King of Ten Thousand Years

Luo Tian had some impression of this long-eared man. He was also one of the ten Core Disciples.

They weren’t familiar with each other, so Luo Tian couldn’t be bothered to reply.

But the Crow spoke up proudly, ”Of course, it was I who protected him!”

”What? How... how did you do that?”

The long-eared man was in disbelief.

Luo Tian was only at the Spirit Sea Realm Seventh Layer. For him to be perfectly safe right now, not being chased by Demon Beasts, was just too strange.

Thus, the long-eared man couldn’t help but truly believe the Crow had some special ability.

”I am the Ancient First Divine Beast, peerless in the heavens above, the earth below, and across the Ten Thousand Realms!”

The Crow started to boast, but then it suddenly cleared its throat and broke into song, ”Don’t you fall for me, baby, I’m just a legend...”

Luo Tian was stunned. ’That came completely out of left field.’

”This...”

The long-eared man was dumbfounded, thinking it was the most awful sound he’d ever heard.

And yet, a feeling of worship welled up in his heart, making him want to bow down to the Crow.

The horrendously off-key singing filled him with a powerful sense of attachment, making him feel that he couldn’t miss a single note and had to keep listening!

As a result, the long-eared man slowed down, his gaze fixed on the Crow, unable to look away.

Just then, the ground trembled and split open, revealing a bottomless chasm.

The long-eared man fell in, screaming, ”No!”

With no other choice, he crushed his Token and was teleported out.

Watching its audience get eliminated, the Crow couldn’t help but say, ”You got to hear my divine voice before being eliminated. You’ve profited from this deal, so go in peace!”

”Ugly Bird, stop causing trouble for me!”

Luo Tian scolded.

The Crow had caused the long-eared man’s elimination, so the man would surely hold a grudge against Luo Tian.

”Kid, you’re wronging me! Don’t you want to fight for a higher rank? With that long-eared fellow out, won’t your rank go up?”

the Crow retorted, its face full of defiant justification.

”Hmm?”

Luo Tian thought about it and realized it made sense.

The more people who were eliminated before him, the higher his rank would be.

”Kid, as long as you get everyone else eliminated, you’ll be number one!”

”Want me to help you out? Just give me half of your rewards from this trial!”

The Crow had a cunning and treacherous look on its face.

”Relying on swindling and cheating... isn’t that... a bit wrong...?”

Luo Tian hesitated.

However, swindling and cheating were just another form of strategy.

The Xuankong Mountain trial was, at its core, a battle of wits and courage.

”Alright! We’ll use... clever schemes... to get the others eliminated first! You get a forty percent cut!”

Luo Tian’s eyes lit up.

”Kid, you’re too stingy! Fifty percent!”

”Forty percent!”

Luo Tian stood firm. The Crow, left with no other option, had to compromise.

And so, the man and the bird began their journey of swindling and cheating—no, their journey of winning through clever schemes.

...

”CAW CAW CAW! There’s a Spiritual Pool in the volcanic region up ahead!”

The Crow flew through the sky, avoiding most of the dangers, and let out an incredibly loud cry that could be heard for a thousand meters in every direction.

At this moment, the few remaining disciples in Xuankong Mountain were almost all in the central region, their range of activity very limited.

Soon, a disciple heard the Crow’s cry.

’A Spiritual Pool? If I can get the power of a Spiritual Pool, I’ll be able to last a while longer!’

The male disciple’s expression was ecstatic. He transformed into a streak of light and shot toward the volcanic region.

Before long, several other disciples heard the Crow’s voice.

One of them, a Core Disciple at the Half-step Spirit Sea Realm, planned to capture the Crow and interrogate it.

But strangely, all his attacks were dodged by the scorched Black Crow.

After the Crow escaped, this Core Disciple also hurried toward the volcanic region.

「Volcanic Region」

Luo Tian was hiding in a forest a hundred meters away.

He saw four disciples arrive one after another.

’This volcanic region is extremely dangerous. There are even some terrifying beings here. It should be enough to get all of these disciples eliminated!’ Luo Tian thought.

”Where is the Spiritual Pool?”

One of the male disciples who had rushed to the volcanic region asked. His eyes scanned the area, but all he saw were volcanoes flowing with roiling magma and several ferocious Demon Beasts.

”A Spiritual Pool?”

The others had also come searching for a Spiritual Pool.

They had been skeptical at first, but seeing so many people gathered here made them believe it a little more.

’There must be a Spiritual Pool here!’

However, the four Yunxiao Sect disciples searched for a long time but couldn’t find a single trace of a Spiritual Pool.

Just then.

RUMBLE!

Dangerous and terrifying Energy fluctuations emanated from two of the volcanoes.

The craters suddenly spewed out crimson, searing magma, which rained down from the sky.

The two volcanoes erupted simultaneously, covering a vast area that enveloped the four Yunxiao Sect disciples.

”This is bad!”

Everyone’s expression changed dramatically. They retreated frantically, but it was ultimately too late.

Three of the Yunxiao Sect disciples couldn’t escape in time and could only crush their Tokens to be teleported out.

Only the disciple at the Half-step Earth Element Realm managed a narrow escape from the eruption’s range.

’Damn it, was there never a Spiritual Pool here at all?’

’That Crow seems to be Luo Tian’s Spirit Pet. Luo Tian should have been eliminated long ago, so how is his Spirit Pet still here?’

This Half-step Earth Element Realm disciple was filled with doubt.

GRR!

Suddenly, a deep, powerful sound came from within a volcano’s crater.

The sound shook the heavens and the earth, and gales and lightning appeared in the sky.

A Magma Monster dozens of meters tall climbed out. It was bathed in searing magma, its ruby-like eyes burning with flames!

”What is that thing?”

