Within the underground palace, a shadow fled at breakneck speed, long hair streaming. His foot slammed into the ground, and he rocketed dozens of zhang forward. The sable clung to his sleeve, dangling mid-air and whining loudly.
Behind them, the earth cracked open, spewing black crevices as a terrifying aura erupted from the depths. A yin-qi-infused shadow emerged, brandishing a battle spear. Its speed left footprints that split the earth for chi-long stretches.
Daoling's heart pounded. The oppressive aura chased him, so he surged forward, desperate to escape. Entering the ancient cave, he flashed deeper, only to hear the ceiling collapsing, massive stones raining down.
"Dammit!" Daoling gritted his teeth as a rock struck his back, sending pain radiating and blood trickling from his mouth. He scooped up the sable and fled wildly, never expecting such a fearsome being to lurk here.
Stones poured down relentlessly, threatening to bury the cave. Though struck repeatedly, Daoling's sturdy body endured—another cultivator might have had their spine shattered. A thunderous roar echoed, shaking the cave as two terrifying auras clashed, threatening to collapse the void itself.
"What was that?" Daoling panted, finally reaching the Spirit Enlightened Fruit grove. Cold sweat drenched him. "Do ancient mines truly harbor malevolence? Did a divine beast perish here?"
Scratching his head in confusion, he knew escape was paramount. Some secrets were beyond his reach.
"Uwoo..." The sable tugged at his pants, pointing to a bamboo shoot. Nodding, Daoling uprooted the foot-tall bamboo, amazed by its unyielding hardness. *Has it been nurtured into a treasure?* He stowed it and fled—exploration required greater strength.
Finding a reeking, abandoned cave (likely a ferocious beast's den), Daoling began to meditate. His injuries were severe, but by midnight, he'd healed enough to open his eyes.
"Time is short. The trial ends tomorrow. I have many tokens, but with over 3,000 participants, I need at least 500 to be safe."
His gaze fell on the sleeping sable, which glowed with treasure light, awakening energy within. *It's refining the divine beast's blood! Is this little one related to the divine beast?*
Most ferocious beast blood was too狂暴 (violent) to refine, but the sable absorbed the divine blood effortlessly. If it succeeded, its strength would soar.
Daoling took out a drop of inky-black true blood. "This is yin-attribute. Refining it will give my body both yin and yang properties—perfect for cultivating *Yin-Yang Palm*!"
Though the technique's power remained unknown, its profoundness was evident. Mastering it would provide a vital trump card.
As the true blood entered his body, Daoling shivered, nearly frozen. The Devouring Heavens Scripture activated, breaking down the inky energy into glowing streams that surged through his limbs. His bones cracked as energy flooded his body, threatening to burst his flesh.
"Refine it all!" he growled, accelerating the scripture. Every muscle glowed as he channeled the energy to temper his body. Under the scripture's power, the true blood vanished, unlocking latent potential.
His aura surged, shaking the cave. Golden lightning seemed to crackle within him, and by dawn, his skin radiated divine light, his body a vessel for raging blood energy. The true blood had unlocked immense potential, catapulting his strength.
Daoling sensed he'd touched a fearsome realm. His muscles transformed as he clenched his fist, blood energy roaring. The cave collapsed under his aura, stones flying and clouds trembling.
A golden figure emerged—Daoling, his youthful face now radiating内敛 (restrained) power. He stowed the sable and vanished.
The tenth trial zone seethed with activity as大批 (large numbers of) defeated participants left, some corpses littering the path. The cultivation world was bloody, lives lost daily.
In a field of corpses, Daoling noted wounds—some charred, others clawed open, likely from powerful beasts. *Elite participants must hold most tokens. Seizing them will be hard.* Though his strength had surged, he still lagged behind Soul Convergence experts.
As he advanced, crimson flames rained from the sky, evaporating a lake and shattering rocks. A scarlet-feathered fiendbird hovered, its fiery eyes fixing on Daoling.
"Human, your body is the strongest I've seen in the tenth zone."
Daoling met its gaze. "What do you want?"
"I need a battle servant. Serve me, and I'll make you famous."
Daoling pointed at it. "I need a battle servant too—and you'll do."
The fiendbird staggered. *How dare this human, a mere mortal, try to enslave a primal fiendbird?* Its冷漠 (cold) eyes narrowed. This insolence demanded punishment.