As previously known, it was merely the top ten in the cultivation competition who were able to obtain a spot to enter the ancient secret realm, but little did they know that there were differences between the various spots in the ancient secret realm.
It was only when the cultivators from the outer sea started making a fuss that they realized that the ten spots were actually divided into three tiers.
The top three receive gold tokens, the top six receive silver tokens, and the last four receive black tokens.
The different levels of tokens appear in different locations within the ancient secret realm, and the final rewards naturally differ as well.
As for whether the areas between different tokens are interconnected, those great beings didn't discuss it, so Zhenru doesn't know.
The plaza cannot be closed off for too long. Even if any patriarch in the plaza could suppress the situation outside with one hand, it is impossible to actually do so.
Unable to reach a compromise among the three parties, the patriarch, who ultimately sided with Zhenru, spoke up:
“Fellow Daoist of Wanmiao Sect, your rash intervention to interrupt the competition is indeed against the rules, but the fact that the Daoist from the outer sea wants to obtain three passage tokens for nothing is clearly beyond your capabilities.”
Seeing that the cultivator from the outer sea wanted to interrupt, the old ancestor raised his hand, not giving them the chance, and continued:
"I advise you to listen to me first. If you have real strength, it is not impossible for us to make appropriate concessions."
"But please think carefully: do your disciples have the chance to come out of the ancient secret realm alive if they obtain a token that is beyond their strength? Don't forget, there are more than just our Sun Realm disciples inside."
While the cultivators of the outer seas didn't know as much as those on the mainland about the situation in the Sun Realm, even those at the ancestral level were aware of the ominous aspects of it.
Upon hearing this, the expression on the face of the patriarch from the outer sea cultivators softened.
On Liu Yunzhao's side, the old ancestors who were having a headache from being bothered immediately followed up on this topic.
"As fellow Daoists from the outer seas know, this is the current situation in the Sun Realm. The reason we rescued this girl is because she will be needed to contribute greatly when the Sun Realm is saved in the future."
"Although the Outer Sea and the Continent have always kept to themselves, if the Sun does not exist, the Outer Sea will naturally not exist either. What use would it be to give you more Secret Realm Tokens then?"
The cultivators from the outer sea had a gentler aura and expression. After they finished speaking, the one who had spoken glanced at the others, clearly discussing the matter telepathically.
After a short while, the old patriarch from the outer sea adjusted his expression and tone, and said in a gentle manner:
"Although the outer seas have little contact with the mainland, the Sun Realm is ultimately one with it. Only if the Sun Realm exists can everyone continue to pursue the path to immortality."
These words were spoken very frankly, and everyone else showed their agreement, which eased the atmosphere on the field.
After scanning the area, the man frowned, looking troubled.
"We in the Outer Seas are willing to do our utmost for the Sunrise Realm, but our younger generations also need to grow and need resources. And you did indeed break the rules this time. We old folks won't hold it against you, but we don't know how to explain it to the younger generation!"
He spoke at length, but the main point was very simple: to make amends.
However, this was the simplest thing to do, and the patriarch who sided with Liu Yunzhao immediately and generously said:
"We're all on the same path, and we can't let you suffer losses. We on the mainland will do what we should for this..."
Before the word "compensation" could even be uttered, the patriarch on Zhenru's side spoke up.
"It's not the mainland that's providing compensation, it's your side. After all, we haven't violated any rules. If we're really going to calculate it properly, the fellow Daoists of the Myriad Wonders Sect should compensate Young Friend Zhenru."
In the cultivation competition, if neither side concedes defeat on the stage, then life or death is irrelevant. This statement is entirely correct, so the powerful figures who sided with Liu Yunzhao could not say anything.
It was only a Nascent Soul cultivator like Cheng Yunyun who wanted to say something, but in this situation, a mere Nascent Soul cultivator had no right to speak.
The powerful ancestor cared more about his reputation and didn't care about the meager compensation. After a few rounds of discussion, he agreed on a compensation plan, and then they all left. The clouds dispersed again, and the arena was opened.
With the problems in the square resolved, the conflict in the spectator area below the square became much easier to resolve.
However, a Nascent Soul cultivator appeared and casually released his pressure, which brought the entire scene to a standstill. After a few more casual reprimands, each family sent someone to take away the troublemaking disciple to be punished.
Then the elders in charge of the competition quickly restored the damaged venue, announced Zhenru's victory, and then announced that the competition would continue.
The incident that happened in the square earlier seemed to have never happened, and the cultivation ceremony proceeded as usual.
The only difference was that after the round of 20 to 10, the elders announced that the round of 10 to 6 would be postponed for a month, supposedly to allow the participants to rest and recover.
Some people were relieved by this decision, praising the fairness and impartiality of the cultivation competition, while others secretly sneered.
So-called fairness and justice are nothing more than opening back doors for certain people.
Those who are smart enough not to have forgotten the match between Zhenru and Liu Yunzhao have already realized that this rest period is for Liu Yunzhao, and the other contestants who happened to be seriously injured are just taking advantage of the situation.
Unfortunately, it's useless to think of these things. When you have no say, the clearer you think, the more painful it becomes, and the more negative emotions you have, the more likely it is to affect your cultivation.
However, at this stage of the competition, only ten people remain. Whether the others care or not is not important; they are just watching the show.
A month later, during the competition to narrow down the top ten to the top six, Zhenru had not yet joined the team when she was stared at intently by several cultivators from the outer sea, as if Zhenru had some deep-seated grudge against them.
Zhenru naturally thought that among the few overseas cultivators she had killed before, there were probably some people she knew, and they had a close relationship with them.
However, Zhenru didn't care about their hostility at this moment. She simply glanced back at the glaring gazes.
She thought that under these circumstances, the three from the outer sea would probably target her when they got to the competition.
When it was Zhenru's turn to go to the square, he didn't encounter a single overseas cultivator before the competition was over.
The final ranking result was no surprise; Zhenru was undoubtedly number one.
The second result was expected to be Liu Yunzhao, but when the result came out, it turned out to be Wuji Sword Sect, a sword cultivator with the Thunder Spirit Root who had never shown himself in public.
His name is just like him—Lei Wuxin (meaning "heartless").
The third is naturally Liu Yunzhao.
Looking at Liu Yunzhao, who was slowly walking forward with a pale face, this outcome was quite understandable.
The old injury from the previous fight with Zhenru wasn't healed in a month, so it's normal for him to be at a disadvantage when fighting Lei Wuxin, whose strength is not much different from his own.
In short, the top three were no surprises. Apart from Liu Yunzhao's loyal supporters who grumbled in dissatisfaction for a while, everyone was quite satisfied.
After the first three gold tokens are issued, the fourth to sixth silver tokens will be distributed.
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