"This secret realm can even summon ancient heroes...? It's just that they don't seem to possess any reason, merely taking the form of an illusion."
Yun Ye touched his chest.
To be instantly killed by someone of the same rank—this was truly his first time experiencing it. It seemed Extreme Flame had also reached its limit.
But this was not unexpected. If it were really that easy, how could it have remained impassable for ten thousand years?
Still, Yun Ye did not give up. He placed his hand on the stone tablet and activated the trial once more.
The same white mist. The same transformation of heaven and earth.
Only this time, there was no explanation.
And he was sent directly to the ninth wave.
Lei Zhenyu's form took shape.
"So that's how it is. This isn't merely a trial ground, but also a training ground for soldiers. By breaking through one stage after another, one can constantly temper their combat skills... After all, no one can die here."
Yun Ye casually drew the Rusted Sword, and the fire markings spread across his forehead.
Spirit Root Revival.
Heart Flame.
He entered his peak state ahead of time.
Under the astonishing amplification of Heart Flame and Spirit Root Revival, everything before him was almost frozen in place.
"Clack, clack, clack, clack..."
In the frozen space, lightning streaked through the air. Lei Zhenyu walked indifferently, carrying a special, carefree elegance.
When Yun Ye wanted to accelerate, he usually exhausted the strength of his entire body, making his movements extremely large and far from effortless.
But Lei Zhenyu was different. His method of movement was completely unlike that of ordinary humans. With one step, his figure seemed to become a bolt of lightning, suddenly leaping to the next area. He was not moving by relying on reaction force at all.
Even with Yun Ye in the peak state of Heart Flame, he could not see through it.
"Whoosh—"
The next second, Lei Zhenyu appeared before Yun Ye, yellow lightning condensing across the surface of his palm.
"Bang!"
Yun Ye swung his sword with all his might, trying to keep up with Lei Zhenyu's rhythm. Unfortunately, the Rusted Sword struck empty air. Lei Zhenyu used that unobservable Godspeed of his to accelerate for an instant at the very end, once again stabbing through Yun Ye's heart.
Then—the yellow lightning covering his hand spread outward, annihilating every cell in Yun Ye's body.
The white mist spread.
Yun Ye staggered back a step. The pain seemed to linger. "So the lightning spread out at the very last instant..."
In a normal battle, part of one's power should be used to enhance speed, with the rest used for offense.
But this ancient prodigy called Lei Zhenyu had actually devoted all his power to acceleration, only allowing lightning to gather in his palm at the final instant to attack. If his opponent's attack had been launched first, wouldn't he have been left completely defenseless?
"No. A prodigy like this must have engraved battle into his very bones. He couldn't possibly make a mistake."
Yun Ye clearly recognized this fact.
How should he put it?
—He could not do it.
Yes, even if he knew how, he still could not do it. That was reality.
It was like playing a game. Everyone knew that they could win as long as they were a little faster, but some people remained stubborn Bronze players no matter how they trained—for one year, two years, three years, never breaking through...
Yet some people only needed a month to become an undefeated king.
That was the gap between ordinary people and geniuses.
And in this world, that gap had been magnified without limit. It was no longer a matter of a fraction of a second, but a time scale so vast it was beyond belief.
Even with Heart Flame, Yun Ye was merely an ant in Lei Zhenyu's eyes—one that could move for an extra instant.
Once he struck, time itself could solidify.
"Again!"
Yun Ye tried several more times.
But there were no exceptions.
He only saw Lei Zhenyu's afterimage before being pierced through the heart by a single blow, after which his entire body turned into charred remains.
Heart Flame had already brought his speed to its utmost limit. If he still could not evade the attack under these circumstances, then there was essentially no possibility of defeating Lei Zhenyu in battle.
Yun Ye gave up.
He left Zhu Village and began searching for the Aristocratic Clan members he needed to obtain the Three Great Laws.
Even at the first stage, there should be differences in the strength of the laws.
For example, Li Faxing's Heavenly Chaos Law was simply astonishing. It could actually reverse the flow of an enemy's attack.
If he could obtain the "Law of Movement," his strength would inevitably rise by a great deal.
With Extreme Flame assisting the Law of Movement, one could imagine just how formidable it would be.
"It's already the fifth day. It seems I need to hurry."
Since Wang Yao had encountered an Aristocratic Clan member long ago, Yun Ye had a clear target and arrived at a vast lake.
The place was overflowing with Grand Spirit Qi, which had nearly condensed into mist.
All kinds of spirit medicines spread across the land like weeds.
After walking for a while, one could see an advanced spirit medicine. There were even supreme spirit medicines in the center of the lake.
"Roar!"
Calamity-Grade demon beasts were also common here. Trying to pick the spirit medicines would be extremely difficult.
They could not eat the spirit medicines, but they could completely absorb the essence that spilled from them. Moreover, once a spirit medicine reached the limit of its growth and withered away, the restriction against eating it would disappear as well.
Under these circumstances, anyone who dared to steal their treasure was declaring a fight to the death!
Yun Ye had already lost interest in the spirit medicines. He passed through the area, searching for traces of the Aristocratic Clan disciples.
"This fellow is... from the Fang Family?"
Yun Ye encountered someone unexpected. Although he was vastly different from before, Yun Ye still recognized him.
He was Fang Family from Hundred Refined Steel. He had once tried to get Yun Ye to join Hundred Refined Steel, and after six years, he had also become a member of the Black Armor Army.
Although he was from only a minor Aristocratic Clan, he inevitably knew far more than Yun Ye.
Fang Family stood at the outskirts, gazing from afar at the battle in the center of the lake.
He murmured, "Innate Divine Law—truly terrifying. The Calamity demons don't even have the strength to fight back!"
He was part of the fourth squad, whose Captain was Ji Ming'e.
Ji Ming'e was one of the very few people in White Stone Town to possess Innate Divine Law. Every movement of hers could enchant all living beings.
In this secret realm, even the demons were affected and easily dealt with.
If only he could master such profound Divine Art...
Just as he was immersed in his visions of the future, a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder. A young man held him down and walked to his side under his horrified gaze.
"Good afternoon. Long time no see."
"You—"
Fang Family's hair stood on end as he sensed a fatal threat.
But the gap in their strength was simply too great.
When Yun Ye restrained him, his spiritual sense had already swept over him like a crushing wave.
Fang Family was horrified to discover that his body was growing stiffer and stiffer, losing control. "Yang Shi, just what are you...?"
That commoner Yang Shi?
What kind of joke was this?
His pupils quickly grew blank as Yun Ye took control of his body's authority.
It could be seen that half of his body was already being burned by Nether Flame, which directly ground his soul power down to freezing point.
This time, Yun Ye had learned his lesson. He did not attack the body to reduce its resistance. Instead, he used Nether Flame, which offered far greater control.
"Regarding the Three Heavenly Roads, which road's method do you possess? I mean the cultivation method, not the spell."
"I don't possess any cultivation method. That is an inherited treasure that only the Clan Head and Young Master can cultivate."
"...Then tell me about the cultivation methods!"
Yun Ye dragged Fang Family into the woods beside the lake. As he gnawed on a spirit fruit, he began interrogating him.
Thank you all for your support.
Before you continue