Please be my partner.

Therefore, strong individuals or geniuses do not easily make vows against their inner demons, let alone a prodigy like Mellen.

Yu Caimeng coughed lightly, ignoring Yu Ningzhen's words, and said, "In that case, let's begin the elder assessment for Liuli now. Who will conduct it?"

Yu Yufan said, "Why don't you let me..."

Yu Ningxuan suddenly interrupted Yu Yufan, saying, "Let me do it."

Yu Caimeng glanced at the others and saw that Yu Yufan shrugged, indicating that he didn't care, so she said, "Okay, Ningxuan, then you can do it."

As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Caimeng clapped her hands, and an invisible ripple swept across the scene, instantly changing the surrounding landscape and bringing her to a boundless plain.

A gentle breeze rustled the grass, carrying the fresh scent of earth. The drifting clouds and the undulating mountains in the distance all confirmed that this place was real. However, Mellen was certain that there had been no spatial fluctuations; he was still in the same spot, in the courtyard.

This is Qingqiu's top-tier illusion technique... [Illusory Dream World].

Yu Ningxuan floated up and said to Xiao Liuli, "You junior, how dare you challenge a true immortal? Let me see what you're capable of."

Not to be outdone, Xiao Liuli soared into the sky with a hazy glow.

With a wave of her hand, Yu Ningxuan caused the surrounding scenery to constantly change and transform into a magnificent celestial palace scene, where divine generals fought, strongmen slew demons, celestial officials judged fortunes, and a majestic deity sat in the center of the sky, suppressing all directions.

As the story unfolds, reality and illusion reverse. Divine generals, warriors, and celestial officials all charge towards Xiao Liuli, while the divine beings slowly open their eyes and cast their gazes upon her.

Little Liuli naturally retaliated with her supernatural powers, and these powers were different, imbued with the power of the fairy tale kingdom, making them even more absurd and bizarre.

After a brief exchange of blows, Yu Ningxuan said, "You're quite good. To have such strength at the mere Immortal Seed Realm, ordinary immortals and great demons would probably fall into your illusions and be unable to extricate themselves in a single move. But, it's not enough!"

As Yu Ningxuan finished speaking, the divine being sitting in the middle of the sky slowly rose up, giving the impression that he was about to step from illusion into reality.

Instantly, the world was brought under control, and Xiao Liuli's figure froze, as if she were trapped inside a painting.

Seeing that Xiao Liuli was still struggling, Yu Ningxuan said calmly, "Give up. There is a world of difference between you and a true immortal. It is impossible for you to break free."

Although she was speaking to Xiao Liuli, Yu Ningxuan's gaze was fixed on Mellen, clearly indicating that she knew who the key person was.

The others also turned their attention to Mellen, but seeing his calm expression, they all wondered to themselves what other way Mellen might have to break the deadlock.

But no matter how much they thought about it, they couldn't figure out what chance Mellen could possibly have of turning the tide in the face of absolute power.

Meanwhile, Mellen had already obtained the information he wanted from Yu Ningxuan's actions.

Although Yu Ningxuan is also a True Immortal, her strength can basically be described using the units of measurement among True Immortals, making her a good benchmark.

Thinking of this, Mellen looked at Xiao Liuli and activated Soul Synchronization. Xiao Liuli's strength immediately surged, and her struggles became even stronger.

Yu Ningxuan was somewhat surprised, but that was all; this level of strength was still insufficient.

However, as Mellen used Little Glass as the core, performing secondary and tertiary soul synchronization... layer by layer adding Spike's power to Little Glass.

Yu Ningxuan had to raise the upper limit of her power time and time again, making the Heavenly Palace more solid and creating more magnificent palaces. In addition to the deity sitting in the center of the heavens, a deity also appeared in each of the four directions: east, west, south and north.

The five divine beings influenced each other, making the power of the Heavenly Palace more real and stable.

Mellen nodded slightly, calmly initiating nine rounds of soul synchronization.

Suddenly, the void trembled, and the world froze briefly. The next moment, a blood-red world began to overlap with this illusion, trying to completely cover it.

Yu Ningxuan's expression changed for the first time. The gods in the four directions stepped towards the center and merged with the god sitting in the middle of the sky. The originally blurry gods began to become clear. The appearance was none other than Yu Ningxuan herself!

