Four hours later.

Under the ever-soaring pressure, Lin Xun ultimately had to stop and take a rest. There was no other way as his physical strength had been depleted too quickly.

Whoosh~

With a wave of his sleeve, a large array was set up to counter the oppressive force permeating this land. Lin Xun then sat down cross-legged inside the array and seized the time to recover.

One incense stick of time later.

Lin Xun’s recovery had consumed three Dao Essence Crystals of notable quality, while the array’s operation had consumed almost three million!

He had to do so despite the financial pain, for chances were high that he wouldn’t be able to walk out of the eighth floor without recovering his strength.

Then, Lin Xun hit the road again.

Just like that, he would alternate between resting and advancing.

Three days later.

It had come to the point that Lin Xun had to stop to recover every one thousand miles. By this point, several hundred million dao crystals had been drained from his pocket like running water.

However, he could also clearly perceive the series of subtle improvements occurring to his physical body and spirit during the past three days, all thanks to the constant bombardment and tempering of the pressure.

Such a harvest brought him great joy and energy.

His current dao prowess had far exceeded any expert in the same stage. When already standing at the peak, wanting to improve further was extremely difficult.

Therefore, the small changes during the last few days could be considered absolutely amazing.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Seven days later.

As Lin Xun resumed traveling forward after a rest, his whole body suddenly relaxed as if a massive mountain had been unloaded. Dazed by the abrupt feeling of lightness, he felt like he was about to grow wings and become a celestial immortal in the next second.

However, his brows immediately furrowed. He was still within the world of the eighth floor, so how could that omnipresent pressure have disappeared?

He was even reminded of the fact that he had not encountered a single fiend spirit along the way!

What was going on here?

“Who?” a low voice suddenly sounded in Lin Xun’s ears.

Startled, he spread his spirit sense.

In front of a canyon mouth that was a hundred thousand feet away, a gray-robed man was sitting cross-legged.

He wore a cold expression, his eyes tightly closed. His figure was thin, shrouded in flowing dao light, and diffusing a terrifying might that belonged to the Emperor Stage.

Lin Xun could tell at a glance that the gray-robed man was not a fiend spirit, but a real human Emperor.

At the same time, the other party also noticed Lin Xun, and his eyes flew open, exploding with a horrifying aura.

“Huh, a child? You are only a peak supreme quasi-Emperor, but you were able to reach the eighth floor of this Dark Hidden Purgatory and even travel here under the oppression of Law Power Gravity. Surely your strength can already compare to that of Emperor experts?”

Saying that, the gray-robed man’s eyes flashed with what seemed to be shock.

“Greetings, Senior. My name is Lin Xun.” Lin Xun cupped his fist.

Only now did he know that the place he had passed through was actually a restrictive zone whose gravity was formed of Law Power!

Moreover, he could tell that the gray-robed man was terrifyingly powerful, a great deal stronger than even Silver Bat Ghost Emperor. It was impossible to gauge his exact cultivation level.

“You are also a member of Copper Sparrow House?” The surprise on the gray-robed man’s face heightened. “But why have I never heard of a character like you?”

Lin Xun said, “There must be some misunderstanding, Senior. I am not a member of Copper Sparrow House. It was purely by chance that I obtained the opportunity to train here.”

The gray-robed man immediately understood. “I see. Still, the fact that you were able to come here already proves that you have a deep connection with Copper Sparrow House.”

Then, his voice grew serious, “Little friend, you'd better leave quickly. At the path ahead of you is the Dao Forbidden Tract, an incredibly dangerous area. Not to mention you, even Emperors cannot take a step beyond.”

Dao Forbidden Tract!

Lin Xun raised his eyebrows. “Dare I ask what kind of danger is this so-called Dao Forbidden Tract hiding?”

“Look over there.” Despite his frosty expression, the gray-robed man's attitude was amiable as he pointed to the distance.

That was a region fully covered in a blood-red color. Horrifying lightning bolts meandered in there. Vaguely, creepy silhouettes flickered, sometimes looking like humans and sometimes demons.

A mere glance from afar made Lin Xun's pupils shrink.

