Chapter 446: Bottleneck

"You will be divided into two teams," Emperor Xinghe declared from his high seat in the main hall, his voice echoing through the chamber. "Peacock Demon King and the Eighteen Black River Guards will form one team. Thread Demon King, Cold Moon Demon King, and Poison Dragon Demon King will form the other. This arrangement allows comrades to cooperate, enhancing overall strength and increasing your chances of slaying the Godfiends."

"Yes," the Peacock Monarch and the others respectfully responded from below the dais.

Although unsure of their companions' current strength, they had immense faith in the Emperors, whose judgment far surpassed their own.

A short while later.

The three Emperors, along with the Peacock Monarch and the group of demon kings, arrived at a void space more than a thousand miles outside the Ice Palace.

*Boom.*

Emperor Peng struck with a single punch, shattering the demon world's membrane and the world gap's membrane, creating a colossal hundred-zhang-wide hole. Through this opening, the vast scenery of the world gap was visible.

"You should understand the importance of this campaign," Emperor Peng stated coldly. "Succeed, and we will not be stingy with rewards. All that we, the three Emperors, have promised you will be fulfilled. But if anyone intentionally holds back or puts in insufficient effort, then do not blame us for being ruthless."

"Rest assured, Emperors."

"We will certainly do our utmost."

The Peacock Monarch and Poison Dragon Ancestor held their breath, answering immediately.

Although they were among the strongest Fifth-Heaven demon kings, and had even improved recently, the Emperors could kill them with just a thought.

Even the Poison Dragon Ancestor, who boasted an immortal body, could be easily confined by the Emperors within a sealed void. Everything in that void, including the Poison Dragon Ancestor's life, would be utterly obliterated in the blink of an eye.

Faced with such an absolute disparity in power, even the arrogant Peacock Monarch had to comply obediently.

"Depart," Empress Xuanyue commanded.

After bowing respectfully, the Peacock Monarch, the Eighteen Black River Guards, and the others immediately flew swiftly through the massive opening into the world gap.

On the land within the world gap.

The Peacock Monarch and its companions landed on the ground, looking at one another.

"The Emperors are willing to pay any price to conquer the human world," said Sacred Master Qiansi. "Therefore, we absolutely must not be negligent. Angering the Emperors would lead to consequences beyond our endurance."

"For the Emperors' rewards, we must also exert our full strength," a demon king among the Eighteen Black River Guards chuckled.

"We'll split up," Peacock Monarch said coldly. Then, it swiftly flew into the distance.

"Brother Peacock," the Eighteen Black River Guards quickly followed; they were on the same team as the Peacock Monarch.

"Let's go too," Sacred Master Qiansi said, glancing at her two companions. "You two must inform me precisely of your current strength. Only then can we cooperate more effectively."

"That's only right."

"We need to understand each other thoroughly."

Conversing, this team also quietly departed.

In the world gap, at the Broken Heaven and Earth.

Meng Chuan, True Martial King, Anhai King, Peng Mu, and Yun Jianhai were all cultivating, each undisturbed by the others.

Anhai King, formed from dark green ice, gazed at the gloom beyond the Broken Heaven and Earth. Each time, he would accumulate power for a long while before striking at the gloom with a single sword. Having been life-reformed for eleven years, Anhai King had indeed made progress during his long stay in the world gap; his sword techniques were becoming increasingly refined.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…*

Numerous figures vanished one after another, until only Meng Chuan's true body remained.

Meng Chuan sat down, feeling somewhat perplexed, and looked up at the purple lightning reflecting the endless gloom. "I've been in the world gap for fifteen years now. I feel my 'Cloud Mist Dragon Serpent Movement Technique' has accumulated enough, yet I'm stuck at the final bottleneck."

Based on his understanding of lightning and the legacy of the *Thunder Realm* and *Three Lives Blade* ultimate techniques...

The accumulation for the Cloud Mist Dragon Serpent Movement Technique should be sufficient to reach the Cavern-Heaven realm.

"The Endless Blade pursues the ultimate speed and aims to break free from the constraints of heaven and earth rules. I can understand why its breakthrough is difficult," Meng Chuan mused. "But the Cloud Mist Dragon Serpent Movement Technique doesn't need to defy the suppression of heaven and earth rules, so its breakthrough shouldn't be that hard."

