It was a very ordinary stone. However, it appeared a bit conspicuous within this forest. When Long Chen picked it up, he found a black rock beneath it, and there were a few more pebbles around the black rock, forming an arrow.

Long Chen picked up the black rock. This rock came from the Netherworld. It possessed the specific aura of the Netherworld.

This was something that Mo Nian had brought back from the Netherworld. At that time, Long Chen had even laughed at him, saying that it was just an ordinary rock with no use.

However, now it was used for an exceptional purpose. Other people’s memories of the Netherworld were erased after returning, but due to his relationship with a Nethergod, he was very sensitive to this aura. As for Mo Nian, he had stolen Hong Yaoyang’s mortal husk. His memories of the Netherworld would never fade.

No one else would notice this rock’s aura, but Long Chen instantly noticed it. Mo Nian had even encased it in Samsara power to cover up its aura. That way, only once Long Chen reached the Samsara realm would he be able to sense the aura of the Netherworld from the rock. It seemed Mo Nian didn’t wish for Long Chen to chase after him if he hadn’t broken through yet.

“That fellow’s pretty smart. He definitely noticed Ye Ming’s plot and snuck after them.”

Long Chen saw that the direction the arrow was pointing in was in the same general direction as where Tian Xiezi’s memories were telling him to go.

Mo Nian definitely wouldn’t have anticipated that Long Chen would know about it from Tian Xiezi’s memories. After looking around, Long Chen shot off, seeing quite a few signs of battles. It was unknown who had been fighting.

After a day and night of flying, Long Chen saw a group of a few thousand searching for something. That group instantly felt despair, as they belonged to the ancient family alliance.

Long Chen glanced at them and then continued flying. Those disciples who had assumed that their deaths were set in stone stared in shock.

“Perhaps he disdains killing people like us,” said one of them bitterly. Despite having escaped death, that feeling of disdain was not a good one.

“You’re wrong. We didn’t attack him, so he didn’t kill us. He wouldn’t take out his anger on us. He doesn’t actually see us as enemies, only Di Feng. The ancient family alliance was once allied with the Martial Heaven Alliance. If that was still the case, he would be a heavenly genius on our side. It’s a pity. To tell the truth, I’m ashamed of the ancient family alliance for targeting him so often. Even if he killed me right now, I wouldn’t feel hatred considering what the ancient family alliance did to him,” said one person.

That person made everyone fall into silent thought for a moment. They should have been on the same side, but things had ended up like this.

“Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen didn’t kill us, so I won’t attack him in this lifetime. I think it would be best if we didn’t rush toward the gathering place so we don’t have to fight with our old allies,” proposed one person.

“Good idea.”

“I’m not going either.”

“Let’s treat it as if we are already dead.”

In an instant, everyone agreed to this suggestion. Once they reached the gathering place with Di Feng, they would have no choice but to fight Long Chen. What could they do then? Long Chen hadn’t killed them now, but they would have to fight the people on Long Chen’s side?

“Let’s go that way-”

BOOM!

Suddenly, an explosion of flames made everyone look in the distance.

“That’s where senior apprentice-brother Long Chen went.”

“Let’s take a look.”

They cautiously traveled for an hour before reaching a barren land that had been charred black. Despite the battle being over, flame energy had turned this place into a domain whose remnant power was so frightening that they didn’t dare to get close.

“It was the Corrupt path.” One person pointed toward a broken halberd in the ground. It had practically melted, but due to it being on the fringe of the battlefield, it was still possible to sense that it was a corrupt weapon.

“It’s the weapon of the Corrupt path’s expert, Sha Lingxiao!” exclaimed someone suddenly.

“The Blood Halberd Soul Reaper, that Sha Lingxiao? Isn’t he one of the four generals beneath Tian Xiezi who was sealed together with him?”

“Yes, I once saw him fight. This halberd’s aura is definitely his,” said that person.

Everyone was shocked. Someone who had reached the fourth step and was one of Tian Xiezi’s four generals had been slain with a wave of Long Chen’s hand.

