Time passed quickly. It had been a hundred years since Li Xiaotian entered the City of Hundred Battles, and he had now reached the ninth trial, a desolate void universe.
This place was filled with broken stars, and immense spatial rifts stretched across the void's darkness. The entire universe seemed to have been torn apart, creating a shocking spectacle.
At this moment, Li Xiaotian was recuperating on a shattered star. He had endured countless battles on his journey, each one perilous.
After passing the fourth trial, every subsequent trial had been terrifying and fraught with danger, with trial-takers perishing in droves.
Now, in the ninth trial, only a hundred or so individuals remained. However, each of these individuals was an incredibly powerful being, possessing awe-inspiring strength and heaven-defying survival techniques. Even Li Xiaotian, upon encountering them, would have only a fifty percent chance of escape.
Of course, from the fifth trial onwards, Li Xiaotian had clashed with Shen Ming and Mo Tian several times. Each encounter was earth-shattering, with their battles leaving the heavens and earth in ruins, shocking all the trial-takers.
Yet, Mo Tian and Shen Ming were too powerful. Even though Li Xiaotian's World Extinguishing Fist had reached great accomplishment, he could not easily defeat either of them.
Each confrontation ended with both sides severely injured.
This time, he and Shen Ming had battled for seven days and seven nights. In the end, both sustained heavy injuries. He was struck by Shen Ming's palm, injuring his soul, while Shen Ming lost half of his physical vitality from Li Xiaotian's punch.
"To break this deadlock, I must continue to break through!"
Li Xiaotian's eyes flickered. The ninth trial was the final trial of the City of Hundred Battles, so he had to defeat Mo Tian and Shen Ming here.
Otherwise, with their terrifying strength, if they ascended to a higher realm, the divine realm's foundation would only grow stronger. Furthermore, he had already earned the title of a blasphemer and harbored a deadly enmity with both of them. If he lacked sufficient power, then he and Jiuzhou would face inevitable destruction!
"Create a technique, breakthrough!"
Li Xiaotian whispered, an idea forming in his mind. He would either create another powerful Dao technique or break through to a higher realm.
Of the two, he leaned more towards the former.
After all, before reaching a higher realm, the stronger his foundation, the more terrifying his strength would be upon ascension.
"Weng~"
Li Xiaotian sat cross-legged, and his internal blood surged and boiled. In an instant, the entire void universe trembled violently, as if unable to withstand Li Xiaotian's extremely violent aura and about to explode.
"Rumble..."
Concurrently, a vast and boundless pressure swept across the universe, causing the entire cosmos to tremble. In the void around Li Xiaotian, countless chaotic runes appeared, densely packed like a spider's web spread across the emptiness, exuding an ancient and weathered aura.
These runes seemed endless, traversing the universe, infinite and inexhaustible. Each rune emitted an ancient and vast aura.
Simultaneously, lightning flashed around his body, and a terrifying aura raged.
He was healing. Shen Ming's palm strike had been immensely powerful, carrying bizarre lightning that continuously consumed his soul. Even his Great Dao of Devourment could not recover from it.
It had to be said that Shen Ming's strength was unfathomable; even the heaven-defying Great Dao of Devourment could not absorb his power.
Of course, this injury was not the most severe Li Xiaotian had ever sustained. His most serious injury occurred in the seventh trial when he battled Mo Tian and was nearly cleaved in half by Mo Tian's great halberd. His physical body was invaded by demonic energy, almost turning him into a half-man, half-demon monster.
At that time, it had taken him a full three years to recover.
As time passed, the aura within Li Xiaotian suddenly changed. A profound and unfathomable fluctuation emanated from him. This fluctuation was ancient, carrying a rich sense of time.
This fluctuation was peculiar; it seemed to be transmitted from another universe, yet it was incredibly powerful. As soon as it spread, it swept across the entire universe, causing it to tremble as if in fear, unwilling to approach.
The space around Li Xiaotian also instantly distorted, forming a vortex that voraciously devoured the surrounding cosmic energy and chaotic turbulence, causing the previously calm universe to shake violently, as if it might explode at any moment.
His strength was now several times greater than before. When he dealt with the World Tree in the fourth trial, he thought his strength was sufficient. However, in every subsequent trial, he had obtained many fortuitous encounters, and his strength had unconsciously increased.
His body emitted an incomparably brilliant divine glow, with strands of auspicious energy descending, illuminating the entire universe.
Just as Li Xiaotian was fully focused on recovering from his injuries, in a corner of this void universe, a place of immense darkness and gloom, demonic energy permeated, exuding an eerie and terrifying atmosphere.
Within the demonic energy, terrifying demonic figures flickered intermittently, each emitting a heart-palpitating pressure.
Without a doubt, this was where Mo Tian resided.
"Weng!"
Silently, two dazzling rays of light pierced through the demonic energy. Mo Tian had opened his eyes. His aura was deep and profound, his eyes like stars, reflecting the universe.
"Has Mo Tian ultimately triumphed in the rivalry between Shen Ming and Li Xiaotian?" Mo Tian muttered to himself, his gaze deep and cold.
"This time, I have finally reached the peak!" Mo Tian slowly stood up, his expression indifferent.
That's right, his realm had finally reached perfection, the pinnacle. He sensed his Great Dao was about to undergo transformation, and the heavenly tribulation was imminent.
He was about to break through!
Ascend to a higher realm!
"Rumble~~"
Before his words even fell, Mo Tian moved abruptly, leaving the demonic land and speeding towards the depths of the universe. He needed to find a place to undergo tribulation and ensure he was undisturbed.
To ascend to a higher realm, one must undergo tribulation, the heavenly tribulation of the Great Dao.
Of course, this was all part of his plan. Taking advantage of Li Xiaotian and Shen Ming being heavily injured from their battles, he chose to undergo tribulation and break through. In this way, no one in the ninth trial could stop his advancement.
Once he successfully ascended to a higher realm, he would be the strongest existence in the ninth trial, and then, whether it was Li Xiaotian or Shen Ming, he could obliterate them with a mere flick of his wrist!