Chapter 27: The Sixth Layer

Those who chose other paths were escorted by the four black-armored attendants, while those who chose the fifth path, 'Survival on Star Island,' were escorted by the silver-armored man and the silver-armored woman.

Though called escorting, they actually collected Ji Ning and the others into a cave-heaven treasure.

…

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The silver-armored man and silver-armored woman flew away from the mountaintop, heading toward another area of the Mangya Kingdom. Since teleportation was impossible within the kingdom, they could only fly! This flight lasted many days.

On the eleventh day after leaving the mountaintop.

Hmm?

Ripples? Ji Ning and the other thirty thousand cultivators and special lifeforms gathered in the cave-heaven. Ji Ning suddenly felt his three Snow Parchment Scrolls resonate with a distant location. 'Could there be another Snow Parchment Scroll in the Mangya Kingdom? I wonder if it's the fourth one I'm missing.'

As the silver-armored man and silver-armored woman broke through the air and flew away.

From the lake below, a green-skinned alien lifeform with gills burst out. He looked up at the sky and instantly spotted the silver-armored pair hundreds of billions of li away. Noticing their silver armor, his expression changed: 'Snow Parchment Scrolls? They must be two great powers from the Twelve Palaces, probably escorting newly captured World-level cultivators. The scrolls are likely on one of the newcomers. Damn it, I've already left Star Island and can't go back.'

…

Though Ji Ning sensed the Snow Parchment Scroll, he had no way to act. In the blink of an eye, he had stayed in the cave-heaven for a month and a half.

Whoosh.

Abruptly, all the cultivators and special lifeforms were teleported out.

This is? Each of them looked around curiously.

Ahead was a vast dark abyss, swallowing all light below. Ji Ning and the others could hardly see what lay beneath.

Above the dark abyss, floating in midair, were countless islands. Each island was about a hundred zhang in size, and at a glance, there were hundreds of thousands of them! They densely filled the sky, slowly rotating. These hundreds of thousands of floating islands were at varying heights.

At the lowest layer, ninety-nine percent of the islands—Ji Ning estimated over three hundred thousand!

One layer higher, there were over twenty thousand islands.

The third layer had over three thousand islands.

The fourth layer had over a hundred islands.

The fifth layer had only twelve islands.

The sixth layer, the highest, had just one island!

This is Star Island, said the silver-armored man, pointing at the floating islands. On each Star Island lives a World-level cultivator!

All of them?

A stir ran through Ji Ning and the others—that meant over three hundred thousand World-level cultivators gathered here.

World-level cultivators on Star Island can only challenge those on the same layer or lower, the silver-armored man said. Defeat ten opponents on the same layer consecutively, and you rise to the next layer. Defeat ten more, and you rise again. Lose once, and even if you survive, you drop one layer.

Ji Ning and the others changed expression.

Ji Ning looked at the floating islands. Now he understood why they slowly rotated at different heights. The sole island on the sixth layer must have once been on the fifth layer, defeated at least ten opponents, and then reached the sixth layer. From then on, only it could challenge others; no one could challenge it.

May I ask, how do we become citizens of the Mangya Kingdom? A cultivator immediately spoke up.

Don't rush, the silver-armored man said with a smile. Choosing Star Island is your best choice. Those who chose slavery have little hope. Those who chose mining—a thousand chaos cycles? I can't imagine what they were thinking. As for those who chose the insect nest, they're probably weak and lacking confidence, deliberately taking a gamble.

But you are full of confidence, choosing the path of one in a hundred surviving.

On Star Island, through repeated battles, becoming a citizen of the Mangya Kingdom is very simple, the silver-armored man said. As long as you collect a complete set of inheritances, you become a citizen.

"Gather the complete inheritance?"

The cultivators and special lifeforms present were all puzzled.

"Yes, on Star Island, every time you defeat or kill an opponent, you can take the 'inheritance treasures' from their hands," said the silver-armored man. "For example, the inheritance left by a Heartforce Cultivator is recorded on three thousand six hundred inheritance treasures. As long as you gather all three thousand six hundred treasures and obtain the complete inheritance, you can request to become a citizen of Mangya Kingdom."

"Heartforce inheritance?"

Everyone, including Ji Ning, was stirred.

Being called a 'Heartforce Cultivator' by this powerful Dao Lord, how could the inheritance left behind be simple? In the endless territories, one could still find Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals skilled in heartforce techniques. But heartforce techniques at the World level were rare, and Heartforce Cultivators at the Dao Lord level were even rarer.

"Of course, the heartforce inheritance is divided among three thousand six hundred treasures, making it a top-tier inheritance. There are many other inheritances, some scattered across a thousand inheritance treasures, some across five hundred, some across two hundred."

"Once on Star Island, you can easily find out which island each inheritance treasure is on, and you can challenge the holder. Provided you are qualified to challenge. For example, the current sole World-level cultivator on the sixth level—no one is qualified to challenge him. Only he can challenge other World-level cultivators."

"In short!"

"Gather a complete set of inheritance, and you can request to leave and become a citizen of Mangya Kingdom."

"Gather two complete sets of inheritance, and you must leave."

The silver-armored man suddenly smiled. "Of course, that cultivator on the sixth level—after obtaining one complete inheritance, he deliberately lost a few treasures, then won another inheritance. Then lost a few more... over time, he has obtained eight kinds of inheritances."

"What."

"That's possible?"

Ji Ning and the others were speechless.

Gather one set to leave, gather two sets to be forced to leave—this rule actually had a loophole!

"In the Star Island region, there are ninety-nine powerful inheritances, all extremely powerful," the silver-armored man laughed. "Ordinary Mangya Kingdom citizens find it very difficult to obtain some powerful inheritances. But in the Star Island region, there are ninety-nine precious inheritances, each divided into many treasures... If you have the ability, go defeat other opponents and seize their inheritance treasures."

"Remember!"

"You can fight at most once a day."

"If you go a month without a single inheritance treasure, you will be executed," said the silver-armored man. "So you cannot avoid battle and live an easy life."

Ji Ning and the others understood immediately.

The loser's inheritance treasures would be plundered! Those without any inheritance treasures would not be challenged by other World-level cultivators. In that case, they could live in peace. But Mangya Kingdom would not let them live in peace—a month without an inheritance treasure meant death!

Executed by Mangya Kingdom!

Killed by other World-level cultivators!

Gathering a set of inheritance, especially in the later stages—for example, having gathered one hundred and ninety-nine pieces and needing only one more to complete a set—would easily attract the attention of stronger cultivators. They might directly challenge you and take everything.

"Those who try to seize the top-tier inheritances likely face even higher mortality."

"Those who go for slightly weaker inheritances have lower mortality."

Ji Ning understood.

...

"This place is both dangerous and an opportunity. Ninety-nine kinds of inheritances—haha, in the endless territories, you might risk your life and still not obtain them. Here, you have a chance. Even that one!" The silver-armored man pointed at the cultivator on the sixth level. "What he achieved, you can hope to achieve too."

"But be careful not to lose your life." The silver-armored man suddenly called out, "Old fellow, bring another thirty-one thousand and ninety-one Star Islands."

"Mm."

A low voice came from the depths of the dark abyss.

Boom, boom, boom, boom—immediately, Star Islands emerged from the dark abyss.