"Whatever you say, it's your business. Anyway, my Devilish Lotus Sect will become the number one sect in this main world; just wait, it won't be long. But your sects are only getting worse and declining. Humans and half-monsters like you are incompetent and only good at rivalry and selfishness. Because of this, your races have declined!"

Mystery Elder Hou-Shen did not care what Elder Ming-Ren had said. However, his words were so true that they left the five weird elders with displeased expressions.

No one knew what the six elders were discussing because the ancient pavilion blocked all sound and energy waves, preventing any detection. Meanwhile, the martial masters below, including Zheng-Fu and his group, had just recovered from the pressure.

'What terrible energy! Moreover, the aura just now was filled with demonic vapors. It seems the situation isn't what I expected,' Zheng-Fu, who had already recovered his physical state and energy, suddenly thought about the mysterious person's energy waves and pressure from earlier. He could sense the demonic aura from the pressure and energy waves that the other party had released.

Ten minutes later...

"Greetings, cultivators. Welcome to this testing space. Some of you may have been here before, while others have not. I'm Wan-Shi, the administrator of this dimensional space and one of the weird elders you speak of. This test does not limit the number of people who can pass. As long as you can complete the test inside the tower ahead of you, you'll qualify for the disciple selection!"

After about ten minutes had passed, Elder Wan-Shi finally floated out of the ancient Chinese pavilion and hovered in mid-air. He then greeted everyone and announced the criteria for passing the test and the number of disciples they were seeking. When Elder Wan-Shi finished speaking, the faces of the martial masters who had participated before broke into wide smiles of happiness, as the lack of a limit on the number of disciples this time was very good news for them.

"Does that mean passing the tower test is enough, sir?"

"What floor must we reach to qualify?"

"Do we have to compete with others?"

"Is there a time limit?"

Many questions were fired like machine gun rounds, mostly asked by those who had participated in the test before. Therefore, these people already had some experience.

"Indeed! To qualify, you need to reach the seventh floor of the tower. There's no need to fight each other; everything depends on your own abilities. The test duration is seven days. Anyone who cannot endure within the first three days will be disqualified. However, anyone who reaches the seventh floor within three days will receive a special reward!"

Elder Wan-Shi answered all the questions thoroughly. The requirements weren't difficult, but surviving the test was. This was the first time he had decided to use the ten-story tower after examining it for decades.

"Fantastic! I must pass this test. Just reaching the seventh floor is enough!"

"I'll definitely be one of the chosen ones!"

"I'm about to become the strongest in the world!"

"Heh! No one can stop me. Thankfully, I chose to come here instead of wasting time helping those lowly fools!"

"Why do I feel so anxious?"

"The seventh floor? Isn't that a bit high?"

After hearing the announcement, the expressions of all the cultivators immediately changed. Some were overjoyed and even jumped with excitement, while others simply stood still, lost in thought. Some became worried and hesitant. Each had different thoughts. However, there was one person who did not show any emotion at all, and that person was the Demon Emperor, who was hiding among the crowd without revealing his identity.

'This test isn't as easy as these ants think. The pressure at the tower entrance alone can make them cough up blood, let alone what's inside. Only fools can't sense this. But judging by that kid's expression, he probably knows it too,' the Demon Emperor internally mocked and pitied those who were rejoicing and thought the test was easy. These people had no idea that there was an invisible pressure at the entrance of the tower. However, that was not what caught the Demon Emperor's attention. What intrigued him was Zheng-Fu, who was standing there calmly, smiling.

'It seems the Demon Emperor has noticed this as well. But why is he staring at me? Could he secretly be in love with me? Ha! Or is he plotting against me, planning to eliminate me inside the tower?'

Zheng-Fu also felt the invisible pressure at the tower entrance, as well as the Demon Emperor's gaze. He recognized the energy aura well. Even though it was faint, the golden energy wave within Zheng-Fu's body confirmed that it was indeed the Demon Emperor's demonic aura.

