The scene before them was exceedingly strange. All the trial-takers appeared beneath an immeasurably colossal ancient tree. Its boundless canopy obscured the heavens, exuding an ancient, distant aura.
A faint mist enveloped the ancient tree, lending it a mysterious and eerie ambiance, even causing the very space to warp.
What shocked them even more was that on some of its branches, entire landmasses grew, and on its leaves, lakes formed. Everything defied their wildest imaginations.
The trial-takers present gasped repeatedly, clearly awestruck by the ancient tree.
"What kind of tree is this? How can it be so immense!"
A young man blurted out, his face filled with disbelief.
"This must be as large as a small world. Could the fourth trial be on this tree?"
"I've never heard of such a colossal tree in existence. If one did exist, growing this large, it must have long since become a demon, right?"
Murmurs spread through the crowd, as many had clearly never witnessed such a gigantic ancient tree.
Li Xiaotian's eyes flickered. He knew the origin of this ancient tree, not from his own memories, but from Tian Qi's. Or rather, many of the trial-takers present knew, but no one was willing to speak of it.
The World Tree!
The most unique existence in the void universe. Legend had it that it was born from the Nirvana of a vast, boundless world with immeasurable lifespan and countless living beings. That world, gravely wounded, had been destroyed, giving rise to a special seed.
After eons of precipitation, this seed evolved into a towering ancient tree.
This tree possessed unimaginable power, capable of communing with the majestic forces deep within the cosmos. It was invincible, truly immortal and indestructible. Even high-level cultivators could not destroy a World Tree.
Therefore, every World Tree was incredibly precious. It was said that only one would be born in an entire cosmic epoch. Because of this, every appearance of a World Tree would incite unprecedented, universe-sweeping bloodshed.
Earth-shattering wars would erupt. The leaders of top-tier forces would fight tooth and nail to seize a World Tree, and countless powerful beings would perish.
"Fourth trial completion condition: Obtain a World Fruit!"
A cold voice resonated in the minds of every trial-taker. The instant this voice sounded, everyone felt a wave spread, a primeval and vast aura washing over them.
They truly found themselves beneath the World Tree!
It was as if the World Tree they had seen before was merely a projection, and now, the true form of the World Tree appeared before them.
The expressions of the trial-takers changed. The clue for this trial was too brief, and many trial-takers had no idea about the origin of the World Tree or what a World Fruit was.
But regretfully, no one was there to explain.
"Swoosh swoosh swoosh!!"
Instantly, countless figures surged onto the World Tree. Some entered continents on its branches, some dove into lakes on its leaves, and some shot straight towards the sky, aiming for its crown.
All the trial-takers moved.
Li Xiaotian's eyes flickered, and just as he was about to act, he paused.
He sensed a killing intent locked onto him.
A figure appeared before him, and another behind him.
One was a demon, the other a god.
He recognized the demon. It was Mo Lao Si!
He didn't recognize the one behind him. Li Xiaotian raised an eyebrow. "You behind, state your name! I don't kill the nameless!"
"This seat is Tian Kui!"
The divine race prodigy, Tian Kui!
But this was just the beginning. After Tian Kui declared his identity, a void pulsed.
A giant several thousand zhang tall appeared. He looked down at Li Xiaotian and said indifferently, "Ancient God Clan, Tao!"
Following that, another voice sounded, that of a gaunt man.
"Nether Clan, Ming Jiu!"
"Anyone else?" Li Xiaotian smiled faintly. Though the combined strength of these few was terrifying, they posed no threat to him.
"Heh heh!"
"Li Xiaotian, still so arrogant on the brink of death. Do you think we are the opponents you faced before?" Da Feng Fiction Net
Ming Jiu chuckled sinisterly.
"Ignorant blasphemer, you've caused us to waste time exploring the World Tree. I hope your strength is sufficient, otherwise, I will be very disappointed!"
Tao of the Ancient God Clan spoke, his tone filled with mockery, his eyes flashing with boundless killing intent.
"Li Xiaotian, today this seat shall use your soul blood to offer sacrifice to my fallen brothers!" Mo Lao Si declared, his eyes filled with hatred and killing intent.
The four races, four top powerhouses. Their mere auras seemed to freeze the surrounding space.
The few remaining trial-takers present, witnessing this scene, were struck with terror and hurriedly fled in panic.
Li Xiaotian, however, remained calm. He looked at these four opponents. They were strong, but he was disappointed.
Experts like Shen Ming and Mo Tian had already gone to explore the World Tree. Clearly, they felt he was not worth their attention, so they left these four to ambush him.
"Since that is the case, then come, be sent to your demise!" Li Xiaotian said softly, slowly raising his hand. Though inwardly disappointed, he knew these four were not weak and deserved his serious attention.
At this moment, the vital energies of the four erupted, and the entire space seemed to tremble.
Almost instantly, they attacked him!
Boom!
Terrifying fluctuations erupted. The four unleashed their full power from the first strike, holding nothing back.
Li Xiaotian's gaze sharpened. He rapidly shifted his body to the left, narrowly evading this strongest blow.
Bang!
With a violent impact, the spot where Li Xiaotian had stood moments before exploded.
Using the force of this blow, Li Xiaotian retreated. Simultaneously, from the right, another attack surged towards him.
Li Xiaotian's gaze turned cold. He raised his fist and smashed it forward.
Bang!
It was Mo Lao Si. The latter summoned a demonic phantom, wielding a scythe that represented death, and swung it at Li Xiaotian.
But the moment it collided with Li Xiaotian's fist, demonic energy surged, engulfing the surroundings. The scythe of death instantly shattered.
"Hmph!"
Mo Lao Si grunted, but his expression remained cold. The other three were the same. By now, they had a rough understanding of Li Xiaotian's strength.
After all, he was able to reach the fourth trial intact, while figures like Long Po had not appeared. This was enough to explain everything.
Therefore, no matter how terrifying a battle prowess Li Xiaotian displayed, they would not be surprised, as they were strong enough and confident enough.
The combined efforts of the four, even top-tier cultivators would have to retreat, let alone Li Xiaotian, who was not yet a top-tier expert.