255: With both the true dragon and the divine phoenix selling themselves, Elder Li grinned from ear to ear!

As Lu Sheng pressed his finger down, a ripple of dark gold spread across the parchment scroll.

This scene was like a heavy hammer smashing into the hearts of all the survivors who were still hesitating.

That incredibly arrogant "True Dragon," who treated the Ascension Road like his own back garden, had signed so decisively.

He even seemed a bit impatient.

The psychological impact of this scene was even more effective than Li Xiaoyao's threat earlier.

The crowd that was still hesitating began to stir, and hundreds of eyes simultaneously turned toward the fiery red figure standing not far from Lu Sheng.

That was the last line of psychological defense.

Luo Tianfei stood in place, the purple divine fire swirling around her flickering, a sign of extreme emotional instability.

She stared intently at Lu Sheng.

That bastard was standing with his hands in his pockets, looking at the sky with a punchable expression. His nonchalant manner clearly said: "If you can't handle it, don't play. The door is behind you, don't let it hit you on the way out."

Crack.

Luo Tianfei even heard the sound of her own molars grinding together.

If she didn't sign and turned to leave, she would indeed preserve her so-called freedom.

But in doing so, she, Luo Tianfei, would become a coward scared off by him—a deserter in this game.

In the dictionary of the Undying Divine Phoenix, the words "admit defeat" did not exist.

Even if a fire pit lay ahead, as long as this bastard dared to jump, she would dare to follow, and she would even trample him under her feet at the bottom of the pit!

"Hmph!"

A cold snort, tinged with a bit of embarrassed rage.

With a flick of her wrist, Luo Tianfei forced out a drop of Essence Blood burning with blazing golden flames from her fingertip.

Whoosh!

The blood droplet pierced through the air like a miniature meteor, slamming hard into the ancient parchment scroll in mid-air.

At that moment, her gaze toward Lu Sheng was filled with defiance.

Trying to shake me off? In your dreams!

Buzz—!

The ancient scroll vibrated, and a clear, high-pitched phoenix cry soared into the sky, intertwining with the previous domineering dragon roar, creating a strange rhythm of a dragon and phoenix harmonizing.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Li Xiaoyao's wrinkled old face instantly smoothed out, and he grinned so widely his eyes vanished.

This wave was a massive profit.

The True Dragon had entered the trap, and the Divine Phoenix had returned to the nest.

With these two extreme realm prodigies, the Luck of Dengxian Island for the next thousand years was secured.

The old man waved his hand, putting away the ancient scroll as if it were a precious treasure, then turned to face the dense crowd of over nine hundred people.

The speed at which his expression changed was staggering.

The face of a kind Elder from moments ago vanished instantly, replaced by extreme indifference and impatience, as if he had finished a jewelry exhibition and was now ready to clear out the trash at the door.

"Three breaths."

Li Xiaoyao held up three withered fingers, his voice devoid of any warmth. "Sign, or get out."

No comfort, no empty promises.

This was blatant class suppression.

Before Lu Sheng and Luo Tianfei, he was a guide hungry for talent; before these people, he was a Spirit King who held the power of life and death.

The crowd's final psychological defense collapsed.

"I'll sign! Don't drive me away!"

"As long as I can become stronger, what's wrong with being a dog? In this troubled world, the weak don't even have the qualification to be dogs!"

"I'll sign too!"

Panic spread like a virus.

Over nine hundred experts, who once commanded the wind and clouds in their respective sea regions, were now scrambling to force out their Essence Blood, fearing they would be kicked out if they were a second late.

That parchment scroll, which represented "selling oneself," had now become a life-saving straw in their eyes.

Of course, there were exceptions.

Within the crowd, several dozen figures appeared out of place.

Most of them were overlords of their own regions or ruthless individuals accustomed to being alone.

Forcing them to hand over their Divine Souls and place their lives in the hands of others was more painful than killing them.

"Apologies."

A powerful Drowned One, wreathed in Evil Qi, stepped forward, bowed to Li Xiaoyao, and said in a raspy voice, "I am used to being wild. I cannot take such restraint. This Opportunity... I am not destined to enjoy it."

After speaking, he turned and left, his back looking lonely yet resolute.

With someone leading the way, the remaining thirty or forty people also gritted their teeth, took the basic resource pack—labeled "severance" but essentially "charity"—and stepped onto the teleportation Formation without looking back, leaving this Holy Land that countless others dreamed of.

Lu Sheng watched the whole process with cold indifference.

