"Has he been forcing himself all this time?"
An ability user exclaimed in surprise. It turned out that the rumor of Xu Mu forcefully raising his realm with heavenly materials and earthly treasures was true. He was actually at the end of his rope?!
Yin Zhongxiu shook his head. However, this was understandable.
Even that Domain Lord almost capsized in a ditch. No matter how talented one was, there was no reason they could pass.
Being able to give up at a critical moment and not force oneself was also a sign of good character.
"He walked back on his own at the end." Before the fifth Heavenly Wall, the eunuchs sat on the ground with pale faces. Their physical bodies were not strong, and they could only try to comprehend the Great Dao. But the Great Dao of Gravity was not something easily comprehended. Not everyone's talent was as terrifying as Hui Bai Tong's.
Therefore, them sitting here was essentially a fruitless endeavor, perhaps even a waste of twenty years.
"He managed to reach the eighth Heavenly Wall, while you guys can barely hold on at the fifth. What's there to compete about!"
Yin Zhongxiu held his spear, standing as still as a statue before the fifth Heavenly Wall.
He also did not use any abilities, relying solely on his original physical body to resist the gravity. His body was covered in terrifying cracks, like ravaged ravines, and blood splattered everywhere.
But even so, he remained fearless, determined to comprehend the Great Dao.
Because the man understood that his talent was not top-tier, and in the Grim Night Domain, it was incredibly difficult to achieve the status of a Lord, let alone a Domain Lord.
If he didn't desperately seize every opportunity, he might never advance in his life.
Yin Zhongxiu gritted his teeth. It wasn't that he was overly competitive, but his two subordinates… one seemed to have already broken through to the third stage and was mysteriously secretive all day.
The other had just joined the Demon Slaying Division, and was already a fourth-stage Lord. How could he not be anxious?
"Hmph!"
Hearing Yin Zhongxiu's words, the eunuchs could only snort.
They naturally knew that Yin Zhongxiu was not using his abilities to resist. Otherwise, with his strength, he wouldn't be in such a sorry state.
"What's going on? Why do I feel the pressure on this Heavenly Wall getting heavier!"
As Xu Mu slowly approached, the cultivators between the fifth Heavenly Walls immediately felt immense pressure. The three eunuchs sitting on the ground felt it most intensely. The skin on their faces was almost torn apart by the gravity, clinging tightly to the ground!
"Dong, dong, dong!"
With every step Xu Mu took, it was as if a heavy bell tolled in the heavens and earth, making people's minds scatter.
Hui Bai Tong silently controlled the Great Dao of Gravity to press down on the three eunuchs. The might of the Heavenly Wall was amplified by him, and they bore nearly five thousand times the gravitational force.
"Something's not right, someone's messing around!"
At this moment, others before the fifth Heavenly Wall were relatively fine, as Hui Bai Tong had learned to skillfully control the Great Dao of Gravity, preventing it from overflowing.
The ability users in the area then looked at the three people on the ground with strange expressions. Their bodies were almost being squeezed flat.
"It's not an illusion. In that instant, I truly felt the gravity increase."
An ability user frowned and spoke. In that instant, he almost collapsed to the ground, but thankfully the pressure suddenly disappeared in the next second.
"Yes, I felt it too!"
Everyone exchanged glances, then looked at the three eunuchs on the ground, and then at Xu Mu, who had just passed them. A preposterous thought gradually emerged in their minds.
Could it be... that all of this was related to him?
He could control the gravity of the Heavenly Wall?!
"No, it's absolutely impossible!"
Seeing Xu Mu's feet move away from him, the eunuch lying on the ground, being oppressed, wanted to reach out and grab him, but couldn't move.
They naturally guessed that this matter might be related to Xu Mu, otherwise, it wouldn't have happened to only the three of them.
"It's also possible that some other senior acted in secret. Who knows."
Someone shook their head as they looked at Xu Mu's retreating back. To comprehend the Great Dao of Gravity in such a short time was impossible. Many people could not truly comprehend a single Great Dao in their entire lives; it was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
"Alive... alive again."
As Xu Mu left the range of the fifth Heavenly Wall, the pressure in the area abruptly returned to normal. The three eunuchs immediately felt an incredible lightness and quickly struggled to get up from the ground, then looked at each other in fear and unease.
"Should... should we go forward or backward?"
The eunuch at the back, ranking last, looked terrified, with blood at the corners of his mouth. His internal organs were almost crushed, and he had lost the confidence to continue.
He couldn't even get past the first hurdle, let alone compete for holy relics. After what had just happened, all he wanted now was to survive!
"Stay right here!" The old eunuch, positioned in the middle of the three, gritted his teeth, his gaze filled with dread as he watched Xu Mu's figure.
They still didn't know the reason behind it, but in any case, that person couldn't possibly be on their side.
They couldn't go to the sixth Heavenly Wall, and even if they could, they wouldn't dare. They also didn't dare to follow Xu Mu back.
