2277 Ruined Dao Killing intent surged into the Spirit Platform in his consciousness and even the Essence Spirit of Perfected Immortal Jade Toad was stained with blood. “This is bad!” Perfected Immortal Jade Toad was alarmed and realized that something was amiss. He composed himself hurriedly and held his breath, wanting to disperse the killing intent in his heart. However, the killing intent on the third stone step was extremely ferocious and swarmed in the moment it found an opening! Given Perfected Immortal Jade Toad’s capabilities, he could not defend against the killing intent of the third stone step to begin with. Right now, his Dao Heart wavered and in the blink of an eye, his consciousness was occupied by killing. His eyes were bloodshot and his face turned incomparably menacing! “Kill! Kill! Kill!” Perfected Immortal Jade Toad waved his arms repeatedly with a tragic expression as he howled at the top of his lungs in all directions, completely deranged. Everyone could tell that Perfected Immortal Jade Toad’s Dao Heart was corroded by the killing intent and he was in a Qi Deviation state that he could not extricate himself from! “This is bad.” Fang Qingyun frowned slightly and murmured. The tens of thousands of inner sect disciples were horrified as well. Under normal circumstances, when cultivators were ascending the Dao Heart Stairs, the moment they saw that the situation was bad and they could not withstand the impact of the will of the stone step, they would hurry down and escape unscathed. However, the situation for Perfected Immortal Jade Toad was different this time round. That was because Su Zimo had surpassed him and ascended the fourth stone step, causing his Dao Heart to waver and reveal an opening. Right then, he was enraged and his killing intent rose. That trace of killing intent resonated with the killing intent on the third stone step and instantly occupied Perfected Immortal Jade Toad’s entire consciousness. It was already too late for him to break free. There were many inner sect disciples outside the sacrificial platform but at that moment, they could not step forward to save him. The barrier formed by the countless runes outside the sacrificial platform could not only isolate sound, but also everything else. The power of Heaven Immortal experts could not penetrate it at all. “Senior Brother Qingyun, what should we do?” Yan Bingying was a little worried when she saw that. “Someone will come.” Fang Qingyun had a calm expression and was in no hurry. Perfected Immortal Jade Toad was a legacy disciple and there were many experts in the academy. If anyone sensed the commotion here, they would definitely not stand by idly. No matter how strong or weak a Perfected Immortal was, they were a power that could not be ignored in any sect or faction. Right then, a figure crossed many cultivators and penetrated the barrier outside the sacrificial platform instantly. Arriving before the Dao Heart Stairs, he waved his robes and they extended dozens of feet, sweeping Perfected Immortal Jade Toad down from the third stone step. “Old Xuan?” Elder Zhong exclaimed softly. The person who stepped in was the old man that Su Zimo saw outside the Earth-grade Secret Pavilion. This old man was rather mysterious in Heaven and Earth Academy and guarded the various secret pavilions of the sect. He would often rotate between the Earth-grade Secret Pavilion and Heaven-grade Secret Pavilion. Nobody knew his cultivation realm or status in the academy. Everyone only knew that no one in Heaven and Earth Academy seemed to dare to provoke this Old Xuan. Now that Old Xuan could pass through the barrier of the sacrificial platform with ease, it meant that his cultivation realm had at least surpassed the Heaven Immortal realm. Although Perfected Immortal Jade Toad was saved by Old Xuan from the third stone step, he had yet to regain consciousness. With a menacing expression and bloodshot eyes, his face and neck were filled with blood as he howled and struggled continuously. However, Old Xuan’s robes seemed to contain endless power that enveloped Perfected Immortal Jade Toad’s body such that the latter could not move at all! After more than ten breaths, Perfected Immortal Jade Toad gradually calmed down. The blood vessels in his eyes and face faded gradually as he seemingly regained consciousness. Old Xuan removed his robes. Perfected Immortal Jade Toad opened his mouth slightly, as though he wanted to say something. “Pfft!” However, before he could say anything, he spat out a blood mist and fell to the ground, fainting. Old Xuan glanced at Perfected Immortal Jade Toad and shook his head gently. He had already stepped in very quickly, but he was still a step too late. Perfected Immortal Jade Toad’s Dao Heart was penetrated by the killing intent and completely collapsed. His hundreds of thousands of years of cultivation was destroyed overnight! In the consciousness of Perfected Immortal Jade Toad, the Dao Fruit was already filled with cracks. Even if he could awaken, he would not have much combat strength left. The only thing he retained might be his experience of cultivating to the Perfected Immortal realm. “How is Senior Brother Jade Toad?” Yan Bingying could not help but ask. Fang Qingyun’s gaze was deep as he said coldly, “He’ll most likely be a cripple from now on. He should only be able to go to the servant courtyard for his remaining life.” Psst! Many cultivators were speechless with shocked expressions. In everyone’s hearts, a legacy disciple was an unreachable existence. To think that he would fall from his high pedestal and shatter into pieces right in front of them, ending up in such a tragic state! Instinctively, many cultivators turned their gazes towards the green-robed cultivator on the fourth stone step. The mockery and contempt in the eyes of many inner sect disciples had vanished. Although Perfected Immortal Jade Toad’s cultivation was destroyed because he ascended the Dao Heart Stairs, it was closely related to Su Zimo! ... “This person crippled a legacy disciple the moment he joined the inner sect. How ruthless!” “He’s the top of the Earth Ranking after all…” “What Dao Heart did that lad condense to be so powerful that he can cross the third stone step?” The killing intent on the third stone step was something that even most legacy disciples of the academy could not cross! But now, the Killing Step was left behind by a Grade 1 Heaven Immortal who had just joined the inner sect and had never ascended the Dao Heart Stairs! “Zimo won!” Princess Scarlet Rainbow finally revealed a smile and applauded. After Elder Zhong composed himself, he heaved a sigh of relief and shook his head. “To think that Su Zimo would be able to cross the third stone step after ascending the Dao Heart Stairs for the first time. The younger generation will definitely surpass us.” “I knew that Senior Brother Su would definitely win!” Liu Ping chuckled as well. “Kid, why are you calling him Senior Brother Su now?” ... When she saw that Su Zimo was safe and sound and even surpassed Perfected Immortal Jade Toad and Tang Peng, Princess Scarlet Rainbow relaxed and asked jokingly. Liu Ping said in all seriousness, “Although our cultivation realms are the same, I’m definitely inferior to Senior Brother Su in terms of combat strength. It’s only logical for me to address him as senior brother.” “Furthermore, my life was given to me by Senior Brother Su. It won’t be an exaggeration to call him my benefactor.” Liu Ping pouted his lips. “However, we’re from the same sect after all. It’s a little awkward to address him as benefactor.” “Su Zimo has already defeated Tang Peng and Senior Brother Jade Toad. Why is he still standing up there?” “Could he be thinking of crossing the fourth stone step?” “How ambitious!” A commotion broke out in the crowd and Princess Scarlet Rainbow could not help but ask, “Elder Zhong, what’s the will on the fourth stone step?” “I heard that the fourth stone step is the Nature Step.” Elder Zhong said, “As for how it feels exactly, I’ve never experienced it before either.” “However, the difficulty of climbing the Dao Heart Stairs will increase. I heard that there’s even a Sword Dao Step or something later on that’s even more dangerous than the Killing Step!”