As everything settled down, they were finally able to get a good look at what was ahead of them.
Unsurprisingly, it was a large tunnel that led to… somewhere. Not even Aelina could see how far it went, as the end seemed to be covered in a veil.
"I guess we continue forward?" Eden surmised, and everyone agreed with her as there was literally only one direction they could go.
"We can do that later. For now, rest a little. We don't know what's ahead." Aelina said with slightly furrowed brows. Most of this Secret Realm has been her playground. She got what she wanted, how she wanted, without interruption. There were very few people who could stop her, and they wouldn't risk their lives attempting to fight an uphill battle.
She had plenty of restrictions on the islands she appeared in when it came to attacking weaker opponents, but she rarely saw anyone below the Mortal Transformation Realm or Rank 9.
That is to say, it was very rare for her not to be able to see through something, especially now with her Void Worm bloodline.
The group stayed there for a few minutes until they heard a rumbling sound, and the earth began to shake.
Suddenly, behind them, the wall started to close in, forcing them to get up.
"I guess that's our cue to go," Nova murmured.
"Looks like it," Aelina responded.
However, they weren't in a hurry. The wall was moving fairly slowly, so they took their time, wanting to take advantage of the tunnel before the next challenge.
Eventually, the wall sped up, pushing them further and further in the tunnel until, suddenly, they crossed a threshold, and everything went black.
A restrictive force wrapped around everyone but Mira, temporarily lowering their cultivation to the 9th Stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. Even Aelina had her strength reduced to that level, weakening her severely.
To make matters worse, she couldn't use her Divine Sense, which basically granted her semi-omniscience within its range! That's part of what made Divine Sea Realm cultivators so hard to kill!
Now, she was forced to use its lesser version, Soul Sense.
'Tsk.' She clicked her tongue in mild annoyance. It felt like she just went from Heaven to Hell. In fact, she had forgotten just how truly weak the Nascent Soul Realm was compared to her current strength. 'When was the last time I was this fragile?' She couldn't remember.
Fortunately, she still had the instincts of a Divine Sea Realm expert.
The others, except for Mira, were also overcome by a feeling of weakness, though not quite as severe.
After a fleeting adjustment period, the group steeled themselves, acclimating to the sensation of restrained power. Their power, once vast and unbridled, now felt confined within the invisible walls pressing upon their consciousness.
"Feels like being shoved into a tight, itchy robe after wearing silks," grumbled Nova, flexing her hands, feeling the strange limitation on her once rampaging fire.
Sera's eyes flickered with a subdued glimmer. "I wonder what our next challenge is. Considering our power is limited to equal grounds, it's probably some sort of fight?" she mused.
It was then that the veil of darkness ahead began to dissipate, unveiling a vast expanse that bore a resemblance to a gladiatorial arena. An immense circular stone field encased within towering walls and a large artificial light shooting down on them from above.
And within that expanse stood seven figures, two of whom bore the familiar insignia of the Battle Maiden Sect. The rest were from the other Sects.
Eden tilted her head slightly as her eyes narrowed with recognition. "Well, this is an intriguing twist."
Mira, who remained silent until now, stepped forward, her gaze sweeping across the newly revealed contenders. Among them, she could sense the subtle aura of familiar bloodlines.
'They must've received one of the bloodlines I created back in the Sect.' She thought but immediately lost interest after that.
"Sect Master?!" The two Battle Maiden Sect disciples exclaimed upon seeing Aelina's elusive yet unforgettable figure. "What are you doing here?!"
"Playing around~" Aelina chuckled while waving at her disciples. "Don't worry, I won't kill you-"
She paused, glancing at Mira before placing a hand on her shoulder with a smirk, "Rather, I'll tell her not to kill you."
Mira glanced at the woman and rolled her eyes. She threw Aelina's hand off her shoulder and walked forward. It was only then that the two disciples noticed the 9-tailed fox woman and their expressions paled.
"Fuck! It's her!"
