— Some time later, on the Sacred Staircase —

Even while moving very casually, Necro still left behind numerous participants who could no longer go any further. They glared at him as he walked past them, hating how simply he treated the Trial they were putting their everything into passing.

"That damn little bastard!"

"Where does this kid get off thinking he can make a fool of me, Chao Yao, the Eldest Heir of the Firespine Family!?"

"I'm a Prince of the Flowmoon Kingdom, and yet this brat still dares to go further than me!? Presumptuous!"

Necro, unbothered by the ravings of nobodies, continued his ascent up the Sacred Staircase. Minutes flew by like a fleeting dream, and thousands more trial participants were left in the dust.

Then, finally, after an hour of going up the staircase, the Top 5000 were decided.

Most surprising of all was the one who came in first, as it was no one anyone had heard of—or would have expected—to top the scoreboard!

"Ho?" San Xianying smiled upon seeing the cute young boy sitting with closed eyes at the top of the Sacred Staircase. He had expected someone like Zhao Xian, the Crown Star of the Zhao Clan, to come in first. Even Yu Lan, the prodigy princess of the Jade Phoenix Kingdom, would've been a reasonable choice.

However, right now, both of those top geniuses could be seen staring up at the nonchalant Necro with begrudging expressions. They were clawing at the staircase, struggling to go up even one or two more steps, while he was just sitting there, his countenance the same from beginning to end.

They were supreme geniuses of the Ancient Desolate Continent, having achieved the Golden Core Realm by the age of 20! How could they be so inferior to some little kid!?

"H-He has to be cheating…!" Zhao Xian shouted through bloodied teeth, his body having long since given up on him, capping him at 50 steps before the summit.

Yu Lan, the Jade Phoenix Princess, made it 30 steps from the top, but she wasn't faring much better than Zhao Xian in terms of bodily condition. Her Supreme Ice Phoenix Spiritual Root was being pushed to its absolute limits, producing visions of a frigid phoenix above her. However, even that was unable to bring her within 20 steps of Necro.

"H…How…?" Her sight blurred, her consciousness fading. She blacked out a second later, stopping at the 22nd-to-last step.

Zhao Xian experienced a similar blackout at the 31st-to-last step, fury and unwillingness leaving with him to the land of dreams.

Everyone else on the Sacred Staircase also seemed to have reached their limits. This prompted a move from San Xianying, as he teleported directly to the top of the Sacred Staircase.

He very briefly flashed a fond smile at Necro before loudly announcing, "The Top 5000 have been decided! The rest of you are to leave the area at once, else you'll be removed by force by Sacred Disciples of the Enforcement Hall!"

FWIP! FWIP!

Several powerful personages suddenly appeared, each of whom were Heavenly Deities in the Nascent Soul Realm. This was all the coercion the failed Trial Takers needed to skedaddle right the hell out of there.

No matter if they were influential royalty, leaders of small sects, or talented wandering overlords, none were willing to offend the Sacred Azure Holy Grounds. And for good reason; after all, these Holy Grounds were within the Top 3 out of every single faction in the High-Heaven Kingdom. Regular Immortals weren't special to them.

"Child, what's your name?" San Xianying asked Nylon, speaking in a genuinely friendly tone.

Necro abruptly opened his multicolored eyes. Looking over his shoulder, he said, "My name is Necro, Sir."

"Good, good. A very unique name for a very unique person," San Xianying nodded. "You'll definitely achieve good things in the future. In fact, if you'd like, I can make that future come sooner by admitting you into the Sect right away."

Holy cow!?

Directly recruited by the Sacred Azure Holy Grounds—who else but Necro would receive treatment like this!?

However…

"I would like to properly complete each of the Trials, but I appreciate your offer," Necro said resolutely.

Although a bit taken aback, San Xianying nodded in understanding. His appreciation for this boy rapidly increased.

"Very well then!" San Xianying was now speaking in a booming voice, ensuring that everyone in the Top 5000 could hear him. "It's time to begin the Second Trial, which will not be happening in the Azure Dragon Ridge Region."

"!!!" "!!!" "!!!"

Suddenly, everyone's vision warped. When they opened their eyes once more, they shockingly found themselves in a land akin to a fairylike paradise.

"Your next Trial will be held in the High-Heaven Kingdom, so take to the rings, because you'll be… dueling!"

