"Brother!" Despite her closeness to Luis, Berta couldn't help but feel tears welling up in her eyes as she watched Hua Xin limping over.

Hua Xin waved his hand without saying a word and lowered his head to continue walking forward. Once known as one of the Ten Young Masters, he had now lost his last chance to prove himself in the Southern Immortal Realm. From now on, he would fade into obscurity like everyone else. His return also marked the complete collapse of the Void Mountain Sect.

A breeze swept through the hall, leaving it silent.

The disciples from the lower-ranked sects looked at the Void Mountain Sect with complex expressions, while those from the other four major sects didn't bother hiding their disdain and schadenfreude.

From this perspective, no one could see whether Diego's sudden halt was intentional or unintentional. But based on the conflict before the Enlightenment Assembly, anyone with a brain could deduce the truth.

Since ancient times, strength had always been the ultimate arbiter, especially in the Immortal Realm.

As for the notion of righteousness residing in people's hearts, it was all nonsense! Without strength, there was no justice!

What good did the anger and indignation of the Void Mountain Sect's disciples serve?

The fall of Hua Xin was a microcosm of the decline of the Void Mountain Sect. After this Monument Sea Assembly, the decline of the Void Mountain Sect had become apparent to the major sects of the Southern Immortal Realm. It was the best opportunity for the strong to trample on the weak and for newcomers to seize their positions.

Feeling the despair and shame of the young disciples, Sister Hong trembled, her eyes filled with sadness. Subconsciously, she grabbed the hand beside her. "Qin Jiati—"

Before Sister Hong could finish her sentence, Qin Jiati interrupted her with a firm grip. "It's not over yet."

As he spoke, a figure rose from the corner.

"Damei Shitai, I'm ready," Shuro said, stretching his body.

Everyone turned to look at him, even catching the attention of the Damei Shitai, who was momentarily caught off guard. She had been completely focused on the Monument Sea and had forgotten about the backup disciple.

"What... you're not planning to enter the Monument Sea, are you?" Alan asked, surprised.

"Forget it! It's too dangerous! You shouldn't go in!" Berta, her eyes red, exclaimed.

Although Berta was close to Luis, she was ultimately just a young girl who had ventured down the mountain for the first time. Despite her sharp tongue, she was also easily moved.

"I don't look down on you. Your talent may be good, and your understanding may not be bad, but as you've seen, the Monument Sea Enlightenment is more about testing one's state of mind," Luis said calmly. "The Void Mountain Sect has already failed. There's no need for you to embarrass yourself further."

Shuro remained silent, walking straight through the crowd and towards the passage.

His appearance didn't attract much attention. Most of the disciples had their attention focused on Yue Qun, who was trying to break historical records. Only a few elders from the sects noticed Shuro, such as Andrea.

"Life comes first," the Damei Shitai's voice remained emotionless. Shuro nodded and stepped into the passage.

As the wind whistled in his ears and the light danced before his eyes, Shuro arrived at the Monument Sea in the blink of an eye.

Compared to the Five Hua City, the Monument Sea felt like another world thousands of miles away.

Walking on the square at the foot of the mountain, Shuro looked into the distance. The sky was ablaze, as if bathed in blood. He couldn't see the ancient hall or anything else, only the eerie aura emanating from the monumental graves standing on the circular mountain range.

Unlike what Shuro had anticipated, there was no flash of memory.

"Could it still be up the mountain?"

Glancing at the nearby mountain path, Shuro walked over. Along the way were corpses and skeletons of disciples who had participated in this Monument Sea Enlightenment. They all had expressions of fear and tension, frozen in the moment of death. The skeletons were covered in dust, some broken beyond recognition, others reduced to mere fragments. It was impossible to tell which sect or which year they belonged to.

Walking amidst the bones, Shuro couldn't help but recall a vivid scene: a silver-haired man emerging from a sea of corpses, with shattered cities and bleached bones trailing in his wake. Atop a colossal black crane, the man snapped its neck, sending it crashing down, unleashing a torrent of souls into the blazing inferno below.

"Kill one, you're a murderer; kill ten, you're a villain; kill a hundred, you're a hero; kill a thousand, you're a legend." The lives lost at the hands of the Nine-Dragon Sovereign numbered over ten million.

Shuro's eyes widened as he coldly surveyed the malevolent aura billowing from the foot of the mountain, bursting forth with a pure intensity capable of consuming all in its path.

