Chapter 300

At the summit of the sea of clouds, the stone pavilion was filled with drifting tea fragrance, mist swirling around like a fairyland.

Wang Ping's injuries had just healed, his breath still slightly insubstantial, but the eyes that had undergone life-and-death tempering grew ever more calm and profound. He stood respectfully outside the stone pavilion, awaiting his master's summons.

"Come in." Jiang Mingyuan's gentle voice came from within.

Wang Ping entered the stone pavilion, bowed, and said: "Disciple pays respects to Master."

Jiang Mingyuan lifted his gaze to look at him, his eyes calm yet seeming to see through everything. He did not speak immediately, but carefully examined Wang Ping, as if admiring a piece of beautiful jade that, after carving, gradually revealed its brilliance.

After a moment, a hint of approval flashed in Jiang Mingyuan's eyes, the corners of his mouth slightly rising: "In such a short time, you have actually perfected the Five Elements Point Spirit, and even glimpsed a thread of chaotic true intent in the Myriad Laws Pool—when your left arm was reborn, you actually managed to fuse that wisp of chaotic aura… Not bad, truly not bad."

Wang Ping's heart gave a slight jolt. In the Myriad Laws Pool, he had reversed the Five Elements, unleashed the Chaos Return to Origin strike, and his left arm had undergone an abnormal transformation—though he had not deliberately concealed these, he thought his master, burdened with myriad affairs, could not possibly grasp such details so clearly, showing how deeply he was concerned.

"Master's discerning eye is like a torch; disciple was merely fortunate to gain some insight." Wang Ping replied respectfully.

Jiang Mingyuan waved his hand, indicating he need not be modest: "Opportunity is certainly important, but being able to seize it and turn external force into one's own use—that is true talent and character.

You were able to comprehend chaotic true intent at the brink of life and death, and even fuse a remnant trace of it into your newly regenerated limb—this level of insight and courage has already far surpassed your peers."

He lifted his teacup, took a light sip, his gaze turning toward the surging sea of clouds outside the pavilion, his tone leisurely: "The Five Elements Point Spirit is perfected, the Golden Core is already flawless, the Dao foundation is vast and deep like an abyss.

With your current strength, coupled with your profound understanding of the Five Elements' mutual generation and overcoming, and the aid of that thread of chaotic true intent… you now have the qualifications to challenge the Golden Core stage record of the Heaven-Reaching Tower."

Wang Ping's heart trembled, a blazing light igniting in his eyes. He indeed harbored this intention, but had not expected his master to bring it up proactively.

Jiang Mingyuan turned his gaze back to Wang Ping, his eyes filled with expectation and a rare note of solemnity: "As your master, I know you are lofty and ambitious, aiming for the peak. Since that is the case, go forth and challenge it. If you can truly break the Golden Core stage record sealed for a hundred thousand years…

He paused, his voice soft yet each word crystal clear: "As your master, I will exchange for you the second layer of the《Spirit Refining Art》."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ping's pupils suddenly contracted, his breath catching!

The《Spirit Refining Art》! This supreme soul cultivation method obtained from the lower realms—its first layer had already brought him boundless benefits, his soul strength far surpassing that of his peers, his sea of consciousness condensing into will-stars, repeatedly aiding him in maintaining clarity at critical moments, even turning defeat into victory. Its value, in Wang Ping's heart, was second to none among great offensive techniques.

And the second layer! Its profundity and power would surely reach even greater heights! For Wang Ping, who was about to face the condensation of the Nascent Soul and needed powerful soul support, it was nothing less than timely aid in the snow, and moreover, an important safeguard for his future path of cultivation!

"Master…" Wang Ping's voice trembled slightly, boundless gratitude and fighting spirit surging in his heart.

Jiang Mingyuan gave a faint smile, raising his hand to stop him from speaking further: "No need for many words. The path must be walked by oneself; records must be broken by oneself. Go, let me see just how far my disciple can go."

"Disciple will surely not disappoint Master's expectations!" Wang Ping bowed deeply, his tone resolute and unwavering.

After departing from the summit of the sea of clouds, Wang Ping's chest surged with heroic passion, yet his expression grew ever more calm. He did not immediately head for the Heaven-Reaching Tower, but instead returned to his cave dwelling, spending three days adjusting his condition to peak state.

