I tricked you into thinking you had the makings of an emperor, but you actually did it?

The World Ship sped along the trial path of the Fifth Realm, like a streak of light.

Shen Ming planned to find a secluded place to enter the Daluo Palace and calmly comprehend the Dao Heart.

Suddenly, his expression hardened slightly.

A dark, inky cloud appeared ahead of us.

The clouds surged and churned, obscuring the sky and swallowing up all the light from the surroundings.

Suddenly, Shen Ming's pupils shrank. It wasn't a cloud; it was a colossal creature.

Sky-swallowing bird!

When its wings spread, they covered the entire sky, the jet-black feathers looking as if they were cast from steel.

When Shen Ming was dealing with the ancient races on the Xuanhuang Continent, he came into contact with a Sky-Devouring Sparrow.

The creature before us was neither affected by the demonic tree nor was it a servant of the gods on the sacred mountain.

Therefore, it is called an ancient ferocious bird.

Suddenly, the Sky-Swallowing Sparrow spread its wings and swooped down, its feathers sweeping across the area and creating a raging hurricane.

The gaping maw resembled a bottomless abyss, pitch black as ink, faintly emanating a suction force that seemed to tear through the void.

The Boundary Ship trembled slightly and began to malfunction.

Shen Ming frowned. Compared to the Devouring Sky Sparrow he had encountered last time, this one was practically a cub.

With a flick of his long sleeves, a golden light shone from his hand—the Hengyu Cauldron, which had not been used for a long time.

After reaching the Emperor Realm, the Hengyu Cauldron underwent a qualitative change.

The cauldron is decorated with reliefs of stars, mountains, sun and moon, and every inch of it exudes a vast and boundless aura of power.

The body of the cauldron was faintly surrounded by the radiance of the Great Dao, corresponding to the Dao Heart that Shen Ming had mastered.

Facing the Devouring Sky Sparrow, he let out a low shout, and the Hengyu Cauldron flew away, swelling in the wind, and a vast and powerful force surged out from it.

Like a pillar stabilizing the sea, the hundred-zhang-tall cauldron stood at the very center of the Devouring Sky Sparrow's vortex of devouring power, and the distorted void gradually returned to stability.

Enraged, the Sky-Devouring Sparrow flapped its wings violently, causing its Devouring Power to surge dramatically, stirring up countless void turbulence.

"Perfect for measuring the cultivation level of the Emperor Realm." Shen Ming felt a little strained, so he stopped holding back, and the Hengyu Cauldron suddenly shone with a brilliant light.

However, the power of the Sky-Devouring Sparrow then erupted.

The power to devour the heavens transformed into a pitch-black abyss, and the brilliance of the Hengyu Cauldron was instantly compressed into a thin layer.

Shen Ming no longer hesitated, holding the Great Luo Sword and unleashing his mental sword light.

A sharp sword aura shot out, its light like a galaxy pouring down.

"boom!"

The sword's edge pierced through the Devouring Heaven Power and struck the Devouring Sky Sparrow's chest and abdomen, producing a deafening roar.

The Devouring Sky Sparrow's massive body suddenly stopped, and blood gushed down like a waterfall.

The blood was deep blue, and when it fell into the void, it burst into flames, causing the surrounding space to emit a piercing, distorting sound.

The next second, the Devouring Sky Sparrow's pupils instantly became extremely intense, like two raging flames of anger.

"Ok."

Shen Ming decided not to pursue the matter any further, so he put away the flying boat and returned to the ground.

This is a rugged wilderness, filled with scattered rocks and deep ravines.

The enraged Sky-Devouring Sparrow pursued relentlessly, its wings flapping and howling with fury as it descended from the sky like a mountain pressing down.

"Why did you provoke him?" Jian Li teased, rarely seeing Shen Ming in such a disheveled state.

Shen Ming wanted to say that it wasn't that he couldn't win, but judging from his performance just now, it would take at least three days and three nights of fighting.

The main thing is fighting against ferocious birds, which doesn't bring any benefits or gains.