The paradise-like space they arrived in looked like a pristine realm sculpted by the hands of deities themselves. Shimmering jade lakes flowed gently across the valleys, with trees that bore crystal leaves and floating islands drifting lazily through the sky above. The air was clean, saturated with ambient spiritual energy that brushed against one's skin like the softest silk.

The Top 5000 candidates were in awe. Some gasped. Others looked around dumbfoundedly, completely forgetting the pain of the staircase and the reality of competition.

WOOOOOM—

A large platform, easily several kilometers wide, rose from the depths of the glowing lake in the center of the realm. Etched into it were ancient runes and markings that shimmered with a pale gold light. Around its circumference, stadium-like terraces sprouted from the air itself, giving seats to the spectators and soon-to-be-eliminated disciples. The whole realm began subtly adjusting to accommodate the Trial.

Necro stood with his hands behind his back, admiring the environment for a fleeting second before casting a glance at the others nearby. He noticed Yu Lan being gently carried by two cultivators from her kingdom, still unconscious. Zhao Xian sat in lotus position, meditating to restore his injuries with a face that screamed unwillingness.

Necro turned away.

San Xianying raised a hand. "Allow me to explain the rules of this Second Trial—The Dueling Arena."

He waved his sleeve, and as he did, an enormous light screen appeared high above the lake-arena. "Each of you will enter into a randomized bracket. One win, and you fight another. If you face a loss, you're out—but if you're on a later winning streak, you can take more losses. By the end, only the last 200 will proceed to the final trial. You may surrender at any time, and rest assured, no participant will be allowed to die in this trial. Our Sect's Immortals and Hall Enforcement Disciples will intervene if necessary."

His eyes swept over the crowd. "But don't mistake this for leniency. You may not die, but bones will be broken, meridians shattered, and spirits crushed. This is your last chance to back out."

No one moved.

"Good," he smiled with satisfaction. "Then let us begin!"

He clapped his hands, and everyone's tokens began to glow. The bracket immediately appeared on the light screen, displaying thousands of matchups in glowing ink. A gong resounded, and the central platform lit up, drawing the first two participants into the dueling stage.

They blinked forward in an instant—one was a disciple from the Firecloud Mountain Sect, the other a wandering rogue cultivator.

The duel began with a thunderous roar. Fire and ice clashed in the center of the stage, creating shockwaves that rippled outward, shaking the nearby clouds. Though impressive, the match lasted only a minute before the Firecloud disciple was knocked out cold.

"Winner: Xun Mo!"

Cheers erupted. The stage rotated slightly, resetting. A new pair of names blinked into existence.

Match after match played out—some were over in seconds, others dragged on with evenly matched blows, intense strategy, or bursts of wild power. Each battle provided a stage for everyone to display their might, pushing themselves to the limits.

Necro watched silently. Several top contenders stood out: a dark-skinned boy with thunder tattoos from the Stormhowl Pavilion, a noblewoman from the Empress Willow Sect who used illusionary vines, and a man with a blindfold from the Blazespike Abyss Clan who seemed to predict every move his opponent made.

But none caught Necro's true attention.

Except one.

BOOM!

In one of the later matches, a participant unexpectedly exploded with an aura drenched in dragon qi. His golden robe fluttered, revealing the crest of the Dragon Island Sect—one of the disciples he had sensed earlier.

Bai Gong.

He stood atop the platform, smugly twirling the curved sword at his hip. The weapon leaked dreadful energy. Though restrained, even the spiritual beasts watching from the clouds flinched when its presence touched them.

His opponent, a boy from the Skyfish Temple, stood no chance.

"Shatter—Azgale's Echo!"

A bright arc of azure sliced through the platform and knocked the boy clean off his feet, sending him flying into a bubble of protective energy that stopped him from being diced into meat.

"Winner: Bai Gong!"

Gasps and murmurs rippled across the crowd.

"The Dragon Island Sect is here?? Does the Sacred Azure Sect not care!?"

"That sword—could it be a Deity Weapon!? How is this fair?!"

San Xianying merely smiled, his thoughts known only to himself.

Necro narrowed his eyes.

'So they snuck into the trial, huh? Wearing different robes to avoid suspicion and pass the 1st Trial before taking them off. They even dared to use a sacred artifact, and yet the Sacred Azure Sect hasn't done anything about them…'

He couldn't understand their thoughts, but his eyes briefly flashed with killing intent before going still again.

Suddenly, his token lit up. His name had appeared on the bracket.