A golden Divine Crocodile stretched across the sky, hundreds of zhang long. Cast in gold, it had a crocodile's body, a dragon's head, and nine tails. Its golden jaws snapped shut on a group of cultivators, crushing them amid swirling blood mist.
This was a killing ground, the forbidden territory of a saint beast. Outsiders could not set foot here.
Before long, the place fell silent. The Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon returned to its lair, plunged into the marsh, and vanished.
By the time Lin Yi reached the battlefield, the fighting was over. The few cultivators who had escaped fled without looking back.
"I'll cultivate here." Lin Yi stopped beside a vast lake and built a hut dozens of li away, where it was peaceful and quiet.
The golden Divine Crocodile was formidable, a powerhouse even among Ancient Saints. Ordinary cultivators dared not approach. With such a vicious neighbor, few people would come to disturb him.
Others scoured the wilderness for Human Race Ancestral Artifacts, Great Emperor scriptures, and mysterious ancient treasures, entering secluded places normally closed to them. Lin Yi ignored all that and focused on cultivation.
Rumors had begun circulating in the Tenth City. A few people whispered that danger might appear on the Starry Ancient Road, and a great war could break out before long.
Every contender was working to strengthen himself. Lin Yi was no exception, but he sought neither Ancestral Artifacts nor imperial steles. Rather than rely on external objects, he cultivated his own Dao Fruit.
Rumor had it that unimaginable beings such as Holy Spirits might strike and sever the Human Race Ancient Road. Against that backdrop, growing stronger was the only sensible choice for the trialists.
He stilled his mind and contemplated the Dao, cultivating his own path without concern for worldly affairs. Scripture