The silhouette of Pigeon flew towards the black forest below. Just as it was about to approach, an attack shot out from behind it. This attack carried immense power, and Pigeon could tell it would sustain even more severe injuries from it. Pigeon quickly took out the Spirit Shield, placing it in front of him. The attack struck the shield, causing it to tremble. Cracks began to appear on the shield's surface, and the Spirit Shield in Pigeon's hands was directly pierced and shattered by the attack. The fragments scattered and burrowed into Pigeon's body.
Struck by the attack, Pigeon's body fell towards the black forest. Fortunately, it had been flying at a low altitude, so it wasn't killed by the fall. Pigeon's figure plunged into the black forest. An Lie looked down at the black forest. He knew that entering this forbidden zone, An Lie had no confidence in getting out. What should he do? After that attack, the opponent should have been dead. But what if, what if they were still alive? Failure to complete the mission would result in punishment. The mere thought of punishment filled him with fear. To enter or not to enter, that was the choice.
Pigeon's body fell from the sky into the black forest. The black forest was as dark as its name suggested. The land, sky, ocean, flowers, grass, and trees were all black. This was not the blackness of darkness, but a special kind of black. Pigeon opened its eyes and saw a black sky. The opponent had not pursued, so it seemed temporarily safe. However, Pigeon noticed something: within the black forest, its field of vision was only a few meters, and it couldn't even extend its senses. Resting here didn't seem like a good option.
This kind of area was bound to be risky. Pigeon needed to pay attention to its safety if it were to rest here. As Pigeon was about to get up, it felt a sharp pain throughout its body. Right, that last move had worsened its injuries, and now it couldn't move. What should it do? The other person might track it down at any moment. If seen in this state, it would be certain death. Pigeon closed its eyes, resigning itself to fate. Its injuries would take two to three days to recover at this rate, after which it would be able to move.
Pigeon's body lay on the ground. Beneath the ground, waves of black energy seeped up and continuously entered Pigeon's body. Pigeon's bones and blood were turning black. Pigeon didn't even notice the changes within its body, having already fallen into a deep sleep. Only in this way could its injuries recover more rapidly. Pigeon lay on the ground until nightfall. The moment it opened its eyes, it sat up abruptly, moving its body. It wondered, "My recovery speed is so fast? Is it because the environment is special, or because the injuries weren't that severe to begin with?"
Pigeon was somewhat curious about its rapid recovery. It could move after only half a day, whereas normally it would take two to three days. Not knowing the reason, Pigeon didn't dwell on it. Pigeon wanted to fly out of the black forest area but discovered that it couldn't mobilize the energy within its body. Its white wings, which unfurled behind it, vanished the next second. It couldn't even fly. It seemed this area was restricted for flight, and it would need to explore its way out.
Pigeon walked towards the interior of the black forest, moving cautiously. No one knew what dangers lurked in this unfamiliar environment. It was better to be careful, especially since Pigeon was still injured. It had to be extremely cautious not to perish here, with suffering awaiting it. Pigeon didn't know where the exit was. It knew that as long as it headed towards the center, there would be a way out. This was an instinct formed from memory. Pigeon had inherited the memories of the Divine Realm and still trusted its instincts.
And so, Pigeon walked towards the center of the black forest. At this moment, An Lie, standing outside the black forest, hesitated. A symbol appeared on his brow, glowing brightly. A phantom emerged from the symbol – a translucent figure. Upon seeing this figure, An Lie knelt on one knee. Just the aura of the phantom caused the surrounding space to fracture. Fortunately, the phantom was in control, or this entire area would have been obliterated by its presence. The phantom coldly asked, "Is the mission complete?"
"Um, my lord, that..."
An Lie didn't know what to say. If he said it was complete, it seemed like it was, but if he said it wasn't, it also seemed like it wasn't. The other party's life or death was still uncertain. However, they were definitely half-dead, so it was half-complete.
"Speak!"
The phantom roared, clearly showing some impatience. An Lie nodded fearfully, "Yes, yes, I will tell my lord right away."
An Lie recounted everything he knew to the phantom. The phantom turned its gaze towards the black forest, its eyes holding a profound and thoughtful look. It said, "Wait here. He is not dead yet. Wait here for him."
