Chapter no.17 Manifestation Realm

( ~ Boom ~ )

The sound of the explosion echoed through the forest, sending a pillar of smoke soaring toward the sky. The group of people cheered in triumph, believing they had killed Lin Lingtian.

( ~ Clap ~ )

( ~ Clap ~ )

( ~ Clap ~ )

The sound of clapping immediately stopped the cheers as everyone turned to see Lin Lingtian standing, but something was different about him. They saw an apparition of a frog-like creature with silver skin and spiraling tattoos all around its body, looming behind Lin Lingtian. His hair contorted and twisted, taking the shape of clouds as someone from within the group exclaimed in shock.

"M-Manifestation Realm!"

Lin Lingtian's body seemed to shimmer and warp, as if he were a mirage. He disappeared from sight, causing everyone to freeze in terror before an arm burst through the body of one of the girls, Lin Lingtian ripped the poor woman apart with his bare hands, her screams of agony filling the air.

"You almost got me there, you bastards!" Lin Lingtian exclaimed, his voice filled with rage and contempt. The group tried to scatter, but it was too late. A smile formed on Lin Lingtian's face as he opened his mouth, revealing an abyss.

"Azure Fire Toad!" he shouted, unleashing a beam of azure light from his mouth. The light seared through the air, engulfing the group and reducing them to ash. Lin Lingtian was going to enjoy hunting these rats down, relishing in their screams of terror and pain.

The forest was filled with the sound of screams and the smell of burning flesh as Lin Lingtian stalked his prey, his eyes alight with a deadly gleam. He was a predator, and the group of survivors were his prey, and he was going to enjoy every moment of the hunt.

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Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Zhongli tended to the fire while Lin Lai sat cross-legged in front of them, her eyes closed in deep concentration. The forest was quiet, the only sounds were the crackling of the fire and the occasional chirping of birds.

Even after his power had increased, Zhongli couldn't sense Lin Lai's power, as if she was purposely hiding it from the world. This made the woman even more dangerous than she already was. He couldn't help but wonder what secrets she held, what power she possessed.

"Miss, may I ask if you know about the cultivation ranks beyond the Earth Yuan Realm?" Zhongli asked, breaking the silence. As he spoke, he placed a small, wooden doll beside him. Lin Lai opened her eyes and looked at Zhongli with a hint of curiosity in her gaze.

"Didn't your sect educate you on such topics?" she asked, her voice calm and collected.

"No," Zhongli replied, his eyes downcast.

"Well, as far as I know, the cultivation stages after the Earthly Yuan Realm are the Manifestation Realm, the Heavenly Yuan Realm, and the Soul Altar Realm," Lin Lai said, her voice filled with a hint of authority.

"Hmm," Zhongli nodded, his mind racing as he went into deep thought. 'I have to break through to these realms to be a threat to this prison,' he thought to himself.

"Let's go," Lin Lai suddenly said as she stood up, her body emanating a powerful aura. Zhongli and the bowman quickly followed suit.

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[ Warden's Office ]

Wong Fei sat at his desk, his eyes fixed on the screens in front of him as he off-handedly commented while eating a steak.

" Quite the poetic, if I do say so myself." he exclaimed, a hint of amusement in his voice. His secretary, a young woman with short hair, asked in confusion.

"I am sorry sir, I didn't catch that."

"That wasn't intended for you," Wong Fei replied, his attention still on the screens.

"Yes, sir," the secretary said, her tone respectful but her eyes filled with confusion.

Ignoring his secretary, Wing Fei took out a file of Lin Lai.

"To think the daughter of the great leader of the Divine Feather Sect would be reduced to such a position."

The secretary's eyes widened as she heard the warden's news. It was common knowledge that one of the main benefactors of the Murim Alliance, the Divine Feather Sect had been abandoned by the alliance due to their weak strength after losing everyone in the war with the Immortal Demon Sect.

"Sir, what is she doing in there ?!" Secretary Lee asked in a loud tone before clasping her mouth.

"Looks like the information hasn't spread yet. Lin Lai or Lin Lai Lü, the only daughter of the sect leader of the Divine Feather Sect had betrayed the sect by joining forces with the sects that wanted to destroy it. From the inside out, Lin Lai schemed to destroy her home, and well it had worked with the Divine Feather Sect being destroyed but her allies had betrayed her and thrown her into this prison today. They did pay quite a hefty sum for her. I truly do feel bad for those two. They will be used until they are no longer useful to them, then she will throw them away like garbage. AHH! This game is becoming so exciting."

Wong Fei glanced at Lin Lingtian's screen as he saw Lin Lingtian standing above a mountain of corpses while he held someone up by their throat before swiftly killing them.

"He is quite the crowd favorite to win but I'd wager on someone else." Wong Fei exclaimed as he stared at the image of the winner of the first day, Yang Xinhai who sat atop a stop pillar with two men below the pillar working on some kind of array.

"With the power of a beast and the ability to make others bow to him. Would he be the winner?" Wong Fei wondered as he glanced at Lin Lai's screen. "Or would it be the flying serpent who is willing to jump to the side that always suits her or would it be some kind of dark horse? The excitement is killing me," Wong Fei exclaimed in a jovial tone.

'The Murim Alliance is going to fall to the ground like a stack of cards. The balance of the world is shifting, I wonder what role I would have in this new chaotic world.' Glancing at the screens in front of him, Wong Fei wondered . 'Will you have some kind of role in this chaotic world? I wonder.'

"Sir, an elder from the Murim Alliance has come for you." His secretary's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Glancing at his short-haired assistant, Wong Fei smirked as he snatched up the letter before opening it. Secretary Lee frowned as she saw Wong Fei standing there.

"Sir, is everything alright ?"

The letter fell from Wong Fei's hands as secretary Lee picked it up. She only caught a glimpse of the letter but her mind began to race as she realized what the elders had written in the letter.

"Looks like we are going to have a lot more entertainment for our guests to enjoy." Wong Fei stated as he burned the letter that stated the transfer of prisoners from the Murim Alliance's demon tower to the boiling bay Prison. The warden's office was filled with the smell of burning paper as Wong Fei leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smirk on his face. The chaos and excitement of the prison games were about to escalate, and he couldn't wait to see how it all played out.