Heaven rewards diligence, but there are always fairies plotting against me.

The abyss beneath the palace resembled an ancient beast with its jaws wide open, constantly spewing out cold and sharp sword energy.

Chu Chang, dressed in black, fell slowly down the steep rock face like a light feather.

Beside him, fourteen Heavenly Demon Puppets formed a circular array. Dense Yin energy created a faint gray light barrier in the darkness, blocking out the unclaimed sword energy that was as sharp as blades and capable of shredding a Golden Core cultivator into mincemeat.

As the descent exceeded a thousand feet, the surrounding rock walls began to transform from ordinary lapis lazuli into a kind of firestone with a dark red luster.

The air became incredibly dry and scorching, and the faint gurgling sound of magma churning could be heard from deep underground.

"The Yuan Dynasty royal family has protected it for three thousand years, but they can only use the spiritual energy overflowing from the outermost edge of this ruin to prolong their lives. It is truly a waste of resources."

Chu Chang stroked the Broken Dust Ancient Sword. As the distance closed, the ancient sword trembled more and more violently, and the rust on the surface of the sword peeled off faster and faster, even faintly revealing a trace of the mysterious laws of ancient immortals.

"boom!"

Just as Chu Chang plummeted to a depth of three thousand feet, his field of vision suddenly opened up.

This is a vast, boundless underground world of lava. Boiling magma crisscrosses below, converging into rivers that radiate intense heat and poison.

In the middle of the lava river, a huge bronze gate, cast entirely from black and gold metal, stands majestically on a solitary stone platform.

Above the bronze gate, four large characters in ancient divine script are engraved: 【Separation of Immortals and Mortals】.

Before the bronze gate, three barriers, each emanating different fluctuations of laws, stood silently awaiting the arrival of those who came.

"The first trial: Heavenly Thunder and Fire Realm."

Chu Chang landed on the edge of the stone platform.

As soon as he finished speaking, the lava river below suddenly roared wildly.

Countless streaks of crimson magma shot into the sky, intertwining with the earthly yin lightning that had accumulated for thousands of years underground, transforming into a crimson storm of lightning and fire covering an area of ​​several miles.

In this storm, every spark and every arc of lightning embodies an extremely terrifying law of destruction.

Even a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator who steps into it will have their heart pierced by the earth fire and their soul shattered by the yin lightning in an instant.

"The Law of Thunder and Fire..."

Chu Chang remained expressionless, and didn't even draw his Duan Chen Ancient Sword.

As he circulated his internal energy, the profound spirit within his sea of ​​consciousness opened its eyes and clasped its hands together.

Chaos devours the heavens, the laws unite!

Chu Chang took a step forward and stepped directly into the raging storm of thunder and fire.

boom!

The raging lightning and fire instantly engulfed him.

However, a strange scene happened.

The crimson earth fire and black yin lightning, which were powerful enough to destroy the world, subsided instantly the moment they touched three feet around Chu Chang's body, turning into strands of the purest thunder and fire essence, which were devoured and refined by the chaotic true essence seeping from his pores.

To contain all laws within chaos.

Chu Chang is now at the peak of the Tongyou realm, and his foundation is so solid that it is rare in all realms.

The power of the laws in this first trial, which would be a deadly abyss for others, was nothing more than a highly nourishing elixir for him.

He strolled leisurely through the thunder, fire, and storm, his aura becoming more refined with each step.

In just a few dozen breaths, he plowed a passage through this Heavenly Thunder and Fire Realm that had raged for thousands of years with his bare body.

After crossing the thunderstorm, the temperature on the stone platform dropped sharply.

The second test was presented to Chu Chang.

In the void here, nine white jade longswords, each emitting a soft white light, float.

Although these nine longswords are only embryonic forms of half-step immortal artifacts, when combined, they subtly resonate with the Big Dipper in the sky, and the sword intent they exude has already subtly formed its own domain.

Nine Swords Mysterious Heaven Formation.

"Those attempting this challenge, stop here."

A cold, lifeless mechanical voice came from the void.

That is the spirit that guards this pass.

As the sound faded, nine white jade swords lit up simultaneously.