"My lord, how can you be so sure he can survive?"
An Lie didn't understand where his lord's confidence came from. This was the black forest, and no cultivator who entered had ever come out alive. They had all died within, and their exact cause of death was unknown.
"Heh heh, this is his territory. He'll have an accident? Don't make me laugh. Wait here, I'll send someone to help you. Once he comes out, you'll be invincible."
"Ah!"
After speaking, the phantom vanished, leaving a stunned An Lie. What did his lord mean by that?
However, he had to obey his lord's command. Since his lord told him to wait here, he would wait for the other party to emerge. As for the latter part of his lord's statement, he didn't pay much attention to it. Could a half-dead person, after entering, come out with fully healed injuries and a surge in strength? Was that possible? Absolutely impossible!
Even if my lord himself came, I wouldn't believe it.
An Lie was that confident. Deep within the black forest, Pigeon had no idea how far it had traveled. It hadn't seen any sign of life. There had been no danger along the way, which was strange for a forest. It couldn't understand why, even though it was walking, its injuries were recovering faster. Pigeon was very puzzled by the special nature of the surrounding environment. Pigeon continued to advance. After walking for a while longer, a point of light appeared before Pigeon's eyes. It was like finding a street lamp in the dark. Its steps quickened, influenced by an unknown emotion. Pigeon had only one thought: to go, to go to that point of light, to that place.
This thought and emotion emerged from the depths of its heart. Pigeon didn't know why. It tried to control itself, but found its body instinctively moving towards the light. Fortunately, there was no sense of danger from the light's direction, and Pigeon was safe. Pigeon reached the point of light and touched it with its palm. Light erupted, and Pigeon's silhouette was completely engulfed. When the light subsided, there was no sign of Pigeon.
Meanwhile, Chen Tian was fighting Xie Ming. Their dual blades and claws clashed, producing ringing sounds. The attacks were so fast that they were like blurs of light, impossible for the naked eye to follow. Chen Tian's dual blades were composed of energy. The purer the energy, the harder it was. Coupled with Chen Tian's second-level ability, his dual blades were no weaker than Xie Ming's claws. Xie Ming's claws swept towards Chen Tian. Chen Tian waved his dual blades, directly intercepting the claws. Chen Tian dared not engage Xie Ming's claws head-on, as they possessed special abilities.
Chen Tian knew this clearly. He used the hilts of his blades to lock Xie Ming's claws, preventing them from advancing further. Seeing Chen Tian do this, Xie Ming spun his body away. Chen Tian reluctantly let go and retreated. He threw his dual blades, unleashing blades of light that shot towards Xie Ming's body. The dual blades struck Xie Ming's body, stopping his spin, and then shattered instantly. Chen Tian and Xie Ming stood at opposite ends. Chen Tian produced a longsword. Xie Ming's expression turned solemn upon seeing this.
If the Chen Tian wielding dual blades was not to be taken seriously, then the Chen Tian now wielding a longsword needed to be. In his first life, Chen Tian had stood at the pinnacle of swordsmanship in the universe, and no one could surpass him in sword skills, not even the creators of the other six races. Coupled with Chen Tian's formidable strength, this was why the Xie Ling clan held a place among the Seven Races.
Originally, the Xie Ling clan should not have existed among the Seven Races. Before the Seven Races were formed, there were numerous races, and it would have taken a long time to determine the positions of the Seven Races based on their racial abilities. Chen Tian, with his swordsmanship, had suppressed all those who sought to rise, establishing the Xie Ling clan's place among the Seven Races.
Chen Tian waved his arm, and the longsword seemed to be excited. Chen Tian hadn't fought with swordsmanship in a long time. This time, he would fight to his heart's content.
Boundless sword intent, sword qi crisscrossed, a phantom of the longsword swayed, and a phantom of a sword immortal appeared behind Chen Tian.
Chen Tian swung his longsword. With just a lifting motion, Xie Ming, as if facing a formidable enemy, erected a barrier all over his body. Cracks appeared on the barrier, and it shattered. Xie Ming dodged, narrowly avoiding the crisis.