Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

In the far east of the Celestial Demon Ancient Realm lies the Death Black Lake.

The water of the entire Death Black Lake was inky black and utterly stagnant. Even howling gales could not stir the slightest ripple on its surface.

This was a forbidden zone for life.

Even physically powerful Demon Beasts that set foot in the Death Black Lake would have their flesh corroded away, leaving behind nothing but a pile of bones.

More importantly, the lake would occasionally erupt with pillars of highly toxic black gas. The smaller pillars reached a hundred meters in height, while the larger ones could stretch for tens of thousands of meters. During one of these toxic eruptions, the entire sky above the lake would be shrouded in a poisonous mist, making it impossible for even a True Martial Realm Powerhouse to fly across.

The Celestial Demon Ancient Castle was located right in the center of the Death Black Lake.

"I’d never have dared to come here if it weren’t for the Secret Map Bai Changsheng left me!" Jiang Chen stood on the shore of the Death Black Lake, gazing at the vast, dark waters before him as he muttered to himself.

The Secret Map of the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle in his hand showed a safe path across the Death Black Lake.

Along this route, no pillars of deadly toxic gas erupted.

Jiang Chen moved with great speed, following the route on the Secret Map and weaving through the area as nimbly as a swallow.

BOOM—

RUMBLE—

All around him, pillars of deadly gas continuously burst through the viscous black water, shooting straight toward the heavens. Tens of thousands of them linked together, forming a toxic canopy across the sky.

There was virtually no safe place to stand above the entire Death Black Lake.

Only the path Jiang Chen traveled was completely safe, with no pillars of toxic gas blocking his way.

After a full two days, Jiang Chen finally reached the center of the Death Black Lake, where an island rested. This circular island spanned a hundred li, its shores a ring of pitch-black sand bordering the lake. This sand was not to be touched lightly; one couldn’t even land on it.

Every grain of sand on the black beach had been steeped in the toxic lake water for years, becoming saturated with a poison so deadly it could kill on contact.

"I finally made it..."

Jiang Chen leaped over the black beach and landed on the solid ground inside, letting out a long sigh of relief.

Though it had only been two days, he had been on high alert every single moment, constantly watching for toxic pillars erupting from the lake. The two days of nerve-wracking tension had felt as long as two years.

He took out the Secret Map of the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle and studied it, comparing it to the island’s layout. Jiang Chen looked to the east. "According to the Secret Map, the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle has three entrances. Bai Changsheng and his party followed the map’s guidance to the third entrance first, but they gave up halfway for some unknown reason. They then chose the first entrance, where they found an Earth Tier High-level Profound Weapon. After that, they changed routes again and went through the second entrance, obtaining the Mixed Element Golden Pill."

"But the only one that truly leads to the core of the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle is the third entrance!"

With a glint in his eye, Jiang Chen flew toward the third entrance of the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle.

It was a mountain peak a hundred meters high.

The peak stood upon the island like a demon’s finger pointing to the sky. The entrance was at its base, an archway formed from a mosaic of pitch-black skulls.

Each skull was utterly sinister, with hollow eye sockets and a jet-black surface. As the wind whistled through them, it created an eerie moaning sound that was deeply unsettling.

The dark entrance looked like a Demon’s gaping, bloody maw.

"This third entrance really is unsettling," Jiang Chen said with a wry smile.

He steeled himself and went inside.

The passage was long, deep, and so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

’The Secret Map calls this passage the Ancient Heart Refining Dao, but even it doesn’t mention the length... When the hell is this going to end?’ Jiang Chen thought, looking helplessly into the surrounding darkness. He had two choices: keep moving forward through the darkness until the end, or turn back and pick another entrance. After a moment’s hesitation, he made his decision: he would see this through to the very end.

Walking on a desolate, silent, and seemingly endless path of darkness was the ultimate test of one’s willpower.

For most people, having a clear goal makes all the difference. For instance, if you were told there was a handsome reward waiting for you after persevering for ten thousand meters, you could grit your teeth and push through, no matter how difficult the journey.

