Chase was surprised about this. There were so many surprises happening to him today.He had no choice but to sit cross-legged on the floor to recover his spiritual energy. Despite being surrounded by superior spiritual stones, something seemed to be keeping the spiritual energy at bay. He was unable to absorb anything.In addition to that, there was no spiritual energy in the hall of the old castle. The only way to recover spiritual energy was to slowly channel it himself.Chase finally understood what Everett meant about it being difficult. It was truly torturing as he could not even use the spiritual energy inside the Dragon Vein Secret Realm.It had been a long time since Chase last felt so helpless.He had no choice but to slowly recover by cultivating with his physical body.When Everett saw Chase meditating to recover, he sat down cross-legged as well to recuperate.Chase finally revived all the spiritual energy of a meridian-opening master when night came.Bo had been st
"I know one of them. That's Leia Sacco from the Unorthodox Sect. I haven't seen the other one before," Bo said directly, not hiding anything. There was no point in concealing the information as the others would find out soon anyway."Leia, you say? So that's her," Everett said with a mysterious smile.Bo had a similar smile, which made Chase curious. How famous was this person? From Everett's and Bo's expressions, it seemed she was quite notable."Chase, you may not know, but Leia is a well-known figure among the Four Sects," Bo explained, noticing Chase's curiosity."Oh, what is she famous for? Is she widely acclaimed for her strength?" Chase asked.Bo said, "Not exactly. Leia is famous more like a top courtesan in the mundane world, known for her beauty. But she practices the path of debauchery and is rumored to cultivate by absorbing the essence of men. "They say if she doesn't engage with men for a while, her strength declines. Many in the Four Sects are willing to be her cu
Inside, Everett was speechless. If Leia’s past exploits hadn’t been introduced, others might have thought he had some special relationship with her.Only Chase was spared from Leia's harassment. Leia, Bo, and Immanuel entered the hall. Leia merely glanced at Chase before shifting her gaze elsewhere.As soon as the three entered, a light halo illuminated the hall. The door, which initially had only two yellow light orbs lit, now had all five orbs light up one by one as they stepped in. Once all five were lit, the door suddenly opened, revealing a pitch-black void behind it.A force appeared at the entrance, pulling the five toward it. The suction was not strong, so they could have resisted if they wanted to.However, it was clear this was some sort of relic. None of them resisted, simply allowing the force to guide them forward.As the five were drawn into the door, the scene changed dramatically. It was as if they had entered a completely different world.They landed on a large
When Chase was on the verge of losing consciousness, he vaguely heard someone angrily shouting, "Kneel before me! If you do, you will have wealth, beautiful women, and even instant power beyond your imagination."At that moment, Chase followed his heart and said firmly, "I kneel to no one.""Do you realize what you're giving up? Are you certain?" Another indistinct voice tried to tempt him.However, Chase remained unmoved and steadfastly resisted, refusing to kneel.He stood upright before the statue until he fainted....Bo's path was similar. The end of his passage led to a chapel with a statue, just like Chase's. Initially, Bo managed to resist the statue's powerful aura. But when faced with temptation, he made a different choice.He chose to kneel before the statue. In an instant, Bo felt his power skyrocket, and he quickly reached the level of a marquis of martial arts. He thought to himself that it would be great to be even stronger. As soon as he had this thought, his p
Leia intentionally left the leader alive. As she slowly approached, his body became paralyzed in midair.Bones cracked inch by inch, blood dripped out, and his skin peeled away bit by bit. It was clear that Leia harbored a deep hatred for this man as she was unwilling to give him a swift death. She relished in torturing him to death piece by piece.Leia was consumed by the euphoria of avenging her great enmity.All five of them eventually succumbed to the temptations. The desires that spoke to their deepest thoughts overwhelmed them. Immanuel was also indulged in experiencing the luxuries and power befitting a scholar, losing himself in the pleasure.It seemed that his life as a wandering cultivator had been far from satisfactory.Not knowing how much time had passed, Chase gradually awakened in a daze. The chapel and the statue had vanished, as if they had been an illusion. All that remained was a gray, misty square floating in the air, dull and unassuming in appearance.Chase k
With this explanation, Chase understood that his earlier struggle had actually helped him pass the trial, which was quite unexpected.The old man with the gray beard paused for a moment, then continued, "Still, it's a bit disheartening. Several of us old men ventured into this secret realm hoping to find a breakthrough opportunity before our lifespans ran out, but we ended up dying here without achieving anything."This secret realm was ultimately left for you later generations to explore. Enough of the side talk. Let's get down to business."When you entered this secret realm, those behind you probably didn't tell you the whole truth, or maybe they weren't aware either. This realm didn't originally belong here. Back then, tokens suddenly fell from the sky one day."These tokens were the keys to entering this secret realm. Sensing that this place was more suitable for cultivation than Bactria, a few of us old folks used a little trick to force our way in. "But once we entered, we
