"Oh, and one more thing," Lin Xiao said, a trace of blood, crimson and golden, at the corners of his mouth. He dipped a finger into the blood and smeared it onto his combat knife. "Your domain is far inferior to that old Taoist's. I imagine he's beaten you up unilaterally quite a few times before."
"Shut up!"
Tian He Zhenren's face darkened further. How could Lin Xiao touch upon such a sensitive topic! This was a perpetual humiliation for him!
"It seems I was right," Lin Xiao stated. He was confident in his judgment; the old Taoist was significantly more powerful than Tian He Zhenren. Besides, he had already fought the old Taoist one-on-one. What was there to fear from Tian He Zhenren? Moreover, he was now more than twice as strong as he had been when he was pummeled by the old Taoist.
As he spoke, he gripped his combat knife in reverse, his body's center of gravity sinking steadily. His gaze was fixed solely on Tian He Zhenren. At that moment, Lin Xiao seemed to see starlight flickering. The so-called "Absorption of Strength Technique" within him had begun to operate naturally. Tian He Zhenren, in his eyes, now appeared as a massive conglomeration of pure white light, containing dozens of times more pure white light than he had absorbed over the past two days. The vital energy within it was also magnified countless times.
In the next instant, he perceived a trajectory, the precise path his blade should carve.
Tian He Zhenren felt something was amiss. Lin Xiao's eyes had, at some point, turned crimson gold. He felt as if he saw burning, fiery suns within Lin Xiao's pupils. Danger. He couldn't understand why he felt this way. Lin Xiao was merely in the Divine Realm, someone who hadn't even stepped into Freedom, how could he pose a threat to a dignified cultivator like himself? Especially within his own domain.
The next second, his body instinctively shifted. Unbeknownst to him, Lin Xiao, knife in hand, had appeared where he had just been standing.
No! Tian He Zhenren roared inwardly. How could Lin Xiao achieve this! His sword, guided by the "Ten Thousand Swords Returning to One" within his domain, was aimed precisely at Lin Xiao's brow.
It was at this very moment that their gazes met. He finally saw clearly. Those eyes contained not fiery suns, but a convergence of countless resplendent, fiery stars... eyes holding constellations!
The blade pierced Lin Xiao's body once more. This strike could move mountains, cleave seas, and slay men. But... this sword strike merely passed through Lin Xiao's form. Lin Xiao's body, as if lacking any solidity, continued to charge towards him.
"Impossible!" Tian He Zhenren, with his vast experience, instinctively cried out and hastily dodged aside, exerting his domain to its maximum. He realized that Lin Xiao seemed to be undergoing a continuous transformation! This feeling was all too familiar to Tian He Zhenren! It was the very process of transitioning from the Divine Realm to the Freedom Realm, the transition from mortal flesh to transcending the mortal coil! Could it be that Lin Xiao wouldn't only survive but would ascend to Freedom at his hands? He couldn't accept this! If Lin Xiao reached the Freedom Realm, he had no idea where he could still threaten Lin Xiao. He even felt he might die at Lin Xiao's hands.