Not only were his injuries fully healed, but he also repeatedly contemplated and integrated the insights gained from the Dao Source Spirit Eye, his comprehension of chaotic true intent, and the various changes after perfecting the Five Elements Point Spirit, achieving the state where at the stir of a thought, the Five Elements divine light flowed smoothly as desired, and all manner of Dao techniques came to hand effortlessly.

Three days later, the morning sun rose, rosy light spreading in myriad rays.

Wang Ping changed into a simple blue Daoist robe, his hair bound with a wooden pin, his breath completely internalized, like an ordinary Daoist academy student, as he walked slowly toward the Heaven-Reaching Tower.

However, this time, the base of the tower was already crowded with people.

The news that "Protector of the Dao Heavenly Pride" Wang Ping wished to challenge the Heaven-Reaching Tower again and break the record, having been spread by someone unknown, instantly ignited the enthusiasm of the entire Ninth Dao Institute. Not only did lower-level disciples swarm over, but many Golden Core stage, even Nascent Soul stage senior brothers and sisters, as well as steward elders, also appeared, either openly or secretly, paying attention to this place.

Everyone wanted to know just how far this monster—who had just created the glorious feat of "slaying one on the seventh level," earned the title "Protector of the Dao Heavenly Pride," and after arduous cultivation in the Dao Source Spirit Eye—could go this time. Could he even touch that legendary record?

Wang Ping paid no heed to the surrounding clamor, his gaze calm as he passed through the crowd and fell upon the ancient, weathered body of the Heaven-Reaching Tower. He showed no hesitation, stepping straight into the entrance where light flowed and shifted.

At the instant his figure vanished, on the huge light curtain outside the tower, the characters "Wang Ping" had the light of the first layer instantly light up, then immediately extinguish, light up again, and extinguish once more…

First layer, second layer, third layer… almost without pause!

"So fast! Compared to last time's tower challenge, it's faster by multiple times!"

"Can't even see how he passed the levels!"

"Is this the strength after Golden Core perfection and Five Elements Point Spirit completion?"

The crowd burst into exclamations. Wang Ping's tower-challenging speed had completely surpassed their understanding of "challenging the tower," as if the virtual guardians before him were as fragile as paper, unable to withstand a single blow.

Fourth layer, fifth layer, sixth layer… the flashing speed of the light remained astonishingly fast! When the light of the sixth layer lit up, only the time it took to finish a cup of tea had passed!

And this time, Wang Ping even did not linger on the sixth layer. Those three guardians—fairly strong, who had once made him struggle greatly during his first tower challenge (a demon, a ghost cultivator, a body cultivator)—this time could not even slow his steps slightly.

Inside the tower, the space of the sixth layer.

Wang Ping did not even give those three guardians a chance to fully coalesce and launch their attacks.

He merely stepped forward with one foot, and the five-colored divine light around his body swayed slightly.

"Earth, Suppress!"

Yellow divine light flowed, and an extremely condensed gravitational field, far surpassing before, instantly enveloped the entire space! The demon cultivator, just about to spread its wings, the ghost cultivator, about to assume form, and the body cultivator, just gripping his fists, suddenly felt as if a mountain weighing tens of thousands of jin pressed upon them, their movements becoming sluggish, the circulation of their spiritual power turning extremely arduous!

"Wood, Thunder; Fire, Burn!"

Immediately following, the green and red divine lights lit up simultaneously. A azure lightning net covering the entire field appeared out of nowhere, the yin wood divine lightning crackling with purifying and paralyzing power, adding to the guardians' misery. At the same time, a small golden-red sun appeared above Wang Ping's head, the true fire of the sun transforming into three strands of concentrated fire lines, striking first despite coming later, precisely shooting at the three, who were doubly suppressed by gravity and the lightning net!

Pu! Pu! Pu!

Three soft sounds, almost simultaneous. The demon cultivator was pierced through the brow by the fire line, the ghost cultivator had its soul body burned to ash, and the body cultivator had its chest torn open. The three virtual shadows could not even put up a decent resistance before dissolving into points of light and vanishing.

From stepping into the sixth layer to the guardians' total annihilation, it took only three breaths!