He didn't think these people were particularly principled, nor did he think those who stayed lacked dignity.

In this damn Apocalypse, choosing to live on one's knees or die standing up was a personal choice.

It was just that... having no strength to flip the table yet still clinging to that pathetic shred of self-esteem...

Lu Sheng sneered inwardly.

Such people often died the fastest when facing the abyss.

Dignity?

That was built on having fists hard enough to beat the opponent until they called you "Daddy."

Like him.

He signed the harshest contract, exploited the biggest loophole, and still made these old fogies treat him like an ancestor.

That was what true capability looked like.

"It's fine that they left; it saves the island's resources."

Li Xiaoyao didn't even lift an eyelid, waving his large sleeve as if shooing away a few annoying flies.

He turned to look at the beautiful female Elder who had been waiting nearby. "Ling Yao, these nine-hundred-plus people are yours. Take them to the Outer Gate's side hall, distribute resources according to Grade C standards, and register them."

"Tell them not to celebrate too early just because they entered the island. In the Outer Gate, trash is still trash. Unless they can climb into the Inner Gate, they shouldn't expect to see me for the rest of their lives."

"Yes."

Ling Yao bowed slightly, a professional smile on her still-charming face.

She raised her jade-like hand, and a majestic spiritual wind swept up, directly carrying those nine-hundred-plus "ordinary geniuses"—whose faces were complex, their eyes either relieved or humiliated—whistling toward the other end of the teleportation Formation.

In the blink of an eye, the previously crowded white jade platform became empty.

Only four people remained.

Lu Sheng, Luo Tianfei, and two other top prodigies who, although they hadn't reached the extreme realm, had forced their way up past the 800th step.

Even the air seemed to have become much fresher.

Li Xiaoyao turned around and looked at these only four remaining seedlings. His cold, hard old face once again melted like ice and snow, smiling as warmly as a spring breeze.

"As for you..."

He looked at the red-haired burly man next to him, who had long been impatient and was stomping on the floor with loud thuds.

"Xing Tian, activate the Formation."

"Take these little fellows to see our true foundation."

"Understood!"

Elder Xing Tian grinned, revealing a row of stark white teeth, his smile tinged with a sense of wildness.

He didn't perform any complex incantations or movements; instead, the volcanic, violent Qi and blood throughout his body suddenly surged.

Boom!

A surge of energy, condensed from pure azure spirit source, spread out from beneath his feet like a tangible silk ribbon, instantly enveloping Lu Sheng, Luo Tianfei, and the other four.

"Rise!"

Lu Sheng felt his feet lighten as his entire body was instantly lifted into the air.

He instinctively wanted to mobilize his Dragon God Power to maintain balance, but he found that the azure spirit source was incredibly stable, like a giant hand gently yet firmly supporting everyone.

Is this the control of a Spirit King?

Lu Sheng's dark gold pupils narrowed slightly.

This Xing Tian looked like a brute who only knew how to hack people, but in reality, his control over power had reached the point of returning to simplicity.

Coarse yet refined—that was the most terrifying.

"Hold on tight! I drive very fast!"

Xing Tian laughed wildly, and together with Li Xiaoyao, they turned into two streaks of blinding light, carrying the four of them straight into the sky.

Whoosh—!

A terrifying sense of acceleration hit them, and the surrounding scenery was instantly stretched into blurred lines.

The fierce wind was like a blade; if not for the protection of the spirit source, the sheer speed alone would have torn the skin off an ordinary person's face.

They were rushing at a nearly suicidal speed toward the mysterious thick fog that perennially shrouded the outskirts of Dengxian Island.

That was no ordinary fog.

It was the manifestation of a high-dimensional Formation, as thick as boiling milk, cutting off all sight and Divine Thought.

Even with Lu Sheng's Dragon Eyes active, his vision could only penetrate a hundred meters; beyond that was a heart-palpitating expanse of white Chaos.

This Formation... is something else.

Lu Sheng thought to himself.

Without guidance, even a tenth level expert who tried to force their way in would likely lose their way and eventually die trapped in the cracks of the Void Realm.

"Open!"

In front of them, Li Xiaoyao gave a low shout.

Without any fancy movements, he merely released a strand of Sword Intent from his fingertip.

Rip!

It was the crisp sound of cloth being torn.

The chaotic mist, which was enough to trap and kill a tenth level expert, was actually split open by this single finger, creating a hundred-zhang-wide path to the heavens!

Light.

Blinding golden light instantly filled everyone's field of vision.