Before any confrontation, the malevolent aura emanating from the foothills disintegrated. Compared to the wrath of the Nine-Dragon Sovereign, this malevolence was but a mere wisp.

Ascending the steps to the first level, Shuro did not hasten his pace, instead choosing to close his eyes and await the resurgence of his memories. On these sixteen tiers, he spent the duration of an incense stick's burning, occasionally encountering remnants of malevolent aura that dissipated before reaching him. Strangely, these remnants seemed to stir his qi and blood, occasionally showing signs of coalescing.

Qi coursed through his meridians, while true energy flowed along his governing vessel. Within Shuro's body, both had achieved equilibrium, with the rise of his qi and blood coinciding with a rapid increase in true energy.

Merely traversing the sixteen tiers before the first level had bolstered Shuro's strength by nearly two months' worth of cultivation.

"This place proves to be a veritable treasure trove for cultivation," Shuro remarked, excitement flashing in his eyes.

Surrounded by stone tablets, with a veil of gray mist separating him from the second level beyond, Shuro veered left into the stone tablet area, continuing his search.

"Look, there's someone over there!"

"Where?"

"In the stone tablet area. It's that ordinary martial artist from the Empty Mountain Sect!"

"Did he just reach the stone tablet area?"

"He's still wandering around the stone tablet area. Does he mistake it for a market?"

Laughter echoed through the ancient hall, particularly raucous among the disciples of Kunting Mountain, evidently attempting to salvage Diego's reputation.

The disciples of the Empty Mountain Sect shook their heads in resignation, some pretending not to notice, unwilling to explain further. Soon enough, their gazes returned to Yue Qun and the others.

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On the fourth level, Yue Qun maintained his lead, albeit with painstakingly slow progress. Having ascended to the eleventh tier, he lagged behind his master's record of the thirteenth tier by two levels. Amidst the jubilation of Kunting Mountain's disciples, Andrea also smiled, though a hint of envy flashed in the depths of his eyes.

"Wait, didn't he die? How did he reappear? And he's climbing to the third level now."

At this moment, Shuro's silhouette once again graced the eyes of the assembled disciples in the ancient hall, garnering considerable attention. Before long, Shuro reached the third level, proceeding into the bronze tablet area, before vanishing from sight.

With no other recourse, the crowd reluctantly returned their focus to Yue Qun and his companions. The fourth level seemed as daunting as scaling the heavens themselves, with each step akin to a snail's pace. As time dragged on, boredom inevitably settled over the disciples within the hall.

"Quick, look! That person has reappeared! He's on the third level, fifth tier!"

"What? He's actually heading to the fourth level now! When did he climb so high? I didn't even notice! It's too sudden!"

"He appears and disappears at will... It seems like he's circling around the tablet area? No wonder we can't spot him."

"Goodness, just how audacious is he?"

As everyone's attention remained fixed on Yue Qun and his companions, Shuro had stealthily made his way to the fourth-tier tablet area. The tablet area, with its six tiers, each comprising sixteen levels, might not appear daunting at first glance, but each step towered at over five feet, steep and imposing. Coupled with the rampant malevolent aura, it was a challenge akin to scaling the heavens.

In the first three tiers of the tablet area, Shuro seemed to wander aimlessly, circling each level without any memory of the Nine-Dragon Sovereign flashing into his mind. As he ascended, the malevolent aura grew denser, and it wasn't until he reached the fourteenth level of the third tier that Shuro finally felt some pressure. Though slight, it was enough to quicken the flow of his blood and qi.

Signs of condensation appeared in his blood, and his qi had already circulated through the first five of the seven cycles of his body's meridians, leaving just two cycles remaining until he completed the transformation.

"Without even reaching the fourth tier, I've gained nearly three years' worth of power. Truly a remarkable place," Shuro mused, scanning his surroundings. There, seated not far from the pathway in the fourth-tier tablet area, was Diego.

"At last, I've found this rascal!" Shuro exclaimed without hesitation, leaping two steps at once and landing in the fourth-tier area.

Yue Qun was meditating at the eleventh level, while the monk from the Forgetting Zen sect stood at the sixth level, his hands clasped in meditation. South Degree stood like a statue at the fifth level, while the remaining three disciples of the Kunting Mountain sect halted at the third level. In between their moments of calming their minds, they occasionally glanced at Shuro. Initially dismissed, Shuro's gradual approach towards the fourth tier began to unsettle them.

