This treasure was refined from a thousand-zhang ancient mountain by a great divine power in the primeval era, taking five hundred and eighty-nine days to finally succeed.
"Go!"
A ruthless glint flashed across Wang Ren's face. The "Kunlun Heavy Mountains" trembled, and various runes rolled.
After spinning, Kunlun Heavy Mountains began to swell rapidly. In just an instant, it transformed into a mountain over three hundred zhang tall.
With a roar, the three-hundred-zhang mountain, like Mount Tai pressing down, smashed towards Wu Tao's location.
Even with Wu Tao's late Foundation Establishment realm cultivation, he could not cut such a colossal object in half, nor could he even harm it in the slightest.
Wu Tao's expression stiffened. He repeatedly slashed with his tattered ancient sword, activating his divine sense, and became one with the sword.
In an instant, swift as lightning, he unleashed dozens of swords, countless sword energies shooting out from the sword tip like a rolling long river.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Crackling sounds!
Hundreds of explosions of energy erupted. In an instant, both Wang Ren and Wu Tao retreated, their faces pale.
Wang Ren's eyes flashed with sharp light. As he manipulated his hands, Kunlun Heavy Mountains underwent a new change.
Kunlun Heavy Mountains transformed into layers of giant mountains. Dozens of these mountains roared and lined up in rows, smashing towards Wu Tao's position.
Such colossal objects, let alone dozens, even a single one, would be impossible for an ordinary late Foundation Establishment cultivator to withstand.
Wu Tao was stunned by this sight.
He knew that the opponent's final move would be extraordinary.
However, he never expected Wang Ren to directly throw dozens of giant mountains at him with such force.
But facing a powerful enemy, growing stronger with each battle, and showing no fear—this was Wu Tao's true nature.
With increasing battle intent, Wu Tao laughed heartily, his laughter echoing unrestrainedly. As his body swayed and moved, the sharpness of the tattered ancient sword surged towards the heavens.
The tattered ancient sword transformed into invisible sword energy, slashing through the void. Brilliant golden-yellow sword light pierced the sky.
Rumbling—
"Riding the Ao to fish for dragons, moving mountains and filling seas!!"
With the power of four ounces deflecting a thousand pounds, Wu Tao used his Yin Yang Sword techniques. In a series of parries and thrusts, attacks and defenses, he directly deflected each approaching mountain.
"This is impossible!"
Witnessing Wu Tao effortlessly deflect the giant mountains with his tattered ancient sword, Wang Ren's face was filled with disbelief as he exclaimed.
After deflecting all the mountains, Wu Tao retreated a few steps and landed on the ground. He looked up at Wang Ren and said, "My lord, I concede."
Wang Ren snorted, retracted Kunlun Heavy Mountains, and then said with a solemn expression, "I said that if you could take three of my moves, I would not make things difficult for you."
"However, do not think that because you have withstood a few of my moves, you can be invincible in this Sea God's Relic. There are many here whose strength is not inferior to yours, and there are also those who are stronger than you."
"You don't need to tell me, I naturally know."
Wu Tao was not foolish enough to believe he was the foremost prodigy of the current cultivation world. There were many other prodigies in this world, possessing powerful techniques, luck, inheritances, and treasures.
Those stronger than him might not be as numerous as the hairs on an ox, but there were certainly quite a few.
However, Wu Tao was confident that he could surpass them step by step and become the ultimate winner.
...
After retreating a few steps, Wu Tao landed on the ground and looked up, saying, "My lord, I concede."
Wang Ren snorted and said, "Hypocrite!"
Neither Wu Tao nor Wang Ren had any intention of continuing the fight.
"Let's mind our own business. Otherwise, I, Wang Ren, would not fear anyone." While warning Wu Tao, Wang Ren walked towards the door marked with the character 'life'.
Wu Tao didn't care which door he chose. After all, who knew what was inside before opening it?
"Entering the Gate of Death means certain death, with bones scattered everywhere and countless wandering souls. Please proceed with caution."
Looking at the inscription before the Gate of Death, Wu Tao smiled faintly, laughed heartily, his spirit soaring with unbridled ambition.
"In the cultivation world where the strong prey on the weak, even a sliver of opportunity to become stronger demands that we break through our limits, cut through thorns, and forge ahead bravely. How can we retreat because of a single sentence?"
"To become the strongest under heaven, how can one falter when encountering difficulties!"
The trial of the Gate of Death was an illusionary inheritance that tested one's state of mind.
The most difficult enemy for a person to defeat is oneself, and in this illusionary inheritance, the enemy faced was oneself.
...
