Unrivaled Martial Emperor

Chapter 345 - Nebulous Divine Token

The lakeside had already become a battlefield from Asura Hell.

The dozen or so blood demons, led by Xue Tianhe, now guarded the lake, hunting down any martial artists emerging from the lake.

Their surroundings were littered with desiccated corpses, drained of their lifeblood, numbering no less than two hundred in total.

The people leaving the lake simply couldn’t escape from the blood demons. They all became their blood sustenance, helping Xue Tianhe and his group become stronger.

“Haha, good. This feels too good. Just twenty people and I have already advanced into the Illusory Core realm.” A blood demon laughed out loud, the corners of their mouth full of blood.

These demonic beings cultivated the Blood Demon Cultivation Technique, which drew power from fresh blood. Their cultivation would skyrocket as long as they continued to feed.

That fast cultivation speed lured many toward the demonic path, turning them into demonic beings that feasted on blood, resembling neither human nor ghost.

“Although I’m a bit short, I’ll also reach it soon.” Another blood demon laughed.

“Quick, look at Xue Tianhe. What a powerful aura! It seems like he’s about to break through!”

The dozen or so blood demons looked at Xue Tianhe, seated nearby. Their eyes widened as a brilliant crimson light erupted from him, his body engulfed in red hair.

Xue Tianhe had been a step away from entering the Core Formation realm. So, the fresh blood from forty to fifty people helped his accumulated energy reach the limit.

“That guy cultivates so quickly. From the looks of it, he should be breaking through to the Core Formation realm any time now.”

"Hehe, with him keeping watch, none in the lake stand a chance of escape."

“This time, we can kill and feast to our hearts’ content. Who knows, we might also advance to the Core Formation realm." “Mmm, don’t think about Xue Tianhe for now. Keep an eye on the lake. Kill anyone who comes out.”

......

Bottom of the lake, the white marble plaza:

The trials of the battle palace had kicked out many people already. Covered in dirt, they all looked full of indignation.

Among these people were those at the eighth and ninth levels, as well as geniuses from the Influential Figures Leaderboard.

“Damn it, so close! Just a bit more, and I could have defeated the third-stage guardian!” Hong Qianjun roared with unwillingness.

He used to be at the peak of the ninth level; after absorbing pure qi from two stages, he entered the Illusory Core realm. However, he was kicked out in the third stage.

Luo Hanshan walked over, sensing Hong Qianjun’s Illusory Core realm aura, and cursed with a low voice, “What are you crying about? At least you profited more from it!”

He also used to be at the peak of the ninth. He also cleared two stages, yet the pure reward qi wasn’t enough for him to enter the Illusory Core realm, so he was now a tad weaker than Hong Qianjun. Next, he was also kicked out in the third stage.

Qiu Beihai sat in a corner, his gaze eerie.

“Given that little bastard’s strength, he can clear five stages and obtain plenty of benefits. He might even break through to the ninth level. Damn it!”

Looking at the Nebulous Battle Palace, a cold light flickered in Qiu Beihai’s eyes like a poisonous snake.

Suddenly, another figure was kicked out of the battle palace.

Swish!

When the crowd saw the newcomer, someone immediately exclaimed, “It’s Zi Ling!”

Zi Ling appeared quite battered, with traces of blood staining the corners of her lips.

“Zi Ling, how many stages did you clear?” Hong Qianjun immediately asked.

Zi Ling glanced at him and answered coldly, “Four.”

Hiss! The crowd immediately sucked in a breath of cold air.

Four stages!

Truly befitting the genius ranked fifth on the Influential Figures Leaderboard.

Zi Ling’s gaze swept the white marble plaza. Not spotting Xin Wuming, she inquired, “What about Xin Wuming? Is he out yet?”

Someone answered, “I was among the first to get kicked out. Xin Wuming is not out yet. I wonder which stage he’s in now.”

While they were talking, Xin Wuming was also kicked out.

“You’re finally out, Xin Wuming!”

Zi Ling’s eyes lit up and became a little sharper. She asked, “How many stages did you clear?”

Xin Wuming’s expression didn’t look good. He answered coldly, “I failed at the fifth stage.”

Upon hearing this, Zi Ling secretly let out a sigh of relief and said, “Same.”

Someone asked, “What’s the test in the fifth stage?”

Zi Ling answered, “Eight opponents with the same cultivation as me.”

As soon as she said that, the white marble plaza fell silent.

To put it into perspective, Zi Ling and Xin Wuming were both geniuses with fifty percent solid illusory cores. Ordinary Illusory Core realm experts were simply no match for them.

So, clearing a stage with eight Illusory Core realm experts at their level was an unimaginably daunting task. Some might even consider it impossible.

A youth who had cleared the fourth stage but also failed to clear the fifth asked, “That’s not right. In the fifth stage, I fought against sixteen copies with slightly higher cultivation than me.”

Some people immediately spoke up.

“Idiot, can your cultivation level rival Zi Ling and Xin Wuming? They are Illusory Core realm experts and are top tier even among those at the same cultivation level. If their challenge went by the same rules as yours, you think it would be fair for them to fight sixteen copies with a cultivation even higher than them? Such a trial would be unreasonable.”

“That’s right. The Nebulous Battle Palace's stages are tailored to the challenger's cultivation level. The stronger you are, the more difficult it is. On the contrary, the lower your cultivation level is, the easier it is to clear more stages.”

Meanwhile, at the ninth stage:

Seeing the white light elder in front of him, Chen Fan smiled. “Senior, we meet again.”

This time, the guardian of the ninth stage stood alone, unlike before. Still, he was now as strong as the ancient piranha king, an Illusory Core realm expert with approximately ninety percent solid core.

Just his mere aura was enough to make Chen Fan feel a little suffocated.

His strength had skyrocketed, yet Chen Fan felt a hefty pressure facing the elder. He wasn’t confident in defeating his opponent.

A ninety percent solid core meant that a mere thin line separated one from the Core Formation realm. The elder was almost as strong as a Core Formation realm expert.

“How rare. Only a handful have made it this far since I became the guardian of the Nebulous Battle Palace. Even when the divine palace was at its peak, there weren’t many. Every one of them became a powerful figure with great fame later in life.”

The white light elder sounded a little sad.

“The reward for the final stage is not a martial art manual, artifacts, or spiritual items, but the Nebulous Divine Token.”

The white light elder waved his hand. A palm-sized bronze token floated above his palm.

The Nebulous Divine Token looked very ordinary, crafted from a piece of bronze with some patterns carved on it.

The word ‘Nebulous’ was engraved on the front side, while the back was engraved with a building that resembled an immortal watchtower.

“During ancient times, those who made their way to the ninth stage were rare, like a phoenix’s feather or a qilin’s horn, and those who managed to obtain the Nebulous Divine Token can be counted with one hand. The Nebulous Divine Token symbolizes supreme status in the Nebulous Divine Palace.

“Alas, the divine palace fell apart and became history in that huge battle. Now, the Nebulous Divine Token seems a little worthless.”