A Strong Person's Modesty Before the Weak Was Arrogance

A familiar feeling of being locked on by lightning came from the sky. Yu Tunzhou tried to stop the operation of his profound skill, and the feeling disappeared.

This is truly a tribulation of lightning!

Yu Tunzhou looked down at the charred lightning mark at his feet, then looked up at the sky above the secret realm.

The sky was gray and cloudless, with no wind. The lightning bolt came without warning, as if it had appeared out of nowhere.

Jiese clasped his hands together, closed his eyes to sense for a moment, then opened them and shook his head slightly. "It's no different from the outside world. The principles of law are still incomplete, and Divine Ability and the Primordial Spirit are unusable."

Yu Tunzhou gazes at the sky in deep thought.

The lightning tribulation of the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art Second Level, which was previously as distant as heaven and earth in the outside world, is now much closer, as if separated only by a thin veil.

The tribulation of lightning is not Divine Ability, but rather a "test" of cultivators by heaven and earth, which is closer to the rules of the Great Dao itself.

The fact that this place can attract lightning tribulations suggests that the rules here are more complete than those outside.

He lifted his foot and walked forward.

The secret realm was much larger than they had anticipated.

What came into view was a desolate wasteland, similar to the outside world, but lacking the scorching heat and drought, replaced by a damp, cold, and lifeless stillness.

The place is shrouded in darkness, the light is dim, and in the distance a massive white outline can be vaguely seen, resembling either a mountain range or the skeleton of some colossal creature.

After confirming their location, the group quickly headed in the direction given by Ao Qinyun.

Along the way, they saw some scattered white skeletons, almost weathered and crumbling at the slightest touch.

About an incense stick's time later, the white outline finally revealed its true form. It was an unimaginably enormous skeleton, lying across the wasteland and occupying the entire field of vision.

The skeleton's bones were as thick as a mountain ridge, with the portion protruding above ground reaching tens of feet in height, while the rest remained buried underground, its extent unknown.

"According to Ao Qinyun, this is the entrance to the Dragon Tomb."

Both Ao Xiyu and Liu Zhizhou sensed a shared bloodline aura emanating from this skeleton.

Ao Xiyu whispered, "That Dragon Essence must have come from this senior."

Everyone was awestruck, for this meant that the Dragon Race skeleton before them was at least at the Dharma Aspect level in life.

Yuan Mengzhou curiously circled around and suddenly noticed a deep engraving on the skeleton.

The marks were crooked and uneven, as if they had been scratched out with a fingernail, and the content was in the language of the Demon Race.

Ao Xiyu leaned closer to listen and read it out, word by word:

"Niu Tuntian was here."

The air fell silent for a moment.

Yuan Mengzhou's lips twitched. "... This brute has quite the refined taste."

Lin Yueheng, attempting to leave a mark on the skeleton. It took a lot of effort to leave only a shallow imprint, far less deep than the crooked writing on it.

He said solemnly, "Ao Qinyun is right, Niu Tuntian's physique is outrageously strong!"

Yuan Mengzhou exclaimed in amazement, "What did this bull eat to grow up like that?"

Liu Zhizhou suddenly said, "There are records about Thunder Accumulation Mountain in Dongting. Among the Demon Race, Thunder Accumulation Mountain is a renowned Great Sage Demon Lineage, and it even follows the path of physical ascension to sainthood!"

"Physical ascension to sainthood?" Nishang Chang exclaimed in surprise, "No wonder!"

"I have offended you greatly." The Dharma Master Jiese Se chanted to the skeletal Buddha, reached out to try and leave a mark, and finally sighed at the trace, "Achieving sainthood in the physical body is indeed extraordinary. This humble monk is far inferior to this benefactor Niu."

All eyes turned to Yu Tunzhou.

Yu Tunzhou examined the skeleton before him.

After countless years, the remains still retain their basic shape. Even Lin Yueheng. This skeleton is considered a powerful being among the Dharma Aspect.

The most striking contrast, of course, is between Niu Tuntian and Lin Yueheng.

He reached out to imitate Niu Tuntian, leaving a mark, then suddenly stopped, realizing he had no fingernails...

Helpless, a glint of light emanated from his fingertips as he slowly traced a line, carefully engraving words beneath Niu Tuntian's mark:

The handwriting upstairs is really ugly.

Everyone quickly gathered around to carefully compare the carvings of the Yu Tunzhou and the Niu Tuntian.

Upon seeing these five words, everyone was initially at a loss for words, but then they gasped in shock.

