A moment later, Dii Qingxue finally composed herself. Her beautiful eyes shot a fierce glare at Ye Wushuang, a stern warning.

Of course, all she could do was warn him; she didn’t refute a single word. After all, her inquiry about whether Ye Wushuang practiced the Ultimate Yang Technique was indeed for the sake of Dual Cultivation!

The Ultimate Yin and Ultimate Yang Techniques were complementary. Once two people began cultivating them together, they had to see it through to the end and could not give up halfway.

Ye Wushuang was fine. He primarily cultivated the Heaven-Devouring Dragon Technique, so the Ultimate Yang Technique had little effect on him. Dii Qingxue, however, was a different story. She majored in the Ultimate Yin Technique. If she couldn’t cultivate it to Great Success, her own Cultivation would struggle to advance in the slightest.

However, Ye Wushuang was unaware of all this.

’His strength... he’s gotten stronger again. Such fast progress!’

At the head of the Ancient Spirit Sect disciples, Yunn Xiao’s eyes were fixed on Ye Wushuang, his gaze sharp and intense.

The last time he had seen Ye Wushuang, the boy was merely in the humble Qi Vortex Realm.

Yet in the blink of an eye, he had broken through to the True Essence Third Layer. Such a Cultivation speed was truly astonishing.

Mo Wentian, standing beside him, concealed the killing intent in his eyes and turned to Yunn Xiao. "It seems you know him?"

Yunn Xiao chuckled. "I wouldn’t say I know him, but we’ve met. Still, he’s no simple character to have caught Dii Qingxue’s attention."

"Hmph!"

Since Yunn Xiao had deliberately touched a sore spot, Mo Wentian snorted coldly and turned his head away.

’Heh, I forgot this guy has a thing for Dii Qingxue.’

Yunn Xiao shook his head and smiled, his gaze shifting to Ye Wushuang. He murmured to himself, ’Then again, going after the same woman as Mo Wentian? He’s probably in for some serious trouble.’

As if sensing the gaze, Ye Wushuang turned to look at Yunn Xiao and offered a faint smile in greeting.

Ye Wushuang had a good impression of him. Yunn Xiao had helped him once during the demon beast tide, and Ye Wushuang still owed him a favor.

After the greeting, Ye Wushuang’s gaze swept over the others.

For this trip to the Celestial Abyss, all of the Ancient Spirit Sect’s True Essence Disciples had been mobilized. Most were at the True Essence Third Layer or higher. Even Lee Tongtian and Ye Cheng had broken through to the True Essence Sixth Layer, and there were even some disciples at the True Essence Eighth or Ninth Layer.

Moreover, what was shocking was that the four strongest disciples had already broken through to the Spiritual Spring Realm.

’It seems the gap between me and the strongest disciples is still quite large!’

A heavy weight settled in Ye Wushuang’s heart. He was growing stronger, but so were they. To close that gap, he would have to cultivate even more diligently.

After a moment, Ye Wushuang calmed his racing heart, letting a sense of peace wash over him. Only then did he turn his gaze toward the four figures at the very front.

At the very front stood a middle-aged man with a majestic bearing. He possessed an intimidating aura without showing any anger, carrying the natural air of a superior.

Although he had never seen him before, based on this aura alone, Ye Wushuang guessed that this was likely the elusive Sect Master of the Ancient Spirit Sect: Nangong Liuyun, an expert at the Spiritual Spring Ninth Layer!

The three elderly men behind him must be the Inner Sect Elders, all experts at the Spiritual Spring Sixth Layer.

"That’s the Sect Master!"

Ye Rou whispered in his ear.

Hearing her confirmation, Ye Wushuang smiled faintly. His guess had been right.

He immediately stepped forward, cupped his fists in salute to the four, and said, "Disciple Ye Wushuang pays his respects to the Sect Master and the three Elders."

"Ye Wushuang! Not bad!"

