Yao Jun heard, and understood, the question posed by the entity that took the form of Yun Yantian, but he didn't show the slightest intention of answering it. He simply stood still, his head slightly turned while the tips of his fingers quivered gently. Yao Jun liked to believe that he had a strong mind, he was good at quickly finding things he could grasp onto, whether it be for support or for information.
But it wasn't without fault, no person or defence was. And the main fault in all things around Yao Jun was those close to him, his friends and his family. They were his greatest strength and weakness, what pushed him forward and what could drag him down. And right now he was faced with one such point, or at the very least a mockery of it, so his mind was wrapping itself into circles to figure out the best way to react.
"You're the remnant spirit of the Thousand-Arms Master, correct? I assume that you've decided to adopt that form because you understand its importance?"
In the end, Yao Jun's mind did not come up with an answer to what the proper emotion should be. It would probably have reached one eventually, but Yao Jun wasn't content with waiting so long while a possible enemy stood in front of him. As such, he squashed the whirring thoughts and any traces of confusion, all that was allowed to remain was an ice-cold focus and sharpness that were not too dissimilar from inordinate rage.
"Not quite a remnant spirit, more like a soul fragment that my creators allowed me to leave behind."
The Thousand Arms Master spent a short second in thought before he answered, his head tilted slightly. But in Yao Jun's eyes, it wasn't a tilt that signified confusion, it was a tilt that was performed since he wondered if the other party would be able to understand the difference. But he also didn't seem to care if Yao Jun understood the difference or not, hopping away from the topic without offering any further explanation.
"As for this form, doesn't it incite strong emotions? Strong emotions override so many things, even logic and calculations all fall apart in the face of strong emotions. Even a level-headed person who doesn't bother engaging in battle unless he's guaranteed victory can succumb to the intense desire to brawl if the emotions are strong enough. And you, you seem like exactly one such person, you won't lift a finger unless there's something to be gained. But if this form displeases you, would you prefer this one?"
The Thousand Arms Master spat out his assessment of Yao Jun with a derisive, nearly contemptuous tone, as if the two had known each other for many years. And then, as Yao Jun was looking at him, the features of the man standing in front of him started to twist and distort, morphing into something entirely different.
"Ah, you really are someone with bad taste... really, such bad taste..."
Yao Jun's expression warped slightly as he looked at the new form that the Thousand Arms Master had taken, his words unintentionally leaking out. Standing at just a head below two metres, golden hair that hung down to her waist, crystal clear blue eyes, and lips as red as cherries. In just a single second, the form of Yun Yantian had changed into an exact replica of Yang Yuhuan instead, the faint and somewhat soft smile spread on her face stabbing directly at Yao Jun's deepest parts.
First, he took the form of the friend that had died because of him, then he took the form of the girlfriend that had ended up alone thanks to that death. Both were people that Yao Jun felt immense guilt towards, both were extremely sore spots to him. And Yang Yuhuan was even more so right now, she had left in anger after he caused the death of Yun Yantian, but he could at least observe her using the small piece of Du Xiao he had left on her. But now he couldn't even do that so he had no idea where she was or how she was doing. For all he knew, she might have already followed Yun Yantian's footsteps.
"It's not bad taste, it's taunting. Prodding and pushing until the smallest sliver of your logical thought process has been smashed and all that's left is an intense desire to crush the person standing in front of you. Of course, if you manage to maintain your calm mind and refuse to fight just because there's no chance for victory then I'll just send you and your companions out of here. You haven't shown anything worthy of my sanctum and your companions aren't registered as competitors so they only have a right to be here as long as you are."
The Thousand Arms Master wiggled his right index finger in front of his face as he spoke, even his voice a perfect copy of Yang Yuhuan's. He really looked like he wanted to egg Yao Jun on, but he was still only met with a pair of dark and frosty eyes.
