Chapter 3165

Five million immortal crystals, those old ancestors merely glanced at it and completely lost interest.

However, in several different corners of the myriad heavens, a few gazes were fixed intently on this mission.

Among a range of mountains, at the foot lay a scattered cluster of houses; within one courtyard, a youth with white‑streaked hair stared intently at the mission before him.

"Beyond the Heavens Human Race, five million immortal crystals, I…………………cough cough cough……………"

It's clear the youth hesitates; after all, anyone sane knows this mission is absolutely not something someone like him could touch.

He is merely an ordinary disciple of the Sect, his cultivation no higher than Heavenly Immortal; going to rescue someone else's demon ancestor is simply a joke.

However, just half a month ago, while out training, he encountered a sudden mishap, accidentally entering a deadly place and contracting a lethal poison.

Although he barely escaped with his life and managed to return to the Sect, after the Sect's experts examined him, they all declared the poison incurable.

At least with their Sect's strength they could do nothing; only by spending heavily to invite a pill‑dao sage might there be a chance.

But he is merely an ordinary disciple; the Sect would naturally not expend such effort for him.

Thus the youth's situation now is to await death; the Sect pays him no heed, not even giving him medicine to slow the poison.

Left or right, he is merely a dying man—why waste effort on him? That's just the reality.

And the Black Alliance that the youth joined a year ago, though his cultivation is low, has no entry requirements—even ordinary people can join.

Besides, the Black Alliance demands nothing in return.

Faced with desperation, formerly the youth would not even glance at such a mission.

But now, whether he lies down or stands up, it's death either way; after looking around, only this mission could earn him enough immortal crystals.

Other missions he could do offer rewards far too little, the shortfall too great, and he has no time.

So even though he knows going there likely means ten deaths with no life, the youth hesitated slightly, then gritted his teeth and accepted the mission.

"Perhaps a blind cat has bumped into a dead rat."

He muttered under his breath, since he's going to die anyway, why not go all out?

Just like the youth, in another town a girl with a blood‑red birthmark on her face is also staring intently at this mission.

The girl is petite and skin‑and‑bone, her face mostly covered by the birthmark, making her look frightening.

In her eyes there is not a spark of spirit, as if she has no emotion at all, like a living corpse.

Her gaze swept back and forth over the mission until coughing sounds came from the room behind her.

"One million immortal crystals are needed to save my mother."

Only now did a flicker of emotion cross her eyes; she then hesitated no longer and directly chose to accept the mission.

She doesn't care whether she lives or dies, but to save her mother she needs at least a million immortal crystals—this is the only method she knows.

The girl fears no death; knowing the danger, she still took on this mission.

Either she succeeds, takes the crystals and saves her mother, or they both die together.

Having accepted the mission, she put away her Black Alliance token, pretended nothing was wrong and turned back to her room; before leaving she still needed to make preparations and find a way to keep her mother from knowing, otherwise her mother would certainly not let her go.

In another world, within a Dong Fu, a withered old man sits, deathly aura surrounding him.

"Still unable to break through to the Present Era's Strongest?"

The old man spoke slowly, his words full of despair.

This was already his third failed attempt to break through; three rounds of secluded assaults on the Present Era's Strongest realm all ended in failure, almost meaning his path of life is cut off.

His remaining lifespan is less than ten years; this life ends here.

Yet the old man is unwilling; only he knows how much suffering and sin he has endured in his Xiūliàn to this point.

Now to make him guard this brief ten‑year lifespan, watching himself turn to a handful of loam, how could he resign himself?

More importantly, his great vengeance remains unavenged; how could he just leave like that?

Filled with immense reluctance, the old man instinctively produced his Black Alliance token.

At first glance he saw the mission to rescue the demon ancestor.

"Five million immortal crystals? Ha, utterly ridiculous, wait…………………"

To think five million immortal crystals could save a demon ancestor is simply laughable; to rescue a demon ancestor, at the very least one must be of old‑ancestor level to have a chance.

He was about to casually dismiss it, when suddenly the old man seemed to think of something.

"If I could obtain the blood‑essence of a demon ancestor, I would surely break through to the Present Era's Strongest."

Thinking of this, the old man fell silent.

In the past, he wouldn't even dare to think of a demon ancestor; before such an existence, a single finger could crush him.

But now it's different—his lifespan is short, breakthrough hopeless, he can only await death.

Since we're all dying men, what's there to fear?

Moreover, that old‑ancestor level being has been captured—this is not something one encounters ordinarily; it can be said to be extremely rare.

What does captured mean? Isn't it just being controlled? At the very least his cultivation must be sealed.

A demon ancestor without cultivation is practically a walking great medicine.

If we can rescue a demon ancestor, it's not for the five million immortal crystals but for the demon ancestor itself.

Once we refine that demon ancestor, aiding him to reach the Present Era's Strongest realm will be a foregone conclusion.

"Good, good, good—indeed Heaven leaves no one without a way, my fate is in my hands, my fate is in my hands, let's go all out."

After a moment's thought, the old man burst into mad laughter.

If in this life he cannot avenge himself, living is meaningless; go all out—life or death hinges on this attempt.

What was originally an absurd mission, in less than a day, somehow seven people took it.

Within the Black Alliance, anyone holding a Black Alliance token can, via the token, view the mission's basic situation, including the number of acceptors.

Many who had originally scoffed at this mission, upon seeing it again, still wanted to mock it, but when they saw seven people had taken it, they were momentarily dumbfounded.

"No way, such an absurd mission actually has takers."

"Five million immortal crystals to save the demon ancestor, you've got water in your brains."

"This is probably just someone killing time, right?"

"Besides, even if you take the Black Alliance mission and don't finish it, it's no big deal; after all, there's no reward."

"After the shock, the first reaction was that these seven people were definitely just messing around; they never even thought about completing the mission."

"After all, with such a paltry reward, these seven people who took the mission could hardly be Old Ancestor-level beings."

"The Old Ancestors aren't that bored."

"However, what no one knows is that, at this very moment, seven figures are indeed heading from all corners of the myriad heavens toward Beyond the Heavens."

"Seven people? I don't know what caliber they are."

"In one of those directions, the old man who had failed his breakthrough silently thought to himself."