King of Ten Thousand Years

”Hm?”

Luo Tian was a little surprised to see Li Zhiyun drop to his knees.

He had used the Demon Thought Technique, but it shouldn’t have been this effective.

After a moment’s thought, Luo Tian understood.

Li Zhiyun had just used some kind of Spiritual Secret Technique, but it had been repelled by Luo Tian’s immense Spiritual Power, causing a backlash that damaged his mind.

At that moment, a host of negative emotions had welled up inside him.

The trial of the Heart Demon Grotto Heaven seized the opportunity to invade his mind.

Only under these circumstances could Luo Tian’s Demon Thought Technique have had such an astonishing effect.

”I never thought you would become my enemy,” Luo Tian said faintly.

He knew he had offended Li Zhiyun, but he hadn’t expected the man to risk his own life just to plot against him.

Any ordinary person would have surely suffered a Qigong Deviation in that situation.

The Sect wouldn’t keep a disciple who had suffered a Qigong Deviation. To prevent its reputation from being tarnished, it might even find an excuse to execute them.

Therefore, Luo Tian had no reason to let Li Zhiyun go.

”A taste of your own medicine,” Luo Tian whispered.

He sat cross-legged on the spot, making no unusual movements, but his eyes grew darker as he activated the Demon Thought Technique!

Luo Tian’s lips moved slightly, as if strange, silent demonic words were drifting out, coiling around Li Zhiyun’s ears and mind.

Compared to before, Luo Tian’s Demon Thought Technique was much stronger.

This was because just moments ago, the Second-Layer of his Celestial Destiny Creation Technique had broken through to the Small Success Realm.

He had Li Zhiyun’s Heart Confusion Technique to thank for this, as well as the trial of the Heart Demon Grotto Heaven itself. The combination of the two had caused Luo Tian some trouble, which in turn triggered the breakthrough of his Creation Technique.

”Mercy! Spare my life!”

Li Zhiyun collapsed to the ground, screaming miserably.

On the spiritual plane, Luo Tian had transformed into an Evil Monarch, a supreme expert, majestic and fiendish, and incomparably domineering!

”A mere ant like you dared to plot against me!”

The heavens and earth roiled, the mountains and rivers on the ground shattered, and the entire world seemed to be facing its apocalypse!

”How is this possible? You’re just an ordinary disciple of the Yunxiao Sect. How can you be so powerful?”

Li Zhiyun trembled all over, his face pale with fright.

The feeling Luo Tian gave him right now surpassed that of every expert in the Yunxiao Sect. He was invincible!

”Luo Tian, I was wrong! It was Ying Feihang who instigated me to harm you! I beg you to spare my life!”

Li Zhiyun kowtowed and begged for mercy.

’Ying Feihang... It really was him!’

At that moment, Luo Tian was certain of his earlier suspicions.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Li Zhiyun kowtowed repeatedly, oblivious to the fact that his forehead was bleeding.

”If you are willing to submit to me, you will receive everything you desire!”

On the spiritual plane, the Evil Monarch version of Luo Tian spoke with cold arrogance.

”I am willing! I am willing to submit to you!”

A look of joy appeared on Li Zhiyun’s face as he spoke with immense excitement.

Following a peerless expert like Luo Tian was ten thousand times better than being an ordinary disciple in the Yunxiao Sect!

”Good. From now on, you will follow me and conquer the world!”

”For Lord Luo’s great cause, this subordinate will devote myself completely, even unto death!”

WHOOSH!

On the spiritual plane, Luo Tian’s towering figure vanished.

”HAHAHAHA!”

Li Zhiyun laughed maniacally, as if he had received a heaven-sent opportunity and was now about to reach the peak of his life.

”How can the pathetic Yunxiao Sect compare to Lord Luo? I am his subordinate! In the future, I too will be a world-renowned expert!”

Li Zhiyun’s eyes bulged, bloodshot and filled with a crazed excitement.

BUZZ!

A layer of soft white light enveloped Li Zhiyun and teleported him out.

Luo Tian watched all of this unfold quietly.

’It’s a shame I couldn’t kill him directly.’

But at this point, there was no difference between Li Zhiyun being alive or dead.

”Luo Tian, what happened?”

Cheng Wanli’s voice suddenly came from the side.

He had already emerged from the Spiritual Illusion Realm.

He shouldn’t have woken up so easily. He remembered that at a critical moment, an extremely vast spiritual pressure had suddenly emanated from beside him.

