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

"I see."

After listening to what Qi Sha said, Qing Youzi responded indifferently.

Immediately, he turned his gaze to the direction of the righteous cultivators and asked via telepathy:

"Are you familiar with those righteous cultivators, fellow Daoist?"

Qi Sha glanced over and pondered for a moment:

"I'm not very familiar with that area; I only recognize two of the people there."

He pointed to one of the middle-aged monks, whose face was solemn and whose aura was deep:

"That is Wen Daoran, the second elder of the True Dharma Sect, with a mid-Nascent Soul cultivation. The True Dharma Sect is one of the four major righteous sects. This person's methods are mysterious and his strength is unfathomable... neither you nor I can defeat him."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wen Daoran seemed to sense something and turned his head to look at him.

Qingyouzi and Qisha simultaneously withdrew their gazes, a slight chill running through them.

"Indeed very strong."

Qing Youzi transmitted his voice in a low voice. He had heard of Wen Daoran's name back when he was in the Foundation Establishment stage, when the other party was already in the Nascent Soul stage. Now that he saw him in person, his power was even greater, so he must be nearing the end of his lifespan and wanted to use the Heavenly Immortal Grass to prolong his life or break through.

Seven Fiends then pointed to one of the two people on another rock:

"That white-bearded old man is Jiang Huai'an, the third elder of Spirit Beast Mountain. His cultivation level may be ordinary, but it is rumored that he has tamed a spirit beast at the early stage of the fourth rank... His combat strength should not be underestimated."

Qingyouzi nodded slightly.

This is the foundation of a sect, the foundation of a veteran Nascent Soul cultivator.

Wen Daoran, Jiang Huai'an, and even Xie Changyuan and Qi Sha... these Nascent Soul cultivators who are backed by sects have resources and secret techniques that are far superior to what he, a rogue cultivator, can possess.

Unfortunately, independent cultivators are incredibly poor.

"Thank you for your clarification, fellow Daoist." He sincerely transmitted his thoughts, "Otherwise, if I had rashly engaged in battle, I might have suffered a great loss."

Qi Sha chuckled: "Since we are allies, this is only natural."

Time slipped by unnoticed during the conversation.

The atmosphere in the arena grew increasingly tense. The eight Nascent Soul cultivators each occupied a corner, wary of each other, and no one spoke.

Until Jiang Taiyuan's voice rang out again:

"The usual rules."

"This is your last chance to back out. If you still insist on going, then so be it."

As the words fell, a towering, icy stone gate, over ten zhang high, slowly emerged at the end of the abyss. Within the gate, wind and snow howled, and a chill permeated the air, causing many cultivators to shiver.

Most of the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators who had managed to survive to this point showed signs of struggle.

A moment later, the vast majority chose to turn and retreat. The danger of the third level far exceeded what they could bear. Only a dozen or so people gritted their teeth and stepped in, perhaps because they had gained little from the first two levels and wanted to try their luck at the last opportunity.

Qingyouzi had a peaceful state of mind.

This bag already contains millennium-old spiritual milk, ancient azure demon fire, and a nest of crimson fire demon insect larvae, so it's already a good deal. As for the Celestial Immortal Grass, fight for it if you can, but if you can't, it's fine. If there's enough, it's best to divide it equally; there's no need to risk your life.

Seven Fiends withdrew their gaze from the stone gate and turned to Qingyouzi:

"As far as I know, the third level is divided into several regions, and the first challenge is this icy and snowy place. The cold air can erode the power of a Golden Core cultivator, and ordinary cultivators cannot endure it for long."

He glanced at Lu Zhou:

"Furthermore, once inside, the teleportation will still be random. Although Young Friend Lu is a body cultivator, he is ultimately only at the late Foundation Establishment stage, and we may not be able to take care of him."

Qingyouzi smiled upon hearing this:

"Fellow Daoist, you are overthinking it."

He transmitted a few words telepathically.

Upon hearing this, Qi Sha's brows relaxed, and a smile appeared on his face. He glanced at Lu Zhou indifferently, his expression unreadable.