Leia, on the other hand, sat alone on a hill. It was silent and desolate, surrounded by a bloody scene. She looked utterly miserable.Chase could not help but think more highly of Leia. This woman always wore a facade, willing to bear the vilest accusations just to hide her true self. She was a person with a strong inner strength.As Chase continued to observe Leia's illusion, the green field gradually shrank. Soon, the green field disappeared entirely, followed by the castle walls and then the great hall. Eventually, the entire castle vanished, replaced by a vast expanse of yellow sand.The five people slowly woke up, with Chase being the first to regain consciousness. He saw that they were all stark naked in the midst of the endless desert, with no trace of the green field or the castle. Chase knew that it was just as the old man with the gray beard had said—the old man had completely dissipated.Seizing the moment while the other four had not fully awakened, Chase quickly stor
Thinking of this, the few of them broke out in a cold sweat."Who was the first to wake up?" Everett pressed on, still unwilling to give up."It seemed to be him," Leia pointed at Chase without hiding anything.Something like this could not be hidden. Even if she did not say it, it would have been deduced eventually."Chase, it's you again. Be honest, what did you get inside the castle?" Everett clearly suspected Chase of something."Don't go too far, Everett. So what if I was the first to wake up? What could I have gotten? If I had gotten something, wouldn't I have done something to you all when I woke up first? Or I could have just left first. Are you an idiot?" Chase retorted, silently thinking how quick this guy was to suspect him."That's because you're clever. If you had left first, we would've chased after you. In order to clear yourself of suspicion, you deliberately stayed with us. So, hand it over and let us see." It was not certain if Everett was just guessing or if he
By the time Chase noticed, a swarm of venomous creatures had gathered around him.Among them were common species like black mambas, golden-ringed snakes, green pit vipers, seven-step vipers, crimson scorpions, and long-tailed centipedes, but mixed in were also rare and deadly breeds such as Nether Vipers and Thousand Calamities Azure Snake.What was going on? Wait… Nether Vipers?!A familiar voice suddenly echoed above him. "Go to hell!"Chase looked up and saw a figure hovering in the air.Sure enough—it was the man with small eyes. He was still alive!Chase glanced at the corpse he had just slain moments ago. What lay there was not a real body but a pile of beast bones, blood, and shredded fur—a decoy.How careless of him. The warriors of the Nefarious Deity Sect were as troublesome as ever.He let out a quiet sigh.The man with small eyes, on the other hand, was seething with hatred.Back at the Nefarious Deity Sect, the three brothers had initially dismissed the Nefarious
The fierce storm-like assault proved effective.The man with small eyes managed to land a few cuts on Chase's skin, leaving faint traces of blood. Delighted, he sneered, "You brat, you've been poisoned! Just accept your fate and die!"Chase let out a low snort.He had allowed the venomous green dagger to graze him intentionally. The blade barely cut through his skin, and after a slight wisp of black smoke, the wounds healed instantly.Earlier, Chase had estimated that the man with small eyes was, at most, a stage-six martial god. Unlike the boorish man from before, his strength seemed to lie in his speed and use of poison.However, after undergoing multiple rounds of body refinement, Chase's physique had become virtually immune to ordinary toxins. This venom was just too weak!Chase shook his head in disappointment.The smirk on the man with small eyes faded as he watched the wounds he inflicted disappear in an instant.That dagger—the Heaven's Poison Dagger—was forged from t
Zacharias sighed as he spoke, his tone laced with regret.Chase furrowed his brows and asked, "Why did they spare the Nine-Sea Giant Squid?""Orin, the Abyssal Ape, Lysand, the Black Monk, and Elijah, the Skinscraper, were all martial cultivators. The Nine-Sea Giant Squid's flesh has immense benefits for body refinement, even for those at the peak of the martial god realm."So, they carved out a small lake here, set up a restrictive formation, and kept it captive. Every 50 years, they would return to harvest its flesh. That's the only reason I've been able to survive."Chase narrowed his eyes. "How long until their next harvest?"Zacharias calculated for a moment before replying, "It should be happening any day now."Chase glanced at the massive squid still writhing in the lake, seemingly not fully dead. He formed a new plan in his mind. The Nefarious Deity Sect practiced body refinement too. Perhaps this thing could serve as some bait?He pondered for a moment before asking, "
A stage-eight martial nirvana beast, clearly one with a physique-focused specialization, yet possessing an innate talent for mind and soul attacks?Chase was momentarily surprised.Then, a smug voice echoed within his sea of consciousness."What a powerful body! This is a heaven-sent opportunity! Finally, I don't have to be trapped in that slimy squid anymore! These past few centuries have been absolutely disgusting!"Hearing this, Chase immediately understood.This was not an innate mind and soul attack from the Nine-Sea Giant Squid; this was the remnant soul of a long-lost great cultivator attempting to seize his body."Who are you?" he asked."Kid, you should be honored! I've chosen you, so just enjoy the ride!"Before Chase could get more answers, the entity launched a full-scale mind and soul assault.A black shadow rampaged through his sea of consciousness, colliding violently and emitting waves of soundless sonic attacks, sending waves of dizziness through Chase's mind.
