Starting at the Nascent Soul stage, a rogue cultivator is incredibly poor.

Upon receiving the message from the Seven Fiends, Qingyouzi immediately activated his escape technique again.

Even with Lu Zhou by his side, it only took them a day to reach the second core area.

The scene before me was completely different from that on the first floor.

A pitch-black abyss, over a hundred miles wide, stretched out before them, its depths unfathomable, with faint howling winds emanating from it. In the center of the abyss, dozens of enormous black square stones floated, each ten feet square, their surfaces covered with strange runes, gleaming with a dark luster.

These stones, arranged at varying heights, form a "suspended road" leading to the other side.

Qingyouzi glanced around and his gaze fell on a square stone that was positioned high up and had a wide view.

Three cultivators had already occupied the rock: one Golden Core cultivator and two Foundation Establishment cultivators. The three were talking in hushed tones, completely unaware that someone was above them.

Qingyouzi landed and stopped three zhang above the square stone.

The pressure from the Nascent Soul cultivator poured down without reservation!

boom--

The air suddenly froze.

The three cultivators were struck as if by a heavy blow, their faces turning deathly pale as they looked up in horror. When they met Qing Youzi's eyes, which gleamed with a blue light, the three of them trembled violently.

"roll."

Each word uttered was like an icicle piercing the bone.

The three of them snapped out of their daze, scrambled to their feet, and kowtowed three times to Qingyouzi, barely able to speak:

"I'll be leaving now! I'll be leaving now!"

Without turning back, he flew away on his weapon towards a smaller square stone in the distance, still shaken.

Qingyouzi and Luzhou landed one after the other.

He glanced at Lu Zhou: "Do as you please, just don't disturb my peaceful cultivation."

He then walked to the edge of the square stone, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

Lu Zhou bowed respectfully, then silently stepped aside and stood with his hands at his sides.

About half an hour later.

A powerful yet familiar aura rapidly approached from afar.

Qingyouzi opened her eyes.

Xie Changyuan has arrived.

He landed on a square stone not far away and immediately looked in the direction of Qing Youzi. Their gazes met across the distance.

Xie Changyuan's eyes blazed with undisguised killing intent, chilling even the surrounding air. The terrifying killing intent spread like a tangible force, causing several Foundation Establishment cultivators nearby to groan, blood trickling from their mouths and noses, as they hastily retreated.

Even Lu Zhou felt short of breath and his back was cold.

Qingyouzi, however, remained calm.

He even raised his hand and gave Xie Changyuan the middle finger.

His movements were casual, but his eyes were defiant.

He then turned his head away, closed his eyes to rest, as if he had just chased away a fly.

Xie Changyuan clenched his fist instantly, his knuckles cracking, his face twitching. His gentle and refined image vanished, replaced by a ferocious demon, a completely different person.

Suddenly, an even more powerful aura erupted from the high platform; it was Jiang Taiyuan warning him.

Xie Changyuan ultimately did not make a move; he was well aware of the consequences of taking action.

Not only will he fail to deal with Qingyouzi, but he might also get himself into trouble, and his sect would suffer an undeserved disaster as well.

He glared fiercely at Qingyouzi, then turned and strode toward another square stone. As he sat cross-legged, his robes fluttered without wind, clearly showing his extreme anger.

Another half day passed.

Two righteous Nascent Soul cultivators returned one after another. Then, the Seven Fiends True Man's escape light finally appeared on the horizon.

As soon as he arrived, his divine sense swept across the entire area, quickly locking onto the locations of Qing Youzi and Xie Changyuan. After a brief moment's thought, he flew towards the square stone where Qing Youzi was without hesitation.

After landing, he exchanged a glance with Qingyouzi and nodded slightly.

His gaze swept over Lu Zhou, lingered briefly, and then looked away.

Qi Sha sat down opposite Qing Youzi and transmitted his voice:

"Fellow Daoist Qingyou, what exactly did you do to make Xie Changyuan hate you so much? Just now, the look in his eyes was as if he wanted to devour you alive."

He paused, then asked:

"Where's that younger colleague beside him... Xie Ziyu?"

Upon hearing the name "Xie Ziyu," both Qing Youzi and Lu Zhou's expressions turned cold.

Seven Fiends was incredibly shrewd; upon seeing this, he had already guessed seven or eight parts of the situation.

"Heh..." He chuckled softly, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice, "What a pity, that talent is indeed rare. But it's good to kill him, to teach that hypocrite a lesson."

The tone turned cold:

"I only just found out that his divine sense is so strong that he can even read our voices... He's a hypocrite in demon's clothing, how is he any different from those righteous people?"

As the two were talking, the last two Nascent Soul cultivators of the righteous path arrived one after another.

The atmosphere was somewhat subtle. The four people were clearly divided into two groups, each occupying a square stone, and they did not communicate with each other. Obviously, something had happened in the secret realm.

Before long, Hong Kaishan arrived.

He first looked at Qingyouzi and Qisha, his gaze lingering on Lu Zhou for a moment before he snorted coldly. He then glanced in Xie Changyuan's direction, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not go over, instead occupying a corner stone by himself.

At this point, all eight Nascent Soul cultivators had gathered.

