bioinnovel Chapter 298 There is also a gap between 9th rank and 9th rank.
Chapter 298 There is also a gap between 9th rank and 9th rank.
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[Demon Slayer Hall - Main Hall - Council Hall]
This is a magnificent palace suspended in the heavens, forged entirely from Taiyi refined gold and star divine iron.
The main hall was not as magnificent as outsiders imagined; instead, it felt somewhat empty and somber.
The surrounding walls were not carved with auspicious beasts such as dragons and phoenixes, but were instead covered with illustrations of ferocious demons in various forms.
Each illustration is so lifelike, radiating a chilling aura, as if it might break free from the wall at any moment and devour its inhabitants.
In the very center of the main hall, behind a large table made of ancient nanmu wood, sat a middle-aged man dressed in a magnificent white robe.
His face was resolute, his features were sharply defined as if carved by a knife and axe, and his temples were slightly frosted, but he did not look old at all. Instead, he gained a mature charm that came from experiencing the vicissitudes of life.
He didn't deliberately emit any aura, but just by sitting there, the surrounding space seemed to freeze, and even the light seemed to bow down and submit to him.
He is none other than the supreme overlord who now rules the entire old continent of Tianxuan Realm—the Lord of the Demon Slaughtering Hall, Duanmu Hong!
At this moment, he was squinting, his fingers lightly tapping on the desk, listening to the report from a black-armored warrior below.
"Reporting to the Palace Master!"
The black-armored general knelt on one knee, his voice powerful and resonant, exuding a chilling aura.
"After a week of swift and decisive action and consolidation, all the major powers across the 108 continents of the Old Continent, except for those tiny secret realms hidden deep within the spatial layers that remain unexplored, have now come under the command of my Demon-Slaying Palace!"
"According to the 'Heavenly Eye' statistics, there are currently 279 registered eighth-tier Tribulation Transcending Realm cultivators throughout the entire Old Continent!"
Upon hearing this number, Duanmu Hong paused slightly as he tapped his fingers on the table, and slowly opened his eyes.
Those eyes were as deep as an abyss, as if they held two vast starry seas within them.
"Two hundred and seventy-nine ones..."
He muttered to himself, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.
"This is much more than I expected."
The black-armored warrior quickly added:
"Reporting to the Palace Master, among these cultivators, there are a total of 132 cultivators at the eighth rank, tenth level, who have already touched the threshold of the ninth rank!"
"Oh? So many?"
Duanmu Hong raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Yes!"
The black-armored warrior's expression was solemn as he explained in a deep voice.
"The vast majority of these people are ancient relics that have survived from ancient times or even the medieval period."
"They knew that in that era of flawed Heavenly Dao, there was no hope of breaking through to the ninth level, and forcibly undergoing tribulation would only result in their death and the dissipation of their Dao."
"So they followed the example of the ancient sages, using various secret methods, divine sources, and even burying themselves in perilous places to seal themselves away, in order to reduce the loss of their lifespan and wait for that elusive glimmer of hope."
At this point, a complex look flashed in the black-armored warrior's eyes.
Those old monsters, each one a living fossil who has lived for hundreds of thousands of years, for this faint hope, have lived in a state that is neither human nor ghost, and have slept for thousands of years deep in the earth.
"Now, the world has undergone a great change, the Great Dao has been restored, and the revitalized Dao rhythm has awakened them."
"They broke free from their seals, and although their bodies were already withered, their understanding of the Great Dao had accumulated to an extremely terrifying level."
"Many cultivators already possess twelve million Dao traces within their bodies, fully meeting the conditions to trigger a ninth-order Mahayana lightning tribulation!"
The black-armored warrior suddenly looked up, a hint of ruthlessness and worry flashing in his eyes.
"Palace Master! These 130-odd near-ninth-tier warriors are like a pack of ravenous wolves that haven't eaten for ten thousand years!"
"They will spare no expense to attain enlightenment or prolong their lives."
"If we let them all try to break through, even with a low success rate, we could probably create several, or even a dozen, ninth-tier powerhouses!"
"At that time, the Heavenly Profound Realm will probably no longer be solely dominated by our Demon Slaying Hall!"
"Your subordinate suggests..."
As he said this, the black-armored warrior made a throat-slitting gesture.
"While they are still recovering and their footing is not yet firm, we can secretly strike and block their path to enlightenment."
"Or we could force them to sign a soul contract, and if they refuse, we'll kill them without mercy!"
Upon hearing this, Duanmu Hong simply smiled faintly, a smile that contained three parts disdain, three parts confidence, and four parts composure as if he were in complete control.
"It's alright."
He waved his hand lightly, as if shooing away a tiny fly.
"Ignore those cultivators who want to break through to the ninth rank."
"We can even provide them with some conveniences, such as opening up some resources or providing a place for them to undergo tribulation."
"Palace Master?"
The black-armored warrior was greatly alarmed.
"Why...why is this? Isn't this like raising a tiger to cause trouble?"
"Raising a tiger to cause trouble?"
Duanmu Hong stood up, his hands behind his back, his gaze seemingly piercing through the walls of the hall, looking towards the endless sky.
"First of all, breaking through to the ninth rank is not easy."
"Although they have accumulated enough Dao traces, their physical condition is withered, their lifespan is short, and their spirit has long been worn away by the long years."
"Under these circumstances, if even one-tenth of these 132 people survived the terrifying Mahayana lightning tribulation, it would be considered a mercy from Heaven."
Secondly…
Duanmu Hong turned around, and a powerful aura, capable of suppressing all ages, suddenly erupted from his starry eyes.
"Even if they do manage to break through and reach the ninth rank by sheer luck..."
"So what?"
"There are differences even between ninth-tier levels!"
"Before me, those who have just entered the ninth rank are like frogs at the bottom of a well looking up at the moon, no different in essence from eighth-rank ants."
These words were extremely domineering and arrogant.
But when Duanmu Hong said it, it sounded perfectly natural.
Because he is Duanmu Hong, a ruthless man who has fought against the demon race for millions of years in the chaotic void and killed countless demon emperors of the same level!
His strength was earned through battles, not by simply waiting out the time!
"There's one last point: you seem to be overestimating the strength of my Demon-Slaying Hall."
A mysterious smile appeared on Duanmu Hong's lips.
"Do you really think that this vast Demon-Slaying Hall only has one ninth-rank cultivator like myself?"
Upon hearing this, the black-armored warrior's body trembled violently.
His pupils contracted sharply, as if he had thought of something extremely terrifying. He quickly lowered his head and dared not say another word.
Yes!
The Demon Slayer Hall—they are war machines passed down from ancient times.
How many terrifying old monsters are still hidden in that chaotic void headquarters? Perhaps no one but the Palace Master knows.
"Understood!"
The black-armored warrior, drenched in cold sweat, respectfully replied.
"Let those old guys try to break through; let them try."
"If we succeed, we can serve as cannon fodder in the fight against the demons; if we fail, that's fate."
"Continue with the report."
After Duanmu Hong sat back down at his desk, he resumed his calm and composed demeanor.