The passage was a mysterious Array with the power of teleportation. As Ye Wushuang and his nine companions stepped inside, a blinding light assaulted their eyes, making them dizzy.

All ten had experienced the Earth Palace trial and were somewhat prepared. They immediately shut their eyes and waited for the teleportation, only opening them again once the spatial fluctuations stabilized.

Upon arriving, all ten of them spread out their Divine Senses in unison to probe for unknown dangers.

The Ninth Pass competition was no Earth Palace trial. The Disciples here were all elites from the Major Influences. A single moment of carelessness could lead to a disastrous and unexpected defeat.

While remaining vigilant, Ye Wushuang surveyed the unfamiliar continent before him.

The continent was vast and boundless, with no end in sight. It was a picture of utter devastation, like a desolate, shattered land riddled with enormous cracks and craters.

A few seemed to be from impacts, but most of the fissures, which resembled abyssal ravines, looked as if they had been carved by Divine Soldiers during a terrible battle.

A faint aura of slaughter, having weathered the ages, still lingered in the void.

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but a desolate, ancient landscape.

Ye Wushuang and his nine companions now stood on a rise next to a crater, a vantage point like a small hill from which they could see for a great distance.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Streaks of light shot down from the sky, like dying stars falling to earth.

Before long, teams of Disciples began to appear all around Ye Wushuang’s group. Hundreds, then thousands, gathered—well over a hundred teams by his estimation.

The teleportation was random and without warning. Unaware of the situation on the ground, the Disciples instinctively drew together as soon as they landed and saw people on all sides.

They sent out their Divine Senses, wary of one another. Despite the presence of over a thousand people, there was no uproar—only a strange, oppressive silence.

Countless Divine Senses swept back and forth, mutually vigilant and filled with hostility. Everyone was probing the strength of the others, gauging the level of threat they posed.

Meng Fanx’s powerful Divine Sense swept the area. He frowned. "Captain, I don’t see Mo Wentian or Yunn Xiao’s teams."

"They’re not here? It seems the teleportation really was random." Ye Wushuang nodded, glancing around and noticing that many of the factions were unfamiliar.

’From what I’ve gathered,’ Ye Wushuang thought, ’the top ten powers from the last Barbarian God Battle Platform were, in order: the Feather Race, Demon Abyss, Illusion Race, the Fiery Sun Sect, and so on.’

’The Ancient Spirit Sect only placed tenth!’

’None of the top ten are to be underestimated. Plus, there are plenty of other factions that have been secretly developing for years. Their underlying strength must be terrifying. This won’t be easy.’

Ye Wushuang took out his Identity Token. It was made of green jade and shimmered with a soft light, displaying the number 100. This was their starting point total.

"The Identity Token has one hundred points. From this point on, we only have two chances, so don’t be careless," Ye Wushuang said to the others, putting away his Identity Jade Token.

"Xiaoshuang, there are too many people gathered here right now. It won’t stay peaceful for long. Should we leave first?" Ye Rou asked in a low voice, scanning their surroundings.

More and more factions were gathering, and a tense, oppressive atmosphere began to build. As time passed, the feeling grew increasingly stifling, almost suffocating.

Many people eyed each other with open hostility, their gazes clashing in the air as if creating sparks.

Here, every team was from a different faction. To advance to the next trial and successfully pass the Ninth Pass, they had to seize points from their enemies. Only with enough points could they step onto the Battle Platform.

Ye Wushuang’s expression turned serious as his terrifying Divine Sense took in every team present.

He could clearly perceive powerful auras brewing, and see pairs of eyes gradually turning greedy.

The corner of Ye Wushuang’s mouth curved into a meaningful smile. "No need to rush off just yet."

"But there are too many people to fight here," Chengg Tao and a few other team members said with a frown, not expecting Ye Wushuang to want to make a move so soon.

Ye Wushuang smiled. "Why should we fight them one by one? It’s a world where big fish eat small fish, and small fish eat shrimp. Wouldn’t it be better to wait for the big fish to get fat before we feast on them?"

"Not many of the teams here pose a threat. That plan could work," Dii Qingxue commented coolly after a brief assessment.

"What do you think you’re doing?!"

Suddenly, just as Dii Qingxue finished speaking, an alarmed and furious shout rang out from beside a distant abyss.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Countless gazes converged on the scene, where one team was being surrounded by another.

The surrounded team was alarmed and angry, putting up their guard. The aggressors, however, just sneered, eyeing them greedily like a pack of wolves watching lambs.

"Brothers, my guys are a little short on points," the opposing team’s captain said, walking over with a sneer. His tone was ’negotiating,’ but his intent was clear. "We’d like you to spare some. Half should be enough."

However, he had already released his full power and was preparing an attack. His strength was at least at the Spiritual Spring Second Layer.

"In your dreams," one of the surrounded team members retorted, his face grim. Giving up half their points meant they’d be eliminated soon.

"We tried to ask nicely, but you wouldn’t listen. In that case, don’t blame us from Yunhuang Hall for being rude! Attack!"

The eyes of the Yunhuang Hall team members turned fierce as they unleashed a torrent of terrifying attacks. ’Their opponents only have one person at the Spiritual Spring First Layer. They’ll be easy to deal with. Who wouldn’t be tempted by free points?’

BOOM!

In an instant, the two sides were locked in a fierce battle.

It was like a lit fuse that ignited the entire battlefield. A chaotic, all-out battle had begun!

Waves of terrifying True Essence, like a vast ocean, swept across the Firmament. The sparks from the collisions bloomed like dazzling fireworks.

The horns of battle once again sounded across the silent land!

Like tigers descending a mountain, team after team pounced on their weaker counterparts. The big fish began to eat the small, all of them targeting the weakest prey.

From his vantage point above the crater, Ye Wushuang had an unobstructed view. His sharp, hawk-like gaze scanned the battlefield, tracking the strongest teams.

Behind him, Meng Fanx and the others were growing restless with excitement, eager to join the fray.

"Captain, should we make our move?"

Chengg Tao asked excitedly, and the others all looked at Ye Wushuang.

"The fish aren’t fat yet. What’s the fun in eating them now?"

Ye Wushuang asked in return.

"Hehe!" Meng Fanx and the others just chuckled, their eyes fixed on the battle below. They licked their lips like a pack of hungry wolves.

The battle raged for some time, and the combat zone gradually shrank. The weaker factions, having lost half their points, dejectedly fled the scene.

They were terrified of losing their remaining points, which would leave them with no chance of making a comeback.

The number of factions on the battlefield had been significantly reduced. The "shrimp" had been swept away; now it was time for the "small fish" to be eaten by the "big fish."

"There are four teams that are the strongest. They’ve each stolen points from four or five other teams."

Dii Qingxue suddenly commented from beside Ye Wushuang.

Ye Wushuang turned to her with a smile. "Ah, so you’re getting impatient to eat the fish, too."

Seeing that Ye Wushuang was still in the mood to joke, Dii Qingxue huffed in slight displeasure and shot him a cold look.

Meanwhile, Meng Fanx, Chengg Tao, and the others were rubbing their hands together, their faces practically screaming, ’We’re ready to eat!’

"Since they’re the strongest, they must also be the fattest," Ye Wushuang said with a faint smile. "So, we’ll feast on them. Let’s see if they suit our appetites!"

With that, he stepped forward and began walking toward the fray.