The burly man panted heavily, his breath catching several times, nearly suffocating him on the spot.
However, after adjusting himself, he finally managed to recover somewhat, getting himself back in order.
At this moment, a ball of light detached itself from the statue and floated upwards. The ball of light drifted weightlessly through the air, finally landing in the burly man's hand.
As the light faded, the object within was revealed.
Among the onlookers were many who had seen much, and upon seeing the item, they couldn't help but exclaim, "My heavens, is that... a Qi Solidifying Pill?!"
This exclamation immediately caused a stir.
Everyone began to murmur, "What did you say? A Qi Solidifying Pill?"
"No way? That's a top-grade medicinal pill!"
"Indeed. It's said that a Qi Solidifying Pill can stabilize the spirit and calm the mind during breakthroughs, greatly increasing the success rate."
"It even provides immense benefit when attempting to ascend to True Immortal!"
"I can't believe the reward for the eighth level trial is this, it's simply incredible!"
"It looks like he's made a killing this time, truly enviable!"
The crowd chattered amongst themselves, their words filled with envy.
The burly man also hadn't expected the reward to be so generous. His heart filled with joy, and a smug smile spread across his face.
He cast his arrogant gaze over the crowd once more, then sneered, "See? This is true strength, strength that you trash can never possess!"
"How dare you doubt my abilities earlier? What, you're not doubting now? Speak up, keep calling out!"
The faces of the others immediately froze.
While the burly man's tone was incredibly irritating, it was also true that he possessed abilities they lacked.
Furthermore, with his formidable strength, they had no courage to provoke him. Thus, they could only sheepishly say, "No, no, we were blind earlier and offended you. We are truly sorry."
"Yes, what we said was just casual talk, completely unintentional. We hope you can be lenient with us."
The more they conceded, the more the burly man's arrogance swelled.
He looked down at them and said dismissively, "If that's the case, then what are you all standing around for?"
"I've passed the eighth level trial and obtained such a treasure. Shouldn't you all be congratulating me properly?"
Upon hearing this, the crowd blinked slightly, then understood the burly man's intent. They let out a couple of dry laughs and began to clap for him, their words filled with flattery.
Even though the burly man knew they weren't sincere, it didn't matter. What he craved was their fawning attitude.
This proved that everyone feared him, and he was the king here!
He basked in the applause with an arrogant expression, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings.
However, at this moment, his brow furrowed, and he turned to Wu Tian, saying, "Kid, what do you mean by this?"
"Everyone is applauding me, but why are you indifferent? What's wrong, do you have an issue with me?"
The burly man was not wrong. While everyone present was clapping for him, Wu Tian remained motionless, as if he wasn't part of the same group.
This display of indifference displeased the burly man.
After all, he wanted everyone to fear him, and now there was one person who refused, wasn't that an insult to him?
Wu Tian simply looked at him calmly and said, "These people are flattering and congratulating you, that's their business. What does it have to do with me? I don't think I need to join them, do I?"
"You already have so many celebrating you. Does it make any difference whether one more or one less joins in?"
The burly man certainly wouldn't accept Wu Tian's reasoning.
He stated forcefully, "What nonsense are you spouting? I want everyone to celebrate me, not a single person can be absent!"
"Hurry up and applaud me!"
"If you dare to disobey me, then you are looking down on me. Don't blame me for being impolite!"
Wu Tian chuckled coldly, "You're quite amusing. Congratulating someone should be a voluntary act, but what's the point when you force it?"
"What's wrong, do you care so much about a bit of vanity?"
"If that's the case, then honestly, your cultivation as a high-grade Immortal seems to be lacking."
"What did you say?!" The burly man's anger flared upon hearing this.
He walked up to Wu Tian, staring at him with a pressure-inducing gaze, and said in a deep voice, "Kid, are you looking for death?"
"Someone like you, a waste, must be envious that I passed the eighth level trial. But you're unbalanced, which is why you're saying these things, right?"
"I've seen many like you. You're just a waste yourself, but you refuse to accept things, always thinking you're someone important. But in the end, a waste is just a waste!"
"Never mind anything else, let's talk about the trials. I passed the eighth level trial, can you?"
"In my opinion, you probably can't even pass the third level trial, haha!"
Wu Tian wasn't angered by the burly man's taunts. Instead, he smiled faintly and said, "The eighth level trial? What's so great about that? If you have the ability, how about we try the ninth level trial?"
The air seemed to freeze for a moment at his words.
Everyone's expression turned stiff, and even the burly man couldn't react immediately.
Then, the burly man frowned and said, "What do you mean by that?"
Wu Tian smiled faintly and said, "Nothing much. I just feel that since you can praise yourself so highly, then even the ninth level trial shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"
"Of course, if you don't have the strength, it's also fine. After all, everyone has limitations."
"However, it's difficult to gain my recognition. After all, only true peak powerhouses are qualified to be admired."
Wu Tian's words were quite cunning.
The burly man was someone who valued his reputation greatly, and Wu Tian's words had pushed him into a corner.
At this moment, everyone else's curious gazes were fixed upon him.
They clearly wanted to see if he truly possessed such strength.
Faced with this difficult choice, he suddenly didn't know how to respond.