Tian Kui and Ming Jiu were dead, annihilated by Li Xiaotian. He did not linger, but immediately ascended the World Tree and entered a continent within a branch to explore.
It was peculiar. From the outside, it appeared as a continent, but upon entering, it revealed itself to be immensely vast, like a miniature world.
Giant birds of prey soared across the sky, momentarily obscuring the sun. Their feathers shimmered with five-colored radiance, casting a vast shadow upon the ground.
"Boom!"
In the distance, the earth trembled and the sky shook as a mountain range lifted itself into the heavens, exuding an endless aura of ferocious malevolence.
It was an enormous centipede, resembling a mountain range when still.
Witnessing these sights, Li Xiaotian couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. Indeed, it was worthy of the World Tree, for within a continent on one of its branches lived such powerful beings.
Of course, this "powerful" referred to their vitality, not their strength. For neither the giant birds in the sky nor the centipede on the ground were invincible; their strength was quite weak.
"Where should I look for the World Fruit?"
Li Xiaotian frowned, soaring across the sky, exploring every corner of this continent.
Suddenly, a violent fluctuation emanated from ahead. He fixed his gaze and saw two figures flash by rapidly.
Li Xiaotian's eyes narrowed, a strange look appearing in them.
These two figures were a man and a woman. The man was handsome and upright, his white robes fluttering, holding a long sword with a chilling killing intent, as if a celestial being had descended to earth, leaving people in profound shock.
The woman, on the other hand, was alluring and exceptionally beautiful, her snow-white, crystal-clear skin emitting a soft glow. She was graceful and elegant, like a fairy stepped out of a painting, eliciting amazement.
On her back, six pairs of pure white wings hummed, sharp as six blades, cleaving through the void. Terrifying energy fluctuations swept towards him.
"Tianren Race!"
Seeing this, Li Xiaotian concealed his presence, intrigued. After all, in their Kyushu, winged beings were called angels.
"Decent strength,"
Li Xiaotian murmured inwardly, observing the woman. Judging by her aura alone, she was more than capable of dominating all her peers and even contending for the World Fruit.
The man in white was also quite formidable. His eyes were sharp and piercing, the surrounding void shattering as if he were a god.
"Boom!"
Their clash was earth-shattering, erupting in brilliant multicolored light. Runes densely filled the area, engulfing it, destroying all vegetation and turning it into scorched earth.
Their cultivation levels were comparable, and they fought to a standstill.
Li Xiaotian was secretly astonished. He understood that as the trials progressed, hidden top powerhouses would inevitably reveal themselves. Trial participants who remained obscure in the first three trials would eventually erupt with power.
After all, the number of those who passed continued to dwindle, and anyone who reached the fourth trial was undoubtedly not weak.
After observing for a while, Li Xiaotian quietly departed. The two were vying for a treasure, and he had no intention of snatching it, so he didn't want to watch any longer.
After all, he now possessed an uncountable hoard of treasures. The wealth of every enemy he had slain ultimately converged upon him.
Therefore, ordinary treasures no longer caught his eye.
Li Xiaotian spent half a day on this continent before moving to another. Although he understood the origin of the World Tree, he had honestly never heard of the World Fruit, nor did Tian Kui and the others' memories contain any description of it.
As evening approached, Li Xiaotian prepared to rest by a river.
"I should head to the peak of the World Tree later," Li Xiaotian murmured to himself. Searching aimlessly like this was not a viable method.
Suddenly, Li Xiaotian's heart skipped a beat as a dense, dangerous aura assaulted him. Surprised, he quickly dodged, leaving behind an afterimage at his original spot.
*Swish—*
A silvery-white arrow tore through the air, piercing the afterimage and embedding itself in the ground where he had just stood.
Seeing this, Li Xiaotian's eyes flickered with surprise. He had been targeted?
Given his current standing, who would dare provoke him apart from those from the Divine Realm? So, who was attacking him now?
*Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…*
As Li Xiaotian pondered, more arrows appeared, raining down upon him like a torrential downpour, overwhelming and terrifying.
"Hmph!"
Li Xiaotian sneered, raising his palm. Brilliant golden light erupted, rising ten feet high like flames. His entire arm was enveloped in golden fire as he swept it out.
*Poof! Poof!*
The arrows exploded in mid-air, turning into ash and scattering on the ground.
"Who?" Li Xiaotian asked in a deep voice, staring in the direction from which the arrows had come.
Two figures emerged ahead. They were both from the Tianren Race. The leading figure was a young man, holding a bow and arrow, his gaze sharp, his build sturdy, and his aura powerful.
Beside him followed an old woman, her hair and beard all white, leaning on a staff. Her expression was calm, her eyes deep like black holes, possessing a strange, demonic allure.
"You two have quite the nerve, daring to ambush me?" Li Xiaotian asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Hmph, human Li Xiaotian, you committed grave sins by killing my sister." The young man holding the bow shouted.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Who is your sister? I have not killed anyone from the Tianren Race," Li Xiaotian replied indifferently, his brow furrowing. He had no enmity with these Tianren trial participants, let alone killed any.
Moreover, up to this point, these two were only the second and third members of the Tianren Race he had encountered. The first, of course, was the woman he had seen on another continent earlier.
"Li Xiaotian, have you been to this continent? We found your aura at the place where our Saintess fell," the old woman spoke, waving her hand. A projection of a continent appeared before her – the very continent Li Xiaotian had first entered.
"I have been there, but I did not kill the Saintess you speak of. I have no quarrel with your Tianren Race, so I would not attack your people without reason," Li Xiaotian frowned, a thought flashing through his mind about the Tianren woman he had seen earlier. If that was the case, she must have been killed by her opponent after he left?
"You still want to quibble?" To Li Xiaotian's surprise, the young man's anger instantly ignited upon hearing his words. He charged at Li Xiaotian with his bow and arrow, the long bow humming, densely packed with runes.
"Get lost!" Li Xiaotian rebuked coldly, striking forward with his palm. A scorching palm print crossed the sky, carrying fierce flames as it met the long bow.
*Hum!*
The young man was sent flying backward, his chest caved in, and he coughed up a large amount of blood.
"Saint Son!" The old woman's eyes widened in alarm, and her heart ached with bitterness. She knew Li Xiaotian was powerful, but she never imagined her young man would be so easily overwhelmed by a single casual strike.
At this moment, the young man's eyes were filled with shock. He landed on the ground, stunned for a moment, unable to believe he had been so easily crushed.