Because the marks left by Yu Tunzhou were not much inferior to those Niu Tuntian; the depth of the marks was almost the same, with Niu Tuntian having a slight edge.

"Yu Tunzhou, are you really Human Race?" Ao Xiyu couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure you didn't have Demon Race blood in your ancestors?"

This question echoed the sentiments of everyone.

This Niu Tuntian possesses the Great Sage Bloodline and follows the path of achieving sainthood through physical cultivation. Even the Dragon Race wouldn't dare claim to be able to compete with him in terms of physical strength at the same level.

It's simply unbelievable that Yu Tunzhou, being Human Race, could have a physical body that rivals Niu Tuntian's!

Yu Tunzhou was also assessing the situation, wondering how much force Niu Tuntian had used when leaving the mark.

It seems that, even though both are physical path to sainthood, the Bull Devil King's legacy, while not as good as the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art, is not far behind.

Furthermore, with the Great Sage Bloodline, Niu Tuntian's physical cultivation was indeed ridiculously strong among his peers in the early stages.

Speaking of which, back when the Bull Devil King fought the Brother Monkey, he certainly didn't lose!

The journey to Flaming Mountain brought together masters from both Daoism and Buddhism, such as Li Jing's family, and it was only then that they were able to subdue the Bull Devil King.

"It seems I underestimated Benefactor Yu's method of physical training," Dharma Master Jiese remarked with similar sentiment.

His Golden Bell Shield had recently broken through to the limit of his current level, but it was still far inferior to Yu Tunzhou and Niu Tuntian, with a significant gap between them.

Lin Yueheng looked at the sword in his hand and clicked his tongue, "I even suspect that without Divine Ability or Inner Qi enhancement, my sword wouldn't be able to cut through your and Niu Tuntian's skin."

Yu Tunzhou then had a conversation with the Great Sage Huntian.

"When your sworn brother taught you the simplified version of the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art, did he also include the Bull Devil King?"

Huntian asked in surprise, "Fellow Daoist, you also know my sworn brother?"

"The title of 'Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven ' is quite prestigious."

"No wonder," Huntian said with relief, "It seems you've also heard of my sworn brother's reputation."

Yu Tunzhou did not deny it.

"Before our seventh brother disappeared, he taught us a simplified version of the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art, including our eldest brother, but we don't know if it has been passed down."

Yu Tunzhou's heart stirred, and he vanished?

Before disappearing, the Brother Monkey passed on a simplified version of the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art to the Great Sage Huntian and others. Was this so they could practice it to save their lives?

Could it be that the Brother Monkey had foreseen his disappearance all along?

Originally, after seeing the engraving, everyone began to have the thought of retreating, because even though they had recently refined the Dragon Essence and made some breakthroughs in their physical bodies, they were still far from being able to defeat Niu Tuntian.

This is a stark difference that is visible to the naked eye!

If it were outside, Lin Yueheng and his companions would not be afraid to fight Niu Tuntian.

However, to fight against it under the rules of this world is tantamount to binding one's own hands and feet, challenging the strength of another with one's own weakness, which is meaningless.

But now that they saw that Yu Tunzhou's physical strength was not much weaker than Niu Tuntian's, everyone regained their confidence and interest, eager to see what would happen if Yu Tunzhou and Niu Tuntian faced off.

The conflict between Human Race and Demon Race will ultimately be decided by a contest of the Demon Race' greatest strengths!

They firmly believed that as long as their physique wasn't too much weaker, with Yu Tunzhou's boxing skills, there was no reason for them to lose!

The group set off again, venturing deeper into this secret realm. Along the way, they discovered many traces left by Demon Race, but they never encountered a single Demon Race.

This aroused suspicion among everyone. Didn't any of the Demon Race within the secret realm consider turning back to hunt down Ao Qinyun?

Or is there another fortuitous opportunity hidden deep within this place?

They ventured deeper into the area and saw what Ao Qinyun described as a piece of dragon bone and a phoenix feather, remnants of what appeared to be the Ancestral Dragon and the Primordial Phoenix.

Ao Xiyu looked around and hesitated, "The layout here seems to be an altar, and the objects being worshipped..."

All eyes were drawn to the dragon bones and phoenix feathers at the center of the "altar".

"I can understand the dragon bone, but what about the phoenix feather?" Liu Zhizhou frowned.

According to clan records, the relationship between the dragon and phoenix clans has never been good. Later, the Dragon Race gradually declined, while the Phoenix Race completely disappeared.

