NOVPUBAs the index finger pressed down with endless might, Jiang Tianbai instantly reacted.
He wouldn’t show weakness either, and threw a punch directly at it.
A spiritual energy storm exploded around them, and with a booming sound, Jiang Tianbai’s figure was sent flying backward.
He crashed heavily against a large boulder.
"Could you repeat what you said earlier?" Xu Zimei said with a smile.
"You took advantage of my unpreparedness to launch a sneak attack—that victory lacks honor," Jiang Tianbai said as he stood up from the ground, huffing coldly in response.
"Fine, this time I’ll let you attack first," Xu Zimei said.
Jiang Tianbai looked at Xu Zimei gravely, noting that the other man seemed to be about his age.
His fists were slightly trembling; although he had retaliated hastily just now, he had used most of his strength, yet he was completely unable to stand against the other.
"What’s the matter, scared?" Xu Zimei said with a smile.
"Don’t be ridiculous," Jiang Tianbai snorted coldly.
At this moment, a pale black glow flickered around him, as boundless spiritual energy gathered.
The pale black light grew stronger until it was a pitch-black expanse.
A layer of very pure black crystals covered the surface of his body.
Behind him, five Vein Gates opened, with an aura unique to the Esteem Vein Realm echoing around.
"Purple Crystal Burst."
Jiang Tianbai let out a roar. On his right fist’s crystal, a hint of purple light appeared.
The purple light grew more and more brilliant, illuminating half of the dark sky dazzlingly.
As his punch came down, empowered by the might of the Blackrock Crystal Body, half of the space began to fracture.
"You still have a long way to go," Xu Zimei clenched his right fist, which was permeated with strands of Creation Force, and finally he launched his fist forward.
With a cracking sound, the Creation Force collided with the purple light.
Under Jiang Tianbai’s incredulous gaze, the layer of Blackrock Crystal Body on his surface began to crack bit by bit.
Then a powerful force surged into his body, and he was sent flying backward once again.
Seeing this scene, the disciples who were watching while mining were also dumbstruck.
"Their Saint Heir seems to have been thoroughly trounced."
Xu Zimei had not struck heavily just now; he had no intention of seriously injuring the other party.
At this moment, Jiang Tianbai climbed up from the ground, staring blankly at his hands.
The Blackrock Crystal Body that covered his arms had all shattered.
His expression was one of disbelief, filled with incredulous shock.
"He had actually lost, utterly defeated without any power to resist by someone of the same age.
His pride all this time was completely shattered."
Looking at Jiang Tianbai’s state, Xu Zimei spoke indifferently, "Your talent is decent, but your temperament is lacking.
If he can overcome this setback, that will also be growth.
If not, he will never achieve much."
The Elder beside them chuckled and said, "The boy is stronger than we imagined; I believe in him."
Xu Zimei nodded, and as they were about to turn and leave.
The voice of Jiang Tianbai suddenly came from behind.
"Can you tell me your name?"
Xu Zimei turned his head, looking at the other’s eager eyes.
Those eyes no longer held the previous dullness, but instead, they were ablaze with intense heat and fighting spirit.
"Xu Zimei!"
After hearing the answer, Jiang Tianbai asked, "Are all the people outside this strong?"
He had grown up in the Divine Gate from a young age, back when his talents were mediocre, always lingering at the bottom.
Later, by chance, he acquired a Blackrock Crystal Body within the Dao Vein Crystal Mine, and he had been diligently cultivating ever since, yearning to distinguish himself. He had never left the Old Land in his life.
"It doesn’t matter," Xu Zimei shook her head and turned to leave.
"To me, they are all but ants."
Watching Xu Zimei’s retreating figure until she disappeared from his sight,
Jiang Tianbai finally came back to his senses, his fists clenched tightly and his eyes shining with determination.
"The Great Emperor—could he be the goal I pursue in my life?"
......
After walking around the Divine Gate a few times, Xu Zimei gained a basic understanding of the place.
Before parting, she looked at the Divine Emperor and asked, "Are you going to stay in the Divine Gate forever, or will you leave with me?"
"I’m not convenient to go out for the time being. After you find out about the Myriad Dao Red Lotus, we will meet again," the Divine Emperor replied.
Xu Zimei nodded slightly.
Leaving the Divine Gate required entering a Spatial Transmission Array because there were no paths in the Abyss where the Divine Gate was located; travel relied entirely on spatial formation jumps.
The Divine Emperor personally escorted Xu Zimei to above the Abyss.
Xu Zimei looked around. In this darkness where no daylight penetrated, the Old Land appeared even more like ruins.
Battered walls and remnants of structures from the Mythical Era lay in ruins, yet on this land now designated as a Forbidden Land, one could still feel its erstwhile splendor.
Just as Xu Zimei was bidding farewell to the Divine Emperor and preparing to leave, a sudden mad wind arose, carrying sand and stones along with it.
From afar, the howling gales screamed like wraiths, resounding through the heavens and the earth.
The sound was chilling to the bone.
And then... it was light.
A ray of light surfaced in the Old Land, which was submerged in darkness.
A blazing sun hung in the sky, and light once again illuminated the land.
"This, what is this?" Xu Zimei asked in astonishment at the scene.
"Looks like you’re not very lucky," the Divine Emperor said with a smile.
"What is this?" Xu Zimei asked, frowning.
"The curse of the Ancient Remnants," the Divine Emperor replied.
"This is the curse of the Ancient Remnants," Xu Zimei said in amazement, watching the scene unfold.
About the curse, anyone across the Yuan Central Continent with knowledge of the Old Land knew of it.
But very few had actually seen the curse.
Of course, the people of the Divine Gate were not included.
As one of the Ten Great Forbidden Lands, the most fearsome aspect of the Old Land was not the traps and formations left from the Mythical Era within it.
Nor was it the inhabitants of the Divine Gate.
It was the scene before them, the curse that caused all who heard of it to lose their courage.
Indeed, the presence of this curse was a big reason why the area was most likely referred to as a Forbidden Land.
It was said that for half of each year within the Old Land, the curse would reign, making it a place where even the heavens withdrew.
During that half of the year, no one dared to enter the Old Land; even the members of the Divine Gate could only shrink back into the depths of the Abyss, afraid to move.
The other half of the year was like when Xu Zimei had first arrived.
The darkness enveloped everything, and the entire world was in a state of dead silence.
"Let’s return to the Sect Gate first. We’ll make plans after half a year," the Divine Emperor said.
"What exactly is the curse of the Ancient Remnants?" Xu Zimei asked, puzzled. "After you embraced Destiny, couldn’t you resolve it?"
"It contains the Path of Time; unless I can open the tenth Vein Gate, I can do nothing about it even at my level," the Divine Emperor said, shaking his head.
"The Path of Time at the same level?" Xu Zimei paused, reminded of someone.
