Jue Mingzi knew exactly what he was doing, climbing step by step, level by level. He knew that as long as he persevered, he would inevitably find the central figure in this Heartless Dao trial, Lao Du.

For him, eliminating Lao Du was the final test for his complete control over the Wu Sect. For the cultivators of the Wu Sect, the humiliation from a hundred years ago was still fresh in their memories, something they could not forget.

This was a thorn in the hearts of all Wu Sect cultivators. Without removing it, he couldn't make the Wu Sect settle down.

...Lao Du was equally clear about what he was doing here. Besides continuing to train his spiritual power, as long as he was present, no one could surpass him to seize control over the Altar Space.

The Seventh Space was also the only space, and no one could bypass him.

He didn't know what method the Wu Sect would use to seize control, nor the timing or the approach. There were too many extraordinary things in the Cultivation World, but here, all wonders lead back to the Cave Spirit, and he was the one closest to it.

Nothing else mattered; as long as he held onto this final checkpoint.

...Hou Niao also knew what he was doing. His goal was to clear each stage, killing anyone who dared to block his way, no matter who it was, be it Heartless Dao or Yuqing, Lao Du or Jue Mingzi, be they Golden Core or Nascent Soul Masters.

...Apart from these three, the Masters were all in their own Altar Spaces, training their spiritual power; the three Masters from Heartless Dao entered certain Altars when they arrived and were still stuck there, struggling to progress, two at the Fifth Level and one at the Sixth Level.

The three Masters from the Wu Sect were in the same situation; they were people who had come in over a hundred years ago, also placed directly in independent Altar Spaces, one in the Fifth Level and two in the Sixth Level.

This was the current basic situation in the Altar Cave Heaven. For now, battles were taking place in the Second, Third, and Fourth Space, and the fastest ones, Hou Niao and Jue Mingzi, were already preparing to enter the Fourth Altar. Theoretically, the only opportunity for them to meet would be in the Seventh Altar. Before that, they would face the tests from the Nascent Souls of the Wu Sect Lian Sect.

This was the real deadlock.

...Huang Kexiu was very frustrated; he encountered a Daoist in the Third Altar Space whose strength was immensely superior, and he was easily defeated. If it weren't for the treasure he offered to the Cave Spirit, he would have already reported to the Underworld.

He could tolerate failure, but losing to an outsider Daoist made him very angry. What was the sect doing? How were the intruders from the Wu Sect able to sneak into the Altar Cave Heaven? Was it that Lotus Mountain had been attacked, and the sect had been lost?

In his Realm, he found it difficult to understand the mysteries of space, so he couldn't imagine what had happened.

He thought that after failing, he would be kicked out of the Altar Cave Heaven, allowing him to return to Lotus Mountain, thus understanding what happened to the sect.

However, no matter how long he waited, there was no sign of being kicked out. Instead, amid the churn of the Altar, he was joined by another Heartless Dao senior brother, Gao Hansheng.

The two stared at each other, sensing something was off.

"Senior Brother Gao, why are you so slow, only now reaching the Second Altar Space?"

Gao Hansheng replied angrily, "There is an external enemy infiltrating, the Altar Space is in danger! I was beaten down here by a Sword Cultivator. How could a Sword Cultivator appear here?"

Huang Kexiu was even more surprised, "Sword Cultivator? How did Sword Cultivators get involved? Wasn't it the Wu Sect thieves who invaded the Altar Cave Heaven? Other than those regular visitors, which Daoist lineages could get in here?"

Both of them having different experiences, Huang Kexiu appeared more certain.

The Wu Sect would never ally with the Sword Sect, so clearly one of them must have misjudged. Given the longstanding grudge with the Wu Sect in the Cave Heaven, if anyone on the Continent had the ability to sneak into the Altar Cave Heaven uninvited, it's Wu Sect and no other sect should come to mind.

Gao Hansheng shook his head, "That flash was too fast. It might have been a Flying Sword, or it could be a new Yuqing technique from the Wu Sect?"

Both filled the gaps in their heads, out of their deep dread of the Wu Sect.

Their internal conflict was now meaningless, as they were ordinary Golden Cores in Heartless Dao. Their strength was acceptable, but to say they could contend against the Wu Sect cultivators was a joke, shown already by their last defeat.

"Why can't we leave?"

This was the question that left them most puzzled; they naturally did not understand that the current Altar Cave Heaven was no longer at Lotus Mountain but had been moved to an Otherworldly Space, where the body of a Golden Core cultivator couldn't withstand the forces ripping it apart. Kicking someone out would be equivalent to murder.

If they couldn't be thrown out, they had to stay within the Altar Cave Heaven, though they couldn't influence the big picture much, because those who could determine the Cave Heaven's direction were all moving upward.

"Just wait, when change arrives, we'll have the chance to contribute."

...Hou Niao successfully passed through the Fourth Space, which was straightforward for him. Aside from the Heartless Daoist in the Second Space being perfectly protected by the Cave Spirit, the opponents in the Third and Fourth Space couldn't escape his Flying Sword. To these normal elite Golden Cores, there was already a significant gap.

The next challenge was the Fifth Space, where spiritual power increased by seventy percent. In each Space, the time taken to train his spiritual power grew longer, from several hours in the First Space, then a day, several days, growing increasingly difficult.

It was even harder than defeating opponents.

But he knew there were others like him pushing upwards, such as Jue Mingzi from Yuqing. It wasn't possible he wouldn't take part in this action, as it was the best way for Jue Mingzi to win the trust of the Wu Sect.

Half a month later, the Altar turned once more, and an old Daoist appeared before him. Upon seeing Hou Niao, he immediately exclaimed in surprise,

"Hou Niao, how did you get here?"

Hou Niao replied nonchalantly, "I am destined with this Cave Heaven, why can't I come here?"

The old Master was indignant, "This is the Cave Heaven of my Heartless Dao. Young man, your reach has extended too far."

Hou Niao continued to provoke, "Just so you know, the Demon Sect is one family under the Universe. I'm actually here to help you. Perhaps you don't know, I've already killed two Wu Sect cultivators along the way. Don't you understand yet?"

The old Master's eyes narrowed, "Boy, stop with the nonsense, trying to disrupt my mind is a long shot for you!"

Hou Niao smiled, "Don't you think about why I could come in? Besides the Wu Sect on the Continent, who else has such skills? How long have you been here without moving up? It would be better to leave the opportunity to me to intercept the Wu Sect, wouldn't that be more reliable than your Heartless Dao?"

The old Master merely shook his head, outwardly disbelieving but internally already convinced.

Hou Niao suggested, "If you voluntarily exit, you'll run into Wu Sect Masters. It's better you settle your issues with them, isn't that wonderful? Why fight life-and-death with me here?"

The old Master gritted his teeth, "I feel it might be easier to deal with you."

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