Ascending the Heavenly Steps!

The moment Dao Venerable Liyuan vanished, the sky shattered.

The phantom of the Treasured Earth Dao Fruit was fully manifested above the three pillars of light; an extremely grand Dao staircase extended down from the depths of the void.

The earthen-yellow radiance paved each step of the Heavenly Dao, leading straight to the end of the sky, to that ethereal throne of supreme power.

The Daoist path exists between the real and the illusory, shining brightly.

The golden-brown rock dragon Six Dao Immortal Foundation circulating simultaneously around its body: Fertile and Moist Governance, High Ramparts and Peace, Earth Nurtures Spirit, Mountain Returns Qi, Vast and Broad Earth, and Ten-Thousand-Layered Edge.

With the Six-Foundation Perfection, the Daoist essence converged within his body into a torrent, flowing into the Daoist steps beneath his feet; with each step the Rock Dragon took, the Treasured Earth Dao between heaven and earth surged into his body, merging and resonating with the Daoist essence of the six foundations.

The body also changed accordingly; the rocky form receded, gradually revealing a human shape.

Shi Jian watched the climbing figure from afar, his heart trembling slightly; every step on those steps was accompanied by strange phenomena of heaven and earth.

An earth-yellow radiance spread from beneath his feet, solidifying the void wherever it passed, manifesting the Great Dao, and making the Treasured Earth shine with spiritual light throughout heaven and earth!

But the Earth Virtue Dao Venerable would not give him that opportunity.

"Crush him."

The Earth Virtue Dao Venerable's voice was extremely low, yet it clearly resonated throughout the entire battlefield.

The phantom of the colossal beast carrying mountains on its back suddenly expanded, and the power of the Earth Virtue Dao Fruit was like a colossal mountain collapsing down on the Dao Rank.

The sheer weight of that Daoist power caused even the void itself to groan.

The ground beneath Shi Jian's feet collapsed by tens of feet, Shan Li's face turned pale. The Ten-Thousand-Layered Edge Immortal Foundation within his body trembled violently.

This is beyond their reach; under the overwhelming power of the Dao Venerable, even a Spirit Transformation is nothing more than an ant.

But just as Earth Virtue Dao Wei was about to reach the Dao level...

The two beams of dark yellow light exploded simultaneously!

Yan Ji and Yan Zhu.

The two Nascent Spirit Transformation at the Five-Foundation Extreme Realm made the same choice almost simultaneously; they abandoned their own paths of seeking proof, and the five Immortal Foundation Daoist principles burned wildly within their bodies.

The primordial fire transformed all their life's cultivation and accumulation into the purest essence of the Treasured Earth Dao, which then broke free.

The Daoist aura detached from their bodies, transforming into two dazzling, earthy-yellow streams of light, like two surging rivers, flowing into the Yan Zhen steps beneath Yan Zhen's feet.

Above the Dao Steps, the light surged dramatically.

Yan Zhen paused, then suddenly accelerated, his steps becoming faster and smoother as he ascended the steps to the heavens!

"Yan Zhen!!"

The black rhinoceros on the Yan Ji roared to the sky, its voice beginning to shatter.

"Hurry up! Don't look back!!!"

The gray elephant Yan Zhu remained silent, its bones crumbling amidst cracking sounds, its skin and flesh charred and falling away, and the Daoist essence of the five Immortal Foundation poured out like a flood, all flowing into the Daoist steps.

The last glimmer of light in his pupils was rapidly fading.

Just before their source was completely consumed, the two colossal beasts turned around and, with their last remaining bodies, protected Yan Zhen he ascended to heaven!

They charged forward, towards the might of the Earth Virtue Dao Venerable, towards the fist of the Ultimate Force Ape Emperor, and towards the bone claws of the Ancestor Egu.

The two mangled bodies, like two meteorites, crashed into the attack of the three Dao Venerable.

Boom!!

The Yan Ji's body shattered into dust under the power of the Earth Virtue, but the shattered flesh and bones transformed into layers of earth-yellow light before dissipating, blocking the path before the Dao steps.

With a single punch, the Ultimate Force Ape Emperor unleashed the Yan Zhu, sending half of its body flying tens of millions of miles away; but at the last moment, the giant elephant used its remaining essence to detonate its own immortal Immortal Foundation.

The essence of the Treasured Earth Dao deflected the Ultimate Force Ape Emperor's fist strike by a single point.

The difference of a single line is the time it takes for Yan Zhen to climb one more level of the Dao.

We've already completed half of the Daoist steps; ascension to heaven is just around the corner!

Shi Jian looked at the two mangled bodies, now reduced to dust, his purple-gold eyes flashing with an unpredictable light, and felt a sense of awe.

He had witnessed murder, witnessed being murdered, witnessed scheming, and witnessed betrayal.

Yet, this resolute act of transforming himself into a Dao-level being without the slightest hesitation still sent a shiver down his spine and filled him with awe.

Five-Foundation Extreme Realm.

Even in the Beast Realm, they were the focus of cultivation by various royal families, and were considered seeds of enlightenment; these two Nascent Spirit Transformation gave up not only their lives, but also nearly ten thousand years of accumulated cultivation.

Furthermore, they abandoned that slim, yet real, opportunity to attain enlightenment.

Everything was reduced to ashes, all to pave the way for Yan Zhen.