"NO! We're doomed! Let me out!"
The two ran to the edge of the arena, banging on the wall, practically begging to be released, but all entrances and exits were closed off as of now.
Meanwhile, their teammates' expressions were constantly changing. They were embarrassed, furious, depressed, then determined. If this really was a battle, they had some horrible luck, but they wouldn't let go of this opportunity to get stronger!
"Fight!" An ancient voice suddenly resounded throughout the arena.
That was all Mira needed to hear before she darted forward, her figure almost flashing she was so fast. The 5 competitors braced themselves, but after a second of waiting, nothing happened.
That was until they heard cries for help come from behind and noticed Mira hacking apart her Sect Members to death with her scythe. However, before they could truly die, a barrier formed around them, patching them back up and throwing them out of the arena.
"Mira! I thought I told you not to kill them!" Aelina scolded.
Mira just gave her the middle finger and dashed to the remaining 5 opponents, chopping them apart with ease. However, they, too, were then healed and moved out of the ring.
"The next fight is in 1 minute!" The ancient voice announced.
Nobody was surprised by this outcome. In terms of power, there was hardly anybody that could beat Mira in the same cultivation Realm. The difference was even bigger now, considering all of her opponents were weakened while she remained the same.
"Hey! You know you're still part of a Sect, right? You can't just kill your Sect Members for no reason!" Aelina reprimanded Mira as the woman returned to their side, only to shrug upon hearing her words.
"This is a gladiatorial arena. There's only one thing that happens here: a fight to the death. If they weren't prepared to die, they shouldn't have showed up." Mira sneered.
Fellow Sect members? What were those? She wasn't going to miss an opportunity of a lifetime because of some asinine comradery with people she'd never met before.
Everyone kept quiet as they knew she was right. But why did it sound so wrong coming out of Mira's mouth?
A minute passed by quickly, and this time, 7 Peak-Stage Rank 7 beasts showed up.
Mira was about to walk up again, but Nova was faster than her. "I want to have some fun too!"
Nova moved forward, a radiant fire dancing around her, her eyes bright with determination. While Mira was undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with, the rest of the team wasn't just there to watch her show.
The seven beasts, sensing Nova's approach, immediately went on the defensive, their sharp senses picking up the simmering energy around her. These creatures, despite their wild appearance, had fought countless battles before.
With a glint of fiery anticipation in her eyes, Nova surged forward, meeting the onslaught of the beasts with enthusiasm. The battle, however, unfolded faster than anyone anticipated.
Nova's hands swiped through the air, crafting magnificent arcs of blazing fire. The first beast, caught within the fiery vortex, yelped in surprise and pain as the searing flames enveloped it, eventually crumbling to ash under the unrelenting heat before a barrier formed around it and was transported away.
"Too easy!" Nova shouted, not expecting that she was still so strong despite being almost an entire major Realm lower than normal.
A serpent-like creature lunged towards her, but with a flick of her wrist, a whip of fire lashed out, wrapping around the beast and reducing it to smoldering remains within seconds. The fiery battle continued, leaving no room for the creatures to retaliate.
Her fellow disciples watched indifferently as Nova effortlessly dispatched the creatures one after another. Even the imposing beast that seemed like a cross between a rhino and a bear stood no chance, collapsing under a torrent of blistering fireballs.
In no time at all, the arena was cleared, the last echoes of the beastly roars fading away into silence. Nova stood in the center, not a hint of exhaustion on her face.
"Well, that was fast," Eden remarked, raising an eyebrow at the ease of their victory. Nova had gotten used to her 'new' strength a bit faster than she thought
Mira shrugged nonchalantly, seemingly unimpressed. "It's probably just the beginning. They won't keep it easy for long."
"You should do the next one, Eden. Let's see how fast you can win." Nova said with a hint of competitive spirit.
Before any further conversation could unfold, the ancient voice boomed through the arena again. "Prepare for the next battle!"
