My blind date failed, so I had to ascend the throne and become emperor.

Chapter 182 Reunion with the Woman in Black Armor
The six chains correspond to the six jade pillars.

Whoever steps across first will obtain the treasure inside the jade pillar.

While it's not certain that they'll obtain all of them, they'll definitely get at least one of the six treasures. However, there are still twenty-four Golden Core cultivators who have passed the cave test, so the question of who will go first has become a problem.

The independent cultivators remained silent.

They knew they definitely wouldn't be able to secure a spot to go first, and more importantly, they didn't know what dangers lay on the chains. With the intention of letting other Golden Core cultivators wade through the water, these rogue cultivators didn't step forward.

The sects and families have the most Golden Core cultivators, and many are in the late Golden Core stage. They are very powerful. They couldn't use their strength in the cave before, but they can here. So they are very confident and speak with authority. They didn't even consult with the independent cultivators and quickly arranged for the first people to go to the chains.

They consist of four late-stage Golden Core cultivators and two mid-stage Golden Core cultivators.

Despite knowing the danger, these late-stage Golden Core cultivators were willing to risk everything in order to be the first to obtain the treasure.

Watch this scene.

Zhou Ping sneered.

Those chains must be something special. To be so greedy despite knowing the danger shows that one's mind is not strong.

Whoosh.

The six Golden Core cultivators stepped onto the chains.

The wind howled between the cliffs.

As soon as they stepped onto the ground, their expressions turned noticeably unpleasant.

Someone asked what happened.

One of them couldn't help but say, "Our magic power and divine sense are locked up, just like in the cave space. We can't use them. Now we can only rely on our physical bodies to maintain our balance!"

Listen to this.

Even the Golden Core cultivators on the cliff edge turned pale at the sight, unable to use their magic power or divine sense. The chains looked shaky and could easily cause them to fall, making their fate entirely dependent on their control over their physical bodies.

Fortunately, those who can become Golden Core cultivators all have very strong control over their physical bodies.

But the dangers are definitely not limited to these.

really.

When the six Golden Core cultivators reached one-third of the chain's length, the chain began to sway significantly, and the wind blowing from the cliff turned into a gale, ravaging their bodies.

laugh.

One of them lost his balance and slipped down. He quickly grabbed the chain, but a purple lightning bolt suddenly appeared on the chain, instantly shocking the Golden Core cultivator who released his grip and fell to the bottom of the cliff with a scream.

He fell to his death.

It is truly tragic for a Golden Core cultivator to perish in such a way.

The remaining five looked panicked.

One of the Golden Core cultivators hurriedly quickened his pace, wanting to pass quickly, but somehow he lost his footing and fell down.

"This is bad! These chains are intertwined, one real and one illusory, making it impossible to distinguish between them!"

I heard shouts.

Zhou Ping and the others frowned deeply. They hadn't expected such a danger as illusion and reality. Clearly, this was a test of the Golden Core cultivators' mental state. The illusion and reality must be a mirage. If they could use their divine sense, they could easily sense the illusion and reality. But since they couldn't use it, they could only rely on their own judgment.

After a while.

The six Golden Core cultivators who were the first to step onto the chains all fell to the ground, suffering a miserable fate.

No one dared to go up anymore.

Because later on, no one with the Golden Elixir skill explained the dangers of the chains to them anymore.

There was no one there.

Zhou Ping snorted and stepped directly onto the chains.

His physical body was extremely strong. When he stepped on the chains, he was as steady as a mountain. No matter how the chains swayed, they could not shake him in the slightest. Before long, he reached the center of the chains.

See this.

Those Golden Core cultivators on the cliff edge couldn't sit still any longer. While secretly marveling at Zhou Ping's prowess, they hurriedly stepped onto the chains.

soon.

Zhou Ping then encountered a chain area where the real and the virtual intersected.

The chains in front of him seemed to disappear into the smoke.

"Boy, this is indeed an illusion. Only those with a firm heart and a strong mind can see through it. It's a pity that the person who set up this chain formation didn't expect that a Golden Core cultivator like you would have the divine sense of a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator!"

Xiao Ding said with a smile.

Zhou Ping grinned. He could indeed use his divine sense, and he immediately scanned the area between the real and the virtual worlds. Then, he decisively took a step and landed firmly on the chains.

"not good."

"That rogue cultivator actually reached the latter half of the chain so quickly!"

"This is too strong!"

The other Golden Core cultivators were extremely jealous, and if they could use any means to attack, they would definitely intervene.

But now they can only watch helplessly as Zhou Ping walks faster and faster.

The main danger of the latter half of the chain comes from the jade pillar made of jade. The treasure orbs on it have already dissipated, and if one is greedy, one will be unable to help but stare at the treasure.

Zhou Ping also saw the treasure.

The treasure corresponding to the chain he was standing on was a glittering, colorful stone. This stone seemed to have a great attraction, making him stare at it involuntarily, and his steps became a little unsteady. But he quickly broke free from the attraction of the treasure.

