It was deliberate!

Demon God Lin did it on purpose!

Zhongli Wuji’s complexion turned pale, and he almost wanted to cough up blood. He was already extremely wary of Lin Xun, but he was still slapped in the face.

Worst of all, he had fallen into the same pit before.

Sha Liuchan went stiff and broke out in a cold sweat. He had been about to say something just now, but Zhongli Wuji interrupted and fell into the pit for him instead.

Demon God Lin was too cunning and unbearable. He used the same trick over and over again but in a slightly different way and caught them all off guard.

However, unexpectedly, not many people laughed at Zhongli Wuji because everyone was staring curiously at Lin Xun.

No matter what, Demon God Lin was a peerless figure yet he chose a stone stele located in the peripheral area of the Stele Forest to practice the dao. What kind of grand dao power would he comprehend this time?

Buzz—

Cryptic waves of grand dao energy surged around Lin Xun like he was a slowly rotating black hole, causing the nearby space to collapse inch by inch and be torn into turbulent currents.

“The Vortex Dao?” Many experts had strange expressions mixed with pity on their faces.

The Vortex Dao was at most a fourth-tier grand dao. Although its attack power was unique and domineering, it was much inferior to any one of the first-tier grand daos, let alone a Reaching Heaven Grand Dao!

It took him such a long time to only comprehend a fourth-tier grand dao. If this happened with other experts, then it would be considered normal, but it was tragic if it happened to Demon God Lin.

Only Ji Xingyao, Yu Lingkong and other peerless figures scrunched their brows, feeling a little anxious.

They could tell from one glance that the grand dao power that Lin Xun grasped wasn’t just a simple Vortex Dao because the aura was more than terrifying.

It resembled an abyss, a prison!

It had a spine-chilling aura.

But before they could investigate closer, the visions projected around Lin Xun receded like a tide without a trace.

He…

Ji Xingyao and the others narrowed their eyes, more and more certain that Lin Xun might have had a huge harvest and grasped an extremely rare grand dao power.

It should be mentioned that they were all from the ancient sects and clans so they were all very knowledgeable and familiar about the ninety-nine Reaching Heaven Grand Dao in ancient times.

Even so, they were struggling to figure out the grand dao power that Lin Xun had comprehended.

What could it be?

Shua!

Their eyes immediately shifted onto the ancient, mottled, and seemingly-ordinary stone stele in front of Lin Xun.

However, it seemed to have changed from before. It had a veil of mystery around it.

What is going on?

The other experts noticed Ji Xingyao’s unusual expression and followed her gaze.

Crack!

However, before they could see clearly, the stone stele was crumbling inch by inch, and the stone shards were turning into ashes and vanishing into the air.

Everyone’s eyes narrowed simultaneously. What’s going on?

They had never heard of a stone stele destroyed in any of the previous Dao Lantern Festivals!

Let alone destroyed, it was impossible to touch the stele because each one was shrouded in terrifying restriction power that would set off upon contact. If that happened, not only would they be severely wounded, but they would also be at risk of being eliminated.

But now, a stone stele self-destructed before their eyes!

“As expected, Lin Xun wouldn’t have comprehended any ordinary grand dao power!”

All of a sudden, Ji Xingyao and the others looked at Lin Xun differently. There was surprise tinged with vigilance.

The rest of the people also realized that something unusual had happened. There wouldn’t have been such bizarre visions if Lin Xun had only comprehended a fourth-tier Vortex Dao.

Then, what did Demon God Lin grasp from that stone stele?

……

Lin Xun ignored the gazes around him. He had already awakened from his state of comprehension.

However, indescribable emotions rushed up his heart when he confirmed the grand dao power he had comprehended.

The spotlessly white Origin Aeth Artery was glowing brightly on the four heart acupuncture points, sometimes transforming into a star vortex black hole and sometimes turning into a Grand Abyss Heaven Devourer.

This dao was called the Star Annihilation Heaven Devourer!

It was a grand dao that had been lost since ancient times, but once cultivated to its peak form, its boundless power could devour the sky like an abyss and annihilate the universe of stars!

Lin Xun would never forget that old man running wildly in the depths of the starry sky, and he would never forget his earthshaking power that shook the rivers of stars.

He was certain that the old man also possessed the innate talent of Grand Abyss Heaven Devourer as well as the dao power of Star Annihilation Heaven Devourer!

“This dao power is terrifying but obscure. Its destructive aura dominates the heavens and it is extremely difficult to comprehend. I’ve only managed to barely grasp some superficial knowledge of its profound meaning after such a long time…” Lin Xun murmured.

But even so, the superficial knowledge of its profound meaning shook him to the core. Even if it was only a wisp of profound meaning, it could unleash unimaginable power in battle!

……

“Fellow cultivator Lin Xun, can I ask what kind of dao you have comprehended?” Mu Jianting from the Jade Emptiness Temple asked curiously.

All gazes shifted onto Lin Xun.