Meanwhile, deep within the crimson world, a blood-red figure, seemingly invincible, suddenly opened his eyes. His aura surged forth, transforming into a boundless sea of ​​blood.

Before the divine being and the blood-red figure even began their battle, the mere clash between the two worlds they had created was enough to obliterate heaven and earth.

Just as the divine being and the blood-red figure were about to clash, a sigh rang out, followed by Yu Caimeng's voice: "Stop, that's enough."

Yu Ningxuan called out somewhat unwillingly, "Elder Meng, I..."

Yu Caimeng's voice rang out again, this time filled with an unyielding authority: "I said, enough! Liuli has proven her strength and is qualified to become an elder of Qingqiu!"

Yu Ningxuan remained silent for a moment, and ultimately did not continue to refute, slowly withdrawing her supernatural powers.

Xiao Liuli naturally ended her soul synchronization state as well.

The scene shattered, and everyone returned to the courtyard they had been in before.

Mellen looked at Yu Caimeng, vaguely sensing that the latter seemed to have figured something out.

After the last journey through the Blood Sea, although Melen gained new insights and improvements in the Nine Soul Synchronization, he only slightly extended the synchronization time. If it continued for too long, Xiao Liuli would suffer damage to her physical and spiritual foundations, just like Melen had before. Although it could be healed, it would take a considerable amount of time.

Therefore, when the Nine Soul Synchronizations are activated, Mellen will inevitably choose to finish the battle quickly, and as a result, he will naturally lose control of the force of his attacks.

In other words, if the fight continues, Yu Ningxuan might be killed outright, or at least severely injured!

Mellen had no doubt about this. The Asura race was famous for its battles, and the Demon Generals were powerful warriors who had fought their way out of countless mountains of corpses and seas of blood. They were already stronger than True Immortals of the same level. With the various enhancements Mellen had given them, Xiao Liuli, who had been in a state of soul synchronization nine times, was probably equivalent to two or three Yu Ningxuans.

However, Mellen did not come to Qingqiu to show off his power; being able to solve the problem would naturally be the best outcome.

While Mellen was pondering, Yu Caimeng had already given a brief explanation, then looked at Mellen and Xiao Liuli and said, "Liuli has completed the elder test. According to the rules of Qingqiu, the Qingqiu Elder Council can have a maximum of nine members. Therefore, starting today, I will step down from the position of Grand Elder and become a member of the Qingqiu Protectors. The original Second Elder, Yu Qihua, will become the Grand Elder, and the ranking of the other elders will be uniformly promoted by one."

"Liuli, from today onwards, you are the Ninth Elder of Qingqiu."

In Qingqiu, apart from the ancestor who holds a supreme position, the entire clan is managed by the council of elders. The council of elders has a rule that once a new elder is born, the original senior elder automatically withdraws from the council, and other elders take his place in turn.

It is said that this was a rule set by the ancestor to prevent some people from becoming rigid in their thinking, greedy for power, and stubborn and self-willed if they stayed in high positions for too long.

Those who leave the council of elders will become protectors of Qingqiu. Although their status is equally high, they will no longer have the various rights of elders.

Although this power transition was simple, it was quite in line with the characteristics of Qingqiu, after all, Qingqiu was not human and was more intelligent than other demon races.

Perhaps in Yu Caicai's plan, winning over an ally was secondary; the more important thing was to make Yu Caimeng lose her power as an elder, so that she could carry out her plan.

Chapter 708 Pollution and Calculation

The matter in Qingqiu was concluded once Xiao Liuli became an elder.

Next, Xiao Liuli issued a statement that she would support all of Yu Caicai's orders and entrust Yu Caicai with exercising her elder authority, thus allowing her to become a hands-off manager.

The Qingqiu Elders Council had anticipated this situation, or rather, it was what they wanted to see. Only by keeping Xiao Liuli away from the power center of Qingqiu could the possibility of the Golden Jade Immortal Sect interfering in Qingqiu be completely eliminated.

Of course, they wouldn't let Xiao Liuli miss out on the benefits that the elders possessed. After all, while they were wary, the Qingqiu elders didn't really want to sever the connection with the Golden Jade Immortal Sect. In case Qingqiu faced a great calamity in the future, this might be a way out.

It is precisely because of this contradictory mentality that Xiao Liuli's test of the elders this time seems so strange.

