Immortal-Exterminating Divine Venerable

"This is a contest for the nine Human Emperor Disciple candidates. Unauthorized personnel are forbidden from entering."

A fully armed guard with a profound aura blocked Yang Xiao's path.

"Outsiders?"

Yang Xiao couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.

Only then did he notice that the area outside the Ascension Platform had been placed under lockdown.

It seemed that every guard stationed here was a being of the Great Divine Power Realm, and there were at least a hundred of them. Clearly, this wasn't the work of a single hidden Martial Arts Influence, but a joint effort of all the hidden powers.

He had noticed these guards earlier but had assumed they were just there to maintain order. Now he realized they were trying to hog all the glory for themselves.

However, this Ascension Platform, even a Mortal Tier one, was not something they could simply seal off.

"Are you certain you want to do this?"

Yang Xiao wore a faint, unreadable smile.

The guard who had stopped him frowned, scrutinizing Yang Xiao.

He instantly saw that Yang Xiao had not a single trace of an aura.

He was just a mortal.

And this mortal dared to speak to him in such a manner.

The guard immediately broke into laughter.

He raised a hand, pointed to a row of pillars in the near distance, and said to Yang Xiao, "See those over there? All of them are delusional fools who wanted to climb the Ascension Platform. If you don't want to end up like them, you'd best leave now. Otherwise, don't blame us for being ruthless!"

Hearing this, Yang Xiao glanced over.

He was taken aback.

The people tied to the pillars were actually people he knew.

"Huu the Third? And Liu Asi, Zhou Chusheng, Xiaoo Wuyi?"

Yang Xiao wasn't close with them, but he remembered their names. A little over half a month ago, they were the ones who had led the dissent and insisted on leaving. Now, far from climbing the Ascension Platform, they were tied up here instead.

From the looks of it, they had probably been tied there for several days.

"It's Young Master Yang Xiao..."

Yang Xiao looked toward the voice.

Just as he looked, Huu the Third noticed him. After all, they were considered Martial Artists now, and since Yang Xiao hadn't concealed his gaze, it was only natural they'd feel it.

Seeing Yang Xiao, a flicker of joy ignited in their hearts.

Xiaoo Wuyi, in particular, cried out, "Young Master Yang Xiao, save us! Hurry and save us!"

At these words, Yang Xiao's brow furrowed.

He didn't respond. 'These people chose to leave; they're no longer my concern.' Yang Xiao had no intention of intervening on their behalf.

The guard, however, sneered. "So you're all in this together? Well, I've seen it all now. A mere mortal, daring to covet the Ascension Platform. What a pathetic, ignorant fool!"

"Exactly. A mortal fantasizing about the Ascension Platform. Don't they know you can't even take one step on the first stair without cultivation at the Peak of the Small Divine Power Realm?"

"Hilarious. Absolutely hilarious. A bunch of ignorant peasants!"

At this, it wasn't just the guard; others in the crowd began to jeer as well.

They looked at Yang Xiao as if he were a complete moron.

And among them, the one jeering the loudest and most gleefully was, surprisingly, also someone he knew.

It was the very same young man surnamed Zou from that group of backwater troublemakers, the one who had previously instigated Huu the Third and the others.

A crowd of other youths from the same rough-and-tumble background was gathered around him.

Yang Xiao could tell they were just as unqualified to enter the Ascension Platform. Unlike Huu the Third's group, however, they had some semblance of backing.

At least enough to avoid being tied to a pillar.

They were probably lingering here to see which of the nine Human Emperor Disciple candidates would ultimately reach the top of the Ascension Platform.

"What? Still not leaving? It looks like you really want to end up like them. Fine then, you can join them."

The Great Divine Power Realm guard snorted.

With a wave of his hand,

a servant-like Martial Artist whose cultivation was at the Small Divine Power Realm stepped out from behind him and lunged for Yang Xiao.

Yang Xiao remained motionless.

"He's not even dodging? Is the kid scared stiff?"

someone remarked, puzzled.

But the young man from the Zou Family raised an eyebrow.

'Others might not know, but I do. Yang Xiao's power was immense; he controlled over ninety-nine percent of the territory in the Eastern and Southern Domains and even had Demigod Level experts under his command, though he wasn't sure how many.'

Their Zou Family was certainly no match for that.

He had only joined in the jeering earlier to get some verbal digs in.

If he had to confront Yang Xiao face-to-face, he'd be more than a little intimidated.

However, he wasn't the one making a move now; it was the Three Hidden World Powers. And he knew these three powers were anything but ordinary.

They had Demigod Level experts, and even ancestors at the Demigod Peak were not unheard of among them.

Take the most powerful of them, the Qin Family's Martial Arts Lineage. Although they had always been suppressed by the family's Immortal Dao Lineage, the Martial Arts Lineage still boasted three Demigods, one of whom was an existence at the Demigod Peak.

Though that peak expert hadn't come, the other two Demigods were present. The other two great hidden families had each also sent a Demigod to preside over the event here.

Otherwise, how could they dare risk universal condemnation by blockading the Ascension Platform and permitting only the nine so-called Human Emperor Disciple candidates to make the climb?

'Could it be that Yang Xiao knows this and isn't resisting, hoping to avoid provoking the Three Hidden World Powers?'

the young man from the Zou Family wondered.

But before the thought could even fully form, he realized he was mistaken.

A figure had already moved to stand in front of Yang Xiao.

With a raised hand, the figure delivered a slap that sent the Small Divine Power Realm Martial Artist flying.

Seeing this,

the vast majority of the onlookers were stunned.

Only the young Zou, after a brief shock, became ecstatic.

'Haha, he actually fought back! This means our Zou Family might have a chance! Even if I, Zou Wuji, still don't get to climb the Ascension Platform, the territories of the Eastern and Southern Domains...'

Zou Wuji grinned.

Previously, Yang Xiao's power had been so overwhelming that their Zou Family had been forced to abandon the Eastern and Southern Domains.

But now, Yang Xiao had gone and provoked the Three Hidden World Powers, a force even greater than his own. He was clearly courting death.

If anything happened to him,

the Eastern and Southern Domains would once again be up for grabs.

Zou Wuji figured

that his family would have the perfect opportunity to seize.

Therefore, he was desperately hoping for a clash between Yang Xiao and the Three Hidden World Powers.

But just as Zou Wuji was entertaining this thought,

a gaze suddenly fell upon him.

It was Yang Xiao.

'What's this guy planning? At a time like this, shouldn't he be focused on how to deal with the Hidden Three Clans? Why is he looking at me?'

While Zou Wuji was still puzzling over this,

the figure who had been standing in front of Yang Xiao vanished in an instant.

The figure reappeared directly in front of him.

There were no words exchanged.

A hand simply rose and slapped down on his head.

Instantly, blood and viscera splattered.

His consciousness faded into black.

Zou Wuji, the young man who just moments before had been eagerly waiting to watch the show of Yang Xiao's demise at the hands of the Three Hidden Families, died on the spot.

As for Yang Xiao,

he took a step forward at that exact moment.

He pointed both hands toward the distant Ascension Platform.

Several threads of aura stirred at his command.

In that instant, the Mortal Ascension Platform, which had been calm, serene, and perfectly still,

suddenly began to tremble violently.