In a Fantasy World as Cannon Fodder, I Got Entangled with the Heroine - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Secret Realm of the Divine-Demon Battlefield

Translation by: Weebsread👹

At that moment, Jiang Zixuan put forth a bold suggestion.

Jiang Qian didn’t even hesitate before shooting her down. “Count me out. I’d rather be on my way to Azure Mountain Sect!”

Was this a joke? That secret realm was crawling with lethal dangers.

One wrong move, and you’d be leaving your bones behind.

Of course, Duan Yuqing had no intention of letting Jiang Qian risk his neck either. He quickly agreed, “If Junior Brother Jiang isn’t interested, we’ll just go ourselves. I’m sure there’s another way to open it without him!”

But Jiang Zixuan couldn’t help noticing the odd change in Jiang Qian. Ever since he’d fought in the arena, he seemed like a different person.

He exuded an air of unpredictability now—one she couldn’t quite pinpoint.

“Jiang Qian, aren’t you even a little curious about what’s inside that secret realm?” Jiang Zixuan pressed, hoping to ignite his interest.

“Nope!” Jiang Qian shot back without a hint of hesitation.

...

...

Just then, Bai Piaoxue turned with a smile. “Come on, Jiang Qian. Don’t be such a spoilsport. We’re not in that much of a rush to get to Azure Mountain Sect, are we?”

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation—she could barely conceal her excitement for the secret realm.

Not waiting for a reply, she marched straight toward the entrance.

Jiang Qian let out a resigned sigh and trailed after her.

Truth be told, it wasn’t as if he had any better options—trekking tens of thousands of miles to Azure Mountain Sect alone would probably get him killed before he even caught sight of their gates.

And so—

The four of them arrived at the entrance to the secret realm.

Bai Piaoxue’s gaze immediately fixed on a stone pillar by the gate, where a chunk was missing.

The more she stared, the more she was reminded of the stone tablet nestled in her bag.

But—

Rather than bringing it out, she spun around with a huff. “So this is the famous secret realm? Hmph, looks pretty ordinary to me. Jiang Qian, let’s just go!”

With that, she strode off, not bothering to glance back even once.

But Jiang Qian caught the subtle flicker in her expression.

Did she realize that her stone tablet was the key?

Was she about to slip inside with just Duan Yuqing?

Well, that suited him just fine. He would rather not gamble his life away for some mysterious relic—wasn’t staying alive worth more?

A moment later,

Jiang Qian and Bai Piaoxue’s figures vanished from Duan Yuqing and Jiang Zixuan’s sight.

But—

They didn’t actually go far. The two simply found a place nearby to conceal themselves.

...

Night fell.

Bai Piaoxue nudged Jiang Qian, who was still sound asleep.

He stirred groggily to see Bai Piaoxue crouched beside him. “Senior Sister Bai, what’s going on?” he mumbled.

“Get up—we’re going to unlock the secret realm. Just the two of us,” Bai Piaoxue whispered, her voice barely more than a breath.

She moved closer and murmured, “I think my stone tablet is the key to the seal.”

“Huh?” Jiang Qian was still hazy, but her words soon sharpened his attention. “Wait, Senior Sister Bai—you want me to go in there with you?”

She shot him a look. “If I didn’t, would I be waking you up first? If I wanted Duan Yuqing or Zixuan, I’d have gone to them instead. Now hurry!”

With Bai Piaoxue growing impatient, Jiang Qian scrambled to his feet and followed.

Something’s off here, he thought. Wasn’t she supposed to pick Duan Yuqing? I thought she had her eye on him, not me...

So strange. This whole situation seems upside down!

Still processing, Jiang Qian soon found himself at the secret realm’s entrance with Bai Piaoxue.

He watched as she pulled out her stone tablet and fitted it into the gap in the stone pillar.

It slotted in with a perfect click!

A gentle radiance shimmered from the pillar, and the entrance to the secret realm creaked open.

“Bai Piaoxue, you really could open it!” Suddenly, Duan Yuqing and Jiang Zixuan stepped out from the shadows.