The Spiritual Illusion Realm he was trapped in had been affected, revealing a flaw.

And just before he woke up, Cheng Wanli had vaguely seen a figure being teleported away in front of him.

”Nothing happened. You were caught in the trial and struggled for quite a while before waking up. It was probably a hallucination.”

Luo Tian concealed what had just happened.

”I...”

Cheng Wanli began to doubt himself again.

’Am I really that weak?’

Previously, Cheng Wanli had never had such a thought. The thing he thought about most was why he was so outstanding.

But after meeting Luo Tian, Cheng Wanli felt like he had started a completely different life, going from a widely admired existence to one who looked up to others.

”Let’s continue!”

Cheng Wanli stood up, a spark of fighting spirit glittering in his eyes.

Before this, whether here or when entering the Survival Grotto Heaven, Cheng Wanli had always worn a confident and proud expression.

Luo Tian had only seen this side of Cheng Wanli when he was performing Artifact Refining.

”Alright!”

Luo Tian nodded.

Not long after, Cheng Wanli went through several more trials and was teleported out.

Luo Tian wandered alone through the Heart Demon Grotto Heaven.

...

Outside the Four Grotto Heavens, the area was bustling with activity.

Most people were discussing the geniuses on the Points Lists, while others were talking about the geniuses currently undergoing trials inside the Grotto Heavens.

Among them, the Heart Demon Grotto Heaven received little attention due to its unpopularity.

Just then, someone was teleported out from the entrance of the Heart Demon Grotto Heaven.

A few disciples happened to look over at Li Zhiyun and then checked the Heart Demon Points List.

”It’s Li Zhiyun. He probably didn’t get a very high score,” a senior disciple remarked.

”Li Zhiyun, 24,000 Points, ranked ninth!”

A line of text appeared on the Points List.

Few disciples had entered the Heart Demon Grotto Heaven trial so far, which was why Li Zhiyun’s score of over twenty thousand points was enough to rank ninth.

In the distance, Ying Feihang approached with a grim expression.

Logically, Luo Tian should have been the first to fail and be teleported out. Why was it Li Zhiyun?

’Did he fail again?’

Ying Feihang’s expression turned even more unsightly, and he decided to give Li Zhiyun a good questioning.

But suddenly, Li Zhiyun burst out laughing. ”HAHAHA, I succeeded!”

His excited laughter startled everyone around him.

”What’s going on? Why is Li Zhiyun so excited?”

”What did he succeed at?”

The disciples were curious.

Ying Feihang’s expression instantly brightened, and his eyes lit up. ’Could it be... that Luo Tian has been taken care of?’

All eyes in the vicinity focused on Li Zhiyun.

”I succeeded! I’ve broken through to the Earth Element Realm! I’ve become the number one genius of the Yunxiao Sect! Hahaha!”

Li Zhiyun roared with maniacal laughter.

”...”

The scene seemed to freeze. Everyone stood stiffly, a dead silence falling over the area.

”You trash! Kneel and pay your respects to me! I, Li Zhiyun, am the head disciple of the Yunxiao Sect!”

Li Zhiyun’s disdainful gaze swept across the crowd as he chided them arrogantly.

”Sigh, the Heart Demon Grotto Heaven is truly terrifying. Another one has gone mad!”

”It seems we need to be careful when we take the Heart Demon Grotto Heaven trial. We should know our limits and get out if we can’t handle it.”

The disciples lamented.

Ying Feihang was stunned.

He had given the Heart Confusion Technique to Li Zhiyun and told him to disrupt Luo Tian. Luo Tian should have been the one to go mad, right?

Why was it Li Zhiyun who had lost his mind?

”Hmph, Ying Feihang, I’ve had it with you for a long time! You always act all high and mighty, looking down on me just because your master is the Third Elder!”

Li Zhiyun walked up to Ying Feihang and cursed, pointing at his nose.

”You...”

Ying Feihang’s face turned ashen, and he clenched his teeth.

’This stupid pig! Not only did he screw things up, but now he’s cursing me!’

”To think you’d try to harm Lord Luo! You’re completely overestimating yourself! You’re going to die a miserable death...”

Li Zhiyun continued to shout.

Ying Feihang’s expression changed drastically.

Li Zhiyun had actually blurted that out too.

”How dare you!”

Ying Feihang immediately roared, cutting Li Zhiyun off!

BOOM!

