“Xiao He, are you hurt?” Xing Jianxia turned around.

Xiao He, whose tall and big frame was clad in all black, put away the pair of broadswords and shook his head with a smile. “No.”

He had always been taciturn in nature.

“Let's first find some other place we can land.” Xing Jianxia scanned the surroundings and detected quite a few powerful auras nearby, obviously attracted by the battle just now.

“Alright.” Everyone else nodded.

......

In a gorge filled with mist, Lin Xun sat on the ground with the seniors. On the way here, he had already learned from Fu Nanli about Demon Chu and Yun Xiangzi.

Demon Chu, named Chu Bugu, had survived six Great Silence Unlife Calamities. Yun Xiangzi was his official other half.

This couple was notorious throughout various epochal worlds in the Sea of Fate, not only for their terrifying combat skills but also for their escape techniques which were among the best in existence. Even those whose battle strength was above theirs would find it difficult to detain them.

A long time ago, a feud had started between this couple and Xing Jianxia, Daoist Shanfeng, Xiao He, and the others. The enmity had continued until this day.

“Shanfeng, you still don't want to tell me what happened?” Xing Jianxia gazed at Daoist Shanfeng.

The latter was silent for a while before he cracked a bitter smile. “This is only our first day in Fate Lotus World and those enemies already got to Xiao He. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it from you for long, but to think it would be this soon... Oh well, since you want to know, I won't hide it anymore.”

He proceeded to tell the whole story.

“When the first Great Dao Fate Lotus of this epoch appeared, Old Baize, Old Mu, Xiao He, and I joined the competition. It was also then that we were surprised to learn our old enemies had formed an alliance.”

“An alliance?” Xing Jianxia narrowed his eyes.

Daoist Shanfeng said with a grave look, “Yes, one led by Ying Tiansheng of the Demonic Epoch and brings together nineteen Greater Boundless Eternals, including Demon Chu and his wife. The majority of their members have a grudge against us. They attacked us more than once after we got into a Fate Lotus World.

“We actually had a chance with the third Great Dao Fate Lotus, but Ying Tiansheng and his group hindered us every single time and forced us to escape from that Fate Lotus World.”

He took a brief pause and continued, “During the fourth appearance of a Fate Lotus World, when Old Baize and Old Mu were fleeing, those enemies ambushed and wounded them so badly that they almost died right there. Even now, they haven't made a full recovery, that's why they missed the latest competition.”

At this part, both Xing Jianxia and Fu Nanli looked gloomy. The enemies had actually teamed up and repeatedly given Daoist Shanfeng’s group a hard time. Those bullies had gone too far!

“Truth be told, forming alliances is nothing new in Fate Lotus World. The more the stronger, after all, especially in battles of the Greater Boundless Realm where a number advantage often proves to play a key role.”

Daoist Shanfeng whispered, “Even Xinhu and Leisong have also long allied themselves with some old fellows from the other epochs. Otherwise, how do you think they were able to seize the slim opportunity to go to the All-Wonder Dominion during the last competition?”

Hearing this, Lin Xun had to ask, “Who did they team up with?”

Daoist Shanfeng said, “A bunch of old monsters led by Du Feng from the Buddhist Epoch and Weng Xinghai from the Shamanic Epoch.”

Xing Jianxia elaborated in case Lin Xun didn't know the connections, “In fact, Xinhu, Leisong, and their party members originally came from the Buddhist Epoch and the Shamanic Epoch. To be precise, the founders of the Zen Sect and the Shaman Sect came out of those two epochal civilizations.”

It dawned on Lin Xun, and he was suddenly reminded of something.

The Nine Ultimate Dao Tribulations that he had experienced in the Fortune Dominion's river of time back then, which were the nine most powerful tribulations targeting Eternals, originated from nine epochal worlds. The Martial Dao Epoch, the Buddhist Epoch, and the Shamanic Epoch were among them.

Xing Jianxia and Daoist Shanfeng were from the Martial Dao Epoch. Xinhu was from the Buddhist Epoch. Leisong was from the Shamanic Epoch. Heavenly Mandate Apostle Yingshan Ying had been from the Dao Epoch, which was also one of those nine.

Lin Xun connected the dots and instantly deduced that Demon Chu and Yun Xiangzi were from the Demonic Epoch, also one of those nine epochs!

This is getting interesting. Can it be that the most powerful epochal civilizations in that long river of time are these nine?

At this thought, Lin Xun suddenly noticed one thing: These nine epochal civilizations did not extend their existence in the Fortune Dominion after their destruction! Like the previous Immortal Martial Epoch, they had completely perished in the respective epochal calamity, contrary to the rest who were currently in the Fortune Dominion.

Does this mean...the more powerful the civilization, the more dreadful the epochal calamity it has to face and the more likely it will be wiped from existence?

Lin Xun had a feeling that this was the case.