“Vortex Grand Dao,” Lin Xun causally told a lie without the slightest change of expression or heart rate.

He even let out a long, deep sigh.

“Lin Xun, you are so fake! Who would believe such a lie?” someone couldn’t help but confront him.

Ji Xingyao, Yu Lingkong and the others also looked at him with disdain.

How can this guy lie without blinking his eyes? Does he think we are idiots?

Lin Xun smiled. “It’s up to you if you want to believe it or not.”

Everyone stared at him speechlessly, but they became more and more convinced that he had comprehended an extraordinary grand dao power!

“Then let me ask you, were you first place in the second test?” Ji Xingyao suddenly asked.

Her question took everyone aback for a moment before it struck them.

Yes, until now we still haven’t figured out who won the special reward for being first place in that Realm of Limits.

But Lin Xun exclaimed in surprise, “Xingyao, are you expressing your admiration for me now?”

He addressed Ji Xingyao very affectionately. Anyone unaware of their relationship would have thought that they were very close.

“Shameless!” Ji Xingyao yelled in exasperation, her voice cold as ice. This guy is beyond help.

The other experts’ expressions had a tinge of admiration for Lin Xun. He has guts to tease Fairy Ji in public. Is he not afraid of being eaten alive by Fairy Ji’s admirers?

Lin Xun indeed felt a gush of murderous intent coming from Yu Lingkong.

He smiled and didn’t care. That proud girl, Ji Xingyao, has brought me much trouble before, so what if I tease her a little?

Yu Lingkong felt increasingly uneasy. Everyone present could tell how he felt towards Ji Xingyao, yet Lin Xun still dared to tease her in front of him. How would it not spark murderous intent from him?

“The five tests of the Dao Lantern Festival are about to come to a close, and we will soon go to the Ancient Dao Lantern Tree. When we get there, don’t forget what you said on the Sinking Sea!” Yu Lingkong’s voice was indifferent and calm.

Everyone trembled inwardly. They remembered that Yu Lingkong had promised that he would kill Demon God Lin when they reached the Ancient Dao Lantern Tree!

Not only Yu Lingkong, but also peerless geniuses such as Zhongli Wuji, Sha Liuchan, Qing Lian’er, and Zhuo Kuanglan all spoke out against Lin Xun!

“The good show is finally about to start...” The corners of Li Qinghuan’s lips curled upwards. He had no intention of taking part in the show, but he was more than happy to watch.

The atmosphere suddenly turned silent and oppressive. All the cultivators realized that another earth shaking storm would break out once they reached the Ancient Dao Lantern Tree!

Demon God Lin—could he survive the crushing of this upcoming storm?

No one knew.

But Lin Xun wasn’t the slightest afraid, but rather excited.

Yu Lingkong and the others wanted to kill him, but wasn’t it also the same for him?

He had accumulated a lot of anger over the several tests, and he couldn’t wait to settle accounts with them all at the Ancient Dao Lantern Tree!

Clang!

A familiar ancient bell struck.

Everyone quivered inwardly and their eyes shone brightly. Finally, the Ancient Dao Lantern Tree was about to lift its mysterious veil!

……

Clang!

The ancient bell echoed throughout Cangwu Mountain and soon spread to the outside world.

Immediately, the cultivators who had long been paying close attention to the movement on Cangwu Mountain perked up. The five tests were finally over, and the final battle for great blessings was about to come!

“How many people are left?”

“Seventy-two.”

“As expected, the Dao Lantern Festival is different from those in the past, and the number of cultivators about to reach the Ancient Dao Lantern Tree is more than any other year.”

While everyone was discussing the result, eyes were gathered on the distant Cangwu Mountain and on the Ancient Dao Lantern Tree on the mountainside.

The ancient tree stood tall and strong like a coiling dragon in the air. Its trunk and branches seemed to be cast from bronze, and its blossoming buds resembled little bronze lanterns, casting thousand rays of dazzling light.

Every bronze flower bud contained a fortune, which could be an ancient treasure or a precious inheritance...

Only the strongest who reached the Ancient Dao Lantern Tree were qualified to fight for those fortunes!

“This last hurdle will definitely set off a rain of blood and intense battles and lead to the fall of peerless geniuses. Is it worth it?” someone muttered.

“For the great blessings and fortunes, everything is worth it!” someone said in a resounding voice.

“That’s right, how can there be no blood in the vie for supremacy? From ancient times till now, which generation of geniuses haven’t forged their paths from a mountain of corpses and sea of blood?”

“Don’t worry, before those geniuses came, they must have already expected to face a bloody battle so they must each have trump cards up their sleeves to protect themselves. Otherwise, the sect and clan behind them wouldn't have let them come and risk their lives.”

Amidst the discussion, an abrupt change happened on the distant Cangwu Mountain—

Rumble!

The strong and tall Ancient Dao Lantern Tree stretched its many branches like it was awakening from a deep slumber. The dense branches grew incessantly, stretching to the heights of the void and was about to obscure the sky!