Two weeks passed. Mentor Fang entered the second layer of the Time Secret Realm twice, spending eighteen years within.
Eighteen years of arduous cultivation in a lonely, desolate world had taken a toll.
On the day he emerged, a hint of weariness lingered in his pupils, slowly fading after a period of adjustment.
"Although the days of cultivation were somewhat monotonous, they were entirely worth it."
His progress was significant.
In terms of Authority, he now wielded the Authorities of Destruction, Flow, Seasons, and Growth.
Among these, the Authority of Destruction, though still at the 'Fragmentary Authority Tier,' he had already grasped 9.9% of its power. Compared to the initial tiny fragment, no larger than a thumbnail, they were on entirely different levels.
Of course, Mentor Fang, renowned as a "Doctor of Laws" for his mastery of multi-system laws, could condense far more than these four Authorities.
However, Authorities possessed uniqueness. While initial condensation might not be difficult, enhancing their power from a nascent state required immense effort and time.
Some Authorities also posed a risk of mutual conflict.
Mentor Fang found it difficult to manage them all.
Yet, he didn't need to.
Student Liu Feng had begun wielding the Authorities of Sharpness, Geng Metal, and Severance.
Student Wei Bao had grasped the Authorities of Bedrock and Protection.
Young lady Liu Shang wielded the Authority of Vitality.
This child Yin Luoxi had also condensed a small fragment of the Authority of Burning.
Hei Dao and An Jianyou had not yet grasped any Authorities.
This was not due to a lack of comprehension, but rather a shortage of exceptionally compatible Law Monoliths. In comparison, Liu Shang could observe the Law Monolith of Wood, and Yin Luoxi had been relentlessly studying the Law Monolith of Fire.
Xiti Na's comprehension was slightly poorer, or rather, she disliked such pure, solitary retreats. She was a martial fighter, accustomed to comprehending and breaking through in combat.
Xing Jinglei was a pure brute. While he might possess hidden depths, learning and comprehension were not his strengths.
However, the inability to condense Authorities did not mean their strength had not significantly improved.
Mentor Fang opened the Apostle list and examined them one by one.
"Xing Jinglei does not rely heavily on laws. His advantage lies in his physique; he is undeniably the physique champion of the Xin Huo."
Even Chi Yan could not compare to him.
"Although I also possess the Indestructible Furnace Body and have cultivated it to a rather profound level, compared to this brute Xing Jinglei, there is still a world of difference."
For one thing, Xing Jinglei's ability to stimulate and temper his body with the Divine Thunder of Destruction twenty-four hours a day was something he could not replicate.
The more he endured beatings, the stronger the Indestructible Furnace Body became; this was far beyond what the "Proficient" stage could explain.
"Xing Jinglei's physical strength, defense, and life energy have been continuously increasing. It is becoming difficult to measure with data. In time, his physique may surpass that of powerful special lifeforms like the Devouring Yuan Giant Beasts."
"Of course, Xing Jinglei's current defense and self-healing capabilities might already be stronger than those of the Devouring Yuan Giant Beasts."
An Jianyou had cultivated a second nine-star level Malevolent Entity.
Coupled with her own amplification abilities, any single nine-star Malevolent Entity could exhibit the combat power of a strong high-tier being.
Malevolent Entities had massive bodies and extremely strong vitality, in which aspects they were no weaker than, or even superior to, many special lifeforms. The reason high-tier Malevolent Entities were relegated to mere combat units was simply because they lacked intelligence.
Their combat was entirely reliant on instinct. Though fearless of death, they were also easily manipulated. Furthermore, lacking intelligence, they could not cultivate or comprehend laws. They merely possessed some innate law power due to their unique nature.
An Jianyou's Malevolent Entities were different.
When they advanced to seven-star, they had already developed a rudimentary sentience, which grew higher with their advancement. Now, the red-clothed and white-ribbon Malevolent Entities at the nine-star level possessed intelligence comparable to humans, though they appeared naive due to a lack of experience.
Indeed, Malevolent Entities could also be naive.
Consequently, the Red-clothed and White-ribbon possessed the ability to guide law power and comprehend laws on their own.
They were no longer entirely Malevolent Entities.
Instead, they had transformed from within the Malevolent Entity species into special lifeforms.
Hei Dao, Xiti Na, and others were similar; apart from their law comprehension, all other aspects had improved significantly.
Fang You nodded slightly.
He didn't need to urge them; the intense competition within the organization was so formidable that even he, as their mentor, felt pressured. His current diligence and dedication were partly driven by "competition" with his elder brother Hei Dao.
"My own progress, beyond law comprehension and Authority, has also been immense."