"You know, I really dislike people like you. You look at a person for a bit and suddenly you're convinced that you know everything about them, that you've figured out every aspect of their personality. I'm not a logical person, if I was then I wouldn't have lost so many things. So you don't need to egg me on and try to force me to fight you, I wouldn't have entered this place if I wasn't ready to go through your trials, so just spit out how you want to do the battle."
Yao Jun's expression remained frosty, but the corners of his lips were on the verge of twisting into a sneer. Logical? Didn't engage in battle if he wasn't guaranteed victory? If Yao Jun was capable of being like that then he wouldn't have lost two good friends, nor would he have lost the ability to get in contact with the rest of his family and friends. Whether he admitted it or not, he was still just a scared child who pushed forward with brute force because he was afraid of loss.
"You talk too much for someone who claims to not be a logical person, your eyes are also too sharp. But well, whatever, the goal's been accomplished neatly. It's simple, the usual layout of the trials is Perseverance, Adaption, Strength. You persevere through a constant battle that you don't know when will end, you adapt to an enemy that changes the moment you've figured them out, and then you finally show your strength in a battle royale with the others that have made it through the second trial. Those who show sufficient of all three get the chance to head to the sanctum, well there are some exceptions based on circumstances but forget about that."
The Thousand Arms Master raised his fingers one by one as he explained the basis of the trials, acting a bit more patient after he achieved his goal. It wasn't proper proof, but Yao Jun was already guessing that he was explaining it like this because the information that spread in the outside world didn't include the contents of the third trial. It was a bit strange that no information about the third trial had spread out over the years, there had been people who completed it and left the tomb after all, but most people just chalked it up to something imposed on everyone who got that far into the tomb.
"You skipped out on the first two trials, and it really pisses me off when people do that. So, you'll fight me rather than enter the usual third trial. I'll lower my strength to the same level that my creators had when they were at the same realm as you are right now. I'd say that one of the conditions for victory is to beat me, but that's impossible for you so it wouldn't be a trial. So you just have to persevere, adapt, and show sufficient strength. When will that be? Well, you'll just have to keep going at it until you find out, no?"
The Thousand Arms Master wore a slightly crooked smile as he presented the contents of the special trial, and while he said it in a somewhat light-hearted manner, it didn't seem like he was joking. And in truth, Yao Jun actually believed him somewhat. The Thousand Arms Master was so strong in life that his tomb became a famous place in a tournament as grand as this one, a tournament that involved the entire universe.
Yao Jun didn't actually know how strong he was while he was alive, that was a time so long gone that information about it was scarce and hard to find. But even so, the fact that just the entrance of his tomb would bury Sovereign Gods if they dared to act up was proof enough that he was not to be trifled with.
And yet, he was just a being created by others apparently, what sort of strength and technique would you need to create such a living being, which also seemed to be the ancestor of an entire race? No ordinary existence could do that, and how many extraordinary existences had normal strength in any realm?
Of course, this was a thought process in which Yao Jun completely ignored the fact that he once was a middle-stage Earthly Deity who could not only kill late-stage Heavenly Deities but could also output the same level of strength as an early-stage Sovereign God for a short while. Then again, strength that was a matter of the past was hardly something that could be considered when it came to a trial in the present, so perhaps it was only natural that he didn't include himself.
Yao Jun showed his answer with action rather than words, taking a few steps back and raising both his fists in a boxing-like stance. The crooked grin on the Thousand Arms Master's face grew a touch wider, his features morphing again and returning to being a replica of Yun Yantian. Yao Jun felt a split-second desire to comment on the fact that he was still using someone else's appearance, but thinking back to how he had acted earlier he guessed that the Thousand Arms Master would just elect to keep using this appearance.
"I'm starting, do your best to guard your life."
The words of warning still hung in the air as the Thousand Arms Master stepped forward, practically instantly crossing the distance that separated him and Yao Jun. He lowered his torso slightly as he dove into Yao Jun's bosom, his right hand sweeping out towards Yao Jun's abdomen. Yao Jun didn't need to be hit by the hand to detect that it was far from a simple swatting, getting hit by that hand would most definitely cut a neat little gash into his stomach.
