Chapter 906 - Curtain Falls, End

“That doesn’t seem right. He only broke through to the half-step Manifestation realm? How is that possible?”

Chen Fan had shocked everyone again.

The common sentiment had been that he would enter the Manifestation realm after the throne infusion; unexpectedly, he only reached the half-step Manifestation realm.

“Could his throne infusion have been weaker than the others’?”

“How could that be? It’s all the same.”

“Then how do you explain this?”

“It’s obvious. Why do you think Chen Fan is so powerful, so monstrous? Haven’t you realized yet?”

A few in the crowd suddenly understood.

“I see. His combat strength is incredible, but his breakthroughs demand far more resources. What helps others reach the Manifestation realm only pushes him to the half-step Manifestation realm.”

“Hoho, even so, he could probably match a third-level Manifestation cultivator with his current power.”

“

Hiss, hiss

.”

Everyone looked at Chen Fan like he was a freak and sucked in a breath of cold air.

A monster was indeed different from the rest.

Chen Fan, however, had expected this. As the crowd speculated, his cultivation required far more resources—ten times or even more than others. While others might advance easily under the same conditions, he might not.

Yet, this didn’t matter. With every breakthrough, his combat strength soared to unprecedented levels.

He had killed a top expert in the second-level Manifestation realm when he was only in the peak Heavenly Star realm. Now that Chen Fan was in the half-step Manifestation realm, he no longer feared even a third-level Manifestation realm expert.

“Half-step Manifestation realm, huh? That’s fine. A smaller step forward means a sturdier foundation. There’s no downside. Breaking through to the Manifestation realm is only a matter of time for me.” A flash of wisdom glimmered in Chen Fan’s eyes.

Sometimes, advancing too quickly could undermine long-term growth.

Most participants had completed their throne infusion by now. Gu Ling and Cao Shi had advanced to the third-level Manifestation realm—a result that surprised none.

Gu Ling, as the heir to the number one clan of the Ping Shan Demonic Domain, possessed extraordinary talent and over a decade of accumulated cultivation. With her potential unleashed, her meteoric rise was expected.

Similarly, Cao Shi, a prodigy nurtured by the Sky Suspended Demon Palace. He was also blessed with peerless talent, making his breakthrough equally unsurprising.

As for Li Qingchan, Lu Feng, and the others, they had also improved by leaps and bounds.

Although they did not break through to the third-level Manifestation realm, they all reached the peak of the second-level Manifestation realm, just a hair’s breadth away from the third-level Manifestation realm.

“The throne infusion has ended. Gu Ling and Cao Shi advanced to the third level, while Li Qingchan, Lu Feng, and the others reached the peak of the second level.

Tsk tsk

, it really is ascending to the heavens in a single step, saving them several years of bitter cultivation.”

The crowd felt envious in their hearts.

Chen Fan and the others’ cultivations had skyrocketed, widening the gap between them and the rest. This was especially true for those who had vied for the throne but failed, remaining stuck in the first-level Manifestation realm. Seeing this scene, they felt even more indignant inside.

If they had obtained a throne, they would have advanced to the second-level Manifestation realm as well.

As the throne infusion ended, winds rose and clouds surged in the sky. Immediately afterward, the secret realm’s gateway appeared, slowly opening and connecting to the outside world.

“The gateway has appeared. We can leave now.”

“It’s over. Three months went by too quickly.”

“I know, right? It felt like a dream, but I’ve gained a lot during this time.”

“Let’s go, it’s time to go out.”

Many faces showed mixed emotions as they watched the gateway open. To martial artists like them, three months passed in the blink of an eye. Secluded cultivation often spanned years or even decades, making this period seem fleeting by comparison.

However, everyone made significant gains during these three months and improved significantly. Everyone made gains, but theirs paled in comparison to those of Chen Fan and the other top contenders.

Countless people rose to the sky in a flash, flying towards the gateway in the sky.

Meanwhile, in the outside world, the banquet celebrating the trial had been ongoing for the entire three months—and it was still as lively as ever.

Many people were waiting for the Demonic Child Selection Battle to end to see which ten people would rise above the rest to become the ten demonic child candidates.

“It’s over. They’re about to come out.”

All eyes turned to the reopening gateway of the secret realm, their gazes sharp and filled with excitement.

Before the selection battle, many had speculated about the top ten seeds, confidently naming them as the ten demonic child candidates. Yet the final results remained uncertain—only the outcome would reveal the truth.

These prominent figures spoke in low tones, their eyes brimming with anticipation.

“I wonder who will be the demonic child candidates this time. And how many will pass the demonic mountain’s test, ascend to its summit, and obtain the Lord of Myriad Demons’ legacy?”

“In the last selection, only one of our Ping Shan Demonic Domain’s candidates reached the summit—and even then, they failed to obtain the legacy.”

“It’s not that easy to obtain the legacy. That will depend on one’s luck. The legacy doesn’t yield to strength alone; it chooses who it favors.”

“That’s right, it is indeed like that.”

“But even without the legacy, being able to step on the summit of the demonic mountain grants access to the demon palace halls for cultivation. Their future achievements wouldn’t be too shabby either.”

Whoosh.

Soon, people flew out from the gateway and were transported to the plaza by a mysterious power.

Immediately, a demon king laughed and said, “Haha, it’s someone from my demon sect. He’s still alive, and his cultivation has also improved significantly. Not bad, not bad at all.”

The Demonic Child Selection Battle was brutal. The ten demonic child candidates ascended to their positions by stepping on the corpses of other geniuses. For anyone to survive and gain something was a victory worth celebrating.

Soon, people swarmed out from the gateway, densely packed.

Boom!

A golden glow suddenly illuminated the sky as a figure emerged. The crowd’s eyes narrowed. They recognized what this light signified: a demonic child candidate had appeared.

The great figures marveled, their voices filled with awe.

“It’s Gu Ling from the Gu Clan! My god, she’s already reached the third-level Manifestation realm. As expected of the pride of the Gu Clan. She might even ascend the summit of the demonic mountain and claim the legacy!”

The Gu Clan was positioned extremely close to Demon Venerable Ping Shan, and this also signified their strength in the Ping Shan Demonic Domain.

Seeing her emerge as a demonic child candidate, the Gu Clan members couldn’t hide their joy.

Although they had expected this, witnessing this moment filled them with pride.

Within the crowd, Demon King Xuan Ting and Princess Xuan Shitong were both staring fixedly at the secret realm’s gateway, searching for a familiar figure.

Yet as more people emerged, there was still no sign of Chen Fan. Unease gnawed at them, their hearts pounding.

Did Chen Fan meet with an accident in the secret realm?