Chen Tian looked at the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider before him. It was its second life, and with just one more hit, its remaining health would be down to the last sliver. Chen Tian dared not be careless, giving his all with his senses heightened. Moreover, the words of the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider weighed heavily on his mind, causing him to fall into deep thought before he spoke, "Are you saying that if I defeat you completely, I can obtain the Earth God's Token?"
The Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider puffed out its chest proudly and replied, "Yes, I am the trial itself. The three lives are designed to test the trial-taker. You are not a native creature; you are from the outside world. I surmise you are here for the Earth God's Token and the Earth God's Trial."
Chen Tian nodded, not refuting the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider's words. He was indeed here for that very purpose, and arguing would be futile. Chen Tian's eyes instantly gleamed with sharpness, his entire demeanor transforming from before. The Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider watched Chen Tian, its outer shell slowly expanding until it exploded, revealing a figure within. It was a young boy, seemingly not very old, clad in deep crimson armor. His hands were slender, and his eyes were piercing, like bottomless black holes. Chen Tian and the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider stared at each other. This was the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider's second life: the transformed state.
The Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider's first life allowed it to switch between three forms at will, with its attributes changing accordingly. Its second life was its transformation into a humanoid form. Chen Tian felt this form of the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider would be the most challenging, as it had abandoned its massive physique, and its attributes must have surged. Chen Tian's long sword flashed instantly, two sword beams attacking from the left and right. The Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider's arms transformed into sharp spikes, forming arm blades. It swung these black spike arm blades, and two black shadows collided with Chen Tian's sword. Chen Tian was forced back a full three hundred meters.
The Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider sneered, "Not bad, not bad. I only used thirty percent of my strength just now, and you managed to withstand it. However, kid, each of my lives is more powerful than the last. You won't be able to complete this trial."
As the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider finished speaking, Chen Tian retorted, "There is no trial that I, Chen Tian, cannot pass. We shall see."
The Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider's second life was significantly more powerful than its first. Chen Tian could feel it. Had it been the first life in that clash, Chen Tian's offensive should have gained the upper hand. But now, it was him who was pushed back. This second life was proving to be difficult, its strength far exceeding his own. Even with just thirty percent of its power, he had been at a disadvantage. While Chen Tian was contemplating, the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider seized the opportunity. In its transformed state, the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider's speed was sixteen times that of its original form; its figure was completely invisible. The space around Chen Tian seemed empty, as if the very air had vanished. The Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider attacked Chen Tian at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye. Chen Tian sensed something was amiss. As he activated his "Perception of Heaven and Earth," a bright light appeared in his mind. Chen Tian turned, his long sword angled backward. A sizzling sound arose, and he then dragged the sword, as if scraping against something. Chen Tian retreated.
"Impressive. You actually reacted. Take this next move."
The Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider's voice echoed throughout the sky, though it remained unseen. Chen Tian flipped backward three times, followed by a series of explosions. Had Chen Tian not reacted swiftly, he would have been flattened. The spatial pressure was immense, and its speed was too great. Without the aid of "Perception of Heaven and Earth," Chen Tian would have already lost and become a dead man.
As Chen Tian perceived, points of light continuously appeared. In his mind, Chen Tian's brain worked overtime. There had to be a way. The Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider's second life was strong, but it still had weaknesses. If Chen Tian could find that weakness, he had hope of winning. Chen Tian swung his arm, and several sword blades shot out into the seemingly empty space before him. Alas, the blades passed through the air, having no effect. Chen Tian knew his attacks could not reach the opponent due to its incredible speed; he could only defend and evade.
"Not good."
Chen Tian cried out, his body enveloped by layers of barriers, eighteen in total. The outermost layer was a barrier of Five Elements energy, followed by barriers of Dragon and Phoenix phantoms, and then barriers of Divine Ice and Divine Fire. The barriers surrounding Chen Tian began to shatter one by one. Chen Tian finally saw the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider. Its arms unleashed two black spike light beams. Chen Tian's barriers gradually disintegrated. As the black light beams closed in, Chen Tian activated his teleportation ability, instantly shifting to another location. The black light beams passed directly through his previous position. The Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider knew its attack had missed and canceled it, turning to face Chen Tian. This human before him might truly be able to pass the trial, being the prophesied one after all. However, the trial was still a trial; it wanted to see if he possessed the ability to inherit the will of the Earth God.
