Chen Tian stood in the sky, and the players below looked up at him with disdain in their eyes. A player who hadn't even reached the Bai Lie level dared to speak to them like this. It was practically courting death.
Chen Tian suddenly felt something and said indifferently, "Apologies, I don't have time to play with you."
Chen Tian merely waved his hand, and all the players present vanished before his eyes. Chen Tian erased their memories of this encounter, then randomly placed them elsewhere.
Chen Tian returned to the Valley of Infinity. The Blood Sky Dragon Ant lay dying in front of the Ferocious Fierce Dragon, and the Ferocious Fierce Dragon was not faring much better, with flesh and blood torn from its body. The collision of these two massive creatures, their fierce battle, had resulted in such a state for both, and their strengths were almost equal.
The Ferocious Fierce Dragon was also in a severely wounded state. It was mainly due to a final counter-attack from the Blood Sky Dragon Ant that damaged its origin, otherwise, it wouldn't be this weak.
Seeing Chen Tian arrive, the Ferocious Fierce Dragon said, "It's up to you!"
Chen Tian: "Alright! Go rest! Your origin has been damaged."
The Ferocious Fierce Dragon's figure dissipated and landed on the ground of the Valley of Infinity. An interface appeared before Chen Tian, and an electronic voice sounded in his mind. Chen Tian paid it no mind and walked up to the Blood Sky Dragon Ant. His dual elemental blades materialized and descended directly. With a '噗' sound, its head fell off, and Chen Tian slew the Blood Sky Dragon Ant.
The Blood Sky Dragon Ant was already at the brink of death, with only a drop of blood remaining. Furthermore, its defenses had been broken by the Ferocious Fierce Dragon, so Chen Tian could easily send it to its doom with a single strike.
"Ding! Congratulations to the player for gaining thirty billion experience points!"
"Ding! Congratulations to the player for leveling up to level ninety-nine! You have reached the limit level and require a breakthrough mission!"
"Ding! Congratulations to the player for being able to choose one item!"
"Ding! Congratulations to the player for obtaining...!"
Chen Tian's lips curled up as he listened to the sounds and interface information. The missions in the Valley of Infinity, combined with the experience from the Blood Sky Dragon Ant, had propelled Chen Tian to level ninety. This was achieved by killing higher-level enemies and completing missions, resulting in doubled experience.
Chen Tian looked at his rewards and used his privilege to choose an item related to the power of time: the Core of Time!
"Ding! Detected that the player possesses the power of time and skills related to the power of time. Do you wish to fuse with the Core of Time?"
"Yes"
Without hesitation, the moment Chen Tian clicked, an interface popped up stating: "Fusion in progress, requires three days!"
Chen Tian swiped his left hand, and the interface vanished. Blue-green wings unfurled behind Chen Tian, and he disappeared from the ground. This time, Chen Tian was going to undertake a mission. Level ninety-nine was already the peak player level in the first three layers of the world. To break through, Chen Tian needed to go to a higher world to accept a breakthrough mission. The fourth layer was a gathering place for Bai Lie level players, and Chen Tian needed to go to the fourth layer world to complete a mission to break through.
Chen Tian headed towards the central area where the Guardian Hall was located. He had accepted this mission a long time ago, and it was time to complete it. The mission from the Guardian Hall involved four Guardian Halls. The moment Chen Tian accepted the mission, he knew the locations of all four.
Soon, in the central area of the map, it was shrouded in black energy. A barrier made of black mist prevented any living being from entering. At the same time, there were no players around. Players would not venture here. They couldn't open the barrier made of black mist, so they might as well explore other areas. Who knew if the things behind the black mist barrier were good or bad.
Following the method provided by the mission hint, Chen Tian spread his hands. Nine-colored light appeared on his palms, covering them. He placed his hands on four points on the black mist barrier. From these four points, four nine-colored light beams shot out, connecting to form a rhombus. In the center of the rhombus, a small vortex appeared. Chen Tian stepped forward and plunged into it.
This was the method given by the mission hint to enter the barrier. Chen Tian found this mission peculiar and wanted to observe it. He had a feeling this mission was not as simple as it seemed. If his guess was correct, this mission might be related to this secret realm.
Inside the black mist barrier, a massive palace appeared before Chen Tian's eyes. However, the palace was now rendered black by the dark energy. Chains of black mist coiled around the palace, and in the center of the palace, a figure was trapped by these chains.
Chen Tian's Divine Eyes could naturally see that this was the guardian of the Guardian Hall, the being responsible for protecting it. Just as Chen Tian was about to step forward, a voice from the Guardian Hall spoke, "Don't come closer! Kid, you can't contend with this dark energy, leave quickly!"
Chen Tian stood still. The surrounding dark energy seeped into his body, but Chen Tian felt no discomfort. He calmly asked, "Are you the guardian spirit of the Guardian Hall?"
"Yes, kid, what are you doing here? No one has come here for thousands of years."