Therefore, the best course of action was to stay put for the time being, not move anywhere, until the Old Ancestor of the Wang family gave the order, then they could take action.
Before the fourth Heavenly Wall, the drunken Daoist was still drinking, his face flushed as he leaned against the wall, appearing as though he could fall asleep at any moment.
The Old Ancestor of the Wang family was also standing there. He, too, was enduring the pressure with his physical body alone, comprehending the Great Dao, not in a hurry to catch up with Yao Huo and the others.
Because of the blood coral, his physical body had long been honed to its extreme. Although he was old and suffered from countless hidden ailments, it was still exceptionally strong. There were few opportunities in the world to further improve it, and this Heavenly Wall was one of them. Therefore, he had to seize it, the slower the better, to comprehend it carefully.
In this way, even if he didn't obtain the holy relic in the end, traversing this eighth level would give him hope of breaking through.
"I really didn't expect you to be a fourth-stage."
Xu Mu walked into the fourth Heavenly Wall, exuding immense pressure. At this moment, the Old Ancestor of the Wang family suddenly spoke.
He didn't know where that pressure was coming from, but to him, whether it was a thousand times, four thousand times, or even eight thousand times, it made no difference. His physical body had been honed for a full two hundred years, long transcending the mortal realm!
Hui Bai Tong's expression remained unchanged. He simply walked forward steadily. The moment he brushed past the Old Ancestor of the Wang family, both of them unleashed their abilities simultaneously.
Dong!
With a loud bang, the two exchanged a palm strike beneath the Heavenly Wall. Ferocious energy overflowed between their fingers, causing space itself to tremble.
"Sha..."
Hui Bai Tong's expression slightly tightened. The muscles in his arm bulged, and his feet slid backward on the ground for dozens of zhang, only stopping before the second Heavenly Wall.
"No feeling, just a lot of strength."
Hui Bai Tong looked down at his palm. There wasn't even a white mark left on it. The opponent's palm had caused no physical damage to him; he was merely repelled because he was not as strong.
On the other hand, the Old Ancestor of the Wang family's expression was not so relaxed. Standing in place, his solemn gaze held a hint of shock.
A terrifying aura then permeated his surroundings, seemingly a precursor to the activation of his domain. Was he going to attack again?
The drunken Daoist shook his head:
"What's the point of bullying a junior."
"If you have the guts, fight me a few rounds?"
He spoke, raising his wine gourd to his chest, squinting his eyes, and staggering two steps forward, entering the Old Ancestor of the Wang family's domain.
For ordinary ability users, facing a Domain Lord's domain might require activating their own domain to resist. But he was not an ability user.
Or rather, Baiyun Taoist Temple had no ability users.
They were all cultivators, following a different path from ordinary extraordinary individuals. This domain did not exert as much pressure on him.
The Old Ancestor of the Wang family did not make any further moves. He could only guess that this Daoist was from Baiyun Taoist Temple, but he did not know his strength, so he did not dare to act rashly. He could only let him stagger away.
Thus, the Daoist soon walked to the fourth Heavenly Stele. He transmitted his voice to Xu Mu:
"Kid, although I came for the holy relic, you've piqued my interest."
"Your Dao origin is too pure. If you're interested, let's be friends. Don't hesitate to call on me if you need anything."
Hui Bai Tong's eyebrows slightly raised, then he replied:
"Mm."
The old man laughed heartily and took another drink of wine.
The Old Ancestor of the Wang family saw the two exchanging glances and naturally guessed some of the implications.
Thus, his eyes deepened, and with a terrible expression, he roared at Xu Mu:
"A total of four eunuchs were sent from the palace, and now only three have entered. Do you know where the other one is?"
Hearing his question, everyone was stunned. Then they realized that there were indeed only three eunuchs present. Where had the most boisterous Eunuch Huang gone?
Hui Bai Tong walked to the third Heavenly Wall. He really wanted to answer this question:
"Dead."
"Very good," the Old Ancestor of the Wang family looked at Xu Mu's retreating back, then glanced at the drinking Daoist, and in his rage, ultimately did not choose to attack.
"Since he chose to go back, don't let him return!"
"You guys, stay on the first floor and keep a close eye on him. I'll go deal with that stinky Daoist."
The old man transmitted his orders to a group of Wang family advisors, including one at the Domain Lord realm. They were all responsible for assassinating Xu Mu if he dared to return!
"Daoist, let's go."
After arranging everything, the Old Ancestor of the Wang family did not linger. He closely followed behind the drunken Daoist.
If the other party moved, he moved. If the other party stopped, he stopped.
Now, honing his physical body was no longer the most important thing for him. After that exchange of palms, he had further confirmed Xu Mu's strength. This was a true genius!
Therefore, now, he only wanted Xu Mu dead.
"Why leave? Haven't you lived long enough to understand?"
The Daoist shook his head, smiling as he placed his hand on the Old Ancestor of the Wang family's shoulder, and let out a satisfied belch:
"Life lies in stillness!"
...