Strength trumped circumstance.

Outside the Nine-Story Palace.

"Hm?"

The Palace Master of the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace raised his brows slightly, gazing at the palace in confusion.

"How strange. Could something be wrong with the palace? He actually hasn't been teleported out?"

Everyone who had failed to enter the Third Level had now been sent out. Nearly half of them had failed to clear the first three floors.

The Palace Master of the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace scanned the dejected Inner Disciples who had been teleported out, but he still could not find Xu Xuan.

"It seems he must have entered the fourth floor."

"Palace Master, do you think he might make it to the seventh floor?"

The Palace Master of the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace shook his head slightly, a mocking smile curling his lips. "Him?"

"Heh, elders, you're worrying far too much. Every floor from here on has a guardian. Only after defeating the guardian of the preceding floor can you bring out the things on the next. As for the seventh floor, that's even more impossible."

"To clear the seventh floor, his cultivation would have to be at least at the Eighth Heaven of the Heavenly Mansion. Even with a chaos body, it would still be impossible. That much, I can guarantee!"

The Palace Master of the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace remained perfectly calm.

"Although he successfully cleared the first three trials, that was only to be expected. After all, he possesses a chaos body. If he couldn't even clear the first three trials, I would have to question whether his chaos body was genuine."

Ouyang Quede still seemed dissatisfied. "Palace Master, Elder Mo isn't here. That incident back then..."

"Hold your tongue! Never mention it again. If you do, you will no longer be an elder of my Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace. Understood?"

The Palace Master of the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace snapped, casting a glance at Ouyang Quede.

"Enough. Dismiss the Inner Disciples who failed. There's no need to allocate the major resources to them anymore, especially those who failed the first or second floor. Those who failed the Third Level simply lacked coordination and sufficient strength."

"As for the others, there's no point wasting resources."

"Yes..."

With just a few words, the Palace Master of the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace had decided their resource allocations.

This had been more than an opportunity. It had also been an assessment of the Inner Disciples.

Those who had failed the first or second floor had already been abandoned entirely by the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace.

Ouyang Quede dismissed the disciples. Those who had not even entered the Third Level had already been abandoned completely.

Inside the Nine-Level Palace.

The group of three arrived on the fourth floor.

It was a wide-open area, where some of the other Inner Disciples who had passed the trials also appeared.

Unlike the empty rooms before, this was not a separate space for each person, but a contest among five thousand people.

"Someone's coming!"

Some Inner Disciples had banded together to make it to the higher floors.

"Junior Sister, how about joining our team?"

Just then, a smiling disciple walked over, looking Yun Qingxue up and down as he spoke.

Yun Qingxue frowned at being ogled so lecherously by a man, but said nothing more.

"Sorry, she already has someone."

Xu Xuan held Yun Qingxue's hand tightly and met the Inner Disciples' gaze.

"Boy, I suggest you take your filthy hand off her. Otherwise, don't blame my blade for showing no mercy!"

The Inner Disciples grew angry at the sight. He slowly drew a massive, broad-bladed saber from his back, his face filled with murderous intent.

"Is that so?"

Xu Xuan raised his brows slightly, a faint smile curling his lips. He lifted a hand to stop Luo Xiaotian, who was just about to act beside him.

"She's mine. She already has someone. Don't you understand?"

Those unabashed words stirred Yun Qingxue's heart and brought a blush to her pretty face. She made a couple of token attempts to pull free, only to find Xu Xuan's grip unyielding.

"You're courting death!"

The Inner Disciples flew into a rage and swung his broad saber at Xu Xuan without hesitation.

Faced with that strike, Xu Xuan did not retreat. Instead, he stepped forward.

"If you insist on courting death, don't blame me!"

With a backhand shove, he sent the saber straight into the Inner Disciples, cutting him down.

A strange flash of energy swept past, and the Inner Disciples' figure gradually vanished.

It seemed the Nine-Level Palace had teleported him out.

"Xu Xuan, do you still remember me?"

At that moment, a familiar figure approached slowly with several people in tow.

Their cultivation was clearly higher than his, yet they all treated him as their leader.

There was no other reason for it than that he was Xing Yun, Elder Bai's disciple, and his senior brother was one of the Ten Core Disciples and one of the three Holy Sons.

The current three Holy Sons were all in the Purple Mansion Realm.

Xing Yun looked at Xu Xuan with a face that was practically begging to be punched.

"Xu Xuan, today I'll avenge what happened that day. Since you've fallen into my hands, you'd better accept your elimination!"

It had to be said that Xing Yun had considerable influence. With a slight wave of his hand, dozens of Inner Disciples surrounded Xu Xuan.

"If you kneel and kowtow to me twice right now, I guarantee you'll make it through the first five floors unharmed. What do you think?"

"I'll even take only half of whatever you get. Why not consider it?"

Xing Yun spoke with a chuckle. In truth, his ability had been enough to reach the fourth floor by now, but he had chosen to stay and wait so he could avenge what had happened that day.

"A defeated loser like you still dares to ask for another beating?"

Xu Xuan looked at Xing Yun and sneered. "You're just a useless wretch who can only lean on his master and senior brother. You aren't worth shit!"

"You!"

Xing Yun cursed furiously. "Kill him! Make sure he's eliminated! Don't let him get past even the fourth floor!"

Xing Yun screamed abuse hysterically.

"Well..."

Both sides were disciples of elders. For a moment, the Inner Disciples truly did not dare to act rashly.

Surrounding him was one thing, but attacking him would change the nature of the matter.

"What? Are you refusing to listen to me now? My eldest senior brother is one of the three Holy Sons! He's nothing but a little disciple who just joined!"

After that barrage of shouting, they finally came to their senses.

Indeed, even if Xu Xuan held a grudge, wouldn't it be against Xing Yun?

At that thought, everyone cupped their hands. "Junior Brother Xu, sorry about this!"

With that, they really were about to attack.

"Let's see who dares!"

Luo Xiaotian took a single step forward, and the power of his cultivation at the Ninth Heaven of the Heavenly Mansion swept out.

"Have you all gotten so full of yourselves? I am the Young Palace Master of the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace! Am I worth less than some damned Holy Son?"

Luo Xiaotian roared in fury.

"All of you, stand down at once! Let me slaughter this little bastard!"

"Yes, Senior Brother Luo!"

Outside, they had clearly seen the Palace Master of the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace personally take him as a disciple. Surely that could not have been false?

Not daring to offend him, the Inner Disciples immediately stepped aside, pretending they knew nothing.

Only Xing Yun remained, left utterly bewildered in the wind.