The gray-robed man introduced, “That right there is the Dao Forbidden Tract, which imprisons a bunch of incomplete will forces. They belonged to the powerful cultivators who were buried here in the early primeval era, unable to dissipate. Entering that place, one's will and state of mind will be subjected to an unimaginable suppression…

“For eight thousand years, I've been guarding here for fear that those will forces will break loose. If that happens, it will definitely be an unimaginable calamity for anyone who enters the Dark Hidden Purgatory to train.”

Lin Xun's expression flickered dimly.

He finally understood that the true danger of the eighth floor lay not in fiend spirits, but instead in the fragmented will forces left behind by mighty primeval experts!

“Senior, from what I know, it's not like no one has successfully passed in these countless years,” asked Lin Xun after a long contemplation. “Like the current Lord of Copper Sparrow House, wasn't he also at the peak of the Supreme Quasi-Emperor Stage back then?”

At the mention of this, the gray-robed man's expression became solemn. “You might not know this, but our lord entered the eighth floor in the primeval era. At the time, this Dao Forbidden Tract had just formed, so the will forces in it were far from being as strong as they are now.”

Lin Xun was stunned for a moment, then said, “I still want to try though.”

The gray-robed man frowned. “Little friend, Heaven gives great hardship to whom it gives talent. Also, being too set on something may break you. You have amazing aptitude and even more heaven-defying strength, but you still need to be cautious and know when to stop. Don't just blindly jump into things.”

Lin Xun was flabbergasted. In the end, he cupped his fist and said, “You are right, Senior. However, I cannot give up so easily, so I hope you can fulfill my wish.”

“You…” The gray-robed man glared at him, seemingly exasperated.

However, he suddenly sensed something and reached out his hand. Grabbing at the air, a jade slip then appeared in his hand.

After a brief scan, the gray-robed man was stunned.

The jade slip recorded an order from the Lord of Copper Sparrow House –

“If you meet a person called Lin Xun, you must not obstruct him, nor can you provide him any help. Let him train on his own!”

“What did you just say your name was?” asked the gray-robed man as if confirming something.

“Lin Xun,” replied Lin Xun.

The gray-robed man's eyes flashed with a strange gleam. He really had not expected that such a young man could have compelled the lord to personally give such an order.

After thinking about it, he said, “Forget it, you can go ahead. But you must keep in mind that I won’t be able to help if you encounter any danger.”

Lin Xun smiled. “Thank you so much, Senior.”

With that, he rushed toward the distance.

“Little friend,” the gray-robed man couldn't help but call out. “Remember, the true danger of the Dao Forbidden Tract is the impact it has on your will and state of mind. If you can’t hold on, withdraw as soon as you can. Do not try to test your limits there!”

Lin Xun turned around and clasped his fist toward the man before he continued charging ahead.

Between heaven and earth, scarlet tides tumbled and steamed like mist. Lightning zapped among them, flooding with palpitatingly destructive fluctuations.

Illusory figures drifted amidst the blood-colored world, faintly discernible in one moment and invisible in the next as they each emanated a different might.

They were like a group of gods with boundless terror.

Such was the Dao Forbidden Tract!

In the beginning of the primeval era, many mighty beings had been buried here by the first Calamity of Ruin. The remnants of their will power had later formed such a unique and dangerous force field.

Being able to survive the erosion of eon after eon, their power could be imagined.

Stopping at a distance, Lin Xun gazed at this scene for a long time. Then, he suddenly asked, “Senior, must this zone be passed in order to get to the ninth floor?”

Extremely far away, the gray-robed man was dumbfounded for a moment before he replied, “Indeed.”

He hadn’t expected that Lin Xun's concern wasn't about the perils filling the Dao Forbidden Tracts, but was instead about entering the ninth floor.

The gray-robed man didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry at this.

If one said that he was arrogant, then him being able to kill his way to the eighth floor and arrive here proved that his strength was absolutely heaven-defying.

However, it was hard to judge otherwise when he insisted on taking such a big risk. If he could not make it out of that area, then he would really die!

While the gray-robed man's thoughts flew, Lin Xun had already launched into action, taking his first step into the scarlet region covered in the Dao Forbidden Tract.