Pfft!
Before long, Wang Qingyue came flying back after coughing up blood.
He could not even defeat a clone one realm above his own. Provoking four clones naturally only earned him a savage beating.
Wang Qingyue wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and asked, "Old fellow, when are we going in?"
"We're still waiting for others!"
Duanmu Ji said.
Qin Hao looked into the distance and said, "They're here!"
Whoosh!
As soon as he spoke, a streak of flowing light descended from afar and transformed into an elder.
The elder was tall and thin, holding a whisk. He had the bearing of an immortal sage.
The moment he appeared, he frowned. "Duanmu Ji, why are there so many people?"
"Ancient Emperor!"
Duanmu Ji said, "Fellow Daoist Wang Qingyue can help us pass the Earth Element Pass. Fellow Daoist Qin can help us break through the second pass. As for young friend Wang, he possesses the Death Curse Technique and will be of great use in the third pass!"
After saying that, he secretly transmitted his voice to Qin Hao and the other two. "This is Gulan, though we call him the Ancient Emperor. His cultivation is even stronger than Old Man's. He looks like a righteous Cultivator, but he has slaughtered countless people. He is a notorious great devil of the Inner Sea."
Qin Hao gave the Ancient Emperor a deep look. This old fellow was the one who had hidden himself most deeply. His cultivation looked ordinary, but he was actually stronger than the other Demon Lords.
Rumble!
A thunderous roar rang out as another Dragon Boat appeared on the horizon.
A handsome man in red stood at its bow.
Behind him stood a young man who looked to be in his twenties.
The handsome man in red said indifferently, "It's quite lively this time."
"Six Desires Demon Lord, after a thousand years apart, it seems your cultivation has improved considerably!"
Duanmu Ji narrowed his eyes. He could sense the other man's formidable cultivation.
The Six Desires Demon Lord glanced at everyone. When his gaze landed on Qin Hao, a trace of gravity appeared in his eyes.
He could sense a dangerous aura from Qin Hao, one that even made him feel threatened.
"Only Meng Tuozi is missing now!"
The Six Desires Demon Lord said, "I heard Meng Tuozi offended a Level 4 Cultivation Nation branch of the Giant Demon Clan and was hunted by the Ten War Devils. Three hundred years have passed. Who knows whether he survived?"
"Speaking of the Giant Demon Clan, I heard from a senior of the Tiangang Kingdom that the headquarters of the Giant Demon Clan's Level 5 Cultivation Nation suddenly activated its Nation-Protecting Grand Formation, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving!"
Wang Qingyue said solemnly, "I wonder what sort of upheaval occurred. It seems extremely serious."
Qin Hao's expression shifted. He guessed it was because the Giant Demon Clan Old Ancestor had fallen.
The Giant Demon Clan branch on Vermilion Bird Star had long since declined.
After he killed the Giant Demon Clan Old Ancestor, the Giant Demon Clan no longer had even a single Infant Transformation Expert.
If they could not produce another Infant Transformation Cultivator in a short time, the Giant Demon Clan might even fall to the rank of a Level 4 Cultivation Nation.
The Giant Demon Clan had once been incomparably tyrannical. Once they fell, they would inevitably attract the covetous eyes of other Level 4 and Level 5 Cultivation Nations.
"Heh heh heh, even if Old Man dies, I'll drag the entire Level 4 Cultivation Nation branch of the Giant Demon Clan down with me!"
A hoarse voice rang out, followed by the appearance of an enormous green toad dozens of zhang tall.
Every time the toad leaped, it teleported an immense distance. After only two jumps, it had already landed beside the group.
Rumble!
Like a small mountain, it crashed heavily onto the ground, making the earth shake violently.
A hunched elder in green robes sat cross-legged atop the toad.
He had triangular eyes and a sharp, monkey-like face. His face was covered in pustules, and he radiated a foul stench.
Meng Tuozi rubbed the pustules on his face and cackled strangely. "All those old bastards of the Giant Demon Clan were poisoned to death by me over these three hundred years. If I didn't need to enter the Land of the Ancient God, I would have exterminated their Giant Demon Clan long ago!"
As he spoke, he slowly walked down by stepping on the giant toad's tongue.