An imposing aura erupted from Ying Feihang’s body, and a cyan storm swirled around him. He struck out with a Palm Force that shone like cyan jade, blasting it toward Li Zhiyun.

”Hmph, challenging an Earth Element Realm expert? You’re courting death!”

Li Zhiyun snorted with disdain and immediately made his move.

POW!

Li Zhiyun was sent flying several dozen meters by Ying Feihang’s palm strike. He landed in a spray of blood and lay motionless.

The surroundings fell quiet once more.

Although it had been noisy just now, many disciples had still heard Li Zhiyun’s words.

”This madman is spouting complete nonsense!”

Ying Feihang said coolly.

”Senior Brother Ying is right. Li Zhiyun has gone mad; you can’t believe a word he says.”

One of Ying Feihang’s friends immediately chimed in.

Many people around them nodded. They hadn’t really believed Li Zhiyun’s words anyway.

Besides, given Ying Feihang’s status, why would he want to harm Luo Tian?

PHEW!

Ying Feihang breathed a sigh of relief and stared at the entrance to the Heart Demon Grotto Heaven.

His face was dark, his gaze sinister, and a hint of killing intent flickered within it.

’What in the world happened in there...?’

Ying Feihang desperately wanted to know.

Why hadn’t Luo Tian failed yet?

Why had Li Zhiyun suffered a Qigong Deviation and become a madman?

Just then, a ball of light above the entrance to the Heart Demon Grotto Heaven dimmed.

’Someone’s coming out?’

Ying Feihang’s gaze focused, and then he saw Cheng Wanli.

’It’s him...’

Ying Feihang had some impression of this person.

Fifth Senior Brother Qiao Hai had once told him which people in the Sect he shouldn’t provoke, and Cheng Wanli was one of them.

When Ying Feihang had asked why, Qiao Hai hadn’t revealed a single word.

’This person... seems to have entered the Heart Demon Grotto Heaven with Luo Tian...’

Ying Feihang’s expression grew even more unsightly.

Luo Tian had actually befriended such a mysterious figure.

...

「Inside the Heart Demon Grotto Heaven.」

A dense white mist drifted about wherever Luo Tian passed.

He discovered that the mist interfered with his Spiritual Will. Even his Spiritual Sense was obstructed, reducing its range.

Clearly, the difficulty of Luo Tian’s trial was increasing.

Facing the trial of the Spiritual Illusion Realm again while his Spiritual Will was being disturbed was undoubtedly much harder.

But with the Second-Layer of his Creation Technique having broken through to Minor Achievement, his spiritual consciousness was much stronger than before.

He passed through several more trials in succession, waking up quickly each time.

Gradually, Luo Tian began to feel bored again.

A long time passed before Luo Tian finally felt a bit of pressure.

BOOM!

Suddenly, the clouds and mist in the void roiled, and a towering figure emerged.

”Luo Tian, since you are Lin Dongfeng’s disciple, there is no place for you in the Yunxiao Sect!”

An incredibly majestic voice boomed, shaking Luo Tian’s mind and giving him a strong sense of crisis.

This was Luo Tian’s fear of the Yunxiao Sect’s Third Elder.

After all, the man’s Cultivation, strength, and status all made Luo Tian feel a deep sense of helplessness.

A conflicted expression appeared on Luo Tian’s face.

But soon, his expression hardened with resolve, and a sharp light glinted in his eyes.

”You don’t call the shots in the Yunxiao Sect!”

Luo Tian roared at the Third Elder in the clouds.

RUMBLE!

The clouds trembled, and the Third Elder’s figure grew even blurrier.

Under Luo Tian’s sharp gaze, the towering figure gradually dissipated.

PHEW!

Luo Tian took a deep breath and relaxed.

Of all the trials since entering the Heart Demon Grotto Heaven, that last Spiritual Illusion Realm was the only one that could barely be considered a challenge.

’I seem to have been in here for a long time...’

Luo Tian suddenly realized something.

Cheng Wanli had left long ago. Luo Tian estimated that his score was at least ten thousand points higher than Cheng Wanli’s.

’I can still hold on for a while longer, but if my score gets too high, it might arouse suspicion!’

An amazing result was nothing to be concerned about.

Dark horses emerged every time the Four Grotto Heavens opened.

But a result that was *too* amazing would be alarming and could attract unnecessary trouble.

Besides, this was his first time participating in the trial. Luo Tian felt it was better to play it safe and stop here.