Mu Xiuhan was heavily injured while Bai Yue fled. This was an outcome that no one had expected. Lin Yun raised his head and swept his glance around. All the disciples who exchanged gazes with him immediately left after they recovered from the shock.
“Mu Xiuhan, I know that you’re not dead. So you should be able to hear me. You’re welcome to look for me anytime as long as you think that you can bear the consequences.” Lin Yun calmly looked at the surface of the lake and spoke in an unwavering tone.
“Junior Brother, is Mu Xiuhan really still alive?” asked Xin Yan.
“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter. He probably won’t be able to go to the Black Lotus Palace anymore,” said Lin Yun. He was lucky to heavily injure Mu Xiuhan because the latter was already injured when he fought the Violet Palace Realm demonic beast. This was why Lin Yun could take advantage of the situation when Mu Xiuhan’s cosmic artifact shattered.
Although he failed to kill Mu Xiuhan, it wouldn’t be easy for Mu Xiuhan to recover from his injuries. There was a huge chance that Mu Xiuhan could no longer enter the Black Lotus Palace. This also meant that Lin Yun would become stronger the next time they meet.
“That’s great. He’ll surely reach the tenth stage if he goes into the Black Lotus Palace and god only knows how powerful he will become. Let’s us get going.” Chen Xuanjun’s gaze fell onto the Black Lotus Palace.
“Yeah.” Everyone rested briefly before they executed their movement techniques and bolted towards the Black Lotus Palace.
Not long after they left, the lake started to turn red with countless Corpse Devourer Fishes’ corpses floating to the surface. Then, a head appeared above the water's surface. The eyes on the head glared at the Sword Firmament Pavilion’s group.
“Lin Yun!” Mu Xiuhan gnashed his teeth with reluctance reflected in his eyes before he sank back down into the lake.
A short while later, Chen Xuanjun and the other disciples arrived on the island. The Black Lotus Palace looked majestic and had ten levels. The door was already opened and everyone was dashing in.
“What pure essence. The Black Lotus Palace looked like a Demonlotus Core.”
“Just absorbing the essence in the palace was enough to make a breakthrough even without obtaining a harvest.”
“We’re finally in the Black Lotus Palace.” Everyone looked excited. Some even looked at the palace and sighed emotionally. The journey here wasn’t easy, but it was fortunate that they made it.
“The azure light is truly abnormal. If I remember correctly, the Demonlotus Core becomes an azure lotus after the demonic miasma is removed. I wonder if they’re related.” Tang Tong looked at the palace enveloped in azure light and fell into deep thought.
The pure essence contained in the azure light was extremely pure and everyone could clearly sense it. So much so that the spiritual energy blowing at them could allow them to progress in their cultivation.
Lin Yun had experienced the Azure Sun Realm. It was also a sect that was destroyed under the demonic tribulation. The sect even gave birth to someone like the Iris Sword Saint. But the Azure Sun Realm was also a little different than the Demonlotus Realm. It was just a feeling that Lin Yun had, but he didn’t know how to describe it.
Lin Yun fell into deep thought when he looked at the azure light that enveloped the palace. The Demonlotus Realm was filled with demonic miasma, but the azure light had a pure and holy sensation to it.
“I have to let you guys know something before we go in.” Chen Xuanjun looked at the other disciples, and he said, “The Black Lotus Palace’s interior might change every time it opens, but there are two things that we can be certain of. You can climb higher by going through more tests. According to my knowledge, in the past millennia, no one has reached the ninth level, not to mention the tenth level. According to legend, someone ascended to the tenth level, but I have no idea if it’s true. It’ll get increasingly difficult to climb and the sixth level is generally the limit for everyone.”
He paused briefly before he continued, “But there’s something else. Do you remember the jade slip given to us by the Divine Guards?”
“Yeah.” Everyone took out their jade slips. They wouldn’t be able to enter the Demonlotus Realm without the jade slip.
