Outside the illusion realm, the spectator stands erupted in an uproar.

“This Wang Yu actually has some backbone…”

“To escape unscathed from an encirclement by Li Yan and four others is no small feat.”

“Hmph, it’s nothing more than a desperate struggle! His sword is gone; let’s see how he fights now.”

Amidst the chatter, Shen Xian’s gaze drifted toward Zhou Ziling. The inner sect prodigy stood with his hands clasped behind his back, a cold, meaningful smile playing on his lips. Their eyes met briefly in the air. Zhou Ziling provocatively raised an eyebrow, his expression a silent boast: I arranged this. What can you do about it?

Shen Xian remained unfazed, but he silently added the man to his mental list.

Within the water mirror, however, Wang Yu’s situation was grim. He staggered into a dark, dense forest, his blood-soaked presence startling a flock of illusion beasts into flight.

“Cough…” Leaning against an ancient tree, Wang Yu coughed violently, spitting out blood mixed with fragments of internal organs.

The backlash from his forbidden technique, combined with his prior injuries, had pushed him to the absolute limit. Just as he swallowed a healing pill, the ground began to tremble with an eerie, rhythmic vibration.

Roar—

With an ear-splitting cry, a massive illusion beast burst from the earth. It resembled a giant lizard but possessed three ferocious heads, each spewing different elemental energies: fire, poison, and ice.

“A fourth-tier illusion beast, the Three-Headed Demon Lizard!” an onlooker exclaimed. “That’s equivalent to an early Golden Core Realm existence!”

Many in the stands wore expressions of schadenfreude. This man was finished. Even Shen Xian felt a rare trace of concern.

Wang Yu’s pupils contracted. He tried to retreat, but his legs refused to obey. He glanced bitterly at the jade slip at his waist. Shattering it would save his life, but it would reset his points to zero and render his suffering meaningless.

The demon lizard opened its three maws simultaneously. Blazing flames, virulent green mist, and bone-chilling frost intertwined into a net of death, descending upon the defenseless Wang Yu.

In the stands, Shen Xian’s fingertips dug deep into his palms as he stared at the solitary figure in the mirror.

At the final second, a sudden change occurred!

Wang Yu’s figure abruptly leaped up. The Nine Revolutions Wine Cup in his hand erupted with a blinding cyan light. The ancient runes on its surface began to wriggle and flow as if they were alive.

The spectators were stunned.

“What kind of treasure is that?”

“How could a mere inner sect disciple possess such an artifact?”

Even the experienced elders looked astonished; they, too, failed to recognize the origin of the cup. The Three-Headed Demon Lizard sensed the danger and roared, launching a three-colored elemental beam directly at Wang Yu.

Boom—

Wang Yu’s figure was completely engulfed by the explosion.

“He’s done for…”

“Definitely dead this time.”

Disciples shook their heads, but in the next heartbeat, the impossible happened. The elemental beam was drawn in by an invisible force, completely sucked into the Nine Revolutions Wine Cup.

The cup spun in Wang Yu’s palm, the spiritual liquid inside boiling and churning.

“Not enough!” Wang Yu roared. He bit the tip of his tongue and sprayed essence blood onto the cup. “Refine for me!”

The cup trembled. The elemental liquids merged and transformed, condensing into a single drop of crystal-clear golden liquid. Wang Yu poured it into his mouth without hesitation.

Boom!

A violent wave of spiritual energy erupted from his body. Meridians bulged beneath his skin, and strange golden patterns surfaced on his flesh. He raised his hand, and a golden sword condensed from pure spiritual energy materialized in his grip.

The Three-Headed Demon Lizard turned to flee, sensing the sudden threat.

“Trying to run?” Wang Yu sneered. He swung the golden sword.

A golden arc sliced through the sky, faster than the eye could follow. The demon lizard’s three heads flew off simultaneously. Its massive body collapsed, dissolving into specks of light.

The number on Wang Yu’s jade slip jumped frantically until it settled on “two hundred forty.”

A deathly silence fell over the stands. A severely injured Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator had just slain a fourth-tier beast using a strange magical treasure.

“That wine cup…” A sharp light flashed in Shen Xian’s eyes as he looked toward Zhou Ziling.

The prodigy of Sword Peak looked utterly grim, the killing intent in his eyes nearly solidifying into substance.

Within the illusion realm, Wang Yu staggered as he landed. The glow of the cup dimmed, and his face turned as pale as paper. He had exhausted his strength. He crawled into a hidden spot to wait for the trial to end.

Finally, the ancient bronze mirror erupted with golden light once more. The seventy-two sword pillars emitted melodious chimes, and the disciples were teleported back to the Illusory Sword Platform.

Wang Yu appeared at the center, blood-soaked and staggering. The jade slip at his waist flashed a piercing red, showing the number “two hundred forty.”

“Wang Yu of Green Bamboo Peak: tenth place!” an overseeing elder announced, his voice tinged with surprise.

The crowd erupted again. No one expected the drunken disciple to achieve such a result.

“Good! Excellent!” An elder with a white beard stood up—it was Elder Li from the Artifact Refining Hall.

He strode over to Wang Yu, helping him heal with a stream of gentle spiritual energy. “This old man wasn’t wrong about you. From now on, you shall be my personal disciple. Are you willing?”

The arena buzzed with excitement. Becoming the personal disciple of a powerful figure in the Artifact Refining Hall was a life-altering promotion.

“Of course,” Wang Yu replied, managing a smile.

Shen Xian walked over slowly, a smile gracing his lips. “Congratulations.”

Wang Yu turned, looking slightly awkward. “That bet… I lost.”

He hadn’t made the top five.

Shen Xian waved him off, retrieving a fragrant jar of Drunken Immortal Wine from his storage ring. “No matter. Consider this a gift.”

He recognized the resilience in the youth—a promising follower indeed.

“Thank you, Young Master!” Wang Yu accepted the jar solemnly.

“Hmph!” Zhou Ziling passed by, letting out a disdainful snort.

Wang Yu stared intently at his opponent, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. “One day… I’ll kill you.”

He knew who had pulled the strings inside the realm. Beside them, Shen Xian offered no comment, his eyes resting on the horizon.