Wang Ping's face remained calm, as if he had merely done something trivial. He looked toward the entrance to the seventh layer, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes.

"This time, I won't be in such a sorry state again."

He took a step forward.

Seventh layer, Chaotic Void.

The scene remained the same—three familiar figures slowly coalescing—the Heaven Azure Clan (late Golden Core), human sword cultivator (ranked three hundred on the Hidden Dragon List), Void Clan (early Golden Core).

However, unlike last time when Wang Ping nearly died here, ultimately relying on a mutual destruction tactic to slay the Void Clan and retreat wounded, now his breath was deep and mountain-like, facing these three top-tier Golden Core existences, his eyes showed not the slightest ripple, only absolute confidence.

"Familiar opponents." Wang Ping murmured softly to himself, the corner of his mouth even drawing a hint of a faint smile.

The battle, in the moment he stepped in, had already begun!

First to move, as before, was that Void Clan hiding in the void, appearing and disappearing mysteriously! An invisible spatial blade, soundlessly, tore open space from Wang Ping's left waist and rib, stabbing straight toward him! Its speed, angle, and timing were all treacherous and vicious to the extreme, even better than last time!

However, Wang Ping did not even turn his head.

He slightly raised his left hand, and gently pressed against the void to his left.

"Water, Ice Seal; Space, Solidify!"

Azure divine light and a wondrous spatial undulation spread out simultaneously! Not merely a simple yin cold tide, but fused with the true intent after Point Spirit—"Ice Seal the Soul, Return to Extinction"—and further blended with Wang Ping's slight understanding of spatial power (gained from his encounters with the Void Clan and his own insights)!

Crack—!

With Wang Ping's left hand as the center, the void within a radius of three zhang suddenly dropped in temperature to below absolute zero, and the spatial structure seemed to be instantly frozen and solidified! The incoming spatial blade, as if it had struck the hardest profound ice amber, had its speed drastically reduced to almost a standstill, and even condensed icy blue ice crystals on its blade!

"What?!" A wave of horrified and desperate mental fluctuation came from the void! The Void Clan clearly did not expect that Wang Ping was not only sensitive to spatial fluctuations to this extent, but could also display such a strange divine ability, fusing ultimate ice cold and spatial solidification power, directly restraining his assassination talent!

"I found you." Wang Ping's eyes narrowed, locking onto the fluctuation source that had slightly materialized due to spatial solidification, his right hand's fingers together like a sword, pointing into the void.

"Gold, sever!"

A sword gang, condensed into substance and carrying the ultimate sharp will of "cutting through everything," ignoring distance, instantly pierced through that solidified void, precisely stabbing into the fluctuation core!

"Ah—!" A shrill scream in the void came to an abrupt halt. The Void Clan's phantom didn't even have time to display more life-saving divine abilities before being completely annihilated by this White Tiger Sword Gang fused with the true intent of point-spirit slaughter!

From the Void Clan's sneak attack to being counter-killed, it was only a matter of lightning and flint!

And at this moment, the "Heaven Azure Hand" of the Heaven Azure Clan and the "Nine Tribulations Sword Art" of the human sword cultivator had just finished brewing, and came crashing down with a boom!

The azure-green giant hand pressed down on heaven and earth, carrying the will of the azure heaven; the nine sword qi were like calamity and punishment, sealing off all directions. Its might remained terrifyingly absolute, enough to make any Golden Core cultivator despair.

But Wang Ping merely raised his head slightly, his eyes calm.

He no longer needed to, as last time, exhaust all his strength and use the self-destruction of the Point-Spirit Golden Crow to exchange for a sliver of life.

"Five Elements Revolve, Chaos Initially Reveals—Five Elements Chaos Domain, open!"

With his low voice, a mysterious and unfathomable aura burst forth explosively centered on him! The five-colored light—yellow, green, red, white, blue—was not scattered, but interwove, fused, and spread rapidly along a mysterious trajectory that transcended the regular Five Elements' mutual generation and restriction, containing a hint of Chaos returning to the origin!

In an instant, a blurry domain with a diameter of about five zhang, chaotic in color, and within which the evolution of earth, fire, water, wind and the illusory shadows of mountains and rivers could be faintly seen, completely enveloped Wang Ping!

