Abundant Martial Arts Virtue

In the darkness.

Wu Xiaode clung to the bronze pillar with one hand and rested for a moment.

Huff... huff...

He gasped heavily a few times and waited until his breathing steadied before looking around.

Silence reigned in the darkness.

Everything seemed to have gone according to plan.

Wu Xiaode did a one-arm pull-up, lifting his body and pressing it against the bronze pillar.

Next, he needed to climb upwards.

Just as he was about to make a move, he suddenly saw the Evil Spirit Book quietly open, frantically refreshing with lines of small bronze text:

"Immune."

"Immune."

"Immune."

"... ..."

Line after line of "Immune" rapidly zipped across the pages.

"Stop! No need to keep refreshing, just tell me what I'm immune to?"

Wu Xiaode asked.

A new line of small bronze text emerged on the pages:

"Due to your title 'Ghostly King', you're immune to the current Evil Transformation corruption."

Evil Transformation...

But there was nothing on the entire bronze pillar!

He watched the towering bronze pillar from heaven to earth, pondered for a few breaths, and then said:

"Evil Spirit Book, describe the current path of pilgrimage for me."

The pages opened, revealing lines of small text:

"A deep black giant pillar stands in the boundless Dark Void, stretching to an unseen height. Each step upward faces incomprehensible severe trials."

Deep black...

No, that's incorrect.

After opening the secret passage door, he clearly saw a bronze-colored pillar.

—The one he saw right in front of him was also bronze.

The book's view of the pillar differed completely from his own.

Wu Xiaode fell into silent contemplation.

A doll quietly appeared, floating in the void beside the bronze pillar, and spoke:

"Congratulations! You can finally continue climbing upwards, but remember, with each distance you climb, you will face trials of the Holy Realm. If you can't pass, you'll die."

Wu Xiaode nodded and made as if to climb upwards.

But he suddenly halted.

"What is it?"

The doll asked.

"Something feels off," Wu Xiaode looked at the doll and asked, "I remember you said that the passage is like countless parallel worlds, each existence obtains a passage."

"That's right, exactly so." The doll said.

"Then will the human passage cause humans to undergo Evil Transformation?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"How is that possible! The human passage is much simpler compared to the Evil Demons; it would never be as difficult as for Evil Demons— the Holy Realm rejects Evil Demons but never refuses humans!" The doll replied.

"Then that's strange... I have another question, why is the U-level Evil Demon called U-level?" Wu Xiaode asked again.

"U-level represents a technique invincible below the Holy Realm."

"Additionally, U also signifies unknown— apart from the great Heavenly Father, the master of all creations, and the God of all beings, no existence can know the power of this Evil Demon, even forgetting after the battle." The doll explained.

Wu Xiaode was about to speak but suddenly closed his mouth.

He discovered the doll's dress fluttering without wind, transforming into strips of black snakes without eyes.

"Why are you staring at me?"

The doll curiously looked down at herself, and instantly screamed hysterically:

"Evil Transformation! My clothes are undergoing Evil Transformation!"

"No, I must die immediately, or I'll undergo Evil Transformation too!"

She waved her hand, and immediately a blazing Holy Fire fell upon her, burning fiercely.

Soon afterwards.

The doll turned to ashes.

Only her dress continued to writhe in the Holy Fire, finally transforming into a black snake with nine heads.

The black snake landed on the bronze pillar, its nine heads raised aimlessly, flicking its tongue towards Wu Xiaode.

Suddenly, an understanding glinted in Wu Xiaode's eyes.

This was a battle he had never witnessed—

The battle had already concluded.

However, he was still unaware of the full extent of the battle.

What exactly did the U-level Evil Demon do during the battle, he had no idea.

Fortunately, he knew the result.

Wu Xiaode placed his hand on the bronze pillar, feeling the endless evil aura enveloping the pillar, and softly said:

"An S-level Evil Demon is already undying; as a U-level Evil Demon, would it fear mutual destruction with me?"

"Now it seems... its words were merely a smokescreen..."

"With its strength, it could probably withstand my Evil Spirit Castle technique head-on upon meeting, but it didn't do so and instead used illusion to confuse me. For what purpose?"

He paused for a moment.

A massive black hand appeared in the void, crushing the nine-headed evil snake into a puddle of flesh.

However, the flesh struggled mightily in the giant hand—

It was continuously evolving, gaining new evil power!

