After leading the cultivators into the seventh layer, Luo Xiu didn't linger. He had already collected all the dicinal herbs he needed on the sixth layer. So, he walked up to the barrier wall leading to the eighth layer.
Yang Ju suddenly flew over, landing beside Luo Xiu. "To enter this layer," he said, "you need a Seventh-level Fusion to withstand the pressure of the barrier itself."
Upon hearing Yang Ju's words, Luo Xian and Luo Qingxian, who were following Luo Xiu, couldn't help but laugh.
Unaware of why the two won were laughing, Yang Ju said to Luo Xiu, "Kid, on account of how I've benefited from your efforts in the earlier layers, this young master is willing to cooperate with you now."
"You will be responsible for comprehending the Array Principle and telling the correct path. I will bear the barrier's pressure and forge a path for everyone."
However, Luo Xiu simply ignored him and walked straight ahead.
In just a mont, Luo Xiu had carved an unobstructed path through the barrier.
Seeing this, the cultivators were full of praise, looking at Luo Xiu with adoration in their eyes.
"The Young Master is truly a divine being!"
"The barriers and restrictions of the Divine Mountain, especially in the latter layers, have been unbreakable for decades, causing countless proud geniuses to turn back in defeat, yet this Young Master strolls through them as if they were his own vegetable garden."
"Brothers, let's all follow the Young Master's steps!"
"Hahahaha… It seems we are the first group to enter the eighth layer!"
"..."
Back where they started, Yang Ju and his servant, Xing Rui, stood facing each other, both speechless.
The mountain breeze that caressed others' faces was so comfortable and pleasant. But when it blew on the faces of this master and servant, it felt like a hot wind from a furnace, scorching their cheeks.
"Young Master... is this Mortal Realm commoner actually at the Seventh-level Fusion?"
Yang Ju gazed at Luo Xiu's back with a profound look in his eyes. He said nothing and simply followed.
Xing Rui, trailing behind Yang Ju, scratched his head and muttered in confusion, "That's impossible. If he were at the Seventh-level Fusion, he would be at the forefront of the Daoxuan Rankings. We would certainly recognize him."
***
「The Eighth Layer」
Luo Xiu stopped in front of the barrier wall, deep in thought.
Luo Xian walked up to him and asked, "Taoist Ao, what are you thinking about?"
Luo Xiu snapped out of it and smiled. "I was just thinking about which dicinal herbs we still need to find."
Luo Qingxian, standing nearby, asked, "Profligate, what do you need so many dicinal herbs for?"
"To make pills for you, of course, White Tiger Fairy."
Upon hearing the title "White Tiger Fairy," Luo Qingxian imdiately flushed with rage, recalling the absurd events of the previous day.
Her face frosty, she said coldly, "Don't think I will let you off just because you led to explore Ghost Valley Mountain!"
"Call that again, and I'll kill you!"
Luo Xiu put on an innocent face. "Then why can you call 'Profligate' over and over, but I can't call you that?"
"I can't be bothered to waste my breath on you."
Taking a deep breath, Luo Qingxian said, "I might not kill you, but I will find a chance to erase that part of your mory."
Just then, a whooshing sound approached.
It was Yang Ju and his servant, Xing Rui, flying over to land nearby.
Yang Ju stated plainly, "Kid, to break through this layer's barrier, one needs Level 8 Integration. We can still cooperate."
Before arriving, Yang Ju had noticed Luo Xiu standing still, not advancing. Therefore, Yang Ju concluded that Luo Xiu must be unable to break this layer's barrier. Otherwise, why would he be standing there motionless? He could have swaggered in just as he had before.
Yang Ju stole a glance at Luo Xiu, thinking to himself, Even if this kid can comprehend the Array Principle, he won't be able to get through without the corresponding Fusion Path Rank.
To Yang Ju's surprise, while he was lost in his own assumptions, Luo Xiu started walking forward.
Just like with the previous layers, Luo Xiu casually walked in, soon carving out a clear path.
Upon witnessing this, the cultivators were dumbstruck, stunned into silence. Everyone had thought reaching the eighth layer was the limit. Who would have thought that Luo Xiu could actually enter the ninth layer!
The ninth layer—this was the core area that hadn't been explored by anyone in decades!
Back at their original spot, the master and servant duo of Yang Ju and Xing Rui exchanged looks, speechless for a mont.
"Young Master... does this kid also possess Level 8 Integration?"
After a mont of thought, Yang Ju said, "Geniuses who have reached Level 8 Integration in the entire Divine Oracle Cave Heaven can be counted on one hand. If he had truly reached that level, we would definitely know him."
Xing Rui nodded. "That makes sense."
Yang Ju said, "If my guess is correct, he must have used so special thod to break the formation, not his own power."
Suddenly, Yang Ju recalled sothing and frowned. Could it be the Youming Ghost Wolf helping him?
