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As Chu Xiu stepped into the teleportation light gate, his vision blurred.

His body was suspended in mid-air, enveloped by an invisible force.

He didn't know how much time had passed.

A beam of light fell on his face.

His feet touched solid ground.

Chu Xiu opened his eyes.

He found himself standing on a vast square paved with black diamond stones, roughly the size of two football fields.

The entire area was covered by a blue light screen, obscuring the view of the outside world.

One by one, disciples of the Holy Land emerged from the light gate.

When the last disciple arrived, the light gate vanished.

Two thousand people gathered on the square, creating a cacophony of chatter and laughter. It felt more like a leisurely trip than a trial, with everyone planning to collect some Heavenly and Earthly Treasures along the way.

As the light gate disappeared, the restrictive light screen surrounding the square gradually faded.

Only then did the scenery outside come into view.

A few miles from the square lay a primeval forest, with ancient towering trees that required dozens of people to encircle. Beasts roared through the woods, and raptors with wingspans of several meters soared in the sky, their cries echoing.

In the distance, the outlines of colossal peaks stretched for tens of thousands of miles, majestic and imposing like dragons coiled and tigers crouched.

This world felt wild yet vibrant.

"Wow, how big is the Desolate Demon Secret Realm?"

"My master said it's about ten million miles in diameter, one-twentieth the size of the Southern Region."

"Damn, that's huge."

"With such a large area, there are many opportunities. Anyone want to team up to explore for treasures?"

Someone shouted.

Chu Xiu stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance, his brow gradually furrowing.

He could clearly sense the murderous intent emanating from around the teleportation square.

He chuckled softly. "So many people want to kill me."

"I don't think I've offended anyone!"

Chu Xiu rubbed his brow helplessly.

【Heh heh... do you really have no clue?】

Over a hundred Divine Bridge Realm disciples subtly surrounded Chu Xiu.

Chu Xiu clicked his tongue.

He didn't bother to bring Ye Fan, the protagonist, along.

With a wave of his hand, a thumb-sized silver flying shuttle expanded in the wind, transforming into a flying boat over ten meters long and several meters wide.

He leaped onto it, and with a whoosh, the flying boat became a silver streak, shooting into the sky.

"He's escaping!"

"He won't get away, let's chase him..."

Dozens of flying boats took to the sky, pursuing in the direction Chu Xiu had vanished.

Looking up at the sky, Ye Fan's eyes flickered.

He sighed softly.

"Brother Chu, I don't want to fight you, but I can't stop others from doing so. I'm sorry."

Controlling the silver shuttle, Chu Xiu's thick black hair was blown back by the wind.

He flew over one towering mountain after another.

Glancing back at his pursuers, a smile played at the corners of his mouth.

It was a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.

Ahead, a black giant eagle desolate beast in the Wheel Sea Realm let out a screech, flapping its wings as it approached, its metallic claws gleaming as they aimed to tear Chu Xiu's head apart, extremely ferocious.

Chu Xiu remained calm, forming a sword with his fingers, pointing in the air. A sword light shot out, and the giant eagle exploded into a mist of blood.

"Damn, what grade is his flying boat? It's so fast..."

Watching the silver flying shuttle grow more distant, a disciple at the seventh level of the Divine Bridge Realm couldn't help but curse.

"A Profound Grade flying boat wouldn't be this fast."

"Fing hell, could it be an Earth Grade flying shuttle?"

"How are we supposed to catch up?"

"Don't worry, before we set out, Brother Jian Lingyun gave me a tracking compass."

"I've locked onto his aura."

"He won't escape, even if he flees to the ends of the earth!"

—————

Seven days later.

Deep within the Desolate Demon Secret Realm, in a lush green valley, there were continuous rumbling sounds, causing the mountains to shake, rocks to crack and tumble, startling countless birds into flight.

Chu Xiu was battling a giant python desolate beast over ten meters long.

The beast was covered in black scales, its defense extremely strong, with a hint of quasi-Demon Emperor bloodline, its intelligence awakened, making it difficult to deal with.

It was at the ninth level of the Divine Bridge Realm, and Chu Xiu had been fighting it for half an hour, leaving it covered in wounds, its injuries gruesome, its blood staining the nearby cold pool red.

