Stepping on the demon door, the witch becomes the strongest.

Chapter 614: It’s better to just let it go
Although everything seemed to be going smoothly, Yan Yu was an experienced senior and could see the problem at a glance:

There is no strength testing process.

This isn't some university elective course group where you win as long as you can get a kill... Conquering a secret realm depends on your current strength. You let me in without even confirming my strength. There are only two explanations for this. One is that conquering this secret realm doesn't require current strength, and the other is that the role you assigned to me doesn't require strength.

The former is unlikely. It is hard to imagine that apart from the requirement of hard power, there is anything else that can hinder Chen Lingyun from conquering the secret realm; as for the latter... that is interesting.

It's like a big shark breaking into a school of sardines, and the smaller fish are unaware and want to use it as bait.

Ha ha.

Yan Yu followed the team slowly and leisurely. Near the outer wall of the Buddhist temple, the woods gradually became sparse, and a large open space with a good view appeared.

Suddenly, there was a flash of colorful light, and seven or eight people instantly appeared on the open ground. All of them had torn clothes and injuries on their bodies, as if they had experienced a fierce battle.

"Who is it!" The leader took a breath, suddenly looked towards the woods and shouted.

The other cultivators were also horrified. Those who had flying swords flew their swords, while those who didn't made magic spells, ready to fight to the death at any time.

"Don't be afraid, we are not mice." Number One was the first to come out from behind the tree.

He set an example, and the others looked at each other for a moment, then left their hiding places to show that they had no intention of ambush.

The monks on the opposite side relaxed their expressions, but still did not put down their weapons. They only heard the leader sneer and say:

"If you're not a rat, get out of here! I'll count to three. If you don't leave, I'll have sex with you! One!"

"Okay, okay, let's go now." Number One quickly raised his hands and left quickly with the other teammates.

Yan Yu suddenly asked from behind:
"What does rat mean?"

"Well, they're just a bunch of old scoundrels hiding in the gutter," Number One explained casually. "For example, in this secret realm, even if you fail a trial, you'll only be injured, and basically won't die. But there are some morally corrupt guys who don't think about how to conquer the secret realm. Instead, they hide outside and ambush and kill the monks who have failed the trial and have just been teleported out of the temple, stealing their cultivation resources."

"Oh, I see." Yan Yu revealed a look of understanding, and then asked knowingly, "If that's the case, why don't we all work together to get rid of these rats?"

"Because they can't," Number One replied. "Rats don't write their names on their foreheads. Many monks will cooperate with you normally, but if you accidentally get seriously injured or deplete your true energy, leaving you in a position where someone can take advantage of you, they will suddenly transform into rats and attack you from behind."

"Every mouse was once a monk," concluded girl number four, "and every monk could become a mouse at any moment."

"Is that so? That's a bit scary, hahahaha." Yan Yu laughed.

"Don't worry, Number Six." Number One quickly agreed, "There are no rats in our team. We're all here to clear the level and get the treasure."

"So you are together?" Yan Yu asked.

"No," Number Four quickly answered, "Number Five and I, like you, just joined the team. We've never been to a Buddhist temple before."

"Number One took Number Three and me in once," Number Two said. "We failed the trial and were sent out."

"I've been in here three times," Number One said sincerely. "I have a general understanding of the rules of this secret realm, so I want to cooperate sincerely with everyone for mutual benefit and win-win results."

Seeing Yan Yu did not comment, he added:

"The secret realm has been open for several hours. The first batch of cultivators who came in have probably explored it dozens of times. Don't forget, there's also Chen Lingyun, a cultivator on our team. He's probably explored more secret realms than we've eaten noodles."

That must be because you have eaten more noodles, Yan Yu complained in his heart.

"In short, if we can't cooperate and fight on our own, we will never be able to capture the secret realm before them." Number One concluded.

No one responded, but judging by their expressions, everyone seemed to agree - mainly because they had all entered the secret realm relatively late, and were far behind at the starting line, otherwise they wouldn't have agreed to form a team so easily.

After bypassing the previous group of monks, everyone finally found a small door near the outer wall of the Buddhist temple.

"Attention, the trial will begin once you enter," Number One warned everyone. "While failing the trial isn't fatal and will only result in you being teleported out of the temple, it also means all previous progress on the trial will be reset to zero. So everyone must follow my instructions and avoid holding the team back."

Everyone agreed and followed Number One into the side door.

There was a courtyard inside, about a hundred square meters in size. In the center stood a warrior monk, more than two meters tall, covered in a gray robe. His left hand was raised, and his right hand held a mixed iron stick. He said loudly:
"If you want to seek the true scriptures, you must first go through tribulations."

Without any reminder from Number One, everyone immediately used their magical powers to attack.

Yan Yu used 10% of his strength to control the sword, leisurely paddling in the water and thinking secretly.

If you want to obtain the true scriptures, you must first go through hardships. What this means is that if you want to obtain the treasure, you must first pass the level. It is basically confirmed that this is a test-type secret realm.

Looking at the monk again, a mixed iron stick was flying up and down with great force and power, almost at the level of a body-refining monk in the marrow cleansing stage.

