Soon after, Ye Yunfei left with the Celestial Gold Race members, putting considerable distance between them.
The beings from the Main World stared after Ye Yunfei's retreating figure, a lingering sense of fear still gripping them, their hearts filled with resentment. However, they had lost all courage to intercept him.
During the previous battle, nearly half of them had had their bodies severed by Ye Yunfei in the opening exchange. Who would dare to go and fight him now?
A moment later, Ye Yunfei and the Celestial Gold Race group had vanished without a trace.
From then on, Ye Yunfei and his Celestial Gold Race companions explored the ruins extensively. News of the appearance of a secret realm within Feixian Valley had already spread across the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds. An endless stream of beings poured into the site, making it extremely lively.
As Ye Yunfei and his group explored the ruins, they soon made discoveries.
"I heard there's an Ascension Platform over there!
Let's go take a look!"
"A legendary Ascension Platform?
It's said these are the altars ancient Heavenly Emperors often relied upon to charge towards the Immortal Realm! They are said to contain the insights and comprehension of world laws at the Immortal Realm level! At the very least, they can increase an Heavenly Emperor's chance of a successful breakthrough by over forty percent!
This is a rare treasure indeed!"
...
A day later, Ye Yunfei and the Celestial Gold Race group were searching among a stretch of dilapidated buildings when Ye Yunfei overheard several beings conversing in the distance.
"Ascension Platform?
An altar ancient Heavenly Emperors used to impact the Immortal Realm?"
Hearing this, Ye Yunfei's heart stirred, his gaze growing fervent.
Given his current strength, Ye Yunfei had almost no opponents at the Heavenly Emperor level. His greatest cultivation goal now was the Immortal Realm!
Naturally, Ye Yunfei was extremely interested in such a treasure as an Ascension Platform.
"Honored Elders, please have your Celestial Gold Race members immediately enter my Space Treasure," Ye Yunfei thought briefly and said to the five Celestial Gold Race elders.
"Very well," replied the five elders without asking for a reason. Seeing Ye Yunfei's expression, they knew he must have something important to do.
Ye Yunfei teleported all Celestial Gold Race members into the Phantom Tower, then activated his Hidden Shadow Secret Art, quietly trailing the several beings who were talking earlier. These beings were rushing in a certain direction—clearly, that direction was where the Ascension Platform was located.
Given Ye Yunfei's current strength, the Hidden Shadow Secret Art he deployed could not be detected even by a Perfected Heavenly Emperor. Those beings had no idea someone was following them.
After half a day, a valley suddenly appeared ahead. Deep within the valley stood an ancient altar, towering over a dozen meters above the ground, glowing with brilliant immortal radiance and emanating a powerful aura.
A large crowd of beings had already gathered in front of the altar.
"Is this the Ascension Platform?" Ye Yunfei arrived before the altar, studying the platform over ten meters high with some curiosity.
By now, the area around the altar was swarming with beings, each staring at the altar before them with burning eyes.
"Be careful, everyone! This Ascension Platform contains energy and laws of the Immortal Realm level! Not everyone can ascend it! Those whose strength is insufficient should keep their distance. Otherwise, you'll lose your life here!" someone loudly warned.
"Indeed, this Ascension Platform contains extremely formidable energy pressure," Ye Yunfei sensed the altar's aura, thinking to himself.
"Ascend the Ascension Platform, and ascension becomes possible!"
A tall figure clad in white robes flashed, charging toward the Ascension Platform.
"It's said each Ascension Platform, over a certain period, can only accommodate five people for enlightenment atop it! Furthermore, once an Ascension Platform is used, its energy becomes depleted. It must wait ten years before it can be used again!
That means out of all of us, only five can utilize this Ascension Platform for comprehension and cultivation—this coincides perfectly with the numerology of the Five Elements!
Let's see who can ascend it first!
Charge!"
Someone roared.
Boom! Boom!...
The beings surrounding the altar all began erupting with power. Each unleashed overwhelming waves of energy and pressure, vying with each other to charge up the Ascension Platform.
"Faced with such a treasure, I cannot miss this chance!"
Ye Yunfei's figure flashed as he, too, charged up toward the Ascension Platform.
"Move!"
Ye Yunfei unleashed his physical body strength. Over five hundred thousand *Jiao* of power inundated his palm. Swiping his palm forward, he directly sent several beings ahead of him flying sideways.
"Those who stand in my way shall die!"
A barefooted, red-faced friar clad in kesa robes shouted ferociously. Dazzling golden Buddha light burst from the surface of his body, and faint strains of chanting could be heard emanating from within him.
Thud! Thud!...
Several beings blocking his path were knocked aside, heads bleeding, sent tumbling away by the impact.
"Everyone, clear the way!"
A woman in pink garments stepped upon a length of silk ribbon, a long whip in her hand. She lashed forward again and again, each strike sending another being flying.
*Clang! Clang!...*
A man as straight as a spear, clad in blue robes, strode forward. Nine long spears hovered around him like nine massive dragons, radiating rolling spear-light that shredded the space ahead to pieces.
...
One formidable young genius after another made their appearance, scrambling competitively to charge toward the altar.
Some weaker beings also tried to take advantage of the chaos, mingling in the crowd as they surged towards the altar. But these weaker entities simply could not compete against the true young geniuses. A moment later, they were either kicked off the altar or slain on the spot.
For a time, the sounds of battle and anguished screams rose ceaselessly.
At the beginning, several hundred people simultaneously charged onto the altar, aiming for the summit to conduct their comprehension and cultivation.
But as time passed, more and more beings were eliminated—knocked back, sent flying, or cut down.
Finally, only around twenty people managed to successfully reach the summit of the altar.
The summit of the altar was a flat piece of land, akin to a small plaza. Five meditation cushions were placed upon the ground.
Everyone understood: whoever could sit upon those five cushions would gain the right to use this Ascension Platform for comprehension and cultivation.
"That cushion is mine!
Who dares vie for it? Die!"
A man in black robes, with seventeen strangely shaped long swords circling above his head, shouted coldly. With a swish, he shot toward one of the cushions.
Boom! Boom!...
Nine long spears crossed the air, continuously knocking aside the seventeen long swords before lancing forward to shred the black-robed man to pieces.
"Hmph!
Is such strength worthy of occupying a cushion?"
A tall, straight-backed man in blue robes strode forward, heading towards the cushion previously targeted by the black-robed man.
But by this time, the other young geniuses who had also reached the high platform were starting to act, each rushing towards the five cushions.