While Yuan Ming was concentrating on his cultivation, Wu Yu and the Giant Tree King also arrived at the six hundredth step in succession.

Yuan Ming opened his eyes to glance at Wu Yu and the Giant Tree King, and then closed them again.

Seeing this, Wu Yu and the Giant Tree King were curious but dared not disturb him, each receiving their rightful rewards from the old man Qing Xu.

Just as they hesitated whether to proceed alone and continue climbing, Yuan Ming suddenly opened his eyes, stood up, and looked at the two.

"For the path ahead, I plan to go alone. Please stop here," Yuan Ming said with a calm and firm tone, leaving no room for negotiation.

Upon hearing this, Wu Yu looked at Yuan Ming without much change in expression, whereas a flicker of anger and surprise passed through the Giant Tree King's eyes.

"Wan Tianren, what do you mean by this?" the Giant Tree King asked angrily.

"Just the literal meaning, please stop here," Yuan Ming replied indifferently.

"Fellow Daoist Wan, are you worried that we'll compete with you for the Three Realms Immortal Boat? Rest assured, neither I nor the Giant Tree King have such desires. We simply wish to reach the nine hundred steps and obtain the rewards there, that's all," Wu Yu interceded with a charming smile, stopping the Giant Tree King from rebuking.

Yuan Ming remained unmoved, shaking his head, "The two of you must stop here, that's my decision."

Wu Yu's face also darkened, her voice tinged with displeasure, "Fellow Daoist Wan, must you be so harsh? We did not assist Sima Changqin when he attacked you, which you should be well aware of."

Yuan Ming responded expressionlessly, "So I didn't deal with you just now. Now, if you wish to continue, you only need to defeat me."

The rewards at the six hundredth level were already ample, and what was at the nine hundred steps could be imagined. Since he had already broken with the Ten Thousand Demon Country, he couldn't allow Wu Yu and the Giant Tree King to proceed.

"Fellow Daoist Wan is joking. Even Qin Demon was sent flying with just a few punches; we are no match for you. Is there really no room for negotiation? I am willing to offer all my spiritual treasures, spiritual materials, and the rewards I just obtained, in exchange for a chance to proceed," Wu Yu said, waving her hand to make a myriad of items appear on the step.

The Giant Tree King suppressed his anger and also brought out numerous items.

Yuan Ming glanced at the treasures on the ground, feeling a surge of temptation. These items, combined, were worth as much as four or five pieces of seventh-level spiritual materials, indeed enticing.

At that moment, Xi Ying's voice suddenly sounded in Yuan Ming's Sea of Consciousness, "Bring over that bronze token that the Giant Tree King took out for me to see."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming turned his gaze to the Giant Tree King's side.

There lay a palm-sized token, seemingly made from some kind of spiritual iron, engraved with profound patterns, clearly not an ordinary item.

He summoned it with a wave of his hand, and the token flew into his hand. He sent it into the Stealing Heaven Tripod with a thought.

Xi Ying received the token, formed a mysterious gesture with his hands, and performed an enigmatic technique.

The token shone in five colors, and its surface patterns gradually faded, replaced by numerous tiny characters. These characters seemed to contain a profound secret, enticing exploration into their mysteries.

"Indeed, this token is the legendary Five Elements Talisman, and inscribed upon it is the Five Elements Dao Fruit, truly great news!" Xi Ying's face showed surprise, his eyes flashing with excitement.

"Five Elements Talisman? Five Elements Dao Fruit? What are these things?" Yuan Ming asked curiously.

Xi Ying explained, "The Five Elements Talisman is the token of the head of the Five Elements Sect, which was once strong in the Chuyun Realm a million years ago. The Five Elements Sect was extremely powerful, and several Mahayana cultivators emerged from it. Its fame was second only to the Taixuan Sect and Bright Moon Palace. However, during the first invasion by the Demon World, the Five Elements Sect suffered heavy losses, and its disciples were almost completely wiped out. Many profound cultivation techniques and divine skills were lost, which was truly regrettable. The Five Elements Sect specialized in the Five Elements Taoist Skill, pushing the understanding of the changes in the Five Elements to the extreme. Among them, the strongest divine skill was the Five Elements Dao Fruit. It is said that this divine skill can break through all Five Elements Divine Techniques, its power strong enough to be ranked on the Creation Heaven List, and to this day still holds the third position."

Listening to Xi Ying's account, Yuan Ming's heartbeat involuntarily quickened.

Previously, the Void had told him that to comprehend the Five Elements True Intent and lay the foundation for advancement to Mahayana, he would need to cultivate the divine skills listed on the Creation Heaven List.

Now, upon learning that the Five Elements Dao Fruit was the third on the list, Yuan Ming naturally understood its immense benefit for his future cultivation.

In comparison, the treasures at the Ninth Layer seemed insignificant.

Meanwhile, Wu Yu also noticed that Yuan Ming had taken the Giant Tree King's bronze token, a flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes.

She sent a message to inquire about the token's details from the Giant Tree King, who said that the token was found by chance in some ruins, without understanding its origin; he only knew that it accelerated the recovery of demonic power, so he always carried it personally.

After hearing this, Wu Yu looked at Yuan Ming again, her eyes betraying a hint of thoughtful consideration.