Chu Xiu continuously used the "Xing" Secret, his movement technique incredibly fast, easily dodging the python's fanged bites and tail strikes.

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Seizing an opening in its attacks, Chu Xiu gripped the hilt of the Dominating Sword Canglong with both hands, golden vital blood surging through him, and smashed it onto the python's head.

Boom~

Crack...

The python's head shattered, blood mixed with white brain matter spurting out.

With a final roar, its head tilted, and it collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Chu Xiu sheathed the Dominating Sword, walked to the cold pool, and picked a fragrant Earth Grade Nether Cold Lotus.

【Would you like to exchange it for Breakthrough Points?】

"Exchange!"

【Exchange successful, gained 70,000 Breakthrough Points】

"Finally, fifty thousand."

Chu Xiu exhaled, sitting cross-legged on the giant snake's corpse.

【Please choose a breakthrough from the following】

【Sword Intent - Heaven-Slaying Sword Intent】【Scripture of the Dao】【Sword Art - All Things End】【Secret Technique - Xing Secret】【Secret Technique - Pill Scripture, Middle Volume】

"Xing Secret"

【Detected that the Xing Secret is of a high grade, with a high difficulty for breakthrough, thirty years for a small cycle, each small cycle requires 500,000 Breakthrough Points】

【Proceed with breakthrough?】

"Yes~"

【You chose to undergo thirty years of seclusion to comprehend the "Xing Secret" of the Nine Secrets. Due to your master's physique, your cultivation talent has improved, enhancing your comprehension of the Xing Secret, making significant progress, gaining initial insight】

Thirty years of seclusion to comprehend the Xing Secret flooded into Chu Xiu's mind like a dam breaking.

The intense impact made Chu Xiu frown slightly.

The good news was that his understanding of the Xing Secret had deepened significantly.

If he used the Xing Secret now, it would be more natural and smooth.

Chu Xiu stood up, activating the Xing Secret, shrinking the ground to an inch, and in the next moment, appeared five kilometers away, returning to his original spot with a single breath.

Before the breakthrough, his Xing Secret could shrink the ground to an inch for a maximum of one kilometer.

Now, it reached five kilometers.

And it was faster, smoother, and more fluid.

Chu Xiu couldn't help but smile, feeling that the fifty thousand Breakthrough Points were well spent.

【This seclusion took a total of thirty years, consuming 500,000 Breakthrough Points. Please note, the next breakthrough for the Xing Secret will be significantly more difficult!】

"The Xing Secret has successfully broken through."

"It's time to go to that place."

Chu Xiu gazed westward.

Activating the Xing Secret, he vanished from his original spot.

A hundred thousand miles from the valley where he had fought the giant python.

In the sky, on a flying boat.

Chen Mufan frowned, glancing at the four teammates present.

Seven days had passed, and they hadn't gained any benefits, just chasing Chu Xiu's tail for seven days.

"Damn, where exactly is Chu Xiu going?"

——————

It was a mountain several thousand feet high, barren, with jagged black rocks.

Gray mist shrouded the area, visibility extremely low.

The air was eerie, filled with ghostly wails and howls, with shadowy figures flitting about, quite unsettling.

Chu Xiu looked up.

His instincts told him the mountain was dangerous.

But he wasn't worried, forming seals with his right hand, inscribing hidden true patterns on his body.

After inscribing over a hundred patterns, he stepped onto a black stone.

The touch was cold and rigid, like stepping on ice.

Chu Xiu continued upward, his figure gradually disappearing into the gray mist.

A day later, he descended the mountain, his clothes tattered, surrounded by yin energy, stumbling as if severely injured.

【Host, your luck is really low. That Infant Soul Demon Fruit isn't ripe yet, hilarious.】

Chu Xiu took out a fifth-grade healing pill, placed it in his mouth, and sat cross-legged to recover from his injuries.

【Heh heh... Host, aren't you anxious? You went through so much trouble to clear out most of the yin demons and zombies on the mountain, only to find the Infant Soul Demon Fruit unripe... truly pitiful!】

The system chattered incessantly, gloating.

Chu Xiu's lips curled slightly, a flash of blood-red light in his eyes.

"Not ripe? Does that mean I have no other way?"

【Damn!】

【You wouldn't dare... you're ruthless!! Hahaha... as expected of you, Old Demon Chu.】

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