“Luck, an Upper Immortal Realm Myriad Manifestation Crystal Core of all things—” The Myriad Manifestation itself, when alive, possessed no fixed crystal core; it was ever-changing. Only upon death would a crystal core condense.

However, it would not be as solid as ordinary beast cores, but rather possess a consistency akin to solidified resin. At this moment, Zong Shou was certain that before him lay the remains of a Divine Beast-level Myriad Manifestation.

He sensed the trace of impatient yearning emanating from Xiao Jin. Zong Shou was likewise filled with indescribable delight, taking a deep breath before forcefully suppressing it.

“Little fellow, hold your horses!” Patting Xiao Jin’s ‘head’, Zong Shou then closely examined the situation within the hall. After briefly analyzing the spiritual array restrictions inside, Zong Shou seemed to gain sudden insight a moment later.

Then, without hesitation, he strode forward into the interior. As soon as he stepped inside, the hall doors boomed shut.

Before him, a vague human silhouette appeared, faintly resembling Zong Shou, and growing increasingly real. Indeed, since it was the crystal core of a Divine Beast Myriad Manifestation, the test here must surely be related to the Myriad Manifestation’s divine transformation abilities.

What he faced was most likely a projected imitation of himself. He waited quietly as the figure’s features became clearer and clearer.

Just as the silhouette was about to fully form, the transformation suddenly halted. Then, Zong Shou watched dumbfounded as the simulated ‘Zong Shou’ before him writhed, collapsed, and reformed again and again.

“Cannot simulate? How can this be?” He stared intently, yet the spiritual array restrictions within the hall showed no apparent flaws.

But after more than ten failed simulations, the figure still collapsed, and the spiritual array in the stone hall began to gradually crumble. Zong Shou frowned slightly, then suddenly realized, remembering the Primordial Qi within him that he still couldn't fully control, as well as the cluster of azure light at the core of his soul sea.

If he was not mistaken, these two factors must be why the spiritual array in the stone hall could not successfully replicate him. If it were a true Myriad Manifestation, it would have stopped itself long ago.

But this spiritual array, lacking any capacity for thought, despite using the Myriad Manifestation Crystal Core as its center, possessed no true sentience of its own. And just a moment later, the silhouette before Zong Shou completely dissipated.

Only faint remnants of the array remained in the hall. Zong Shou was momentarily speechless, having been ready and eager, carefully preparing for so long, only for this trial question to resolve itself so easily, requiring no action from him whatsoever.

With a casual wave, he summoned the now unguarded Myriad Manifestation Crystal Core to his hand. As he took a closer look, Xiao Jin impatiently surged forward and completely devoured the core.

Then, its entire body transformed into a sphere, shrinking into a ball. Zong Shou chuckled dryly and tossed it into his spirit beast pouch.

Devouring and digesting an Upper Immortal Realm Myriad Manifestation Crystal Core would not be easy; even breaching the outer layer would take three to five months. This little thing would probably need a long period of slumber.

Turning away, Zong Shou continued his search. Several figures had now appeared in this space.

Zong Yuan was surprisingly among them, causing Zong Shou a slight surprise. He had no idea how Zong Yuan had passed the fifth trial, the Starlight Grand Array.

Zong Yuan also seemed intensely focused on searching for something, making it inconvenient to approach, offering only a distant salute. Zong Shou glanced over but didn't pay much attention.

Time was short; even a single breath was precious. This was certainly not the moment for conversation.

And it was only when Zong Shou reached the front of the three thousand, four hundred and twentieth stone hall that a weight lifted from his heart, his eyes brightening. Without hesitation, he stepped inside.

This stone hall contained the Divine Realm Dragon Pill. It was deep golden-yellow, suspended in mid-air, emitting a dazzling radiance.

Though only the size of a charcoal ball, its surface continuously flashed with profound and mysterious runes. Within the spiritual light radiating around it, dragon shadows seemed to roam.

As soon as Zong Shou stepped into the hall, he immediately felt a majestic dragon might press down upon him. With every step forward, the pressure seemed to grow heavier.

“This trial is to contend against the might of this Divine Realm True Dragon?” The Divine Realm True Dragon was absent, only the lingering remnant power of the Dragon Pill remained, yet it was still overbearing and unparalleled, its imposing aura immense. “Legends say the Dragon Race is the king of all beasts in the world.

Their innate bloodline can suppress all other races. It is also said that the nine types of True Dragons, each one represents a heavenly Great Dao.

Beyond the ultimate realm, they can even be equivalent to the Dao itself. These words are clearly not an exaggeration—” Zong Shou clenched his fist, clearly sensing that the Dragon Pill had completely partitioned off all the metal-attribute spiritual energy in this area, severing his connection to it entirely!

With a cold snort, Zong Shou continued to step forward, and simultaneously, a powerful martial intent surged forth. Of all the sword intents he had comprehended, the most profound was the Nine-Nine Dragon Shadow Sword.

Back at Ju Long Mountain, he had directly comprehended it to the Mid-stage Sword Soul realm! And observing the vision of the Primordial Realm recently, he seemed to have made further progress.

