Gezi followed Granny San Hua into the mountain village. Upon entering, Gezi felt a familiar sensation within him, a feeling he couldn't quite place. Granny San Hua spoke, "Third Prince, this is the place where you will recover your memories. Stay here for a moment. I will go and awaken the others. To perform the memory recovery ritual, all four of us must act together."
Gezi was still bewildered by Granny San Hua's words and didn't know how to respond, so he could only nod and say, "Alright."
Granny San Hua's figure disappeared. Gezi looked around the village, wondering where this sense of familiarity was coming from. He was certain he had never been to this small mountain village before. The architectural style was unlike anything he had ever seen. This familiarity felt as if he had been born and raised here, a feeling of returning home that he hadn't experienced in a long time. Gezi couldn't figure it out, so he decided not to think about it. He would naturally understand everything once his memories were restored.
Granny San Hua's figure arrived in a magic circle. The circle was a four-pointed star. At each of the four corners stood a humanoid stone statue. Granny San Hua stood at the center of the circle, her internal energy flowing. The energy passed through the circle and entered the stone statues. To everyone's surprise, the statues opened their eyes and spoke, "San Hua, didn't we tell you not to wake us up unless it's important?"
"Right! The last time you woke us up, it was just for a chat. We're very busy."
"Exactly. We can't afford to be too lax. We're still waiting to cultivate and reclaim our glory and world."
Granny San Hua ignored their words and said excitedly, "I've come to tell you great news, incredibly great news."
As Granny San Hua spoke, the other three saw how emotional she was, even crying. What could this good news be? Granny San Hua declared, "The Third Prince is back. The Third Prince is back."
As Granny San Hua finished speaking, the three stone statues began to shake. Cracks appeared all over them, and they exploded. Three figures stood at the triangular corners. It turned out the statues were formed from cultivators' essence. They were three elders. Though they didn't look old, each possessed a powerful aura similar to Granny San Hua's. Their emotions erupted, and they rushed towards Granny San Hua. One elder exclaimed excitedly, gesturing wildly, "Is it true? The Third Prince is back?"
"How long have we waited here? Several cycles of reincarnation. Finally, we can return and reclaim our world under the Third Prince's leadership."
"Granny San Hua, where is the Third Prince now? We should go and pay our respects. It is our duty, as royal princes, to assist the Third Prince."
Another elder was calmer, though those who knew him well understood his inner excitement, which he simply didn't express outwardly. Granny San Hua wiped her tears and said, "Quickly, the Third Prince needs to recover his memories. We need to open the seal."
"Let's go. The three of us can fight together again. It's wonderful."
"Did you forget about me, old woman? Underestimating me will cost you dearly."
Granny San Hua teased. Among the four of them, Granny San Hua was the most troublesome. Even though the strength of the other three surpassed hers, they dared not underestimate her. The truth was, when she fought, she was full of tricks, and before one could react, the opponent wouldn't know how they died, leaving them utterly frustrated.
The three shivered, and their figures disappeared from the room. Gezi stood there, not knowing how long he had waited. Suddenly, four figures appeared, startling Gezi into a defensive stance. Upon seeing Granny San Hua's figure, he lowered his guard. The other three elders knelt and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Third Prince."
Gezi nodded. Granny San Hua said urgently, "Third Prince, we will open the seal now. Once you enter, clear your mind, and you will recover your memories. We will wait outside. After your memories are restored, you will know who we are."
As Granny San Hua spoke, the other three stood in their respective positions. A magic circle enveloped Gezi. His figure was shrouded by the circle. The four of them unleashed four beams of light that shot up into the sky. The light formed pillars that created a barrier around Gezi. The magic circle beneath Gezi's feet began to spin, and his figure collapsed onto the ground, falling into a deep slumber.
The will of the other three sustained the magic circle. This circle required energy from all four of them to operate. If it stopped, it could affect the Third Prince. At best, he would lose his memories; at worst, he would suffer severe mental trauma or even become an imbecile. The four dared not be careless.
