The Ninety-Nine Stone Steps

Xiao Chen turned disaster into opportunity. Using the Three Sovereign Mirror, he shattered the barrier between great worlds and charged into the Otherworld, leading countless Stone Man Kings in his wake!

In this moment, he was unquestionably mad—his audacity so great that it enraged Lu Zhan to the extreme.

"Dong!"

The Three Sovereign Mirror reflected a dazzling beam of light toward the towering cliff ahead, which instantly turned to ash, leaving nothing behind.

Once here, Xiao Chen had no restraints. Even if he tore this world apart, he would feel no guilt.

"Xiao Chen!" Lu Zhan's roar shook the heavens. His Dharma form towered ten thousand zhang, blocking the way ahead as he spat out a river of stars, full of blooming galaxies within.

"Zi la!"

Xiao Chen used the Three Sovereign Mirror to meet the fierce attacks of Shan Jun and the Suspended Old Ancestor—a vast yellow-gold divine sword and a strand of supreme Dao resonance. They were reflected toward Lu Zhan, tearing through the celestial river, causing his ten-thousand-zhang demonic body to sway three times, with a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth.

He did not linger. After this brief counterattack, he flew at extreme speed, for the Three Sovereign Mirror had nearly drained his divine power and would need time to recover again.

Once inside the Otherworld, strange, obscure syllables constantly emerged from Lu Zhan's mouth. Xiao Chen knew he was summoning the other three Ancestral Gods, urging them to awaken.

Those Ancestral Gods slumbering upon the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps could not be roused by a mere call. They required various mysterious rituals to awaken them.

Ahead lay green mountains and jade valleys, misty with immortal light, fog-shrouded, and covered with colorful flowers and grasses. Upon the peaks stood pavilions and towers—clearly a blessed land for cultivation.

Yet the place was empty of cultivators. Nonetheless, Xiao Chen swooped down. This land gathered the veins of a hundred sources and the qi of ten thousand mountains—truly a primal earth-spirit node.

"Bang!"

Xiao Chen swooped down and struck with a single palm, dispersing the earth-spirit node. Like boiling water, it surged upward, a brilliance without end.

Xiao Chen flipped the Three Sovereign Mirror and aimed it below. Instantly, the dissipated spiritual energy all converged. The entire primal earth node was drained of two-thirds in that moment, replenishing his needed divine power.

"Weng!"

Lu Zhan's eyes shot two cold beams. From his body emerged a figure identical to him—a demonic body, fearsome, wreathed in a baleful, bloody aura. It was his exact double.

This was a puppet nurtured on his own essence blood, filled with evil qi, now released in a suicidal stance, aiming to defile the Three Sovereign Mirror.

Indeed, this puppet body was normally fed with essence blood and accumulated the world's turbid qi and yin balefulness, capable of destroying many divine treasures.

The kings nearby felt a chill in their hearts. Truly, these Otherworld Ancestral Gods were extraordinary.

"Hou—!" The puppet body let out a long howl, then dissolved into a pool of filthy blood, charging forward to kill, targeting the Three Sovereign Mirror.

Xiao Chen did not know the origin of the puppet body, but his intuition told him it was a vile thing that might harm a sacred treasure like the Three Sovereign Mirror.

He tried to evade, but when he flipped the Three Sovereign Mirror, the three hazy figures on its back suddenly radiated an overwhelming pressure, forcing the pool of filthy blood to tremble continuously.

The kings behind were astonished. They sighed that the Three Sovereign Mirror was truly heaven-defying—worthy of being the third divine stone weapon in the world, specially designed to destroy Stone Man soldiers. The filthy blood puppet could hardly affect it at all.

Xiao Chen's heart was delighted. He no longer worried. He turned the mirror, and a beam of pure white holy light shot from its surface, shining on the filthy blood, which hissed and steamed, evaporating completely.

"Pu—" In the distance, Lu Zhan's body shook, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. He knew that filth-blood puppet was utterly destroyed!

The kings were shaken. They understood that Xiao Chen had discovered another wonder of the Three Sovereign Mirror—it could itself fire divine light to annihilate enemies.

"Where are the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps?" Xiao Chen flew at extreme speed, growing anxious. If this dragged on, he would surely die.

Now, merely because he had just entered the Otherworld, the kings did not want to act too aggressively. They all wanted to see the Otherworld's power. If they all attacked together, Xiao Chen would be in danger.

When he flew over a stretch of desolate mountains, terrifying ripples spread through the heavens, causing hearts and spirits to tremble.

"Weng!"

