King of Ten Thousand Years

”No map? Where are you from?”

Luo Tian asked about the long-legged woman’s origins.

Her performance just now had been quite stunning.

Although Luo Tian had been in seclusion for his breakthrough and his perception of the outside world was weak, the long-legged woman had struck several times. From this, he had determined that her Cultivation was at the Half-step Earth Element Realm!

Geniuses at the Half-step Earth Element Realm were not uncommon, and they were all renowned.

But Luo Tian had no impression of this long-legged woman at all.

”The Southern Domain.”

The long-legged woman didn’t seem to want to reveal too much.

”I won’t take your map for free. I can escort you safely out of the Manglong Mountain Range,” the long-legged woman added.

In her eyes, even if Luo Tian had broken through to the Eighth Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm, the Manglong Mountain Range was still extremely dangerous for him.

”That won’t be necessary. I’d like to temper myself here for a bit.”

Luo Tian’s Cultivation breakthrough had been a bit rushed and wasn’t entirely stable. He was planning to use actual combat to hone and solidify it.

Mu Yunshi had set a goal for him: to place in the top twenty of the Celestial Pride Conference.

This goal was still difficult to achieve, so Luo Tian didn’t dare to slack off. He was seizing every moment to improve his strength.

”You’re not thinking of having me protect you, are you?” the long-legged woman said with a frown.

’If Luo Tian knew her true identity, he’d probably be scared into apologizing and admitting his mistake, full of regret.’

”You’re overthinking it.”

Luo Tian gave a faint smile, took out the map he had just obtained, and handed it to the long-legged woman.

He turned and walked away, leaving her with a view of his back.

The long-legged woman was slightly stunned.

Luo Tian could have clearly made some demands, but instead, he just handed over the map. It was completely unexpected.

’In this day and age, are there still such charitable and noble people?’

Luo Tian had only taken a few steps when the Creation Technique suddenly sent him a premonition of danger.

’Hm? Danger?’

Luo Tian was puzzled. ’Is it referring to the tempering and exploration ahead?’

So, he turned to look at the long-legged woman and said, ”The Manglong Mountain Range is no simple place. I think we could adventure and explore together.”

The long-legged woman’s Cultivation was at the Half-step Earth Element Realm, and her strength was unfathomable. It would be safer to be with her.

”Huh?”

The long-legged woman had been moved just a moment ago and hadn’t processed it yet.

”...So in the end, you still want me to protect you,” the long-legged woman sighed helplessly.

’It seems I trust people too easily. I was on the verge of misjudging Luo Tian.’

”Fine,” the long-legged woman agreed.

After all, she had taken Luo Tian’s map, so she felt too embarrassed to refuse.

However, a plan formed in the long-legged woman’s mind.

She would let Luo Tian see the true dangers of the Manglong Mountain Range and force him to leave on his own.

「After walking for some distance.」

The air filled with a bloody stench, and a heavy, oppressive aura suddenly swept over. The area for dozens of meters around instantly fell silent.

ROAR!

The ground trembled slightly. Trees up ahead toppled as a grayish-brown giant bear suddenly charged forward.

The giant bear radiated a tyrannical, baleful aura. Its teeth were pitch-black and stained with remnants of flesh and blood, and the reek of gore was pervasive.

”That’s a ’Black-toothed Furious Bear,’ with strength close to a human Martial Artist at the Peak of the Eighth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm! If you can handle it, you can continue traveling with me. Otherwise, you should leave the Manglong Mountain Range as soon as possible,” the long-legged woman said with a faint smile.

The Black-toothed Furious Bear had thick skin and flesh and possessed immense strength. Once enraged, its power would surge by fifty to sixty percent.

Even an ordinary human Martial Artist at the Peak of the Eighth Layer would have some difficulty dealing with it.

Luo Tian, having just broken through to the Eighth Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm, would surely be no match for it.

”Just this little cub?”

Luo Tian raised an eyebrow, glanced blandly at the Black-toothed Furious Bear, and showed a lack of interest.

Even before his breakthrough, he wouldn’t have been interested in this kind of Demon Beast, let alone now that he had broken through to the Eighth Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm and the quality of his True Qi had improved.

”You talk big. The Demon Beasts of the Manglong Mountain Range are different from ordinary wild Demon Beasts. Underestimate them, and you’ll suffer greatly.”

