Reaching the Eighth Level!

At that moment, Xu Xuan, who had already entered the eighth level of the Nine-Story Palace, finally strode over with a swagger that acknowledged neither kin nor family.

The eighth level was utterly empty as far as the eye could see.

Xu Xuan did not see so much as a single silhouette.

"Strange. Could I be the only person who has reached the eighth level so far?"

Xu Xuan was thoroughly puzzled. Logically, those Core Disciples should all have had a chance of reaching the eighth level.

Yet now, he could not see a single one of them.

Even Luo Xiaotian, whom he had parted ways with earlier, was nowhere to be found.

Perhaps he had been eliminated, or perhaps he had gone somewhere else.

Xu Xuan had no idea.

But as the Son of Heaven's Dao, Luo Xiaotian was practically impossible to eliminate unless he wanted it himself, so he had probably gone elsewhere.

Then where was Xu Xuan himself?

Xu Xuan looked completely bewildered. The more he studied his surroundings, the more something seemed wrong.

This clearly did not look like the ordinary eighth level inside the Nine-Level Palace.

"System, do you know what this place is?"

With no other choice, he once again sought help from the system he had lucked into.

Ding! Host, this is an alternate-dimensional space!

The system replied slowly.

"An alternate-dimensional space?"

Xu Xuan was even more bewildered. Wasn't this place the Nine-Level Palace?

How had it become an alternate-dimensional space?

"Doesn't this place belong to the Nine-Level Palace?"

Yes!

The system replied calmly, "Host, would you like to scan for nearby lifeforms?"

"Nearby lifeforms?"

Xu Xuan froze briefly, then immediately said, "Scan! Scan right away!"

Ding!

An egg has been detected near the host. A life is being nurtured within it!

"There really is something here?"

Without time to think further, Xu Xuan hurriedly asked, "Where is that egg?"

Straight ahead!

"Good."

With excitement stirring in his heart, Xu Xuan slowly walked forward.

He soon spotted the enormous egg before him. With a slight shift of his will, he placed the white egg directly into his Spatial Ring.

Only after finishing all this did he reach the end of the alternate-dimensional space.

Watching the disturbances in the surrounding space, Xu Xuan said nothing and slowly took two steps forward.

Sensing the spatial fluctuations, Xu Xuan slowly closed his eyes...

At last, he opened his eyes, a look of sudden understanding appearing on his face.

"I finally found the way out!"

Smiling inwardly, Xu Xuan gently tore forward with his arm. As the space before him twisted again and again, he finally entered the eighth level in earnest.

Feeling the pressure bearing down on him from all around, Xu Xuan kept his expression composed, though uncertainty churned within him.

The waves of pressure made every step a struggle!

With each step, he felt as though ten thousand pounds weighed upon his body, slowing his pace to a crawl.

Looking around and still finding no one, Xu Xuan did not know that he had actually spent several days inside that space.

It was only because time flowed differently inside and outside that he had failed to notice.

Xu Xuan muttered to himself, "There are clear signs that people passed through here. Those Core Disciples must have already gone ahead. They certainly live up to their title. Their speed really is jaw-dropping."

After speaking to himself, Xu Xuan continued forward against the pressure.

Although the pressure made every step difficult, the urge to break through came with it.

"Hmm?"

Thoroughly surprised, Xu Xuan glanced around.

"I never imagined this pressure could actually help me break through!"

The urge to break through rising within his body left Xu Xuan momentarily stunned.

But he also knew that making too many breakthroughs in a short time could affect his foundation.

Even with his system, he would probably still suffer some effects, however slight.

Seemingly sensing Xu Xuan's concerns, the system said bluntly, "Host, the drawbacks of every breakthrough, including those caused by accelerating your foundational progress, will be resolved!"

Hearing this, Xu Xuan naturally had no more concerns.

"Good. Then I'll try breaking through today!"

As he walked, Xu Xuan's cultivation began rocketing upward.

From the seventh heaven of the heavenly mansion realm, he advanced straight to the ninth heaven of the heavenly mansion realm before finally slowing to a stop.

Xu Xuan drew a deep breath.

He had now reached the end of the eighth level.

The floor was a gleaming mirror.

Gazing at his reflection and seeing his own glowing complexion, Xu Xuan said nothing.

He was now an entirely different person from when he had first entered.

When he first arrived, he had only been at the third heaven of the heavenly mansion realm.

Now, however, he had already broken through to the ninth heaven.

He was only one step away from another realm: the purple mansion!

"This truly is a place filled with great opportunities!"

Xu Xuan was now somewhat enveloped in the sense of accomplishment his breakthroughs had brought him.

Anyone who broke through so many stages in such a short time would probably wear an equally excited expression, wouldn't they?

"I wonder whether I can break through to the purple mansion when I reach the ninth level?"

Muttering to himself, Xu Xuan took two steps forward.

There was still a measure of excitement in Xu Xuan's voice.

Meanwhile, in the Cloud Azure Territory.

The Cloud Azure Territory was now occupied by countless members of the Demon Race.

By this point, a month had passed within the Cloud Azure Territory, and the Demon Race had almost completely occupied it.

The various Demon Race clans had slaughtered living beings throughout the Cloud Azure Territory until blood flowed in rivers. People everywhere suffered devastating casualties, and countless cultivators had lost their wives and children.

The atrocities committed by the Demon Race were enough to enrage humans and gods alike.

Some particularly savage members of the Demon Race even held contests with their companions to see who could kill the most humans.

"Brother Ape, I've slaughtered seventeen thousand humans in total!"

A crocodile licked his lips and shouted excitedly.

The one addressed as Brother Ape was an ape.

He gently rubbed his head, looked at the crocodile demon before him, and said calmly, "Heh, too few, far too few. The humans I've swallowed alone number nearly ten thousand. Besides, I've been following the Son of the Heavenly Demon these past days, fighting alongside him and usually helping him seize blood food from all quarters."

"If we're really counting strictly, I've probably killed more than a hundred thousand humans!"

He laughed heartily, brimming with excitement, as though all the humans he had killed were livestock.

Little did he realize that he himself was livestock!

"What?"

The crocodile demon looked shocked. Staring at the ape, he was so excited he could barely contain himself.

"You're saying you can serve at the Son of the Heavenly Demon's side?"

"That's right. What do you think? Your big brother is doing pretty well for himself now, isn't he?"

"As long as I follow the Son of the Heavenly Demon, I'll have a chance to break through to the purple mansion and become a Divine Beast Guard!"

As he spoke, he gazed into the distance, excitement gleaming in his eyes!