Devour

The monster that appeared on the fifth floor was crawling around. It was the old friend, the blue-faced spider. Lu Miaoting kicked it away and it turned into green smoke.

A dried corpse staggered out from the stone statue on the sixth floor, with its neck tilted and chuckling. Many of them had been seen around the tombs of the Canxing Kingdom.

Xiaobai rushed forward and bit off the neck of the mummy with one bite. The monster died and turned into green smoke.

The monster on the seventh floor is a big, strong water ghost.

I once saw a kind of water ghost staff in the Qi Zong store that could summon several water ghosts for people to use. I was deeply impressed. Its strength was comparable to that of a warrior in the middle stage of the Yi Jin realm, but Xiaobai easily defeated it.

A bird monster with a human face flew out from the eighth floor. This kind of monster is commonly seen in the Kanhai Islands. It has a beautiful singing voice that can confuse the mind and lead ships to run aground and sink.

Lu Miaoting raised her hand and shot a gun that pierced the chest of the human-faced bird demon, killing him instantly with smoke and dust all around.

The monster on the ninth floor was a giant gray wolf. Xiaobai was curious about its similar appearance, so he pounced on it, bit it, and killed it with his claws.

The monster on the tenth floor was huge in size. An old tree spirit came out with a steady gait of "bang bang bang". Lu Miaoting used the reed spear and a move called "Force Penetrating Mountains and Rivers" to pierce a big hole in the tree trunk. Winning was still easy.

A sickle-wielding monster jumped out from the stone statue on the eleventh floor. Lu Miaoting fired a gun and pierced its throat, and green smoke spread out.

Cheng Bai saw that they had been struggling for a long time, and he couldn't help but say with some regret: "The strength of the stone monster increases geometrically within a certain range, and the improvement span is getting bigger and bigger. It's a pity that there is no crystal core, otherwise it would be a great deal."

The monster on the twelfth floor was an old acquaintance, a three-headed snake staggering towards him. Cheng Bai was worried that its poisonous mist would fume Lu Miaoting, so he finally took action and used a thunder and fire bomb to burn the snake monster's head.

A double-edged saber-toothed elephant rushed out from the thirteenth floor, stepping as heavy as a war drum and charging forward with its fangs erected.

This kind of monster is considered the pinnacle of conventional land animals on Earth. Xiaobai stepped forward to fight, attacked from the side, easily pushed the saber-toothed elephant down, and tore it into pieces.

The monster on the fourteenth floor was a black-headed sparrow. Lu Miaoting jumped up and used a move called "Blooming Towards the Sky" and stabbed the monster bird in the air to death with her spear.

The monsters on the fifteenth floor behaved docilely and gracefully. A black moonlight deer came out slowly, as if to let the enemy relax their vigilance. It ran faster and faster in circles, and when it got close, its antlers butted and rushed towards Lu Miaoting. Cheng Bai cut off the head of the black moonlight deer with a knife.

The monster on the sixteenth floor was 8 meters tall. It waved its big hands around tree trunks to stir up a strong wind. It was extremely powerful and it was a violent one-eyed beast. It died under Lu Miaoting's reed spear.

The monster on the seventeenth floor was agile, nimble and quick. It was a silver-spotted demon leopard. Xiaobai pinned it down and had its neck bitten off.

After the stone statue on the eighteenth floor cracked, the monster seemed to disappear without a trace.

Cheng Bai's keen eyes could see clearly that it was a shadowy Wei Chi trying to sneak up on him for a stealth attack. He rushed forward and swung his knife to chop the pig's head in half.

After winning every battle, the following opponents all mastered secret techniques, with various methods of attack, defense, confusion, and change. They became more and more difficult to deal with. As they passed the levels one by one, the monster levels increased and the venue became larger and larger.

Time passed, Cheng Bai looked up at the top of the Ladder of All Things. It was still endless up here, and he couldn't see where the ceiling was. It seemed that there were still countless levels to challenge. He counted the floors in his mind and said, "We have reached the 32nd floor now."

