A quarter of an hour, half an hour, an hour…
Three full hours passed, and Yun Xiao had only traversed about half of the passage.
This was already her limit.
After the passage exceeded one-third of its length, the pressure for each subsequent step would multiply.
Currently, her physical strength, mental fortitude, and energy had all reached their limits. If she continued, no one knew what would happen.
However, neither Yun Ze and Tan Chenyu at the end of the passage, nor Bu Bu and Shi You at the other end, spoke to stop Yun Xiao from proceeding.
Because everyone knew that this path was likely Yun Xiao's last gamble for an opportunity!
If she won the gamble, she could exhaust all the medicinal power accumulated in her body over the years. Even if she couldn't break through to the Core Formation stage, at the very least, she could gather more of the elixirs and spirit fruits she had previously consumed to extend her lifespan.
If she lost the gamble…
Then she would have lost completely.
No one doubted that Yun Xiao would give up.
Another three hours passed.
Including the time everyone left the camp, it had been about half a day outside the Nine Nether Gate. The cultivators from Tongtian Academy should have already started searching for Yun Ze and the others.
It was unknown how the cultivators who followed the Dean down would act. If they found this place, it might be difficult to explain.
At this moment, Yun Xiao had walked eighty percent of the passage.
Only the last twenty percent remained, which would take at most another three hours to complete.
During this time, except for Tan Chenyu and Shi You, Yun Ze and Bu Bu were both cultivating with their eyes closed.
Yun Ze was digesting the spiritual energy he had absorbed into his Qi Sea. As for Bu Bu… Yun Ze couldn't tell what she was cultivating.
The surrounding space fluctuated from time to time, and sometimes even spatial rifts appeared.
This did not look like cultivating a technique!
However, Yun Ze didn't ask further. Given Bu Bu's personality, with so many people present, she would never tell him.
Another three hours passed.
Yun Xiao finally walked through the passage and arrived in front of Yun Ze and the other two.
But the moment she passed through the passage, she collapsed onto the ground, extremely weak.
"Master!"
Tan Chenyu rushed forward, gently shaking Yun Xiao, and simultaneously channeled his spiritual power into her.
"Master, are you… are you alright?"
Yun Xiao slowly opened her eyes, but she had no strength to speak. She merely shook her head gently.
She took another elixir from her spatial ring and stared at it for a while. However, she did not consume it, but instead put it back into the ring.
It seemed that after this ordeal, she would not casually take any elixirs unless absolutely necessary.
Yun Xiao forced herself to sit up, leaning against Tan Chenyu, and began to cultivate and regulate her breathing.
In about a quarter of an hour, she opened her eyes again.
Her complexion had become much more ruddy, but her breathing was still unsteady, likely due to the excessive expenditure of spiritual power.
However, there was no major issue.
"Master, why don't you rest for a while longer?" Tan Chenyu asked from the side.
"I'm fine, let's go."
Yun Xiao smiled and shook her head, then stood up and walked forward slowly. "Let's go and see our true opportunity. You must have been waiting for a long time."
Yun Ze and Tan Chenyu exchanged glances and silently followed.
True opportunity!
After all, the passage behind them was just a passage, not an opportunity. In comparison, it was hard to imagine what the opportunity beyond the passage would be.
As the three walked forward, Bu Bu, who had been in a state of cultivation, also disengaged. Just as she was about to step forward, she heard Shi You say.
"Fellow Daoist Tu, long time no see. Are you unwilling to even greet this old man?"
Bu Bu frowned and soon saw Ji Xiu on the side pushing himself up.
He looked at Shi You, his eyes filled with a maturity that should not belong to someone his age.
"I was discovered after all."
Ji Xiu… no, Tu Xiu smiled helplessly.
He stared at Shi You, scrutinizing him from head to toe. "Destiny, long time no see. You're still as cunning as ever."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Destiny smiled. "Fellow Daoist Tu, do you remember what you promised me?"
"Of course, I remember."
Tu Xiu stepped forward and casually said, "You will help me return to being an Emperor in this life, and I will give you three promises."
"Now is the time to fulfill them."
Destiny pointed to the passage ahead. "There, I have also prepared an opportunity for you. How much you can gain depends on your own abilities."
"Oh?"
Tu Xiu chuckled and turned to look at the passage. "I say, Destiny, what exactly have you put inside?"
"Fellow Daoist Tu will know when you go and see for yourself. Or… are you afraid to face those three?"
Destiny did not intend to reveal it directly, still playing coy.
"Heh, just three little fellows, what's there to be afraid of?"
Tu Xiu sneered, said no more, and stepped onto the passage.
He took three steps and turned them into two, quickly crossing it and arriving behind the passage even faster than Tan Chenyu.
"Destiny."