Although this domain was merely an embryonic form, extremely unstable, and consumed enormous energy, it immediately displayed terrifying power upon appearance!

The descending azure-green giant hand, upon entering the chaos domain, was like a mud ox entering the sea! The chaotic and inclusive Five Elements power within the domain, along with the faint Chaos aura, frantically consumed, decomposed, and assimilated the stellar laws and vast spiritual power within the giant hand, causing its power to visibly diminish at a speed discernible to the naked eye, and its descent became slow and sluggish.

The nine fierce and unmatched Tribulation Sword Qi, upon slashing into the domain, were like falling into an endless mire! The various sword intents contained within the sword qi were disturbed and eroded by the chaotic law fluctuations within the chaos domain, their sharpness weakened layer by layer, their trajectories distorted invisibly, and they could no longer form a perfect killing net.

"How is this possible?!" In the azure-blue pupils of the Heaven Azure Clan's phantom, for the first time, an undisguisable shock appeared. His "Heaven Azure Hand," which contained the will of the azure heaven and was nearly unrivaled among peers, was actually easily resisted and weakened by the opponent's strange domain?

The eyes of the human sword cultivator's phantom also suddenly sharpened, and the ancient sword in his hand emitted a hum, obviously indicating that the means displayed by Wang Ping had completely exceeded his expectations.

Wang Ping stood at the center of the domain, his face slightly pale. Maintaining this embryonic Five Elements Chaos Domain consumed terrifying amounts of spiritual sense and spiritual power; even with his Golden Core Perfection cultivation, he could not sustain it for long.

But, it was enough.

"Break!"

He let out a fierce shout, and suddenly pushed both hands forward! The Five Elements Chaos Power maintaining the domain, in an instant, was guided and gathered by him, transforming into a beam only as thick as an arm, with an indeterminate chaotic color, yet emitting a faint spatial distortion, shooting straight toward the Heaven Azure Clan's phantom!

At the same time, he used his mind in two ways, and a wheel of golden-red scorching sun suddenly appeared above his head!

"True Solar Fire, Golden Yang Burns Heaven!"

No longer scattered fire feathers, nor condensed exploding flame yang, but pouring the full might of the True Solar Fire after point-spirit into this scorching wheel! The sun suddenly expanded, transforming into a sea of burning heaven composed purely of destructive golden-red flames, sweeping backward and engulfing the nine Tribulation Sword Qi that had been weakened by the domain and whose trajectories had scattered!

The chaos beam struck first despite being launched later, colliding with the residual shadow of the Heaven Azure Hand that had hastily gathered stellar power to resist!

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a heart-pounding sound of law annihilation. The chaos beam, as if possessing the property to dissolve all things, easily pierced through the remaining azure-green hand seal, its momentum undiminished, and heavily struck the chest of the Heaven Azure Clan's phantom!

Pfft!

The Heaven Azure Clan's phantom flared with violent silver light all over its body, let out a muffled groan, and its figure flew backward, a bowl-sized hole appearing in its chest, the edges eroded by chaotic aura, its figure instantly dimming by more than half; although it did not immediately scatter, it had suffered heavy injuries, and its aura plummeted.

On the other side, the Burning Heaven Fire Sea and the nine sword qi fiercely consumed each other, ultimately both annihilated into nothingness. The human sword cultivator's phantom stood holding his sword, the light on his sword body slightly dimmed, obviously also having consumed considerable energy.

Wang Ping seized this fleeting opportunity, the domain instantly contracted, his figure vanished like a ghost from its original place, and in the next instant he appeared before the injured Heaven Azure Clan's phantom!

"Heaven-Overturning Seal, Suppress!"

No longer just a hanging cord defense, but a true suppression attack! An ancient, simple, and heavy yellow seal phantom appeared out of thin air, carrying the supreme power to suppress earth, fire, water, wind, and stabilize the universe, and heavily smashed toward the Heaven Azure Clan's phantom!

The Heaven Azure Clan's phantom, heavily injured, barely condensed starlight to resist, but under the suppression of the Heaven-Overturning Seal fused with gravitational true intent, earthly origin, and a hint of Chaos support, its defense shattered like paper!

Boom!

