Bing Tianning walked out of the room with the old man. In front of the city gate, a group of clan disciples stood. Leading them was a young man with short stubble, jet-black hair, and the majestic eyes of the stars. He was clad in a white cloud robe, exuding an extraordinary aura. The young man impatiently said, "Is that old guy still not coming out?"
"Are they not going to honor the agreement? If not, just give the qualification to us."
Inside the city gates, the residents looked angrily at the crowd outside. Someone spoke, "This Yun Clan is too arrogant. If we hadn't been punished, how would they dare act like this now?"
"Alas! A tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs. This is the punishment for our Shen Zhan clan; there's nothing we can do."
In the past, their Shen Zhan clan was so glorious that a mere Yun Clan bowed to them. But now? The other party dared to bully them to their doorstep, yet they could only endure the humiliation. Who told them they were sinners? The disciples of the Shen Zhan clan inside the city gates suppressed their anger at the Yun Clan disciples' taunts and provocations. The reason was simple: they couldn't defeat them.
The former Shen Zhan clan was once among the top three races in all the myriad realms. Now, they couldn't even contend with a single ancient clan. How pathetic they had become.
"Damn it, if not for the seal and curse from that person within our bodies, our Shen Zhan clan wouldn't have fallen to this state."
"Alas! Be content. It's good that the existence you speak of didn't annihilate our Shen Zhan clan, especially since we lost her only child. Not being wiped out is already fortunate."
"But, Elder, what can we do? These people from the Yun Clan are clearly here with ill intentions. They took one spot a few days ago and now they want more. Although the rules state that spots are determined by strength, the Yun Clan is simply unreasonable. They know full well our strength can't be fully exerted, yet they keep extorting us. I can't stand it anymore."
"What can you do even if you can't stand it? If you go up now, you'll be instantly killed. Their Yun Clan disciples aren't affected. It's not their fault; our Shen Zhan clan has imprisoned this entire world. The others are innocent."
An old man looked sadly at the sky. The Yun Clan youth's face showed impatience. "Shen Zhan clan, come out for a duel! Are you going to break the rules?"
"Cowards. Is this how far your Shen Zhan clan has fallen? You're an insult to your ancestors."
"Ahhh! Elder, I want to kill him! Let me go out."
"No, don't let anger break your reason. This is clearly a provocation. We'll wait. We'll wait for the City Lord to arrive."
Within the city, the old man, the young boy, and Bing Tianning headed towards the city gates. On the way, Bing Tianning inquired about the city and their origins. The old man told Bing Tianning everything he knew. Bing Tianning was not an enemy, and there was nothing to hide.
"This city is called Shen Zhan City. It has sealed off the entire world. This is just a tip of the iceberg of the world. But our Shen Zhan clan, once a top three race in all the myriad realms, was infinitely glorious. Unfortunately, we made a grave mistake. That existence laid down a curse and a seal, trapping the entire world in this space. We cannot leave, and those who enter cannot leave either. We've been wandering in the universe for thousands of years, but I never expected to enter a secret realm."
"And those people outside shouting are from the Yun Clan, one of the ancient clans, who wield the power of white clouds. They are a formidable family. Because of our mother's great sin, all races and beings in this world hate our Shen Zhan clan. The Yun Clan's purpose for coming here is to compete for spots."
"In the center of the Shen Zhan clan, there is a trial ground, placed there by that existence in our Shen Zhan clan's space. That existence once said that the spots in the trial ground would be decided by strength. The winner would take the opponent's spot. The Yun Clan took two spots a few days ago and surprisingly came back today."
"Originally, our Shen Zhan clan had fifteen spots. But due to the influence of the curse and seal, we can only use our innate divine abilities, and our strength is meager. We've suffered endless humiliation. Now, only three spots remain. Other races know that even though the Shen Zhan clan has fallen this far, they will eventually break the seal and curse, so they don't attack too ruthlessly. But the Yun Clan is too cruel; they took half the spots directly."
Bing Tianning was shocked by the old man's words. What kind of person could seal and exile an entire world? Even at his peak memory recall, he couldn't do such a thing. And the seal and curse had lasted for thousands of years without weakening. It was too terrifying.
"Bing Tianning, Bing Tianning, where are you?"
Chen Tian's voice echoed in Bing Tianning's mind. Bing Tianning covered his ear with his left hand and then spoke mentally, "Chen Tian, I'm fine. I just entered a special space and can't get out now."
Bing Tianning's core had a communication system. After many attempts, Chen Tian finally managed to establish contact. Chen Tian said, "Are you alright? What happened? My interface previously indicated your energy was depleted."
"I'm fine. Just encountered a petty trick from an old enemy. I've recovered now."
"Send me your location, and I'll come find you. Don't act alone for now."
"Okay."
