After crossing the Blood Slaughter Sea, the cultivators arrived at the last of the seven demon gates in the outer region of the Great Void Realm, the "Cold Crystal Platform."
This demon gate was the most dangerous of the seven. Even a Golden Core cultivator would find it difficult to cross without special means.
A thousand years ago, after breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm, Shen Tu was the one who crossed the "Cold Crystal Platform" and successfully reached the inner region of the Great Void Realm.
However, this was not because Shen Tu's Nascent Soul strength was comparable to that of Gui Luo the Demon Lord or Ning Yan Old Ancestor's Golden Core peak. It was because, over time, the power of the demon gates in the Great Void Realm had weakened.
Also, because Shen Tu did not acquire the Stone Demon Sect's inheritance, he had forcibly broken through the Cold Crystal Platform to enter the Great Void Realm's inner region.
This inadvertently destroyed many of the platform's restrictions.
In other words, the Cold Crystal Platform from over a thousand years ago was far stronger than the one they faced now.
Even so, the Cold Crystal Platform was still not something a Golden Core cultivator like Su Bing'er could easily cross.
Looking at the massive, hundreds of feet tall, circular platform made entirely of ice crystals, Che Gongwei felt a mix of awe and worry.
The intense cold air hitting his face was already difficult for him to resist. How could he possibly find the energy to protect Su Bing'er, his disciple?
But leaving Su Bing'er behind outside the Cold Crystal Platform while he moved on... Che Gongwei knew that was out of the question.
Once separated from Hu Shan and the others, Su Bing'er, a lone Golden Core cultivator, would be an easy target for both the Heavenly Extinction Demon Palace and the Hehuan Sect.
Gui Luo the Demon Lord and Ning Yan Old Ancestor exchanged glances, their faces showing amusement as they looked toward Che Gongwei and his disciple, seemingly waiting to see how they would handle the predicament.
Several days ago, Che Gongwei's sudden "betrayal" had made Gui Luo the Demon Lord uneasy. If not for his greater plan, Gui Luo would have torn Che Gongwei apart already.
Che Gongwei had turned to Wei Tu for help.
At the moment, their small group of seven was forced to cooperate due to the pressure from Gui Luo and the others. They appeared to be united, but in reality, they were not.
For that reason, aside from Wei Tu and Su Bing'er, Che Gongwei trusted no one else.
Faced with this situation, Wei Tu didn't have a perfect solution either. He took out the black-scaled shield he had taken from the Wolf Slayer Daoist and temporarily gave it to Su Bing'er, as a gesture of camaraderie between them.
Wei Tu did have more advanced defensive tools, such as the fourth-tier defensive talisman he obtained from Jia Tianlong. But these were his trump cards against Gui Luo the Demon Lord, and now wasn't the time to use them for Su Bing'er's defense.
"Thank you, Senior Wei." Su Bing'er felt warmth in her heart as she received the black-scaled shield. Her gaze toward Wei Tu was filled with gratitude.
Besides that, her moon-like clear eyes, as they moved, also carried some affection.
Decades ago, on the Floating Pagoda of Yan Fen Mountain, Wei Tu's polite refusal had gradually killed the bit of admiration she had harbored for him. Her heart had found peace again.
But today, Su Bing'er felt Wei Tu's care for her once more.
True feelings are revealed in times of hardship.
"Hu Shan, Daoist Qi, you two should also take action now. If we lose more hands now, when we enter the inner domain of the Great Void Realm, our situation will be extremely disadvantageous," Wei Tu said as he turned to Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu, his tone carrying a hint of threat.
Those who fear nothing are the most dangerous.
At this moment, Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu's ability to confront Gui Luo the Demon Lord and the others was because of the three of them.
— If they abandoned Su Bing'er now, it would mean there was no need for any further cooperation.
Furthermore, Wei Tu didn't think Hu Shan would give up on Su Bing'er, the key to crafting the "Five Elements Infant" in the Soul-Capturing Sect 's rituals.
"This is a Liyan Stone. With this, and your defensive artifact, your junior should be able to cross the Cold Crystal Platform without issue."
Hu Shan hesitated for a moment upon hearing Wei Tu's words. He then took out a silver necklace set with a crimson gemstone and tossed it to Su Bing'er.
The red gemstone, about the size of a pigeon egg, emitted a scorching red light as soon as it left Hu Shan's hand, melting the surrounding cold.
This treasure had originally been prepared by Hu Shan for his own crossing of the Cold Crystal Platform. But considering the current situation, he had decided to give it to Su Bing'er instead, not wanting to disturb the fragile peace between them.
…
Like Su Bing'er, Heavenly Corpse Old Demon, was also a Golden Core cultivator in the early stages. However, considering his brilliant performance at the Sword Trial Conference in Falling Sun City, Wei Tu didn't doubt that Tian Shi would be able to pass the Cold Crystal Platform without issue.