The Heaven Azure Clan's phantom was solidly hit by the Heaven-Overturning Seal, let out an unwilling muffled sound, and completely dissipated into points of light all over the sky!

Only Wang Ping and the human sword cultivator's phantom standing with his sword remained in the Seventh Layer Space!

Wang Ping breathed slightly, having continuously activated the embryonic domain, chaos beam, true solar fire sea, and Heaven-Overturning Seal, the consumption was indeed enormous, but his eyes remained bright and sharp.

The human sword cultivator's phantom deeply glanced at Wang Ping, and in his eyes there seemed to be a hint of complex and indistinct meaning—surprise, praise, emotion, and even a hint of... excitement at meeting a true opponent?

He said nothing, merely slowly raising the ancient sword in his hand. The light on the sword body, which had been slightly dim, again blazed up, a sword intent more pure and more condensed than before, seeming to sever all bonds, only I and the sword, surged upward!

"Sword Heart Penetrates Brightness, Only I, One Sword." He softly chanted, his entire aura and the ancient sword in his hand completely merged, transforming into a sword light of utmost purity, person and sword as one, thrusting straight toward Wang Ping!

This sword discarded all flourish, abandoned all changes, leaving only the utmost speed, the utmost sharpness, and the utmost penetration! As if it wanted to pierce through this chaotic void, together with Wang Ping, completely!

Wang Ping's pupils suddenly contracted, feeling an unprecedented threat! The power of this sword had already surpassed the range of ordinary Golden Core stage, touching the edge of "skill nearly Dao"!

There was no way to avoid it!

"Five Elements Divine Light, Protect Body!"

"Gravity Domain, Thousand Layers Stacked!"

"Lunar Yin Cold Tide, Ice Seal!"

In an instant, Wang Ping pushed his defense to the utmost! Five-colored divine light madly circulated on his body surface, forming the toughest shield; gravity technique laid down layer upon layer of distorting force fields before him; Lunar Yin Cold Tide transformed into the most solid dark blue ice wall.

However, that pure sword light, as if ignoring all this!

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

The five-colored shield was easily torn apart! The gravity force field was forcibly penetrated! The Lunar Yin ice wall was pierced through with holes!

The sword light's momentum was like splitting bamboo, straight pointing at Wang Ping's brow!

At the moment of life and death, a flash of determination passed through Wang Ping's eyes; he actually did not retreat but advanced, his left fist clenched tightly, the strand of chaos aura on his newly grown left arm fully activated, chaos luster flowing beneath his skin, the entire arm seeming to have transformed into chaos divine gold!

"Chaos... Fist!"

He had never systematically studied fist techniques, but at this moment inspiration struck, and he poured all his comprehension of chaos true intent, all his ultimate control of the Five Elements Power, into this fist! On the fist's front, five-colored light interwove with chaos, faintly forming a miniature chaos vortex, meeting that utmost sword light!

Fist and sword collided!

There was no sound, no explosion.

Only the purest collision of power and Dao intent!

Time seemed to freeze for an instant.

The next moment, the sword light suddenly shattered! The phantom of the human cultivator staggered back, his ancient sword letting out a mournful cry, his figure rapidly becoming illusory and transparent. His gaze toward Wang Ping was filled with utter shock and... a hint of a relieved smile, before he gradually faded away.

Wang Ping, meanwhile, let out a muffled grunt, his left fist split open and bleeding profusely, even revealing the white knuckles, his entire left arm wracked with excruciating pain as if it were about to shatter. Though that sword light was shattered, the ultimate sword intent it contained still invaded his arm, causing serious injury.

But he, in the end, was the one still standing!

Seventh level, cleared! And by slaying all the gatekeepers!

Outside the tower, when the light on the seventh level of the light curtain gradually faded, the eighth level lit up in succession, displaying the words "Cleared (Slay Three)", the entire area outside the Heaven-Reaching Tower fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared, dumbfounded, unable to believe their eyes as they looked at those words.

Seventh level... cleared... slay three...

This meant that Wang Ping had not only passed the seventh level, but had slain all three gatekeepers! Including that elusive Void race and that near-invincible Tiancang race of the same level!

This battle record, compared to the previous "Slay One" retreat, how could it be merely ten times stronger?!