After saying goodbye to Yu Caicai, Mellen now has seven dogs by her side. Now, only Spike and the faraway Senlang remain.

Next stop, Yongshoutian.

Legend has it that Eternal Longevity Heaven is one of the oldest heavens in the Immortal Realm. Back then, the Immortal Realm was far less powerful than it is now, and it had not yet divided into the Thirty-Three Heavens. Even the immortal path passed down was significantly different from what it is today.

The War God Palace was once a powerful force in Yongshoutian.

There are many different theories about the destruction of the War God Palace in the Immortal Realm, but there are only a few mainstream explanations...

First, the War God Palace acted domineeringly, oppressing other cultivators for many years, which led to deep resentment. Coupled with the instigation of other hostile forces, it was eventually attacked by all sides.

Although this claim is the most widespread, it is actually the least credible. After all, the War God Palace has the power of a Dao Lord. While it may not be able to run rampant in the Immortal Realm, it is absolutely impossible for it to be destroyed quietly.

Secondly, the War God Palace offended the Dao Venerable for unknown reasons and was destroyed by the Dao Venerable.

This claim is also not very credible. Dao Venerable and Dao Lord may seem to be only one step apart, but in reality they are worlds apart. If Dao Venerable were to make a move, the War God Palace would not leave any trace.

Third, when the True Immortals or Dao Lords of the War God Palace were exploring the Outer Heavens, they provoked an unknown force, which was then attracted, leading to the destruction of the War God Palace.

Although this explanation is strange, it is the most likely answer.

At least, Spike thought it was very likely!

"Boom!~"

A gigantic tentacle slammed down, shattering the space around it. From within the shattered space, eerie whispers echoed, threatening to lead people into an abyss of madness and depravity.

Spike and the stone monkey kept running and dodging tentacles that stretched out from the void. If they weren't careful, they would be entangled or hit. Once they came into contact with these tentacles, their sanity would drop rapidly.

Behind them was a blurry and distorted shadow, with layers of illusory curls emanating from it, making it look strange and terrifying.

As they ran, the stone monkey suddenly became enraged and shouted, "Dog! Running like this isn't going to work! Don't you have any other plans?!"

Spike glanced at the stone monkey and sent out a mental wave: "The one behind is a true immortal from the War God Palace. Although it has been suppressed by the rules of the immortal realm due to being corrupted by strange power, it is still not something we can deal with."

"Moreover, this secret realm has been thoroughly corrupted by strange forces, making it the perfect hiding place for that guy. We have no choice but to escape now."

"Squeak squeak squeak!" the stone monkey cried out in panic. "Damn it! The secret realm is already enveloped by a strange power. Even if we tear open space, we'll still be facing the contamination of that strange power. What are we going to do?!"

Spike said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, as long as we can find a weak point, we should have a chance to escape!"

The stone monkey hurriedly asked, "Weak point? How do we find it?!"

Spike glanced behind him and said, "The contamination of the secret realm can't be accomplished overnight. After all, this is the territory of the War God Palace, and it's impossible for it to be completely unaffected. If nothing unexpected happens, the strongest part of this War God Palace secret realm will now be the weakest part of the contamination."

The stone monkey's eyes lit up, and he said, "You mean..."

Spike nodded and said, "The True Immortal who was chasing us is clearly not completely corrupted yet. He is still resisting. If I'm not mistaken, the secret chamber he was in before should be the least corrupted place in the entire secret realm. We encountered the least resistance when we tore open space there."

The stone monkey suddenly realized and said, "No wonder, I felt that the guy behind me was acting a bit strange."

Having identified their target, Spike and the stone monkey no longer hesitated. While constantly dodging the tentacle attacks, they also took a detour towards the secret chamber they had seen earlier.

The process went surprisingly smoothly. Although more and more tentacles emerged from the void as they got closer to their target, seemingly eager to stop them, they handled these attacks with relative ease.

Meanwhile, the corrupted immortal behind them continued his pursuit at a leisurely pace.

Soon, the secret chamber appeared before Spike and the stone monkey. It was a rare structure in this secret realm, built of a kind of golden-red stone with a lot of mottled rust marks on the surface, looking somewhat dilapidated.