They also saw quite a few fragmented weapons throughout the battlefield. Based on what they had seen, the Corrupt path was traveling in groups of ten thousand people. In other words, Long Chen’s attack had wiped out a squad of ten thousand Corrupt experts, with even their leader being powerless to block him.

For a moment, these people could only stand there in shock. They had thought that Long Chen hadn’t killed them because he disdained doing so and didn’t want to waste the time. But upon seeing this, it would be no exaggeration to say that he could have killed them as easily as turning a hand.

“Let’s go. Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen gave us a way to live. If we continue to fight him, it would truly be courting death.” One of the leaders of this squad shook his head and brought his group away. They had given up any thought of being enemies with Long Chen.

Their determination was such that even if they had to leave the ancient family alliance to avoid being enemies with Long Chen, they would do so. If they still didn’t recognize this favor, they wouldn’t be human.

Long Chen had encountered two squads of the Corrupt path as he traveled, and he had wiped them out with a single blow each time.

Huo Linger’s current power was so great that his enemies couldn’t even react. She had gradually started to gain control over her own power, and her killing power even frightened Long Chen.

The Heavenly Flame Orb had not just increased her intelligence, but it also gave her a trace of power that should not exist in this world. Long Chen suspected that it was a trace of a Heavenly Flame’s power.

Heavenly Flames existed above the Earth Flames. They were also called Divine Flames and Immortal Flames, things that should not exist in this world. It could be said that the Heavenly Flame Orb had been a priceless treasure.

A large pill appeared in Long Chen’s hand. It still had flickering lightning over it, but he tossed it into his mouth. It was a recently refined top grade Nethergate Pill and also a giant tribulation pill.

As a result, the Nethergate Star above his Dantian shuddered. The giant pill’s energy seemed to have woken it from slumber. Power poured into it, with the other five stars also lighting up.

Long Chen knew that the other five stars were also fighting over the energy. From the moment that he had condensed the Divine Gate Star, he had noticed this phenomenon. The strengthening of the Nethergate Star required the other five stars to be uplifted as well.

This kind of cultivation method was strange, but it seemed that this was the only way to balance the power of the stars.

The FengFu Star was the first star he had condensed and also the weakest. But its current power was identical to the other stars. They had always maintained a subtle connection.

“Great. As long as I have an unending supply of giant pills, the Nethergate Star will be fully condensed sooner or later. When the nine star transformations are complete, I’ll be unrivaled.” Long Chen clenched his fists excitedly.

Unfortunately, refining giant pills was not so simple. Only one could be refined at a time. Even with Huo Linger and the Moon and Star Refining Furnace working together, it took an incense stick’s worth of time to refine a single one. However, a single giant pill’s energy was greater than a hundred ordinary pills, so it was naturally more efficient.

“I’ll be relying on the Six Star Battle Armor. Without it, I’ll definitely be killed by the Sovereign.” Long Chen prayed inside for the Six Star Battle Armor. Without it, he would definitely die in his next tribulation.

“Long Chen!”

Just as Long Chen was pondering over the Nethergate Star, a shout drew him out of his stupor. At some point, he had arrived at a desert, and there was a group of people attacking a giant black scorpion. Its aura showed that it was a thirteenth rank beast.

“Shen Chengfeng!” Long Chen hadn’t expected to encounter the eighth legion here.

“Long Chen, why are you here? Why haven’t you entered the deeper regions? Eh, don’t tell me you just came from the Life Death Spirit Spring?” Shen Chengfeng looked at Long Chen in confusion.

That confused expression made Long Chen realize that Shen Chengfeng didn’t know about the scheme. Most likely, it was a secret of the divine families that they weren’t qualified to know. Either that, or the schemers were worried that Shen Chengfeng would alert Long Chen, so they had hidden it from him.

“Yes. I was waiting for everyone to gather, so it took some time. Hehe, it seems that your gains aren’t bad.” Long Chen pointed to the scorpion.

“You’re still in the mood to laugh? You have to hurry on ahead! Another day’s travel and you should arrive at the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest! Hurry up, that’s where the real treasure lies!” shouted Shen Chengfeng, flustered and exasperated.

“The Ten Thousand Dragon Nest?”