Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the majestic plaza, seven teleportation arrays lit up in succession, emitting a brilliant radiance.

Figures materialized from each array, their faces etched with complex expressions—some flushed with joy, others fraught with worry.

The rules of the ancestral land were unforgiving; those who failed the trials were ruthlessly expelled. Now, only about two hundred people remained on the plaza.

In the area designated for the Qian Realm, Ye Qingxian stood as serene as a lotus. Her beauty was exquisite and ethereal, devoid of any fluctuation in emotion, while a golden rune faintly shimmered on her brow.

The disciples around her maintained a respectful distance of several zhang, their eyes brimming with awe.

Unlike the Li Realm, the Qian Realm was divided into two distinct sections: an Outer Plaza and an Inner Plaza.

The Outer Plaza was filled with trials steeped in baleful Geng Metal energy, demanding that participants endure the agonizing pain of fierce winds that gnawed at their very bones.

The Inner Plaza housed the nine-zhang-tall Qian Gold Heavenly Stele, requiring participants to comprehend the stele’s profound meaning.

Only those who successfully navigated the Outer Plaza could qualify to enter the inner sanctum for contemplation—and thus, earn the right to pass the gate.

The disciples standing here had all overcome the Outer Plaza trials, yet each wore tattered robes and bore numerous wounds.

In stark contrast, Ye Qingxian, clad in snow-white robes untainted by even a speck of dust, had breezed through the trials as if crushing everything beneath her feet.

Furthermore, within the Inner Plaza, she had triggered an unprecedented spectacle—the “Heavenly Stele Resonance.”

At that moment, nine layers of Dao patterns had lit up sequentially. Their dazzling golden light illuminated the entire Qian Realm, shaking the very souls of all who witnessed it.

“A pity. In the end, she failed to gain the Qian Realm’s full acknowledgement,” murmured a disciple from the Shen family.

Obtaining recognition from the trigram spirits was the highest honor of the second gate.

His companion shook his head and whispered, “Don’t be ridiculous. No one from the Shen family, past or present, has ever mastered it. How could it be so easy? For Miss Ye to achieve this much is already astonishing beyond measure.”

“True enough. Miss Ye’s strength is already terrifying. I’d wager she’ll take first place again this time,” added another.

Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, their reverence for that solitary, white-clad figure deepening even further.

Just then, the teleportation array for the Kun Realm blazed with light. Shen Li strode out with his head held high, his dark robes billowing in the wind, a smug and triumphant smirk playing on his lips.

His followers immediately rushed forward, showering him with obsequious praise.

“Second Young Master broke through three barriers in the Kun Realm! Truly remarkable!”

“I say, the top spot belongs to Second Young Master this time, without a doubt!”

…

“Why hasn’t the Li Realm shown any activity yet?”

Someone suddenly noticed that one teleportation array remained utterly silent.

Everyone turned their heads. Indeed, the teleportation array representing the Li Realm—the Realm of Fire—was still dim and lifeless, standing in stark contrast to the other seven arrays glowing brightly.

“Could they still be inside, comprehending the Dao?” someone asked, frowning.

The second gate had a strict time limit of five days. However, if one managed to touch upon the profound rules within, they could continue their contemplation, and the time within that specific realm would extend accordingly.

“How could that be? Even Second Young Master and Miss Ye have already emerged. Who among us still possesses such ability? You might as well tell me everyone inside has been eliminated,” someone immediately retorted loudly.

This remark quickly won over the crowd.

No one believed anyone remaining could truly touch the trigram rules. Even if someone could, they assumed it would only be a contest between Ye Qingxian and Shen Li.

Ye Qingxian slightly furrowed her delicate brows, her cold gaze sweeping across the crowd.

That figure who always wore a languid, lazy smile was nowhere to be seen.

Could it be…?

Her usually calm heart inexplicably rippled with a trace of unease.

