Chapter 204: Prelude to the Trials of the Labyrinth (3)

Ji Yuan was floating gently toward the huge massive Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth. As he got nearer, he saw that even the sun got blotted from it and he was like a tiny ant.

He thought that he may be able to chat with Little Princess and Bai Qianfeng along the way but he had suddenly noticed that they were hovering at a much faster pace than him.

Ji Yuan: …

What the heck?!

The speed is different?!

What kind of a discrimination is this?!

Although the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth is easy to reach for all the golden cultivators but the disparity between the different cultivators also affected the speed.

Bai Qianfeng was being pulled into the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth much faster than Little Princess and Ji Yuan. Soon she had disappeared like a tiny speck of dust.

Little Princess kept turning her back at him but as she could not controlled her ascend to the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth, there was nothing she could do and after an hour, she too, had disappeared like a tiny speck of dust.

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

"Xiang Li, you know what. After the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth, I am going to learn some internal profound arts to enhance my profound animus." Ji Yuan frowned.

Xiang Li was laughing in his soul sea. "Big Brother, I know you won't. It isn't because you are not lazy but you have no potential for it."

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

"Thanks Xiang Li, you are indeed my best friend…" Ji Yuan muttered.

Then he added with a soft chuckle. "My most useless best friend."

Xiang Li: …

Xiang Li: …

Xiang Li: …

It was a slow snail hover to the top of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth. Even though it did not look like it was very far to the top but after Ji Yuan had started to levitate toward it, did he realize that the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth was much further than he had expected. Looking below, all the settlements were now like a tiny speck of dust.

He was quite startled; the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth was larger than he had actually expected…

"Wow, Big Brother you are flying…" Xiang Li expressed with delight. "Can I fly with you? I can hover around you, you know…"

"Xiang Li, don't distract me. If I don't focus, I will have a hard fall below and you know we are now at a great height now." Ji Yuan sighed.

"Big Brother, are you afraid of heights?" Xiang Li suggested.

Ji Yuan: …

"I'm not…"

All of a sudden he was distracted by a screaming sound as a golden celestial had fallen from a great height. It turned out that this golden celestial was actually afraid of heights.

All of a sudden Ji Yuan noticed that there were several more golden celestials that were falling or turning back.

Before the trial had started, they had already failed!

"So Big Brother, are you afraid of heights?" Xiang Li asked again.

"No…" Ji Yuan was frowning. He was more afraid of water than heights. His old master used to throw him down the cliff until he could even visualize his surroundings even when he was falling. In fact he had always wanted to fly except that he was too poor to afford a flying mount.

As for water, he was afraid because he could not swim. But then he would not drown because he could hold his breath as long as he liked since he is a high level golden saint.

"Then why are you flying so slow? Are we reaching yet? I love trials, you know." Xiang Li chuckled.

Ji Yuan frowned. "I love trials too but it is only because of you that we are traveling a little slow."

"Oh?"

"You are getting fatter nowadays Xiang Li." Ji Yuan pointed out with an evil grin.

Xiang Li: …

After another hour of flying, Ji Yuan could finally see the edge of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth. He was hoping mad because he did not know that he would be traveling at such a slow snail pace.

But he was not the last; there were still thousands of cultivators that were behind him.

Along the way, he saw hundreds of cultivators who were all muttering;

"Isn't that the Great Hero Ji Yuan?"

"Why is he so slow?"

"Great hero Ji Yuan seems weak…"

It was a slap to his face as he had to endure the stares of all the other cultivators.

His only consolation was that Li Ye and Guo Taiming were even slower than him.

As he approached the edge of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth, he began to recollect what Ling Tianshui had briefed him about the trials.

The Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth would have a time limit of six months before all the trial takers would be cast out.

Altogether the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth would have six levels and at the end of each level, there would be an exit portal. If they had chosen the exit portal, they would not be able to exit immediately but would be put to a temporary stasis until the trials had finally ended.

Unlike the normal trials in the Celestial Realm, the experiences inside are real and they would be killed. Therefore they had to be extremely careful.

Also the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth contained thousands of worlds and it was unlikely that everyone would meet with one another. The number of worlds would get progressively fewer as the levels go up.

It is recommended that a fifth realm cultivator does not go beyond the second level and a sixth realm cultivator not to go beyond the fourth level. However this is only a recommendation. Many saint cultivators could not even go beyond the third and the fourth level.

The majority of the cultivators were actually fifth realm cultivators and most only have the intention to stay at the first level of exploration.

But Ji Yuan had a mission from Jiajia and Diviner Mo Ming; he was asked to complete the trial.

When Ji Yuan had thought of this, he was musing weakly. "They must be joking with me. This is the first time that I am entering the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth and they are asking me to go to the top level…"

His thoughts were interrupted by a strong light that was now pulling him to the foot of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth and into a portal that had opened just for him.

He was immediately excited. "Hoho! Xiang Li, we are finally going to reach the trial!"

Xiang Li chuckled. "Finally!"

"Don't make me laugh. If I lose my focus, I will be the first one to fall at the footstep of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth…"

All of a sudden Ji Yuan heard a loud scream as a cultivator slipped his focus when he had almost reached the portal; it was because he could not contain his excitement and had a heart attack at the last minute.

Ji Yuan: …

"Maybe I will be second then…"

-

-

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Yin Wei was now kneeling in front of a dark shrouded curtain. He had been brought here by the Goddess Mei who had told him that he would be the new commander of the desolate army.

