Xu Changxing said, "I'm not good at solving riddles. I figured I wouldn't be able to pass the trial normally, so I resorted to this."
A sharp glint flashed in Tian Zhu's eyes. "That does sound like a Sword Cultivator's approach.
"In that case, make your move!"
Xu Changxing shook his head. "There's no hurry.
"Before we fight, Senior, I have a few more questions I'd like you to answer."
Tian Zhu seemed in no hurry to act either. He nodded. "Speak!"
Xu Changxing asked, "Senior, you've killed people like me before, haven't you?"
Tian Zhu seemed not to have expected that question from Xu Changxing, and his brows rose slightly.
After a moment of silence, he spoke again. "How did you guess?"
Xu Changxing pointed at the densely packed Broken Swords beneath Tian Zhu and said:
"The first time I saw this Sword Tomb, I sensed something deeply uncomfortable.
"When I thought back on it carefully afterward, I realized it must have been a deathly aura connected to me."
Tian Zhu frowned slightly. "That alone hardly seems enough to support your guess, does it?"
Xu Changxing nodded. "That alone certainly wouldn't be enough.
"But together with the Broken Swords covering every hill and dale, it seems sufficient.
"Your cultivation may be high, Senior, but it's only on par with mine.
"At my current level, I couldn't possibly cross Parallel Planes without relying on the system's power.
"Yet you brought so many Broken Swords here.
"If I'm not mistaken, Senior, you must have stolen a portion of the Tianyan Pearl Authority, correct?"
After another brief silence, Tian Zhu nodded slightly and said:
"Correct. I did kill several Tianyan Pearl Successors and acquire a portion of the Tianyan Pearl Authority.
"That is how I know about events in Parallel Planes and