Eternal Heavenly Emperor

Be cautious, be cautious, and be cautious again. After half a day, Chu Hao finally got much closer to the building, and he could see it clearly.

It was a golden palace built on the mountain top.

Clang, at this moment, the sound of the clock chimed again.

Just one more chime, then he had half a day left.

He had to hurry, Chu Hao said to himself. The so-called "looking at the mountain and exhausting the horse," though the palace seemed much closer now, it would still take some time to get there.

Swish, swish, swish, he deployed the Sky Stepping Technique, leaping to the treetops. With a light tap underfoot, he soared through the leaves.

In this way, his speed increased instantly.

"Roar!" At this moment, a piercing screech sounded, as if it could shatter clouds and stones, causing Chu Hao's eardrums to ache. He nearly fell.

He fixed his gaze and saw an enormous Golden Scaled Eagle, its wingspan reaching over a hundred meters, covered in golden feathers, looking imposing. But upon closer inspection, those were not feathers but golden scales.

Golden Scaled Eagle!

A name immediately surged in Chu Hao's mind. An adult Golden Scaled Eagle was equivalent to a Peak Martial Sect. Moreover, this fierce creature was said to have a trace of the ancient Divine Beast Qing Luan's bloodline, making its combat power terrifying, comparable to a Nine Meridians Martial Sect.

This Golden Scaled Eagle before him had a wingspan of over a hundred meters, undoubtedly an adult.

Chu Hao quickly descended from the treetop. He could fight ordinary Four Meridians Martial Sects but facing a Nine Meridians level beast would be courting death.

The Golden Scaled Eagle swooped down, its wings flapping, emitting bursts of golden light. The gusts it generated destroyed the surrounding trees completely.

"Hiss!" An angry hiss sounded, and a massive python emerged from the forest, its gigantic head comparable to a house.

Chu Hao couldn't help but gasp.

This was an Ironclad Python, its strength no less than the Golden Scaled Eagle. Its brute force and defense were terrifying. If it entwined its prey, even a Nine Meridians Martial Sect would be crushed to pieces.

Yet, this terrifying beast had been lurking just ahead. Without the Golden Scaled Eagle's sudden screech, he might have run right into it.

In a way, he owed his life to the Golden Scaled Eagle.

Boom!

The Golden Scaled Eagle and Ironclad Python had already begun to fight. One was the sky's tyrant, the other the ground's king. The clash of these two titans made trees and rocks around them fall in swathes.

The forest was dangerous. Some small creatures, though not strong, were extremely poisonous; a single bite could be fatal. But in front of these two titans, these small creatures posed no threat at all.

The reason was simple: the physical defense of these two beasts was too strong; they couldn't be bitten or pierced, so how could venom be injected?

Chu Hao nodded secretly. This was the benefit of having a strong physique.

He had a large amount of Dragon Tooth Rice. In the future, his physique might become more terrifying than the Golden Scaled Eagle and Ironclad Python.

"Big bird, you better not lose!" Chu Hao said to himself, his figure already darting toward the mountain-top palace.

——Since the Golden Scaled Eagle inadvertently saved his life, his preference was obvious.

After a few more hours, he finally reached the mountain top.

The palace was grand, with two floors, and golden walls.

A few people were already waiting at the entrance because the door had not opened yet. Those who arrived first had no choice but to wait.

Nobody spoke, but their gazes were filled with concealed killing intent. Those who could come here had certainly obtained Dragon Tooth Rice on the third level. Who wouldn't want such heavenly materials and earthly treasures?

If they could kill the others... wouldn't the Dragon Tooth Rice become theirs?

Chu Hao glanced at the dense forest. On the plaza before, no one dared to make a move for fear of inciting public anger. But in the forest, surely no one would hold back.

Don't be fooled by the strength of Bian Yu and You Zhiyuan. Anyone strong enough to enter here surely had some ultimate moves. Miracles might happen.

Chu Hao sat down cross-legged, watching his nose, nose watching his heart, appearing patient.

Time flew by, and more people arrived.

Clang, the third chime sounded. Creak, creak, creak, the palace door slowly opened. Everyone was stunned for a moment, then hurried inside.

The opened door only stayed open for less than three minutes before it slowly closed again.

If you didn't get in by the third chime, you couldn't enter.

Those who were late could only watch the door in frustration.

Chu Hao observed. There were over 40 people on the third level before, but now the number had reduced to 22. Among the six from Tianhe County, Jin Yunlin had been severely injured and was eliminated early. Feng Buping, Wu Shitong, and Cang Taiyun also didn't make it, leaving only him, Jiang Qixuan, and Qin Yulian.