"Fellow Daoist Wu Yu's persistence in reaching the nine hundred steps—does it mean you know something?" Yuan Ming's voice suddenly sounded in Wu Yu's ear.

Wu Yu hurriedly composed herself, giving a half-true, half-false reply, "It's my first time here too, so I know nothing about this place. However, I divined with a hexagram before stepping onto the staircase and learned that reaching nine hundred steps would yield something crucial for the Ten Thousand Demon Country. I implore you, Fellow Daoist Wan, to allow it."

"Since Fellow Daoist Wu Yu is so sincere, if I were to refuse again, I would seem unkind." Yuan Ming chuckled, sending out a green glow to sweep up all the items Wu Yu and the Giant Tree King had laid out, storing them in his storage magic tool.

After doing so, he said no more and turned, continuing his ascent.

Wu Yu's eyes lit up with joy, and she was about to follow when she felt a premonition and turned back to look.

Within the Silver Tower Space, the void twisted, and three figures appeared out of thin air.

These three, two men and one woman, were none other than Su Wu, Hei Lian, and Su Yingxue.

They wore no disguises, showing their true faces to everyone.

The people below the altar had never seen these three before, and their expressions varied as they communicated through sound transmissions, inquiring about Su Wu and the others' identities.

In the crowd, Nan Shangfeng's expression changed instantly upon seeing Hei Lian.

"You know these three?" Master Tantai asked curiously.

"I was hunted by that black-robed woman, and I only escaped thanks to Fellow Daoist Wan's assistance."

Nan Shangfeng did not conceal the truth, and he said softly, "This woman is called Hei Lian, who claims to be a descendant of the Black Emperor from the Three Realms Sect. She cultivates the Void Sky Demon Technique of the Black Emperor and possesses a curse spiritual treasure. Her strength is quite formidable."

"Descendant of the Black Emperor!" Master Tantai was taken aback upon hearing this.

Although Nan Shangfeng's voice was not loud, those nearby heard him clearly, and their expressions changed subtly, with many casting glances at Hei Lian.

Di Huo, who was recommending the Jade Spirit Rejuvenation Pill to Jin Chen and Gu Chuanting, also paused his actions upon seeing Su Wu and the others suddenly appear.

Yuan Ming was also drawn by the sudden commotion below and turned to glance down.

His gaze wandered among the crowd until it settled on Su Yingxue's elegant and otherworldly face. His eyes lingered on her briefly before quickly sweeping over Hei Lian and Su Wu.

At this moment, Su Wu also lifted his head, and his eyes met with Yuan Ming's.

The moment their gazes crossed, both faces showed surprise, but they quickly masked this emotion.

Su Wu paid no attention to the varied gazes around him, and with a flash of his figure, he arrived before the stairs and began climbing without hesitation. Hei Lian and Su Yingxue did not follow.

Su Wu's climbing process seemed extraordinarily easy, with each step taken calmly and leisurely.

What was a nightmare of suction and immense pressure for others seemed to have no effect on him.

His climbing speed was much faster than anyone present, almost as if the constraints within this space were non-existent to him.

Yuan Ming did not focus much on Su Wu's climb and turned to continue his ascent.

Wu Yu and the Giant Tree King hurriedly followed upon seeing this.

After the six hundredth level, the suction on the stairs grew stronger, consuming their mana, qi-blood, and soul power at an alarming rate, while also anchoring their feet to the steps.

Each step for the three of them felt like an enormous struggle against a colossal force, exceedingly difficult.

Meanwhile, the pressure in the void intensified, as if invisible mountains were pressing down on their shoulders, forcing them to stoop, and their breaths became increasingly heavy, as if each inhalation required immense effort.

The attacks falling from the sky also grew more intense, with various powerful spells and attacks pouring down like rain, nearly engulfing the entire staircase.

Yuan Ming's gaze narrowed; even he felt unprecedented pressure at this moment.

Despite the falling attacks and spatial pressure, which added to his burden, he could barely manage to cope using the Primordial Dao Seal and various techniques.

However, the suction from the steps on his mana, qi-blood, and soul power began to worry him.

Yuan Ming's mind raced, and he took a deep breath, gathering all his internal strength, aiming to reach the legendary nine hundred steps before exhausting all his strength.

After advancing only thirty to forty levels, the suction on the steps suddenly intensified, as if an invisible giant hand was pulling at his body, making each step as arduous as bearing the weight of ten thousand pounds.

More critically, the consumption rate of his mana, qi-blood, and soul power far exceeded expectations, already more than half depleted. He understood that relying solely on his strength, he could not possibly persevere to the nine hundredth layer.

"It seems I'll have to use this." Yuan Ming thought to himself, then controlled the Undying Tree to enter the Shura Palace, starting to absorb spirit stones and blood origin pills to restore strength.

"Stop absorbing the blood origin pills. The impurities within them are too plentiful and will affect your future progress in body cultivation." At this moment, Xi Ying's voice rang out in Yuan Ming's sea of consciousness.

"Of course, I know this, but there's no choice now but to pass the test first." Yuan Ming sighed softly, well aware of Xi Ying's correct reminder, but at this moment, he found himself in a dilemma without alternatives.

"Don't act recklessly; I have a method that might weaken the stair's suction." Xi Ying's voice sounded again, providing Yuan Ming with a potential way out.

"What method?" Yuan Ming paused his absorption of the blood origin pills upon hearing this and quickly asked.