After explaining the rules and the passing criteria, Elder Wan-Shi gave the signal to start the test. The duration was set for seven days.

"Let the test begin!"

Yaaaa!!!

"I must be the first to enter the tower!"

"It has to be me!"

"No one is allowed to get ahead of me!"

"Get out of the way! Anyone who doesn't move will die!"

As soon as the elder announced the start of the test, many cultivators dashed toward the entrance of the tower. However, a significant number of people remained standing in place, waiting to see if there was any danger in front of the entrance.

"Founder, aren't we going in?" the new elder asked impatiently.

"That's right, Founder! If we don't go now, I'm afraid..."

"If you want to go now, go ahead. But if anything happens, don't blame me!" Zheng-Fu replied. He chose not to warn them about the invisible pressure at the entrance. He wanted to see if these people were worth helping or if he should let them perish.

"Founder, are you implying there's something in front of the tower entrance?" However, the new elder understood what Zheng-Fu was trying to convey. After hearing what Zheng-Fu had said, the middle-aged man glanced over and noticed that many cultivators had not moved at all. Most of them were at the highest Divine Emperor stage and above.

Boooooooom!!!

AAAAAAAH!!!

"Oh no! Noooo!!!"

Boooooooom!!!

At that moment, something unexpected happened. Several cultivators who had rushed in earlier were suddenly crushed by invisible energy waves. Those unable to defend themselves exploded into a mist of blood.

AAAAAH!!!

This horrifying scene confirmed the new elder's suspicions, as well as those of the eight prime disciples. They all wore expressions of terror, realizing that if they had followed the crowd, they would have met the same grisly fate.

"All right, we can go now. Before entering the tower, remember to contract your energy to protect yourself. Otherwise, you'll end up like them. If you build a barrier but still can't withstand the pressure, retreat immediately—don't push yourself!" Before leaving, Zheng-Fu gave clear instructions to his people on how to enter the tower and advised them to retreat if they couldn't withstand the pressure.

"We got it, sir!"

The nine nodded obediently to Zheng-Fu, knowing that his guidance was their only way to avoid death or unexpected dangers.

Zing!!!

Zing!!!

This time, in addition to Zheng-Fu's group, many other groups and solo cultivators headed toward the tower entrance, now aware of how to deal with the invisible pressure.

At the ancient pavilion...

"Just as the test begins, so many have already failed. Sigh! What's happening to this world? In the past, this small world was filled with talented and wise beings. But look at it now... Sigh!" Elder Diao-Dek said sorrowfully as he watched many cultivators die and others suffer injuries.

"Humans remain foolish, no matter how many decades pass!" Mystery Elder Hou-Shen remarked in a cold, satisfied tone after Elder Diao-Dek finished speaking.

"Huh! You talk as if demons are any better. You slaughter indiscriminately and even kill your own without remorse!" Elder Ming-Ren snapped back, his expression full of disdain. Although the comment was directed at the Human Race, the half-monster race shared human traits as well.

"Hah! That's called 'the strong devour the weak.' Whoever punches harder wins. The losers are either dead or slaves who must obey the victors!" Mystery Elder Hou-Shen replied indifferently, ignoring Elder Ming-Ren's displeasure. With his higher energy level, he had no fear of Elder Ming-Ren.

"Enough! This kind of argument is pointless. There are good and bad in every race. I suggest we focus on the candidates and see if the ones we chose are still alive. If not, you may need to select a new one!"

Elder Wan-Shi, seated between the two, intervened, reminding them to pay attention to their chosen candidates. As he spoke, he released his energy waves, suppressing both of them.

Huh!!!

"Fine! Just wait until it's my turn, Hou-Shen!"

"I'm not interested. Set a date whenever you're ready. I'm always prepared!"

The two elders quickly set aside their quarrel, but not without exchanging final words. They were like smoldering volcanoes, ready to erupt at any moment.

----------------

Read 'Over The World, Beyond Heaven' before anyone else with a 2-chapter update a day at www.jinovel.com/en

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.