The Half-step Earth Element Realm disciple was so frightened his face turned deathly pale, and his heart seemed to stop beating.

The Magma Monster swung its giant palm, and the area for a hundred meters around seemed to freeze as an endless storm of fire swept through.

”This...”

The Half-step Earth Element Realm disciple was completely stunned. He had the illusion he was facing his Earth Element Realm master!

His trembling hand immediately crushed his Token, and he was teleported out.

BOOM!

A massive, charred crater a hundred meters wide was left in his place.

’This Magma Monster is even stronger than an Earth Level Puppet!’

Luo Tian’s mind tensed, and the hair on his arms stood on end.

The next moment, the Magma Monster stared at Luo Tian. Flames danced in its crimson eyes as an overwhelming pressure bore down on him!

’Run!’

Without a shred of hesitation, Luo Tian fully activated his Wind Manipulation Technique to escape.

Faced with such a terrifying Magma Monster, Luo Tian estimated he would be killed in an instant even if he activated his Spirit Pond Mark. The difference in their strength was simply too great!

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The Magma Monster strode forward, crossing seven or eight meters with each step and leaving a huge, scorched crater behind.

It broke into a run, its speed suddenly increasing. Its heavy steps made the ground tremble continuously, and the scorching heat radiating from its body was intense enough to instantly vaporize rain, snow, and hail.

’I schemed to get other disciples eliminated, only to end up being targeted by such a terrifying monster myself...’

Luo Tian was speechless. ’Perhaps this is karma.’

Still, by getting four disciples eliminated, Luo Tian’s rank had risen by four places.

Even if he teleported out now, he should be able to make it into the top five. It wasn’t much of a loss.

’I’ll hold on for as long as I can!’

Luo Tian fled with all his might.

Fortunately, the Magma Monster’s speed wasn’t particularly fast.

Luo Tian soon met up with the Crow, and then the man and bird fled together.

”Kid, you’re always saying I cause trouble, but you’re even better at it than I am!”

the Crow shrieked.

...

「By a frozen river.」

A beautiful figure in white stood on the tip of a tree branch. Her hair was like a black waterfall, and her eyes were as dark as pools of ink. It was none other than the number one beauty of the Upper Sect, Yi Jingwen.

At this moment, however, Yi Jingwen’s brows were tightly knitted, her expression incomparably grave.

Across from her, a heroic-looking man floated in mid-air. He had sharp, sword-like brows and a brilliant light glittered in his deep-set eyes.

This man was the number one of the ten Core Disciples, Ye Feng!

”You’re still a long way off from challenging me!”

Ethereal Sword Marks flickered in Ye Feng’s eyes. The Treasure Sword in his hand erupted with a dazzling white light that stunned all in its vicinity.

The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was stirred, and a shimmering Sword Light dozens of meters long descended from the sky, carrying with it a vast and majestic momentum.

”North Nether Fifth Technique!”

Yi Jingwen’s gaze was firm. Her Black Jade Treasure Sword, wreathed in black currents of water, slashed out a thick beam of pitch-black, icy Sword Light.

In addition, a faint blue cyclone on the back of her hand suddenly activated.

The power of this Spirit Pond Mark caused her Attack to erupt with a terrifying hurricane, greatly increasing its power as if to split mountains and cleave rivers.

BOOM! SLASH!

The two peerless Sword Lights clashed. Sword Qi crisscrossed the area for dozens of meters around, leaving behind countless gouges in the ground.

The Sword Qi intertwined for a breath, and then the brilliant white Sword Light annihilated all darkness as it slashed toward Yi Jingwen.

Even after activating her Spirit Pond Mark, she still lost to Ye Feng!

’As expected of the number one Core Disciple, the top genius of the Yunxiao Sect!’

SLASH!

Yi Jingwen rapidly floated backward, but the Sword Light still caught up, leaving a shocking, bloody gash across her chest from which blood flowed.

”You should go.”

Ye Feng didn’t attack again and turned his back on Yi Jingwen.

For him, first place in the Xuankong Mountain trial was a certainty. There was no need to force Yi Jingwen out.

”Take another one of my attacks!”

But Yi Jingwen insisted on challenging Ye Feng and did not retreat.

She wanted to fight Ye Feng with all her strength in these final moments of the Xuankong Mountain trial.

”It’s meaningless.”

Ye Feng tilted his head slightly, glancing at Yi Jingwen.

His pupils suddenly shrank. He saw countless phantoms of Sword Light converging and flickering within Yi Jingwen’s eyes, carrying the essence of a boundless, starry sky!

In their exchange just now, Yi Jingwen had actually comprehended True Sword Dao Intent!

A trace of interest sparked in Ye Feng, and he prepared to meet her challenge.

Suddenly, a man and a bird rapidly approached from the distance.

”CAW CAW CAW, run for it!” the Crow shrieked.

Both Ye Feng and Yi Jingwen were drawn by the noise and looked over.

”Luo Tian?”

Yi Jingwen was completely surprised, a look of astonishment on her face.

Yi Jingwen had originally thought that even if she were eliminated now, she should still be in the top three.

But after seeing Luo Tian, she suddenly wondered if the Xuankong Mountain trial was truly nearing its end. Otherwise, how could Luo Tian, at only the Spirit Sea Realm Seventh Layer, still be here?

”Hm?”

Ye Feng also stared at Luo Tian.

He had some impression of Luo Tian. Back during the Creation Grotto Heaven test, Luo Tian had ranked first, placing above him.

He never expected that Luo Tian, with a mere Spirit Sea Realm Seventh Layer Cultivation, would have lasted until now.

But immediately after, the terrifying Magma Monster appeared behind Luo Tian, its violent, scorching aura alarming everyone in the vicinity!

The expressions on both Ye Feng’s and Yi Jingwen’s faces changed.