Did they encounter strong beasts or enemies?

This thought crossed Chu Hao's mind briefly. Martial Artists knew they had to be prepared for everything when they ventured out.

Strength naturally came at a cost.

Like everyone else, he focused his attention on the inside of the palace.

Before him was a large pool, almost extending from the entrance to the far end, about three hundred meters long. A faint white mist floated on the water's surface, and getting slightly closer, he could feel an incredibly cold aura.

However, there were walkways on both sides of the pool, so one didn't necessarily have to cross the water.

Swish, swish, swish, many people already deployed their movement techniques, passing through the narrow walkways on both sides. Just looking at the water, one could guess it was freezing cold. Who would want to endure that?

Chu Hao pondered for a moment but still walked towards the pool.

As he got closer, the cold increased a hundredfold, penetrating his bones and body as if to freeze him entirely. Boom, his physique activated automatically, and he burst into flames.

Thus, his clothes naturally burned clean instantly. Fortunately, the flames also cloaked his body. Otherwise, it would have been very embarrassing.

He extended his hand, reaching for the water.

Creak, creak, creak. As his hand approached the water, the flames were instantly extinguished and quickly spread upwards, extinguishing the flames on his entire arm.

The cold was evident.

Chu Hao didn't care and continued to reach into the water.

Was this guy seeking death?

Those already at the palace's other end or walking on the walkways all looked at Chu Hao like he was an idiot. They thought he was crazy to touch the water, knowing it was so cold.

But Qin Yulian, Jiang Qixuan, You Zhiyuan, Bian Yu, and Bai Qi, who hadn't moved yet, stared intently at Chu Hao without any ridicule. If Chu Hao hadn't gone first, they would have.

Chu Hao's hand finally touched the water. A warm feeling spread, indescribably comfortable. His cells suddenly became active, and his Star Force seemed eager to break through the first Reverse Meridian.

Exactly!

Chu Hao smiled. This was the Ancient Training Ground; anything could serve as a trial.

For instance, this Cold Pool was freezing cold, so why were two walkways left for people to pass easily?

Because the pool itself was the treasure in this palace.

Chu Hao hesitated slightly, then realized he had overlooked something.

He didn't want to break through to Martial Sect in the Ancient Training Ground because once he broke through, he would surely be taken back by Yunliu Sect to either be enslaved or killed. But now he had so much Dragon Tooth Rice, he couldn't possibly return to Yunliu Sect, as it would mean giving his hard-earned gains to the sect.

——If Yunliu Sect didn't oppress lower world disciples, Chu Hao wouldn't mind sharing his gains with them. After all, without Yunliu Sect, he wouldn't be where he was today.

But now? No way.

Since he wasn't returning to Yunliu Sect, why suppress his realm and not break through?

How foolish.

Chu Hao couldn't help but smile. He stepped forward into the pool, then brought his other foot in, immersing himself fully. At this point, he took out clothes from his Mustard Seed Ring and put them on. He couldn't activate his physique while in the water.

It felt so comfortable, as if Star Force had turned into liquid, surrounding him from all sides, entering every pore, nourishing his body.

This was different from Dragon Tooth Rice, which mainly enhanced physique, while this water greatly benefited one's realm, resembling the Black Jade Pool but with multiple times the effect.

Seeing this, Qin Yulian and the others couldn't help but understand. They all entered the pool, each distancing themselves slightly, absorbing the essence of the water to enhance their cultivation.

"Is this Treasure Liquid?"

"It must be; otherwise, why would Bian Yu and You Zhiyuan follow suit?"

"I want to get in too!"

Others also wanted to enter the pool, but they were astonished to find neither the walkways nor the palace's opposite side allowed them in, as if an invisible wall blocked their way.

They quickly tried to return, but a stranger thing happened: they couldn't go back.

——Some opportunities, once missed, were gone forever.

They grieved. Why had they been so eager to rush to the other side? There were no Spiritual Medicines or Treasure Artifacts there! But now, they had no choice but to move to the other side.

There was still a second level.

They said inwardly. Although they couldn't enter the pool, they could be the first to reach the palace's second level. And with Chu Hao, Bian Yu, You Zhiyuan, and Bai Qi gone, their chances of obtaining treasures were higher.

Charge, they began searching for the passage to the second level.

As Chu Hao stepped into the water, he noticed that his body became incredibly heavy, making walking difficult, and requiring all his Star Force to resist the pressure.

He tried to unleash a Crescent Slash, but the lunar arc sank into the pool under the immense gravity and was completely absorbed without a ripple.

...But this was also good, allowing him to focus on breaking through without worrying about being disturbed (to be continued).