"Was it you who joined forces to destroy the Xuan Tian Sect back then?" Lin Xiao Tian scanned his surroundings.
"Hee hee hee, Tian Xuan Zi, are you asking the obvious? Have you forgotten who I am?"
Lin Xiao Tian took a closer look, and the memory left by Tian Xuan Zi surfaced in his mind.
"You were the one who ambushed me, Xuan Yi Zi?"
"Hee hee hee, you still remember!"
"It truly is Tian Xuan Zi! Haha, what great luck. We searched everywhere back then but never found the Xuan Tian Sect's protective treasure, the Immortal Slaying Array. It must have been taken by Tian Xuan Zi."
"The Immortal Slaying Array, this is something left by immortals in legend. Whoever obtains it might be able to glimpse the Great Dao of the immortals and embark on the path to immortality."
"Old Yao, is the Immortal Slaying Array something you can covet? Don't forget who was responsible for destroying the Tian Xuan Sect. It was me, Cao Ke Fu!"
Fierce discussions erupted from the crowd. Faced with the Xuan Tian Sect's supreme treasure, everyone's eyes turned red with greed.
Xuan Yi Zi remained calm and said to the crowd, "Esteemed sirs, Tian Xuan Zi is not weak. To avoid any further complications, we must join forces again. Once we capture Tian Xuan Zi alive, we can discuss how to divide the Immortal Slaying Array. What do you say?"
"Hee hee, Brother Xuan Yi Zi has spoken, how dare we disobey?"
Although this sounded like an attempt to instigate, Xuan Yi Zi did not wish to argue at this moment. His eyes were solely fixed on the Immortal Slaying Array.
"Then, let us rely on our own abilities, everyone. I shall make the first move." An old woman was the first to attack, charging towards Lin Xiao Tian.
"With this Sky Net in place, your strength can only be half unleashed. Tian Xuan Zi, die!" the old woman's venomous voice echoed.
Lin Xiao Tian casually glanced at her, and the old woman was startled.
She abruptly retreated.
At her level of cultivation, it was impossible to be frightened by a mere glance. If she were, there could only be one explanation: the opponent was extremely powerful, so powerful that she felt the fear of being killed.
That fear was a warning from the Heavenly Dao.
But the old woman wanted to retreat, and Lin Xiao Tian gave her no chance.
*Puff!*
A wisp of smoke rose.
The old woman's body dissipated into the sky.
The crowd, who had been arguing moments before, suddenly reacted.
"Impossible? The Sky Net should have restricted his power. Even if he's in the Void Refinement stage, how could he have killed Granny Zhao?" the old man surnamed Yao exclaimed in astonishment, looking at Lin Xiao Tian.
But as soon as he spoke, Lin Xiao Tian's gaze swept towards him.
With just a look, the old man surnamed Yao's form and spirit disintegrated.
In an instant, two peak Soul Transformation stage cultivators were killed. The crowd, not foolish, immediately understood.
"Peak Void Refinement stage!"
"He is at the peak Void Refinement stage!"
The old man who had first spoken to Lin Xiao Tian shouted.
But his voice also brought about his doom.
Lin Xiao Tian looked at him.
Where his gaze landed, the old man's body vanished like smoke.
Simultaneously, the large net in the sky descended.
Lin Xiao Tian casually reeled it in and took it.
This net could restrict his movements; it was a good item.
This old man, a mere peak Soul Transformation stage cultivator, possessed such a treasure. What about the others?
Lin Xiao Tian smiled faintly.
"Senior, it was my folly and lack of discernment. I beg for your forgiveness..."
A Soul Transformation stage cultivator pleaded for mercy, but Lin Xiao Tian casually flicked his finger, ending his life.
Everyone was greatly alarmed and began to flee.
But no matter how fast they ran, they could not outrun their destined demise!
Within a few breaths, only Xuan Yi Zi remained in the field.
"Senior, it was all a misunderstanding..."
"Indeed, it was a misunderstanding. I am not Tian Xuan Zi," Lin Xiao Tian said with a smile.
"It was my poor eyesight. I beg Senior to let this pass!" Xuan Yi Zi said tearfully.
"It's too late," Lin Xiao Tian showed no mercy.
After dealing with Xuan Yi Zi, Lin Xiao Tian collected his treasures as well.
He had to admit, these people had many good things on them. Although they couldn't inflict much damage on a Mahayana stage cultivator, they served as restrictions and interference, which would make Lin Xiao Tian's journey in the Black Forest more convenient.
Not long after, Lin Xiao Tian returned to the Black Forest.