Wu Xiaode's gaze fell back onto the bronze pillar.

— This pillar empowered the nine-headed snake; it was the source of evil power!

Thus—

"It turns out this is the U-level Evil Demon's path of pilgrimage."

"I don't know what technique it used, but it swapped our paths."

"In doing so, it only has to go through the human trials—"

"For it, this is far too easy!"

That's right!

The opponent has been entangling with me for so long, actually to switch roads!

Wu Xiaode looked up towards the top of the bronze pillar.

—Heaven knows how difficult the pilgrimage path for an Evil Demon is.

Anyway, this U-level Evil Demon dreams of reaching the Holy Realm.

In its dreams, countless subordinates are born, all collecting information on the Holy Realm.

So this pilgrimage path must be very difficult!

Such a path that even the U-level Evil Demon is unwilling to take!

So it wants to switch with me!

After all, my pilgrimage path has "concealment" and "identity anonymity," and is set up for humans, which is really enticing.

Wu Xiaode's mind flashed, and he suddenly gently pressed his hand on his waist, murmuring to himself:

"No one can break the 'concealment' of the road, otherwise the entire pilgrimage path will collapse, and no one will be able to reach the Holy Realm."

—Then let it be destroyed.

I will break the concealment of this road, and I will destroy everything; no one will go to the Holy Realm.

The U-level Evil Demon might be formidable.

But my goal is not to defeat it, nor to reach the Holy Realm.

I have only one thought—

To not let it reach the Holy Realm!

"Master, lend me a hand, be a paparazzo this once."

Wu Xiaode said plainly.

The Evil Spirit Book immediately turned to the page of the Wall of All Wishes, and the voice of the Human Emperor echoed from the wall:

"What do you want to do?"

"Let all beings know that there is a hidden path here." Wu Xiaode answered.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure."

As the words fell.

The voice of the Human Emperor disappeared.

Wu Xiaode suddenly realized—

The Human Emperor had returned to his true form.

In other words, the one who conversed with me just now was actually Pangu's True Body!

If it was Pangu's True Body that responded to me, then not only the beings of the Inner World would know of this hidden path.

The whole world built upon Pangu's Blood would know about this!

"Finally, we will meet again... your tactics are admirable, but unfortunately, I have long prepared for this." Wu Xiaode said.

Splat.

He gently patted his waist.

A line of bronze text appeared:

"You have activated the Eternal Guardian Rope."

"Description: Tie it around your waist, wherever you go, if you need to return, just tug it."

"—Cast a long line to catch a big fish."

An immensely powerful force of pulling surged in, turning Wu Xiaode into a fleeting shadow, instantly piercing countless voids, flying straight towards a secret location.

—The moment he entered the secret path, he had already driven the positioning anchor of the Eternal Guardian Rope into the wall inside the path!

Now is the time to return!

Shua—

The void broke open.

Wu Xiaode fell, landing on solid ground, looking ahead.

Indeed.

There stood a bronze pillar, towering in the darkness.

This was the hidden path I had opened earlier!

The U-level Evil Demon had used some sort of magic to replace my identity, and was climbing towards the top of this bronze pillar.

Crunch.

A soft sound.

The surface of the bronze pillar suddenly cracked all over.

A prompt rune popped up:

"The information of the current bronze pillar has been known to countless beings, its concealment thoroughly destroyed."

"You and your opponent caused this destruction."

"Your pilgrimage path has collapsed."

"From now on, you both have lost the opportunity to go to the Holy Realm."

In the next moment—

Rumble!!!

The entire bronze pillar tilted, falling into the depths of darkness.

"Let's go."

Wu Xiaode's form moved, instantly activating the title skill of "Ghostly King," directly crossing the endless Netherworld.

He landed in the final abyss.

A shadow emerged from behind him, surging into the air, transforming into that U-level Evil Demon.

"You shouldn't have destroyed that path."

The U-level Evil Demon said calmly:

"Originally, with that path, you could still linger on my bronze pillar due to the substitution technique."

"Now you hold no value whatsoever."

Wu Xiaode smirked and said:

"For millions of years, the evil thoughts of all beings have accumulated here, most of the karma comes from evil demons."

"I've seen many evil demons, and they were all helpless against the power of the Evil Spirit."

"—Maybe you're the exception?"

He suddenly vanished.

In the dark abyss.

A huge and magnificent bronze castle appeared before the U-level Evil Demon.