Yu Tunzhou looked around but still couldn't find any other Demon Race.

According to Ao Qinyun's intelligence, besides him, there should be eleven other Demon Race in this secret realm.

Ao Qinyun told them about the clans to which these eleven people belonged.

"It seems there's more to this place than meets the eye," Yu Tunzhou said. "Thirteen, Little Liu, can you find the hidden entrance here? These guys couldn't have just vanished."

After a moment's thought, the Dharma Master Jiese said, "Perhaps it's related to the dragon bones and phoenix feathers. Given the ways of the overseas Demon Race, they're like locusts passing through; they wouldn't leave such treasures untouched unless they couldn't get them."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Liu Zhizhou and Ao Xiyu both stepped forward, focusing their attention on the dragon bone at the center of the altar.

"There really is another entrance!" After a moment, Liu Zhizhou made a discovery and exclaimed, "These dragon bones and phoenix feathers are the center of an array, and it seems that we can go to another place through this altar."

"Brother Yu, shall we go in?"

For a moment, everyone handed the decision-making power over to Yu Tunzhou.

Yu Tunzhou said frankly, "Since we're already here, are we going to turn back now?"

Yuan Mengzhou laughed heartily, "Well said, since we're already here!"

Everyone smiled and urged Liu Zhizhou and his companion to activate the formation and see where it led.

The moment the formation was activated, the dragon bones and phoenix feathers lit up simultaneously, and the formation patterns on the ground moved like dragons and snakes, spreading in all directions and enveloping the entire altar.

Suddenly, everything spun around them, and their vision was swallowed by a white blur.

A feeling of weightlessness washed over me, as if I were being gripped by an invisible hand, lifted up abruptly, and then hurled down.

Yu Tunzhou opened his eyes, and his vision cleared, but Lin Yueheng and the others had vanished.

He looked around.

This appears to be a circular arena, surrounded by towering stone walls, over ten feet high, with numerous dark red bloodstains visible, exuding an overall aura of desolation and savagery.

Besides him, there was another man dressed in fine clothes, with a long sword at his waist, whose face was handsome yet cold.

The other person seemed to have arrived here before him.

Moreover, the other party is not Demon Race, but Human Race.

Just then, a cold, resounding voice rang out above the arena, concise and to the point:

"This is the Dragon Ascension Platform; the victor will receive a reward."

Yu Tunzhou looked at his opponent, whom he didn't recognize, but his attire clearly indicated that he came from a prominent Aristocratic Clan.

The Yu Tunzhou, not recognizing the other party.

But the other party clearly recognized Yu Tunzhou.

The man in brocade robes' pupils constricted slightly upon seeing the Yu Tunzhou, but quickly returned to normal.

He was none other than Xie Linxue, the "Spirit Rhinoceros Sword" of the Xie Household.

"Yu Tunzhou." Xie Linxue spoke, her voice not loud, but it echoed in the empty arena. "I've long admired your name. I've heard you have a good relationship with Xie Linchuan?"

Yu Tunzhou immediately guessed the other party's identity and said, "Are you Xie Linxue from the Northern Plains Xie Household?"

"Not bad," Xie Linxue said calmly. "Yu Tunzhou, I can promise you on behalf of the Xie Household that you can gain the friendship of the Northern Plains Xie Household, on the condition that you stay away from Xie Linchuan in the future."

Yu Tunzhou narrowed his eyes slightly. Had the internal strife within the Xie Household become this intense? Even hiding in Evergreen Mountain couldn't completely shield Xie Linchuan from it?

He calmly replied, "Between the friendship of the Northern Plains Xie Household and the friendship of Xie Linchuan in Luofu Grotto-Heaven, I, Yu, naturally choose the latter."

Xie Linxue's gaze turned cold. As expected of a lowly commoner, she couldn't even distinguish between what was important and what was not, and was still acting on her emotions.

"Since you've shown your sincerity, and you remain stubborn and insist on associating with that scoundrel, then don't blame me."

Xie Linxue said calmly, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword and slowly drawing it from its sheath.

If they were outside, he would still need to be somewhat wary of this boy.

But here, the Unity of Heaven and Celestial Person, and the Divine Ability of Dharma Aspect are all forbidden. With only physical strength, still in the perfected Yu Tunzhou Form Refinement Perfection, how can he compare to himself in the Late Divine Ability Stage?

Even when it comes to martial arts, the Xie Household's "Spirit Rhinoceros Illuminating the Void Sword" is by no means inferior to others!