"Castiel can only rely on his own luck now. Ivana, we should leave," Turk, the white-robed man, sighed."I suppose there's no other choice," Ivana replied, casting one last glance in the direction Chase had flown. There was a hint of reluctance in her expression.In the end, she activated her movement technique and soared away.Turk had been paying close attention to Ivana. When he noticed the lingering look in her eyes as she gazed after Chase, his expression darkened, though his thoughts remained unreadable.Once Ivana had taken flight, Turk flicked his fingers, sending a small black sphere rolling into the cave before he turned and departed.Not long after, Chase reappeared."Interesting," he mused, watching the direction Ivana and Turk had gone. A smirk played on his lips.With his heightened spiritual awareness, his perception far surpassed others of his level. The two stage-three martial god weaklings were nothing to him.After confirming that they had truly left, he step
Four black tentacles shot out from the cave, heading straight for the four of them.The boorish man, still reeling from his earlier clash with Chase, had no time to react before the tentacles wrapped around him. He let out a series of agonized screams as he was dragged into the depths of the cave.The white-robed man and the woman in purple stood farther away and managed to dodge the attack, their figures flashing as they leaped to safety.Chase, however, remained in place, completely entangled by the tentacles.The white-robed man halted, initially showing concern for the boorish man being captured. But upon seeing Chase ensnared as well, his expression shifted to delight. He assumed the beast would eliminate this troublesome opponent for him.Yet despite the tentacles stretching taut, Chase remained utterly unmoved. It was as if he had taken root in the ground.Feeling the strength of the tentacles, he realized they were far more powerful than those that had restrained the boor
What?!Chase felt incredulous.He dodged the attack and retreated about three feet away."What is this?!" Chase asked."Did you release monsters into this cave?" the woman in purple yelled angrily with her sword raised in the air."Monsters?" Chase glanced at the cave entrance in bewilderment. He saw a long, black tentacle appear from the cave as it reached out for the woman."Look out!" The two men behind the woman shouted as they defended her at the same time.Sword stances filled the air as the man in white helped the woman stop the tentacle. The boorish man picked up his blade and leaped into the air. He slashed down the back of the tentacle.Black-colored blood splattered onto a rock. Hissing sounds were heard coming from the plants as holes appeared in them due to the corrosion. There was lethal venom in the monster's blood.Chase was shocked to see this. The wailing he heard must have come from the monster. It looked quite powerful. He felt lucky about not entering the
Chase opened his eyes. His clothes had been wet but were now dry.He channeled his skills, and strength circulated him. He got rid of all impurities and felt invigorated.After that, he stopped using his skills and punched into the air using pure physical strength. He could vaguely hear the sound of a sonic boom.The effects of the Mirage Dragon Tiger Pill on body refinement were not bad at all. He estimated that he could achieve an upper level if he could take another three to five more pills.It seemed like a visit to the Nefarious Deity Sect was now inevitable.Chase turned to leave.Right after leaving, dark smoke began to billow from the middle-aged man's corpse, forming into a man. "Damn it. I can't believe I can only escape using Nefarious Deity Form. But I've managed to obtain your mind and soul's aura. The next time we meet, I'll make sure you'll suffer a fate worse than death. I won't let you die so easily."The man, who was in Nefarious Deity Form, began to glow green
The man was only at stage three, where each punch possessed a weight of 30,000 pounds.Besides that, as the Nefarious Deity Sect's signature fist technique, it possessed the Nefarious Deity Energy. It could invade the opponent's spirit and soul upon contact.It was also the perfect complement to the Nine Mirage Ecstasy.However, Chase seemed completely unaffected. He seemed to have managed to defend himself against that punch.The middle-aged man knew that he had lost all opportunity at survival when he failed to hurt Chase with the punch. He quickly maneuvered to defensive mode. Black smoke billowed from his body and formed into a protective armor around him."Nothing but a party trick!"Chase checked himself for any injuries caused by the man.Thirty thousand pounds worth of strength was nothing but a drizzle to him.As for the Nefarious Deity Energy and harm that came with it, Chase was now able to withstand the evil power after using the Thunderfruit Core to strengthen his