Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Zhen Man stared at Di Jiu in anticipation. She was hoping that Di Jiu would speak with her alone after he finished talking with these powerful figures. Perhaps he would even tell her about the places he had been to after he’d arrived at the Small Central World. Unfortunately, after finishing his conversation with the powerful figures, Di Jiu only spoke a little with Di Di and Tian Ku. He did not walk over to where she was.
Guild Master Hai Hong had already told them to head towards the Teleportation Array. Hence, Zhen Man could only follow Hai Hong disappointedly.
She would be lying if she said that she had no regrets. However, Zhen Man was actually more curious. She really wanted Di Jiu to sit in front of her and tell her everything in great detail. She believed that, back in Pearl City, Di Jiu would have come over and told her about these things of his own accord, without her having to show her interest.
Di Jiu naturally did not waste any time chit-chatting with Zhen Man. After bursting the unrealistic dream of his youthful self, Zhen Man had become an ordinary woman to him. Furthermore, he now looked down on people with her personality.
He had already looked through the potential jade slip Hai Hong had handed to him. Zhen Man had an impure single metal Spirit Root, while Yu Yongzhen had an impure single fire Spirit Root. The jade slip indicated clearly that Yu Yongzhen’s root contained fewer impurities than Zhen Man’s.
Apparently, the Twin Waves Sect did not show favoritism. It had made its decision based on facts. Zhen Man herself should be aware of this, yet she had relied on her past relationship with Di Jiu to kick the Twin Waves Sect down on this occasion.
This turn of events had happened because of Di Jiu. If someone else had really liked Zhen Man, it would have been disastrous for the Twin Waves Sect. Therefore, it was understandable why the Twin Waves Sect Master Hui Baiyu would panic when he saw Zhen Man complain to Di Jiu.
Zhen Man had been born in an ordinary mortal colony. Under the circumstances, she owed a debt of gratitude to the Twin Waves Sect for accepting her as a disciple. The disrespectful way she had acted in order to head to the Small Central World had been too heartless.
Furthermore, even if Zhen Man entered the top 20, given her potential, she would not make it to the final five. Under the circumstances, it would be strange indeed if Di Jiu had still liked her.
Perhaps Zhen Man had thought that Di Jiu would give her a slot just because they knew each other. The truth was that, without Huan Mingzi’s help, only five genius disciples from the Yalun Continent would have entered the Small Central World. In that case, Di Jiu would have chosen five people based on the regular regulations and Zhen Man would still not have been able to enter the final five.
…
On the Ji Bei Mountain of the Ji Nation, Di Jiu was standing in a daze in the same spot he had the previous time. What he had experienced there felt very recent.
If he had not obtained the small gray stone here, if the small gray stone had not absorbed a bolt of golden lightning, if Qu Xiaoshu had not tipped him off, if a spatial crack had not opened when the golden lightning had landed…
If even one of these factors had not played a big part, he would have died a long time ago.
Unfortunately, he had failed to find Qu Xiaoshu in the end. After sending Di Di off, he had taken a trip to the Qu Family. After asking about the places Qu Xiaoshu could have moved to, he had spent two months searching for Qu Xiaoshu to no avail.
Hence, Di Jiu could only travel to Earth before doing anything else. He had decided to come back and search for Qu Xiaoshu again when his Spiritual Force was able to envelop the entire Yalun Continent.
He had chosen the Ji Bei Mountain as his location for a reason. After all, he had entered and left Earth from this very place. This spot was very esoteric, which might not suffice as an indication. However, his probability of success was higher here compared to any other place.
After making all the necessary preparations, Di Jiu took out a Plane Split Talisman and activated it.
Spatial energy burst out as soon as the talisman was activated. Di Jiu was astounded when he sensed the majestic spatial energy aura. If he had been within the range of the Plane Split Talisman, he would definitely have disappeared without a trace when assaulted by this kind of spatial energy.
A cracking sound traveled from space as a spatial rift appeared. Di Jiu’s Spiritual Force had already extended completely. The spatial rift created by the Plane Split Talisman grew in size while Di Jiu’s Spiritual Force sensed the flashing lights of numerous planes. His Spiritual Sea started to feel so painful that he got dizzy.
Di Jiu felt fortunate that his Spiritual Sea was at level-ten. If his Spiritual Sea had been below level-nine, his Spiritual Force could not have possibly sensed the shifting plane aura within the spatial rift and it would have been impossible to locate Earth by using the Plane Split Talisman.
After his Spiritual Force transcended an unknown number of planes, Di Jiu finally sensed a familiar aura. He did not have any time to think things through before he dashed into the rift.
