Gripping the sharp blade, Desri swung it twice. Blade energy sliced through the air in every direction.
"It's a fine blade, but my arm strength isn't enough," Desri sighed.
Without Battle Qi, if one's physical strength was sufficient—like the Four Great Ultimate Warriors—one could wield a weapon with pure physical power and achieve astonishing results. In truth, even the Abyss Blade Demon relied on sheer strength to wield that sharp blade.
"What's the rush?" Fain laughed. "Once you become a god, Desri, and your divine body is condensed, you'll be able to use this weapon properly with the power of that divine body and divine energy."
"Haha, that's true." Desri laughed as well.
Everyone knew, of course, that becoming a god still had the most difficult hurdle remaining.
The eleventh level!
The first through fifth levels hadn't been too difficult, but the sixth level—the "Fire Lord"—had increased the danger enormously. Every five levels marked a new tier… It was clear that the eleventh level would be far more challenging than anything from the sixth through tenth. Even beings like the Fire Lord and the Mother Queen were that terrifying.
What awaited them on the eleventh level?
Everyone's hearts were heavy, but they also knew that the eleventh level held the corpses of gods—and godhead crystals!
"The eleventh level…" Lin Lei gazed toward the ancient stone pillar in the distance. Beneath it, the dark glow of the passage entrance was especially conspicuous. "According to what Lord Beirut and the others told us, the guardian beings in the eleventh level should still be of the Saint Realm."
It was clear that the Highgod who controlled the Tomb of the Gods still left a sliver of hope.
Lin Lei also understood that from the twelfth level onward, only those who had reached the divine level could attempt to advance.
"Chances are, from the twelfth level onward, the guardians will be divine-level beings." Lin Lei didn't dare think about venturing into the twelfth level this time. His strength was considerable, but before divine-level powerhouses, he still had no ability to resist.
Possessing a godhead and becoming a god—that was a fundamental transformation of one's very existence.
"Everyone understands," Desri said in a resonant voice, looking around at all the powerhouses. "When we first entered, there were over eighty of us. But only eleven have made it to this tenth level."
Everyone nodded.
The other seventy-odd powerhouses had either died or retreated.
Only they had reached the tenth level.
"In my entire life, I have never been so close to a godhead. I know the eleventh level above holds a godhead." Desri's emotions were surging. After all, he had pursued this goal for thousands of years. "But everyone also knows that the eleventh level is extraordinarily dangerous. Far more dangerous than the Fire Lord, the Mother Queen, the Evil Eye King, or the Adamantine Demon!"
Every powerhouse felt a deep resonance stir within them.
"Perhaps some of us will die on the eleventh level," Desri said in a low voice. "But at least I, for one, will not fear death. I've lived for several thousand years and experienced everything there is to experience. To die on the path toward godhood—I would have no regrets."
Every pair of eyes blazed with intensity.
Whether it was Desri, Rocherly, Fain, Tulli Lei, or Cleo and his two brothers of the Six-Eyed Golden Mythical Beast, or even the Giant Black-Armored Scorpion—they had all fought toward godhood for thousands of years. Life and death… they had long since set aside.
Of the five peak Saint Realm powerhouses, Lasseford had died.
No one mourned Lasseford too deeply. Because everyone understood… perhaps before long, they too would die on this path to godhood.
Among the eleven powerhouses, Lin Lei, Bei Bei, and Olivier were the youngest. Under a hundred years old, they were far younger than Desri's generation. In terms of mental fortitude, or understanding of life and death, there was still some difference between them and the older crowd.
"Everyone, prepare well. We'll rest here on the tenth level for a year and a half. After that, we step into the eleventh level," Desri declared.
A surge of fighting spirit ignited in every powerhouse's heart, and they all nodded quietly.
It had been over eight years since they entered the Tomb of the Gods. Another year and a half of cultivation, and there would still be a few months left before the ten-year deadline. Whether or not they could obtain a godhead on the eleventh level—perhaps the answer would come within a single day.
Everyone dispersed, each finding a spot to begin meditation.
"Boss." Bei Bei looked at Lin Lei.
Lin Lei looked back at Bei Bei. Both of them felt what the other was thinking.
"Train hard."
For Lin Lei, Bei Bei, and Olivier, there was still a chance to improve their strength during this year and a half. As for the other eight powerhouses… unless fortune smiled upon them, breaking through would be truly difficult.
On the vast prairie, in a patch of grass, a gentle breeze stirred and rustled through Lin Lei's long hair.
Lin Lei sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, perfectly calm.
"The deeper I progress into Earth Essence, the greater the difficulty. I've currently reached the 64th layer of Earth Pulse. Merging it down to 32 layers… the time required probably won't be less than last time. Last time it took eight years… and now I have just a year and a half." Lin Lei had already made his decision. "I'll focus on studying 'Wind Essence' instead."
What mattered most right now was achieving a breakthrough in strength, to give himself a greater chance on the eleventh level.
"When the soul harmonizes with nature, Mental Power naturally improves. Cultivating both my Mental Power and Wind Essence won't interfere with either." Lin Lei's mind was at peace.
Then, his mind settled into complete stillness.
He forgot himself.
Lin Lei's Mental Power merged entirely with nature. On this prairie, the wind blew in every direction, and images of the wind's movements traced out all manner of marvelous trajectories in his mind. At the same time, the various sword techniques—"Wind Wave," "Rhythm of the Wind," and "Ten Thousand Swords as One"—played out in his thoughts.
Lin Lei studied and comprehended along the two great states of the Wind Elemental Laws—"fast" and "slow."
Simultaneously, he contemplated the various sword techniques, and countless sword shadows swirled through his mind.
Sword shadows like wind—invisible, formless!
In this state of tranquil comprehension, Lin Lei's understanding of the Wind Elemental Laws advanced steadily, if slowly. The sword shadows in his mind grew ever more profound and natural. His soul harmonized with nature, and his Mental Power made gradual improvements as well.
Time flowed onward. On the prairie of the Tomb of the Gods' tenth level, the various powerhouses either meditated cross-legged or demonstrated their various attacks—all preparing for their entry into the eleventh level.
Lying on the grass, faint dark light flickered across Bei Bei's body.