With that thought, Ye Yun no longer dwelled on it. After all, it would take at least two to three more years for the highest-level players in the Tenth Universal Cosmos to reach level one hundred. There was no rush to destroy it then. The value he would gain from the birth of a fourth-tier angel here far surpassed the intrinsic worth of the Ruoshui Tianyuan.
"Master," Hei Yi suddenly interrupted Ye Yun's contemplation, pointing above his head.
A few lines of text appeared above Ye Yun's head.
"Newborn Dian Yi, upper-tier talent, can ascend to the sixth level of the Great Dao to prove their divinity!"
The characters were vigorous and powerful, formed by the very sound of the Great Dao.
Dian Yi—wasn't that the newborn angel he had just killed? Upper-tier talent, sixth level of the Great Dao? A newborn angel proving divinity at the sixth level of the Great Dao? Ye Yun was utterly bewildered.
Watching the disappearing characters, Ye Yun felt a deep sense of confusion. It seemed he had to ascend this Great Dao to find out.
With this thought, Ye Yun exited the secret realm and began to climb the mountain path before him without pause.
The divine mountain resembled a colossal mushroom. For the first seven thousand meters, its diameter was relatively normal. However, beyond that, the entire divine mountain began to spread out like an unfurled umbrella, looking incredibly bizarre.
Ye Yun did not stop at all. Zhou Ningdong from the teleportation array's secret realm had sent him coordinates, but these coordinates were entirely useless on this divine mountain.
The twelve Great Daos ascended straight up to two thousand meters, but from two thousand meters onwards, they transformed into spiraling mountain paths. Furthermore, within a certain distance on either side of these paths, there was an invisible barrier, preventing players from deviating.
This meant that once a player started on a path, they were confined to it unless they retreated.
At a thousand meters, a massive divine sacrifice plaza appeared. Ten thousand lifelike stone statues stood in dense rows, each carved so vividly they seemed ready to spring to life.
Around the plaza, six colossal stone pillars, each five meters tall, were carved with figures of angels wielding five different types of weapons. Each was an archangel with three pairs of wings. They stood like priests and instructors of the plaza, coldly observing the ten thousand angel statues below.
Ye Yun stood at the edge of the plaza, gazing at a steaming fountain within it. Hot vapor swirled, enveloping the entire plaza and transforming it into a realm of transcendence.
Before, Ye Yun had barely registered Zhou Ningdong's descriptions. Only upon witnessing it firsthand did he truly grasp the astonishing impact of this ethereal place.
"Who dares intrude upon the divine sacrifice arena of the first heaven's ascension path!" As Ye Yun stepped one foot into the plaza, a thunderous roar erupted.
"What sin is it to disturb the cultivation and ascension of others! You deserve death!"
"Just one step more, and I could have transformed my third essence into my fourth and joined the ranks of mid-tier divine races! No matter who you are, you shall be slain!"
Stone flakes began to peel away from the colossal pillars surrounding the plaza, revealing the forms of six three-winged archangels. The pillars beneath them suddenly spewed forth a dense mist. Angry voices echoed throughout the entire plaza.
Simultaneously, the ten thousand angel statues on the plaza also shed their stone shells, revealing a pair of arms behind them.
"This is... the aura of Ruoshui Tianyuan?" Amidst the mist, Ye Yun detected the scent of Ruoshui Tianyuan. Though incredibly faint, less than one ten-thousandth of its potency, Ye Yun still sensed it!
Were these beings cultivating using the residual aura of Ruoshui Tianyuan?! Were they sealing themselves with gypsum to prevent the Ruoshui Tianyuan from dissipating?!
With such hot vapor, this wasn't cultivation; it was like steaming themselves alive!
Soon, flames erupted in the center of the plaza, instantly evaporating all the mist and clearing everyone's vision.
"Hm? A human?!" In an instant, ten thousand pairs of eyes snapped to Ye Yun.
"Hi, hello there." Ye Yun's heart tightened, and he offered what he considered a friendly smile.
"A human?! I am the head instructor of the Angel race's foremost ascension path! This is our Angel clan's arena of ascension! How did you get here!" An angel with three pairs of wings, holding a bright moon scepter, descended slowly from the stone pillar. His white hair and aged face clearly indicated his advanced years.
Yet, Ye Yun detected a subtle difference in his words. This being seemed surprised by his presence, but not shocked.
"I just walked up here," Ye Yun said with a shrug, smiling at the elder.
"Just walked up? Hmph, human, we in the Divine Realm have no dealings with your human Divine Cities! Leave now, or the consequences of a war between divine cities will be far beyond what a mere human like you can bear!" he said, looking at Ye Yun with clear displeasure.
"Captain, should we inform Skyorigin City about how they let a human in? You know the Divine Mountain is the greatest secret of our Twelve Divine Races. If other races discover it, it will pose a threat to us," a figure holding an eight-pound hammer with one hand approached.
"The rules of our Divine Mountain have always been that our people only enter and never leave, and divine edicts are issued but never passed upwards. Our six hundred and forty-eight divine instructors have never left the Divine Mountain for millions of years. We have no idea what's happening outside."
A younger-looking individual carrying a long sword also approached. Compared to the others, this fellow appeared far more flamboyant, his hairstyle suggesting liberal use of hair gel, clearly not one to be subdued.
Instructors were the most exceptional beings within each tier of the divine races. They were jointly recommended by the major gods and city lords of Skyorigin City. If a vacancy arose on the Divine Mountain, the recommended divine being would be directly teleported into the mountain, living a life of ascetic cultivation in seclusion.
However, the lifespan of the indigenous divine races was incredibly long. Ye Yun could not ascertain their exact longevity. But given that this being casually spoke of millions of years, it was evident that these instructors were unaware that the human Divine Cities had long since fallen.
Furthermore, their fall was orchestrated by the divine races in conjunction with eight other major divine cities.
"Thank you." Ye Yun sincerely thanked them with a smile. Hei Yi, following behind him, shot forward like a meteor, impaling the elder with his black stinger. Ye Yun himself remained motionless by the entrance and exit of the plaza.
The plaza was designed to be adjacent to the Great Dao, with only one entrance and exit where Ye Yun stood.
A mere greeting had inexplicably provided these individuals with a wealth of information.
"Human! You are courting death!" Furious roars erupted into the sky. However, their cries were futile. Hei Yi, through his actions, initiated an endless slaughter.