"What an amazing illusion."

"You're lucky your divine sense is strong, but this little trick won't stump you. That stone is a very rare illusion stone. If you use it to create an illusion treasure, it will be very difficult for others to see through it."

Listen to what Xiao Ding said.

Zhou Ping's eyes lit up. "Senior Ding, can those illusionary treasures be seen through by those at the Nascent Soul stage?"

Xiao Ding said, "It also depends on the other mixed materials. This kind of illusion stone is rare. As long as the other materials are precious and of a high level, it can conceal the detection of the Nascent Soul Realm. You're worried that Earth will be occupied by the Star River Sect and you won't be able to survive on Earth. You can use this illusion stone to make an illusion mask. Then no one will be able to recognize you."

Zhou Ping was very interested in what he heard.

I secretly made a mental note of this.

moment.

He successfully reached the other side and immediately collected the magic stone from the jade pillar. However, just as he was about to go to the other jade pillars, he sensed a repulsive force. Clearly, only by stepping over the chains could he obtain the corresponding treasure.

"Of those good-for-nothings, very few can actually get over the chains."

Xiao Ding sneered.

That's exactly what happened.

Besides Zhou Ping, only three people successfully crossed the chains in the end: two late-stage Golden Core cultivators and a female cultivator skilled in music.

They looked at each other with a mixture of wariness and wistfulness.

There were thirty-six Golden Core cultivators when they entered.

But now, only the four of them remain.

"I had long heard that the Lotus Pond of the Clouds was an extremely dangerous place of opportunity, with only one in ten surviving. Now it seems that this is indeed true. So many fellow cultivators have perished in just two trials!"

The female cultivator skilled in music sighed, "We don't know what dangers we'll face next. I hope the four of us can help each other. Only in this way can we leave alive." The remaining two late-stage Golden Core cultivators remained silent, only nodding slightly.

Zhou Ping nodded indifferently, thinking to himself that anyone who believed that would be a fool. Those who could become Golden Core cultivators were all ruthless, and the life and death of others had nothing to do with them. At this moment, those two late-stage Golden Core cultivators were probably thinking about the treasures of the jade pillar.

Although you couldn't take the treasures from other chains before, you can take them back once they've been taken.

However, no one made a move this time.

So, after resting and recovering for a while, the four Golden Core cultivators, including Zhou Ping, continued walking forward together along a jade path.

It took about ten minutes to walk.

The four arrived at a place halfway up the mountain where birds sang and flowers bloomed. It was a flower garden like a sea of ​​flowers, and the air was filled with an alluring fragrance.

Inside the flowerbed were lotus altars of varying sizes, each radiating a rich spiritual energy, and each altar was adorned with futons, seemingly a place for quiet meditation.

"To continue exploring, simply follow the flowerbed path."

"If you wish to leave, you must enter the Lotus Altar to cultivate until you reach the Nascent Soul stage, at which point you may leave."

The flowerbed has lettering.

Upon seeing these characters, the four Golden Core cultivators exchanged bewildered glances, but their expressions quickly changed.

"Fellow Daoists, I do not intend to go any further. I will go to the lotus altar to cultivate. I do not know if I can break through to the Nascent Soul Realm. If I fail to break through, it would be nice to pass away in this fragrant flower garden."

The woman said with a smile.

Zhou Ping and the others remained silent. They all knew that the so-called departure was likely to be hopeless unless they were truly confident of breaking through. However, they had all come here to find the opportunity to condense their Nascent Soul, and now they had only obtained one treasure. They hadn't even found the spiritual medicine to help them condense their Nascent Soul, so how could they talk about condensing their Nascent Soul?

So in the end, only the woman remained.

Zhou Ping and the remaining two late-stage Golden Core cultivators continued walking along the flowerbed path. When they reached the end of the path, the environment suddenly changed. The vast sea of ​​flowers disappeared and was replaced by a medicinal garden exuding the fragrance of herbs.

"It's a medicinal herb garden!"

"A thousand-year-old spiritual herb! My goodness! And a spiritual herb to help with Nascent Soul formation! These are hard to find even outside, but here they're everywhere!"

"Fortunately, I didn't choose to stay in the flower garden and lotus altar for quiet meditation."

The two late-stage Golden Core cultivators were extremely excited.

Zhou Ping remained calm. The medicinal herbs in the herb garden were indeed excellent, but one had to be alive to harvest them. Sure enough, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator couldn't resist rushing over. Just as he was about to pick a thousand-year-old medicinal herb, his body stiffened the moment his fingers touched it.

"idiot!"

Another late-stage Golden Core cultivator sneered. He activated his magic weapon and directly killed a thin snake next to the spiritual herb. Not only could he not sense the snake, but its color was almost identical to the spiritual herbs in the herb garden. If it weren't for the late-stage Golden Core cultivator's accident, Zhou Ping wouldn't have been able to see it.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, this thousand-year-old spiritual herb is yours."

