Chen Tian retracted his imposing aura, and the sword light and sword shadows around him vanished. Chen Tian's amiable demeanor was a stark contrast to his previous self. He then walked alongside Tian Mangxingyi, and Chen Tian asked first, "How did you appear here? This is not the cultivation world, and how did that crystal spirit appear on this continent?"
"Me! I don't know what happened. I was training in a secret cultivation realm when I discovered a graveyard at the center. It read: Heaven and Earth Qiankun Annihilation. Each tombstone was suppressed by a corpse. At the time, I thought nothing of it and dared not offend the corpses. Just as I was about to leave, several tombstones emitted light."
"The corpses on the tombstones erupted with power, suppressing them. The collision of two forces created a spatial vortex. When I reappeared, I was already here and realized this was not the cultivation world, so I could only live here peacefully."
Chen Tian guessed that the collision and mutual compression of energies might have caused space to collapse, creating a temporal passage. This meant that the Northern Yuan Continent had a passage connected to the cultivation world. He had to seal the passage. He then said gravely, "Do you still remember where the passage is?"
"I'm not sure. When I woke up, I was already on the sea, and then Tutor Ba Tian saw me and brought me to Lingyun Academy. Since I was in unfamiliar territory, I thought I'd come and see what the world was like. I didn't expect to find anyone here who could contend with me in this world, let alone a fellow cultivator."
"But I am very curious, why are you not suppressed by the Heavenly Dao? I am indeed suppressed, why are you fine?"
"This is a clone, a clone created using the origin of this world. It belongs to the beings of this world, so naturally, I won't be suppressed. I'll tell you about myself later. Let's go to the Monster Beast Mountain Range first; it's difficult to navigate ahead."
As Chen Tian spoke, a cold light flashed across his face. He hoped Ba Tian himself would make a move, so that a hidden danger could be eliminated. After all, having a teacher target him at Lingyun Academy would affect his cultivation. He only had a few months, and if he didn't reach the Ju Pin realm by then, this trial would be meaningless.
The fusion of immortal and martial arts required the immortal cultivation realm and the Xuanwu realm to be equal. Chen Tian's main body had achieved this, but the immortal martial realms within him were different and had not fully merged, hence this trial.
The purpose of the trial was to absorb two clones of the same realm into his body, completely completing the immortal martial fusion. Only then would Chen Tian have the ability to contend with evil generals.
The Monster Beast Mountain Range was very far from Lingyun Academy. Chen Tian traveled through the teleportation arrays of three cities to get here. The clothes of Lingyun Academy were a symbol of status. When seen outside, people would show respect. Lingyun Academy was one of the top forces in the Central Domain; who would dare provoke them?
Thus, Chen Tian traveled smoothly to the Monster Beast Mountain Range by virtue of his Lingyun Academy identity. Chen Tian knew that his opponent would not make a move within the city. The Monster Beast Mountain Range ahead would be the best place to act. As soon as Chen Tian and Tian Mangxingyi stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, a red barrier appeared in the sky above it. Tian Mangxingyi exclaimed in shock, "It's actually a formation. It seems they want to trap you here to be killed by the monster beasts!"
"Heh heh, such a move is too unchallenging for me. Let's go and kill the trial monster beasts first, then we can deal with the others."
After speaking, Chen Tian headed north, where the objective of this trial lay. Both Chen Tian and Tian Mangxingyi were cultivators. The wider the range of a cultivator's divine sense, the more numerous and clearer the scenes in their minds. Chen Tian and Tian Mangxingyi were aware of the people hidden around them and did not make a move to kill them at that moment.
To the north, there was a vast open space. A tiger of black, white, and red colors was sleeping there. Its enormous body was as tall as three hundred meters.
The Red Cloud Black Tiger was a Ju Pin realm monster beast with strength comparable to the fifth level of Ju Pin. It possessed two laws of power. Its powerful claws could tear through anything, and its giant fangs could devour everything and turn it into its prey.
"Chen Tian, it's no problem."
Tian Mangxingyi looked at Chen Tian, believing that he could defeat the Red Cloud Black Tiger. This was a student's trial, and other students could not interfere. Otherwise, if the trial failed, the student would be expelled from Lingyun Academy. Tian Mangxingyi wanted to help Chen Tian, but there were rules, and they couldn't do anything.
Chen Tian approached the Red Cloud Black Tiger. The Red Cloud Black Tiger saw Chen Tian walking towards it, instantly stood up, let out a roar, and glared fiercely at Chen Tian with its eyes. Chen Tian was unfazed and threw a punch. This punch was augmented by the power of the stars, forming a Star Fist Gauntlet. With one punch, the entire Red Cloud Black Tiger was sent reeling back several meters.
Chen Tian curled his fingers and said, "Play with me!"
Chen Tian did not defeat the monster beast immediately. He was waiting for the people around to make a move. If he were to kill this monster beast, they probably wouldn't dare to act. He would play for a while, expose a weakness, and then they would attack. The figures of his opponents were nowhere to hide within Chen Tian's divine sense.
Chen Tian fought the Red Cloud Black Tiger for hundreds of rounds. Chen Tian felt it was time. The opponents should have understood his strength. It was then that Chen Tian intentionally made a mistake, exposing a flaw. He was sent flying several meters by a claw from the Red Cloud Black Tiger, landing on the ground. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his aura diminished, and his face was pale.
Chen Tian quickly got up, gathered power in his fists, and made a full-strength attack. With one punch, Chen Tian's figure pierced through the Red Cloud Black Tiger. Just as Chen Tian was about to rest, more than thirty figures jumped out from the surrounding trees and attacked Chen Tian together.
In their eyes, Chen Tian was heavily injured, and he had just unleashed a full-strength attack. If they didn't act now, when would they?
Explosions continued one after another. When the thirty-odd people landed, a mocking laugh rang out from the explosion: "I thought you were all that strong? Ba Tian sent you to kill me? Heh heh, you underestimate me too much."
Chen Tian was completely unharmed, appearing before everyone. Only then did they realize they had been tricked. The other party had deliberately exposed a flaw and feigned weakness to lure them into attacking.
"Brat, you're ruthless. You dare to be so arrogant facing over thirty of us? It seems your bounty is worth this price."
"It seems you are assassins, but would Ba Tian really spend a bounty to buy my head?"
Chen Tian immediately recognized the identity of the thirty people before him. They were from one of the Central Domain's powers: the Sand Shadow Pavilion!
Assassins from the Sand Shadow Pavilion. He hadn't expected to clash with both the Heavenly Secret Pavilion and the Sand Shadow Pavilion so quickly. He couldn't seem to escape trouble wherever he went.
Chen Tian's long sword suddenly appeared, formed from starlight. His Star Body condensed by one percent, allowing him to generate starlight within his body. He could easily control starlight during the day, not needing the night.
This was the power of the Star Body. Once condensed, Chen Tian could unleash the same strength during the day as at night.
Of course, his strength improved most significantly at night, though there was still a gap compared to the daytime.
Chen Tian stepped forward. A mere thirty people, thirty assassins, dared to try and kill him. Chen Tian intended to leave their lives behind. Several sword lights flashed, quick, precise, and deadly!