Chen Tian and the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider locked eyes. Chen Tian hesitated not. His current second-tier strength was no match for the opponent. Chen Tian decisively activated his third tier. His armor vanished, replaced by flowing pure white robes. His dual swords transformed into wrist blades. This was the third tier, abandoning heavy armor and weapons to unleash his body's full potential. His aura reached the heavens, his fighting spirit surged, reaching its peak with a five-thousand percent increase. Chen Tian's strength was on an entirely different level compared to before.
Chen Tian and the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider stared at each other and simultaneously stepped forward. The sky was filled only with the sounds of explosions, collisions, and flashes of light. Their figures were invisible. The space in the sky began to fracture bit by bit. The clash between Chen Tian and the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider generated a suction force that instantly pulled them into the void. In the void, Chen Tian and the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider reacted simultaneously, adapting before colliding once more. If they continued fighting in the real world with their current strength, it would cause space to collapse. Battling in the void was the best option, as neither wished for the world to crumble. Space was the foundation for creating a world; the collapse of space signified the world's destruction.
Chen Tian and the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider charged. Chen Tian gathered over a dozen types of power in his fists. This time, Chen Tian held nothing back, unleashing his full power. A terrifying aura preceded his fists, causing space to crack. He swung his fists tightly. The Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider sensed the danger and transformed its arm blades into shields. Black, spike-covered shields extended. Chen Tian's fists struck the shields, causing them to dent. Waves of energy surged backward from behind the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider. The power of this punch astonished the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider. Chen Tian's fists had merely dented the shield surface, unable to advance even an inch. Chen Tian retreated as the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider's tail whipped down from above his head. If Chen Tian hadn't dodged, this scorpion tail would have pierced his skull. He abandoned his attack and pulled back, his figure retreating a few steps. The Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider's tail missed. Anyone would have chosen this course of action. Chen Tian had not yet found the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider's weakness and could only stall for time.
The Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider moved, instantly appearing before Chen Tian. Its shield-like hands transformed into spears. Black spears thrust out, creating countless spear shadows that appeared solid, as if real, carrying terrifying power towards Chen Tian's face. Chen Tian crossed his arms, a light barrier appearing, and he continuously retreated.
After this move ceased, Chen Tian's figure flashed. A light appeared from behind him. Chen Tian reacted quickly, dodging swiftly. When had the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider moved behind him? His "Perception of Heaven and Earth" hadn't detected its trace. What was going on?
His divine eyes opened, and information appeared. Chen Tian looked at the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider's new status panel and was speechless. It was one thing for each form to have its own attribute interface, but for its attributes to change with each life was another. It seemed he needed to understand the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider's attribute interface first before formulating a battle strategy.
Fortunately, the attribute interface for this second life wasn't overly monstrous. The only terrifying aspects were its abilities and characteristics. Chen Tian's figure transformed into countless clones, scattering in all directions. In the eyes of the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider, each clone was the main body, identical in aura, presence, and physique. Chen Tian's clones perfectly inherited everything from the main body; only Chen Tian knew where his true self was.
The Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider roared, a dragon's cry erupting. This time, barriers appeared before each clone. The convergence of hundreds of barriers rendered the dragon's roar's sonic waves ineffective. Chen Tian had long devised a countermeasure for the dragon's roar. The combined energy of hundreds of Chen Tian's barriers was not something easily broken.
Seeing that its dragon's roar had no effect, the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider simply extended its arm, unleashing countless spikes that swept towards Chen Tian's clones. One by one, the clones were pierced by the spike storm. Chen Tian's main body appeared behind the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider at some unknown time, twin silver-white swords in his hands. He thrust one sword forward. The armor on the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider's back glowed with a layer of red light. Chen Tian's sword struck the armor, producing only a crisp sound and sparks. Seeing that his sword could not penetrate the defense, Chen Tian vanished from behind the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider. If an attack fails, retreat. This was Chen Tian's tactic.
Chen Tian and the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider met gazes again, as if neither could overcome the other. Both understood that to win this battle, they had to find each other's weaknesses.
Both Chen Tian and the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider had hidden their weaknesses perfectly. These weaknesses were not easy to find, and time was on their side; they could take their time.
Outside, Tu Xueer watched Chen Tian and the Earth Scorpion Dragon Spider disappear, a look of confusion on her face. "Chen Tian? Where's big brother? What should I do?"
Tu Xueer did not know that Chen Tian was currently fighting in the void. Unaware of the outside world, her knowledge was limited.