"He... he really did it..."

"Seventh level... slay three cleared..."

"How long has it been? Half an incense stick? One incense stick?"

"His strength... just what level has it reached?!"

After a brief deathly silence, came a boiling uproar like a tsunami sweeping the entire scene! Exclamations, praises, incredulous shouts, nearly overturning the heavens!

However, Wang Ping's steps did not stop.

The light of the eighth level had already lit up.

Inside the tower, the eighth level space.

The environment was similar to the seventh level, still that chaotic void. But as the three opposing figures gradually condensed, Wang Ping's face instantly turned grave to the extreme.

Still the Tiancang race, that human sword cultivator, that Void race.

But their auras were now worlds apart!

The phantom of the Tiancang race, silver hair flying, his eyes where galaxies faded, his body no longer surrounded by simple stellar power, but had evolved into a miniature nebula slowly rotating, containing the Dao rhythm of life and death! His aura had actually reached——half-step Nascent Soul! Touching the threshold of the Nascent Soul stage's "law manifestation", his pressure was like an abyss, like the sea, several times stronger than when he was on the seventh level!

The phantom of the human sword cultivator, his green robe hunting, his entire body seeming like a peerless divine sword drawn from its sheath, ready to cleave the heavens! Behind him, a huge sword shadow that stood between heaven and earth flickered faintly, its sword intent condensed into substance, stirring the void to resonate, emitting a humming sword cry. The layers of his sword intent had already approached the embryonic form of a Nascent Soul sword cultivator's "sword domain"! Though his cultivation remained at the peak of Golden Core, his threat level was in no way inferior to the half-step Nascent Soul Tiancang race!

What weighed heaviest on Wang Ping's heart was the right side——that phantom of the Void race! His form was almost completely transparent, merged with space, and were it not for Wang Ping's keen spiritual sense and extreme familiarity with spatial fluctuations, he would hardly be detectable. And his aura...... was actually late-stage Golden Core! Moreover, the peak of late-stage Golden Core, his mastery of spatial power compared to the seventh level had increased by what could not be less than tenfold!

"Late-stage Golden Core Void race... half-step Nascent Soul Tiancang... near-sword-domain sword cultivator..." Wang Ping drew a deep breath, feeling an unprecedented pressure. This lineup could be called the nightmare of Golden Core cultivators! No wonder his master said, passing the eighth level would grant him the battle power to defeat ordinary early Nascent Soul cultivators.

Without any exchange, battle erupted the moment the Void race's phantom fully solidified.

As before, the Void race struck first! But this time, it was no longer a simple spatial blade. The space around Wang Ping began to violently twist, fold, and tear without warning! Countless fine spatial rifts, like a storm composed of the sharpest blades, swept in from all directions, up and down, left and right, leaving no blind spot! What was more terrifying, these spatial rifts were not fixed, but constantly changed and combined according to the Void race's thoughts, forming all kinds of deadly traps and killing formations!

This was the Void race's late-stage Golden Core, manifesting his spatial talent to the extreme——the Spatial Storm!

Almost simultaneously, the half-step Nascent Soul Tiancang race moved. The miniature nebula behind him suddenly accelerated its rotation, countless starlight points shooting out like a violent rain! These points of light were not chaotic, but contained some profound trajectory, interconnected, faintly forming a star array to suppress the void! Each point of light was heavy as a mountain, hot as the sun, cold as the moon, bearing various distinct stellar laws, descending upon him!

The Tiancang race's divine ability——Star Array Deployment·Suppression!

And that sword cultivator, then, was the simplest, yet most terrifying, single sword!

That huge sword shadow behind him merged with the sword in his hand, man and sword as one! A pure sword light that seemed able to cleave chaos and sever reincarnation, ignoring distance and space, striking first despite coming later, straight for Wang Ping's brow! This sword was purer and more refined than the last one on the seventh level, its sword intent even carrying a hint of the terrifying conception of "slaying the Dao"!

The sword cultivator's supreme art——Slay Dao One Sword!

Spatial Storm Killing Move! Star Array Suppression! Slay Dao One Sword Heart-Piercing!

Three killing moves, descending simultaneously! Their seamless coordination and terrifying power could instantly kill any Golden Core perfected cultivator, and even force early Nascent Soul cultivators to temporarily avoid the edge!