The only remaining late-stage Golden Core cultivator spoke rather gentlemanly.

Zhou Ping shook his head, "Since it was Fellow Daoist Ling who killed the spirit snake, naturally this spiritual medicine belongs to Fellow Daoist Ling."

Listen to this.

Fellow Daoist Ling smiled and then, without any further ceremony, took the thousand-year-old spiritual medicine and also took away the treasures from the late-stage Golden Core cultivator who had been poisoned by the thin snake.

The two then carefully harvested the herbs in the large medicinal garden.

Each one is at least a thousand-year-old spiritual herb, something even Zhou Ping rarely sees in the treasure vaults of major powers like Chiming Mountain and Demon Lake. Some of them have even existed for tens of thousands of years. It should be noted that spiritual herbs cannot grow indefinitely; they can generally survive for tens of thousands of years and are basically rare natural treasures.

However, such a spiritual medicine also contains astonishing dangers. There are hundreds of undetectable thin snakes alone, as well as other poisonous insects. If one is not careful, one's fate will be the same as that of the late-stage Golden Core cultivator before.

Zhou Ping managed to obtain a ten-thousand-year-old spiritual herb, Jade Beard Ginseng, by relying on his powerful divine sense and the protection of his crimson ice and blue flames.

"Excellent, excellent. This Jade Beard Ginseng has grown into a ginseng king. There's no need to refine pills; just consuming ginseng slices can extend one's life by at least a hundred years. Consuming the whole ginseng is estimated to extend one's life by five hundred years. Such a powerful medicine is rare even for near-immortal level figures."

Xiao Ding clicked his tongue in amazement.

Zhou Ping was excited. This Lotus Pond of the Clouds was truly a place of opportunity. Although it was fraught with danger, it was full of good things.

After harvesting more than a dozen plants.

He clearly sensed that there were more venomous snakes and insects, so he immediately stopped.

The remaining late-stage Golden Core cultivator surnamed Ling also stopped, clearly indicating he was not a greedy person.

Both of them were wary of each other.

After all, he not only possesses the treasures of the Jade Pillar, but also so many spiritual herbs. If he were outside, he would definitely attract the pursuit of old monsters in the Nascent Soul Realm.

"This herb garden is not a place to stay for long; we should leave quickly."

The two continued along the path until they reached the end, where the scene changed again, revealing a lotus pond formation before them.

"If you keep going, there will be no turning back."

"If you wish to leave, you may return to the flower garden for quiet meditation. Remember, this is your only chance."

Looking at the font displayed for the Lotus Pond Formation.

Neither Zhou Ping nor the late-stage Golden Core cultivator surnamed Ling showed any sign of turning back.

The two stood quietly in the center of the lotus pond formation, waiting.

hum.

Soon.

The array patterns began to flicker.

At this moment, Ling, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, turned to the side and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, your luck and strength are both quite good. You even managed to obtain a ten-thousand-year-old spiritual herb, which I truly admire. May I ask what treasure you obtained over the cliff? Would you be willing to show it to me?"

Zhou Ping laughed, "Fellow Daoist Ling, please take out your treasure first."

Fellow Daoist Ling nodded and took out his treasures without hesitation, including the ones he had obtained from another late-stage Golden Core cultivator.

But the moment Zhou Ping's gaze fell upon these treasures, a slender snake suddenly darted out and bit straight at Zhou Ping's neck.

Other cultivators would definitely not have been able to react in time.

However, Zhou Ping had anticipated this. A burst of icy and scorching flames erupted from his body, instantly burning the thin snake to ashes. At the same time, the flames also touched the fellow Daoist surnamed Ling, who was greatly alarmed and hurriedly used his magic power to suppress them.

"What last words did you have before you died? Forget it, someone like you doesn't need any last words!"

"No, Fellow Daoist Zhou, please spare me..."

Before he could finish speaking, flames erupted, burning him to ashes.

Seeing the treasures floating on the lotus pond formation, he hurriedly put them away.

hum.

The formation had already been activated.

The next moment, the world spun around him, and when his vision returned, he found himself in front of a magnificent and imposing palace.

Xiao Ding said, "That guy even wanted to attack you; he's really overestimating himself."

Zhou Ping said in his mind, "I'm waiting for him to make a move. Only when he makes a move can I get the three treasures."

Little Cauldron sneered, "You're just as cunning as I am. Those two treasures are not bad either. One of them is a small bow magic weapon, which is even more powerful than your Star-Destroying Sword. Now they're all yours. But that guy can control a poisonous snake from the herb garden, so he does have some skill."

Just as Zhou Ping was about to speak, he suddenly sensed a somewhat familiar aura. His gaze swept over it, and his expression stiffened.

It was actually that stunningly beautiful, black-armored woman at the Nascent Soul Realm who had taken her virginity!

(End of this chapter)