Bi Fang hadn't died. Its eyes were cold as it dodged to the side.

A gleaming blade struck the air—a jade-green mantis scythe, from a mantis about as tall as a man. Its scythes gleamed with incredible sharpness as divine flames ignited over its body. It fought against another young cultivator.

The frosty light shocked all lifeforms in the region. The jade-green mantis was unbelievably strong and easily beheaded the young cultivator in a fountain of blood.

Zhang Lie and Sun Xiaowu continued slaughtering their way forward. Despite the fact that Sun Xiaowu wasn't in peak condition, his overwhelming defense via the protection of his golden runes meant that barely anyone could harm him.

"Are you certain this is the right direction?" Zhang Lie asked.

Sun Xiaowu nodded. "My senses can't be mistaken."

Zhang Lie and Sun Xiaowu began to climb the mountain along with the golden elephant and jade-green mantis. The cultivators and lifeforms were aware of each other. Though they were wary, none struck at the others.

Behind them were a large number of other lifeforms, but none dared contest these three groups for dominance. They could only follow behind.

Divine flame blazed in the air as the Bi Fang attempted to attack Sun Xiaowu and replace him.

"Do you think I'm easy prey?" Zhang Lie murmured. He waited until the avian approached before suddenly striking with incredible speed.

"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Fade]!"

A sea of stars appeared above Zhang Lie's head, shining with crystalline stars.

The silver stars fell from the sky, transforming into a rain of meteors. The Bi Fang was struck down in a shower of blood.

The other lifeforms, seeing the fallen Bi Fang, didn't dare to draw near.

Very quickly, Zhang Lie and Sun Xiaowu reached the fog-shrouded peak of the mountain, where a giant palace awaited them.

It was majestic and magnificent, stately and sacred.The other eight holy mountains were much the same. A group of strong lifeforms were already ascending the other peaks. Each mountain wreathed in purple fog had its own palace and inheritance at the top.

According to Sun Xiaowu's senses, however, each palace harbored a different treasure, and these treasures were not all equal in value. The palace to which they were headed had the full inheritance that he sought, and was surely the largest treasure to be found here.

As they entered the palace, they were struck by a wave of sound that shook their bodies and caused their souls to resonate.

The palace was carved full of runes and insight. There was no specific instruction to be found, only the thoughts and experiences of other cultivators—which was even more precious.

"Whoever can intuit these teachings the best will be able to advance deeper into the palace," one cultivator surmised.

In other words, this was a test of insight and compatibility with the technique.

Zhang Lie was shocked. Going into the stone forest, he had had a notion of what the cup was designed to accomplish. It was no mere competition, but rather a means of gathering the most talented cultivators of the younger generation from the fifth realm and having them duke it out so that the strongest among them would be fostered with techniques and treasure.

To be able to receive such treatment in the fourth realm was a clear stroke of luck for Zhang Lie and his team.

Zhang Lie and Sun Xiaowu sat cross-legged in meditation as they carefully contemplated the divine melody and the experiences of cultivators that had come before them.

Suddenly, they seemed to be transported into someone else's life—starting out in a small village, fighting stronger and ever stronger cultivators in the vicinity, until finally falling to another's blade.Zhang Lie immersed himself in the experience and carefully sampled the experience and insight that cultivators from a primordial age had left behind.

"This is incredible," Zhang Lie murmured. He was starting to modify the fundamentals of his framework and techniques, and this past legend's experience held great insight into that process. His eyes shone; he had learned a tremendous amount.

As much as Zhang Lie had benefited, though, Sun Xiaowu had benefited more.

Suddenly, fog gathered around the rock forest. The runes glowed brilliantly as the runes crashed into each other with tinkling noises, as though they were notes of some divine music.

Sun Xiaowu sat cross-legged as the runes hovered around him, smashing his bones. He bore with the intense pain as the runes granted him their golden light. The rumbling of thunder could be heard within his body as golden light bathed his limbs and bones, shrouding him in radiance.

The golden light was like a scorching flame. Despite the overwhelming temperature, Sun Xiaowu stood still and motionless as the golden runes branded themselves on his skin.

Sun Xiaowu's bones cracked. He shuddered in overwhelming pain as the golden runes seeped into his very bones.His bones continued to fragment as blood seeped out of his skin, carrying trace impurities from his mind along with it.

The black demonic seed, implanted during the qualifiers, emerged anew. Demonic aura roiled in the air and shot into the skies, transforming into the figure of some great demon that seemed about to descend to the virtual world. Black lines, like roots, spread from the demonic seed all over Sun Xiaowu's body, causing black aura to seep out of it.

Even more demonic aura, deeply entrenched within his body, was forced out. All the golden runes in the palace began to glow as Sun Xiaowu bathed in their combined radiance.

What had happened in the rock forest was reoccurring again.

Sun Xiaowu's bones continued to grind against each other. He gritted his teeth and bore with the pain as bone finally turned into powder.

This was a frightening scene to behold. Considering the extent of the destruction, if anything untoward were to happen, Sun Xiaowu's mental avatar could be ruined for good.

Then, even his skull began to fragment, crack, and turn to powder.

Sun Xiaowu was supporting himself with genetic energy. Otherwise, without any bones to maintain the structure of his body, he would be nothing more than a bag of flesh and bones.

With his bones shattered, the blood seeped even more quickly out of his skin, carrying the impurities of his mental avatar along with him. The blood turned black; new, fresh, pure blood would be created within his body as it was reforged.

The golden light from the runes bathed Sun Xiaowu. He continued to bear with the pain as he absorbed the light to refine his blood, flesh, and bone.

The golden runes transformed into natural law that smelted his body, fully obliterating bone in preparation for reconstruction.

Finally, Sun Xiaowu's body shone with even more intense light, blood-colored as impurities streamed out. What remained of his body was weakened and febrile.

Almost all his blood had been replaced; his body was being prepared for a final reconstruction.

Golden flames bathed his body, immolating him, reforging him, and finally rebirthing him.

The heavens rumbled as the sound of scripture came from within the hall. Sun Xiaowu was undergoing a metamorphosis. The shattered bones in his body were reforming in jeweled splendor.A dragon's keen could be heard, startling the other cultivators who were in the palace.

Divine radiance seeped out from deep within the palace and rained down on the cultivators in a shower of light.

All the demonic aura was finally squeezed out of Sun Xiaowu's body, leaving only the initial seed by his forehead. A burgeoning vitality emerged from his body, causing bone, blood, and flesh to resonate.

Incredible vitality nourished his body and caused it to gleam with light.

As the metamorphosis continued, another cultivator stepped into the palace.