From an outsider's perspective, Shi Jian would admire them; but as an opponent, Shi Jian was equally troubled...

But how could it be so easy to block the attacks of three Dao Venerable?

The self-destruction of the Yan Ji and Yan Zhu only delayed things for a few breaths; the Earth Virtue Dao Venerable flipped his palm, and the power of the Earth Virtue Dao Fruit was re-condensed, even more refined and heavier than before.

This time, he no longer crushed Yan Zhen with his bare hands, but instead gathered his Dao power into a beam of mysterious light, aiming directly at the Dao level, intending to kill Yan Zhen!

"Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot."

The moment the Xuan Guang struck, the remaining ten Nascent Spirit Transformation of the Li Yuan Giant Beast Clan could no longer restrain themselves and rushed out together.

There were no commands, no shouts.

Silently and resolutely, they flew out from all parts of the ancestral court, blocking the path of that mysterious light, intending to exchange their lives for the future of their clan!

The leading behemoth, a Middle Spirit Transformation, opened its massive maw and poured all its immortal Immortal Foundation essence into its flesh and blood, causing its entire body to swell to its limit.

In the next instant, a mysterious light pierced through his body.

The flesh and blood exploded with a bang, turning into a cloud of blood mist...

The second Nascent Spirit Transformation met the attack head-on, similarly detonating his own source energy.

The third one.

The fourth one.

Four Nascent Spirit Transformation perished in succession before they could barely withstand that attack.

Shi Jian watched as the Nascent Spirit Transformation of the Li Yuan Giant Beast Clan crashed into the attack one after another; they did not struggle, nor did they hesitate.

Some of them were only at the Early Spirit Transformation, unable to withstand even a breath of the aftershocks of the Earth Virtue Dao Venerable; yet they still rushed forward without hesitation, transforming themselves into a thin barrier.

They used their own flesh and blood to protect the path, a truly tragic and heroic act.

Just as the other Spirit Transformation were still trying to stop them, Shi Jian and the other Nascent Spirit Transformation from the Beast Realm finally arrived at the battlefield.

They all took action, unleashing their Divine Ability and manifesting their immortal Immortal Foundation to firmly hold back the remaining group of the Li Yuan Giant Beast at their Nascent Spirit Transformation!

This battle may be a battle for the survival of their Li Yuan Giant Beast Clan.

But it is equally important to the Beast Realm.

Shi Jian's wife, Shan Li, also cultivated Immortal Foundation under the Treasured Earth; if the Giant Beast Clan were to truly inherit the position, Shan Li would likely have her Immortal Foundation mark erased on the spot.

Just like when the Ancestor Egu attained enlightenment through Barbarian Bone.

With a single thought, the Dao Venerable can decide the life or death of Spirit Transformation!

Shi Jian absolutely could not allow such a thing to happen, so he rushed to the front and suppressed a giant beast that Spirit Transformation.

now--

The entire sky was buzzing, the phantom of the Treasured Earth Dao Fruit became more and more solid, Yan Zhen, who was above the Dao Rank, was radiant with light.

The six fundamental principles of Dao have resonated with the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, reaching a certain critical point.

The expression on Earth Virtue Dao Venerable's face finally changed.

We can't delay any longer.

Seeing that the other Spirit Transformation were all intercepted by several Nascent Spirit Transformation, the Earth Virtue Dao Fruit activated his full power, Dao Venerable's Dao power solidified into a massive, inverted, earth-yellow mountain, which crashed down on the Dao Steps.

The power contained within that giant mountain was enough to annihilate any Spirit Transformation.

Even Yan Zhen, at the peak of the Six-Foundation Extreme Realm, would have no chance of survival under the full force of the Dao Venerable's attack...

The Ultimate Force Ape Emperor and the Ancestor Egu attacked simultaneously, and the three Dao Venerable joined forces to instantly clear away all obstacles.

Before the Dao Ranks, there are no more barriers.

Yan Zhen looked up, his expression tragic.

Its pupils reflected the colossal mountain descending from the sky, yet its face showed no fear; only a few steps remained beneath its feet, but the Earth Virtue Dao Venerable's attack was already within reach.

It's too late, all is lost!

Shi Jian saw it from afar, and the thought flashed through his mind.

Everyone could see that Yan Zhen's lack was not in cultivation level or foundation, but in time; the time that Dao Venerable Liyuan had risked his life to buy for him, and the time that the Yan Ji and Yan Zhu had burned their source to buy for him.

The group of Nascent Spirit Transformation risked their lives to buy him time, but it still wasn't enough.

Just a few more steps...

The massive, yellowish-brown mountain crashed down, only to be stopped by a hand.

A vibrant green hand emerged from the void; on its palm, life force surged like a tide, supporting the massive, earthen-yellow mountain.

The giant mountain remained suspended in mid-air, completely still.

Earth Virtue Dao Venerable's expression froze, then he flew into a rage.

Behind that emerald green hand, a rift tore open in the void; from within the rift, an extremely vast vitality surged forth, colliding head-on with the power of the Earth Virtue Dao Fruit.

The power of Dao Venerable.

"Who?!" the Ultimate Force Ape Emperor roared.

No one answered. The hand simply held the giant mountain silently, and the emerald light in the palm continued to spread, gradually eroding and disintegrating the power of the Earth Virtue.

At this moment, all was silent!

"The Spirit Race!!!"

You deserve to die!!!