Wang Ping's pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks, the sense of life-and-death crisis intense to the extreme! He knew conventional means could not withstand it, he must give his all, even...... take a desperate gamble!

"Five Elements Chaos Domain, open! To the limit!"

He madly drove the five perfected golden cores in his dantian, releasing the source power of the five-colored divine light without reservation, while simultaneously forcing the trace of chaotic qi in his left arm to activate, merging it into the domain!

Om——!

A domain with a diameter of seven zhang, its color even more chaotic, its internal evolving scenes clearer, suddenly expanded with Wang Ping at its center! At the domain's edge, space twisted slightly, displaying the terrifying power contained within. This time, the domain was more stable, its power stronger, but consumption also increased geometrically!

Boom boom boom——!

The Spatial Storm slammed into the domain, being frantically strangled and neutralized by the chaotic Five Elements and chaotic power within, but the storm was endless, continuously consuming the domain's power. The starlight points falling into the domain were like stones dropped into a mire, their speed greatly reduced, their power weakened layer by layer, but their numbers were simply too great, and they contained different laws, continuously impacting the domain. And that "Slay Dao One Sword" was like a red-hot iron cone, forcibly piercing deep into the domain, its sword intent fiercely consuming against the domain's chaotic power, emitting a piercing sound of annihilation!

Wang Ping, at the domain's center, instantly turned as pale as paper, fine traces of blood seeping from his seven orifices! Maintaining the domain to resist the three killing moves was a terrifying burden on his spiritual sense and spiritual power, as if it would drain him in an instant!

"Cannot hold long!" Wang Ping's eyes flashed with ruthlessness, he must break the stalemate, and the breakthrough point was precisely the greatest threat, also the most likely to be targeted——the Void race!

"Gravity, thousandfold collapse! Spatial anchor!"

He poured most of his mind and earth-element power into the domain, forcibly creating at several key points where the Void race might hide, "singularities" of frantic inward gravitational collapse! Simultaneously, using his understanding of space (combined with the Void race's attack fluctuations), he attempted to interfere and disturb the spatial stability of that area, like dropping a "spatial anchor", making it difficult for the Void race to move freely.

Sure enough, that raging Spatial Storm paused slightly, the Void race's hidden form forced by the gravitational singularity and spatial interference to reveal an extremely blurred outline!

"Now! Yin Wood Divine Thunder, Purification Lock! White Tiger Sword Gang, Killing Strike!"

Wang Ping endured the excruciating pain in his sea of consciousness, dividing his focus! Azure divine light blazed, countless fine yet condensed Yin Wood Divine Thunderbolts, not for attack, but like sentient chains, precisely shooting toward that revealed blurred outline, to mark and purify-interfere with it, hindering its re-concealment. Simultaneously, a white-gold sword gang, condensed from the purest killing intent he could muster, carrying the will to annihilate souls, followed the mark of the Yin Wood Divine Thunder, ignoring spatial barriers, arriving instantly!

Hiss——!

In the void came the surprised and angry hiss of the Void race! He was trapped by gravity and spatial interference, again marked and interfered with by the Yin Wood Divine Thunder, hastily condensing a spatial barrier to resist, but how could he block this long-prepared killing strike?

Pfft!

The sword gang pierced the spatial barrier, viciously stabbing into the Void race's blurred true form!

"Ah!" A miserable scream rang out, the Void race's phantom violently twisted and flickered, his aura plummeting, though not immediately scattered, he had suffered heavy trauma, his control over the Spatial Storm instantly greatly reduced!

Pressure slightly eased, Wang Ping immediately gathered back part of his domain's power, fully focusing on the remaining Tiancang race and sword cultivator.

The battle entered the most brutal white-hot stage.

Wang Ping pushed the power of the Five Elements Divine Light to the extreme. Using true solar fire to hard-resist the starlight points, incinerating them; using lunar yin cold tide to delay the nebula's rotation; using gravity techniques to interfere with the Tiancang race's spellcasting; using Yin Wood Divine Thunder to constantly harass and purify the stellar power. Simultaneously, he had to divide his attention to deal with the sword cultivator's elusive, sharp sword intent attacks, often meeting attack with attack, or using the Heaven-Overturning Seal to hard-resist, or using his chaotic left fist to clash, his body continually adding wounds, blood staining his robes.

