The pigeon and the disheveled old man in front of him exchanged glances. The pigeon couldn't fathom the old man; a strange aura enveloped him, making him impossible to read. The old man chuckled, "Indeed, you are not a native of this world. You see through me, old man!"
"Could it be that you are also from another world?"
The pigeon immediately entered combat mode. In this world, apart from the pigeon, the only other faction originating from other worlds was the Shadow Pavilion. He needed to ascertain if this old man belonged to that force. Seeing the pigeon enter combat readiness, the old man chuckled, "Don't be nervous. I am indeed from the Shadow Pavilion, but I am an exile from the Pavilion. I've come to find you because I received word that the Grand Elder is already on his way to find you."
"Kid, only if you join me can you avoid the Grand Elder. What do you say? Want to consider becoming my disciple? You are truly qualified to be my disciple."
"Why are you so certain I cannot contend with the Grand Elder you mentioned?"
The pigeon's expression was quite intrigued. The old man's tone suggested he knew the pigeon was no match for the Grand Elder. The pigeon didn't believe his strength was at the apex of this world, unless the Grand Elder was even stronger than him. The old man remained silent, stroking his chin and observing the pigeon intently, as if he could see right through him.
"I see. The Heavenly Dao suppression has not yet vanished. It seems in your prime, your power truly wouldn't fear the Grand Elder. I was blind earlier and didn't see it."
The old man saw through the pigeon in an instant. The pigeon was greatly surprised; to be seen through with a single glance meant this old man was no simple being. The Shadow Pavilion was his enemy, and the pigeon should have attacked to subdue him. The old man seemed to read the pigeon's thoughts and spoke, "Let's have a spar. If you can defeat me, I won't take you as a disciple. If you cannot defeat me, you will be my disciple. The Grand Elder's strength surpasses mine. If you can't even defeat me, how can you resist the Grand Elder?"
"Alright."
The pigeon agreed. He wouldn't lose, and absolutely would not. The pigeon slowly increased the distance between them to several body lengths. His aura erupted, and lightning flashed across the sky. Facing the old man, the pigeon chose to unleash his full power, directly altering the climate. The old man, however, stood in place, devoid of any discernible aura. Feeling underestimated, the pigeon stepped forward, leaving afterimages in his wake, and threw a punch towards the old man.
The old man remained motionless. As the punch was about to connect with his face, it felt as if it hit an invisible wall of air. The punch couldn't advance even an inch, stuck at that distance, unable to retreat. The old man's body trembled, and a wave of force swept over the pigeon, sending him flying. The pigeon couldn't believe that such a powerful cultivator existed in this world.
What world did the Shadow Pavilion originate from? What were their objectives? What were they trying to do by searching for the Divine Shield fragments?
These were the pigeon's lingering questions. The old man, seizing the opportunity as the pigeon was sent flying, flashed forward. The pigeon sensed an immense danger and reacted with evasive maneuvers. After spending time with Chen Tian, the pigeon had mastered extreme evasive techniques to a high degree. His body swayed left and right as the old man's fists narrowly missed, passing by mere three centimeters from the pigeon's skin. A single strand of hair slowly drifted down from the sky.
The old man had never witnessed such precise evasive movement. He nodded at the pigeon, as if acknowledging him. The pigeon observed this and attacked with both palms, imbuing them with even greater power. The pigeon knew he needed more strength to win; the previous attack was a probe, this was the real deal.
As his palms struck, the old man slowly raised his arms. Although his movements seemed slow, he deflected all of the pigeon's palm strikes. The old man's movements even caused the pigeon's palms to diverge to the sides. The pigeon inwardly cursed, realizing his mistake as the old man's fist closed in. His left leg reacted instinctively, lifting and spinning. His leg collided with the fist, erupting with a wave of force. The pigeon was pushed back more than ten meters. In this exchange, the pigeon was at a disadvantage.
The pigeon stared at the old man before him. This man was exceedingly mysterious. Logically, even with half of his strength, the pigeon was no match for him. It seemed the old man's origins were extraordinary; perhaps this time, he truly wouldn't win.
The pigeon thought this, but he wouldn't surrender. He wanted to test his limits, even if it meant forcing the old man to reveal a sliver of his true power.
He unleashed even greater power, directly breaking through the Heavenly Dao suppression. His aura roared to the heavens, and his immense strength and presence caused the surrounding space to collapse, gradually being swallowed by the void. The old man waved a hand, and the void inexplicably stopped its advance.
The pigeon's eyes widened in shock. Halting the void was something even he, at his peak, couldn't achieve. This old man, this fellow...
The pigeon decisively retracted his aura. The old man nodded and waved his hand, repairing the void and restoring space to its original state. The old man smiled, "It seems I have won. From this moment on, you are my most devoted disciple."
"Disciple, remember this. I will be waiting for you above. Take this. It will protect you seven times. As my disciple, you will undergo seven trials of death."
The old man tossed a badge towards him. As the pigeon caught it, he saw it was a silver badge inscribed with the character '神' (Shén, God). The entire badge emanated a mysterious aura, an aura that even the pigeon couldn't detect.
After the pigeon caught the badge, the old man was nowhere to be seen. The badge instantly burrowed into the pigeon's body. This was not an unusual occurrence. The pigeon felt speechless towards his sudden, cheap master. At least finish explaining!
Where is "above"? And I don't even know your name. What is this about seven trials of death?
A riddle-spouting master, confirmed.
The pigeon thought this, but he didn't dwell on this mysterious master. The old man's origins were undoubtedly significant, and the badge alone was extraordinary. This time, the pigeon had struck gold.
The pigeon headed towards the next city. The next city was the City of Order, where order reigned supreme and any fighting was prohibited. The pigeon's journey could be a bit faster.
After traveling several thousand miles past this city, he would reach the Flowing Cloud Pavilion. The city before him was called Water Cloud City, a magnificent metropolis. As the pigeon entered the city, a figure vanished from the city walls.
The pigeon did not notice. He was unaware of the events that were about to unfold within this city.
Upon entering the city, the pigeon was struck by its adherence to order. The cultivators here did not cause trouble; the streets were bustling with people interacting harmoniously. Not long after the pigeon walked in, a group of people surrounded him.
"Kid, the City Lord has ordered us to escort you. Come with us."
A tall, cold-faced man caught the pigeon's eye. The pigeon refused, "I'm sorry, I don't know you. Please clear the way quickly."
"Kid, don't be ignorant. Since you won't come willingly, we'll take you by force. Attack!"
At the command, the surrounding guards lunged. The pigeon shook his head and remained in place. Despite him standing still, it was the guards who fell.
Cries of pain echoed. The guards clutched their stomachs, arms, or legs, writhing in agony.