Howling winds rolled like thunder, and a deafening sound boomed. A giant wolf-tooth club came smashing down from beyond the heavens!

Ten thousand zhang long, its wolf fangs were jagged and uneven, each gleaming coldly. It shattered space and tore through time. The ancient desolate mountains and veins below collapsed instantly, turning into a sea of dust, with billowing smoke rushing skyward.

"Wolf Fang!"

Xiao Chen knew another Otherworld Ancestral God had struck. This one, named Wolf Fang, had shown great power in the final battle of the Nine Provinces, ultimately having his stone body destroyed. He had not expected to see him reappear today.

At this moment, Xiao Chen was not alarmed but delighted. The appearance of Otherworld Ancestral God Wolf Fang indicated that the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps were not far away. Wolf Fang must have come from there.

Xiao Chen evaded this earth-shaking blow, rose into the sky, and stepped into the void, but he did not detect any trace of Wolf Fang.

"What are you looking for?" Lu Zhan attacked, while a wolf-tooth club abruptly crossed space and struck at Xiao Chen.

"Bang!" This time, Xiao Chen used a trick of shifting the target. With the Three Sovereign Mirror, he reflected the club's heaven-shaking power back at Lu Zhan.

He did not sense the aura of the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps, but ahead he spotted a floating giant island. Life energy there was exceptionally lush, green light flickering, covered with vegetation.

Upon it stood a majestic Primordial Demon City. Clearly, an extraordinarily talented being was undergoing transformation here. From its surging life essence, it was no exaggeration to say it would become a Stone Man King—it was only a matter of time.

"Good, good, good!"

Xiao Chen said three 'goods.' If he could destroy such a Primordial Demon City, it would surely pain Lu Zhan and the Otherworld kings to no end. Only by leading disaster to their doorstep would it be worthwhile.

"Weng!"

The huge wolf-tooth stone club smashed down again, weighing billions of tons, shaking heaven and earth, sealing the path ahead!

Xiao Chen instantly understood that the true Otherworld Ancestral God Wolf Fang was not here. The manifestation of the wolf-tooth club was merely to protect this Primordial Demon City and ensure that this peerless figure of the Otherworld succeeded in his nirvana rebirth!

Lu Zhan roared long and loud. He would never allow such a future king to be disturbed and fall here. Above his head, a cosmic star map emerged.

This was a fusion of Dao resonance and divine power. He was willing to burn his primal essence to severely wound Xiao Chen, to stop his mad act, and would never allow this Primordial Demon City to be lost.

Xiao Chen refused to give up. The Three Sovereign Mirror blazed with light ten thousand zhang high, continuously reflecting the divine power of the two kings, turning their own techniques against them.

Yet even with the Three Sovereign Mirror in hand, he was mostly on the defensive. To destroy the Primordial Demon City before Lu Zhan's eyes was simply too difficult. He could not break through, and the mirror's divine power was being replenished far too slowly!

Blood seeped from the corners of his mouth. Keke anxiously poured divine power into the Three Sovereign Mirror again and again, while the Little Defiant Dragon and the three skeletons within Paradise Lost drained themselves to the verge of desiccation.

"I will cripple you!"

Lu Zhan's voice was icy cold. He sacrificed his own essence, his terrifying Dao omnipresent, attempting to smelt Xiao Chen down. Though the Three Sovereign Mirror swept out fearsome divine beams, Lu Zhan drew ever closer.

The enemy was far too powerful. It was very hard to break through. He could not destroy the Primordial Demon City.

Just then, the other kings also surged forward. Xiao Chen's heart sank.

Though unwilling, he had no choice. He sighed long, preparing to flee.

Yet, to his astonishment, the attacks from those kings were not lethal. They barely touched the Three Sovereign Mirror before reflecting off to the side.

He realized with shock that some kings were covertly trying to destroy that Primordial Demon City!

They were using a knife to kill—touching the Three Sovereign Mirror and letting its fearsome beams all shoot toward the Primordial Demon City!

Clearly, they did not want the Otherworld to grow too powerful and were seizing this chance to annihilate this king city.

The floating divine island in the void trembled. The powerful being slumbering within the Primordial Demon City awakened in alarm and anger. Under its mighty consciousness, the entire island turned into a streak of light, fleeing into the distance.

Lu Zhan sensed something was wrong in an instant. His gaze was icy and sharp as he swept over the crowd. Even facing so many kings, he showed no fear, his authority overwhelming.