To dodge backwards and put some distance between them was the logical option, it would give you a bit more time to breathe and plan after all. But just as Yao Jun said, he wasn't the logical type that the Thousand Arms Master tried to paint him as.
The Thousand Arms Master's hand reached his stomach, Yao Jun instantly storing the shirt part of his clothing into his interspatial ring so that it wasn't ruined. And as the hand cut through his Monarch Essence and sliced through his flesh, his own fist smashed into the top of the Thousand Arms Master's head.
He didn't even grit his teeth as his abdomen was cut open, he simply lowered his right arm and sent it smashing upwards. His fist collided with the now-descending face of the Thousand Arms Master and jerked his head backwards. A crimson glow lit up the area as the Monarch Essence infused into the fist scattered, the feet of the Thousand Arm's Master losing contact with the ground as he flew back.
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As for the gash in Yao Jun's abdomen, well, he hadn't reached the Earthly Deity realm in body cultivation for nothing. He just had to cover the wound with his Monarch Essence, which contained such a vast amount of lifeforce that the gash was closing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
But his focus wasn't on the closing gash, it was fully centred on the Thousand Arms Master. Both his hands ached slightly, and he didn't even have to glance at them to know that all the bones in them were shattered, it was to the point that he could be considered a cripple if it wasn't for his Monarch Essence. He had hit the Thousand Arms Master with full force, and while he felt as soft as mud, the end result was that his hands almost reached an unrecognizable state.
"Surprised? It is the nature of evolution to adapt to the situation and become something that can endure and overcome."
Yao Jun's entire body tensed violently when the voice tickled his ears, and the reason was that the voice was coming from behind him. His eyes were still focused on the soaring body of the Thousand Arms Master, but that very body was starting to blur and fade in front of his eyes. He didn't know whether he had moved so fast that he tricked Yao Jun's eyes into only seeing an afterimage or if he had used some type of illusion, but Yao Jun knew that he did not have the luxury of thinking about it right now.
He spun around and smashed his fist forward, the earth directly behind him opening into a small hole to trap the opponent. But by the time he had finished spinning around, his entire back had been shredded open by innumerable attacks, and the Thousand Arms Master had disappeared again.
"You're hardy, you've got that going at least. But if an enemy is too tough and mighty, then you just have to be faster than him so that he can't hit you, isn't that right? Using the law of earth to seal up my feet is a good idea, but not only are you using it with reduced efficiency, do you really think a law as slow as that will do any good here?"
The voice didn't come from behind him this time, the Thousand Arms Master standing calmly a handful of steps away from Yao Jun's face. He held a hand in front of his face in a casual gesture, wiggling his fingers as if he was stretching them after using them to tear open Yao Jun's back. He had indeed lowered his cultivation to the same realm as Yao Jun, but he was still an ancient monster with more than one or two special things about it.
He really hadn't been lying or trying to depress Yao Jun earlier, there really wasn't any way for the current Yao Jun to win, even if they were at the same realm. And while that might be a feeling that should be quite common in the cultivation world, it was actually extremely foreign to Yao Jun.
Since the moment he stepped onto the path of cultivation, he had been embroiled in constant battle and bloodshed, there was barely any time to catch his breath. But how many times had he actually fought against people who had the same cultivation as him? It was always someone stronger, always someone at a higher realm. So it really was a fresh and new experience to be so disadvantaged, beaten even, by someone who had the same cultivation as him.
"Alright, I'm kicking it up a notch. Show that you're just as worthy as the rest of the people here, otherwise, you can just fuck off and leave my tomb."
The Thousand Arms Master gave a playful hop as he spoke, vanishing from sight the moment his feet touched the earth. Yao Jun's pupils contracted the moment the enemy hopped into the air, a thick layer of ice starting to cover the earth around him while the air itself started to heat up tremendously.