Winter had arrived, and it was snowing. In the rural fields, children were bustling, building snowmen and having snowball fights, enjoying themselves immensely.
At this moment, Wu Tao's face was extremely ashen. His eyes were fixed on a three-year-old child lying in the snow, his face flushed, extremely weak, and on the verge of freezing to death. He remained silent for a long time.
Wuwa Village!
Wuwa Village in Qingzhou Ze Nation, his hometown!
How could this be? The Sea God's Relic and Qingzhou Ze Nation were separated by tens of thousands of miles. Even with the divine ability of instantaneous teleportation, how could he return here in an instant?
Furthermore, although this was Wuwa Village, it was not the current Wuwa Village.
During this period, most of the buildings in the village were constructed from thatch and tree trunks, appearing dilapidated and desolate. This was vastly different from the Wuwa Village he had visited not long ago, which was built with bricks and large stones.
However, Wu Tao had indeed seen such a dilapidated and desolate Wuwa Village before.
This was clearly the Wuwa Village where he had lived as a child!
And the three-year-old child lying in the snow, nearly losing his life, was Wu Tao himself thirty years ago.
In that instant, Wu Tao was greatly shocked, almost feeling his soul scatter. After a moment, he gradually calmed down.
Childhood memories held no joy for him, only coldness and indifference.
However, this was ultimately just an unpleasant memory. So many years had passed, and everything had changed.
Wu Tao steadied himself and looked up again. He saw an old Taoist priest suddenly appear in the snow of Wuwa Village, standing beside the three-year-old child.
Wu Tao's heart suddenly tightened, his gaze seeming to be glued to the scene.
He stood before the old Taoist priest, gazing at the familiar yet strange figure, appearing almost dazed.
Illusionary inheritances that tested the self typically originated from the deepest parts of one's heart, leading to all sorts of bizarre occurrences.
These occurrences were often the most painful and difficult experiences for a person to face.
Confusing illusion with reality, past with future, and filled with uncertain trials, it was the most difficult to overcome.
...
Wu Tao watched silently as the old Taoist priest helped the three-year-old child up, administered a spiritual medicine to heal his injuries, and then picked him up, flying away on his sword.
After a long while, Wu Tao, who remained standing in place, slowly let out a sigh of relief.
Regardless of whether all this was real or an illusion, this scene was a tough battle he had to face, with no room for retreat.
Wu Tao sighed inwardly. Looking at his young self in the arms of the old Taoist priest, and the two figures gradually disappearing, he clenched his fists tightly! At this very moment...
Wu Tao suddenly felt a surging, terrifying aura erupt from above, as if an ant were facing the might of heaven and earth!
Wu Tao looked up and saw mist enveloping him in all directions, drawing him in.
Was this the trial of the Gate of Death?
What on earth was this?
Ever since he stepped through the Gate of Death, he had been pondering its specific requirements for passage, its conditions, or its trials.
...
Suddenly, the entire world and scene began to invert again, and Wu Tao was once again horrified to discover that he was no longer himself!
Perhaps he had initially been an ordinary late Foundation Establishment cultivator. While such strength was not remarkable in the vast cultivation world of the Nine Provinces and Four Seas and the surrounding wilderness, he still possessed power.
...
But now, his body was so frail, so small.
A weakness he had never experienced before...
Wu Tao extended his arms and looked at his tender hands. He could not believe it was himself, yet the familiar feeling from the depths of his soul forced him to believe that it was indeed himself!
"What on earth is going on!"
Looking around in shock and confusion, his memories gradually faded from his mind, eventually disappearing...
On a turbulent seashore, under the bright sunlight, white sand stretched everywhere, sea breezes blew, and coconut trees lined the shore.
But at this moment, a young child sat on a dark reef, crying helplessly.
His name was Han Han, the son of a fisherman. He had lived in an era of war and chaos since childhood. Because his father often went out to sea fishing, their lives were relatively better than others.
At least they had enough to eat, though every meal consisted of fish, shrimp, and clams, with no land meat in sight. Their clothes were coarse, but they were warm and fed.
His father and mother also doted on him, making his childhood relatively warm.
However, it all changed three days ago...
Sea bandits, brandishing their curved knives, slaughtered his father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, and all his relatives.
Not only that, after packing up valuables and food, they set his home ablaze, reducing it to ashes.
The damnable bandits had utterly destroyed Han Han's formerly happy and warm family.
...
The reason for all this happening was related to an injured stranger who had suddenly appeared in the village on the fifth day of the third lunar month.
This stranger was around thirty to forty years old.
This man, named Fang Long, was severely injured and collapsed near a fisherman's thatched hut in a fishing village.
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