As for these five teammates, No. 1 and No. 3 used flying swords, No. 2 used a flying needle magic weapon of ordinary power, and No. 4 and No. 5 used the basic three techniques and five spells to fight... The average strength was basically around the Qi Refining Stage, it was just like five kindergarten children besieging a first-grade elementary school student.

Therefore, it can be speculated that the previous levels should be relatively simple, and the later ones will be relatively difficult, otherwise it cannot explain why Chen Lingyun has not yet passed the level.

He was calmly doing nothing as the judge, and Number One didn't use his full strength either. He used the sword-controlling technique to compress the monk's movement space, and secretly paid attention to Yan Yu's swordsmanship level.

His technique looked ordinary, as he just used the White Rainbow Piercing the Sun to fight from beginning to end. However, his flying sword was indeed a good sword. Not only was it majestic in appearance, it was also powerful enough that it could collide head-on with the mixed iron stick of the Discipline Monk without being at a disadvantage at all.

Although the monk had a higher level of cultivation, he lacked intelligence and had no skills, so he was soon forced into the corner of the yard by the crowd. He could only wield the iron stick tightly to defend himself. However, No. 2 suddenly made a hand gesture, and the flying needle quietly shot in from a blind spot when the opponent's attack was weakened, and instantly pierced the monk's armpit.

succeed!

The monk's shoulder was injured and he could no longer lift the mixed iron stick. No. 3 hit him on the head with a flying sword, and he fell to the ground in an instant. His figure disappeared like a dream bubble.

At the same time, the small doors on the two surrounding walls slowly opened.

"Well done!" Number One praised him first, then said, "With Number Six's flying sword this time, it went much smoother than the previous times. I have a feeling we can do it!"

Yan Yu smiled modestly and didn't respond, thinking to himself, I was just paddling the whole time and didn't put in much effort. The main hero of this level was still Number Two. The flying needle that broke through the defense was accurate and fierce, not like something a novice could do.

He concealed his cultivation level.

Although Number One keeps saying that they want to cooperate sincerely, it is obvious that no one believes him and everyone is on guard against him.

"The two doors that are open lead to different second levels," Number One continued, explaining, "We can wait and see what's in the courtyard across from us before making any plans."

The energetic young man No. 5 immediately ran over, confirmed the situation on both sides, and said:
"There's nothing in the front courtyard. There's a lit incense burner in the right courtyard, right in the center."

"The burning incense burner in the center is likely a test of some kind. We don't understand formations, so deciphering it would be a waste of time," Number One analyzed. "There's nothing there, which means the test won't be revealed until we step inside. That's unpredictable... What do you think?"

"I think we can take a risk," Number Two said. "If we get trapped by the formation, it won't be easy to escape. It's a huge waste of time. But if we get defeated by an extremely difficult level, we can start over immediately. After all, this is only the second level."

Her analysis was well-reasoned, so no one could find fault with it, and they walked towards the small gate of the courtyard in front.

Just as they entered the second small courtyard, a giant golden-winged bird descended from the sky. Its feathers were like cast steel and iron. It just spread its wings with a sharp scream and shot countless golden arrows in all directions!

Caught off guard, everyone scattered, desperately trying to dodge. The spirited young man, number five, was only a little slow to dodge, and was immediately pierced through the chest by a feather arrow, dissolving into a flash of white light and instantly eliminated. The short girl, number four, was also nearly struck, but number two pulled her back at the crucial moment, narrowly avoiding the fatal attack.

As for No. 1 and No. 3, although they also looked embarrassed, their reaction speed was obviously much faster than No. 2 and No. 4, so they were not injured at all.

Everyone regained their composure and immediately launched a fierce attack on the giant golden-winged bird. After a few minutes, they finally managed to kill it with all their might. The process, of course, was needless to say; in Yan Yu's eyes, it was simply a fight between weaklings, totally unspectacular.

"What about Number Five?" Number Four asked worriedly.

"It's okay." Number One smiled. "You'll only get hurt if you try to break through here, but you won't die. He must have been teleported away, just like the group we encountered before... Come on, let's hurry up and keep going."

No one objected. After all, they couldn't turn back here, so they continued to move forward.

The third level resembled a plum blossom pile. While there were no enemies to fight, the ground below was completely hollowed out, revealing countless sharp, icy blades. Even knowing there were life-saving mechanisms in the secret realm, one still couldn't help but worry about falling and getting ruptured.

Amidst this sea of blades and machetes, numerous seemingly old and decaying wooden stakes stood, forming a crooked path leading to the other side. From time to time, a gust of wind suddenly rose from the ground, howling and whistling with such force that even if one walked briskly on the stakes, a careless moment in the fierce wind would cause one to lose balance and fall.

To pass this level, you need character, will, agility and courage - all four are indispensable!

"There's a system in the secret realm that forbids flying. We can't use Cloud Ascending or Wall-Punching techniques. We can only walk through these plum blossom piles." Number One said slowly, "Number Four, you're smaller, why don't you try first?"

"Ah, me?" Number Four quickly pushed back fearfully, "I can't do it!"

