From a distance, Wu Hei entered Qingyun Road, shrouded in mist, rendering it impossible to see what Wu Hei encountered inside. However, in just a moment, the roar of a beast resounded once more.

"Wu Hei? Another one seeking death," Hou Fei murmured beside Qin Yu.

Qin Yu nodded in agreement.

Qingyun Road stretched nearly ten thousand miles long, and True Master Ming Shan had only entered briefly before dying. Qin Yu was certain that True Master Ming Shan must have traveled less than a tenth of the distance. In other words, True Master Ming Shan died without even encountering the real danger.

How much stronger could this Wu Hei be compared to True Master Ming Shan?

"Roar~~" An enraged roar erupted but weakened in just a moment.

Almost at the same time, Du Zhongjun, Man Qian, and others looked towards Wu Hei’s Soul Jade Scroll lying undisturbed on the ground—it hadn’t shattered at all.

"Wu Hei seems to have overcome the first challenge on Qingyun Road," Man Qian said with a smile, looking towards Du Zhongjun, "Du Zhongjun, perhaps Wu Hei might have some dumb luck and actually reach the far end of Qingyun Road—Nine-layered Heaven."

Du Zhongjun merely smiled.

Was it that easy to cross Qingyun Road? The roar from before was heard even by those on White Jade Square, indicating the battle occurred close to White Jade Square.

"Whether Wu Hei can reach Nine-layered Heaven is hard to say, but at least he has gone farther than Ming Shan did," Du Zhongjun said with a light smile, glancing at Hua Yan as if quite pleased with himself.

Hua Yan’s face was expressionless; he was simply listening to the sounds coming from Qingyun Road.

"Hmm, the sounds of powerful energy colliding," Ao Feng said with a frown, "It started with the roar of a beast; could it be that near Qingyun Road’s entrance, there are demon beasts or the like... and now there’s the collision of powerful energies. It seems... there are still living beings inside Ni Yang Realm."

Even if it was a demon beast, one capable of killing True Master Ming Shan must already have a humanoid form and possess human intelligence.

Ni Yang Realm wasn’t entirely bereft of life; it had living demon beasts and humans inside.

Man Qian also frowned and nodded, "Yes, there might be followers of Immortal Emperor Ni Yang within the realm. No... that’s not right."

Suddenly, Man Qian’s eyes lit up as he began to ponder, "Initially, Immortal Emperor Ni Yang entered the Mortal World without a single follower."

"Where did these followers come from? And from whence came that beastly roar?" Man Qian thought quietly, "Could it be from when...?" His eyes shone with realization.

At that moment, Ao Feng gave Man Qian a meaningful smile.

Man Qian returned the smile coldly.

Meanwhile, Hua Yan and Du Zhongjun had not considered where that beastly roar originated from.

"Brother Ao Feng, you also want to compete with me for that item?" Man Qian sent directly through a Communication Order, not wishing to let Du Zhongjun and Hua Yan know that ’that thing’ was also in Ni Yang Realm.

"Brother Man Qian, don’t mention that ’thing’; it’s just a scroll. You must have guessed what treasure it is. Truly, it surprises me that the scroll is also in Ni Yang Realm; it’s an unexpected delight. Aside from the artifacts coveted by the leaders of the Immortal, Demon, and Beast worlds, this scroll ranks at least second in the entire Ni Yang Realm. I had assumed Immortal Emperor Ni Yang would bestow the scroll on a destined person; I never expected it would remain here. If obtained... humph, even as a Golden Dragon, my status in the Dragon Clan could rival that of a Five-clawed Golden Dragon!" Ao Feng’s message clearly demonstrated his determination to secure the ’scroll.’

"Fine, you wish to obtain it, and so do I; we shall see who has the true capability when the time comes," Man Qian replied through the Communication Order.

Ao Feng responded with a light smile.

Within his heart, Ao Feng made a decision: "Now that the leaders of the Immortal, Demon, and Beast worlds have breached the barriers between the worlds to snatch that artifact, even if I cannot obtain it, I cannot be blamed for failure. Why not use that trump card to fight for this scroll? Once it’s mine, my status would undergo a drastic change."

All four envoys from the Upper Realm were vying for their leaders’ coveted legendary treasure.

Yet even if they succeeded in obtaining it, they would have to present it to their respective leaders and gain little benefit themselves. Therefore... it might be better to risk being charged with incompetence to seize this scroll instead.

Having planned to use his trump card in the battle for the scroll, Ao Feng’s personal desires had already grown heavy.

One could hardly blame Ao Feng, given the supreme prestige of that treasure. How could someone of his level possibly get a hold of such a precious item in the realms of Immortals, Demons, and Beasts?

"Ah... If I were to possess it, my strength would absolutely increase by more than tenfold!!!" Ao Feng’s heart trembled with eagerness, his desire for the scroll reaching an intense peak.

Excited as he was, how could Man Qian not be just as thrilled?

Right now, only the two of them had guessed the existence of the scroll, while Hua Yan and Du Zhongjun remained unaware.

...