Lu Miaoting nodded and said, "Yes, I also remember that after the 32nd floor, the poison crystal worm king just now was much stronger than the one I encountered in the poison crystal cave. If it weren't for you, I would not be able to deal with it at all."

With one third of the power of the master of the Yellow Jade Flag, Lu Miaoting was promoted to the middle stage of the Return to the Root Realm. She was even stronger than Shen Ya on the day of the martial arts competition. However, she no longer had the ease and composure she had at the beginning, and was instead vulnerable to the increasingly powerful monsters.

The stone skin of the 33rd floor of the stone statue shattered and fell off, and a hideous monster came out. It had three sharp horns on its head, a pair of icy wings on its back, a body 30 meters long, well-developed limbs, and a pangolin-like tail swinging behind it. Its translucent skin was mainly light white and blue, and you could vaguely see the thick reddish-brown bones under the skin, which extended outside the body to form sharp reddish-brown keratin and claws.

It was a frost dragon that lived on the northern polar islands and was extremely rare on the continent. As soon as it saw its opponent, it opened its mouth and spewed out ice cones. The bone-chilling cold current swept across a large area, freezing anyone who touched it into zombies.

Cheng Bai was secretly shocked: "Miao Ting and Xiao Bai can't withstand its attack."

He hurriedly slashed out with a dark cross-shaped sword energy to split the ice cone energy flow, followed by two layers of sword energy to blow the Frost Dragon away.

The Frost Dragon was injured and fell to the ground, then got up again and cast a secret spell. Crystal-like snowflakes flew around his body, as if they were floating around without restraint, and the number increased.

Cheng Bai was suspicious of the effect of the snowflakes, so he slashed them with his sword. The snowflakes broke into pieces, and an ice explosion occurred instantly. The surrounding area was frozen, and anyone who got close would be caught.

"This secret technique is more powerful than the ice cone, so we can't let it expand its range." Cheng Bai quickly threw out the same number of thunder and fire bombs, detonating the snowflakes from a distance and preventing the cold air from getting close to him.

The forces of ice and fire collided and annihilated each other, and the Frost Dragon's Crystal Storm Secret Technique was suppressed. Continuous explosions echoed in the Ladder of All Things, but the surroundings were as stable as Mount Tai, without the slightest vibration.

Cheng Bai's evaluation in his heart increased a little, and he thought to himself: "The sound waves of thunder sound seem to have no effect here. The material used for the Ladder of All Things is indestructible."

His hands were not slow at all, he teleported in front of the Frost Dragon, and the five-fold sword energy burst out fiercely, cutting it into several pieces at lightning speed.

The Frost Dragon can fight for a few moves, and its strength is close to that of the Multi-Eared Macaque King. If it goes higher up the Ladder of All Things, it will face even more powerful opponents.

Lu Miaoting and Xiaobai were of no help at all. They had no power to fight back against the powerful enemy and could only escape danger in time.

Cheng Bai was so worried that he was confused and anxious: "How can I stop fighting? Can I only fight until I die, or teleport away? Then there will be no reward."

……

Shi Ziyu, who was far away in Yuheng City making Dendrobium tea, suddenly remembered: "Yesterday I forgot to tell them the rules of the truce in the Ladder of All Things. If they feel that they can't do it, they just need to say 'I surrender' and the challenge will end. But it's such a simple thing, and the white people are quite smart, they should be able to try it out."

There were three people sitting at the tea table in Shangxin Pavilion.

The Red Jade Banner Master smiled and said, "Old Shi, you have been the best to me. You once held me in your arms when I was a child. Do you remember?"

Shi Ziyu said awkwardly: "At this point, you and I are sitting opposite each other, how can we do it the same way as before?"

The leader of the Black Jade Banner smiled and said, "Among the seven hall masters, Hall Master Shi is the most senior and respected. We all respect him the most. I dare not act recklessly here. I hope to get Hall Master Shi's support."