Now exerting his full strength to resist, nine dragon shadows of various shapes faintly emerged behind Zong Shou. With nearly every step, one dragon shadow transformed from illusory to ‘solid’!

—The Platinum Dragon, the Azure Wood Dragon, the Thunder Dragon, the Profound Yin Dragon, the Fierce Fire Dragon, the Space-Skipping Dragon, the Profound Yellow Dragon, the Glacial Chi Dragon— As each dragon form shifted from a mere phantom to something tangible, roaring and coiling, the already ‘substantive’ sword shadows around Zong Shou condensed further. He contended against the dragon might without yielding an inch, though his body seemed barely able to sustain it, continuously tearing open shocking wounds.

Zong Shou paid them no mind, as if the injuries were not happening to him. When the nine dragon shadows suddenly converged into one, faintly taking the shape of a sword, Zong Shou had taken his final step, arriving before the Dragon Pill.

The peak of his sword intent, at this moment, had surprisingly turned the tables. His Nine-Nine Dragon Shadow Sword intent subtly overwhelmed the dragon might by a fraction!

Looking indifferently at the Dragon Pill, whose luster had dimmed slightly, Zong Shou flicked his finger. Instantly, the entire spiritual array dissolved like ice.

And the Dragon Pill, once freed from restraint, immediately transformed into a streak of golden light and flew toward the exit of the hall. “Just a dead thing, where do you think you can fly?” He lashed out with soul power, firmly binding the Dragon Pill.

However, the object struggled fiercely, maintaining parity with his soul force. But when Zong Shou imposed a sword intent upon it and then unleashed a series of spiritual talismans, he finally managed to firmly secure the Divine Realm Dragon Pill and stored it inside his sleeve.

Stepping out of the hall, Zong Shou first frowned, looking over his body. Blood streamed everywhere, wounds riddled him, and even consuming several high-rank eighth-tier spirit pills failed to heal them.

This was only the surface; his internal organs were far more heavily injured, all compressed and distorted, nearly ruptured. These injuries were not caused by the pressure of the dragon might.

Rather, his own body could not bear the martial intent at the ‘Sword Soul’ level, which caused the damage. “As expected, with internal energy below the seventh tier, lacking qualitative transformation, the strength of the physical body is still somewhat insufficient—” With a sigh, Zong Shou recalled Ye Feishuang’s earlier words—that in over ten thousand years of the Dragon Race history, no one had ever managed to obtain the eighth spiritual item.

The challenges here were certainly escalating. With each item obtained, the subsequent trials would inevitably become stronger.

Compared to the ease of the previous stages, this time was somewhat ragged. Even he dared not claim he could achieve further success.

Looking out again, he saw Zong Yuan engaged in a fierce battle with someone in the distance, somehow. Zong Shou glanced over there, then narrowed his eyes dangerously.

“Primal Beginning Demonic Sect?” It seemed only this one person from the Primal Beginning Demonic Sect had entered this true inheritance ground of the Dragon Race. He was also a ninth-tier expert, holding a black wooden sword, standing atop an altar.

From a distance of three thousand zhang, he remotely controlled three seventh-tier soul beasts to trap Zong Shou. In this inheritance ground, everyone’s cultivation was strictly suppressed to the seventh tier.

Even Spirit Masters could only command mounts above the seventh tier here. Thus, those three seventh-tier soul beasts were no match for Zong Yuan, and were in constant danger of being annihilated by him.

The Roaming Spirit Master from the Primal Beginning Demonic Sect also seemed well aware of Zong Yuan’s combat strength, relying on these three soul beasts to hold him back, while he himself continuously cast spiritual techniques from the altar, striking from afar. And a Profound Gold Turtle, its strength forcibly suppressed to the seventh tier by a secret art, never left his side.

Zong Yuan stood in the distance, advancing towards the altar with firm, steady steps. Various powerful spiritual techniques erupted around him one after another, but they were often broken by his Thunder Spear intent just as they began to form.

It was not effortless, but he remained composed, only showing slight strain. Near the two of them, three other people watched from afar, including Fang Ming, their gazes flickering with an inexplicable light.

Zong Shou raised an eyebrow, then let out a cold chuckle. Carrying his Broken Autumn Sword, he silently began walking toward the altar.

His surging killing intent was completely suppressed, and his vital energy was retracted to the extreme. He seemed to vanish from existence as he crept closer.

The others were oblivious, but Fang Ming suddenly knitted his brow. Then, with a light smile, he abruptly flashed between Zong Yuan and the altar, lightly flicking his sleeve to disperse a streak of firelight.

“Brother Luo Ming, there are many spiritual treasures here; why cause strife over such a small thing? There is still plenty of time left to search carefully now; it is not impossible to lose the east pond to recover the mulberry.

What do Your Highness Zong Shou think?” Luo Ming, having been blocked, was initially annoyed, his eyes showing clear dissatisfaction. Prompted by Fang Ming, he was suddenly startled.