The long-legged woman’s expression was cold; she had no intention of intervening.

She was determined to use this method to drive Luo Tian away.

Luo Tian felt a bit helpless. From the looks of it, the long-legged woman didn’t trust his strength and thought he would be a burden.

ROAR!

Seeing the two humans chatting away, completely ignoring it, the Black-toothed Furious Bear grew annoyed.

The Black-toothed Furious Bear rapidly closed in on Luo Tian. Its massive, pitch-black claw tore through the air, creating a vicious, dark wind as it swiped at Luo Tian’s head.

”You’re still not making a move?”

The long-legged woman’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The Black-toothed Furious Bear was already annoyed, its strength enhanced. At close range, this swipe was powerful enough to make even an ordinary cultivator at the Ninth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm take notice.

’Luo Tian’s head is going to be smashed open! He’ll be decapitated!’

”No rush.”

Luo Tian was calm and unhurried.

Only when the Black-toothed Furious Bear’s attack was upon him did he instantly strike out with his palm.

Activating his Celestial Furnace Treasure Body, his palm expanded in size, its surface glowing with a jade-like luster as he met the Black-toothed Furious Bear’s claw head-on.

The long-legged woman was stunned. ’Luo Tian is seeking death, actually clashing head-on with a Black-toothed Furious Bear!’

But the next moment...

The Black-toothed Furious Bear’s massive paw exploded in a shower of blood, the entire paw shattering.

CRACK!

The Black-toothed Furious Bear’s huge body was sent flying by a tremendous force, crashing through seven or eight large trees before collapsing to the ground, unable to get up.

”A Demon Beast of this level is too weak.”

Luo Tian grinned.

A flash of astonishment flickered in the long-legged woman’s eyes.

’To send a Black-toothed Furious Bear flying with a single slap, how terrifying must that force be?’

’It seems Luo Tian is a rare Body Cultivator. Physical strength must be his powerful trump card. It’s understandable that I didn’t see it.’

She looked at Luo Tian squarely, her expression quickly returning to normal.

”To have such combat power right after breaking through to the Eighth Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm... your performance is acceptable. However, compared to the geniuses on the Spirit List, there’s still a gap,” the long-legged woman said with a deadpan expression.

”It seems you’re also here for the Celestial Pride Conference,” Luo Tian said.

The long-legged woman nodded slightly.

But her expression suddenly changed as she realized the implication of Luo Tian’s words.

”You’re going to participate in this Celestial Pride Conference?” the long-legged woman asked.

Luo Tian nodded as well.

”You’re going to lose miserably.”

The long-legged woman commented bluntly.

Luo Tian didn’t get angry. He smiled and said, ”How will I know if I don’t try?”

The long-legged woman shook her head slightly and said no more.

The Celestial Pride Conference was a stage for the prodigies on the Spirit List, and the minimum Cultivation of the two hundred geniuses on that list was the Ninth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm!

On top of that, there were many other geniuses who had always lived in seclusion and weren’t on the Spirit List!

It could be said that without the strength of the Peak of the Ninth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm, participating in the Celestial Pride Conference was merely a formality.

Soon, the two encountered a white fox at the Ninth Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm.

The long-legged woman still intended to make Luo Tian retreat in the face of difficulty.

”I came here to temper myself against Demon Beasts at the Half-step Earth Element Realm. If you’re too weak, you’ll only hold me back!” the long-legged woman said nonchalantly.

Luo Tian didn’t respond, instead charging decisively toward the white fox at the Ninth Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm.

SWISH!

The white fox was quite intelligent. Sensing danger, it transformed into a wisp of white smoke, appearing and disappearing without a trace at an incredible speed.

But Luo Tian was even faster. His figure was like the wind, easily overwhelming the white fox. He killed it with two palm strikes.

The entire process of Luo Tian killing the white fox took less than five breaths, and he made it look effortless.

He stopped and said, ”Perfect. I also want to test myself against a Demon Beast at the Half-step Earth Element Realm.”

This time, the long-legged woman was genuinely surprised.

’Even a Demon Beast at the Ninth Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm was killed so easily by Luo Tian!’

She realized she had underestimated Luo Tian before.

’With the strength Luo Tian just showed, he wouldn’t hold me back.’