Some kings were shaken. After all, this was the Otherworld. If the four Ancestral Gods came out together, or if the ominous Ninety-Nine Stone Steps reappeared, they might be in danger. So they restrained themselves.

But at this moment, the Primordial Demon City and the island, flying at extreme speed, suddenly shuddered violently, as if they had crashed into a towering demonic mountain. Smoke and dust billowed, and with a thunderous roar, the entire island—except for the demon city—shattered.

"Who is it?!" Lu Zhan was furious.

"Kid, now's your chance! This is all I can do for you!" Xiao Chen heard the voice of Old Skeleton.

It was he who had made the move!

"Weng!"

Keke, the Little Defiant Dragon, and the three skeletons had poured divine power into the Three Sovereign Mirror, and it had finally accumulated enough energy. Xiao Chen flipped the terrible stone mirror, shining it toward the distant skies.

"Boom!"

In the blinding light, the fierce attacks of the kings were reflected and shot straight through the Primordial Demon City, blasting it apart. Smoke and dust filled the air as the ruins fell to the earth.

Such was the terrifying power of a Stone Man King! Through the Three Sovereign Mirror's redirection, it was all borne by the Primordial Demon City, which instantly shattered!

But Xiao Chen was not well either. Though he was fused with the Divine Diagram and draped in the Ancient Scroll, he had still suffered heavy wounds. Five kings had struck simultaneously. Even with the Three Sovereign Mirror reflecting their attacks, the vibration had nearly torn him apart.

The sheer terror and might of Stone Man Kings were now fully displayed! Xiao Chen had not truly been struck, yet his form had been shaken to the verge of collapse!

"Ya ya…" Keke was on the verge of tears, seeing Xiao Chen coughing blood continuously.

"Go!" Xiao Chen forced himself through the pain and flew away.

He felt his soul and physical body were both cracked. He was horrified. The terror of Stone Man Kings gave him a whole new understanding. They truly represented the ultimate power of immortality in this world!

"Roar…!"

Lu Zhan went berserk. A Primordial Demon City that had hoped to produce a Stone Man King—annihilated before his very eyes! He was utterly unhinged!

His Stone Man pupils were blood-red, demonic and terrifying. Lu Zhan howled and charged at Xiao Chen. Though the Three Sovereign Mirror trembled and reflected divine light, the overwhelming pressure Lu Zhan brought only increased. He was willing to burn his essence, even if the mirror wore away his vitality, just to kill Xiao Chen.

At the same time, strange ancient syllables poured faster from his mouth, urging the other three Ancestral Gods to wake!

Though the wolf-tooth stone weapon had already manifested, Wolf Fang himself had not yet truly appeared. The other two had shown no sign at all.

"Dong!"

Some Stone Man Kings joined Lu Zhan in attack. The Three Sovereign Mirror's divine power was insufficient. Xiao Chen's body shook again, and Lu Zhan's overwhelming pressure sent him tumbling away.

His physical shell and soul could now clearly be seen covered in terrible cracks. His wounds were severe to the extreme.

"Ya ya…" Keke was frantic, nearly in tears.

Then, as if remembering something, she dashed into Paradise Lost and began rummaging. Soon she found her target.

Among the treasures of Xiao Shihuang's tombs, there were a dozen or so seemingly ordinary green grasses, cultivated in a meter-square stone vessel. The vessel itself was crystal clear—clearly a treasure—but the grasses looked far too plain.

"Ya ya!" Keke was overjoyed.

She recalled Old Skeleton once saying these were Life-Reviving Grasses, cultivated with a Stone Man King's essence blood. As long as one's Dao resonance had not collapsed, no matter how severe the wound, drinking their sap would restore it, reshaping the body and stabilizing the soul.

The next moment, three stalks of grass were stuffed into Xiao Chen's mouth. Seeing the little beast about to pull out more, Xiao Chen hastily stopped her.

One stalk was enough! Three was already excess.

This bitter divine grass appeared ordinary, but it was nurtured by Xiao Shihuang with his essence blood. Its effects were beyond imagination. His physical shell and soul continuously emitted thunderous sounds, and in a very short time, they began to repair themselves, the cracks vanishing rapidly.

Xiao Chen flew onward. Half of the three Life-Reviving Grasses restored him completely. His entire being brimmed with vibrant energy. Armed with the divine grass cultivated from a Stone Man King's essence blood, he now had confidence.

He continuously fed the Three Sovereign Mirror with divine power, convinced it would hold out until he found the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps.

The attacks from behind grew fiercer, but Xiao Chen had temporarily escaped the threat of death. Even when his body suffered terrible vibrations, it could recover rapidly. The divine grass Xiao Shihuang had cultivated was extraordinary.