"The Myriad Beasts Forging Body and Mountains and Rivers Contemplation, which have advanced to the Transcendent Sage Realm, have not only brought immense improvements upon breaking through but also offer higher daily cultivation efficiency. They are far from reaching their limits."
"And..."
"I have found the definitive path to the Tenth Realm."
After the breakthroughs in the Myriad Beasts Forging Body and Mountains and Rivers Contemplation, his divine body and soul showed subtle signs of transformation.
They were evolving towards a law-based divine body.
However, as he had anticipated, these two legendary three-star cultivation methods alone were insufficient for him to complete the true transformation.
Perhaps, about 10% of the transformation had occurred.
With a thought, one of his hands gradually transformed into raging thunder. Blue-purple lightning intertwined, emitting a sharp, piercing avian cry.
This was not elementalization, but law-ification.
Many elemental lifeforms could transform into elements, but it was of little use; ordinary spells could easily break through elemental bodies.
Laws were different.
Under the laws, all beings were immune.
The essence of law power was formless and intangible; he simply had not yet mastered it. Or rather, due to the incomplete transformation, his law-ification was merely superficial, with considerable limitations and no real utility.
Let alone him being only 10% transformed; even 99.9% transformed would still be of little use.
Without reaching 100%, one could not truly embody laws.
"My current cultivation of body-forging and contemplation methods can slightly advance this transformation, but it requires an extremely long time, perhaps centuries or millennia."
"However, if I can merge these two cultivation methods to the God-Demon level, this time would be significantly shortened, and perhaps even immediate sublimation would be possible."
It was just difficult.
Cultivation methods were already rarer than normal techniques, and these two had only barely merged to three-star.
But...
"If I can achieve law-ification of my divine body, I can directly reach the Tenth Realm. However, this would be 'proving the Dao through strength' and not the conventional path of advancement."
"The conventional path is to gradually adapt the divine body to laws, hoping to eventually reach a critical point where the divine body can begin to law-ify."
It emphasized nurturing.
Therefore, the core of the path to the Tenth Realm has two components: time and law comprehension.
Allowing the divine body and soul to gradually adapt to laws over a long period, until the critical point is reached, the conditions for evolution are met.
The higher the law comprehension, the shorter the time required.
"The key to this is not complicated. However, there are very few humans at the Ninth Realm, and each is charting their own course, so there is naturally no related information."
"Moreover, information pertaining to the Ninth and Tenth Realms is difficult to preserve. This is a rule under the mysterious system."
Mentor Fang did not force the upgrade of the two cultivation methods. However, with his divine body having undergone a slight transformation, the nurturing time would inevitably be shortened.
This was good news.
Furthermore, with his profound law comprehension and possession of Authority, his nurturing efficiency far surpassed that of other high-tier beings.
"However, high-tier beings have virtually endless lifespans. Even if I shorten it repeatedly, how much time will it ultimately take..."
He still lacked certainty!
It was time to depart!
Fang You put on the Lord of Realms' Hand and transformed the Spear of Karma and Destiny into a ring, wearing it on his index finger.
He was ready.
This trip into the Middle Ghoul Realm involved a relatively large number of people.
Belligerent individuals like Xiti Na, Chi Yan, and Xing Jinglei were naturally included.
Elder Brother Hei Dao was not particularly fond of fighting, but in missions involving venturing into dangerous territories, he was indispensable. He always led the charge on the front lines of battle.
However, after careful consideration, Fang You decided to have Elder Brother Hei Dao stay behind.
Someone had to be on guard.
With him, An Jianyou, and Liu Feng all departing, the most reliable candidate seemed to be Elder Brother Hei Dao. Wait, was the number of reliable personnel in his organization a bit too small?
Of course, Hei Dao alone staying behind was far from enough.
Hei Dao also needed to cultivate. Especially when he entered the Time Secret Realm to cultivate, all contact with the outside world was severed. If any unexpected situations occurred in the various oases, he wouldn't be able to be reached even if called.
At the very least, there should be three or four Ninth Realm experts left behind to guard the rear.
Hei Dao, Wei Bao...
Sweat.
"It seems we can't gather enough strong individuals to stay behind."
His gaze fell upon several people.
Xiti Na's ahoge stood straight.
Yin Luoxi hid behind a chair. She had gritted her teeth and cultivated for nine years a few days ago. Nine years! She was completely dazed when she came out. If not for a certain goal she kept in mind, she might have given up around the third or fourth year inside and slacked off.
But upon reflection, slacking off inside was useless. There was no internet, and no one to talk to. What else could she do but cultivate desperately? It was the most terrifying solitary confinement, being locked away for nine years. It was terrifying!
She was almost afraid to enter a second time.
