Mo Laowu was dead. Li Xiaotian had absorbed the opponent's memories. He had to admit, Mo Laowu was a respectable foe, and his strength was truly terrifying.
Now only five thousand years old, he had only been defeated once in his life. This was his second defeat.
His first defeat was against Mo Tian.
Mo Laowu was devoted to the Dao, devoid of the bloodlust and indiscriminate killing of other demons. He could restrain his demonic nature. Despite knowing that Li Xiaotian and the demon race were mortal enemies, Mo Laowu had never relayed the news of his encounter with Li Xiaotian to Mo Tian.
Furthermore, he had not fled at the end but chosen to fight to the death.
Li Xiaotian sighed inwardly, lamenting that due to their different stances, one of them was destined to perish upon their meeting.
However, his brow furrowed immediately as he witnessed the battle between Mo Laowu and Mo Tian. This had occurred a thousand years ago. Of course, Mo Laowu was not as strong then as he was now, but he had been completely crushed by Mo Tian.
As Li Xiaotian watched the footage of their battle, and Mo Laowu's calm demeanor towards Mo Tian, his heart grew heavy.
Mo Tian was strong!
Even though this was a battle from a thousand years ago, Mo Tian had already posed a sense of threat to Li Xiaotian back then. Now, Mo Tian's strength was likely unfathomable.
"A formidable enemy!"
A glint flashed in Li Xiaotian's eyes. Mo Tian and Shen Ming were both exceptionally troublesome opponents, and he was destined to clash with both of them.
Li Xiaotian did not linger. He left swiftly. After his departure, the continent that had witnessed the great battle between him and Mo Laowu shattered.
The trial-takers present, who had watched the battle, were all greatly alarmed. They gazed in the direction Li Xiaotian had departed with expressions of awe.
"Too strong. If I had encountered an opponent like him, I would likely have been instantly annihilated!"
One trial-taker spoke with bitterness. They were both trial-takers, both peak sixth-tier powerhouses, yet the gap between them was immense.
"Perhaps only beings like Mo Tian and Shen Ming could contend with him. It's hard to imagine a human growing to such a terrifying extent."
"If this child does not perish, he will surely become a great enemy to the deities of the God Realm in the future!"
"Since ancient times, those who defy the gods have been exceptionally brilliant, but ultimately, they were all destroyed by the great terror of the God Realm."
The trial-takers discussed amongst themselves. At their level of cultivation, they could see through the true nature of the Western Domain, so they spoke without reservation.
At the same time, as Mo Laowu perished, in a water world within the World Tree, Mo Tian, who had been exploring, abruptly stopped.
He was clad in black armor, his eyes burning with black demonic flames, and his horns were prominent. His appearance was stern. Upon sensing Mo Laowu's demise, he fell silent.
"Old Fifth..."
Mo Tian whispered, his voice devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
"Am I the only one left?"
"We came as nine strong individuals, but now only I remain."
Mo Tian's eyes flickered. He was inherently devoid of emotion, solely focused on becoming stronger. However, his mindset had now shifted.
"I will find you and kill you."
After a long pause, Mo Tian spoke, his voice resolute, the demonic flames in his eyes flaring.
He then took a step forward and continued his advance.
After a few steps, he stopped abruptly. "I hope you do not disappoint me."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Boom!"
At that very instant, the water world he was in began to boil. It was being scorched by the heat radiating from the demonic flames in his eyes.
"Hiss!"
In the next moment, in the blink of an eye, all the water in the water world evaporated, including the countless creatures within it. They were instantly annihilated by the incredibly terrifying heat.
Even a few trial-takers present in the water world did not escape the sudden change and perished on the spot.
The terrifying heat instantly annihilated their bodies and their souls, leaving them no chance to revive.
The attribute of invincibility and immortality of peerless powerhouses failed at this moment.
Much like Li Xiaotian's Devouring Great Dao, Mo Tian's Great Dao was also incredibly heaven-defying, capable of instantly killing peerless powerhouses.
Looking at the world he had cleared before him, Mo Tian frowned slightly, then stepped out of that world.
On the World Tree, Li Xiaotian began arduous cultivation, or rather, he began his transformation. He knew he was still not strong enough. The might of Mo Tian and Shen Ming had instilled pressure within him.
Therefore, he needed to transform again, to elevate himself, to reach true perfection.
He traversed continent after continent and water world after water world, observing the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers, comprehending the laws of heaven and earth, and experiencing the secrets of the primordial all things.
He delved into the ancient scriptures of countless races from his memories, studying them diligently, then extracting their essence to integrate into his own Dao.
He was comprehending the Dao, his own Dao!
Unconsciously, he arrived at a peculiar water world.
This was a world within a leaf on the easternmost side of the World Tree, a golden ocean. Its formation was unknown, vast and boundless, with suns, moons, and stars occasionally falling into the sea.
This water world possessed a unique charm.
Li Xiaotian stood by the water's edge, gazing into the distance, his eyes profound, as if capable of piercing through everything.
This water world contained numerous life forms, swimming, playing, joyful, and happy.
It was a world brimming with vitality.
But miraculously, the composition of these life forms was extremely peculiar. They would sometimes manifest physical forms, and at other times, become liquid, merging with the seawater.
Li Xiaotian had never witnessed such miraculous scenes before. This Divine Sea emanated a powerful energy fluctuation. He paused here, deeming it an ideal location for secluded cultivation.
"My Dao, my Law!"
"There are great enemies ahead. I must become stronger, for myself, and for Kyushu!"
Li Xiaotian sat cross-legged before the golden Divine Sea, becoming incredibly still, as if merging with the entire ocean.
His mind was at peace, numerous ancient scriptures resonated within him, his body shimmered with ethereal light, and his heart was clear and empty.
Then, he became motionless, his body withered, falling into a deep contemplation, completely merging with this water world, becoming a part of it.
Time passed, and the concept of time ceased to exist here.
"Swish, swish!"
The golden expanse of the ocean churned with colossal waves. At the crest of these waves was a reef floating on the sea's surface.
On that reef, Li Xiaotian's skin was crystal clear, like glazed glass. A faint golden ripple spread around him.
He exuded an extremely terrifying aura. This aura's ferocity caused the entire water world to warp.
"Bang!"
Abruptly, Li Xiaotian opened his eyes. In an instant, an extremely violent aura surged outwards in all directions, the void shattering, and the sea surface trembling.
Following this, he spread his legs and arms, beginning to manifest a fearsome Dao and Law. The very first move caused the heavens and earth to erupt.