"Tch!"
The Ancient Emperor rolled his eyes. "The Giant Demon Clan of that Level 4 Cultivation Nation is merely a branch. If you truly exterminated them, the Giant Demon Clan of the Level 5 Cultivation Nation would hunt you down. That is not something anyone in our entire Demon Cultivation Sea can afford to provoke."
Meng Tuozi curled his lips and waved his sleeve. The massive toad immediately shrank to the size of a palm and landed on his shoulder.
The Six Desires Demon Lord frowned. "Meng Tuozi, after a thousand years, the stench on you has only grown worse."
Meng Tuozi glared at him. "You old bastard, others may fear your Six Desires Demon Art, but Old Man does not!"
The two stared at each other as violent spiritual energy began to surge between them.
"Enough. Let's hurry up, activate the array, and enter!"
Duanmu Ji interjected, afraid that the two would start fighting on the spot.
"Hmph!"
The Six Desires Demon Lord snorted coldly and immediately stepped forward, sending one hand seal after another into the Teleportation Array.
From time to time, he also took out materials and added them to it.
Very quickly, he finished modifying the Teleportation Array and said to the others, "As agreed, Old Man will contribute four Supreme Grade Spirit Stones this time!"
He patted his storage bag and took out four stones.
Duanmu Ji, the Ancient Emperor, and Meng Tuozi each reluctantly took out two stones.
A total of ten Supreme Grade Spirit Stones finally activated the array completely.
"Enter!"
With a furious shout from the Six Desires Demon Lord, all eight people entered the array.
Buzz!
The next moment, a violent pillar of spiritual light erupted, and the group vanished.
When they appeared again, they had already crossed the Shattered Star Chaos and arrived on a plain.
Directly ahead of them was an oval ring of light.
The Ancient Emperor glanced at the Restriction outside the ring of light and said, "The seal has not been broken. That means no one has entered for a thousand years."
Meng Tuozi asked, "How should we divide the treasures we obtain?"
"It is too early to discuss that. Let's wait until we pass the third trial."
Duanmu Ji spoke calmly.
After the Ancient Emperor opened the seal, everyone entered the oval ring of light.
Once inside, Qin Hao discovered that this place closely resembled the Extinction Realm beyond the Outer Realm Battlefield.
Everything was pitch-black, with countless enormous rocks floating through the darkness and drifting slowly forward.
After entering, everyone claimed a boulder of their own.
"What is that?"
Wang Qingyue cried out in alarm.
Everyone looked down and saw two bright lamps, each several zhang in size.
Yet upon closer inspection, they discovered they were actually a pair of eyes—bloodthirsty eyes.
Meng Tuozi said solemnly, "At the very least, this is a Desolate Beast comparable to the Grand Perfection of God Transformation!"
"Don't bother with it!"
The Six Desires Demon Lord said, "A thousand years ago, we passed safely. As long as we don't provoke it, there should be no problem."
Afterward, everyone began racing swiftly across one boulder after another.
Roar!
Suddenly, a roar shook the air. A purple-red Flood Dragon thousands of zhang long emerged from behind them and lunged forward to devour the group.
It opened its mouth and spat out black smoke. Wherever the smoke passed, every boulder melted away.
Meng Tuozi took a deep breath and sucked in the black smoke. The hump on his back grew higher and higher, while the pustules on his body became more numerous.
The Ancient Emperor brought out a great bell and launched it at the Flood Dragon. Ripples spread out continuously, preventing the Flood Dragon from advancing.
At that moment, the Flood Dragon opened its mouth wide. A fierce suction force erupted, and a red gleam suddenly surged from within, directly sweeping away the great bell.
The Ancient Emperor discovered that he had lost his connection to his magic treasure.
"Give me back my magic treasure!"
Seeing this, the Ancient Emperor roared angrily and chased after it.
Meng Tuozi seemed to be thinking of something and followed close behind as well.
"Boring!"
Qin Hao knew the Ancient Emperor was acting, while Meng Tuozi wanted to obtain the Flood Dragon's Poison Marrow.
Forget it. I should go wait at the true first trial first!
He quietly left the group and headed forward.
Before you continue