But if there was no clear goal—if you were simply told to walk forward, with no idea how far you had to go, how long it would take, or what awaited you at the end—then ninety-nine percent of people would choose to give up.

’No wonder Bai Changsheng and his party gave up. Who knows how long this goes on for...’ Despite this thought, Jiang Chen didn’t give up. He didn’t even quicken his pace, but simply maintained a steady speed forward.

One day...

Two days...

Three days...

Before he knew it, he had been walking for seven days.

SWISH!

A blast of Startled Swan Sword Qi shot through the air, kicking up a fierce wind in the dark corridor. The wind was initially incredibly condensed, rushing forward like a spherical storm. But after traveling only two meters, its internal structure grew chaotic. It could no longer maintain its spherical shape and burst apart, sending violent gusts of wind shooting in all directions.

In the darkness, Jiang Chen muttered thoughtfully to himself, ’That’s not right. This Gale Break technique is still off. The transition in the Sword Technique should have been smoother. Wind Fluctuation is meant to ride the wind’s momentum, stacking layer upon layer of Storm Sword Qi to generate terrifying destructive power. But Gale Break requires the absolute opposite: extreme containment and compression of all that power into a spherical Sword Qi, which then explodes all at once when it reaches its limit!’

’I’ll try again...’

The sword in Jiang Chen’s hand bloomed with a brilliant light. He held it in one hand, repeatedly practicing the motions of Gale Break, the second form of the Wind God Extreme Sword Technique.

All the while, his feet never stopped moving, maintaining their steady forward pace.

Boredom had set in on the second day, so Jiang Chen had begun to study his Swordsmanship to pass the time.

This pitch-black, claustrophobic environment, far from being a hindrance, actually allowed him to focus completely on his Swordsmanship, and his progress was remarkable.

Although his Gale Break was still unrefined, the practice had given him a much deeper understanding of Wind Fluctuation, greatly increasing its power. At the same time, his Profound Yellow Undying Technique continuously refined his Mixed Element Golden Pill, making Jiang Chen’s True Essence even more condensed. His overall strength had improved significantly compared to seven days ago.

「In the blink of an eye, it was the tenth day.」

HUMMM—

Jiang Chen stopped in his tracks. The sword he swung forward flashed with a brilliant gleam as golden True Essence began to emanate from the blade. Immediately after, a golden light flared like an exploding firework, and a terrifying Storm Sword Qi burst forth.

Torrents of Storm Sword Qi gathered before the tip of his sword, coalescing into a sphere of Sword Qi.

Within the sphere, strands of Sword Qi crisscrossed, yet it was perfectly contained, not making a single sound.

Jiang Chen’s sharp, sword-like brows twitched. He let out a sharp cry, "Go!"

SWOOSH—

The sphere of Sword Qi shot forward. Throughout its flight, it continuously compressed, growing smaller and smaller. By the time it reached the spot Jiang Chen had targeted, its diameter had shrunk from thirty meters to fifteen.

BOOM!

The sphere of Sword Qi suddenly detonated. Countless strands of Sword Qi, compressed to their absolute limit, scattered in every direction, forming an incredibly powerful Sword Qi Tornado!

"I finally did it! My Gale Break has reached the Great Success Realm. If I had mastered this Sword Skill back then, I wouldn’t have needed to use the God-Devouring Secret Technique against the Dragon-Horned Demon Flood Dragon."

Jiang Chen pumped his fist in excitement. Ten days of arduous training had finally allowed him to cultivate Gale Break to the Great Success Realm. It was a joyous occasion.

But...

He looked around. It was still pitch-black. Jiang Chen couldn’t help but curse, "For fuck’s sake! I’ve already mastered the second form of the Wind God Extreme to the Great Success Realm, how the hell is this goddamn hallway still not over?" 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Muttering curses under his breath, Jiang Chen continued onward.

An hour later, Jiang Chen suddenly stopped. After ten days in the sunless, pitch-black corridor, a glimmer of light had finally appeared...