But for Luo Tian to say he wanted to test himself against a Demon Beast at the Half-step Earth Element Realm was a bit too arrogant.

”Fine!” the long-legged woman said, her tone calm.

She didn’t have time to play games with Luo Tian; she also needed to temper herself.

The two moved quickly, avoiding some of the Demon Beasts along the way. Before long, they had locked onto a Demon Beast at the Half-step Earth Element Realm!

It was a two-meter-tall green hound. Its long fur moved on its own as if in a breeze, and its pair of cyan eyes flashed with electric light, emitting an extremely dangerous aura.

”A Wind-Thunder Dog! A rare Ancient Demon Beast that has mastered Wind and Thunder Power. It possesses both speed and explosive power, making it extremely dangerous,” the long-legged woman said to Luo Tian.

After saying this, she bent her slender legs, and her lithe body shot out like an arrow, heading straight for the Wind-Thunder Dog.

The Wind-Thunder Dog’s senses were sharp. The moment the long-legged woman made her move, its pair of electric cyan eyes fixed upon her!

ROAR!

The Wind-Thunder Dog roared, and a monstrous, baleful aura surged forward, crackling with electricity and kicking up waves of dust and leaves.

It transformed into a streak of lightning, meeting the long-legged woman head-on.

A layer of silvery radiance appeared on the long-legged woman’s palm. With a light slash, a silver blade of light several meters long shot out, slicing all the nearby trees in half at the waist.

The Wind-Thunder Dog was incredibly agile. It dodged the attack and unleashed a vortex of cyan, crackling energy from its claws.

CLANG! SIZZLE!

The long-legged woman and the Wind-Thunder Dog instantly clashed, sending blasts of wind, thunder, and silver light shooting in all directions.

After a few exchanges, the long-legged woman gained the upper hand, suppressing the Wind-Thunder Dog with her magnificent and powerful Attacks.

’This woman is so strong,’ Luo Tian thought. ’She’s far above Han Yuan, and about on par with Yi Jingwen.’

He immediately charged in as well, his battle intent flaring at the prospect of fighting a Half-step Earth Element Realm Demon Beast.

Luo Tian didn’t get careless. He took out his Ice Trace Sword and unleashed several streams of Cold Wind Sword Light, attacking the Wind-Thunder Dog from cunning angles at extreme speed.

”Hm? Swordsmanship?”

The long-legged woman was a little surprised.

’Luo Tian’s Swordsmanship is decent, but I know quite a few Sword Dao prodigies, and every one of them is famous.’

The Wind-Thunder Dog hadn’t paid Luo Tian any mind at first, but his precise and clever Swordsmanship was creating a strong interference.

The long-legged woman seized the opportunity to strike with her palm. Dozens of silvery Palm Shadows appeared in the air, sharp as blades, as they sliced forward at high speed.

With the two of them working together, the Wind-Thunder Dog was instantly put at a disadvantage and was injured by the long-legged woman.

The two pressed their advantage, relentlessly attacking the Wind-Thunder Dog and quickly inflicting heavy damage.

ROAR!

The Wind-Thunder Dog’s cyan fur was soaked in blood. It howled, and a whirlwind erupted around its body as the electric light in its eyes intensified.

With the Wind-Thunder Dog at the center, a storm of wind and thunder surged outward, sweeping in all directions with brutal ferocity.

Trees were all snapped and pulverized, and charred scars were gouged into the ground.

In its fury, the Wind-Thunder Dog had stimulated the potential of its bloodline, unleashing an incredible burst of power for a short time!

WHOOSH!

The Wind-Thunder Dog launched an attack, releasing a spinning vortex of cyan lightning that churned toward them, radiating a destructive aura.

The long-legged woman, for her part, was not afraid.

However, she planned to give Luo Tian a scare and let him suffer a bit so he wouldn’t talk so big in the future.

Or, if Luo Tian got injured, he would have to leave the Manglong Mountain Range, which would also work.

So, the long-legged woman pulled back her attack and retreated.

She didn’t warn Luo Tian beforehand. As a result, Luo Tian was left alone to face the enraged, rampaging Wind-Thunder Dog.

Never mind an ordinary cultivator at the Eighth Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm; even someone at the Peak of the Ninth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm would piss their pants in fear.