Just then, a low shout rang out: "Over here! Come over here quickly!"

Shen Ming looked in the direction of the sound and saw a figure waving at him from not far away.

Behind the man was a mine shaft leading underground.

Without saying a word, Shen Ming went over and entered. Within two or three seconds, he felt the ground shake violently.

The Sky-Devouring Sparrow was destroying the mountains above ground, venting its fury.

"How did you get targeted by the Sky-Devouring Sparrow? Did you fly up in the sky?"

This was an elderly man with white hair, a stocky build, and a dark complexion; he looked quite honest and kind.

"Yes."

"Are you heading to the Sixth Realm? Come with me. We'll exit from the other side of the mine; that should allow us to avoid the Sky-Swallowing Sparrow," the old man said.

"Well, I'm done."

"You're welcome. I'm the manager of the Fire Demon Palace."

"Fire Demon Palace?"

Shen Ming wasn't very familiar with the forces in the Middle Three Realms, but he was puzzled as to why the Fire Demon Palace was in the Trial Grounds.

"You can tell from your appearance that you come from the lower realm. The Trial Grounds is a vast and boundless world, containing countless resources and adventures."

"It's just that it's not as peaceful and stable as the various states in the Middle Three Realms. Heaven and earth will always brew all sorts of disasters," the old man said.

The two of them went down to an underground space.

You can hear hammering and knocking sounds, and see many people working.

Those were miners!

These miners were ragged and haggard, with almost everyone bearing obvious whip marks or bloodstains.

In the very center, a middle-aged man dressed in a crimson Taoist robe stood there supervising the work.

He was tall and had a cold expression. His hands were behind his back, and a long, flaming whip hung at his waist, exuding a chilling aura.

The old man gestured for Shen Ming to wait there, then scurried over to the middle-aged man.

After exchanging a few words, the middle-aged man cast a sizing glance at Shen Ming, nodded in satisfaction, and poured a considerable amount of source stones into the old man's storage bag.

The old man left happily, without even glancing at Shen Ming.

"Get to work!" the middle-aged man said.

"As expected of a trial ground."

Shen Ming realized that he had encountered human traffickers.

"Haha, you've been sold out," Jian Li said.

The middle-aged man picked up the flaming whip, his eyes filled with a dangerous glint, as if he were about to strike at any moment.

A nearby miner cast a hesitant glance at him and slowed his movements.

Snapped!

The flaming whip struck the miner mercilessly, knocking him to the ground and leaving a shocking wound.

Shen Ming noticed that there were restrictions and magic arrays beneath the mine.

Miners cannot use their cultivation level, including middle-aged people.

Thus, this flaming whip reigns supreme here.

The middle-aged man tossed an anklet and a bracelet to Shen Ming's feet and said coldly, "Put them on."

"Tell me, if you're already at the Dominator Realm, able to traverse the heavens and the earth, why do you still need people to mine? I've heard that major sects have puppets that can build palaces in a single day," Shen Ming asked.

The middle-aged man was taken aback. He had seen too many people sold here, either crying and screaming or flying into a rage.

I've never seen anything like this before.

“Yes, our Fire Demon Palace’s puppets are much more efficient. Unlike the puppets of the Great Sects, which consume hundreds or thousands of source stones every day, our puppets only need a few meals and a few lashes a day.” The middle-aged man said coldly. As soon as he finished speaking, he raised the flaming whip in his hand and struck Shen Ming’s cheek.

"Your temper isn't working."

Shen Ming grabbed the flaming whip, his hand completely unaffected by the flames.

"how come?!"

The middle-aged man was shocked. How could the other party still use magic?!

Whoever comes in will be at their mercy.

"The Ancient Sacred Body ignores all restrictions," Jian Li said, speaking for Shen Ming.

Shen Ming had just opened his mouth when he realized his lines had been stolen, leaving him quite helpless.

The flames engulfed the middle-aged man along the long whip, and the Fire Demon Palace member let out a painful howl before he died.

"You are free."

Shen Ming addressed all the miners who had stopped.