Sitting on the plane, deep in thought.
All things in the world, everyone's path is different.
With the power of the five great sacred lands, or the demonic path, or the nine forbidden zones, they would be enough to sweep across the globe, or at the very least, make the countries of Earth dare not act so wildly.
However, the five great sacred lands were focused on ascending to the immortal realm, driven by selfishness. Their higher-ups completely disregarded the fate of Dragon Country, treating it merely as a tool to collect the Netherworld Book.
As for the goals of the demonic path's higher-ups, Chen Jiuyang had yet to discover them, but the two sides were mortal enemies.
The forbidden zone of Crippled Elder Village was, as its name suggested, a place for the lingering existence of figures like the Armless Sword Emperor, but there were bound to be deeper secrets within.
He was unaware of Yuan Yan Town.
The Meteor Immortal Cliff was a place for suppressing great immortals from the upper realm and the dwelling place of the demon race.
The Chong Ming Sea was the demonic path's private domain.
Not everyone was willing to contribute their blood and lives to this era.
Chen Jiuyang fell into deep contemplation.
Involuntarily, his path and that of Emperor Yan were no longer the same.
Upon returning to the True Demon Sect, Chen Jiuyang once again announced his seclusion.
Before entering seclusion, he issued an order to thoroughly rectify the sect's atmosphere.
Then, Chen Jiuyang, through his imperial robe, spoke, "Ancestor 'Sleepless'."
A moment later, the space before Chen Jiuyang tore open, and Ancestor 'Sleepless' emerged from it.
He needed to travel to the Lesser Immortal Realm again.
After a flash of light from the teleportation array,
He appeared within the underground palace complex beneath the mountain range of the Lesser Immortal Realm.
Ancestor 'Sleepless' asked, "Continue on the Human King's path?"
Chen Jiuyang nodded slowly, "To accelerate the pace of cultivation, the Human King's path is the only way."
When Chen Jiuyang returned to the Lesser Immortal Realm, the sense of suppression that prevented him from breaking through had vanished once more.
A thought of missing his family also surged into his heart.
This brought Chen Jiuyang a sense of peace, a feeling of detachment from worldly affairs.
"Earth is strange..."
Chen Jiuyang conveyed his doubts to Ancestor 'Sleepless'.
Ancestor 'Sleepless' replied, "The mortal world, the Red Dust Realm, is inherently special. Located in the Thirty-Second Heaven, the mortal world holds many secrets. From its inception, many great figures have emerged. The reason the sacred lands withdrew from the Lesser Immortal Realm to the mortal world was not without cause."
"Its complexity is such that even I do not know much about it."
"The Lesser Immortal Realm is also called the Burial Emperor Star, where many Human Emperors were buried, hence the most optimal Dao resonance."
Chen Jiuyang nodded slowly, "I trouble you, Ancestor, to escort me to the outskirts of the second city of the Human King's path."
"Understood." Ancestor 'Sleepless' nodded, then waved his hand, tearing through space, and brought Chen Jiuyang to the outskirts of the second city of the Human King's path in the Central Continent.
Chen Jiuyang's sea of consciousness stirred faintly; Yao Zixuan's location was in the far west.
"Zixuan, wait for me a little longer..."
Outside the second city of the Human King's path, its layout was similar to the first city, with a marketplace and many prodigies gathered here, the martial path flourishing.
However, what was different was that the gates were not tightly shut; those who passed the first city could enter and leave the second city at any time.
This was not a good sign, as it indicated that the difficulty of the second city of the Human King's path was much higher than the first.
Chen Jiuyang was curious about what the trials in this second city would be.
Ancestor 'Sleepless' flickered away, presumably to some pleasure house to celebrate.
Chen Jiuyang observed the prodigies entering and exiting the city gates, all with hurried steps and furrowed brows.
"Thirty times!!!"
"My combat power is peerless, I have already challenged this second city thirty times, and still cannot break through!!!"
One prodigy completely lost emotional control, weeping openly in front of everyone.
"..."
What exactly were the trials of this second level that could make a prodigy with immense combat power shed tears?
Could it be that the second level did not test the path of combat power?
But something else?
Chen Jiuyang was not in a hurry to challenge the second city.
He first rented a courtyard for cultivation, preparing to break through his cultivation.
The golden pellet in his hand was being burned by his primordial true fire, and threads of golden origin were being refined into his lung divine treasury.
The feeling of cultivation bottleneck restriction disappeared.
Chen Jiuyang then seized the opportunity! He circulated his primordial Dao and began to break through...
"Several days later."
"Boom!"
An aura belonging to a powerful being at the fourth level of the Venerable Realm erupted from Chen Jiuyang.
The golden pellet in his hand had shrunk slightly.
Chen Jiuyang's eyes held no joy, only calmness.
The obsession of nurturing the Dao and then needing to sever it resurfaced in his heart.
He was once again facing the predicament of severing the Dao.
However, in the Lesser Immortal Realm, this situation was manageable. If it were on Earth, he would likely be affected even more severely.
"It's time to go to the second city to scout the situation."
Chen Jiuyang strode out of the courtyard and headed towards the grand and ancient second city.
As soon as he stepped through the city gate, Chen Jiuyang felt that this second city was like a giant cage.
A indifferent voice of a spirit echoed in his ears: "I am the spirit of the second city. Trial-taker of the Human King's path, are you ready to begin the trial?"
Chen Jiuyang pondered, "I trouble you, Senior Spirit, may I ask what this trial is?"
"I cannot reveal it now. Once you begin the trial, you will know."
"Then I trouble you, Senior Spirit, to commence the trial."
As the voice faded, Chen Jiuyang was caught by an irresistible force and pulled into a massive prison cell.
Then, a large amount of information flooded into Chen Jiuyang's mind.
"Heaven and earth are a prison."
"All beings are within the prison."
"The human body itself is also a prison."
"Everywhere is a besieged city."
"How to break the prison of the human body?"
"..."
"He performs the法, dwelling within the prison, observing all kinds of stories in the world. If he receives an A-grade evaluation, he may leave the prison and receive the reward of the second city's Dao resonance comprehension."
"..."
After digesting the information in his mind, Chen Jiuyang immediately frowned.
Here, his entire strength was suppressed, as if he were an ordinary person.
He surveyed his surroundings: a dirt bed piled with dry grass, and besides that, only a bowl of clear water and a dark, unappetizing steamed bun.
"..." Chen Jiuyang's emotions were somewhat unsettled.
He stood behind the iron bars of the cell, observing. Each cell contained a prodigy.
He picked up the dark steamed bun, his brow furrowed.
It was so hard.
As the bun gently rubbed against the iron bars, it could create sparks.
"Can this thing be eaten..."
Chen Jiuyang was somewhat disoriented by the second city.
"Gurgle!!!"
His stomach immediately rumbled with hunger.
He was already in the Venerable Realm and could sustain himself by absorbing spiritual energy and essence from heaven and earth, no longer needing to consume ordinary food.
He was actually hungry.
This was somewhat absurd... Did that mean he was currently in the body of a mortal?
Hearing the gurgling of Chen Jiuyang's stomach, joyous shouts erupted within the prison.
"There's a newcomer!!!"
"This newcomer actually came to the second city without eating, hahahahaha!!!"
"I seem to see my past self."
"Newcomer, this steamed bun tastes good, remember to try it."