"Boom!" A crisp sound, similar to a jade piece shattering, echoed across White Jade Square as Wu Hei’s corresponding Soul Jade Scroll finally split apart.

A full three hours had passed. Wu Hei had been in Qingyun Road for three hours before he perished.

"Both Independent Immortals and Independent Demons have made their moves, it’s your Dragon Clan’s turn now," Man Qian said with a smile looking at Ao Feng, who calmly replied, "Elder Yan Shan, trouble you to take action."

The Dragon Clan’s three Great Elders were Yan Shan, Ao Xu, and Ao Yan.

However, Ao Yan had already died in the battle at Scattered Treasure Rock, leaving only Yan Shan and Ao Xu, the two Great Elders. Yan Shan, a Silver Dragon at the Twelfth Tribulation Independent Demon Realm was clearly a notch more powerful.

Compared to True Master Ming Shan and Wu Hei, the Twelfth Tribulation Silver Dragon was the most formidable.

"Elder Yan Shan, be careful," Fang Tian advised Yan Shan.

"Clan Leader, Envoy Sir, rest assured," Yan Shan said with a smile, then confidently stepped into Qingyun Road.

Man Qian said with a light smile, "Brother Ao Feng, I see that this Elder Yan Shan of yours is quite strong, definitely much more so than Wu Hei. He should be able to get through Qingyun Road, I presume."

"Whether he passes or not depends on his own strength; there’s no use talking about it now," Ao Feng replied with a slight smile.

At this moment, a silent struggle had already begun between the two of them.

For the sake of that scroll, they were willing to spare nothing to eliminate each other.

Man Qian looked at Ao Feng and sneered inwardly, "His Majesty has been truly generous this time. Perhaps it’s the influence of my identity as the Super Divine Beast, Purple-eyed Bull Demon King, that he even bestowed a Low Grade Divine Artifact upon me. Although it’s just the lowest ranked Attack Lower Grade Divine Artifact, it’s still much more powerful than a Top-Grade Immortal Artifact."

"If I get that scroll, my strength could increase at least tenfold. Then, I’d have a much better chance of obtaining the treasure His Majesty desires," Man Qian was incapable of calming his heart at this moment.

He constantly thought about that scroll.

For Man Qian, that scroll was immensely valuable. After all, it was a scroll that even the Six Great Leaders of various worlds had once coveted, only to eventually fall into the hands of Immortal Emperor Ni Yang.

...

"Big Brother, it’s been over three hours now, and that Dragon Clan Elder hasn’t died yet. It looks like he has a good chance of getting through," Hou Fei said, feeling very relaxed as he was just waiting for his Ascension.

Qin Yu remained silent.

"Feifei, Little Black, do you feel that there’s something chaotic about the demeanors of Man Qian and Ao Feng?" Qin Yu whispered.

These three brothers were whispering to each other at one end of White Jade Square, unnoticed by Hua Yan, Ao Feng, and the others at the center of the square.

"Right, both Man Qian and Ao Feng have lost their usual composed demeanors; they’re like tigers ready to pounce, possessing a kind of crazy momentum," Hou Fei observed carefully and whispered back.

Qin Yu nodded in agreement.

Hua Yan, Du Zhongjun, Zong Jue, and Fang Tian had also felt the change in Ao Feng and Man Qian’s auras.

"Hey, Brother Ao Feng. The competition for that item hasn’t even started yet. Even if you manage to get it, it’s for the Dragon Emperor, so do you really need to be so frantic? You’re getting a little too excited," Du Zhongjun said.

Taking a deep breath, Ao Feng chuckled and said, "Seeing that we’re about to reach the Nine-layered Heaven, it’s natural to get a bit excited. Sigh, my emotional cultivation still isn’t sufficient."

"Brother Man Qian, you have the strongest ability; you don’t need to be too tense, do you?" Zong Jue said softly.

Man Qian also tried to suppress the surging emotions in his heart and just nodded.

Calm?

If anyone in the field knew about the existence of that scroll, they wouldn’t be able to remain calm; it was simply impossible to stay composed.

"Boom!"

Once again, a crisp shattering sound echoed.

"Yan Shan is dead," Ao Xu’s complexion changed, and many of the experts’ faces turned unsightly.

Among the Dragon Clan’s three Great Elders, Yan Shan was ranked first in strength. Even the likes of True Master Ming Liang and Wu Kongxue were at most on par with Yan Shan. With Yan Shan dead, one could imagine the difficulty of Qingyun Road.

"The Dragon Clan has finished its attempt; now it should be the turn of the Primordial Wilderness Demon Clan," Ao Feng said, looking towards Man Qian.

Man Qian slowly replied, "Kong Cao, it’s your turn."

"Yes, my lord."

Kong Cao didn’t feel much confidence in his heart, but he still stepped onto Qingyun Road following the order.

Kong Cao, the Nine-Headed Snake, was the strongest among Yu Liang’s three Giant Demons. His strength was second only to Yu Liang himself in the Primordial Wilderness. Still, even Kong Cao didn’t feel confident.

"Going to his death," Hua Yan said with a light chuckle.

