In a void of nothingness, where no light existed, Li Xiaotian sat cross-legged in the emptiness, a bottomless black hole of devouring behind him.
He controlled the Great Dao of Devouring to consume all his aura, including the light and all energy from his surroundings, so as not to be discovered.
At this moment, his injuries were severe, half of his body being white bone and half flesh, with a hideous scar across his face.
However, despite his disheveled state, he had survived, and had even managed to advance to the high-tier, which was much better than he had initially anticipated.
He began to slowly absorb energy for recovery, his movements slow and cautious. After all, in his current condition, if he did not suppress himself, the star domain he occupied would instantly lose its color, and all energy would be devoured by him.
This would expose him.
Furthermore, all the rare heavenly materials he had accumulated during the previous battle had been depleted. At this moment, he could only recover his injuries through this slow, crude method.
He recovered slowly, not daring to linger in one place for too long, constantly changing his location at the edge of the void.
A subtle strand of starlight drifted into his body, causing his form to emit a faint glow. Some wounds began to heal, and new flesh grew over the white bones.
After an unknown period, a hidden fluctuation suddenly transmitted, instantly striking his body.
In that instant, Li Xiaotian felt as if his head was about to explode, pain coursing through him. He had been discovered!
"Heh heh, Li Xiaotian, you're hiding here. Excellent, your Great Dao is mine! By devouring you, my injuries will be instantly restored!"
A shadowy figure appeared before Li Xiaotian, reaching out to grab him.
"Scram!"
Li Xiaotian roared, mustering all his strength for a punch, then turning and fleeing without hesitation. He dared not linger at the moment.
"Boom!"
The void exploded, and Li Xiaotian once again traversed the void, escaping to a distant location. Simultaneously, the star domain where he had been hiding became turbulent, and Mo Tian and others descended, but the situation stabilized for the mid-tiers, and they once again lost Li Xiaotian's aura.
It could be said that Li Xiaotian was very fortunate this time, because the person who discovered him did not raise an alarm and came alone, allowing him to escape with ease.
"I will remember you!"
A fierce glint flashed in Li Xiaotian's eyes as he memorized the opponent's aura. Originally, he only had an irreconcilable hatred with Mo Tian and Shen Ming, but now, those eight high-tier cultivators were all individuals he intended to kill!
Subsequently, Li Xiaotian became even more cautious and vigilant. He knew how determined Mo Tian and the others were to kill him at this moment. His heavenly tribulation had surpassed everyone else's, instilling fear in their hearts.
Moreover, by escaping when undergoing the tribulation, they had missed the best opportunity to kill him.
Therefore, before his injuries were fully healed, this would be the last chance for Mo Tian and the others to kill him!
Fierce light flickered in Li Xiaotian's eyes. Give him some more time, and when his injuries recovered to the point where he could fight, he would fear no one!
"Boom!"
Two days later, a sky-obscuring giant palm slammed towards Li Xiaotian's hiding place. He had been discovered again. The attacker was Mo Tian. It was somewhat comical that the opponent, like the person who had attacked him before, chose not to raise an alarm upon discovering Li Xiaotian, instead aiming to seize Li Xiaotian's devouring power alone.
"Scram!"
Li Xiaotian roared, instantly devouring a massive amount of energy, plunging the entire star domain into darkness. Then, he unleashed a punch, and after delivering it, he fled without hesitation.
"Li Xiaotian!!"
Mo Tian roared, his terrifying killing intent sweeping across several star domains. He had lost track of Li Xiaotian, which filled him with immense rage.
"Mo Tian, why didn't you notify us! At this stage, only by joining forces can we kill him. What are you thinking?"
Shen Ming appeared before Mo Tian, his eyes filled with anger. He knew what Mo Tian was thinking, but it was precisely because of this thought that Li Xiaotian had escaped.
If the other party had notified everyone immediately upon discovering Li Xiaotian, with the eight high-tier cultivators attacking again, Li Xiaotian, even with some recovery from his injuries, would have been certain to die!
But now, that opportunity was lost!
"Are you telling me what to do? Li Xiaotian is merely heavily injured now. If he weren't so cunning, I would have crushed him with a single finger just now."
Mo Tian roared, filled with unwillingness and also with annoyance at being exposed so directly by Shen Ming. He could only mask his emotions with anger.
Seeing this, Shen Ming took a deep breath, cast Mo Tian a look of disappointment, and left. He had once believed Mo Tian to be a peerless expert, holding some respect for him in his heart. But upon contact, he discovered that the other party was merely powerful in strength, but utterly lacking in character and possessing a despicable disposition!
Indeed, demons, their very nature is evil!
Soon, the eight high-tier cultivators converged. They formulated a new plan, their divine senses uniting to scan the entire void universe, maintaining constant contact. This way, if anyone discovered Li Xiaotian, others would be instantly aware.
At this time, Li Xiaotian was also cautiously recovering his injuries as before. Fortunately, in order to counter Mo Tian, he had devoured the energy of an entire star domain. Although most of it was unleashed with his punch, a considerable portion remained, causing all the wounds on his body to disappear, making him appear less battered and terrifying than before.
Time flew by, and a month passed in the blink of an eye. During this month, Li Xiaotian was discovered twice, both times narrowly escaping.
Meanwhile, all the trialists in the ninth trial were paying close attention to everything, filled with shock.
If Li Xiaotian's escape from the eight high-tier cultivators during his tribulation could be attributed to luck, then his current feats were due to his strength.
Moreover, the fact that Li Xiaotian's strength increased with each subsequent discovery further astonished the numerous trialists.
Some sighed, understanding that Li Xiaotian had no chance of being killed, and his rise was already unstoppable.
Not only that, the eight high-tier powerhouses who had previously acted with impunity in the void universe had long since disappeared, hiding in the shadows, as they had sensed that Li Xiaotian's injuries were about to heal.
On this day, the entire void universe suddenly vibrated, all energy converging towards a single direction, like a dragon drawing water, alerting everyone.
At the point where the energy was gathering, Li Xiaotian sat cross-legged, his body devouring ferociously. Traces of the aura of high-tier cultivators radiated from him.
"Finally, I've held on!"
Li Xiaotian muttered to himself, his gaze chillingly cold. The decades of forbearance before the tribulation and the more than a month of escape after it were finally over.
He slowly stood up, his icy gaze sweeping across the entire void universe. He no longer concealed his movements or his aura, because from this moment on, he feared no one. Even if the eight high-tier cultivators joined forces again, he would not be deterred in the slightest!