Chapter 1746 — Chapter 1746 Arriving at the Fifth Heaven

As the scenery shifted, Yuan found himself standing under a clear blue sky on a vast, empty, circular platform that resembled a stage. The area was expansive and open, with no obstacles in sight, as if it were designed specifically for a performance or a duel.

A red-skinned figure materialized several hundred meters away from Yuan. With a height of at least nine feet, the figure had six black horns atop its head and four muscular arms, each gripping a weapon seemingly forged from solidified blood. Its presence radiated a fierce, ominous energy that would terrify even immortals.

This entity was obviously a demon, most likely at the rank of Demon General since Yuan couldn't see its demon crystal, and it had the impressive cultivation of Divine Lord. "A human!" the demon roared, its voice so powerful that it made the very air tremble.

"A demon, huh? Perfect. I have been wanting to test out my Demon Sealing Aura while enhanced by chaotic essence." Yuan smiled at the sight of this demon.

However, he had to survive—keep it alive for an hour before he could kill it.

"Allow me to consume your flesh and blood!" The demon laughed out loud as it pounced at Yuan like a tiger.

"..."

Yuan didn't even bother moving and stood in place as the demon began slashing at him with its weapons.

"Are you so terrified that you cannot even move?! Pathetic!"

The demon mocked with a devious smile, but its expression abruptly stiffened when it realized it could not scratch Yuan's skin, let alone damage him.

"We've got an hour, so do your best," Yuan said as he lay on the ground and closed his eyes to sleep.

Although its skin was already red, the demon's face seemed to flush an even deeper shade as it erupted in fury, its eyes blazing with rage.

The demon proceeded to throw its weapons away and bombarded Yuan with techniques instead.

Yet, Yuan remained still and undisturbed.

The demon could even hear Yuan snoring a bit, almost as if he were in a deep and comfortable sleep. This caused the demon to snap, forcing it to use its own life to enhance its prowess.

Yuan opened his eyes to look at the demon, whose aura suddenly changed drastically.

Although demons are essentially immortal and can live for millions of years without any external energy source due to their demon crystal, they could sacrifice the power of their demon crystal for a tremendous boost in power. Once a demon uses this forbidden technique, death is inevitable shortly afterward, which is why demons rarely resort to it, even when facing death. Additionally, the act is considered shameful, something only the lowest of low demons would even consider doing.

After destroying its own demon crystal, the demon's cultivation soared to the peak of Divine Emperor, and its attack became capable of damaging Yuan.

However, even with its enhanced power and increased strength, the demon's attacks could only manage to scratch the outer layer of Yuan's skin.

"That's not good. At this rate, you'll die before an hour passes."

Seeing this, Yuan stood up and extended a single finger, channeling his Demon Sealing Aura into the tip. As he touched the demon and poured Demon Sealing Aura into it, the red creature instantly turned to stone. However, since the demon was only sealed and technically still alive, the trial remained uncleared.

The demon, even in its sealed state, would still perish due to the forbidden technique it had invoked. However, the sealing slightly prolonged its inevitable death, delaying its final moments just enough for Yuan to clear the trial.

An hour later, Yuan unsealed the demon. He then infused his chaotic essence with his Demon Sealing Aura.

"W-what is that Demon Sealing Aura?! I've never seen or heard of anything like it!" The demon sensed a profound feeling of dread from Yuan's upgraded Demon Sealing Aura, which sent chills through its entire being.

A terrified expression appeared on the demon's face, and without thinking, it instinctively turned around and ran away. However, before it could get far, its body began to disintegrate, breaking apart bit by bit as the effects of the forbidden technique took their final toll.

"What a pity. I didn't even get to test out my Chaotic Demon Sealing Aura." Yuan shook his head as he acquired some more of the Divine Paragon's memories.

"Congratulations on clearing the Stairway to Heaven, Master." Tian'er appeared shortly after.

Yuan then inquired, "Since I no longer have access to Rashara's System, the other players won't be able to ascend to the Fifth Heaven even after I cleared it, correct?"

Tian'er nodded and said, "Master is a player…but also not a player simultaneously. The Stairway to Heaven will only open to the other players if someone with Rashara's System clears it."

"Since there's Rashara's System and Shura's System, can I assume there are other systems out there? Do you know anything about that?"

"No, Tian'er is only aware of Rashara's System," she said.

"I see. Thanks. Then I'll see you later."

Sometime later, Yuan and the nine players he carried were transported to the Fifth Heaven.

After emerging from the Stairway to Heaven, Yuan looked at the sky to see if there were any announcements.

A few moments later, when he didn't see anything, Yuan smiled behind his mask, turned to the nine dazed players, and said, "Good luck."

He left before any of the players could ask questions, but he didn't go too far, as he still had to wait for Xi Meili and Lan Yingying.

"We actually got carried by an NPC and made it to the Fifth Heaven?"

"Since there's no announcement, it's safe to assume he wasn't a player."

"Hahaha! That means we're the only players in the Fifth Heaven at this moment!"

"This is huge!"

These players logged off shortly after to share their experience on the internet with the rest of the world.