Bai Piaoxue smirked, glancing their way. “Just because I can open the secret realm doesn’t mean I have to invite you in.”

“Jiang Qian, let’s go!”

Without waiting for his reply, she seized his hand and dashed with him into the glowing gateway.

“After them!” Duan Yuqing and Jiang Zixuan cried in alarm, sprinting after them, terrified that the entrance would close at any second.

The instant all four crossed the threshold, the stone portal slammed shut behind them.

Within the secret realm—

Jiang Qian suddenly found himself standing utterly alone among the shattered remnants of an ancient battlefield. All around him lay the ruins of a colossal demon statue—its massive shadow looming over the cracked earth.

“Where’s Bai Piaoxue? Where did the others go? This makes no sense!”

Just then, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in Jiang Qian’s mind.

【Ding~ Detected: Divine-Demon Battlefield Secret Realm. Would you like to check in?】

Ah, right—I almost forgot about today’s check-in.

I wonder what kind of reward waiting in here... Suddenly, I’m actually looking forward to it!

“Check in!”

【Check-in successful!】

【Congratulations, Host! You have obtained the Legacy of the Eternal Demon Sovereign!】

The Eternal Demon Sovereign? Wait. Isn’t this Duan Yuqing’s supposed inheritance?

Why is it—

Before Jiang Qian could even finish the thought, the shattered demon statue erupted with a sinister black mist.

The fog surged forth, engulfing Jiang Qian in seconds.

Tendrils of darkness writhed over his skin, burrowing ruthlessly into his flesh.

“Aaagh—!” Jiang Qian’s eyes reddened as strange runes crawled across his body. It felt like thousands of ants gnawed at his insides—torment both searing and sickeningly itchy.

Clawing at himself in agony, blood welled beneath his nails.

But just then, the Blue-patterned Jade Pendant around his neck pulsed with a gentle light, wrapping him in its warmth and soothing his self-inflicted wounds.

“So you’re my successor? And this is all the strength you have?” A shadowy figure emerged—draped in black robes and long black hair. He stared down at Jiang Qian with thinly veiled disappointment.

Yet after a short pause, he sighed. “Well. No one’s set foot in this realm for ages—having any inheritor is better than waiting more centuries, I suppose.”

“My time is running out. Let’s see if this boy can make it out alive.”

Just then, his gaze fell upon the Blue-patterned Jade Pendant at Jiang Qian’s waist. His pupils shrank, but a knowing smile soon appeared. “So that’s how it is... In the end, fate always finds its way.”

With those words, the shadow slowly faded from sight.

Meanwhile, Jiang Qian writhed on the ground, screams echoing in the empty ruins.

Seconds dragged by. Gradually, the strange runes sank and vanished into his flesh, and the black mist fused wholly with his body.

At last, the agony faded.

“It’s finally over...”

Jiang Qian was just about to breathe a shaky sigh of relief—when the true horror began.

Suddenly, a crackling burst erupted from deep within, like beans popping in a searing hot wok. Blood oozed from his skin, dripping down and soaking the dusty earth.

His bones shattered. Blood gushed out, his organs ruptured, his meridians snapped—

Every bit of pain a mortal body could possibly bear exploded through Jiang Qian in an instant.

“AAAHHH—!” His scream was primal—raw, torn from the depths of his being.

And then, even that was gone.

Limp on the ground, he shrank into a pool of blood—barely holding onto the thinnest thread of life itself.

Am I really dying here?

So be it. If death is what awaits, let it come.

Drowning in despair, his eyes slowly closed.

But just then—

Miraculously, his withered body began to mend. Blood surged back into his veins, broken bones knit themselves whole, his organs stitched back together—

A body on the knife’s edge of death was now coming back to life.

Yet even as vitality returned—

“Roar—!” Five demonic beasts, each third rank, suddenly materialized in a ring around him. The largest lunged, jaws gaping, hurtling straight at Jiang Qian’s belly!

With a savage snap, its teeth flashed—aiming to tear him limb from limb before he could even catch his breath.