strictlysupreme Chapter 132 The Trial of Detoxifying the Marrow Fluid Concludes
Chapter 132 The Trial of Detoxifying the Marrow Fluid Concludes
Leng Feng, Chu Fan, and Su Ling'er each took a small amount of the overflowing marrow essence. It wasn't much, just a tiny wisp each, like sharing a cup of tea, each taking a sip. But that one sip was enough to heal the hidden injuries they had sustained in the series of battles—torn muscles, cracked tiger's mouths, meridians eroded by evil power, and the depletion left by overexertion. As the essence entered their bodies, those wounds, large and small, felt as if they were being gently soothed by a tender hand; the pain subsided, the wounds healed, and the fatigue dissipated.
After finishing the dispensing and use of the Star Marrow Liquid, Lin Chen turned around to face the group of new students below the steps. His gaze swept over the figures—some sitting, some standing, some leaning, some conscious, some unconscious—and across their tired but determined faces. He took out a stack of evidence from his pocket—secret letters seized from the Black Wind Ridge tunnels, tokens found on the evil thugs in the canyon, fragments of the Blood Sacrifice Jade Pendant taken from Qin Hao, and written evidence and fragments of evil artifacts collected from the Allied Forces battlefield, all related to the collusion between the Qin family and the evil race. Each item was wrapped in cloth and folded neatly.
"The evidence of the Qin family's collusion with the evil race is complete." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried far across the empty altar. "Once the secret realm trial is over, we will jointly submit the evidence to the Martial Arts Alliance to thoroughly investigate Qin Cang, the traitor hidden within Star Martial University, and prevent the evil race from infiltrating the academy again."
Below the steps, dozens of freshmen responded in unison. Some shouted "Good!", some nodded, and some clenched their fists and punched the ground. There was no hesitation, no objection. The camaraderie forged in the previous battles had united them in purpose and mind.
The deadline for the Secret Realm Trial is fast approaching.
A low, rumbling sound came from the horizon—not thunder, not wind, but the sound of space vibrating. It was a difficult sound to describe—not piercing, but it made one's chest feel tight, as if someone were drumming inside. Teleportation arrays throughout the secret realm began to glow with a soft, white light, appearing from a distance like lamps lighting up one after another in the darkness. The trial space was about to close; everyone had to leave before then.
Chen Feng, accompanied by the school's observers, arrived at the Martial Emperor's Altar via a fixed-point teleportation system. They arrived quickly; some were still unclothed, others carrying unfinished rations—clearly, they had rushed here immediately upon receiving the news. Chen Feng led the way, his military boots clicking heavily on the altar's stone steps. His gaze swept over the captured evil disciples and Qin family members scattered on the ground, over the neatly sealed evidence of their crimes, over the wounded but still alive human freshmen, finally settling on Lin Chen and his group of five.
His face was solemn, but there was a light in his eyes.
"Thanks to your team for stepping forward and thwarting the millennia-old conspiracy between the evil race and the Qin family." His tone was devoid of formality or official jargon; every word was sincere. "The trial rankings are out—based on a comprehensive score of slaying ferocious beasts, defeating enemies, and protecting the secret realm. All five of you are ranked in the top five of the new student list."
He paused, looking at Lin Chen.
"First place: Lin Chen."
He then looked at Su Muyue, Leng Feng, Chu Fan, and Su Ling'er, and read out their names and rankings one by one. The high-level cultivation techniques, cultivation resources, and exclusive high-level cultivation rooms that had been awarded to them had all been entered into their campus identity cards.
Qin Hao was escorted from the crowd by school law enforcement officers. His hands were bound by spirit-binding chains, which dragged on the ground, making a clanging sound. He kept his head down, neither struggling nor speaking, not even glancing at anyone. He walked between two officers, his steps faltering, like an empty shell drained of all strength. What awaited him was a trial under school rules and accountability from the Martial Arts Alliance upon his return. Betraying humanity, colluding with evil, harming classmates, stealing secret realm inheritances—each charge was enough to keep him in jail for a long time.
One by one, the group stepped into the collective teleportation array surrounding the altar. A flash of white light, and wave after wave of people vanished from the secret realm. The air thinned, and the sky above the secret realm began to shrink, like a scroll being slowly rolled up.
Lin Chen was the last to enter the teleportation array. He stood at the center of the array and glanced back at the thousand-year-old altar—four stone pillars stood silently, the star inscriptions had faded, but the words carved on the stone, the stories etched in the years, would not disappear. White light engulfed him, his vision blurred, his body became light, and he felt weightless.
The white light dissipated. My feet touched solid ground.
The Star Martial University Trial Plaza. The setting sun cast its golden rays across the entire plaza, reflecting off the glass facades of the teaching buildings, so bright it was almost blinding. Golden light bathed everyone emerging from the teleportation array, illuminating the faces of the teachers and students who had waited so long. The plaza was packed with people; no one spoke, all eyes fixed on the newly formed group.
A new student trial in a secret realm, which involved Star Martial University and a millennium-long entanglement between good and evil, has come to a successful conclusion. However, the grand scheme of the evil race, hidden deep within the martial arts world, has only suffered a temporary setback. Further turmoil and greater conspiracies are already quietly brewing throughout the human realm.
Lin Chen and his five friends walked side by side along the tree-lined path on campus. A gentle evening breeze blew from the playground, rustling the fallen leaves along the roadside. The leaves swirled at their feet before drifting away. The streetlights were not yet on, and the clouds on the horizon were burned a dark red by the setting sun, fading layer by layer from afar. The path was long, leading straight towards the teaching area. They walked slowly, their steps synchronized, their five shadows stretched long and thin by the setting sun, overlapping and indistinguishable from one another.
The road ahead is wide open, and a new journey of cultivation is slowly unfolding. No one knows what awaits them ahead—but no one looks back.