At the same time, the Three Sovereign Mirror continuously emitted divine light, fending off the kings' attacks.

Then, Paradise Lost trembled. Qingqing, fused with the Dream Flower, awakened. The sacred flower swayed, extending a vine that pressed against Xiao Chen, providing him with an endless stream of divine power.

"Ya ya!" Keke relaxed at once, using the time to take out her many years' collection of heavenly spiritual essences for the Little Defiant Dragon and the others to consume, quickly restoring their divine power.

Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure shook the myriad heavens!

Ahead, amidst a stretch of desolate, barren mountains, three terrifying demonic shadows emerged.

The other three Otherworld Ancestral Gods had finally appeared. One of them had a very indistinct form—it was Wolf Fang, whose stone body had been destroyed. Yet his soul was powerful enough to astonish even Stone Man Kings. The oppressive sensation chilled everyone's hearts!

The vast mountains ahead stretched endlessly, but not a single blade of grass grew.

Xiao Chen sensed the terrible aura of the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps. It slowly materialized above those bare, deathly mountain ranges.

The kings were shaken. Faced with these ominous Ninety-Nine Stone Steps, everyone felt a chill in their hearts.

This was an instinct of their origin. These mysterious, terrifying Ninety-Nine Stone Steps brought them an overwhelming pressure.

In the final battle of the Nine Provinces long ago, they had witnessed with their own eyes an evil stone gate at the end of the stone steps, and that fearsome demonic shadow still haunted their memories!

The three Otherworld Ancestral Gods were extremely overbearing. They seemed to have no fear of the kings' arrival!

With cold, sweeping gazes in all directions, the three Ancestral Gods struck directly at Xiao Chen. A sea of terrifying power flooded that place.

"Be careful—he has the Three Sovereign Mirror!" Lu Zhan warned.

"Weng!"

The Three Sovereign Mirror trembled, its radiance great. It instantly reflected all that divine power back. At the same time, Xiao Chen's body suffered not-insignificant wounds, but the Life-Reviving Grass nurtured by Xiao Shihuang's essence blood healed him in an instant.

In the same moment, Xiao Chen did not look back. He charged straight upward and arrived before the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps.

He ascended the heavenly stairs, swiftly climbing dozens of steps, then turned to look back at the crowd.

At this moment, the kings hesitated, uncertain whether to advance or retreat. They naturally knew Xiao Chen's plan—he wanted to use their hands to shake the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps.

Strike or withdraw? This was a difficult choice. The value of the Three Sovereign Mirror was clear to all, but the terrible stone gate at the end of the stone steps also felt deeply ominous!

Should they just watch as the Otherworld seized the Three Sovereign Mirror? The kings were torn.

In their eyes, Xiao Chen was as good as dead. Unless he gave up the mirror, he could go nowhere—heaven or earth—and could only fall. Even if he fled to the ends of the earth, it would only be a death.

The four Otherworld Ancestral Gods stood side by side, like four black demonic mountains towering between heaven and earth, imposing an overwhelming pressure that shook the soul.

The Ninety-Nine Stone Steps were shrouded in thick black mist, making them indistinct and sinister. Each step was as massive as a mountain range, deathly still. Just then, the four Ancestral Gods mounted the steps together, their footsteps echoing far in the empty silence.

"Ta…"

"Ta, ta, ta…"

As they ascended together, some Stone Man Kings could no longer remain composed. Five of them exchanged glances and finally took the step together, unwilling to let the Three Sovereign Mirror fall into Lu Zhan's hands.

"We are the strongest Stone Kings between heaven and earth. Are we afraid of these Ninety-Nine Stone Steps?" someone transmitted privately.

The remaining few were also tempted, wanting to storm this ominous place!

Xiao Chen had already climbed to the thirteenth stone step. He clearly felt the pressure increase with each step. Upon reaching the eighteenth step, he looked down.

The kings had followed, pressing forward!

His heart was mixed with joy and worry. Though he had lured the kings here, he could not tell whether fortune or disaster would follow.

At that moment, he suddenly felt the Three Sovereign Mirror in his hand give a slight tremor—definitely not an illusion. Xiao Chen was shocked. He examined it closely.

"Ya ya…" Keke tugged at Xiao Chen's sleeve and pointed at the back of the Three Sovereign Mirror.

Xiao Chen turned it over and saw that the three hazy imprints on the back had grown somewhat clearer. The blurred outlines had gained much more life!