Nine Fangs of Gods and Devils (Seeking Follow-up Reads!)

"Challenge the War God Hall?"

Lei Zhan looked toward the Yellow-Haired Great Bear. "My strength has improved significantly since before, so I must naturally challenge the War God Hall!"

"Hmm." The Yellow-Haired Great Bear nodded. "I wonder if you intend to challenge the second level or the third level of this War God Hall?"

"The third level?" Lei Zhan was stunned. He knew that one could choose the difficulty of the challenge in the War God Hall. The third level, however, offered the chance to obtain even more precious Earth-rank magic treasures and artifacts.

Could it be that Senior Great Bear thought he had a chance to clear the third level?

Suppressing the stirrings in his heart, Lei Zhan looked at the Yellow-Haired Great Bear and asked, "Senior Great Bear, what are my odds of clearing the second level of the War God Hall now? And if I were to challenge the third level, what would my odds be then?"

"You little fellow are quite cautious."

The Yellow-Haired Great Bear glanced at Lei Zhan. "After five years of tempering, you now have a seventy percent chance of clearing the second level of the War God Hall. As for the third level, you have less than a five percent chance."

"Less than five percent?" Lei Zhan felt helpless.

He was expected to challenge it with only a five percent chance? That was practically setting him up for failure!

One had to know that for every realm—Xiantian Being, Purple Mansion, Myriad Phenomena, Primordial Spirit, and Void Return—a cultivator only had two opportunities to challenge the War God Hall.

Therefore, before crossing the Heavenly Tribulation, every immortal cultivator had at most ten chances in total!

Furthermore, Lei Zhan had only entered the Water Mansion at the Purple Mansion stage, leaving him with only eight chances remaining!

It could be said that every single attempt was incredibly precious!

"The first and second levels test whether a God-Devil possesses the strength of the Purple Mansion stage. The third and fourth levels, however, test those who possess the strength of the Myriad Phenomena stage," the Yellow-Haired Great Bear said.

"You must understand that clearing the third level of the War God Hall allows you to directly exchange for an Earth-rank magic treasure; the difficulty is naturally worlds apart from the first and second levels. Moreover, for every level you ascend, the difficulty of the War God Hall increases exponentially!"

"In that case." Lei Zhan smiled slightly at the Yellow-Haired Great Bear. "Senior Great Bear, then I shall challenge the second level of the War God Hall!"

"Very well." The Yellow-Haired Great Bear said no more and waved a hand.

Whoosh!

Space shifted, and the stars moved.

The figures of Lei Zhan and the Yellow-Haired Great Bear vanished instantly from the Hall of Treasures, which was filled with magic treasures and artifacts, and arrived before a bronze gate.

"We have arrived at the War God Hall." The Yellow-Haired Great Bear looked back at Lei Zhan.

Lei Zhan raised his gaze.

"The War God Hall."

Before his eyes stood a massive bronze gate, engraved with battle axes and spears.

A hazy red light shrouded the entire gate, as if adding a layer of bloody slaughter to the bronze gate, which was already saturated with the aura of warfare.

"Lei Zhan, this is your first time challenging the War God Hall," the Yellow-Haired Great Bear said. "Although the essence of the War God Hall is to test and temper you, and your God-Devil Body Refining has reached the level of Rebirth from a Drop of Blood, making the possibility of you dying in the War God Hall very low, it is still a test, and danger will always exist."

"Do not truly lose your life."

"Understood. Lei Zhan will keep that in mind." Lei Zhan nodded.

Even though the Great Bear said he had a seventy percent chance, Lei Zhan would not gamble with his own life, even if it meant giving up this opportunity.

Across the vast and boundless earth, the soil was dark red, like blood.

A towering pagoda stood silently, as if time itself could not leave a single mark upon it.

Lei Zhan stepped forward, walking toward the pagoda gate that shimmered with a faint white light beneath the towering structure.

"Hoo."

Two steps.

Three steps.

Lei Zhan arrived directly at the gate and stepped inside.

Immediately, the familiar fluctuation of spatial displacement appeared, and Lei Zhan was instantly teleported into a hazy space.

This hazy space was immense, spanning a thousand zhang in both width and height.

"The second level of the War God Hall." Lei Zhan scanned his surroundings. "I wonder what kind of trial this Senior Great Bear will arrange for me."

Even within the second level, trials could be easy or difficult. It all depended on the mood of the Yellow-Haired Great Bear, the Magic Treasure Spirit of the Water Mansion.

