"I failed even when Junior Sister Mu managed to clear it?" Daoist Xiahou stood in his spot and reflected on what had just happened. "I actually failed to withstand that combined attack?"

"Junior Sister Mu has used every means possible in recent years to become more powerful," Ravenhorn said. "She even succeeded in her secondary cultivation focus of the Physical Establis.h.i.+ng Sage. It"s no surprise that she was able to clear it."

Xiahou nodded and sighed. "That"s right. The young la.s.s from before is now stronger than me in a blink of an eye."

"I"ll be going in now." Ravenhorn did not speak further as he flew straight in.

Qin Yun and Ancestral Master Zhang watched everything play out.

Feeling a little disheartened, Xiahou sat cross-legged in the corner of the plateau to ruminate over matters.

"Just the second of the three tests is that difficult?" Ancestral Master Zhang could not help but say.

"Let"s see how Senior Brother Ravenhorn fares," added Qin Yun.

After waiting for a while—

Swoosh.

A white-dressed woman"s figure flew down.

"Junior Sister Mu, why did you come down? Have you decided not to attempt the third palace?" The seated Xiahou opened his eyes and said loudly.

Fairy Mu shot him a glance as she floated past. "Senior Brother Sa will probably take a month. If you want to wait, go ahead."

As she swooped down, she flew in the direction of the palatial complex.

"Senior Sister Mu must be heading for the seventy-two tests." Ancestral Master Zhang, who was sitting cross-legged, stood up as well. "That"s right. We only have ten years in Lightning Beast Manor. There are still seventy-two tests waiting for us below! I can"t afford to waste my time."

"Senior Brother Zhang, are you heading down?" asked Qin Yun.

"I barely cleared the first palace. There"s completely no hope for me when it comes to the second palace, so I"ll not wait here for naught." As Ancestral Master Zhang spoke, he flew downwards.

Fairy Mu and Ancestral Master Zhang flew downwards one after another to attempt the seventy-two Lightning Dharma tests. This left Xiahou in a dilemma. He shot a glance at Qin Yun and could not help but say, "Junior Brother Qin, are you going to wait here?"

"I don"t cultivate in the Lightning Dharma, so I"m in no rush." Qin Yun sat cross-legged leisurely and waited.

Xiahou looked towards the palace door before he closed his eyes and continued to sit waiting.

About a day pa.s.sed.

Hua!

The ancient palace"s array formation halo dissipated, revealing Ravenhorn who had one leg and arm gone. His body was covered in injuries and he had a pair of black wings behind him. His eyes appeared deranged.

"I pa.s.sed." When Ravenhorn saw the familiar palace door, the corner of his mouth hooked into a smile. His wings disappeared as his arm and leg began to grow slowly. While this was happening, he floated up and flew out.

When Xiahou saw Ravenhorn"s heavy injuries, he could not help but ask, "You fought so hard?"

"If I don"t fight hard now, am I to wait until the next Daoist-Fiend war to do so?" Ravenhorn smirked. "By not becoming a Golden Immortal, the ones who will die the next time might be us."

"Daoist-Fiend war?" Xiahou said immediately. "The flames of war spread through the Three Realms back then, with countless dead and injured. There was so much death among the Daoists, Buddhists and the Fiends that it resulted in an armistice. How could another huge war happen?"

"We failed to eradicate the Fiends the last time, so when the Fiends begin war the next time, it will only be more terrifying," said Ravenhorn with a sneer.

Xiahou fell silent.

The both of them had experienced that era. It was unlike the war of the three Daoist schools of thought which at least had a bottom line. The worst that could happen was death, leaving behind a soul for the deceased to reincarnate. As for the rise of the Fiends, they would vanquish a soul entirely. Countless experts of the Three Realms died as a result of that. Many Chaos G.o.dfiends had managed to survive the turmoil of the Ancient Heavenly Courts and the war between the three Daoist schools of thought, only to perish in the Daoist-Fiend war.

"Another Daoist-Fiend war?" Qin Yun could not help but ask.

Ravenhorn looked at Qin Yun. "Junior Brother Qin, you have not cultivated for long, so you have never really experienced it! I"m telling you, if another Daoist-Fiend war were to begin, it would definitely be crazier than the last one. You won"t even be able to hide from it. That"s why the only way to survive is to become stronger."

Ravenhorn looked up and scoffed. "Senior Sister Mu did not just wait sillily?"

His arm and leg had completely recovered.

Sou!

He flew straight down.

"Senior Brother Xiahou Zhen, will there really be another Daoist-Fiend war?" inquired Qin Yun. To him, the war of the Ancient Heavenly Courts, the war of the three Daoist schools of thought, and the Daoist-Fiend war were all distant history!

"Ignore him." Xiahou Zhen curled his lips. "Ravenhorn experienced the Ancient Heavenly Courts era as well as the war between the three Daoist schools of thought. This is what you call once bitten twice shy! Besides, he has been bitten thrice. Even if war were to break out again in the Three Realms, it will probably be tens of millions of years in the future, perhaps a hundred million years."

