The voice of the Starry Sword Saint slowly drifted out.

"This secret realm does not belong to my Azure Sky Sword Pavilion. It is a fragment left over from ancient times. The laws within it are vastly different and the dangers are unpredictable. Once you enter, your cultivation will be suppressed to the Profound Soul Realm."

Upon hearing this, a low gasp immediately rose from below.

Although everyone had expected this, they were still somewhat shocked to hear it.

As everyone knows, only after a cultivator reaches the Soul Condensation Realm can they more freely utilize spiritual energy and cast spells.

Suppressing the return of the Xuanpo means that... their main fighting style will revert to close combat, and their individual understanding of swordsmanship, practical skills, and survival wisdom will become the decisive factors!

As if oblivious to the crowd's reaction, the Starry Sword Saint continued, "The secret realm is teeming with native demonic beasts, ranging in strength from the Profound Soul Realm to the Soul Control Realm. They are exceptionally ferocious. The identity jade tokens in your hands can withstand one fatal attack. If the jade token shatters, you will be immediately teleported out of the secret realm and eliminated!"

"Within the secret realm, there are no rules or restrictions. When the number of jade tokens remaining in the secret realm is less than fifty, the entrance to the Xuanlei Pavilion in the very center of the secret realm will open automatically. At that time, all those who hold jade tokens can enter the Xuanlei Pavilion to participate in the final round of arena competition and compete for the top ten spots and the final opportunity."

"The second phase will last for one month. If the number of jade tokens is still more than fifty by the end of the month, then all holders of jade tokens can enter the Xuanlei Pavilion and the final round will begin as usual."

When the term "no rules" appeared, the atmosphere on the platform instantly became tense.

Clearly, the tournament did not prohibit team formation, and disciples from major sects who have "natural teammates" will have a significant advantage...

"Now, open the secret realm passage!"

As the Starry Sword Saint finished speaking, he gently tapped the void with his folding fan.

In an instant, the space in the center of the platform rippled violently like the surface of water, and a huge, rotating light gate, exuding an ancient and desolate aura, slowly took shape.

Within the portal, one could vaguely see vast mountains and towering ancient trees, and a wild and fierce aura emanated from it.

Shen Yunhao, standing in the crowd, stroked his chin.

"This second phase is quite different from what I imagined... If this secret realm isn't truly controlled by the Azure Sky Sword Pavilion, aren't there too many unexpected factors inside? Perhaps... some participating disciples might even face the risk of death..."

"Scared now?"

Wu Yun'er's voice rang out at the right moment, with a hint of mockery, "It's not too late to call your teammates now, or you'll get ganged up on if you go in!"

Her words were clearly a reminder to Shen Yunhao that after the first stage of the competition, he had been targeted by the powerful Tai Xuan Dao Sect, and fighting alone would be extremely risky.

Shen Yunhao nodded, then froze, staring wide-eyed at Wu Yun'er behind him.

"Wait... wait! What the hell are you doing here? What are you doing following me?"

Wu Yun'er was stunned by these words. After thinking for a moment, she raised her chin and said, "Who's following you? I have my own legs. I can go wherever I want. What's it to you?"

"you!"

Shen Yunhao took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, saying, "Why aren't you staying in your women's corps? Why are you running off to follow a rogue cultivator like me? Are you some kind of genius?"

"I already told you I'm not following you, can you stop being so shameless?"

"Do you think we're all idiots? Everyone knows that teaming up in the second phase will give us a natural advantage, and you still want to leave the team on your own initiative. Are you out of your mind... I can't be bothered with you!"

Feeling irritable, Shen Yunhao crossed his arms and walked forward on his own.

Oh no, oh no, Yao'er doesn't know what to think now...

What a terrible thing!

But he didn't know that Wu Yun'er behind him was thinking something else entirely.

"Is he worried I'll get separated from the group and run into danger? Tch... This kid is such a worrywart! But compared to his old self who used to be so sarcastic, he's definitely more agreeable!"

The woman raised her chin, a slight smile curving her lips.

At this moment, the enormous light gate in the center of the circular platform stabilized, and the voice of the Star Evolution Sword Saint rang out again: "The Azure Profound Secret Realm has opened. Participants, enter!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the cultivators, who had been unable to contain themselves any longer, transformed into streaks of light and rushed into the vast gate of light, either in groups of three or five or alone.

A brutal, lawless hunt, lasting a month, has officially begun.

"Let's go in too!"

In the Guanghan Palace's group, Yao Xiangxue, who was leading the group, smiled faintly, but her eyes also flashed with a few traces of fierce fighting spirit.

On the other hand, Ning Yuyao, who was the most favored, still pouted and stared in the direction of the crowd.

Since Shen Yunhao disguised himself, apart from the time he subdued the Yuan Sha Sword in the Sword Tomb, he has never come to have any contact with her.

Considering the possibility that the Demonic Sect might be plotting against them, and that Shen Yunhao's situation was very dangerous, she didn't say anything and endured this feeling of loneliness—so close yet so far away.

But what makes Wu Yun'er so capable of getting so close to her husband without regard for everyone's gaze?

That's not fair at all!

Guan Yingying, the only one who knew the truth, sighed helplessly and leaned closer to comfort her in a low voice: "Junior sister... you really don't need to worry. Putting aside the fact that Wu Yun'er is no match for you in any way, the key is that with her personality, if she knew that guy was Shen Yunhao, she would never be able to endure such a huge humiliation to get together with him. You can rest assured!"

Hearing this, the girl's expression softened a little.

His mouth finally calmed down.

Following Yao Xiangxue's lead, the others also took to their swords and flew towards the central portal.

"Since we're unsure if the portal will teleport us out, everyone should head to the 'Mysterious Thunder Pavilion' that the Starry Sky Sword Saint mentioned as soon as possible after entering. If there are competitors along the way, you can temporarily avoid them... but you must not tarnish the dignity of my Guanghan Palace! Do you understand?"

"Okay!"

On the other side, Shen Yunhao also said to Wu Yun'er behind him in an annoyed tone, "What are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and go inside!"

Wu Yun'er rolled her eyes at him, hesitated for a long time, and then coughed twice before asking, "So... what are your plans after you go in? Where do you want to go?"

Clearly, Wu Yun'er could guess that they would likely be separated after entering, and this was her way of finding out Shen Yunhao's whereabouts in advance.

"What's it to you! Go find your teammates, why are you bothering me?"

This time, Wu Yun'er unusually refrained from retorting. After thinking for a moment, she added, "You helped me a lot in the first stage, so this time I'll repay that favor and try my best to help you get into the top fifty! After all, the power of my Guanghan Palace isn't something that just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can challenge..."

"..."

To put it bluntly, with Yao'er's connection, if I really wanted to leverage that connection, I could easily infiltrate your team and pretend to be a woman.

"No, I was just thinking... you're so concerned about me? Could it be that you've fallen for me?"