The atmosphere in the room was extremely tense.

The surviving Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators held their breath, afraid to utter a sound. They knew perfectly well that whatever opportunities lay ahead on the final level were no longer theirs. To leave alive was already a stroke of luck.

Qingyouzi withdrew his gaze, turned to Qisha, and asked via telepathy:

"Fellow Daoist Qi Sha, you previously mentioned that Hong Kaishan hailed from Kaishan Island... May I ask what kind of power Kaishan Island possesses?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Sha's eyes flashed with a look of "I knew it," and he quite agreed with Qing Youzi's actions.

"Kaishan Island isn't a major sect," he replied telepathically. "By this generation, only Hong Kaishan remains as a Nascent Soul cultivator. His lifespan is nearing its end, yet he has never been able to cultivate a second Nascent Soul cultivator to succeed him. His desperate search for the Heavenly Immortal Herb is simply an attempt to live a few more years and buy more time for the island."

As he spoke, his tone softened, as if he felt a sense of shared misfortune. Finally, he sighed, shook his head, and thought, "Of all people to mess with, why did I have to provoke a Nascent Soul cultivator who has no ties whatsoever?"

He glanced in Xie Changyuan's direction:

"As for the Yin Xuan Sect... I don't need to say anything more, do I?"

Qingyouzi nodded.

The Yin Xuan Sect is one of the four great demonic sects of the Southern Xuan Continent. It openly boasts eight Nascent Soul cultivators, three of whom are at the mid-stage. Given his current strength, it would be foolish for him to confront them head-on.

But that's precisely the advantage of a Nascent Soul cultivator practicing alone.

He was unburdened. If the Yin Xuan Sect truly wanted a fight to the death, he could simply target their lower-ranking disciples. This is why Nascent Soul cultivators from sects generally didn't want to offend rogue Nascent Soul cultivators to the point of death.

"Fellow Daoist, why are you in such a hurry to break through? Is there some change in your sect?" Qingyouzi asked again.

Seven Fiends remained silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh.

"Fellow Daoist, have you ever heard of...Mo Zhou Mountain?"

"I would like to hear the details."

Qi Sha looked up at the sky, his gaze distant, as if he had pierced through the secret realm and seen the legendary place.

"Thousands of years ago, it was called 'Buzhou Mountain'."

He said slowly.

"At that time, the Demon Realm invaded, and the entrance was at Buzhou Mountain. It is said that in that battle, countless powerful beings of the human and demon races were killed or wounded, their blood staining the mountains and rivers. Even the Boundless Sea was split into north and south... The entire Heavenly Palace Continent was split into two parts, Nanxuan and Beiting."

"In the end, the powerful beings joined forces to seal the entrance to the Demon Realm in the mountain, and it was renamed 'Mo Zhou Mountain' from then on."

"Countless powerful beings have perished in the mountains, naturally leaving behind countless inheritances and magical treasures. Every few hundred years, Mount Mozhou reappears, attracting Nascent Soul cultivators one after another... but many go in, and few come out. Over time, the treasures accumulated in the mountains have become more and more numerous, and the temptations have become greater and greater."

Qingyouzi listened quietly.

This was the first time he had ever heard of this secret.

"Fellow Daoist, are you eager to break through? Do you intend to enter Demon Zhou Mountain to search for treasures?" he asked.

Seven Fiends shook his head.

"I haven't lived enough yet. I finally broke through to the Nascent Soul stage and became a Supreme Being. I should be enjoying my life."

His tone was desolate, yet tinged with self-deprecation.

"But the Blood Shadow Sect is located in the northern part of the Southern Profound Continent, right on the border spiritual vein. Once the two continents go to war, our sect will be the first cannon fodder to bear the brunt."

He looked at Qingyouzi:

"With your abilities, Fellow Daoist, you must have heard some rumors before entering the Celestial Immortal Cave. Why do you think the Northern Pavilion Continent is making such a fuss? The Heavenly Mystery Pavilion's calculations indicate that the place where Demon Zhou Mountain has emerged this time... is right in the sea near the Southern Profound Continent. They can't sit still any longer."

"The Blood Shadow Sect has been rooted in that top-grade third-tier spiritual vein for over a thousand years. Relocating? How easy is that? All the good spiritual veins on the entire continent have long been occupied. If they move inland, they can only depend on others... How is that different from destroying the sect? Can such a sect still be called a legacy?"

He gave a wry smile:

"I really envy you, Fellow Daoist Qingyou. You are a rogue cultivator, without any ties, so you wouldn't understand the feelings we cultivators, who grew up in sects, have for our sects."

Qingyouzi asked no further questions.

But he understood.

So what if one is at the Nascent Soul stage? Faced with the overwhelming tide, one is still like a small boat adrift on a wave.

His fist clenched silently inside his sleeve.

If your cultivation level is insufficient, then cultivate until it is sufficient.

If the Nascent Soul stage is insufficient, then one can attain the Divine Transformation stage. If the Divine Transformation stage is insufficient, then one can refine the Void and merge with the Dao.

If that's still not enough.

Then you'll become an immortal!

It's basically the same old saying: "My fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven."