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Kui Lin!

Demon Emperor Kui Lin, the leader of the demon race!

All races could try their luck at the Divine Mausoleum. Humans and yao experts had already shown up, and there was naturally no reason demons wouldn't come too.

But the timing was quite the coincidence. These mutual enemies had all bumped right into each other.

There were three distinct factions here, all of them irreconcilable, with no alliances. All of them wanted to get rid of the other two and be done with it.

But from the look of the current situation, Zhou Wu's side was the weakest.

"This is really quite the coincidence. To think that one day, we'd all stand in the same place." Demon Emperor Kui Lin laughed faintly. At his side were several Demon Gods, as well as patriarchs of various demon clans.

Any one of them was a titled emperor, and in terms of numbers, even Ye Zichen's allies were at a disadvantage.

"Two of the three Realm Emperors are here. And here I thought this was an opportunity for a nice little get together between the three of us. It's just a pity; the Yao Emperor is too aloof for that. He's not even interested in the Transcendent Mausoleum," laughed Kui Lin.

"How do you know if he'll come or not?" Zhou Wu snorted. Actually, in comparison to the Ocean Emperor and company, Kui Lin disgusted him more. This was despite the fact that Kui Lin and Zhou Wu had seized power in much the same way.

"He really isn't coming." Who knew where Kui Lin had received that information? Regardless, he seemed completely certain of it, and the others were in no mood to argue about this.

Kui Lin's gaze circled over Zhou Wu's group, then Xue Yang's."I heard that you were no longer on good terms with the emperors of the Divine Mountain, and that their territories were no longer under your jurisdiction. Now it seems that… Zhou Wu, you're really quite alone, aren't you?"

"That's none of your concern. Mind your own business," said Zhou Wu, his expression icy. He glanced at both the demons, and at the various god race emperors. "Whatever you do, don't let me take that final step. Once I do, I'll leave you begging to die, yet unable to do so. Let's go, then!"

With that, he led his pathetically paltry forces into the mausoleum.

Naturally, neither the demons nor Ye Zichen's alliance would just watch him enter. Even though they wouldn't fight casually before going inside, they couldn't just let Zhou Wu go in first.

Several figures landed before the entryway, so close they practically stuck together.

They stared at each other, but none of them made the first move. Bi'an then walked right up to Zhou Wu's side and viciously shoved him back. "Get in the back."

That wanton, arrogant expression made Zhou Wu tremble with fury, but before entering the mausoleum, he wanted to avoid trouble. As such, he could only swallow this humiliation.

He was only one step away from transcendence. So long as he could take that final step within the mausoleum, all of these people were doomed!

Both the demons and Ye Zichen's alliance forged relentlessly ahead. However, after someone stepped through the door, not even those closest to the doorway could see any trace of them anymore.

"How could our god race's God Emperor enter so late? That Bi'an really has no manners! He's clearly a person of your God Realm, and yet, he pushed his God Emperor away! If a demon did that to me, as the Demon Emperor, I'd be sure to make him regret it! My dear God Emperor, your subordinates don't respect you, but we demons will give you face. How about you go on in first?" Kui Lin stepped aside facetiously, clearing the path ahead.

Humans and demons had always been at each other's throats. Even though lower ranked members of both races, supremes and below, could live in harmony, the higher-ups were always privately in conflict with each other. Kui Lin was delighted to watch Zhou Wu's deflated, infuriated expression. Tormenting him made Kui Lin's soul sing with delight.

Zhou Wu knew that Kui Lin was trying to humiliate him, but he simply buried the insult silently within his heart.

He was only one step away from transcendence. He could bear any humiliation in the name of taking that final step.

Everything…

So long as he waited until he'd successfully transcended, he would stand above all races, trample all others.

Thus, he naturally wouldn't refuse Kui Lin's "good intentions."

Without any hesitation, he puffed up his chest and strode forth. As he neared the doorway, he even raised his head and looked up at the sign.

Transcendence!

He was just a teeny bit off!

The transcendence he dreamed of both day and night was before him. Zhou Wu's heart shook violently.

He forcefully calmed himself down, then stepped toward the door…

Bump!

To his surprise, although it was obvious that just anyone could go inside, when he attempted to go through, he found himself pushed back.

"What's going on?"

The people who'd yet to enter were suddenly a little frantic. Could it be that there were already enough people inside, and that no one else was allowed inside?

Even Kui Lin's smile froze in place when he saw this.

Just one step off!

Zhou Wu stood in the doorway, stunned. He refused to believe it and attempted to go inside once more, only for an invisible barrier to push him away yet again.

"Out of the way!" Kui Lin was a little frantic too. He grabbed the God Emperor by the shoulders, pushed him, then stepped forward.

"Interesting." Halfway through his attempted entrance, Kui Lin grinned. "It seems the mausoleum is rejecting you specifically, God Emperor. It seems that, despite your painstaking efforts, you simply aren't fated to transcend. Since you can't go inside, let me go on in first."

Kui Lin then disappeared into the depths of the mausoleum. The other demons then followed him inside. Not one of them encountered any resistance as they entered.

The Jade Pool Palace Master and the others looked at Zhou Wu. They seemed to be at a bit of a loss, but when they stepped toward the doorway, all of them entered without expending the slightest effort.

As he watched his enemies enter the mausoleum, one by one, Zhou Wu felt as if someone were squeezing his heart. This was agony!

Not fated to transcend!

Kui Lin's final taunt before going inside echoed in his ears despite himself.

Zhou Wu tried once more, but just as he expected, he was propelled back out of the doorway.

"My Lord, how about we…" Yuchi Kong said tentatively. He couldn't help but speak up; he wanted to ask if Zhou Wu wanted them to go inside or not.

When Zhou Wu heard that, he was so furious, he practically spat flames. "I, your emperor, haven't gone inside. What point is there in you entering?"

In the face of Zhou Wu's surging fury, Yuchi Kong hung his head.

Zhou Wu glared at him. "What? You want to go inside and test your luck? If you succeed and achieve transcendence, you won't have to bow your head to anyone anymore, huh? You want to turn your situation around? Is that it?"

"My Lord, you've misunderstood." Yuchi Kong gnashed his teeth.

But to their surprise, Huangfu Youming, who'd been silent all this time, reached out and tugged at Yuchi Kong. His eyes shone with unprecedented ambition.

"What are you afraid of? He clearly isn't fated to transcend. Why should we spend the rest of our lives bowing to another?"

"You…"

"Hmph. My bad, God Emperor, but everyone longs for transcendence, and things have already gotten this far. There's no way we'll give up our only chance just because you can't enter the mausoleum. Right, don't even think about targeting my clan. If you do and I achieve transcendence… Well, I'm sure you understand the consequences already."

With that, Huangfu Youming stepped inside without so much as a second look. He entered smoothly, without encountering any resistance.

Yuchi Kong watched, his head still lowered. Then, he gnashed his teeth and, ignoring Zhou Wu, followed Huangfu Youming inside.

Now, only Zhou Wu and the Divine Arbiter remained outside.

"Are you going to betray me too?" asked Zhou Wu, eyes bloodshot.

"I will never betray you."

As she spoke, the Divine Arbiter's expression was unspeakably tender. She felt sorry for Zhou Wu; he'd trained Yuchi Kong and Huangfu Youming himself. Yet now, when he needed them most, they turned against him.

Zhou Wu, who'd just suffered a betrayal, seemed to gain some comfort from her words. He gently brushed her cheek and stared at that face which had once infatuated him.

As he caressed her, the Divine Arbiter's eyes filled with tenderness. She took his hand in hers and, as if in hope that her touch could soothe the betrayed Zhou Wu's aching heart.

"Go on in!" Zhou Wu suddenly lowered his hand. When he spoke to her, his tone was utterly gentle.

"If you don't go inside, I won't go inside. I said it earlier: I will never betray you." The Divine Arbiter took his hand and smiled.

"I know." Zhou Wu nodded gently in a rare display of tenderness. "I know you won't betray me. I'll be honest with you; those beasts, Yuchi Kong and Huangfu Youming, have deeply disappointed me. But they weren't wrong, either. Everyone is equal in the face of transcendence. The Divine Mausoleum has opened, which means everyone has a chance. That goes for you, too. And between you and them, I'd much rather the mausoleum's inheritance went to you."

"Zhou Wu…"

"Don't talk! Go inside!" Zhou Wu flung away the Divine Arbiter's hand, then pushed her toward the door.

She entered. Now, all of them were inside!

None of the others had encountered any obstacles.

Now, only Zhou Wu remained outside the mausoleum, all alone. He viciously gnashed his teeth and stared at the solemn mausoleum.

Transcendence!

The boundary he longed to reach even in his dreams!

After his discussion with ye Zichen, he had a new understanding of transcendence. It was because of his new understanding of transcendence that he really had made progress. His long-stagnant cultivation had, after so many years, finally increased a little.

As time went on, his accumulated enlightenment brought him closer and closer to transcendence.

But although his goal always seemed so close, like a fruit he could reach up and pluck, for some reason, he always felt as if he were missing that one final step.

He'd seized the Five Elements Great Emperor's celestial fate, and the light of numerous ordinary star bears. He'd done all of this to take that final step, the step he dreamed of both day and night.

But why…

It was as if the entire world were out to stop him!

The Transcendent Mausoleum was supposed to accommodate all challengers. Why was it that when he, and only he, attempted to enter, a barrier blocked his path? Why was it that he couldn't go inside, no matter how hard he tried?

Was he really just not fated to transcend?

He didn't believe it!

He was the master of his own fate!

His hands burst into blazing flames, so hot, they seemed as if they could evaporate and burn the entire world. The flames even cracked the surrounding space.

He swung his fist toward the doorway, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the barrier in the slightest.

"Don't waste your power," said a voice. It came from the stone statue by the doorway. "Everyone is allowed to enter. Everyone, that is, except for you!"