Qin Yun nodded in silence.

"Junior Sister Mu and Ravenhorn have cleared the test, but I failed." Xiahou looked at the ancient palace door. "Even if I risk my life and use my life-preservation treasures, I will only have a fifty percent chance of clearing it. Whatever, I"ll first attempt the seventy-two tests. I"ll make another attempt when the ten years are nearly up. Junior Brother Qin, I won"t accompany you any longer."

With that said, Xiahou swooped downwards.

Qin Yun watched his departing back.

Now, all of them had left to attempt the seventy--two Lightning Dharma tests, leaving Qin Yun alone in front of the second palace.

"Whoosh."

The mountain winds blew, rustling the fallen leaves on the ground.

The palace in front of him had an ancient history, but now, it appeared desolate.

"Let"s see how daunting the second palace"s test is." Qin Yun strode over, crossed the door sill, and went into the palace.

The array formation began activating as the scenery changed.

Ten warriors walked out of the array formation"s boundary and charged at Qin Yun.

"Whoosh."

The Misty Rain Sword floated beside Qin Yun as a blurry drizzle enveloped his surroundings immediately. Swords were formed by the drizzle as they flew out.

The ten warriors dissipated as twenty warriors appeared from the array formation"s boundary to replace them.

…

Twenty, thirty, fifty, eighty, a hundred warriors!

These warriors were ninth firmament Skyimmortals individually, but as the numbers increased, their combined power made them stronger.

"Kill!"

A hundred warriors roared as they formed a formation, delivering terrifying might.

"Someone like Bear Mountain is able to defeat ten warriors. If he were to encounter a hundred of them working together, he would not be able to put up a resistance. He would only be able to barely survive thanks to his powerful body," thought Qin Yun. Although the hazy drizzle was still present, it had little effect on the formation made up of a hundred warriors. He condensed sword flashes through the misty rain and cast several sword arts, but failed to take them down.

Ever since fifty warriors joined forces, Qin Yun had to use his Intrinsic Flying Sword.

"Hua!"

His Intrinsic Flying Sword flew out and swept the area. The hundred warriors could not help but fly back when struck, but while flying in retreat, their combined array formation remained intact. They would then attack again.

"I have to crack a small area before I can crack the entire array." Qin Yun understood this point.

"Go."

Qin Yun pointed his finger into the distance.

Shoo!

The Misty Rain Sword seemed to fly out in a normal manner, but then it instantly turned and stabbed through one warrior"s body. A terrifying fluctuation instantly exploded out of the warrior"s body.

"Boom!" The warrior"s body exploded, but it quickly imploded and shrank on itself. All the warrior"s energy was being decimated.

Qin Yun commanded with his mind. "Decimate."

The Misty Rain Sword immediately transformed into a blinding golden light as it slashed at the remaining warriors. With only ninety-nine warriors, they failed to form a formation, so they were immediately slaughtered by the Misty Rain Sword. The sight became one of sword flashes slicing across the warriors, vanquis.h.i.+ng them one by one. In a blink of an eye, all the warriors were gone.

Qin Yun then heaved a sigh of relief. "The combined attack of this array formation is indeed powerful. Demon King Ravenhorn and Daoist Xiahou must have suffered a setback here. However, the might of my Intrinsic Flying Sword should be stronger than them."

"Oh?" Qin Yun looked up.

A giant faintly materialized in the array formation.

"Here it comes." Qin Yun looked at the towering giant appear. The giant held a huge hammer in each hand, with one hammer spanning a thousand feet, as tall as a mountain. Lightning bolts sparked across the two hammers, making them look dazzling.

"Take this!" The towering giant bellowed as he smote down with a huge hammer.

"Boom!"

Upon seeing this, Qin Yun immediately summoned his Intrinsic Flying Sword to protect his body. A blurry halo enveloped his surroundings.

Accompanied by a huge bang, the thousand-feet long hammer slammed into the barrier of light and was completely blocked.

"Boom!" Another hammer came smiting down.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom…" The two hammers struck down relentlessly with terrifying might. However, Qin Yun"s Sword Dao was best at protecting him. It managed to withstand dozens of strikes. Only then did the giant pull away and nod. His voice rumbled, "As an Essence Soul Earth Immortal, you are actually able to withstand my hammer strikes. Impressive. You have pa.s.sed the second test. You can now take the third test." With that said, the giant turned and vanished.

The array formation"s halo dissipated.

Qin Yun looked at the palace hall before walking out.

The plateau outside was empty with only the sound of the mountain winds howling.

No one was waiting here as no one believed Qin Yun could clear it.

"Senior Brother Sa Xu will spend a month in the third hall. I"ll take this time to enter cultivation seclusion. I came to this Lightning Beast Manor for seclusion after all." Qin Yun smiled. He flew in the direction of what his intelligence told him. That was where time flowed the fastest in the Lightning Beast Manor.