Chen Xi was completely unaware if he’d caught up to Luo Shaonong’s group or not.

He was similarly unaware that after he’d been travelling on this path for over 10 days, Jia Nan from the Buddhist Sect had stepped foot into the Door of the Grand Dao, and he was moving forward unobstructed.

Chen Xi held the damaged King Xuan Sword as he slashed his way forward, and he hadn’t stopped at all.

Hmm? On this day, Chen Xi suddenly felt that the path beneath his feet was different. It actually started to raise up, and it was like he was ascending with every step.

He raised his eyes and instantly noticed the faint outline of an ancient divine mountain ahead.

This mountain was too tall and enveloped beneath an expanse of bright golden divine light. It seemed as if it floated above the sky, and it could be said to be boundlessly lofty.

Could that be the end of the path? Chen Xi was shocked in his heart, and a wisp of bright light suffused his eyes that were black like an abyss.

If his deduction wasn’t wrong, then perhaps the place the Imperial Sovereign Dao Root resided was probably at the peak of that divine mountain.

He didn’t stop and started to ascend the mountain.

Rumble!

Unlike before, the path beneath him hadn’t just become steep, even the pressure from the energy of the Grand Dao that pressed down from the surroundings had suddenly become terrifying.

At this instant, even space warped. Countless bolts of lightning seemed like silver serpents as they danced about wildly, and numerous ethereal images of gods floated up into appearance.

They either controlled divine flames and stood on oceans of fire; controller water and rode dragons through the water; controlled the sun and the moon and were surrounded by a myriad of stars!

There was no lack of ancient gods amongst them. Some of these ancient gods wore beast skin clothes while their bare upper bodies were covered in mysterious tattoos of totems; some wore battle armor that emanated a bright divine glow and caused them to seem extremely divine.

Even though every single one of them seemed extremely ethereal, they possessed monstrous divine might and carried an aura that struck awe in the hearts of others. One once faced them, it was like seeing the gods of the Manku period, and it caused one to have the urge to kneel down and worship them!

Chen Xi gasped. At this instant, he couldn’t help but shudder with fear. Exactly what sort of existences are they?

Could it be that they’re that group of innate gods that resided and cultivated here all those years ago?

Chen Xi noticed that all of those figures were ethereal, and they were obviously not material. However, their entire bodies were suffused with a primitive and ancient aura, and it was like they’d existed for innumerable years.

Bang!

Before Chen Xi could recover from his shock, an ocean of flames soared through the sky and smashed down towards him, and it intended to drown his figure beneath it and incinerate him into nothingness.

This strike was too terrifying. Divine flames surged, and it was filled with the ancient energy of the Fire Divine Dao. It transformed into a purgatory of flames, and it locked down the surroundings.

Clang!

Chen Xi swung the damaged King Xuan Sword in a practically instinctive manner. A strand of sword qi that was violent like a tidal wave and solid like a cliff shot out from his sword.

Profound Heart Sword Technique — Ocean Cliff Style!

Rumble!

The ocean of flames and tidal wave collided, and they erupted into a myriad of strands of divine radiance that whistled towards the surroundings.

In merely an instant, the surging ocean of flames was crushed into pieces, and even that ethereal figure that controlled divine flames was drowned by this attack.

“King Xuan! Ocean Cliff Style! This....” A loud roar that revealed shock and rage resounded. It seemed to be filled with disbelief, and in merely a short moment, it was drowned out by that strand of sword qi.

Chen Xi was horrified. He was very clearly aware that merely his strength alone was definitely unable to be a match for this ethereal figure, and it was entirely because the King Xuan Sword in his hand had revealed might that was beyond imagination.

“King Xuan!”

“King Xuan!”

“That’s the strength of the Master of the Manku period, Xuan!”

A wave of formidable and terrifying wills swept out. All the ethereal images of gods seemed to be shocked and furious, and their voices were filled with terror and hatred.