Chen Xuanjun nodded his head, “The Demonlotus Realm will close after ten days and no matter where you are, you will be transported out. So crush the jade slip if you’re in danger. Don’t try to push yourself.”
The Demonlotus Realm would close in ten days, so it was pointless to push oneself just to stay for the end. The Black Lotus Palace was the last destination of the Demonlotus Realm.
“Let’s go.” The group then headed towards the gate.
When they passed through the azure light, everyone closed their eyes and circulated their cultivation technique to absorb the pure essence. Lin Yun’s eyes glowed when he opened them. He could sense that his cultivation in the eighth stage of the Profound Martial Realm had completely stabilized.
When he looked around, Chen Xuanjun, Xin Yan, and the rest were nowhere seen. Only Lin Yun was left alone in the passage.
“The test has begun?” Lin Yun wasn’t surprised. There were ten levels to the Black Lotus Palace and the test was different for each level. Failing the test meant being transported out. If that were to happen, the Demonlotus Realm experience would come to an end.
As Lin Yun wondered what kind of test was awaiting him, he drew out the Flower Burial Sword and placed it on his knees. Even if he did nothing here, his cultivation would continue to increase.
An hour later, Lin Yun opened his eyes when he sensed fluctuations in the surrounding. There were countless azure lights at the far end of the passage, which formed a gentle azure lotus. When the azure lotus was formed, a person also appeared seated on it.
Lin Yun could only see a rough outline of the person. But before he could take a closer look, the person seated on the lotus suddenly swung his sword.
The sword was fast. Lin Yun frowned his eyebrows and grabbed onto the Flower Burial Sword. The sword ray brushed past him because Lin Yun managed to avoid it. However, it wasn’t so easy for the other sects’ disciples. They were struck by it before they could even recover from their shock and they were transported out of the Demonlotus Realm when they reopened their eyes. They soon realized that their experience in the Demonlotus Realm had come to an end.
“The Black Lotus Palace seems to have opened much earlier than before.”
“These should be the first batch of people eliminated. They’re really unlucky. The first test is the easiest.”
“It’s fortunate enough that they didn’t die in there.” The various sects’ elders discussed among themselves.
Xin Jue also rushed over when he saw that someone was teleported out. He swept a glance at those who were teleported out and returned to the Sword Firmament Pavilion’s camp. “I didn’t see anyone from the Sword Firmament Pavilion. They should have passed the first test.”
“Tsk, tsk. What if they’re already dead? Don’t be too optimistic. They won’t be teleported out if they’re already dead,” sneered Wen Yanbo.
He had one person following behind him. It was the first Primal Origin Sect’s disciple who got eliminated.
Luo Feng spoke out, “At least it’s better than your Primal Origin Sect. You guys are the only one among the four major sects to have someone eliminated.”
Wen Yanbo’s face turned unsightly when he heard that. The disciple standing behind him also didn’t dare to utter a word. He was too anxious when he saw the azure lotus and was eliminated before he knew it.
“Let’s wait and watch. Don’t be too happy so quickly,” replied Wen Yanbo. He was confident that Zhang Yan and the two other core disciples would kill Lin Yun.
After Wen Yanbo left, the other elders from the Sword Firmament Pavilion were feeling uneasy. Xin Jue was naturally worried because his biological sister was there.
“Elder, I want to wait at the teleportation array.”
“Go ahead.” Luo Feng nodded. He only hoped that someone would be eliminated right now. At least they could tell him what was going on in the Demonlotus Realm and he wouldn’t have to be tortured by his thoughts.
Lin Yun looked at the disappearing azure lotus and exclaimed, “Gone so quickly?”
The first test was rather simple. But he didn’t know that such a simple test had eliminated one-fourth of the people here. Those who were even brushed by the sword ray would be teleported out.
“Let’s see what’s in the first level.” Lin Yun was filled with expectations.