After Tu Xiu finished, he still turned to look at Shi You and the other. "If I return to being an Emperor, we will kill our way back to the Demon Cave!"
Shi You remained silent, merely watching Tu Xiu walk deeper into the passage.
"Why?"
After everyone had left, Bu Bu slowly spoke.
"Sigh."
Shi You sighed and explained, "Fellow Daoist Kong, don't forget, before that young fellow named Yun Ze came out, this Tu Xiu was the first person to discover the Immortal Jade.
If you had met Tu Xiu before meeting Yun Ze, and knew the prophecy in the inheritance, what would you do?"
Bu Bu remained silent, only frowning.
According to Shi You's logic, the prophesied person in the inheritance could be Tu Xiu, not just Yun Ze!
It was just that Tu Xiu had not truly merged with the Immortal Jade, but he had received partial acknowledgment from two Immortal Jades and mastered some of their power.
Who among these two was the true prophesied being was still debatable.
The best solution would be to help both!
If he were Shi You, he would likely make the same choice.
However…
To what extent had he mastered the Time Jade, to the point that he could foresee this scene?
Indeed, people from the four great families who possessed Immortal Jades were fundamentally different from those who did not.
Of course, now was not the time to discuss this.
Bu Bu looked at the passage, her mind filled with a thousand thoughts.
Regardless, she had met Yun Ze first, not Tu Xiu.
…
…………
Beyond the passage was a narrow opening.
The opening was only wide enough for one person to pass through. In front of the opening, a simple illusion array was set up. As long as one passed through this array, they could see what was behind the opening.
Yun Ze, Tan Chenyu, and Yun Xiao exchanged glances, and no one spoke first.
"Alright, the elder goes first."
Yun Xiao said with a smile, then passed through the opening and squeezed inside.
Yun Ze and Tan Chenyu followed closely.
As the two passed through the opening, before they could react, they were both shaken by the approaching demonic energy!
Yun Ze was the first to recover. He quickly grabbed the wrists of Tan Chenyu and Yun Xiao beside him, continuously absorbing the demonic energy within them into his own body.
He then looked closer and was instantly stunned by the scene before him!
Demonic liquid!
Endless demonic liquid was piled up beneath them!
If the Holy Pool before was like a small paddy field, then the accumulation of demonic liquid here was like a giant volcano on the verge of eruption!
It covered an area of at least a hundred mu, and the liquid surface was rising at a visible rate!
Yun Ze couldn't even tell how deep the demonic liquid was below!
"This… how much demonic liquid is there?" Tan Chenyu couldn't help but exclaim.
If all this demonic liquid were released, it would be enough to convert all the citizens of a medium-sized empire into demon slaves!
What kind of concept was this?
A medium-sized empire had at least tens of millions of people!
A force composed of ten million cultivators at the ninth level of Qi Refining could overturn all the political powers in the entire Southeast Profound Heaven.
If given enough time, these ten million cultivators at the ninth level of Qi Refining could potentially grow into ten million Foundation Builders, ten million Core Formations!
If the number behind this was Golden Core… then they would be enough to overthrow the entire Southeast Profound Heaven!
Including the affiliated Immortal Mansions, affiliated Demon Caves, and all the sects!
Just as the three were in shock, a figure also entered through the opening.
He happened to overhear Tan Chenyu's question and then said with a smile, "This is the core of the Nine Nether Gate. All the demonic liquid here is directly poured in from the Demon Realm.
Logically speaking, this demonic liquid should have long since evolved into high-level demons, at least those at the Nascent Soul stage. But it is still calm. Someone must have tampered with it, keeping this demonic liquid as it is.
Estimating roughly, the amount of demonic liquid here should be enough for a cultivator at the Qi Refining stage to directly advance to the peak of Tribulation Transcension."
Hearing these words, all three looked at the person who spoke.
Ji Xiu!
Except for Yun Xiao, Yun Ze and Tan Chenyu's eyes were filled with shock!
These words could not possibly have come from Ji Xiu!
He was just a prince from an ordinary dynasty. Even if he had extraordinary talent, he shouldn't know these things.
Unless… reincarnation!
Yun Ze's mind immediately flashed back to what Yun Xiao had told him.
He turned to look at Yun Xiao, only to find her frowning, looking at Ji Xiu and slowly asking two words.
"It's you?"
"It is me."
Ji Xiu replied calmly. He smiled at Yun Xiao. "How about it, little Yun Xiao, after so many years, have you missed your master?"
Master!
The moment these two words were spoken, it was like a bolt from the blue for Yun Ze!
Yun Xiao's master, wasn't that… Tu Xiu!
Yun Ze subconsciously pulled the two of them away from Tu Xiu, while Tu Xiu remained suspended in mid-air, smiling at Yun Ze.
"What's wrong, Master? Didn't we get along quite well before?"
"Why did you run away?"