Then, as Shuro ascended two steps at once, leaping into the fourth-tier tablet area, pandemonium erupted among the onlookers. Though Yue Qun, the monk, and South Degree managed to maintain their composure, the last disciple of Kunting Mountain trembled violently, his face turning pale. Moments of hesitation ensued before he was engulfed by a suffocating malevolent aura, causing him to collapse mentally. Without a second thought, his companions shattered their waist plaques.

At the third level of the fourth tier, Zhang Da Niu of Kunting Mountain fell. At the same level, Lu Wei and Song Jian Shu also withdrew.

Diego, sitting beside a silver tablet, was dumbfounded. Shuro hadn't even done anything, yet one disciple of Kunting Mountain had perished, and two had withdrawn. Now, Shuro was approaching him.

Though the malevolent aura in the tablet area wasn't as intense as on the mountain path, it was still thick. Diego's heart raced, a surge of malevolence piercing his chest, causing him to cough up blood.

With gritted teeth, Diego hesitated, preparing to shatter his waist plaque before Shuro reached him.

Suddenly, Shuro halted, looking up towards the mountaintop, his eyes gleaming.

"I've found it! It's on the mountaintop!"

Ignoring Diego, Shuro turned and retraced his steps along the mountain path.

Diego breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart was filled with resentment. If not for Shuro, he wouldn't have been forced by his master to refrain from advancing beyond the fourth tier for fear of destabilizing his mental state, thus losing the chance to challenge the rankings!

At the eleventh level of the fourth tier, Yue Qun suddenly turned to look at Diego. Diego, catching on, exchanged a discreet glance with him, their murderous intent evident.

Within the ancient hall, chaos reigned.

"What is this lad up to? Does he think this is a leisurely stroll?" The Damei Shitai snorted, her face twisted with displeasure, though even a fool could sense her inner jubilation.

"This lad is truly an enigma," remarked the Daoist from the Immeasurable Cave sect, his eyes filled with envy.

"Congratulations, Damei Shitai," said the leaders of the other three major sects, along with numerous other eighth and ninth-grade sect leaders.

While the leaders remained composed, the disciples were dumbfounded. While others proceeded with trepidation and caution, this "young master" seemed to halt and gaze as he pleased, strolling around leisurely, and even leaping two tiers when he felt like it!

Did he truly regard this place as a mere gravesite? It was downright disrespectful!

"He's responsible for Zhang Senior Brother's death; this lad must be punished!"

"If we spare him, how can we appease the anger of the masses?"

"Empty Mountain Sect, hand over the murderer!"

The disciples of Kunting Mountain were the first to come to their senses, their eyes red with fury as they directed their wrath towards the Empty Mountain Sect.

"Pah!" Luis interjected, chuckling. "The Chuan disciple hasn't even encountered him. What's the fuss about?"

"Exactly," Berta boasted, puffing up her chest. "If you're not as skilled, just admit it. Why make excuses here? Cut it out; a bunch of incompetent men!"

"That's enough," Andrea interjected. "The matter of Zhang Da Niu should serve as a warning to you all. Don't bring it up again."

Andrea's command rendered the disciples of Kunting Mountain powerless to cause a scene, so they could only cast venomous glares towards the Empty Mountain Sect, sealing the enmity between the two factions.

After consoling Lu Wei and Song Jian Shu with a few words, Andrea lifted her head, her eyes ice-cold as she gazed at Shuro. It was clear that this situation had reached a point where no further leniency could be afforded... It was time for action!

Recalling the silent exchange of glances between Yue Qun and Diego earlier, Andrea felt a measure of reassurance. Both of these disciples had been deeply ingrained with her teachings; they surely knew what needed to be done.

"Fourth tier, fifth level!"

"Fourth tier, sixth level!"

"Fourth tier, seventh level!"

"Fourth tier, eighth level!"

With each step Shuro ascended, the disciples from the Empty Mountain Sect would shout out loudly, even Huaxin, with her profound sorrow, and the troublesome Luis, joining in. Every face was adorned with joy.

These were all teenagers, lacking in worldly experience and far less mature than Damei Shitai, Andrea, and others. Among youths, true animosity was rare, and even if it existed, it was fleeting.

"Brother!" Hongyin grabbed Qin Jiatian's hand tightly, her face unable to conceal her delight.

"Fourth tier, ninth level!"

"Fourth tier, tenth level!"

In the blink of an eye, Shuro had surpassed South Degree and the Forgetting Zen monk, with only one step left to reach Yue Qun. Compared to Yue Qun's strained demeanor, Shuro seemed remarkably relaxed and carefree as he sauntered up to the fourth tier's tenth level.