After Hu Shan handed over the Liyan Stone, the cultivators began to ascend the Cold Crystal Platform.
Just like the previous demon gates, the Cold Crystal Platform also had an anti-air formation and gravity restrictions. The cultivators could only climb up bit by bit, with no shortcuts.
They had made it a third of the way.
Suddenly, Wei Tu noticed a red-dressed female cultivator standing outside the Cold Crystal Platform.
This woman, in her twenties, had a sharp, intimidating look, suggesting she wasn't easy to get along with.
"Lady Lan?" Wei Tu immediately recognized the red-dressed woman. She was the same Lady Lan who had entered the Great Void Realm over fifty years ago with True Lord Wanhai and Jia Tianlong.
Lady Lan had an impressive background—she was the Dao companion of the Nascent Soul rogue cultivator "Jiu Li Venerable Master" from Zheng Country.
Wei Tu wasn't the only one who recognized Lady Lan. Both Qi Chengchu and Che Gongwei, seasoned Golden Core cultivators from the righteous path, also recognized this well-known Nascent Soul companion.
The number of Nascent Soul cultivators in the border three countries was small, and Jiu Li Venerable Master wasn't exactly a low-key figure. It would be rare for Qi Chengchu and Che Gongwei to not recognize his Nascent Soul Dao companion.
"Lady Lan is still alive? She wasn't killed by Gui Luo the Demon Lord?" Wei Tu heard Bai Zhi's surprised voice in his mind.
"Killed by Gui Luo the Demon Lord? Fellow Daoist Bai, where is that coming from?" Wei Tu asked, slightly confused.
Last time, Wei Tu had hidden in the Blood Slaughter Sea for two years before coming out, so he didn't know what happened to Bai Zhi or Lady Lan after they entered the inner domain of Great Void Realm.
A few days ago, when Wei Tu had asked Bai Zhi about the inner domain, Bai Zhi hadn't mentioned anything about Lady Lan.
"I thought she was dead, so I refrained from speaking about her... Of course, that's also because she didn't have much connection with the Great Void Realm's inner domain..." Bai Zhi explained.
"Seems like there's more to it than I thought," Wei Tu took a deep breath. He didn't believe Lady Lan's appearance here was a coincidence.
With Lady Lan involved, this trip to the Great Void Realm's inner domain was likely to bring even more unexpected variables.
Wei Tu trusted Bai Zhi's explanation without much doubt. He had a soul bond with Bai Zhi, so if she lied, he would sense it immediately.
Bai Zhi then explained her past connection with Lady Lan.
"I was close friends with Lady Lan. Back when we followed Gui Luo the Demon Lord into the Great Void Realm, I later contacted Jia Tianlong and Lady Lan to plan a 'backstabbing' to betray Gui Luo the Demon Lord..."
"But after arriving in the Great Void Realm's inner domain, we discovered that Gui Luo the Demon Lord was actually the Nascent Soul avatar of the Old Demon of Jiuchuan... After a fierce battle, I was severely injured by Gui Luo, and True Monarch Wanhai was devoured by him..."
Bai Zhi shared her past.
"It's clear that Lady Lan must have surrendered to Gui Luo the Demon Lord. Or perhaps Gui Luo the Demon Lord, fearing Jiu Li Venerable Master, spared Lady Lan's life." Bai Zhi's voice became somewhat complicated.
After all, it was her fault that Lady Lan almost died. Now, with Lady Lan teaming up with Gui Luo the Demon Lord, Bai Zhi was inevitably going to face her old friend.
"We'll take it one step at a time," Bai Zhi sighed softly. She didn't ask Wei Tu to show any mercy toward Lady Lan if it came to a confrontation.
In the end, Gui Luo the Demon Lord and his allies were the true power here.
…
Unlike Wei Tu, Qi Chengchu and the others didn't have Bai Zhi's information. So, when they saw Lady Lan, a cultivator of the righteous path, they immediately considered bringing her to their side.
Lady Lan, it seemed, was also willing to form an alliance with Hu Shan, Qi Chengchu, and the others. After hearing Qi Chengchu's persuasive words, she seemed swayed and chose to stand with them rather than with Wei Tu.
"The Old Demon of Jiuchuan has always been cunning and notorious in the demon path. He's nothing like Gui Luo the Demon Lord, who acts with more bravery than strategy..."
"This time, he's probably using Lady Lan to trap all of you."
Bai Zhi's cold voice echoed in Wei Tu's mind.
"But this time, the Old Demon of Jiuchuan has miscalculated. He doesn't know that you, Fellow Daoist Bai, are with me," Wei Tu smiled.
At this moment, the righteous side's forces had grown significantly. Everyone assumed Wei Tu was happy because of Lady Lan's involvement, unaware that his smile was due to another reason.