However, one day outside was nine years inside, presenting a great opportunity for her to overtake others.
The young lady hesitated, completely unaware that her contributions were about to be drained dry again.
Xing Jinglei wore an expressionless face, appearing nonchalant.
If only his eyes didn't betray a slight nervousness about being chosen to stay behind.
"Forget it, whoever else wants to go, follow along."
An Jianyou hesitated to speak.
She seemed to want to say, "How about I stay behind?" This young lady was always considerate, never fighting for anything. If she stayed behind, she would definitely have no complaints. Her hesitation might have been because venturing deep into the Middle Ghoul Realm would encounter more danger, whereas staying behind was merely a possibility of encountering a crisis.
The former required more power.
"Right."
"Clearly, the mission to delve into the Middle Ghoul Realm is more arduous and fraught with considerable risk, bordering on nine deaths out of ten. Yet, everyone is scrambling for this near-death mission, leaving the post of staying behind and freely slacking off for the honest folk?"
Mentor Fang pondered.
Unknowingly, his capitalist abilities had become so strong? Before he even had the thought, everyone was rushing to work.
He felt deeply gratified.
The organization actually had hidden Ninth Realm experts, and with the great weapon that was the Sky World Fortress, the safety of the rear was not an issue.
Instead, the exploration team faced numerous dangers, and safety precautions needed to be emphasized.
Especially...
He stared at Yin Luoxi.
"When fighting in the Middle Ghoul Realm, pay attention to control over your power, and try to avoid attracting the attention of the Ghoul or Evil God factions as much as possible."
"Of course, complete avoidance is probably impossible. Battles will inevitably occur, and we don't know what level of enemies we will encounter. If necessary..."
He chattered on and on.
Only when some individuals looked dazed, as if thinking, "Mentor, please stop talking," did he moisten his throat and finish.
It was for their safety, after all.
...
The Alliance was led by three great existences, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, with the objective of delving into the Middle Ghoul Realm to spy on the secrets of the Evil Gods.
The process of entering the Ghoul Realm also had a rough plan.
The various teams were not subordinate to each other and did not interfere with one another. Cooperation depended on the individual powerhouses. However, all these teams would enter from the Southern Ghoul Realm.
This was because beings like the Lord of Stars and others had already pinpointed their target: the "Twisted Black River," one of the Unnamable Evil Gods. This Evil God was located in the southern part of the Middle Ghoul Realm, a confirmed and public piece of intelligence.
Fang You used the secret realm passage to directly travel to Xin Huo's super oasis in the Southern Ghoul Realm, and then took the Dimensional Palace to the deepest part of the Southern Ghoul Realm.
Their group consisted of nine people in total: eight high-tier realm experts and one demigod.
The only demigod was Xiao Huan.
She served as a transport unit. At crucial moments, Xiao Huan could control the Dimensional Palace and move everyone directly out of the Middle Ghoul Realm.
Xiao Huan's spatial traversal abilities were far superior to those of her kin.
However, the entire burden could not be placed on Xiao Huan's small shoulders.
After all, she was still a child of the Demigod Realm.
Spatial traversal was not omnipotent, especially when dealing with high-tier beings and above.
"Unfortunately, Xiao Huan has not yet advanced to the High-Tier Realm, and I haven't had the chance to retrieve the Law Monolith of Space yet."
What could he do? At critical moments, he, Mentor Fang, might still have to take on the responsibility of strategic retreat.
His law comprehension of traversal was quite high.
Fang You piloted the Dimensional Palace with his law power, rapidly flying towards the agreed-upon location.
...
The Southern Ghoul Realm, its end.
A chasm lay before the great domain, with grey mist swirling above, resembling the surging tides of a grey sea.
This was the deepest part of the Southern Ghoul Realm. Beyond this lay the Middle Ghoul Realm, symbolizing death and despair. The chasm separating the two regions was akin to an intermediate realm, containing murderous intent. However, unlike intermediate realms, there were no solid footholds here, and the width of the chasm exceeded hundreds of millions of miles.
Let alone stepping into the Middle Ghoul Realm, even crossing this natural barrier was something ordinary myths could not achieve.
At this moment,
On the opposite side of the chasm, in the outermost region of the Middle Ghoul Realm, energy like a tsunami was expanding outwards.
A colossal Dharma manifestation stretched its arms wide, conjuring a fire lotus capable of destroying a continental plate, and hurled it fiercely into the depths of the grey mist.
The fire clouds erupted violently.
A moment later, the Dharma manifestation retracted. Nu Yan, a demigod from the Yan Lei Kingdom, wiped sweat from his brow.
"The ghoul entities in this Middle Ghoul Realm are far more violent than before."
