Martial Saint!

Lu Chenzhou looked at the crowd.

After pondering for a moment, he said coldly:

"There's one more thing. To guarantee our safety, I need everyone to make a Dao Heart Oath. Never betray civilization, never collude with demon monsters. If anyone refuses to swear, given our current wartime situation..."

He didn't continue.

On this matter, he had already communicated with the Northern Guardian King. Special circumstances require special measures. This isn't the Xia Realm—a single Demon Venerable here could wipe them out. There's no room for error.

The Grandmasters each had their own expressions.

Some were shocked that Lu Chenzhou, so young, had already become an Elder. Others felt this measure was too overbearing.

The Dao Heart Oath is extremely terrifying.

Grandmasters hold very high positions; under normal circumstances, the Council would not force all Grandmasters to take the Dao Heart Oath.

For fear it would backfire.

After he finished speaking.

There was a dead silence.

Wang Xian said, "I swear."

Lin Xia: "I swear as well."

Elder Yu laughed, "It's just a Dao Heart Oath. If your heart is clean, there's nothing to fear."

Hong Tianxiang also said, "Agreed."

Xuan Kong pressed his palms together: "I'll go first."

With someone taking the lead, the others who were initially resistant could only agree helplessly. Both emotionally and logically, Lu Chenzhou's actions made sense, and they all understood that.

Lu Chenzhou said seriously: "I'll also make the Dao Heart Oath. Everyone, we have no way out!"

After making the Dao Heart Oath, the group followed Lu Chenzhou's instructions. Some went out of the mountains to gather intelligence about this world, while others looked for places to undergo secluded cultivation.

"Senior Lu really is ruthless."

"He's iron-blooded. That look in his eyes—he's really ready to kill. Compared to how he was in the cave, he's like a different person."

...

Soon after.

Everyone found places for secluded cultivation and began training.

Lu Chenzhou also found a natural cave.

He took out a ready-made array, set it up, and installed mid-grade Primordial Stones. The array glowed with a faint green light. Moments later, the cave where he would cultivate vanished into the mountain forest.

He smiled and said: "This Fifth Rank little Five Elements Maze Array is really something. The array techniques of Qi Refiners are truly something special. My five hundred mid-grade Primordial Stones were worth it."

At Da Xia's current level, array techniques can at most produce Fourth Rank arrays. Lu Chenzhou's set was purchased early on in Primordial Mountain Cave Heaven, for contingencies.

One mid-grade Primordial Stone could power it for a whole week.

To stay in seclusion for a year would only require about fifty stones.

"Hope all goes well for Wang Xian's side."

Lin Xia was tidying her room.

She, too, was cultivating in the cave that Lu Chenzhou had opened up.

"Senior Brother walks the Carefree Dao, and even received the Seventh Rank 'Great Hiding Technique' inheritance. Even a Demon Emperor wouldn't find his traces if not careful," Lu Chenzhou said.

Lin Xia arranged her room: "Never thought that a treasure hunt would land us in a foreign Otherworld. If it weren't for you, Junior Brother, I'd have no clue what to do next. I'm heading to seclusion."

"Senior Sister, I have a stalk of Nine Apertures Exquisite Grass here—take it and refine it. May you Breakthrough Fifth soon."

"Junior Brother, this is too precious!"

Lin Xia was both flattered and shocked.

A Heavenly Treasure—she didn't even dare dream of it.

And it's Nine Apertures Exquisite Grass!

Many Heavenly Kings dream of this in vain.

"I can't use it anymore."

"Give it to Wang Xian then. His talent is better."

"Senior Brother Wang has already used the Three Soul Mysterious Water. Breakthrough Fifth is close for him. Compared to him, you need this more."

"This..."

Even Lin Xia, usually carefree and bold,

At this moment, couldn't help but have her eyes turn red.

"Thank you, Junior Brother. By the way, Master has been in seclusion a long time now. I wonder when he'll reach Breakthrough Seven... I really miss him."

It had been a long time since the two siblings talked heart-to-heart.

After a long chat, each went their own way.

Lu Chenzhou gazed at the sky outside the cave.

This world has no night.

"Three suns."

...

Inner Scenery Land.

"Three suns?"

The artifact spirits fell into memory.

In the end, they all shook their heads.

...

Secluded cultivation site.

Lu Chenzhou sat cross-legged.

"This trial unexpectedly pushed my spiritual power to the Great Grandmaster's limit. Next, I need to focus on cultivating qi-blood and acupoints, Breakthrough Sixth as soon as possible, and then raise Void Dao to Fourth Rank and master methods of shattering the void."

Other cultivation will be set aside for now.

The Great Grandmaster limit for qi-blood is 90,000.

He's still short nearly 20,000.

Acupoint limit is 630.

He's short of 30 acupoints.

With the Ninth Level Tiger Cave special effect, his acupoint opening speed has greatly increased. In about a year, he should reach Perfection.

There are six major hurdles to ascending to Heavenly King.

Acupoints and qi-blood go without saying.

Besides these, there are the following requirements.

1. Spiritual power must reach Great Grandmaster level for the spiritual aspect.

2. Level of Dao must reach Third Rank Peeping Dao. The higher, the better. Peeping Dao is the minimum. For people like him who have already entered the Dao, this raises the success rate considerably.

3. At least one Supreme Divine Skill at Perfection.

4. Star Primordial True Gang at its limit.

Other than True Gang, acupoints, and qi-blood—which require water-milling effort—the others can be solved by comprehension, and he has overfulfilled them. Many Heavenly Kings can't compare.

"Let's begin." Lu Chenzhou set up several Fourth and Fifth Rank Immortal Puppets within the array to act as protector for him and his senior sister. There was also a large black serpent stationed at the array's center. If they encountered a Demon Emperor, with Ghost King controlling, even a Sixth Rank Immortal Puppet could buy some time.

