From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

The desolate, gray land still carried the lingering stench of blood.

Yao Mengkang stood amidst five gradually cooling corpses, holding a steel longsword he had just seized from Zhao Yu's companion. The blade gleamed with a cold light, and it was of much better quality than his own shattered Cloud-Splitting Blade.

But there was little joy on his face; instead, a deep gloom shrouded his brow.

The information he extracted from Zhao Yu and the others was like cold rain, extinguishing the slight enthusiasm he had just felt for his victory.

"The Heavenly Dao Academy's assessment... ended ten days ago."

The words echoed in his mind.

What's missed is missed.

Even though he now possesses an astonishing foundation of the ninth level of the Spirit Sea and a million-zhang Spirit Sea, having lost the opportunity to enter the top academy in the Central Divine Continent, his future seems to be shrouded in another layer of mist.

What weighed even heavier on his mind was another piece of information—the Sword Master of the Bright Heart, Lin Shouzhen, was currently stationed outside the Silent Soul Abyss!

That incomparably powerful swordsman personally escorted hundreds of Spirit Sea Realm disciples into the abyss to search for the so-called "Sacred Remains" and "Rank," revealing his unwavering determination to obtain them.

Thinking of this, Yao Mengkang couldn't help but curl a cold, somewhat mocking smile at the corner of his mouth.

Remains? Personality?

If word got out about the fate of that treasure that caused such a stir in the outside world and even prompted someone as powerful as the Sword Master Mingxin to personally intervene, it would probably shock everyone.

The so-called "status" was taken away by that mysterious powerhouse, or rather, by Li Hanshan, the Lord of the Underworld behind him, through some unknown means.

The immense power contained within that "sacred remains" that had sparked countless battles had long been completely devoured by the mysterious stone bead deep within his own sea of ​​consciousness, ultimately turning into dust and dissipating into the depths of the Silent Soul Abyss.

Even if Mingxin Sword Master waited outside until the seas dried up and the rocks crumbled, it would all be in vain.

After the mockery, a strong sense of vigilance and a barely perceptible chill welled up inside me.

If... if I find a way out now and get out, what will I face?

Would I directly encounter the Sword Master Mingxin?

How will we explain this then?

Explain why he was able to survive for so long in the infamous depths of the Silent Abyss.

Explain why the other disciples either withdrew in time or perished at the bottom of the abyss, while he not only survived but also made rapid progress in strength, reaching a level that seemed unbelievable to outsiders.

Yao Mengkang hadn't forgotten the look of shock and incomprehension in Zhao Yu's eyes before he died.

One’s own existence is itself a huge anomaly.

It is said that the Heavenly Dao Sect has a precedent of "in-depth research" on disciples or outsiders who possess secrets, have special physical constitutions, or are incomprehensible.

While the claim of dissection might be exaggerated, the likelihood of someone being controlled, subjected to severe interrogation, and having their soul extracted to uncover secrets is extremely high.

A figure like the Sword Master Mingxin is decisive and ruthless. For the sake of the sect's interests, he would never show mercy to a kid of unknown origin who had performed exceptionally well in a desperate situation.

The stone beads must never be exposed!

This idea was stronger than ever before.

The stone bead was his greatest reliance and secret, the foundation for his ability to cross this realm and even survive and grow stronger in the Silent Soul Abyss.

He even had a vague feeling that even if he were to meet with misfortune and his soul were to perish, this mysterious stone bead would probably have its own way of protecting itself and would never easily fall into the hands of others, much less reveal its existence.

This is an intuition that comes from the depths of the soul, and also a trust in the mysterious level of the stone bead.

"Going out is too risky. But if we don't go out, are we going to be trapped here forever?"

Yao Mengkang frowned, his gaze once again falling on the seemingly endless gray abyss wall.

Zhao Yu and the others did not know the specific way out; they had simply been sent here by the sect to search for themselves.

He was caught in a dilemma.

Meanwhile, in the deepest part of the Silent Soul Abyss, where the energy is as viscous as liquid.

