The next trial land was a dense forest.
This time, Emperor Wan Hua selected several people and went straight in.
Qiong Yu and a few others were all waiting outside.
However, after one day passed, two days passed, three days passed.
Until Golden Light Immortal Emperor and Chen Xuan both caught up.
Emperor Wan Hua emerged covered in blood, yet the barrier...remained unbroken.
The complexion of Emperor Wan Hua looked somewhat unpleasant.
Reduced difficulty, my foot!
The difficulty was outrageously high!
Among her trusted followers who entered with her, there were those of Immortal Emperor Level, yet they all died inside.
Even she had used some tricks to forcefully escape, otherwise, she would likely have met a dead end!
This Qiong Yu, having breezed through two trials, how did she manage to come out without a single scratch!
"Sect Master! What happened? Where are the others?" Everyone started to grow anxious.
Emperor Wan Hua took a deep breath and spoke slowly: "Inside lies extreme danger. The others, they have all fallen, only I barely made it out alive."
This...
Everyone was in a daze.
The Sect's top expert, leading many trusted followers into the trial, it was almost a complete wipeout.
Their eyes collectively turned towards Qiong Yu.
As for Qiong Yu, with a burden on her left and another on her right, she still seemed to be at ease and comfortable.
The claim that she encountered no danger, was most likely a lie.
The difficulty of the trial land remains constant; the only one who could easily pass through it was probably only Qiong Yu.
What then, is the extent of her strength!
Qiong Yu, looking at the disheveled Emperor Wan Hua, also felt a bit surprised.
Her heart revised its estimation of Shi Nian's true strength.
This disciple of hers, was probably even stronger than an average Immortal Venerate.
"Qiong Yu." Emperor Wan Hua took a deep breath and said slowly: "This secret realm is quite difficult, and I am now injured; I fear I cannot enter again. Perhaps, you should go and take a look?"
Emperor Wan Hua tentatively spoke.
By then, Qiong Yu had already received a message from Shi Nian, and casually agreed.
Emperor Wan Hua gave her a meaningful look, then stepped aside to open a path.
Qiong Yu still entered with Shi Nian and Ling Yun.
They had just disappeared.
Golden Light Immortal Emperor said in a low voice, "Sect Master, with Qiong Yu hiding so deep, I'm afraid she doesn't have any good intentions."
The gaze of Emperor Wan Hua flickered, and she remained silent.
Qiong Yu's strength was truly unfathomable.
She did not personally experience the previous two trial lands and did not know the specific difficulties.
But for this one, she was aware of its challenges.
If Qiong Yu can still pass through...
A deep apprehension flashed through Emperor Wan Hua's eyes.
While she was pondering, in just the span of an hour, Qiong Yu appeared again with her two disciples, still without a scratch.
At this, everyone exchanged glances of disbelief.
Emperor Wan Hua, severely wounded, barely escaped, but Qiong Yu, alongside her two disciples, passed effortlessly.
Is Emperor Wan Hua truly still the Sect's strongest?
What is the extent of Qiong Yu's strength now!
Emperor Wan Hua laughed, yet her demeanor was magnanimous: "Indeed, we must rely on Qiong Yu. For the next few challenges, let's trouble you with them."
Qiong Yu casually responded.
Emperor Wan Hua's pupils shrank, yet her face still wore a smile.
Since Qiong Yu dared to respond, then let her go ahead.
If they can pass through at this speed, they will definitely reach the core area the fastest.
If she can't get through, it will at least drain some of her strength.
Following that, Qiong Yu indeed passed one trial after another.
The others could only follow behind her; although they were envious of the precious treasures Qiong Yu obtained, thinking about how even Emperor Wan Hua couldn't get through, they could only look on with envy.
After passing three more trials like this.
Suddenly, the fog ahead dispersed, revealing a Heavenly Stairway.
This stairway consists of a hundred steps, and at the end of the Heavenly Stairway is a majestic palace.
This palace is hidden in the mists, only vaguely visible.
But Emperor Wan Hua's expression suddenly became excited.
All the trials have been passed!
This is the core area!
And the palace above is precisely the place where the Space Tower is enshrined!
According to what the Immortal Emperor Zhong Ji said, aside from the Space Tower, there are many treasures from the Divine Realm there. If she can obtain them, she can completely ascend to the Immortal Venerate Realm!
Emperor Wan Hua's eyes blazed with intense heat.
The other two groups couldn't possibly have made such progress. They must be the first ones to reach this place!
However, after the ecstasy, Emperor Wan Hua's expression involuntarily shifted slightly. Originally, after finding the core area, her cultivation would be the highest, and naturally, she could take the initiative.
But now, most of her trusted followers had perished in that dense forest.
And Qiong Yu? She walked all the way here without a single scratch on her.
She also obtained many treasures in the Trial Land.
If she wants to seize the treasure, I'm probably no match for her!
"Sect Master, the core area, this is the core area!" The members of Wanhua Sect were already shouting excitedly.
Emperor Wan Hua managed to speak somewhat reluctantly: "It might not be."
"Perhaps it's yet another testing ground then," Shi Nian suddenly said. "Master, let's go ahead first."
Qiong Yu was about to nod.
Emperor Wan Hua's face underwent a drastic change.
If she let Qiong Yu seize the opportunity in such a place, then what was all her millennia of effort for!
"No, no, no. I saw it wrong just now; this must be the core area indeed. The palace contains treasures, as the legends say—let us ascend together," Emperor Wan Hua said.
"Is that so?" Shi Nian looked somewhat disappointed: "We haven't broken through enough barriers yet, yet it's already over."
Emperor Wan Hua's lips involuntarily twitched as the group began to ascend the Heavenly Stairway filled with excitement.
They moved quickly, all wanting to be the first to enter the palace to get their hands on some good items.
Shi Nian and her group, on the other hand, were in no hurry and slowly followed behind.
"Xiao Hua," Qiong Yu communicated telepathically, "do you also desire the treasures inside? I'll help you."
Shi Nian smiled and telepathically replied: "There's no need to rush, what's mine will always be mine. They can't take it away."
Xiao Tong has already sensed that the palace contains the essence of the Space Tower.
What is the Space Tower?
A super Divine Artifact on the same level as the Time Tower.
Divine Artifacts like these are something ordinary people can't simply take away.
As Xiao Tong puts it: "Although I don't know where you got such crazy luck to be able to control the Time Tower, if your luck continues, maybe you can control the Space Tower as well. By then, with the power of the Space Tower, the vast world will be at your fingertips."
Since Xiao Tong has said that Divine Artifacts like the Time Tower and Space Tower can't be controlled by ordinary people, she naturally doesn't need to be anxious.
With Shi Nian expressing her thoughts, Qiong Yu also felt somewhat reassured.
The Heavenly Stairway doesn't seem to pose too much danger.
It's just that the higher one goes, the greater the pressure feels.
In the end, those with inadequate cultivation were beaten down one after another. Initially, Ling Yun couldn't reach the top either, but Shi Nian secretly helped her, allowing the three of them to successfully reach the summit.
Among those who reached the summit, apart from Shi Nian and Ling Yun, the others were at the minimum Peak of Profound Immortal realm.