Meanwhile, Chen Tian was fighting Xie Ming. Chen Tian easily blocked Xie Ming's attacks with his palm. After a prolonged battle, Gezi discovered that Xie Ming possessed no other special abilities, only an increase in strength and speed. Chen Tian found it relatively easy to deal with him, but he still had to be wary of Xie Yu and Xie Lei, who might ambush him at any moment. If Xie Ming had a trump card, Xie Lei and Xie Yu surely did too. Since Chen Tian was unaware of their full capabilities, he decided to fight Xie Ming steadily.
Xie Ming's claws swept towards him. This time, Chen Tian did not defend, knowing Xie Ming had no defensive abilities. Chen Tian struck decisively, clenching his fist and gathering power in it. The power of this punch was not his full strength; Chen Tian only used thirty percent of his power. In his previous fight with the three of them, Chen Tian hadn't even exerted ten percent of his strength. They were simply too weak. Now, however, Xie Ming's strength had increased, and Chen Tian estimated thirty percent would be sufficient.
Fists met claws, and both sides retreated a step. Xie Ming's eyes gleamed. Chen Tian was finally going to fight back. Xie Ming knew the danger of Chen Tian taking the initiative. He had to strike first and absolutely could not let Chen Tian control the offensive, or he would be suppressed as before, with no chance to attack. Moreover, the duration of this trump card would not be long, and if his energy was depleted, he would be no match for Chen Tian.
Energy was the limitation of cultivators. If not a single bit of energy could be mobilized within the body, it meant no combat power. A trump card was called a trump card because it couldn't be used unless absolutely necessary. Chen Tian watched Xie Ming charge towards him and met him head-on. Fists against claws, hundreds of punches against hundreds of claws, neither side gaining an advantage. Their arms blurred into afterimages, making it impossible to distinguish the real ones.
Xie Yu watched from the side, feeling that Chen Tian was still hiding his strength. Xie Lei stood beside him and asked, "Shouldn't we help Xie Ming?"
"No. Chen Tian might be hiding his strength, and it might not be his full power. We shouldn't act until we understand Chen Tian's strength. Let Xie Ming test him first. Also, if you find an opportunity, don't hesitate to attack."
Xie Yu fanned himself, as if he were already victorious. Xie Yu's thoughts were both right and wrong. If Xie Yu possessed Chen Tian's computational abilities, he would probably be standing at the pinnacle of the universe by now.
Xie Ming and Chen Tian fought fiercely. Explosions rang out one after another. After the explosions, both Chen Tian and Xie Ming were unharmed. They clashed for over a hundred rounds, and neither could defeat the other. This was too realistic. Chen Tian channeled elemental powers into his palm – wind, waves, flames, and ice. These four elemental powers fused perfectly into a ball of light. Chen Tian pushed the ball of light forward at great speed towards Xie Ming's face. Xie Ming crossed his claws, creating sparks, and shot out seven or eight claw marks. The claw marks and the ball of light generated shockwaves that cancelled each other out.
This move resulted in another draw. Seeing that Chen Tian was fighting Xie Ming to a standstill, Xie Yu began to doubt. Could this be Chen Tian's full strength? Otherwise, why wouldn't he have used his superior power to instantly kill Xie Ming, as was his style? Xie Yu decided to wait and see, feeling that something was amiss but unable to pinpoint it.
It wasn't Xie Yu's fault; Chen Tian was acting perfectly, and Xie Yu couldn't find any flaws. In Xie Yu's eyes, it naturally felt like his full strength. Others would have felt the same. Chen Tian was doing this intentionally, to force Xie Lei and Xie Yu to reveal their trump cards. Chen Tian also wanted to witness their abilities firsthand.
Xie Ming saw that he was fighting Chen Tian to a draw and was anxious for a decisive outcome. He was impatient by nature. His wings converged behind him and then spread open, releasing three or four black beast phantoms that charged towards Chen Tian. This was the first time Chen Tian had seen such beasts. Judging by their appearance, they did not belong to this universe. It seemed this move was taught by that fellow, Tian. Chen Tian straightened his arm, opened his palm, and a white shield appeared in his palm. The white shield did not protect Chen Tian but gathered energy in his hand. Elemental energy formed a light spot in the center of the shield. Chen Tian opened his palm, and a beam of light shot out, heading straight for the beast phantoms. Under the light beam's cover, the beast phantoms were directly obliterated.