"Support what? Are you going to join the Disaster Legion? Don't mention the altar anymore." Shi Ziyu politely refused.

The Jade Flag Master drank up the tea in front of him, thinking back to the past, and said, "Fifteen years ago, the two major forces on the continent, the light and the dark, took sides. On the bright side, the Calamity Legion continued to merge its forces and combat power, while on the dark side, the seven hall masters supported the descendants of the Yun family. In fact, they all had the same goal in the end, to fight against the invasion of the Sun Chaser, but they took different paths."

Shi Ziyu casually poured more tea, and the leader of the Qingyu Banner knocked on the table with his fist to express his gratitude.

"If we don't share the same ideals, we can't work together and we can't force it." Shi Ziyu said calmly.

The Red Jade Banner Master persuaded, "The so-called different paths actually lead to the same destination. In Qiongqi Continent, we are like sitting on the same boat. If we can work together and unite as one, why worry about not being able to achieve our wishes?"

Shi Ziyu shook his head and said, "What you and I do is on our own, and it's only after many years that we've come into conflict. The Conferred God Altar was passed down by our ancestors, and every generation of hall masters has the duty to protect it. How dare we make any mistakes?"

The master of the Black Jade Banner said solemnly, "Fifteen years ago, the descendant of the Yun family who was in charge of the Yingmen Star Region fled here on a spirit boat, leaving behind the blood of the Emperor's son. In order to lure away the pursuers, the Void Spirit Boat set off again and fled far away, and his life or death is unknown. This blood is the candidate for the female emperor who is being supported by the seven hall masters and will return to the Yunmen Star Region to ascend the throne."

Shi Ziyu looked solemn, twirling his beard and asked, "It was so secret back then, how did you know about it?"

The leader of the Jade Banner shook his head and said, "The Void Spirit Boat is huge, how could there be no noise when it comes and goes? Some people still say that immortals descended to the earth at that time. Moreover, Master Shi, don't forget that the spirit boat stopped near the Sword Cliff, and it was the Sword Sect's leader Gai Xun who notified the major hall masters to gather. The matter of supporting the empress is not only known by the seven major hall masters."

Shi Ziyu's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he questioned: "This matter is a matter of life and death. No one should leak it, no matter whether it is Gai Xun or the seven hall masters."

The Red Jade Banner Master sighed, "We have been planning for more than ten years. Everyone has taught us by example. There is no impenetrable wall in the world. There are still a few people on the mainland who can detect it, such as the demon sage's sky vision, the multi-eared macaque's ground hearing, the faceless man's insight, and the psychic plum's ability to know the past and the future."

Shi Ziyu had a complicated expression and whispered, "Even the demons know about this. The situation is not good. I'm afraid it has spread beyond the Qiongqi Continent."

The Black Jade Banner Master said hurriedly, "It is not easy to keep it a secret for fifteen years. The emperor must be chosen from the candidates with the true divine fire bloodline. The empress is now an adult, so returning to Yunmen Emperor Star as soon as possible is the top priority."

Shi Ziyu pondered for a moment, poured out the cold tea, made a pot of new tea, shook his head and said, "The Yunmen Star Region is so far away, it's a long journey, even with a patrolling spirit boat, I don't know how many years it will take to get there."

The leader of the Jade Banner cursed, "It's all because of Gai Xun's ignorance. He supported the empress but didn't explain the important matters clearly. It delayed for many years. Now we are seeing foreign invaders and we are leaderless. We have missed the opportunity to fight. The Cloud Realm will be in a life-and-death situation."

The Red Jade Banner Master said, "For now, there is still a glimmer of hope. Mr. Shi should know about Shanhui City."

The Black Jade Banner Master continued, "Shanhui City is a neutral area, also known as the City of Ten Thousand Gates. It is located on the top of Mount Sumeru. There are tens of millions... maybe even more netherworld paths leading to the heavens and myriad realms. As long as we pass through there and reach the Yunmen Star Region, ascending to the Emperor Star is within reach."