“The situation is already so perilous, yet you said you went and ambushed Xinhu’s group in another Fate Lotus World. Are you tired of living?” Xing Jianxia sighed softly. While it looked like he was chiding Shanfeng, he actually felt all warm and fuzzy inside.

“I wasn't alone, you know. Xiao He and Old Baize were there to help as well.” Daoist Shanfeng laughed.

“What should we do next?” Fu Nanli asked.

The situation at hand was quite clear. Their opponents were the group of enemies led by Ying Tiansheng from the Demonic Epoch, plus the old monsters from the Buddhist and Shamanic camps. Of course, when it came to competing over the opportunity to go to the All-Wonder Dominion, every cultivator in this Fate Lotus Worlds was a potential opponent!

“I originally planned to let Gu Yuexian, Shun Huaijia, and Xue Ye go to the All-Wonder Dominion first should we win, but now... Our top priority is no longer this opportunity, because we must first resolve the threat from our enemy.” Xing Jianxia's expression flickered dimly.

The situation was certainly serious. The enemy lineups were all-powerful. The alliance led by Ying Tiansheng, including himself, consisted of twenty people! This alone could make any Greater Boundless Eternal quake in their boots, but it wasn't even the end. There was also the threat posed by the experts from the Buddhist Epoch and Shamanic Epoch.

Meanwhile, their party was made of a handful of them. The gap was too big!

“True, there's nothing else we can do until we deal with them.” Fu Nanli nodded, realizing the gravity of the situation.

Feeling the pressure in the air, Lin Xun felt the need to do something, so he chuckled. “Seniors, we can always run away if we fail to beat them, right? What's more, there's still about eight hundred years left before the epochal calamity descends. There are bound to be more Great Dao Fate Lotuses appearing during this. As long as we take care to stay alive, there's always a chance to handle those enemies in the future.”

Hearing the optimistic speech, the quiet Xiao He couldn't help but glance at Lin Xun, as if to say that this Creation Eternal was too young to understand the gravity of the situation.

However, Daoist Shanfeng laughed loudly. “Xiao He, don't underestimate Young Friend Lin. I forgot to tell you, he's no simple character. It's his appearance that made it possible to take out Xinhu, Leisong, and those old things in one fell swoop...”

He proceeded to eloquently relay to Xiao He everything he had learned from Xing Jianxia. After listening to the whole story, Xiao He was astonished. There was a long silence before he finally uttered, “Formidable!”

Coming from the untalkative Xiao He who seemed to regard his own silence as gold, this word of praise was already an achievement.

“After we regroup with Gu Yuexian and the others, why don't we head to the Nine Great Heavenly Passes together?” Xing Jianxia suddenly suggested.

The Nine Great Heavenly Passes!

In the center of Fate Lotus World, there was a Fate Lotus Dao Altar. Whoever was able to occupy this altar for a day could get the opportunity to go to the All-Wonder Dominion, becoming the final winner.

Around the Fate Lotus Dao Altar, there were nine heavenly passes. Each pass was an ancient and magnificent fortress, and only by occupying one of them would one have the chance to occupy the Fate Lotus Dao Altar in the first place.

In the past, every time a fight broke out, the major camps would go any length to seize a heavenly pass, all for an opportunity to occupy the Fate Lotus Dao Altar! For cultivators outside of the Nine Great Heavenly Passes, no matter how strong they were and what kind of incredible skills they possessed, they would never have that opportunity.

This was why the Nine Great Heavenly Passes had become one of the bloodiest and cruelest places in Fate Lotus World.

“But we have zero chances to take a heavenly pass for ourselves, and even if we somehow manage that, it can be snatched from us at any time. That place...is simply not one we can stick our noses into,” lamented Daoist Shanfeng.

He had gotten involved in all kinds of fights all over in the Fate Lotus Worlds. How could he not understand the perils of competing for a heavenly pass? Even Greater Boundless Eternals faced the possibility of perishing there!

Xing Jianxia's eyes blazed. “It's not like our goal is that Fate Lotus Dao Altar; we're only going there to challenge.”

“Challenge?” Daoist Shanfeng was stunned.

“Indeed.” Xing Jianxia nodded.

Lin Xun vaguely understood what Xing Jianxia had in mind.

Those who occupied a heavenly pass would become its master and be able to control its law power. At the same time, they had to guard against other cultivators who could snatch it away whenever.

The method of snatching was very simple.

Outside each heavenly pass, there were two stone steles. One was engraved with ‘life or death’, and the other with ‘victory or defeat.’ These two steles were called the Great Dao Ring Monuments.

To attempt to seize a heavenly pass, one only needed to hit a Great Dao Ring Monument of their choice using their dao power. They would then be able to initiate a challenge, and the monument would sound to notify.

The occupant of said heavenly pass must accept the challenge within thirty breaths of time after the sound rang out! By failing to do so, they would lose all control of the heavenly pass’ law and get expelled from it.