"I see... Then I will do as you say, fellow Daoist."

He took out a communication jade slip:

"Once inside, use this as a contact point to meet up."

"it is good."

Qingyouzi nodded, rolled up his sleeves, took Lu Zhou with him, and transformed into a blue rainbow, shooting into the icy stone gate.

Lu Zhou looked blank but didn't ask any questions. He followed closely behind, but a barely perceptible hint of wariness flashed in his eyes.

The moment Qingyouzi stepped through the stone gate, he felt a lightness all over his body.

The previous two layers of suppression on divine sense completely vanished here! Divine sense spread out like a tide, easily covering an area of ​​over a hundred miles. Snowfields, glaciers, and frozen lakes were all taken in by his mind.

"This place doesn't suppress divine sense at all..."

He was slightly surprised, but dared not be careless.

call--!

A cold wind carrying ice shards rushed towards my face; snowflakes froze as soon as they touched my clothes; the chill was like needles, and it even seemed to penetrate the protective aura around me and seep into my meridians.

Qingyouzi frowned slightly and made a gesture with his fingers.

A blue barrier spread out around itself, melting away the wind and snow, making it difficult for them to get close.

"This chilling aura... can indeed erode the power of a Golden Core cultivator. If one is not at the Nascent Soul stage, it may be difficult to withstand it for long."

Without further delay, he darted into the depths of the snowfield.

After traveling several dozen miles, a thought suddenly occurred to me.

Can Lu Zhou handle this?

Although he knew this boy was very cunning, the chill of this third level was no small matter. If he were to perish here, all his previous calculations would have come to naught.

After a moment's thought, Qingyouzi turned slightly and quietly moved toward the location of Lu Zhou as sensed by his divine sense.

At the same moment, hundreds of miles away.

Lu Zhou trudged through the knee-deep snow, his steps uneven.

The cold wind was like a knife, and ice particles rustled against his body. His blood and qi surged, forming a pale red film around his body, barely resisting the invasion of the cold.

"This snowstorm... is indeed strange." He muttered through gritted teeth, "Without a solid foundation in body tempering, even a Golden Core cultivator would find it difficult to endure for more than a few hours."

He suddenly looked down at his left shoulder.

Beneath the robes, there was nothing on the skin, but if one carefully probed with divine sense, a very faint gray mark, shaped like a talisman, was faintly warm.

"A tracking restriction... What a powerful tracking restriction! Even the divine sense of an ordinary Golden Core cultivator would probably be unable to detect it."

"Father, you are right. The world of cultivation is full of unpredictable people. Even favors should be considered in terms of their value. I was too naive before."

A cold glint flashed in Lu Zhou's eyes, his five fingers clenched tightly, and his knuckles turned slightly white.

"One by one, they all want to use me as a pawn..."

"Very well, from now on, I will trust no one except my father. Since everyone wants to use me, then I will overturn this game and take control of my own destiny."

He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and continued walking forward at a steady pace.

It can't be too fast, and it can't be too slow.

One must persevere through hardship, like a true Foundation Establishment cultivator. Some old geezer is surely watching from the shadows; one cannot afford to reveal any weakness.

The wind and snow intensified.

About half an hour later, Lu Zhou suddenly stopped.

A figure slowly emerged from the snow-covered landscape ahead.

The newcomer was a middle-aged cultivator with a mid-stage Golden Core cultivation level. Three crimson fire leaves floated around him, forming a light shield that kept the wind and snow at bay.

The man was taken aback when he saw Lu Zhou, then a playful smile appeared on his face.

"A mere late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator dares to attempt the third level?"

He sized Lu Zhou up and down, a greedy glint in his eyes.

"Whatever opportunities you obtained in the first two levels... now, they are all mine."

Before he could finish speaking, he raised his hand and waved!

Three fiery leaves spun out rapidly, transforming into three streaks of crimson light that shot straight at Lu Zhou's face!

Lu Zhou's pupils shrank sharply, but he stood still, summoning a defensive artifact and pretending to be afraid to resist.

He's gambling.

I'm betting that the person still has some use to me, so he'll definitely come.