This time, there was no draw. Chen Tian's beam of light continued to advance towards Xie Ming. Xie Ming gathered power in his palm, forming a black and gold shield. This shield, composed of evil spirit energy and golden aura, blocked the beam of light. Chen Tian was slightly surprised. This move involved about forty percent of his power, slightly more. The black and gold shield blocking the attack was unexpected.
According to Chen Tian's calculations, this move should not have been blocked. It seemed he had underestimated that power. Xie Ming did not even retreat a step. Xie Ming's opinion of Chen Tian was just average, unaware that Chen Tian was not fighting at his full strength.
If Chen Tian fought at full strength, Xie Ming wouldn't last three rounds. With two other individuals watching, Chen Tian was unsure of their trump cards, and if they were a mutual destruction technique, Chen Tian would lose at least a layer of skin. Chen Tian's current state was a sure win, and he wasn't in a hurry, remaining patient.
Xie Yu and Xie Lei were still watching. Xie Ming knew this fight was for him to probe Chen Tian's strength. Anyway, he had people backing him, so he could fight freely.
Xie Ming's body trembled, and his aura erupted, becoming even more magnificent. Xie Ming's strength increased significantly. Was this fellow only now fighting with his full might?
Chen Tian was surprised by Xie Ming's increase in strength. What kind of energy was this? Even energy from other universes, at this level, should be top-tier. Why would that fellow, Tian, design such a long-term plan to dominate the Xie Ling race? Why not simply take over the universe? What Chen Tian didn't know was that Tian had obtained this energy later and couldn't fully control it, only managing to separate it and empower others.
Tian had bet with Chen Tian before, and Chen Tian had won. Tian could not enter this world, so he sent people to kill Chen Tian. The first to be chosen were those nine individuals, who were all pawns. As long as Chen Tian could be harmed, that was enough.
Chen Tian faced Xie Ming's attack, putting his thoughts aside. He would fight first. Their figures collided, sparks flying like fireworks. Bang, bang, bang sounds echoed through space. It was a constant draw.
Xie Lei stood aside, itching to join. He said anxiously, "Xie Yu, should we join? I think Chen Tian's strength is just this much. A combined effort from the three of us might not be futile."
"Don't be hasty. Let's wait a bit longer. There's an old saying among humans: 'Observe the situation calmly.' I have a feeling Chen Tian is still hiding something."
"This is my intuition, and it's rarely wrong. You know my intuition is very accurate."
Xie Lei asked doubtfully, "But why would he hide his strength? Why not just instantly kill Xie Ming? What is he thinking?"
"How would I know what he's thinking? Perhaps he's afraid of our trump cards and doesn't dare reveal his strength."
Xie Yu had guessed Chen Tian's thoughts perfectly, but it was useless. Chen Tian and Xie Ming continued to fight. Xie Ming retreated three steps, while Chen Tian stood his ground, indicating that Chen Tian had the upper hand.
Xie Lei couldn't wait any longer and directly used his lightning power to augment Xie Ming's body. Xie Ming's body was strengthened, and his power became even more formidable. Xie Lei was temporarily transferring his lightning power to Xie Ming. Electric currents flickered in Xie Ming's hands, and his eyes contained black lightning symbols.
Seeing this, Chen Tian realized Xie Ming was getting another upgrade. Chen Tian moved his wrists a few times, indicating he was going to get slightly serious. The previous fight could be considered Chen Tian's warm-up. He hadn't used this power in a while, and it was somewhat rusty. The recent fight had allowed Chen Tian to control his own energy more precisely.
This time, Chen Tian prepared to use twenty percent of his power. Due to improved energy control, Chen Tian no longer needed to expend as much energy to deal with Xie Ming. Twenty percent was sufficient. If Xie Ming knew this, he would likely spit out a mouthful of blood. The more he fought, the less power he used; was this looking down on him?
Frankly speaking, Chen Tian might indeed be looking down on the three of them. With their trump cards, the three of them combined could at best fight Chen Tian to a draw. In a one-on-one fight, Chen Tian wouldn't even need to consider them. They were trash he could deal with casually.