With the complete Immortal Slaying Array and a pile of magical treasures, Lin Xiao Tian wreaked havoc in the Mahayana stage area.
This time, Lin Xiao Tian's actions were purely for slaughter, merely to reduce the numbers of these alien races.
The more powerful these alien races were, the greater the threat they posed to humanity later on.
The deepest part of the forest was quiet.
Facing Lin Xiao Tian, they felt fear for the first time.
Both the Immortal Slaying Array and Lin Xiao Tian's strength instilled fear in them.
Unknowingly, a thousand years had passed.
On this day, a piece of dreadful news spread to every corner of the world.
"Bad news! The formation in the Black Forest has failed."
Everyone who heard this was greatly shocked.
The failure of the Black Forest formation meant that the beings imprisoned within would reappear.
Humanity's ancient history had been dominated by such beings.
"It's over, humanity is doomed!"
Countless people fell into despair.
That history was still vivid. The academies or schools on every continent had taught them from childhood that their true enemies were these monsters. They had been to the Black Forest and knew how powerful these monsters were.
"Humanity has imprisoned them for thousands of years. When they revive this time, it will surely be a massacre! We cultivators should rise up and fight to the last for humanity!"
Every page of history was filled with courageous individuals.
Some people only burned others to illuminate themselves, while others used their own light to illuminate others.
Self-defense forces were organized on all continents to counter the invasion of alien races.
The entrance formation to the Black Forest was also strictly sealed with a sealing formation.
One day.
Two days.
However, for dozens of days, no alien race invasion occurred on any continent.
"Could those alien races be plotting something?" some speculated.
But the entrance to the Black Forest was sealed, and no one knew what had happened.
Except for one person.
At this moment, he stood at the very center of the Black Forest, looking down upon the entire forest.
All beings whose gaze met his instinctively lowered their heads.
Peak Tribulation Stage, one step away from becoming an immortal. This human was now an existence they could not possibly defeat.
Unfortunately, due to the Shen Nong Heart Technique, Lin Xiao Tian could not complete his tribulation and could only approach immortality indefinitely.
But this level of strength was sufficient. After all, when he first reached the Tribulation Stage, he had killed the two most powerful beings in the Black Forest.
One was the leader of the demon race, the Demon Venerable at the Tribulation Stage.
The other was the leader of the angel race, the Archangel at the Tribulation Stage.
Moreover, within this Black Forest, there were no longer any beings above the Soul Transformation stage, except for Lin Xiao Tian.
Lin Xiao Tian had set up the Immortal Slaying Array in the Black Forest to restrict the central area, while simultaneously using his own energy to recharge the original formation of the Black Forest.
The revival of the formation would take one to two years, but since there were no longer any beings that could threaten humanity here, Lin Xiao Tian felt this time was not a significant issue.
After the Black Forest was properly arranged, Lin Xiao Tian found a hidden entrance.
It turned out that the passage to Earth was located at the very center of the forest.
It seemed that the powerful beings of this place ultimately went to Earth.
Lin Xiao Tian, using the formation, once again arrived on Earth.
After a thousand years of development, Earth's technological level had risen to a new height, but it still had not reached the realm achievable by cultivators.
Several forbidden zones were also stirring restlessly, and their seals were clearly beginning to loosen.
Lin Xiao Tian's heart moved, and he arrived at a forbidden zone.
He easily reached the very center of the forbidden zone.
"Your Excellency, you have trespassed into a forbidden zone. Do you know the consequences?" a majestic voice echoed.
Lin Xiao Tian smiled faintly.
"You are from the Xuan Tian Sect, aren't you?"
"Hmm?"
The voice faltered.
The next moment, a youthful figure appeared before Lin Xiao Tian.
It was a young man, exceptionally handsome, radiating an unparalleled life force.
"The Immortal Slaying Array? Why is it in your hands? You are not from the human race of the Central Continent, are you?" the young man circled Lin Xiao Tian.
Lin Xiao Tian spread his hands and shared his memories with the young man.
Only then did the young man learn that the Xuan Tian Sect was no more.
"Pity, such a fine inheritance..." the young man sighed.
"Senior, do you not wish to do something about it?" Lin Xiao Tian asked.
"Life and death are determined by fate. I no longer care about such matters. I only wish to achieve immortality and enlightenment," the young man sighed.
Although he had a youthful appearance, he had actually lived for tens of thousands of years.
Then, his gaze fell upon Lin Xiao Tian.
"I didn't expect that when you first came here, you were only at the Foundation Establishment stage, and now you have reached such a level."
"Senior is too kind," Lin Xiao Tian smiled faintly.