The Tiancang race and sword cultivator were equally formidable. As the nebula rotated, all kinds of stellar phenomena appeared, power boundless; the sword cultivator's sword intent became ever more refined, each sword making Wang Ping's soul sting, danger everywhere.

This was a full comparison of will, spiritual power, divine abilities, and cultivation realms!

Wang Ping gritted his teeth, squeezing his potential to the limit. Under this extreme pressure, his fusion and application of the Five Elements power, his comprehension of the Chaos Domain, his grasp of battle rhythm, were all improving at an astonishing speed!

Two hours (as perceived from outside) of fierce battle felt like thousands of years had passed.

Finally, Wang Ping seized the brief moment when the Tian Cang tribe, after activating a nebula to unleash a large-scale "Stellar Collapse," was catching its breath, and the fleeting pause after the sword cultivator's move "Sword Divides Yin and Yang," his eyes flashing with a fierce gleam!

He gathered all remaining five-element power within his body, combined with the forcibly extracted chaotic aura from his left arm, and the last strength before his domain collapsed, concentrating it all into his right palm!

In his palm, five-colored light spun wildly and collapsed, ultimately forming a bead no larger than a pigeon's egg, yet emanating a heart-stopping destructive fluctuation, within which seemed to be the birth and death of a miniature chaotic world—the Five Elements Chaotic Thunder Pearl!

"Five Elements Birth and Destruction... Chaotic Divine Thunder!"

This was his strongest strike prototype, born from combining the Yin Wood Divine Thunder, Solar True Fire, and his own chaotic insight under life-or-death pressure!

"Go!"

Wang Ping roared, hurling this extremely unstable thunder pearl fiercely toward the half-step Nascent Soul phantom of the Tian Cang tribe!

The Tian Cang tribe phantom sensed the terrifying power within the thunder pearl, enough to threaten his very foundation, and for the first time, horror appeared in his azure-green pupils! He frantically activated the nebula, condensing a stellar shield, while his figure retreated rapidly!

But it was already too late!

The thunder pearl exploded with a deafening boom upon contacting the stellar shield!

There was no sound, only an utter darkness that devoured all light and sound, instantly engulfing the Tian Cang tribe phantom along with its surrounding nebula! Within the darkness, the terrifying sight of the Five Elements' birth and destruction and chaotic return to the void could be faintly seen!

When the darkness faded, the Tian Cang tribe phantom had vanished without a trace, leaving not even a hint behind.

And Wang Ping, having exhausted his last strength, saw his domain completely collapse, he knelt on one knee, coughing up blood violently, his breath weakened to the extreme, nearly losing his fighting ability.

On the field, only the sword cultivator phantom remained, standing sword in hand, his breath somewhat diminished but his fighting spirit still high.

The sword cultivator phantom gazed deeply at Wang Ping, his eyes filled with complex meaning—shock, admiration, regret, and a hint of fervent zeal at encountering a truly worthy opponent.

He did not attack Wang Ping while he was weak, but instead slowly sheathed his sword.

A vast, cold tower spirit voice echoed:

"Eighth level, guardian defeated, one severely injured, one ceased combat. Judgment—Passed!"

Light flashed, and Wang Ping was transported away.

Outside the tower, as the light of the eighth level gradually faded, and the light of the ninth level... did not illuminate as usual, the crowd fell into an eerie silence once more.

But immediately after, when the words "Eighth level, passed (slain one, severely injured one)" appeared on the light curtain, earth-shaking cheers and shouts erupted like a collapsing mountain and tsunami!

"Eighth level! He passed the eighth level!"

"Slain one! Severely injured one! My heavens!"

"Can't even the eighth level stop him?!"

"Could it be... he really intends to assault the ninth level?! That legendary..."

Countless gazes of shock, fervor, and disbelief fixed upon the Heaven-Reaching Tower. They knew that today, they might be witnessing the birth of a legend!

And inside the tower, Wang Ping was not sent back outside, but appeared in a mysterious space dotted with starlight. He knew the true test might have only just begun.

Ninth level, what will it be?