After speaking, Bing Tianning sent his location. Whether Chen Tian could find him depended on Chen Tian's methods. After all, Bing Tianning himself didn't know how he had seen this city. According to the old man's explanation, this city was under a seal, and ordinary people couldn't see its appearance. The seal carried a powerful hidden aura, making it invisible to anyone. Bing Tianning could see it, and the old man was also puzzled. Was it because the seal was weakening, or was it ineffective because Bing Tianning was a machine?
Bing Tianning, the old man, and the young boy arrived at the city gate. The Yun Clan youth looked at the old man emerging and sneered, "Zhan Tian, which disciple are you sending out for today's spot competition? Don't worry, we only want two spots today, no more."
Zhan Tian's face contorted with anger. "Yun Long, you're utterly unreasonable! There are only three spots left, and you still want them? Your Yun family has already taken seven spots. Do you really think our Shen Zhan clan is easy to bully?"
"If it were in the past, I might be afraid. But you are sinners now. What right do you have to use this spot? Having one spot is already good. Enough talk, let strength decide."
"Yun Qing, Yun Mie, come out. These two spots are yours. Don't disappoint me."
"Yes, Patriarch."
Zhan Tian walked up to Bing Tianning beside him and said, "I'm counting on you."
Bing Tianning stepped forward, and his gaze met that of Yun Qing and Yun Mie. Yun Long mocked, "A mortal? Not a trace of divine power. Hahaha, old man, have you given up? You're bringing out a mortal to fight us."
Yun Qing and Yun Mie were both young men, dressed in white cloud robes, with refined features and extraordinary demeanor. Yun Qing struck first, his fist wrapped in swirling white cloud energy. The punch was ethereal and illusory yet possessed real power, lacking brute force but carrying immense impact.
Circles and trajectories appeared in Bing Tianning's eyes. He raised his palm, and with a bang, a shockwave spread out. Bing Tianning appeared relaxed. Yun Qing's expression changed. His right arm transformed into a sharp claw, aiming for Bing Tianning's chest. Trajectories appeared in Bing Tianning's eyes, precisely calculating the opponent's attack route. Bing Tianning's body flickered, he spun, and his mechanical left leg kicked out, striking Yun Qing in the waist. With a thud, a figure fell to the ground.
Yun Mie watched the young man before him. The youth was only fifteen or sixteen years old, exuding the aura and temperament of a mortal, with no divine power. But why? How could a mortal repel Yun Qing? It was almost unbelievable.
Above the valley, Chen Tian appeared. Looking at the empty surroundings, Chen Tian asked in confusion, "It's here, no mistake! Bing Tianning's coordinates are correct, but why don't I see anyone? The ground below this valley is just ground; there's nothing special."
Chen Tian brought up his interface. The coordinates showed Bing Tianning was directly beneath him, but below was just the ground. What was going on? Coordinates never lied.
"Wait, Bing Tianning said he was in a special space. It seems this place below isn't simple. I wonder if my Divine Eyes can see through it. Let's try."
Chen Tian's eyes turned silver-white, and his Divine Eyes radiated light. In Chen Tian's eyes, the ground disappeared, and a magnificent city appeared. Chen Tian was stunned by its full appearance, for beneath the ground lay a world. Through his Divine Eyes, Chen Tian clearly saw the entire world enveloped by a giant light barrier. It was the hidden aura emanating from this barrier that had prevented Chen Tian from detecting it.
Chen Tian leaped down. Bing Tianning had mentioned in his reply that one could enter but not leave. Chen Tian didn't believe it; he had to try and see if he could get out. Moreover, Bing Tianning had a mission, and Chen Tian had to go in to find him.
Chen Tian's figure entered the seal, with golden and silver wings unfurling behind him. The moment the golden and silver wings spread, Chen Tian's figure stabilized, and he slowly landed. He landed on an empty space next to the city. Chen Tian said faintly, "Where is this place? The location has disappeared. I guess I'll have to search slowly."
The location information sent by Bing Tianning on Chen Tian's interface no longer displayed, affected by the seal. Helpless, Chen Tian had to search on his own. On Bing Tianning's side, the ground cracked, and Yun Qing appeared. Yun Qing looked at Bing Tianning, his aura erupting. He didn't know how a mortal had managed to repel him, but Yun Qing knew he had to go all out now, or he wouldn't be an opponent.
Numbers flickered in Bing Tianning's eyes as his calculation abilities activated. The moment Yun Qing took a step, Bing Tianning's body shifted left and right, evading the incoming attack. Simultaneously, a beam of light shot from his palm, aimed at Yun Qing's body. Clouds gathered on Yun Qing's body, forming an illusory armor. The light beam struck the armor, and Yun Qing retreated steadily. At the same time, Yun Mie moved, appearing instantly behind Bing Tianning and bringing his palm down. Bing Tianning had long anticipated that the opponent would attack from this position. A mechanical wrist blade appeared on his arm, and a silver mechanical blade light flashed. Yun Mie's figure and Bing Tianning's figure retreated.