The humanoid soul beast hovered silently, its pure black eyes seemingly piercing through layers of space, seeing the scene on Yao Mengkang's side, and also "seeing" the figure standing tall like a sharp sword outside the abyss.

It recalled the black token, neither gold nor jade, that Li Hanshan had flicked to it with his finger before he left, a token that was cold to the touch.

The token has an ancient design, and is engraved with spatial patterns that it cannot fully understand, emitting a one-time, weak but unusually stable spatial fluctuation.

"This is for you."

Li Hanshan's voice was calm and even at the time.

"We'll use it on that kid down there at the last minute."

The final moments?

A hint of doubt flashed in the humanoid soul beast's pure black eyes.

What does "the last moment" mean?

Was the kid on the verge of death? Or had he found a way out and was about to leave? Or perhaps... like now, he was caught in some kind of dilemma?

It couldn't fathom the thoughts of the Lord of the Underworld.

But it knew that Li Hanshan must have had a deeper meaning behind this arrangement.

Where will that teleportation token send that kid once it's activated? Li Hanshan must have already made arrangements.

Perhaps it's a safe exit from the Abyss of Silent Souls? Perhaps it's another perilous place? Or perhaps... it's a direct journey to the Underworld?

It has no way of knowing. It only needs to execute and determine whether that "final moment" has arrived.

Seeing Yao Mengkang's conflicted and wary expression, the humanoid soul beast felt that perhaps it hadn't come to that point yet.

This kid is incredibly resilient. It seems he hasn't revealed all his cards yet; he can still be squeezed a little more.

Soul power began to flow again in its pure black eyes.

Or send him a few more batches of "sandbags".

In the depths of this Silent Soul Abyss, there are plenty of soul beasts whose intelligence has been eroded by the breath of the Silent Soul, leaving them only with the instinct to kill!

Outside the entrance to the Silent Soul Abyss.

Mingxin Sword Master Lin Shouzhen still stood with his hands behind his back, like an ancient sword monument.

But in his eyes, which were as calm as an ancient abyss, a barely perceptible ripple appeared at this moment.

His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

An indescribable, mysterious feeling lingered in his mind, as if something had slipped out of his control, or rather, things were developing in a direction completely different from what he had expected.

At his level, any sudden impulse is not without reason.

"Holy Remains... Rank..." he murmured to himself, the ominous premonition growing clearer. "I'm afraid this time we'll have to return empty-handed."

He even had a vague feeling that his old rival had probably already arranged everything, and that Xuan Gu had probably died in vain.

Is there another arrangement on the side of the Underworld? Or has the Silent Soul Abyss itself given rise to some unknown variable?

His deep gaze once again fell upon the dark abyss, as if trying to pierce through the endless silence and haze to see what was happening inside.

Even he couldn't completely see through the rules of the Silent Soul Abyss.

We can only wait.

This time, however, his waiting was no longer as certain as it had been at the beginning.

"roar--!"

"Awooo—!"

The fierce roar of the soul beast startled Yao Mengkang from his reverie.

He looked up and saw the gray mist churning violently all around him. One after another, soul beasts of different shapes, but with their eyes flashing with madness and bloodlust, surged out from all directions like a tide.

Among them were even several powerful soul beasts whose auras clearly reached the Yuan Dan realm!

Their target was clear: he was the only living being in the area!

Yao Mengkang took a deep breath, suppressing the chaotic thoughts in his mind, and his eyes became sharp and cold again.

The steel longsword in his hand emitted a clear and melodious sword sound.

Since he couldn't think of a way out for the time being, he would use these reckless soul beasts to hone his newly acquired weapons, consolidate his rapidly increasing cultivation, and vent his pent-up frustration!

With a stomp of his foot, the ground cracked, and his figure shot out like an arrow, charging towards the surging tide of soul beasts!

As the sword light flashed, the essence of the Silent Soul Blade was contained within the sword moves. Although it was a sword technique applied to a blade, it added a touch of the bizarre and chilling.

The battle erupted once again in this desolate land.

In the deeper darkness, those pure black eyes silently watched everything, waiting for that "final moment" that even they themselves could not be certain of.