The contrast was stark.

Not only the disciples of the Empty Mountain Sect but also those from other immortal sects began to anticipate Shuro's progress. At this rate, the Chuan disciple could at least reach the fifth tier. What did reaching the fifth tier mean? It meant breaking into the top eighty of historical rankings, a feat achieved only by monstrous talents!

However, just at that moment, Shuro suddenly halted, motionless, with only one step remaining before Yue Qun!

Silence fell over the ancient hall.

The hearts of all the disciples from the Empty Mountain Sect clenched suddenly, while those from Kunting Mountain began to show signs of hidden joy. Such instances had occurred many times before; eighty percent of the time, someone would perish on the spot, while only twenty percent of the lucky ones managed to shatter their waist plaques and safely retreat.

A sigh rang out from somewhere, accompanying it were the gleeful expressions of the Kunting Mountain disciples.

Something was amiss.

Andrea's brow furrowed, and Damei Shitai's tense expression softened.

At the fourth tier's tenth level, the young man's body trembled, and a vast and majestic aura surged forth from him. The air around him quivered like waves, and a column of true qi, as thick as an arm, shot out from his Baihui acupoint, resembling a dragon soaring into the sky, narrowly missing Yue Qun's face.

Though Yue Qun wasn't struck by the true qi, he was still taken aback, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he turned his head.

"This child, choosing such a reckless and disrespectful place to break through... He's reckless and impolite, far too careless. Poor Lu Dao You, he's truly offended." Damei Shitai spoke with a tone of disappointment.

The leaders of the three major sects and the heads of the eighth and ninth-grade immortal sects all had stiff expressions, their foreheads beaded with cold sweat.

As leaders, they had all participated in the jade monument Wu Dao Conference in their youth and were well aware of the terror of the jade monument environment. Even breaking through a small realm required a favorable environment, at the very least safety. Yet here was the jade monument, burying the remnants of the powerful from a thousand years ago, with a thick malevolent aura, and murderous intent rampant. Ordinary people entering would meet certain death, and even disciples at the Foundation Establishment Fourth Stage were on edge.

And this lad chose to play breakthrough inside... Extricating true qi from the body, reaching the initial stage of Foundation Establishment... He had only just completed the second stage of Foundation Establishment!

"Alan, last night was the only time in your life you could fight him to a draw. It might even be the proudest moment of your life, so remember it," Luis said.

"To be able to fight him to a draw in the first stage of Foundation Establishment and even suppress me... In the end, I've lost," Alan said with a wry smile.

"It was intentional! Absolutely intentional!"

A disciple from Kunting Mountain burst out, but no one paid him any attention.

On the circular mountain range of jade monument, as Shuro broke through, Yue Qun was shocked by the overflow of true qi, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Just as he managed to stabilize his mental state, he saw Shuro step over him and continue upwards. His body swayed, and Yue Qun spat out another mouthful of blood.

No matter how the disciples of Kunting Mountain leaped and screamed, no one paid any attention.

Following Shuro's footsteps, everyone's gaze fell on the fifth tier for the first time.

The fifth tier! It was the legendary tier of geniuses in history!

For thousands of years, only eighty people had reached this level, each becoming a legend in the immortal Dao realm of Tian Nan. Some became the mainstays and ancestors of immortal sects, while others crossed continents and stepped into another world. And their final realm never fell below the Gui Xu realm, without exception.

By reaching the fifth tier, Shuro's speed finally slowed down. With each step, he had to pause and ponder for a while. Even so, he was still much faster than Yue Qun and the others.

"Fifth tier, first level!"

"Fifth tier, second level!"

"Fifth tier, third level!"

At first, the disciples in the ancient hall speculated on which level Shuro would stop at. But as Shuro ascended halfway up the steps, drawing closer to the towering one-hundred-foot white jade tablet, everyone—Damei Shitai, the leaders of various sects, the caretakers of the ancient hall—lost their composure.

"Fifth tier, ninth level!"

"Fifth tier, tenth level!"

"Fifth tier, eleventh level!"

The jade monument of Warden City, with its ninety-six levels spread across six tiers, had never been conquered in a thousand years. The highest-ranked person to ever stand on the fifth tier, reaching the fourteenth level, was the legendary Bruno, who came close to the white jade tablet towering a hundred feet above. He later founded the Tian Hua Palace and, over four hundred years, elevated it from a low-grade small sect to the undisputed overlord of the Tian Nan cultivation sects.