"You came to find me, not just to tell me about the Xuan Tian Sect, right?" the young man looked at Lin Xiao Tian.
"Senior, I wish to know the truth," Lin Xiao Tian looked back at him.
"Very well. You are of the Shen Nong lineage, but Shen Nong has ascended to the Immortal Realm, and there is no one to guide you now. I have some connection with him, so I will guide you in his stead!"
Immediately, the young man told Lin Xiao Tian the truth of the matter.
It turned out that Earth was the gateway to the ascended Immortal Realm.
No matter how accomplished a world was, to reach the ultimate goal of enlightenment and immortality, a gateway was necessary.
Earth, although not a place of abundant spiritual energy, was the place formed at the beginning of creation and had nurtured countless lives.
The Great Thousand Worlds evolved from the Immortal Realm, so the earliest places were naturally closer to the Immortal Realm.
Therefore, people from any world would eventually come to Earth.
Lin Xiao Tian's master, Shen Nong, also came from another world.
As for the existence of forbidden zones, they were primarily to maintain the stable operation of the planet.
The arrival of powerful outsiders also brought new races. These races encountered the original inhabitants of Earth, and battles soon ensued.
Originally, humans were the strongest on Earth, but the newly arrived races, with the care of powerful cultivators, surpassed humans in many aspects. Humans suffered countless casualties, and this ancient planet remained in a state of war.
However, those powerful outsiders did not intervene. Every time a new outsider arrived, they brought a new race, which further plunged Earth into chaos.
The powerful did not concern themselves with the weak; they only cared about themselves, until some individuals emerged, among whom was the elder Shen Nong.
The elder, leading his race, stabilized the situation and then negotiated with other powerful beings on Earth.
The peak Tribulation Stage cultivators were no longer interested in these matters, but they still wished for their own races to lead Earth.
Elder Shen Nong, on the other hand, wished for the original inhabitants of Earth to continue to control it.
Ultimately, after a complex battle, an agreement was reached at the cost of Elder Shen Nong's physical demise.
This was the memory Lin Xiao Tian had seen; Elder Shen Nong had indeed perished physically in the end.
But Elder Shen Nong did not die. He was blessed by misfortune and ascended to the Immortal Realm.
Everyone realized that this was the true path of the Heavenly Dao. From then on, whenever a powerful being appeared on Earth, they would remain in the forbidden zones and not interfere with matters outside the forbidden zones. If they brought their races, they would also be arranged in the forbidden zones. If they ascended to the Immortal Realm, people from these races would receive protection, gain insights into the Great Dao, and ascend to the Immortal Realm more quickly.
Lin Xiao Tian learned everything and understood the ultimate destination of cultivation.
Since he was originally from Earth, the people in other forbidden zones did not interfere with him, and Lin Xiao Tian was able to easily reach the regions where humans lived.
Lin Xiao Tian arrived in Jiang City, Qingzhou.
After a thousand years, the Lin family had still developed quite well, but alas, the shadows of his acquaintances were no longer present.
Lin Xiao Tian sensed the surroundings. In this world, only one or two familiar auras remained.
Lin Xiao Tian found the source of the auras.
It was a beautiful small village named Jinsha Village.
Lin Xiao Tian pushed open the familiar door, and the first thing he saw were two familiar voices.
"Yu Xiang."
"Xiao Bai."
The three looked at each other.
The moment they saw Lin Xiao Tian, both women were stunned.
Lin Xiao Tian scratched his head.
"Yu Xiang, so many years have passed, you haven't remarried, have you?"
Qin Yu Xiang's eyes reddened.
"You scoundrel, you know to come back now? Do you know how many years it's been?"
The two embraced and wept.
"Brother Xiao Tian, ever since you left this world, Sister Yu Xiang has waited for you for a thousand years!" Xiao Bai said earnestly.
Lin Xiao Tian felt a pang of guilt.
"You just left, without a word. How could you do this? What do you take me for? You left and I had to live like a widow, you big scoundrel!" Qin Yu Xiang beat on Lin Xiao Tian's shoulder.
"You could have remarried!" Lin Xiao Tian stuck out his tongue.
"You're looking for death!" Qin Yu Xiang fiercely squeezed Lin Xiao Tian's ear. "I've been waiting for you. And you? Have you found other women outside?"
"By heaven and earth, I truly haven't."
"I don't believe you, unless you can prove it to me."
"How?"
"Hmph! I haven't thought of it yet. You have to let me think slowly." Qin Yu Xiang put her hands on her hips. "By the way, lunch hasn't been started. You'll be responsible for picking the vegetables."
Lin Xiao Tian nodded.