"No wonder so many Marquis Godfiends have been unable to reach the Cavern-Heaven realm; this step is indeed challenging."

"If the Cloud Mist Dragon Serpent Movement Technique is this difficult, the Endless Blade will be even harder than I imagined."

Meng Chuan had been somewhat troubled recently.

Stuck at a bottleneck, he couldn't make any progress. He didn't even know how to improve, which naturally caused him anxiety.

If he didn't achieve enlightenment, he would remain trapped here indefinitely!

"I've been stuck at this bottleneck for over a year now. What exactly am I lacking?"

"How can I make the Cloud Mist Dragon Serpent Movement Technique advance into the Cavern-Heaven realm?" Meng Chuan pondered for a long time but found no answer. "Forget it, I'll stick to the old method. If the Cloud Mist Dragon Serpent Movement Technique is stuck, I'll practice the *Endless Blade* first. Perhaps that will provide some insight. After all, they are both lightning-based."

Meng Chuan drew his Demon Slaying Blade, intending to continue practicing the Endless Blade.

Suddenly, however, he faintly sensed distant activity from the 'void'. Although he hadn't reached the Cavern-Heaven realm, his perception of the void was indeed becoming sharper.

"It's from that direction."

True Martial King, Anhai King, Peng Mu, and Yun Jianhai simultaneously turned their heads. Their senses were even stronger; they felt the tremors of the world membrane being shattered.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.*

The five immediately converged.

True Martial King stated solemnly, "The world membrane has been shattered, and that side connects to the demon world. The demon race must have sent demon kings in."

"The demon race has finally made their move?" Peng Mu, Yun Jianhai, and Anhai King all felt their fighting spirit rise.

"Meng Chuan, lead us and rush there with all speed," True Martial King said.

"Alright."

Meng Chuan nodded.

Immediately, his Seamless Domain enveloped the group, transforming into a streak of lightning that sped towards the source of the tremors.

"The demon race has come to the world gap."

"The war is finally about to begin."

The five Marquis Godfiends from Black Sand Grotto-Heaven and Two World Island also detected this.

"Let's go," Molten King declared, his fighting spirit high. "I'll lead the way."

"We appreciate it, Molten King," Thousand Wood King smiled.

An invisible wave enveloped everyone present, and they too swiftly moved towards the location where the world membrane was shattered.

Meng Chuan's team was faster, but the demon race had already split into two teams and moved out, causing Meng Chuan's team to miss them.

Instead, Molten King's slower team, after flying for just over an hour, encountered Sacred Master Qiansi's team, who were also searching.

"Hm?"

Ripples spread through the void.

A woman in black gauze, an old man with a dragon head in a black robe, and a woman in silver appeared.

"Demon race."

Molten King, Underworld King, North Mu King, Gu-Pupil King, and Thousand Wood King also revealed themselves. Their probing domains touched, causing them to simultaneously discover each other.

"Human Godfiends? Not one of you will escape," Sacred Master Qiansi declared, her killing intent chilling. Having suffered a loss at Meng Chuan's hands previously, she now manifested void threads within a three-hundred-mile radius centered on herself, a significant expansion from the mere hundred-mile range she maintained during earlier reconnaissance. The expanded range instantly enveloped all five human Godfiends.

The black-robed dragon-headed old man and the silver-clad woman also emanated surging killing intent.

"Kill them," Molten King commanded. His body became covered in a layer of armor, and golden flames erupted from him, spreading rapidly. The terrifyingly powerful golden flames instantly incinerated Sacred Master Qiansi's void spider threads into nothingness. In an instant, the surrounding ten miles transformed into a rolling domain of flames.

Molten King had successfully refined and brought out the 'Molten Star Furnace', a Tribulation-realm secret treasure bestowed by Black Sand Grotto-Heaven to the Blade-Halberd Hall. Combined with his achievements in flame arts, the Molten Star Furnace possessed terrifying power.

At this moment, the Molten Star Furnace within him continuously released golden flames, incinerating everything in all directions.

The flame domain also protected his companions as they charged at ultra-high speed towards Sacred Master Qiansi and her team.

Underworld King, North Mu King, Thousand Wood King, and Gu-Pupil King were all filled with killing intent.

"Good," Sacred Master Qiansi said, yet she remained very patient. The 'Nine Lives Cocoon' within her began to release threads, which intermingled with her 'void spider threads' and spread out in all directions.