This scene allowed Chen Xi to instantly determine that these images of gods weren’t that group of innate gods who lived here, and they seemed like Xuan’s enemies instead!

But if they’re his enemies, then what are they doing here? Could it be that they were trapped and suppressed by Xuan’s supreme divine might?

“Kill!”

“This little ant is definitely not Xuan!”

“Xuan killed all of us at that time and intended to utilize the Daos of the universe within the quintessence of Manku to wear away our Battle Souls. Unfortunately, he was mistaken! We were born for battle and have existed for a few eras, so how could we possibly be existences that he can just wear away!?”

All of those ethereal gods roared furiously, and their roars surged through the world like thunderclaps and seemed extremely terrifying.

If it was any other place, then Chen Xi would have probably fled a long time ago. Even though these ethereal images were strands of Battle Souls that hadn’t been worn away, their auras were extremely heaven defying. They’d survived being suppressed for countless years, and this obviously showed how formidable they were.

Yet now, they’d locked all of their killing intent onto Chen Xi, causing him to feel as if he’s fallen into an icy pit while he felt practically suffocated and helpless.

It was too terrifying!

Who could have imagined that after he experienced the tempering of numerous tests and thought the end was within sight while the fortuitous encounter he desired was within reach, such a group of terrifying existences would appear?

Who could have imagined that Xuan had suppressed so many ancient Battle Souls here all those years ago?

Earlier, Chen Xi was sighing with emotion about how this path was as difficult as ascending the heavens, and it was no wonder that no one had seized the Imperial Sovereign Dao Root since the ancient times until now.

Now, when he witnessed this scene, he finally understood that he’d underestimated how terrifying this place was. Merely these Battle Souls that hadn’t been worn away after countless years were sufficient to make any cultivator feel despair!

Rumble!

All sorts of terrifying and supreme divine techniques rained down and swept through space.

Those Battle Souls that were suppressed here had attacked with rage. All of them intended to annihilate Chen Xi in order to take revenge on Xuan who’d suppressed them here.

At this instant, Chen Xi was horrified, and he could only instinctively utilize his entire strength and the damaged King Xuan Sword to go against them.

Om!

A completely circle sword barrier appeared. It was flawless and perfect, and it was filled with crystalline Heart Energy. A myriad of strands of powerful Divine Dao Laws circulated within it, and it was like a heavenly barrier that covered all things and formed a flawless defense around Chen Xi.

The Impeccable Style!

The strongest defensive sword technique in the Profound Heart Sword Technique!

Now, when Chen Xi executed it with the King Xuan Sword, it was even covered in a later of obscure and mysterious aura.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Wave after wave of terrifying sounds of collisions resounded and blazing light shot towards the surroundings. Even though the completely round sword barrier shook violently, it actually wasn’t broken by these attacks.

This caused Chen Xi who originally felt helpless against them to feel his spirits become refreshed, and even he felt slight disbelief. But right after that, his heart was filled with excitement!

He was sure that this sword that came from Xuan and the Profound Heart Sword Technique definitely possessed a suppressive effect towards these Battle Souls!

Even if their combat strengths were sufficient to crush him, but they could only sigh in despair before him because of the damaged King Xuan Sword and the Profound Heart Sword Technique!

“Impeccable Style!”

“Dammit!”

“This kid is definitely Xuan’s heir!”

All of those Battle Souls became even more terrified and furious, and they seemed to have fallen into a berserk state, causing their attacks to become even more ferocious and astounding to the extreme.

However, at this moment, Chen Xi was like a rock amidst a swift current, and he remained immovable no matter how the water surged against him.

Such a scene could really be considered as inconceivable and unbelievable to the extreme.

If it was seen by the cultivators in the outside world, their jaws would absolutely drop to the ground from shock, and they would definitely take Chen Xi to be a great figure with extraordinary might.

However, Chen Xi was clearly aware that this was all thanks to Xuan!

...