Shen Li also noticed that Shen Xian—that useless waste—hadn’t appeared. After his confidant reported the situation from each realm, he immediately chuckled softly. “It seems that trash entered the Li Realm.”

His nearby confidant immediately echoed, “Young Master is right. The Li Fire is treacherous. With that fellow’s abilities, he probably…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but his meaning was perfectly clear.

The other lackeys around him also wore delighted smiles.

If that waste really died in the Li Realm, it would be a blessing indeed.

Shen Li’s eyes flickered, and he murmured softly, “I hope so.”

It would be even better if the elements killed his brother for him, saving him the trouble of dealing with the nuisance personally.

As long as that useless fellow was dead, no one would stand in his way.

As for Ye Qingxian, that woman…

His gaze involuntarily drifted to her graceful figure standing not far away. A surge of heat rose in his heart, and greed flashed in his eyes.

How could a widow compete with him?

When he took control of the family, he would forcibly marry her. Who would dare say a word against it?

Ever since the premier beauty of Qingzhou regained her cultivation, Shen Li had been deeply interested in her.

Especially after learning that she hadn’t consummated her marriage with his useless younger brother.

Such a woman was worthy of him!

At this thought, the smile on Shen Li’s lips deepened, his mood lifting significantly.

“Young Master, it seems Lord Shen Xiao hasn’t come out either,” said a confidant hesitantly.

According to reports from subordinates in the other six realms, Shen Xiao’s figure had not been seen anywhere.

Shen Xiao was the strongest among their enforcers and Shen Li’s greatest support. He shouldn’t have failed to pass.

Shen Li’s smile froze. His brows furrowed as he fell into deep thought.

Screee—!

Just as the crowd buzzed with discussion, a deafening phoenix cry suddenly echoed through the heavens!

The entire ancestral land trembled violently. At the location of the Li Realm teleportation array, countless crimson fissures split the ground open.

Scorching magma erupted from beneath the earth, coalescing in mid-air into nine flaming phoenixes poised to take flight.

Each phoenix boasted a wingspan exceeding ten zhang, its feathers shimmering with dazzling golden-red radiance, illuminating the entire sky as if it were a burning sea.

Boom!

A column of fiery gold, dozens of zhang in diameter, shot straight up from the teleportation array, piercing the nine heavens.

Within the pillar floated countless ancient fire runes and talismans, intertwining in mid-air to form a massive ‘Li’ trigram pattern.

The pattern rotated slowly. Each revolution triggered violent tremors in the celestial energies, dimming the lights of the other seven teleportation arrays in comparison.

Even more shocking was the sudden descent of a rain of fire from the sky.

Those falling flames transformed into blooming red lotuses in mid-air, each blossom bursting forth with thunderous roars.

The temperature on the plaza soared instantly, forcing disciples with weaker cultivation to summon all their spiritual energy just to withstand the scorching heat.

The golden rune at Ye Qingxian’s brow suddenly flared brightly. She raised her head to gaze at the sky, her cold eyes showing a rare expression of solemnity.

Shen Li, meanwhile, stared intently at the nine circling fire phoenixes. This was the supreme manifestation of the Li Realm’s essence!

“Could someone have obtained the power of the essence?” someone exclaimed in astonishment.

Originally, they had thought everyone in the Li Realm had perished, yet such a heaven-shaking phenomenon had occurred.

“Who is it?”

“Who on earth could it be?”

Countless gazes turned toward the dazzling firelight, eager to discover who had ultimately mastered the essence power of the trigram.

For this concerned the blessing bestowed by the founding ancestor.

As the circling fire phoenixes dissipated, more than thirty figures emerged from the teleportation array.

Everyone focused their attention intently.

Among them, the most striking figure was Shen Xian, standing proudly and solitarily.

“He’s not dead?” Shen Li’s eyes revealed a flicker of shock. “What is Shen Xiao doing? Can’t he even kill a piece of trash?”

“Could it be he was busy contemplating the essence?”