A terrifying spatial wind blade enveloped Di Jiu. In just the span of a breath, Di Jiu was already covered in open wounds.
He had no time to ponder how he had been able to transcend the planes and reach Earth in the past. Right now, the only thing he could do was frantically circulate the Body-Tempering Art and extend his Spiritual Force to its greatest range. He rushed towards that faint familiar aura, all the while dodging large spatial wind blades and some spatial whirlpools of unknown names.
Unlike the previous time he had used his aircraft to pass through the spatial rift, his Spiritual Force could now clearly sense the environment of the external world. As he transcended planes through the spatial rift created by the Plane Split Talisman, Di Jiu realized that the spatial rifts created by the Plane Split Talisman and the golden lightning were at different levels.
The previous time he had entered the spatial rift, his aircraft had remained intact. This implied that the spatial rift created by the golden lightning was extremely thorough, so he could reach the Earth directly.
The spatial rift created by the Plane Split Talisman was way more inferior in comparison. He had been passing through the spatial rift for an unknown period of time and sped past an unknown number of space planes. However, he was still unsure how far away he was from Earth. What was even worse, he did not know whether he was truly heading in the direction of the Earth.
As time passed, the splitting effect of the Plane Split Talisman worsened. The faint familiar aura was also about to disappear. Once it did, the splitting effect of the Plane Split Talisman would disappear as well. Under the circumstances, he only had one option. He had to activate the other Plane Split Talisman. If he did not, he would have to stay in the spatial rift forever.
Di Jiu was extremely anxious. He no longer cared about being split into two by the spatial wind blades. Thus, he immediately executed the Spiritual Force escape technique.
Excruciating pain shot up Di Jiu’s leg. Suddenly, he saw a faint light and rushed towards it.
Bam! The aura of the spatial rift landed on Di Jiu’s back as he was rushing out of the rift, causing all the bones in his body to break.
Di Jiu’s Spiritual Force frantically extended in the shape of a web, enveloping his body as he fell to the ground.
The instant he landed on the ground, he felt pain in his Spiritual Sea. Although he could no longer extend his Spiritual Force, he heaved a sigh of relief. It didn’t matter whether this place was Earth. He now knew how dangerous it would be for him to use the Plane Split Talisman to transcend planes, even considering his current cultivation level and level-ten Spiritual Force. Using the Plane Split Talisman to teleport, even though his Spiritual Force was at level-ten, would be suicide.
All his bones were broken and two-thirds of his leg had been injured by a wind blade. Di Jiu could only stay where he was and start healing by circulating the Colossal Kun Body-Tempering Art.
This was indeed the most ideal place for Body-Tempering. The Colossal Kun Body-Tempering Art had started circulating the moment Di Jiu had passed through the spatial rift. Body-Tempering speed was significantly faster within space than anywhere else. Even if he had left the spatial rift, he could still have clearly felt his physical body grow stronger rapidly.
Crack, crack, crack! As the sound of bones cracking was heard, Di Jiu circulated the Tempered Body Art even more frantically.
Another day passed. Di Jiu’s body started to shake as his bones cracked. Meanwhile, explosive sounds traveled from within before disappearing altogether.
Di Jiu let out a sigh of relief. He actually felt a little lucky. He had almost died by using the Plane Split Talisman this time, although he had enjoyed some benefits. At least, he had successfully made use of this opportunity to make his Tempered Body break through to the Tribulation Realm of the Three-Deity Realm while passing through the spatial rift.
Now that his body was at the Tribulation Realm, he should be able to survive even if a True Form Realm Cultivator punched him.
“Are you injured, my friend?’ A man carrying a rifle walked up to Di Jiu. Behind him was a man carrying a bow.
Di Jiu had already noticed the two men walking over. However, his physical body had only just broken through to the Tribulation Realm. When he heard the man speak, Di Jiu was delighted to realize that he spoke Mandarin.
“I’ve only sustained some minor injuries. It’s nothing serious.” Di Jiu stood up. The benefits of the Colossal Kun Body-Tempering Art were evident at this moment. After attaining the Tribulation Realm, all his injuries had disappeared. However, his Spiritual Sea was still aching, so he was unable to extend his Spiritual Force immediately. Otherwise, his current level-ten Spiritual Force could have enveloped the whole Earth.
Di Jiu was curious as to why the two men would be carrying weapons on their backs in broad daylight. The rifle of the man speaking to him was no ordinary hunting gun. It was a real rifle.
The man, who had a great stature but unkempt hair, looked at Di Jiu’s injured state before he said, “Your injuries must be very serious. What kind of demon beast did you encounter? If you’ve lost all your battle power, I suggest that you return to the staging post.”
Demon beast? Staging post? Was this place really on Earth?