At first he did not understand. "You mean the commander of the Evil Cultivation Palace?"

The Goddess Mei smiled mysteriously to him. "You will know later. By the way, even your father the Evil Cultivation Master is merely a commander of the desolate army. As for me, I am your lead commander. You shall be wise to listen to my instructions in the future."

Yin Wei took a disdainful look at her.

Ever since he had merged the metamorph core with him, he was no longer looking like an ordinary human; he was covered with scales and had heavy bone armor all over his body.

But he was extremely glad; it was because he felt more powerful than any great saints. He could not believe how fast he had regenerated his organs and body back.

Although he was now asked to kneel in front of a shadowy figure but there was a look of defiance in his eyes. It was because he felt more like an absolute ruler over the Evil Cultivation Palace now and if he could chance upon Ji Yuan again, he would be able to crush him like a puny ant.

The Goddess Mei said. "Kneel before our great master, the Great Demon God. Our great master has appointed you as his commander from this day onward."

"God?" Yin Wei smirked coldly as he looked coldly at the dark shadowy figure.

From this day onward, he, Yin Wei, shall be the only God of the Evil Cultivation Palace!

He was thinking; this dark shadowy figure looked like a frail old man. What if he were to reach out and snubbed out his life?

The Great Demon God continued to sip his wines and he did not seem to turn his head to look at Yin Wei directly. As a matter of fact, he seemed to be playing chess all by himself.

"Are you thinking that I am just a frail old man? And you are thinking of attacking me to test if I am worthy of becoming your worthy great master? Then why don't you come to have a go at me?"

Yin Wei was startled as a cold shiver ran through to him. The voice of this dark shadowy figure seemed to have a profound hold on him…

After staring blankly at the dark shadowy figure for a while, he stammered out. "I dare not!"

It was because he was suddenly overwhelmed by a dark malevolent aura and he was like a puny child in front of this powerful cultivator who called himself the Great Demon God.

"Good! From this day onward, you shall be one of my dark desolate commanders. However whether you are worthy or not remains to be seen and you have to prove your worthiness in front of me. Do you get me?" The Great Demon God said coldly.

Yin Wei slowly nodded as he continued to stare at this Great Demon God…

All of a sudden there was an evil wicked claw that was formed from profound energies as it flew out of the dark shrouded curtain to claw against Yin Wei!

Yin Wei gasped loudly as he braced to defend himself. With his new profound strength and impregnable body armor that could even resist the sharpness of a heaven-step divine sword, he was confident that he would not be hurt by anyone…

But the unbelievable thing had happened and he was suddenly thrown back against the wall. On his chest was five deeply etched claws and he had coughed out golden blood!

The Great Demon God smirked coldly. "Too weak! You are still too weak! Be more respectful to me when you see me the next time."

Yin Wei was still coughing weakly and he was still staring at his wounds which were not regenerating; what is going on? I can't seem to regenerate my injuries?!

The Goddess Mei laughed jovially. "Anyone that is injured by our great master's Dark Desolate Force can only heal naturally. Even if you are a great god, you are nothing in his eyes!"

Yin Wei was stunned. "Who are you?!"

"Our great master is naturally the god of gods, the True God of the Desolate Immortals!" The Goddess Mei giggled. "Yin Wei, you are lucky that you didn't die on the spot. Even your father has to be humble in front of our great master. Did you really think that you are stronger than any peaked great saints? Think again next time and be wiser."

Yin Wei lowered his head to say humbly, stammering fearfully now. "Yes…yes…"

The Goddess Mei said coldly. "I want you to enter the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth. Kill Ji Yuan if you want to, we don't care at all. In fact, kill all you want and we don't care."

Yin Wei replied weakly. "Yes, yes…"

"Now go." The Goddess Mei gently rebuked him.

When Yin Wei was gone, the Goddess Mei asked the Great Demon God. "Great master, what do you think?"

"I am pleased with his strength." The Great Demon God merely said.

The Goddess Mei was delighted. After all, the new Yin Wei was her creation.

"However I can't trust him with our secrets yet. You have talked too much." The Great Demon God added slowly.

All of a sudden the Goddess Mei was on her knees, "Please forgive me, great master. I shouldn't have talked so much. I…just thought that he is going to be one of us…and that is why…"

The Great Demon God merely said. "I had already sent the Great God Mingwang, the Dark God of Death to the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth. Yin Wei is just an extra."

The Goddess Mei gasped. "Great God Mingwang is also one of us?"

The Great Demon God laughed softy. "He is the one that you saw the other day."

The Goddess Mei stammered. "The Dark God of Death is one of the most powerful great gods in the desolate realm. I just surprised that he will be willing to be on our side."

With trembling voice she took the courage to ask. "Then who is the other one that day?"

"The Dragon King, Draconian God of the Mighty Dragons." The Great Demon God replied nonchalantly.

The Goddess Mei gasped as she stumbled backward as she gasped weakly. "Even he…"

The Great Demon God raised his wine cup. "For thousands of years, I have been planning for this. The Pangu Immortals will never guess that we are actually here. When they do realize this, it will be already too late because I will rule supreme here without the heavenly laws to restrict me and I will turn the Celestial Realm into my own realm."

"Goddess Mei, it is time for you to lend a helping hand to…"