Fate-Defying Demon Emperor

Exiting the Prison Divine Palace, Su Han’s consciousness returned to his original body. Having obtained two new Divine Methods, his strength had increased even further.

However, Su Han’s core problem remained unsolved. He faced three major bottlenecks and had to break through at least one of them; otherwise, it would be difficult to achieve another qualitative leap in power. Among the three bottlenecks, his cultivation Realm was the most critical. Only by breaking through to the Heavenly King Realm could he continue to use the Devouring Heaven Demonic Art to advance his cultivation and grow stronger. Of course, achieving the Great Achievement of the Holy Body was also very important. Once he did, he would possess the power to confront the Tian Luo Saint Heir. Even if his Realm was insufficient, the gap between them would be limited. As for unsealing the Great Majestic Demon King, it was actually the least important of the three bottlenecks. After all, Su Han already possessed the Nine Palace Golden Pagoda, so his need for a Holy Artifact was not particularly high. Still, if he could break the seal, that would naturally be for the best.

These three bottlenecks could not be broken in a short amount of time, so Su Han had to place his hopes on the Inner Area and even the Core Area of the Dragon Palace Ruins.

I’ve heard the Core Area contains the Dragon Transformation Pool. Perhaps it can help me achieve the Great Achievement of the Holy Body!

Of course, reaching the Dragon Transformation Pool would not be easy. The Inner Area alone required the strength of the Heavenly King Realm, and the Core Area was even more dangerous. Furthermore, the Saint Heirs, Imperial Sons, and leading prodigies from all the major powers had come for the Dragon Transformation Pool. Seizing this opportunity right under their watchful eyes would be extremely difficult.

But where there’s a will, there’s a way. If one lacks even that ambition, how can they ever take control of their own destiny?

BOOM!

Just as Su Han was contemplating his next move, a powerful surge of energy, like a tidal wave, suddenly swept over him and drew his attention. Glancing over, his gaze fell on Zhang Xiaowan.

Zhang Xiaowan had fair, delicate skin that looked like it could be broken with a touch. She wore a black dress and had a small, red-stringed bell tied to her ankle, making her look like an adorable loli. But anyone deceived by her innocent appearance would be in for a nasty surprise.

This time, Zhang Xiaowan had received a vast amount of Cultivation Resources from Su Han, and her secluded cultivation had yielded significant gains. At this moment, her skin was luminous, and Demonic Qi in the shape of sound waves reverberated around her, weaving a special demonic melody that swayed one’s Heart Spirit and threatened to pull them deep within. Powerful waves of Aura burst forth from her body, transforming into a sonic tempest that shook the entire cave.

Zhang Xiaowan had broken through. And not just by one Realm, but by three, soaring directly from the Fourth Layer to the Seventh Layer of the Divine Power Realm. If she hadn’t restrained herself, with the Cultivation Resources Su Han had provided, she might have broken through even further.

”Haste makes waste” was a principle Zhang Xiaowan understood well. Though precocious for her age, she never dared to treat her Martial Arts cultivation lightly. Of course, her ability to leap through three realms was not only due to the Cultivation Resources from Su Han but also related to her recent life-and-death battles and the cleansing she received from the Dao Rhyme on Enlightenment Cliff. Dao Rhyme was extremely precious; even if it didn’t lead to Enlightenment, it could clear one’s thoughts and make cultivation smoother.

BOOM!

Just as Zhang Xiaowan broke through to the Seventh Layer of the Divine Power Realm, another powerful surge erupted from within Lan Xi. She had also broken through, similarly leaping three realms to reach the Sixth Layer of the Divine Power Realm. However, she was now stuck at the minor bottleneck before the Seventh Layer.

Although her Innate talent was slightly inferior to Zhang Xiaowan’s, her soul had not been injured. Combined with the baptism of Dao Rhyme from Enlightenment Cliff, her improvement was still significant. If not for the difficulty in breaking through this minor bottleneck, she might have charged straight for the Seventh Layer of the Divine Power Realm.

Still, this was already quite impressive. Advancing three realms in one go was the result of long accumulation, so neither Su Han nor Tongyan was too surprised. Soon, Zhang Xiaowan and Lan Xi stabilized their new realms. Their Auras receded, and they opened their eyes, emerging from their meditative state.

”I broke through three realms! I soared straight to the Seventh Layer of the Divine Power Realm! This is incredible!” Zhang Xiaowan was so excited she felt like she could fly. This was the Divine Power Realm, where advancing even a single layer was normally difficult. But now she had jumped three, significantly boosting her strength. How could she not be ecstatic?

Lan Xi had a gentler personality, but her clenched fists and the excited glint in her eyes made it clear this outcome had also far exceeded her expectations.

”A young lady should be a little more reserved. Don’t be so boisterous!” Tongyan indulgently patted Zhang Xiaowan’s head. This made Zhang Xiaowan restrain herself somewhat, but she still couldn’t hide her exhilaration.

”You’ve just broken through, so you need to familiarize yourselves with your new power and solidify your foundations. Otherwise, rushing your growth could be detrimental.

You should still have plenty of Cultivation Resources left, enough to perhaps help you reach the Ninth Layer of the Divine Power Realm. But I’ll say it again: if your foundation isn’t solid, advancing your Realm too quickly is a bad thing.”

Tongyan was like a big sister next door, looking out for Zhang Xiaowan and Lan Xi. A maternal glow shone from her delicate face, a side of her that Su Han had never seen before.

”Su Su is advancing even faster than I am!” Zhang Xiaowan pointed at Su Han, her tone indignant. When she was at the Fourth Layer of the Divine Power Realm, Su Han had only been at the Sixth Layer of the Physique Realm. By the time he reached the Ninth Layer of the Divine Power Realm, she was still stuck at the Fourth Layer. His rate of progress was simply disheartening.

”He’s an exception. Don’t compare yourself to him!” As for Su Han, Tongyan didn’t know how to explain him either. She could only tell that his foundation was incredibly solid. His progress didn’t seem sudden; rather, it looked like he had advanced one steady step at a time. For such an anomaly, Tongyan could only think of one word: monstrous.

”Next, Su Han and I plan to explore the Inner Area for opportunities. It’s too dangerous there, and we can’t guarantee your safety, so we were thinking you two should stay here. What are your thoughts?” Tongyan asked. Su Han and Tongyan had already discussed this, and they’d decided Tongyan should bring it up, as she had a closer relationship with Zhang Xiaowan and Lan Xi.

”Sigh. If you two want some time alone, just go. Don’t worry about us third wheels!” Zhang Xiaowan sighed dramatically, waving her hand with a mock world-weary air. In truth, she was already mentally prepared for this. The Dragon Palace Ruins only opened once every thousand years. If they missed this chance, they would have to wait another millennium. Since Su Han and Tongyan had the strength, it was only natural they would want to venture deeper.

Tongyan ignored Zhang Xiaowan’s teasing and turned to ask for Lan Xi’s opinion.

”I’m weaker, so venturing into the Inner Area would be too perilous. It’s better if I stay here. Perhaps I can find a few opportunities of my own and further increase my strength.”

Lan Xi had no objections, so the matter was settled amicably.

Wasting no more time, Su Han and Tongyan bid farewell to Zhang Xiaowan and Lan Xi, left the cave, and headed straight for the Inner Area.

This time, they would join forces to fight for even greater opportunities