Although the Yellow-Haired Great Bear valued the talent Lei Zhan displayed, valuing him did not mean he would go easy on him to let him pass.

Even though he had obtained the inheritance of Daoist Sanshou's divine ability, the Star-Plucking Hand, as long as he had not crossed the Heavenly Tribulation, Lei Zhan was still not the true master of this Water Mansion.

If he truly died during the tempering... then he died. The Magic Treasure Spirit would simply continue to wait for the next master.

Lei Zhan shook his head slightly, putting away his myriad thoughts, and began to guard himself carefully.

Suddenly—

Whoosh~~~

A black light flashed across the entire space. Quickly, the black light condensed, forming a human figure in an instant.

"Hmm? It's here!" Lei Zhan looked over.

This was a bald old man who appeared to be smiling, empty-handed, and harmless, yet the aura he exuded was enough to make one's heart tremble with fear.

"Oh?" The bald old man squinted as he surveyed his surroundings, finally letting his gaze settle on Lei Zhan.

"To think it's just a little brat at the Purple Mansion level..."

"Hmm? A God-Devil? They've released a God-Devil on the second level of the War God Hall?"

Lei Zhan sensed the bald old man's aura slightly, his expression changing instantly as his heart sank in secret.

Didn't they say I had a seventy percent chance of passing the second level of the War God Hall? The aura radiating from this God-Devil is something even the pressure my master gives me cannot compare to...

Whoosh~~~

Lei Zhan's figure flickered, and he immediately manifested Three Heads and Six Arms, utilizing the Law of Heaven and Earth.

The towering giant, nearly five zhang tall, gripped three long spears that radiated a bone-chilling cold within his six arms.

"Three Heads and Six Arms? Law of Heaven and Earth?"

"You little fellow at the Purple Mansion level, could you be that Lei Zhan?"

The bald old man said casually, "Rest assured! What has come here is merely one ten-thousandth of a sliver of my divine power. As long as you defeat me, this second level will be considered passed!"

"One ten-thousandth of a sliver of divine power?" Lei Zhan's heart immediately leaped into his throat.

Even if it were only an insignificant sliver of divine power, that sliver originated from a terrifying God-Devil who was at least at the Void Return level, if not even more powerful.

One had to remember, his God-Devil Body Refining was only at the Purple Mansion level.

"This difficulty... it really is tempering me to the point of death!" Lei Zhan gritted his teeth.

Inside the main hall of the Water Mansion.

Immortal Juhua and the Yellow-Haired Great Bear stood side by side. Before them was a massive circular mirror. The mirror reflected Lei Zhan and the smiling bald old man.

"Senior Great Bear, the trial of the second level of the War God Hall... seems a bit too difficult, doesn't it!"

Immortal Juhua turned to look at the Yellow-Haired Great Bear, his expression somewhat unsightly. "Although the God-Devil in the form of that bald old man is only formed from an insignificant sliver of divine power, the aura that avatar radiates is at least that of a late-stage or even peak Void Return existence..."

A God-Devil at the late-stage or peak Void Return level was an existence capable of easily killing a Celestial Immortal.

With that level of strength, even a tiny, insignificant sliver of divine power would find killing a Purple Mansion cultivator easier than a mortal crushing an ant.

"Difficult?" The Yellow-Haired Great Bear glanced at the grim-faced Immortal Juhua. "This disciple of yours is an incredibly monstrous genius. Now that he is approaching the critical juncture of his tenth year, if we don't apply some pressure, it will be difficult for him to obtain the divine abilities left behind by my master."

"Besides, with his cultivation level, he will soon be heading out to venture into the world, right? If jade is not polished, it cannot become a vessel. Even if God-Devils are not prominent in this era, it is highly possible he will encounter some powerful God-Devils out there; consider this an early experience for him."

"This..." Immortal Juhua fell silent.

He naturally understood the principle that one could not raise a powerhouse in a greenhouse.

Given Lei Zhan's strength, he would be heading out to venture into the world by the Myriad Phenomena level at the latest. For a monster who grasped the Dao so quickly, breaking through to the Myriad Phenomena level was only a matter of time.

The Yellow-Haired Great Bear looked at the circular mirror before him, a faint trace of anticipation on his face as he watched the young man standing across from the bald old man.

"Rest assured. Although Jiuya is a Void Return God-Devil preparing to undergo his Celestial Tribulation, he has always known his limits. He won't let anything happen to your precious disciple."