In an instant, millions of sword shadows materialized in the void, each sword shadow condensing the law of "Gengjin Immortal Slaying," its piercing sharpness cutting out fine black cracks in the surrounding space.

"boom!"

The sword formation was activated, and the sky full of white jade sword energy transformed into a huge river of sword light, carrying a resolute intent to pierce through heaven and earth, and crashed towards Chu Chang with a roar.

This power has transcended the limits of the mortal realm, faintly touching the threshold of the Nascent Soul stage, or even the Divine Transformation stage.

"That's interesting."

A hint of appreciation finally appeared in Chu Chang's eyes.

The Yuan Dynasty royal family couldn't even get a glimpse of this level, no wonder they could only watch helplessly from the outermost edge.

"However, in the face of absolute sword principles, formations are still inferior."

Chu Chang finally gripped the Broken Dust Ancient Sword tightly.

He didn't use any fancy moves; he simply thrust his sword forward.

[One sword gives rise to myriad laws, chaos without end!]

As the sword thrust out, the black and white Tai Chi diagram reappeared, but this time, the Tai Chi diagram no longer contained destructive lightning and fire, but instead transformed into countless tiny, dust-like chaotic sword energies.

Sword intent against sword intent.

boom!

Two immense sword intents collided fiercely in the void.

The river of sword light formed by the Nine Swords Profound Heaven Array melted away as quickly as ice and snow meeting the scorching sun when it touched Chu Chang's Chaotic Sword Intent. The "Return of All Things to Their Origin" law contained within the Chaotic Sword Intent frantically stripped the spirituality and power from the white jade longsword.

"Click..."

The nine white jade swords trembled violently, and fine cracks began to appear on their blades.

In less than three breaths, the formation supported by the nine celestial sword embryos collapsed and vanished into a sky full of white light.

The second hurdle, overcome.

The final hurdle was cleared up in silence.

There was no thunder or fire, no sword energy, only a deathly still mist.

The moment Chu Chang stepped into the mist, the scenery before him suddenly underwent a dramatic transformation.

The underground abyss, the lava river, the demon puppet... everything disappeared.

He found himself sitting in a magnificent golden palace, with countless immortals below him worshipping him. Beautiful fairies served him tea and water, and rare treasures from heaven and earth were at his disposal.

The scene shifts, and he returns to the Divine Sword Sect.

His father, mother, and the sect masters who had perished were now standing alive before him, smiling broadly at him: "Chang'er, you're back. The great revenge has been taken. Come and rest..."

"Is this... a trial left behind by an immortal, a gateway to inner demons?"

Chu Chang stood still, looking at the incredibly realistic illusions before him, without even a trace of emotion on his face.

He cultivated for a hundred years, experiencing countless battles and betrayals.

His Dao heart was already as solid as ancient ice, unbreakable.

"Chang'er, what's wrong? Don't you even recognize your mother?" The woman reached out her hand, wanting to stroke Chu Chang's cheek.

Chu Chang looked at her, a faint hint of indifference flashing in his eyes.

"My Dao resides above the Nine Heavens, at the pinnacle of the laws."

"These mere illusions of the mortal world dare to obstruct my path?"

Chu Chang didn't even bother to draw his Duan Chen Ancient Sword; he simply snorted coldly.

boom!

His profound spiritual energy, deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, let out a majestic roar, and his immense divine sense transformed into a tangible storm that swept outwards from his center.

The illusionary realm of inner demons left behind by ancient immortals, which was enough to make countless Nascent Soul ancestors fall into despair, shattered inch by inch under the impact of Chu Chang's almost godlike and tenacious will, like a mirror being hit by an iron hammer.

"Step back!"

Chu Chang let out a loud shout.

The illusion vanished completely, and the lava world deep underground reappeared before him.

Third level, cleared!

Having passed through the three checkpoints, Chu Chang stood before the massive black and gold bronze door.

"Buzz!"

With the breaching of all three passes of Chu, the black-gold bronze door, sealed for thousands of years, slowly opened inward with a muffled roar.

A ray of pure, indescribable light shot out from the crack in the door, illuminating the entire dark underground world.

Chu Chang stepped into the bronze door.

The door led not to a dark tomb, but to a strange, starry world.