Du Zhongjun also nodded in agreement.

In the eyes of the Six Great Leaders, their subordinates were merely sent to scout at the risk of their lives. Besides, with the final stage of the Nine-layered Heaven approaching, many treasures were bound to appear, and they did not want their subordinates to snatch away a large number of valuable items.

As expected, almost four hours later, Kong Cao’s Soul Jade Scroll also shattered.

One after another, the deaths of these experts cast a somber shadow over the atmosphere of the place.

"It should be your person’s turn next," Hua Yan said, looking at Zong Jue.

Zong Jue only had one subordinate left— the Fossil Beast ’Shi Hua.’ Zong Jue glanced at Shi Hua and said helplessly, "Shi Hua, your Divine Skills are quite special. If you’re lucky, you might have a sliver of a chance."

Shi Hua just nodded and then stepped onto Qingyun Road.

"Qingyun Road—why do I feel like it’s a dead end?" Qin Yu looked at the nearly ten-thousand-mile Qingyun Road leading to the Nine-layered Heaven, enveloped in countless green clouds, and he couldn’t help feeling oppressed.

The one end of Qingyun Road appeared like a gaping maw waiting to devour.

"Roar—" That familiar roar sounded once again.

But in just a flash, the roar faded away.

"Eh, Shi Hua passed the first checkpoint so quickly," Hua Yan said with a laugh. Du Zhongjun echoed the sentiment. At this moment, only the likes of Hua Yan and other super experts were somewhat at ease, while everyone else was extremely tense.

After three hours,

Shi Hua’s ’Soul Jade Scroll’ exploded as well, signaling the demise of yet another expert.

"What a pity," Hua Yan said with a sigh. "It started with the Independent Immortals, then moved to the combatants from the Chaotic Star Sea. Now it should reverse, going from the Chaotic Star Sea back to the Independent Immortals taking turns. Zong Jue’s forces have no one left. It’s time for someone from the Primordial Wilderness Demon Clan to step forward."

"Shut up, I know the rules."

Man Qian looked towards his only remaining subordinate—Yu Liang.

"Yu Liang, don’t disappoint me," Man Qian said in a low voice.

With a faint smile and a bow, Yu Liang replied, "Rest assured, my lord." Yu Liang clearly had a different aura.

As a Twelfth Tribulation Independent Demon Realm Divine Beast ’Sky-reaching Rat,’ and an Upper Level Divine Beast, his strength was undoubtedly the strongest among those who had attempted thus far.

As soon as Yu Liang stepped onto Qingyun Road, his figure immediately vanished from sight.

"No way, could this Yu Liang be planning to dash directly to the other end of Qingyun Road using his speed?" Du Zhongjun said, astonished.

Ao Feng nodded and praised, "Maybe he can really succeed. After all, Yu Liang’s true form is the ’Sky-reaching Rat.’ With his incredible speed, I suppose among us here, only Brother Zong Jue could surpass him."

Meanwhile, Qin Yu and the other three had risen to their feet because Hou Fei and Hei Yu were ready for Ascension.

"Big Brother," said Hei Yu, his eyes moistening.

"You’re grown up now and still look like this. Alright... I promise you, no matter what, I’ll definitely go to the Demon World to find you," Qin Yu said, feeling a sour sensation in his heart. In his childhood, without a father’s care, he had only Little Black to rely on, as both were cloaked in loneliness.

How many years had it been...?

The bond with Little Black was certainly as deep as with real brothers.

The sky began to tremble, a special energy started to envelop the entire Ni Yang Realm, and all the Restrictions of the Ni Yang Realm could not prevent this energy.

This was the energy of Heaven!

It was only now that Man Qian, Zong Jue, Hua Yan, and others turned their attention to Qin Yu and the others. Seeing the three brothers bid their farewells, they knew Hou Fei and Hei Yu were truly about to ascend.

"Big Brother, you must come to the Demon World to find us," Hou Fei said earnestly.

Qin Yu could only nod.

Streaks of light descended from the sky, enveloping Hou Fei and Hei Yu... Though shrouded in the blinding light, Hou Fei and Hei Yu kept their gaze fixed on Qin Yu. They were hopeful, longing for Qin Yu to succeed in creating the "Star Transformation" Cultivation Technique and ascend successfully.

"I will find you," Qin Yu assured himself firmly.

The three brothers looked at each other.

Hou Fei and Hei Yu began to ascend, the energy wrapping more intensely around their bodies. In just a moment, they transformed into two spheres of white light, and with a spatial tremor, they vanished from sight.

"Little Black, Feifei."

Qin Yu felt his heart turn cold.

It sank deep into an icy chill.

The one who was seemingly indifferent on the surface, but was as close as a brother, Little Black, had departed. The one who seemed carefree, but also treated him like a brother, Feifei, had left as well.

"Li’er has gone, Little Black and Feifei have also left. My elder brothers have their relatives, and my father has my elder brothers and Uncle Feng among others to keep him company. Only I... am alone."

At that moment, Qin Yu experienced loneliness like never before.

(To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM, where there are more Chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)