyed White Bone Skeleton beside him, Wen Zong spoke softly, a mocking glint in his eyes.

The longsword in his hand ignited with Li Fire once more. He pointed it at Qi Yun, victory seemingly assured.

"The next strike? It’ll be this again, of course." Qi Yun smiled faintly, patting the small fragment of the White Bone Skeleton’s skull.

"With just that? I could blow it to pieces with a single—"

Before Wen Zong could finish, his eyes shot wide, as if he had just seen a ghost.

He watched as the charred cracks on the nearly destroyed skull began to mend at a visible rate.

The Broken fragments of bone grew and reassembled with frantic, life-like energy!

In just a few breaths, the pale white skull was as good as new.

"That’s not the Skull Curse?" Wen Zong had never seen a Skull Curse that could regenerate after being damaged, so he could only conclude this must be something else.

"Of course it is." Qi Yun lifted his chin slightly, a flash of pride in his eyes as he added a thought internally.

’Mine is just the 5.0 version!’

[Skull Curse (5.0): New Mechanic—Bone Rebirth. The White Bone Skeleton will automatically repair itself after taking damage. Consuming True Qi can accelerate the repair speed.]

"Bullshit!" Believing Qi Yun was just trying to trick him, a vicious glint flashed in Wen Zong’s eyes as he shot forward to attack.

’With that White Bone Skeleton for protection, ranged Sword Qi is useless. In that case, I’ll just kill you up close!’

"Sigh. Your version is too outdated. You wouldn’t understand."

Shaking his head, Qi Yun formed a hand seal. The White Bone Skeleton beside him let out a piercing shriek, its massive jaw dropping open.

A pillar of grayish-black gas—several times denser than before and thick with a bone-chilling cold and the putrid stench of corpses—gushed out like a bursting dam.

It completely engulfed the charging Wen Zong!

Immersed in the Corpse Qi, Wen Zong was hit by the overwhelming stench and found it hard to breathe. He immediately circulated his True Qi to dispel it.

But in the next second!

Qi Yun appeared out of nowhere right in front of him. With his fingers held together like a sword, he unleashed two highly condensed streams of blue-white Sword Qi straight at Wen Zong’s eyes.

"You..." Having no idea how Qi Yun had gotten in front of him, Wen Zong couldn’t dodge in time. The two streams of Sword Qi slashed across his eyes, sending hot, scarlet blood flying.

"AHHH!!!"

Blinded, the searing pain in his eyes drove Wen Zong into a frenzy. He unleashed his True Qi with full force, venting his high-temperature Li Fire Sword Qi rampantly. Uncontrolled blasts of Li Fire Sword Qi bombarded the surrounding crystal walls, creating deafening ROARS and blinding sparks!

The instant he blinded Wen Zong, Qi Yun had already leaped back, avoiding any injury from a final, desperate counterattack.

From dozens of yards away, Qi Yun quietly watched Wen Zong’s hysterical final rampage and let out a long sigh of relief.

Over the past few days, he had used the Crystal Key holder as bait, lying in wait. He’d already ambushed and killed more than a dozen Outer Mansion Disciples who came to steal the key.

Although most of them were dirt poor, with pockets cleaner than their own faces.

But a few of them were quite well-off.

These people didn’t yet know that no one could truly die in the Mirage Thousand Faces Realm.

Under the threat of death, they had no choice but to hand over their valuables, after which Qi Yun "sent them on their way" with a single strike.

’There are still six days until the assessment ends. By now, a lot of people must know that you can’t truly die in the Mirage Thousand Faces Realm.

Trying to scam them again won’t be so easy.

And at this point, the remaining people will start playing for keeps.’ After pondering for a moment, Qi Yun heard Wen Zong’s struggles in the distance finally cease. He quickly walked over and, in the spirit of helping those in need, sent him out of the realm with a single sword strike.

Although Wen Zong was rescued by Ling Master’s power, his Eight-sided Sword was left behind, falling to the ground with a CLANG.

Qi Yun glanced at the longsword without much thought, then suddenly snapped his head back around.

Hm? Is this... a Magical Artifact?

...