Centered around this secret chamber, one can still see the ruins of many buildings, but unfortunately they have all disappeared now, presumably having been completely eroded by the corrupting forces.

The open door to the secret chamber reveals a single coffin-like object inside. The interior of the chamber, as well as both the inside and outside of the coffin, are covered with densely packed runes. Just seeing these runes is enough to ignite an overwhelming fighting spirit within one's heart.

The stone monkey was overjoyed and said, "Indeed, this secret chamber has the effect of resisting pollution. Although the pollution accumulated on the outside is the most serious, the inside of the secret chamber, and the deeper spaces within it, are the least polluted!"

The stone monkey could see it, and Spike naturally could too, but for some reason, it instinctively sensed something was wrong.

Before Spike could come up with anything, the stone monkey rushed into the secret chamber, gathering its strength to try and break through the space and carve out a way out.

At this moment, Spike had no time to think further. It also began to speed up and gather its strength, preparing to coordinate with the stone monkey's attack.

But the moment they stepped into the secret chamber, an inexplicable sense of life and death suddenly assaulted their minds, as if their minds had just been covered with a layer of dust, completely unaware of the dangers and traps ahead, and they had simply jumped straight in.

With pollution everywhere, including deep within the space, Spike and the Stone Monkey naturally dared not release their spiritual senses to investigate. However, they only turned their heads slightly and saw the corrupted True Immortal behind them with a strange smile on his lips, rapidly approaching the secret chamber. His speed was more than ten times faster than when he chased them before!

"This is a trap!!"

Spike and the stone monkey had the same thought at the same time, but now that the die was cast, they launched their strongest attack at the same time with perfect coordination.

"Boom!~"

The space inside the sealed chamber was indeed as they had judged—not only thin but also the least contaminated, making it easy to tear apart.

However, streams of viscous, foul liquid gushed out from the torn space, transforming into slippery, resilient lines that intertwined to form a large net that firmly sealed the entire chamber.

On these slippery lines, abstract humanoid silhouettes emerge, not the kind of humans covered in tentacles, but tentacles that extend into human shapes. They howl and wail, their twisted arms reaching out to Spike and the stone monkey, trying to assimilate them into their form.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, the secret chamber was not only not the weak point of this secret realm, but it was also the most polluted place. If Spike and the Stone Monkey had forcibly torn through space in any other place before, they would have had a chance to escape. But now, they were in a dead end.

Based on the scattered auras and murmurs emanating from these abstract humanoid figures, it can be known that they were originally disciples of the War God Palace. It seems that they found this secret realm because of some clues, but in the end, they became part of the corruption.

At this moment, even though it was a matter of life and death, an uncontrollable thought arose in Spike's mind...

Lord Yunxiao!

Does Lord Yunxiao know of the danger they face? Or is it... a deliberate act?!

Spike glanced at the stone monkey out of the corner of his eye, and judging from the latter's expression, the stone monkey was probably unaware of what was going on.

Logically speaking, even if a senior expert had some ulterior motives, there would be no need to involve their own disciple, right?

It is important to know that the evil pollution in the secret realm not only erodes the physical body, but also the spirit and soul!

If it's truly contaminated, even if the stone monkey were to transform into a million, it wouldn't make a difference.

But what if Lord Yunxiao had a way to solve the pollution?

Even if the stone monkey is corrupted by the evil power in the secret realm, it will eventually be able to break free. So, wouldn't the struggle and resistance during the corruption process be the best test of one's will?

But will the Cloud God really help Spike solve the pollution problem?

Perhaps, but only after everything has settled down!

Think about it, following the current storyline, once Spike is corrupted by the evil power, this evil power will definitely continue to spread along the connection between their souls, and at that time, not only the other companions, but also the boy will not be able to escape the calamity.

Therefore, according to normal logic, either Spike would voluntarily break the soul contract to protect the boy and his friends, or the boy would forcibly break the soul contract to protect himself.

Although Spike understands that the second scenario is unlikely, Cloud God Lord probably doesn't think so; he might think that the second scenario is a high-probability event.

When Spike is corrupted by evil forces and betrayed by the person he trusts most, and has nowhere else to turn, all the Cloud God Lord needs to do is extend an olive branch again... no! Just a little hint, and Spike will probably be grateful enough to become his lackey.

Furthermore, if we were to speculate on a more malicious interpretation of this matter…