Once the commotion caused by Lady Lan's appearance settled, Wei Tu secretly transmitted his voice to Hu Shan, Qi Chengchu, and the others, revealing Lady Lan's "true identity."
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
In dealing with Gui Luo the Demon Lord, Wei Tu, Hu Shan, Qi Chengchu, and the others were aligned in their goal.
After climbing for two months, they finally reached the top of the Cold Crystal Platform.
Wei Tu and the others saw a spiraling, rising stone staircase at the top. Its end seemed to connect to the heavens beyond.
Fortunately, this stone staircase didn't have the same intense cold as the Cold Crystal Platform. While it did have gravity restrictions, walking on it wasn't difficult for these Golden Core cultivators.
They walked for about two hours.
Finally, the group reached the end of the stone steps, which led to a colorful rainbow bridge. At the other end of the bridge was a wooden pavilion that looked like a celestial palace made of jade.
The pavilion was decorated with carved dragons and phoenixes, and above the entrance hung a jade plaque with the ancient words "Heavenly Extinction Demon Palace" written on it.
Looking beyond the pavilion, they could see some exquisite buildings. Among them, a black five-story stone tower stood out.
It seemed to lack the bright aura of the other buildings and gave off a sense of being out of place.
"That's the Seven-Star Begonia Poison," Wei Tu narrowed his eyes and looked at the layer of star-like spiritual energy floating around the pavilion.
Compared to the "Seven-Star Begonia Poison" he had on hand, the spiritual toxin in the Great Void Realm's inner domain had become so dense that it was now visible, no longer difficult for the naked eye to detect.
If one didn't know that this starry glow was a toxin capable of harming Nascent Soul cultivators, many would think it was just the spiritual glow from the treasures of the Heavenly Extinction Demon Palace.
"Once we step on this rainbow bridge, we will be automatically teleported to any place in the Heavenly Extinction Demon Palace. This is our best chance to escape," Wei Tu secretly transmitted his voice to Heavenly Corpse Old Demon and Che Gongwei, as well as Su Bing'er and her master.
Without this special passage, Wei Tu wouldn't have followed these people into the Great Void Realm's inner domain. The bridge gave them a brief chance to escape from Gui Luo the Demon Lord, Hu Shan, and the others.
"Once we enter the inner domain, I will try to hold them off. Felow Daoist Heavenly Corpse, Master, and Junior Sister Su, don't get distracted by the treasures of the Great Void Realm's inner domain, and leave quickly!" Wei Tu said in a low voice.
"But what about you, Senior Brother Wei?" Su Bing'er hesitated. Didn't that mean Wei Tu would be left alone to face the danger?
"What's the matter now, still hesitating? I have my ways to leave!" Wei Tu scolded.
Su Bing'er was speechless, and tears welled up in her eyes.
She didn't feel wronged.
It was just that Wei Tu had risked his life to save her, but she couldn't help him in return, which made her feel guilty.
"Wei Tu, I'll stay and help you." Che Gongwei sighed and said, "At my age, when I left Golden Long Valley, I had no plans of coming back alive."
"Saving you or Bing'er would be a gain for me."
Though most wandering cultivators were selfish, many also had righteous hearts and sought to help others.
A thousand years ago, Shentu Venerable Master, Xia Pinchen, didn't want to become a ghost and live a miserable existence. So, he imprisoned himself in the Blood Slaughter Sea, waiting for the day he would die.
Today, Che Gongwei was the same.
For righteousness, he chose to sacrifice himself rather than live in hiding.
Che Gongwei seemed to be making the same decision as Wei Tu, but unlike Wei Tu, Che Gongwei had already resigned to death, while Wei Tu had carefully considered his strength before making his decision.
"I respect Felow Daoist Wei's decision," Heavenly Corpse Old Demon agreed, knowing that Wei Tu held the "Great Void Stone" and could leave at any time.
Of course, what Heavenly Corpse Old Demon didn't know was that the Great Void Stone could only be used in the outer domain and was useless in the inner domain. It couldn't teleport there.
"Very well," Wei Tu hesitated for a moment before nodding and agreeing to Che Gongwei's request.
Che Gongwei, a mid-Golden Core cultivator and a well-known third-tier talisman master, would be a great help. With his assistance, the pressure from Gui Luo the Demon Lord and others would be much less.
Wei Tu wanted Heavenly Corpse Old Demon and Su Bing'er to leave first, so as not to add unnecessary burdens.
But Che Gongwei was different. His strength was not low, and he would be a strong ally.
"With Che Gongwei, maybe we really can seize a few opportunities in the Great Void Realm's inner domain." Wei Tu's gaze shifted to the yellow jade token in his storage ring.
If nothing unexpected happened, this yellow jade token was the Xumi Tablet that Gui Luo the Demon Lord and the others had been searching for over the past fifty years.
He didn't expect that Shentu Venerable Master had left him such a valuable treasure.