He activated a hasty defence, but it moved much slower than anything he was ever used to. He tried to raise both at once, but he found himself unable to activate the law of fire while simultaneously using the law of ice. He had used both laws many times in the past, but all of that had been through the Demon God's Gate, this was the first time he was using them on his own without any aid from his God Gate.
And the result was that he was finally faced with the restrictions that normal cultivators encountered when they tried to use natural laws that clashed with each other. If he wanted to use both laws concurrently he would have to either somehow manage to fuse a bloodline from each element, which was something bordering on suicidal since the bloodlines would conflict, or he would have to control them using a power greater than them, the law of heat for example.
But he had neither of those things available to him at the moment so that slight delay between the two elements was something he had to live with. But in the end, it didn't even seem to matter, the layer of ice shattering as deep footprints appeared in it. A scalding wind brushed past his face as the Thousand Arms Master appeared at his side, both his fists already clenched and flashing out in a violent barrage.
His flesh was lacerated and his bones crunched under the sharp yet crushing force contained in the two fists. By the time Yao Jun got to sweep out with his arm and send forth a surge of Monarch Essence, he had already been hit by close to 50 punches, the entire right side of his body mushed up into a mangled mess.
"You don't seem used to employing conflicting laws, did you just study and comprehend them because they sounded cool and haven't actually bothered using them in combat yet? For that matter, why would you even bother studying laws like that when they don't match your body our soul cultivation techniques?"
The Thousand Arms Master nonchalantly shook his hands as he spoke, his head tilted curiously as he stood a few steps away. He had purposefully avoided Yao Jun's head with his barrage of attacks, even his body cultivation would find it difficult to save him if his head was completely mangled after all.
"Oh well, you can think about that on the outside. And if this is all you have, then you'll be going there very soon. Taking a bit of a fall might be a good experience for you."
The Thousand Arms Master vanished again, his casual tone still hanging in the air. Yao Jun didn't send out any of his laws this time, his eyes narrowing sharply as his body tensed like a spring ready to burst. A fierce wind crashed into his face and stung his eyes as the Thousand Arms Master appeared directly in front of him, his arms already flashing forward.
And just like all the previous times, Yao Jun's Monarch Essence was unable to hinder his advance. His chest and stomach were torn open just as his mangled right side had finished healing, but Yao Jun didn't make a move other than to tense his torso even further. And then, as the 41st attack landed on his chest, his dark pupils bloomed with splendour.
His foot slid half a step forward, the Thousand Arms Master's right arm stabbing deeper than intended and piercing directly through one of Yao Jun's ribs. It went through his left lung and sank into the rib behind his lung, getting lodged in it for a split second due to how unexpected it was.
And it was this split second that Yao Jun had been aiming for, his left hand grabbing onto the arm stabbed into his chest. And while he held down the Thousand Arms Master with one hand, the other hand formed a fist and was smashed forward, crashing into his face. He controlled a bit of the surrounding wind to form a drill around his hand, just aimlessly punching him would do nothing, the two previous punches had already proven that.
The jagged wind tore at the Thousand Arms Masters face and launched bits of flesh flying through the air, but it didn't even seem to register as pain in the Thousand Arms Master's mind. But that was of no consequence to Yao Jun, who simply sent out his fist again and again, switching between the various laws he could utilize. Space was the only law he didn't utilize, trying to activate that law with his Monarch Essence would drain far too much for too little result, the two were not compatible at all.
The rapid pace at which he switched between his laws meant that he couldn't put all that much force into each one, but it was the best way to overcome the adaptation that the Thousand Arms Master was doing. But when you were faced with an ancient monster, sometimes the things you could pull out just weren't good enough.
"A good idea. But a good idea not backed up by power may as well not exist."