Nangong Liuyun sized up Ye Wushuang with a look of great curiosity. He had been forced into seclusion for a while due to a problem with his own Cultivation.

He hadn’t expected to emerge from seclusion only to find the entire Sect buzzing with rumors about Ye Wushuang, which piqued his curiosity immensely.

Then, learning that the Star Elder had taken him as a disciple only deepened his curiosity. Now, seeing Ye Wushuang for himself, he could tell there was something different about him.

"To be able to gain the Star Elder’s appreciation and be taken as a disciple, you are truly extraordinary," Nangong Liuyun added immediately.

His words immediately caused an uproar.

Not only were the three Elders behind him taken aback, but the crowd of disciples also turned to stare in utter disbelief.

The Star Elder took a disciple?

And he took this True Essence Third Layer guy as his disciple?

’A mere True Essence Third Layer... What makes him worthy?’

A sense of indignation rose among the disciples. Many of them had once pleaded with the Star Elder to accept them as disciples, only to be rejected.

Their Cultivation was much stronger than Ye Wushuang’s, so why choose him?

Mo Wentian, Yee Qianmo, and Yunn Xiao also turned to look at Ye Wushuang, their expressions solemn. The trace of disdain in their eyes vanished.

As the strongest disciples, their strength was formidable, and their temperament and wisdom far surpassed their peers. They naturally understood the significance of being chosen by the Star Elder.

Ye Wushuang paid no mind to the crowd’s stares and asked respectfully, "Sect Master, has my master arrived by any chance?"

"Your master has not come," Nangong Liuyun answered, then added, "However, he asked me to relay a message to you."

Ye Wushuang asked, "What message?"

Nangong Liuyun said, "Your master wanted me to tell you that this Earth Palace trial is an opportunity for you. It’s a chance to close the gap with the others, and he wants you to be sure to seize it."

’An opportunity!’

Hearing this, how could Ye Wushuang not understand the meaning behind his master’s words?

His gaze sharpened with unshakeable resolve. This was his chance, his one and only major opportunity to turn the tables.

If he missed this chance, he feared he wouldn’t even be qualified to face his opponents on the Barbarian God Battle Platform.

Seeing the determination in Ye Wushuang’s eyes, Nangong Liuyun smiled and nodded. He then turned to the crowd and announced, "Everyone, gather around. I’m going to go over some important points about the Earth Palace trial."

Hearing this, everyone walked over.

"Most of you probably know about the Earth Palace trial, so I’ll talk about the point system."

Nangong Liuyun began to speak, and the mention of a "point system" immediately piqued everyone’s interest.

Everyone listened quietly, full of questions.

Nangong Liuyun continued, "The Earth Palace was left behind for future generations as a place of training. It contains the Heaven-Defying Means of a Great Saint. From the moment you step inside, your actions—hunting Demon Beasts, seizing treasures, finding fortuitous encounters, and so on—will be recorded by a special method and converted into points. These points are extremely important, as their total will determine what kind of reward you ultimately receive in the Heaven and Earth Hall."

"Of course, you must all remember one thing. Although the points are intangible, if you are killed, they will be transferred to your killer. You will essentially be doing all the work for someone else’s reward. Therefore, the greatest danger in the Earth Palace isn’t the Demon Beasts or the Undying Creatures; it’s the other Cultivators entering alongside you. They will stop at nothing to kill others and seize their points."

"Due to the Restrictions in the Earth Palace, the three Elders and I cannot enter. You can only rely on yourselves."

As he spoke, Nangong Liuyun’s gaze swept across the disciples. "I hope that once you enter, you will remain united and avoid infighting. That is the only way you will make it out of there alive. Furthermore, your Identity Tokens have a special mark. In a moment, I will perform a Spiritual Infusion on them for all of you. This will allow you to sense one another from thousands of miles away. Do you all understand?"

"Understood!"

The crowd nodded.

At the same time, Lee Tongtian’s gaze locked onto Ye Wushuang, glinting with murderous intent.