...

A month later.

Somewhere in the world.

Between heaven and earth, a majestic giant city stood tall, constructed entirely from White Jade Stone. Outside the city, corpses lay everywhere.

From time to time, demon monsters swept by, snatching up people.

Inside the city, in a tavern.

Three men in long robes sat drinking.

They were the scouting squad led by Wang Xian.

Grandmasters work with extreme efficiency.

After a month of reconnaissance, they had already learned the language of this world and grasped much of its history.

Technology in this world is lagging. The degree of demon monster invasion is severe. Demon ghosts openly eat people on the streets, and the officials' experts can't possibly keep up.

If this were Xia Realm, they'd have slain demons and eliminated monsters in passing. But here, they could only turn a blind eye; otherwise, they'd expose themselves and surely be noticed by Evil Gods.

Seeing so many Human Clan beings so similar to those in Xia Realm devoured by demon monsters, Wang Xian and the others felt especially heavy-hearted.

They exchanged intelligence among themselves.

"Who would have thought, among the Three Thousand Worlds, there's a world made up entirely of women. This really opened my eyes."

"In this world, there's only the Da Wu Dynasty among mortals; the cultivation world is ruled by Three Suns Palace. The strongest are a master and disciple duo—the Three Suns Palace Supreme Elder and Palace Master."

"Compared to Xia Realm, things are grim for the Human Clan here. There are only two Absolute Peak Experts, and eighteen Heavenly Kings, but their enemies are the Corpse Palace led by three Demon Venerables, with over thirty Demon Emperors under their command. Fortunately, the ancestors of this world once gave birth to an Eighth Realm Expert, leaving behind several Heaven-reaching Spirit Weapons as clan treasures to help them barely hold out against the Demon Race. That expert is said to have been taken as a Direct Disciple by a Great Power of Heavenly Dragon Sect..."

"What's the Great Power's title?"

"Chasing Sun Dragon Emperor."

...

Secluded cultivation site.

Lu Chenzhou opened his eyes.

His aura had grown even stronger than before.

He looked at the message on the Lighting Order.

"Interesting."

Since he admired the Speed Extreme Dao, he had previously asked Senior Brother for information on the Chasing Sun Dragon Emperor.

This Great Power doesn't like accepting disciples and is quite reclusive. Therefore, under him are only three True Disciples: Aurora Empress, Wuji Dragon Lord, and Heavenly Escape Daoist.

He contacted the Northern Guardian King.

"We are in a world with three suns in the sky. Only women exist in this world. Aurora Empress was born here, and she once apprenticed to the Chasing Sun Dragon Emperor... Please pass this info to Mr. Turtle and the Absolute Peak Experts who are looking for us. With this, they might figure out where we are."

[Understood! You haven't been discovered yet, have you?]

"No. We found a safe place to enter seclusion, but there are three Demon Venerables in this world, demon race forces are everywhere. I don't know how long we can remain hidden."

[We'll send people to pick you up as soon as possible.]

After the communication ended, Lu Chenzhou continued to cultivate.

"For now, the only way is to get as strong as possible."

...

In the blink of an eye.

Half a year passed.

The Human World welcomed the year 2256.

Su City, Myriad Phenomena Dao.

"Master has been in seclusion for so long. I want to tell him I've already reached Breakthrough Forth." Li Yao ate at the table.

"Senior Wang, Senior Lin, and even Master Ancestor have gone to explore the cave, but none has come out yet."

Ji Feiyan was filled with worries.

Shi Ruyu also looked anxious.

"I heard from the grapevine that the Grandmasters exploring the cave were wiped out..."

Old Ji slammed the table and stood up, saying in a deep voice:

"Impossible! Let's not jump to conclusions."

To avoid mass panic, the Wanbang Council had not publicly announced the disappearance of the ninety-nine Grandmasters.

But the Eye of Truth, eager for chaos, kept spreading rumors that the Grandmasters, including Lu Chenzhou, had died. As time went on, the rumors grew ever wilder.

...

"Heard the news? The Grandmasters who went to explore the cave were all killed by the demon race... Over a hundred Grandmasters! Do we have any hope left?"

"I have a senior who's been missing since exploring the cave, but their Soul Lamp hasn't died—maybe they're trapped inside."

"It's over, it's all over..."

"Even Lu Chenzhou has disappeared. Some say they were sent to another world and are now being hunted by the demon armies. Their chances of survival look grim."

...

Eye of Truth.

"Half a year and still no sign?"

The Witch opened his eyes and asked flatly.

The Blood God said: "I've already mobilized every Blood God clone across the Three Thousand Worlds to search for them with all my power. Most likely, they're hiding somewhere, not daring to contact the outside world."

The Witch said: "Hurry. If Lu Chenzhou reaches Breakthrough Sixth, the chances of killing him will drop by another thirty percent."

...

Spirit Phoenix Realm.

Extreme North, Great Snow Mountain region.

Two beams of rainbow light landed on the ground.

They were two supremely beautiful women.

One was slender, wearing palace robes and a magnificent blue Great Cloak, her phoenix-eyed gaze suffused with violet air.

"Sister Shangguan, this is where the Ancient Cross-border Transmission Array is located. The world you mentioned should be the Kun Gu Realm. In this realm, the Human Clan consists only of women. It's said that women acquire Innate Triple Yang True Qi for conception, the fusion of Yin and Yang, and bear children that way. Our Spirit Phoenix Realm's Transmission Array leads to Mystic Sky Realm. When you get to Mystic Sky Realm, find the transmission hub on the map I gave you, and you'll find a way to Kun Gu Realm."