The Thousand Arms Master's voice, a perfect replica of Yun Yantian's, once again sounded in Yao Jun's ears. The fist that was heading for the Thousand Arms Master's head was dodged by a slight lean back, the subsequent three punches dodged just as easily. The punches were powerful, but did it really matter if they didn't hit?
The Thousand Arms Master continued to dodge by tilting his head and twisting his torso, his free hand shooting forward and planting his palm on Yao Jun's chest. The palm unleashed a violent force completely different from all the previous punches, all of Yao Jun's ribs shattering as his body was launched backwards.
"If you think that the previous attacks only shredded your body because that was all the power I could output while focusing on speed then you are completely wrong. But hey, you've at least proven that you aren't actually completely worthless. Come back when you've properly honed those conflicting laws of yours, I'd recommend doing some Qi cultivation at the same time. Once you've done that then I'll let you come directly to the third trial so we can repeat this. But for now, you may fall and take your leave."
The Thousand Arms Master swatted his hand down when he finished speaking, another burst of violent force crashing into the chest of Yao Jun. He was still flying backwards, so that additional burst of force sent him crashing down towards the earth. Just like the Thousand Arms Master said, it was time for Yao Jun to fall.
But Yao Jun grit his teeth, moreso out of anger than pain. He sent out his Monarch Essence and slammed it into the back of his own head, his ears ringing as his body was abruptly forced into an upright position. He landed on his feet, but his torso was so broken that his knees buckled, he was barely able to keep himself standing by leaning his hands on his knees.
"Oh, you're not only able to, but willing to remain standing? Good, that's the spirit, that's the perseverance you gotta have, I'm actually starting to have some expectations for you. But you've still gotta go back and polish the two other aspects, you should know that there's no point in keeping this going."
The Thousand Arms Master's voice had gotten a touch softer as he spoke, he at least wasn't anywhere near as derisive as he had been at the start, gradually softening up as he beat Yao Jun down. And it was perhaps because of this softness that he kept warning Yao Jun and telling him to go back, having perseverance without strength or adaptability would just bring you to an early and unjust grave. But what met his slightly softer voice was a somewhat weak and sorrowful mutter from Yao Jun
"Ahhh, I really didn't want to use this without you, it almost feels like I'm trying to replace or abandon you."
Yao Jun's Monarch Essence and Anima Essence started to course through his body again as his mutter sounded out, the Thousand Arms Master's eyes narrowing slightly as he wanted to see what Yao Jun was going to bring out, what gave him the confidence to keep going.
The energy continued to surge throughout Yao Jun's body, sinking into every one of his nerves and muscles, his Monarch Essence working desperately to piece his body back together. Yao Jun's gaze drift to the side for a moment, landing on the island where he had seen Ba-Shei earlier. He couldn't properly see Ba-Shei, but the surging darkness burning with black flames that threatened to cover the entire island showed him that Ba-Shei was still there.
And looking at the intensity, he might have been observing Yao Jun's battle while undergoing his own, and he was not happy with what he was seeing. Yao Jun pulled back his gaze and focused on the Thousand Arms Master, his black pupils crackling with subdued bursts of violet lightning.
"There is a point. Not to you maybe, but to me. I've already promised them, and myself, that I'll keep moving forward without pause. And they've chosen me as their god and decided to follow me despite everything, so the least I can do is answer their expectations."
Yao Jun had encountered many laws in his life, some from his enemies and some from his own companions. The number of laws he could control was quite a bit higher than normal cultivators, his Demonic beasts were excellent teachers after all. But there was one law that he had to study on his own, one law that none of his current Demonic beasts could teach him about.
And yet, it was also the law he had come into contact with first, and it was also the law he was the least willing to use since it almost felt like a betrayal of his first friend. But he had hardened his determination to move forward and to answer the trust and faith that his companions had placed in him. So he chose to use that law he had left alone for so long, the fastest law he had access to. And for the first time in many years, his body once again crackled with violet lightning, his every nerve and muscle getting forcefully invaded and pushed to the brink.