Xing Rui nodded. "Exactly, Young Master. The Youming Ghost Wolf protected him before and even willingly served as his mount. It must be giving him a backdoor to get through!"
"Otherwise, how could a piece of Mortal Realm trash like him break the formation so easily?"
Yang Ju let out a disdainful smile. "This Mortal Realm trash might not have any ability, but his luck is truly good."
Xing Rui urged, "Never mind that, Young Master. Let's follow him in first. To be honest, I'm also very curious about what treasures lie in the core of Ghost Valley Mountain!"
"Besides, once we're off Ghost Valley Mountain, this Mortal Realm trash is a dead man anyway. Why are we wasting so much thought on him now?"
Yang Ju nodded slightly, feeling that his servant had a point, and so he followed along.
Shortly after entering the ninth layer, Yang Ju was surprised to find another barrier ahead of them.
Xing Rui was also filled with bewildernt. "This is already the ninth layer. Why is there still another barrier?"
Yang Ju's eyelids lowered as he pondered, "It seems the ninth layer isn't the true core area. One must break through the ninth layer's barrier and restrictions to truly enter the core."
Xing Rui suddenly realized sothing, his eyes widening in shock. "Doesn't that an it requires a Level 9 Fusion Path?"
Yang Ju's lips curved into a slight smile. "As far as I know, there has only been one person in all of history with a Level 9 Fusion Path."
Xing Rui continued, "The one who appeared out of nowhere yesterday, the peerless Demon who was revealed to possess ten consecutive Ultimate Boundary lting Paths—Ao Debiao!"
As the master and servant were conversing, a series of exclamations suddenly ca from ahead. They looked toward the sound, and their gazes trembled.
They saw Luo Xiu strolling leisurely toward the barrier wall.
Xing Rui's gaze quivered. "Young Master, that kid isn't going to... try to break the final barrier, is he?"
"Could he have an Ultimate Boundary lting Path?"
Yang Ju's face showed disdain. "An Ultimate Boundary lting Path? Is he even worthy of being compared to a peerless Demon like Ao Debiao? It's just the Youming Ghost Wolf giving him a backdoor."
Xing Rui said, "That makes sense. The Youming Ghost Wolf disappeared back on the first layer. It likely went ahead to open a backdoor for this Mortal Realm trash."
Yang Ju stepped forward. "Let's follow. The core of Ghost Valley Mountain is finally about to be revealed!"
"..."
After passing through the barrier of the ninth layer, Luo Xiu led the group to officially enter the core of Ghost Valley Mountain.
However, contrary to everyone's expectations, the core's depths held no spectacular or shocking sights. Instead, they were utterly unremarkable.
It looked like a small village.
This huge anticlimax, however, did not diminish the crowd's desire to explore. On the contrary, it made Ghost Valley Mountain seem even more mysterious in their hearts.
***
From a great distance, Luo Xiu could already see the quaint and cozy little wooden building, his heart filling with a deep sense of nostalgia.
"Heavens, this... could this be the legendary Ghost Sword Stele Array?!" an exclamation suddenly ca from nearby.
Luo Xiu looked toward the sound and saw the group of cultivators pointing in amazent at a cluster of stone tablets in a grassy field.
Luo Xiu rembered that place. It had many stone steles. He also recalled how, during the autumn harvests of his childhood, he and his senior sisters would dry soybeans and corn there.
Yang Ju put away his folding fan and walked over excitedly.
"It really is the Ghost Sword Stele Array!"
"It is said that by comprehending the Dao patterns on the steles, one can learn a Supre Sword Technique, even if they only understand a single stele!"
Hearing this, the cultivators grew incredibly excited and rushed over, beginning to study the Dao patterns on the steles.
Luo Xian and Luo Qingxian, who were in the crowd, glanced at each other and also walked over. They had co here precisely to seek opportunities, and this Ghost Sword Stele Array, which could grant a Supre Sword Technique, was just such an opportunity!
"AH—!"
At that mont, a scream rang out.
A cultivator who had rushed into the Stele Matrix ahead of the others had apparently triggered sothing and was sent flying by a sudden surge of Sword Qi from within.
"Such terrifying Sword Intent!"
"Everyone, get back!"
Yang Ju remained as calm as ever and said slowly, "It seems this Stele Matrix is not sothing just anyone can enter. To proceed, one must comprehend the steles one by one to reach the depths of the array."
Saying this, he looked at the cultivator who had just been flung away. "If you run around recklessly as you just did, you will only be repelled by the Sword Intent, or even annihilated!"
Hearing this, all the cultivators quieted down.
At this point, Xing Rui spoke up, "But for you, Young Master, this shouldn't be too difficult, right?"
"Your Sword Dao talent is among the best of the Celestial Realm's prodigies of this generation!"
"..."
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