Ming Zhi Tian looked up and saw a woman with a peerless countenance, a figure of supreme beauty, with perfect proportions and an alluring pair of long, slender legs, rumored to be the dream goddess of the ancient cultivators.
As he ascended the pavilion, he sensed someone approaching, but the captivating woman paid him no mind.
Ming Zhi Tian reached the level where the woman stood. Gazing at her mesmerizing back, he couldn't help but gasp.
Her beauty was unparalleled, a beauty that defied comparison, a beauty that made heroes seem insignificant, a beauty that was breathtaking and capable of toppling nations.
Ming Zhi Tian dared not disturb her. He leaned against a pillar, silently admiring her.
After an indeterminate time, the woman slowly turned. Her expression was one of regal elegance and refined grace. She gracefully extended her left foot, stepping out and revealing her legs clad in stockings that blended the hues of violet and rose.
She slowly raised her eyes to the stunned Ming Zhi Tian and asked, "Who are you?"
Her voice, like melodious bells, was intoxicating. Ming Zhi Tian felt as if he were under an illusion. He shook his head and replied, "Just passing through. My apologies for the intrusion."
No one had ever dared to enter Tian Shui Tower before. Ming Zhi Tian was the first man to set foot here.
The woman, her naturally large eyes sparkling with curiosity, looked at him and asked, "Aren't you leaving?"
Ming Zhi Tian frowned. "Why should I leave?"
The woman smiled charmingly. "Aren't you afraid of death?"
Ming Zhi Tian said, "Not at all. Especially not when I can see such a peerless beauty."
The woman glanced around, confirming he was speaking of her. A faint smile touched her lips, but her expression quickly turned cold. "Because your words are sweet, I'll give you a piece of advice: if you don't leave now, you might lose your life. This is not a place for you."
"Oh?" Ming Zhi Tian was unfazed.
Suddenly, two spatial rifts tore open, and two men with tattooed faces emerged.
One of them asked, "Who are you?"
The woman replied, "Just a glib-tongued rogue."
"!"
Ming Zhi Tian was taken aback. Was complimenting her beauty a mistake? How had he become a rogue? And glib-tongued?
The other man angrily rebuked, "Kid, you're courting death! The Empress is not someone you can covet!"
Without warning, the two drew out their immortal-grade artifacts and attacked simultaneously. Ming Zhi Tian could only summon his profound-grade artifact, the Divine Sword, to meet them.
Three blows were exchanged in an instant. Ming Zhi Tian used his sword like a fist and roared, "Control!"
All the surrounding spiritual energy surged towards him, filling the Divine Sword. Then, with a simultaneous surge of fist and sword, he struck, lightly wounding both men!
The two men stumbled back a step. "Im-impossible! You only have the cultivation of the tenth level of the Fengshen Realm, yet you can contend with two of us at the ninth level of the Awakened Realm?"
"Qi Condensation Art?!" The woman stared, stunned. The entire world seemed to freeze at that moment...
The scene turned a sepia tone, ancient and evocative. The woman recalled past events, a familiar scent assailing her, as if from the closest of men. Her consciousness, her very being, seemed to surrender.
"To hold your hand and grow old with you..."
Ming Zhi Tian spoke, "Why the sudden violence? Have I offended you two?"
Ming Zhi Tian's words jolted the woman from her reverie of the past. A fleeting glimpse remained, and she inwardly grieved.
The elder in white said, "Outsiders are forbidden from entering Tian Shui Tower. Don't you know that?"
Ming Zhi Tian shook his head. The elder in black said, "Then surely you've heard of the Divine Emperor Holy Land Sect?"
Ming Zhi Tian still shook his head. The elders, black and white, felt he was toying with them, which was equivalent to toying with the Venerable Emperor Piao Yan.
Seeing their anger, Ming Zhi Tian quickly waved his hands. "Please, don't be agitated. I'm telling the truth, I really haven't heard of it. But you say outsiders are forbidden here; I'd like an explanation. What constitutes an outsider?"
The elder in white snorted, "You are an outsider."
Ming Zhi Tian waved his hand. "Let's not discuss that for now. I ask you, I am human, you are human, he is human, and she is also human, correct?"
The elder in white nodded. "Correct... What does that have to do with anything?..."