"I've come to clarify things about the four Guardian Halls and what lies behind them. I accepted a commission."
"So that's how it is! Kid, it seems your arrival here is no coincidence. Oh well, I'll tell you then! My life is drawing to a close anyway."
After a period of understanding, the Guardian Hall's guardian spirit told Chen Tian everything it knew. Chen Tian murmured, "It seems to be exactly as I calculated. This mission is not that simple. Perhaps that girl is her."
Fortunately, Chen Tian remained calm and collected. If an ordinary player encountered such a mission, they would likely rush to complete it without considering the consequences, especially with such immense rewards. Chen Tian did not lose his composure. Looking at the Guardian Hall before him, an interface appeared in front of Chen Tian.
Chen Tian was stunned. This could even trigger a mission? Chen Tian glanced at it and directly clicked 'yes'. The mission rewards were not bad and did not conflict with Chen Tian's objectives. Chen Tian saw no reason to refuse.
Chen Tian said, "You stand there and wait for me, I'll save you!"
The Guardian Hall's guardian spirit said, "Kid, what are you joking about? You can't enter this dark energy. Leave here. In a few years, the seal will disappear. At that time, I only hope someone can inherit our will and re-seal that demon."
Chen Tian didn't say much more. He walked towards the Guardian Hall's guardian spirit. With his first step, the dark energy around Chen Tian transformed into a giant creature that blocked his path. It was a black Qilin. Chen Tian's Divine Eyes provided information, but it was only a level ten Bai Lie creature, and an energy form at that. How could it stop him!
Divine Fire erupted from his hands. He flicked his hands, and flames engulfed the entire black Qilin's body. The azure flames directly enveloped its form, burning fiercely. Roars of agony echoed throughout the barrier.
As the flames dissipated, the black Qilin vanished. The surrounding dark energy converged, as if Chen Tian's actions had angered it. Black Qilins appeared before Chen Tian, totaling three hundred of them, all at level thirty Bai Lie.
Chen Tian sneered, "Overestimating yourselves. Right now, I can kill a level fifty Bai Lie with my bare hands!"
"Shen Meng Zhi Li, activate!"
Chen Tian's entire body erupted with an aura that shot straight into the sky, but it was blocked by the barrier. Shen Meng Zhi Li was a skill Chen Tian obtained after completing the final trial of the Valley of Infinity. It was an unknown skill that randomly doubled his current attributes, with a minimum of two times and a maximum of sixteen times.
At this moment, Chen Tian's attributes had been multiplied by eight times. He slowly opened his left hand, and divine fire blazed, forming a lotus. The divine fire lotus spun in Chen Tian's palm. He pushed his left hand forward, and the lotus shot out. With a '彭' sound, the lotus bloomed, transforming from a small flower into a breathtaking bloom.
Countless black Qilins vanished, and the surrounding dark energy was reduced by a few tenths. It was a shame that killing these energy forms yielded no experience!
Chen Tian's combat power had now reached the Bai Lie level, combined with his ability to grow stronger with each fight and the boost from Shen Meng Zhi Li, Chen Tian could contend with level fifty Bai Lie existences.
As all the black Qilins were dispersed, the surrounding dark energy gathered. In front of the Guardian Hall within the barrier, a sphere of black energy appeared in the sky. The sphere of black energy writhed, as if something was about to emerge.
The sphere of black energy exploded, and a figure fell to the ground. The Guardian Hall's guardian spirit hastily exclaimed, "Kid, be careful! This is my dark side, stronger than me, and it has inherited all my power."
The figure that appeared before Chen Tian was identical to the guardian spirit that was chained by dark energy. Their appearances were exactly the same.
Chen Tian opened his Divine Eyes, and information appeared. Indeed, its strength was the same as the original body, and even the status panel was identical, except the state column read "Dark Side."
Everyone has a dark side within them. When a person's dark thoughts and intentions converge, they become their other self, which is the dark side. The dark side is like the devil in a person's heart, another way to express their inner thoughts.
The dark side and the original are essentially the same person, but the more darkness the dark side accumulates, the greater the emotions it generates, and it will gradually be influenced.
It is like the devil in human hearts, representing the other side deep within one's mind.
Chen Tian met the gaze of the dark side Shou Tian. Shou Tian spoke, "Human, leave here and do not obstruct my master's revival!"
"What if I refuse?"
"Then you shall become my nourishment!"
Shou Tian stomped his foot, and the ground exploded into a large crater. His fists flew towards Chen Tian. Chen Tian activated Extreme Evasion, his body twisting and dodging. He was no match for the opponent's level and attributes and needed the amplification from "growing stronger with each fight." Chen Tian had also deactivated Shen Meng Zhi Li.
He had an idea and wanted to try it. If it worked, it would make challenging higher-level opponents less troublesome in the future.
Chen Tian dodged Shou Tian's attacks. Shou Tian's level was seventy-eight Bai Lie, and the dark side Shou Tian possessed the same strength as the original body.