Here, there were over a dozen demigods, as well as the high-tier expert Cang Tu the Sage, yet their expressions were grave.
This was not their first time venturing into the Middle Ghoul Realm.
The Yun Hui Great Domain was not very far from here. In the past tens of thousands of years, all seven kingdoms had explored the Middle Ghoul Realm. They had not delved deeply, but for merely skimming the outer fringes of the Middle Ghoul Realm, the experts of the Seven Kingdoms were quite experienced.
This time, the assembly point was on the opposite bank, before entering the Middle Ghoul Realm. However, the Seven Kingdoms and Cang Tu the Sage, after consultation, decided to enter the Middle Ghoul Realm first to scout the situation.
"Another wave of ghoul entities is approaching. Everyone, be alert!"
"39 seven-star level ghoul entities, 13 eight-star level ghoul entities... Damn it, this ghoul wave is too terrifying. Can we really push through such a wave of ghoul entities and enter the Middle Ghoul Realm? Remember, this is just the outermost fringe!"
Demigod Ju Yue cursed.
Rather than solemn, it was more like fear.
Admittedly, they were not obligated to venture deep into the Middle Ghoul Realm. This strategic operation was voluntary. If they encountered a major crisis or insurmountable obstacles, they could retreat at any time.
However,
The waves in the Middle Ghoul Realm were tens of times more terrifying than before, and they were spreading outwards.
They could retreat now, but when such a disaster spread to the Yun Hui Great Domain, would they still be able to retreat? There was not much space left behind them!
"Let's deal with this wave of ghoul entities first, and then we can research ways to avoid them."
Cang Tu the Sage said in a deep voice.
He held a peculiar scythe and sliced through the void. In the distance, a silhouette seemed to flicker, and then an eight-star level ghoul entity fell silently to the ground.
A one-hit kill of an eight-star creature boosted the morale of many myths and demigods present.
However, at this moment, seven and eight-star ghoul entities swarmed in.
A white ritual array opened before the assembled powerhouses, forming a majestic city wall.
The powerhouses ascended to high ground and employed their various techniques.
One minute,
Ten minutes,
An hour,
Two hours,
The more than ten demigod powerhouses took turns maintaining their Dharma manifestations. They could withstand the wave, and they killed one seven-star and eight-star ghoul entity after another.
But their expressions did not ease at all.
The ghoul tide before them had only thinned slightly.
Further away, new ghoul entities appeared incessantly, surging towards them.
This was truly an endless slaughter.
They were beginning to feel disheartened.
"Retreat, we must retreat!"
"The environment in the Middle Ghoul Realm is hundreds of thousands of times more dangerous than before. We can't go any deeper!"
"Our demigod strength is indeed inferior, but in this situation, even a group of high-tier Ninth Realm experts would be unable to make any progress!"
They began to retreat.
Figures flew across the boundless chasm.
The grey mist churned, and black shadows in the mist lunged out, dragging a myth into the chasm, which disappeared without a sound in an instant.
While crossing the chasm, their situation became even more perilous.
Cang Tu the Sage could not look after everyone.
Palaces fell, and myths screamed. The powerhouses crossed the sea in their own ways, but myths were constantly drowning in the sea.
At this moment, Cang Tu the Sage's expression changed.
"High-tier ghoul entity!"
"Quick, faster, retreat from the Middle Ghoul Realm quickly!"
But it was too late. This section of the chasm was hundreds of millions of miles long.
Perhaps they would eventually retreat, but undoubtedly, many would sleep forever in the chasm.
At the beginning, they had already suffered losses!
As the Dimensional Palace slowly descended at the end of the great domain, Fang You's brow twitched, "There are combat fluctuations."
An Jianyou's eyes glowed with a sapphire light, her gaze instantly piercing through hundreds of millions of miles.
She made a slicing motion, and an image appeared.
Fang You said, "Save them."
Figures instantly flew out.
A giant fire phoenix soared, crossing the sky, igniting and incinerating all ghoul entities and grey mist in its path.
A golden river of swords roared, piercing through both ends of the chasm, creating a brilliant passage.
Fang You took a step forward and instantly arrived on the opposite bank of the chasm.
He saw the endless stream of ghoul entities surging from the depths of the grey mist, and a nine-star ghoul entity that had already rushed close.
With a wave of his hand.
"Annihilate."
Extreme light and heat erupted.
The retreating demigods and myths looked back, the brilliant orange-red covered half the sky, like colored ink wiping away the hideous black tide, leaving only a few majestic figures in cloaks lingering in the distance. This was Xin Huo.
The Xin Huo organization, Xin Huo Torchbearers, reporting for duty!