The sword was drawn from its sheath, its surface clear and bright like water. The faint, cold light emanating from it made Yu Tunzhou feel a sense of threat. If there were no surprises, this should be a divine weapon from an External Scenery.

After its many special abilities were suppressed, this divine weapon retained only its sharpness and resilience, yet it remained dangerous.

Yu Tunzhou glanced at the sword, then at Xie Linxue's hand, and shook his head.

"You are no match for me," he said.

Xie Linxue's sword paused for a moment, and killing intent appeared in her eyes.

If he's determined to die, then send him to his death!

Xie Linxue stopped talking and drew her sword.

The longsword tore through the air, its shadows shifting between reality and illusion, sealing off all avenues for the Yu Tunzhou to dodge.

Without any probing, the first move was a deadly strike.

Even in a world where External Scenery powers are forbidden, the sharpness of the divine Divine Ability remains undiminished; wherever its blade passes, it slices through the Liaokong.

The Spirit Rhinoceros Illuminating the Void Sword...

The Yu Tunzhou is not unfamiliar.

He had already witnessed it back in Northern Plains.

The Swordsmanship is good, but the person wielding the sword is not.

The moment the sword flashed, Yu Tunzhou swiftly sidestepped, dodging the blade. He then extended his right hand, his five fingers like hooks, and gripped the spine of the sword.

Xie Linxue sneered, twisted her wrist, and flipped the sword so that the blade faced upwards, meeting Yu Tunzhou's fingers.

Even without the activation of Gang Qi, he didn't believe anyone would dare to grab the edge of a divine weapon with their bare hands!

clang--

It wasn't the sound of flesh being cut; it was almost the sound of metal clashing.

Yu Tunzhou's fingertips touched the sword blade, sparks flying, but his fingers remained unharmed, radiating a precious light.

"I forgot to tell you," Yu Tunzhou said calmly, gripping the sword's edge, "I recently made a minor breakthrough and was just looking for someone to test my skills against."

Xie Linxue's face darkened, and the veins on her arms bulged as she tried her best to pull the sword back.

However, the sword remained completely still.

Yu Tunzhou's five fingers gripped the spine of the sword like iron pincers, a precious light flowing between them, locking the blade firmly in place.

"You—" Xie Linxue gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with disbelief.

He was at the Late Divine Ability Stage. Although he had not forged Inner Heaven and Earth, his physical strength far surpassed that of the Form Refinement, leading Yu Tunzhou by a whole realm. However, the difference between the two in terms of strength was surprisingly vast!

Recalling the boy's performance in the first trial, where he showed no weaknesses in either his Primordial Spirit or physical body, Xie Linxue instinctively felt a chill.

"You... what kind of monster are you?"

Could this child be the reincarnation of that legendary powerful being?!

Yu Tunzhou flicked his finger, and the sword trembled violently, as if in mourning. The force of the recoil caused Xie Linxue to feel a tearing pain in her tiger's mouth.

"I told you, you're no match for me."

"I never boast in front of the weak—because the strong's humility in front of the weak becomes arrogance."

Yu Tunzhou stepped forward, throwing a punch that whistled through the air, carrying an aura of dominance and overwhelming power.

"Considering the fact that you are surrounded by Demon Race from overseas, I, Yu, will spare your life today. Now, withdraw on your own."

Xie Linxue had just regained control of the Spirit Rhinoceros Sword, and now she had no choice but to block it with her own sword.

The fist struck the sword, and the immense force sent him flying backward. The impact nearly froze his blood.

Such power...

Such a physique...

He has no chance of winning!

"Retreat or die." Yu Tunzhou's voice was indifferent as he took another step forward, pressing forward once more.

Before the punch was even thrown, Xie Linxue felt a chill run down her spine and suddenly shouted, "I surrender!"

That chilling will descended once more, enveloping every corner of their bodies.

The next moment, Xie Linxue was thrown off the arena and disappeared without a trace.

"Continue the challenge, or give up?"

The voice came from above the arena, still cold and still grand, as if it were the will of heaven.

"Let's continue the challenge," Yu Tunzhou said.

The next moment, his perspective shifted, and when it became clear again, standing before him was a towering, muscular man with a massive axe at his waist.

The most striking feature is his pair of towering bull horns.

Sensing the surging Qi and Blood of the other person, Yu Tunzhou guessed their identity without needing an introduction.

He grinned and said, "This is exactly the kind of formidable foe that I need!"