The loneliness of raising his eyes to a vast expanse, alone between heaven and earth, naturally did not frighten Dou Zhao.
The surging Black Tide surrounding the mountain did not change his expression either.
He had the option of entering Central Mountain, but he did not do so immediately.
The strong could always obtain many choices, and he had the right to be willful.
At this moment, he stood beside the stone stele of Central Mountain, more silent than the stele itself.
He knew that an unprecedented upheaval had occurred in this world, but he did not care.
He only felt regret—a faint regret that could not be wholly erased—that on this journey, his long blade had ultimately failed to revel to its fullest.
Zhu Yan was an exotic beast whose slightest movement could set all under heaven to war. Dou Zhao had greatly wished to face Zhu Yan's pressure head-on and experience the legendary ability to master every method of killing. Even if the exotic beasts of the Mountain and Sea Realm always fell short of the tales told of them, a Divine Presence crushing his Outer Tower would certainly have brought him enough pressure.
Unfortunately, Zhu Yan had vanished.
He had originally been looking forward to Jiang Wang's return, to Jiang Wang joining forces with Yue Tiannu and Zuo Guangshu at their peak, and to the very likely appearance of an eighth, perhaps even a ninth, trial team.
But the terrifying Black Tide had already encircled all of Central Mountain. This tide, with no end in sight, was no longer something cultivators below Divine Presence could break through.
Even he himself had no confidence in making a breakthrough.
Had he arrived one step later, he might only have been able to gaze at the tide and heave a