Countless miniature stars slowly rotated in the void, casting soft starlight. And at the very center of the starry sky, a white jade altar floated.

Three things floated on the altar:

A skeleton radiating a faint golden light, though countless years have passed, still exudes a chilling aura of immortal laws.

A jade slip, as white as mutton fat jade, faintly displays five ancient characters: "Taiyi Dividing Light Sword Technique".

And a fist-sized, strange liquid radiating nine-colored light.

Those are the crystallized immortal essence left behind after the immortals fell!

The moment Chu Chang stepped onto the altar, a faint light suddenly appeared from the immortal skeleton.

Immediately afterwards, a phantom image of a man in flowing white robes with a refined appearance slowly materialized above the skeleton. The phantom looked at Chu Chang, then at the Broken Dust Ancient Sword in his hand, its eyes revealing a complex expression of shock and relief.

"Three thousand years have passed... and finally someone has come here with the power to sever dust."

The man in white sighed, his voice filled with endless vicissitudes.

"Who are you?" Chu Chang asked coldly, his Broken Dust Ancient Sword pointing slightly to the side.

"My name is Taiyizi, and I was once the only immortal in this Qianyuan Realm."

The white-robed phantom gave a bitter laugh: "Back then, when the extraterrestrial demons invaded, I and several fellow cultivators fought a decisive battle against the powerful demons underground in Qianjing. Although we killed the demons, we were all too wounded to survive and perished here."

"And this Broken Dust Sword in your hand..."

Taiyizi looked at the Broken Dust Ancient Sword with a solemn expression: "It is not a magic weapon of this realm, but a celestial sword that was left to the mortal world by a powerful sword immortal from the upper realm. Back then, we exhausted the power of the entire realm, but we could only leave a seal on its blade to prevent its aura from leaking out and attracting powerful enemies from outside the realm. That is why it looks like a broken piece of ordinary iron."

"Today you have passed the three trials with the Dust-Severing Sword, proving that you are the destined one to inherit this sword immortal legacy."

"I bestow upon you this Taiyi inheritance, and this immortal essence accumulated over three thousand years, to help you transcend the mortal realm and ascend to immortality!"

After speaking, the white-robed phantom pointed slightly at Chu Chang.

boom!

The jade slip containing the "Taiyi Dividing Light Sword Technique" and the incomparably precious Immortal Essence transformed into two streams of light, instantly disappearing into Chu Chang's forehead and body.

"boom!"

The moment the immortal essence entered his body, Chu Chang's body trembled violently.

An unimaginable, terrifying energy erupted within him like a volcano.

He had already reached the peak of the Tongyou realm (the peak of the Zifu realm), and under the impetus of this immortal energy, he began to break through the bottleneck at a crazy speed.

Click!

The chaotic golden core within his body shattered instantly under the baptism of immortal energy, transforming into a small black figure identical to Chu Chang.

Nascent Soul!

Moreover, as immortal essence continued to be integrated, the black nascent soul began to become more and more condensed. Its originally illusory body quickly solidified, and the magical power it emitted instantly surpassed that of an ordinary nascent soul, directly entering the middle stage of the nascent soul realm, and even soaring towards the late stage of the nascent soul realm.

After absorbing the remaining immortal light from the altar, the last rust mark on the ancient sword in his hand completely fell off.

A dazzling, celestial sword light, resonating subtly with the stars in the heavens, shot up from the sword, tearing through three thousand feet of rock beneath the earth and soaring straight into the sky!

"Boom!"

Above the capital city, the sky, which had been clear and cloudless, was once again covered by dark thunderclouds in an instant.

Moreover, this time the thunderclouds were not the previous purplish-red color, but rather a nine-colored divine thunder exuding an aura of destruction and supreme power!

Nine Heavens Tribulation!

This is the strongest heavenly tribulation that only a child who defies the heavens will encounter when breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage!

Deep underground, Chu Chang suddenly opened his eyes, black and white Tai Chi patterns flowing in his eyes, and his whole body exuded an extremely sharp immortal sword intent.

"Wan Jian Shan Yao..."

He seemed to sense something, looked up at the distant void, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

"Since you're here, then all of you may remain under my heavenly tribulation."