Shi Ziyu coughed and asked, "Everyone, what you think, how can the outsiders not think of it? Can't the other candidates for the new emperor think of it? Shanhui City must be hiding murderous intentions and is full of dangers. How can we ensure that the empress will pass safely?"

The Jade Banner Master said frankly: "We, the Disaster Legion, have gathered our fighting strength for this purpose. Rather than sitting and waiting for the Sun Chaser to come and kill us on the Qiongqi Continent, we might as well give it a try, and maybe we'll have a chance of winning."

Shi Ziyu drank his tea silently, pondering without saying a word.

The Red Jade Banner Master said softly, "Old Shi, the seven holy temples have been tightening their finances for more than a decade. Aren't they already prepared for this?"

A hint of surprise flashed across Shi Ziyu's eyes: "You guys even know this?"

The Black Jade Banner Master nodded and said, "None of the seven hall masters attended the Hunter Academy meeting fifteen years ago because you already had a plan that coincided with Sect Master Fang's. You raised funds to build a large-scale sky patrolling spirit boat and gathered your strength for this day."

The Jade Banner Master said passionately: "Release the Ancient God to fight the Sun Chaser. Take advantage of this chaos to go to the Cloud Gate Emperor Star through the Netherworld Road of Shanhui City. If you can get reinforcements smoothly, or at worst, you can escape. Why not do it?"

The leader of the Red Jade Banner said proudly: "Old Shi, we really share the same ideals. Our respective resources can completely complement each other. Why don't we work together to achieve great things?"

Shi Ziyu pondered and said, "Giving up all the foundations of Qiongqi Continent and fleeing far away is really a last resort. How can it be so easy? The netherworld roads in Shanhui City are controlled by the Heavenly Sword. There are so many of them that they are as complicated as a maze. How can the road to the Emperor Star be easy to travel?"

While I was hesitating, I suddenly saw dark clouds descending from the sky.

The winding black dragon coiled around the clouds and shouted from above: "Master Shi Ziyu of Yuheng Palace, do you know where Yunjuan is?"

Shi Ziyu's eyelids twitched when he heard this, and he made up his mind. He whispered to the three flag masters: "I agree with what you said. Go quickly, I will handle this."

……

On the 34th level of the Ladder of All Things, Cheng Bai encountered the terrifying monster Fei.

Fei resembles a violent giant bull, with a body length of 60 meters. Its toughness and brutality cannot be described as iron skin and bones. Its body exudes poisonous gas like smog. Its snow-white head is topped with a pair of giant horns like the Grim Reaper's sickle. Its huge single eye like a small sun emits violent heat energy, burning whatever it sees. Its long tail swings like a giant snake, with the head of a venomous snake at the end.

As soon as it appeared, the entire floor was engulfed in a pool of poison and a sea of ​​fire. Ordinary people standing on the ground would be melted by the poisonous fire in an instant.

Cheng Bai hurriedly took out the Qinglang Pill and the Bihuo Pill, and the two men and the wolf each ate one, which reduced the threat and allowed Lu Miaoting and Xiaobai to retreat so that they could fight the powerful monster alone.

Seven layers of sword energy burst out around Fei, making the sound of metal clashing. Thunder and fire bombs exploded on its body, but there were no obvious scars. Fei's defense was amazing, and his hard body was even stronger than that of the Iron Bull and the Headless Corpse King.

Cheng Bai was shocked: "Just this body of flesh is not inferior to Star Gold, and can even resist sword energy. It is not a flesh and blood creature."

All the monsters in the Ladder of All Things are energy life forms, which makes the secret slaughtering technique that greatly increases the destructive power against flesh and blood creatures useless, thus adding a lot of difficulty.

Lu Miaoting tightly grasped the reed spear and went around behind the monster, quietly approaching it, intending to launch a surprise attack on Fei.

The snake head at the tail of the snake raised its head and glared at the female hunter. Lu Miaoting hurriedly dodged it. A cluster of poisonous fire rose up where she had just stood, making it difficult to approach secretly.