"Why not try them in order first?" Number Two chimed in. "Since the priority for treasure selection is based on order, wouldn't it be fairer to also try them in that order?"

"Okay, then I'll go first." Number One didn't continue to pester him. He just smiled slightly and stepped onto the wooden stake.

He wasn't fast, but each step was steady, and his luck was pretty good. Every time a crosswind arose, it just happened to avoid the stake where he was standing.

Number One reached the other side, and Number Two frowned and then stepped forward.

Her footwork was also fast and steady, but her luck wasn't as good as Number One's, and she often encountered unexpected crosswinds. However, this girl was not only agile but also courageous. Several times, when she was about to be blown off, she used the wind to leap onto the nearby wooden stakes, narrowly avoiding falling into the mountain of knives.

She finally passed the test with many dangers, and then it was the turn of Silent Man No. 3.

Although No. 3 looks strong, his movements are not clumsy. Instead, he is very fast. He runs and jumps at the same time, and flies through the pile road to reach the other side.

Then it was Number Four's turn. This girl, despite all her previous resistance, was clearly self-aware. Her movements were stiff and clumsy, and her courage was lacking. Finally, she was caught directly by the crosswind, and with a cry of "Ah," she fell, vanishing in a flash of white light.

Finally, only Yan Yu was left. He slowly stepped forward, raised his leg, and stepped onto the wooden stake, laughing secretly in his heart.

In terms of the speed of passing the customs, Yan Yu was the slowest among the group. He stopped and walked again, as if he had to look carefully before taking every step.

Unfortunately, his luck was extremely good this time. Every time the crosswind blew, it just avoided the stakes under his feet.

After passing the third level without any danger, Yan Yu smiled at the three people waiting there and said:

"Okay, let's go."

"Let's go." Number One said.

He and number three confirmed the details of the next level. The girl number two was silent for a moment, then suddenly reminded softly:

"Be careful."

Yan Yu raised his eyebrows in surprise, looked at her, but kept silent.

After choosing the direction, everyone arrived at the fourth level.

In the courtyard of the fourth level, countless piles of firewood suddenly burst into flames. Heat waves surged, flames blazed, and the temperature was so high that it was almost suffocating.

In the sea of fire and firewood, only a narrow path was left, barely enough for one person to pass through.

Obviously, the purpose is to make the subjects endure the high temperature and flames at close range and force their way through the sea of fire.

"There's no need to go one by one," Number One suggested. "To save time, let's just line up."

Everyone entered the narrow path. Number One walked in front of the group, and Number Three stayed at the back to support them. On either side were huge fires burning. If they got any closer, their clothes would be burned.

Girl No. 2 walked in front of Yan Yu, looking a little nervous and looking around. From time to time, she would turn around to observe the expressions and movements of Yan Yu and Girl No. 3.

Yan Yu, however, was not in a hurry. He stood with his hands behind his back, looking around leisurely, which made No. 2 secretly call him an idiot.

The four of them arrived at the center of the sea of fire. They had almost walked halfway when they saw Number One suddenly stop and turn around, suggesting:

"This secret realm level gets harder the further you go, so it's better to quit while you're ahead."

"How can we call it quits when we're ahead?" Number Two, already nervous, immediately retorted, "We haven't gotten anything yet, how can we call it quits?"

"It's simple," Number One said with a smile. "Number Two, hand over the flying needles, Number Six, hand over the flying sword, and Number Three and I will let you go. You stay alive, and we'll take the treasure. This is what we call 'quit while you're ahead.'"

Number Two immediately burst into laughter and was about to curse when he heard Yan Yu say:
"So these trial levels aren't random?"

"Yes." Number One smiled.

"You've walked this route many times before," Yan Yu continued, "and you decided to start at this level long ago."

"That's right." Number One smiled even more proudly.

"The crosswind in the third level and the sea of fire in this level are not part of the test of the secret realm itself." Yan Yu showed an understanding expression, "but are your arrangements."

"The horizontal wind was his secret spell, and the sea of fire was my arrangement." Number One simply revealed the answer, chuckling, "The secret realm's mechanism will teleport you away just before killing you, sparing your life. We're not that kind. If we kill you, you're truly dead."

"Then why don't you just do it?" Yan Yu also smiled. "Wouldn't it be just right to take the magic flying sword from our corpses?"

"Stupid!" Number Two finally couldn't help but say, "Wouldn't it be easier to trick us into giving you our stuff first and then kill them?"

"You're smart, girl!" Number One praised. "Since you've figured it out, you can die in peace."

As soon as he finished speaking, the flying needle of No. 2 shot out, but the figures of No. 1 and No. 3 disappeared immediately... They were not teleported out of the secret realm and turned into white light, but they suddenly disappeared on the spot.

Number Two was about to give chase, but heard Yan Yu say:

"Don't leave in a hurry."

"Why aren't you anxious?" Number Two finally couldn't help but yell, "This sea of fire is his arrangement! What if he activates the spell outside and burns us all to death inside?"

"No." Yan Yu said calmly, "The sea of fire around here is all an illusion."

(End of this chapter)