At this moment, the shock in Chen Xi’s heart had been wiped away, and it was replaced by a feeling of confidence and superiority. He wasn’t fearful any longer.

Swoosh!

The damaged King Xuan Sword in his hand transformed into a wisp of flowing light that moved without a trace. It carried an unfathomable and untraceable aura, and its speed was inconceivably swift.

The Flowing Light Style!

This sword technique didn’t possess the sense of mysteriousness and ruthlessness that Chen Xi’s Vorpal Strike possessed, and it possessed an aura of being indeterminate and undetectable instead.

Pu!

In an instant, one of the Battle Souls had been annihilated, and because it was too swift and sudden, it didn’t even have the time to let out a shrill cry before it exploded into a rain of light and vanished into nothingness.

“Bastard!” At practically the exact same moment, another Battle Soul that controlled all water roared as it charged over, and with a flick of its sleeve, the surroundings were completely sealed in ice. Even space itself was frozen to an immovable state.

Bang!

Chen Xi’s sword move changed once more, and it was precise and fierce to the limit. With a single strike, he directly slashed this layer of ice into two, and then his sword qi pierced through the center of the Battle Soul’s brows.

The Dismemberment Style!

It was precise like dismembering a cow, and none could compare to it in a one on one battle!

Kill!

At this moment, Chen Xi stopped dealing with attacks in a passive manner, and he launched an attack. He moved step by step on the path while the King Xuan Sword in his hand emanated a storm of sword qi.

It was the first time Chen Xi was executing all the inherited techniques from the Profound Heart Sword Technique with his full strength, and its might could simply be described as capable of annihilating all that stood before it!

For a time, the path was filled with furious howls and roars, the rumbling of sword qi, miserable wailing, the sounds of collision....

Moreover, from the moment onwards, Chen Xi’s footsteps forward had never stopped again!

...

While Chen Xi started to head step by step towards the peak of the divine mountain, Luo Shaonong’s group had arrived at the foot of the mountain from another side.

As they gazed at the path beneath them that started to become steep and gazed at the extremely tall and lofty golden divine mountain that floated in the distant sky, all of their expressions became excited and blazing with desire.

“Master Xuan’s Divine Mountain!”

“This is the legendary mountain that the Master of the Manku period created by himself.”

“According to legend, a world shocking battle occurred here during the Manku period, and the Master of the Manku period annihilated a myriad of enemies before fully sealing and suppressing their Battle Souls here with the intention of completely wearing away their thoughts and will. I wonder if it’s true.”

“It’s true. I heard from an Ancestor of my clan that the Master of the Manku period’s enemies were existences that had existed for a few eras. All of them possessed tremendous strength that surpassed creation itself. But in the end, none of them were able to resist a single sword strike from the Master of the Manku period!”

“My god! Was he really that strong?”

“He’s a legendary figure that has stepped foot onto the ultimate path, and he’s said to be eternal. Such a figure is extremely rare even in the entire Imperial Region. Unfortunately, he vanished completely on his quest to search for the final path, and he had never shown himself again in the countless years until now.”

All of them didn’t head forward impatiently, and they started discussion the Master of the Manku period instead. However, it was mostly Luo Shaonong that was speaking while the others were listening.

Only now did they notice that Luo Shaonong wasn’t just fully prepared in terms of tools and methods, he was actually extremely knowledgeable about everything related to the Desolate Manku Ruins. It didn’t seem like it was his first time here at all.

“Brother Luo, then is that Imperial Sovereign Dao Root at the peak of Master Xuan’s Divine Mountain?” Gongye Zhefu seemed to be lost in thought.

“Of course.” Luo Shaonong nodded. As he spoke, he flipped his left hand and withdrew a command token made out of beast bones, and he said, “By relying on this treasure, we’ll be able to resolve more than half of the lethal danger we encounter while ascending the mountain.”

In an instant, all of them couldn’t help but look at that command token.