***
In a distant place within the trial, while Tang Lin was making his breakthrough.
The morning dew had finally settled as a boy sat upon a pile of corpses. Blood stained his face and white robes as he licked the blade of his sword clean in one stroke.
***
Half an hour before.
A fight had just occurred at an altar over a heavenly treasure.
"We found this place first", yelled Shen Wei.
One faction was from the Shen clan, while the others were wandering cultivators. After Shen Wei and his clansmen killed the guardian beast, they were ambushed by them, which led to the current situation.
"Who cares? This is a trial, where only the law of the jungle applies", said Wang Xinyi, who was one of the stronger lone cultivators.
His body was massive and bulky compared to Shen Wei's strong, but refined physique.
"I am Shen Wei from the Shen clan of the Nanshan empire. Regarding this matter, I ask again for everyone to leave my Shen clan some face", Shen Wei asked politely, yet with a cold expression.
*The sound of laughter*
"HAHAHA! Do you really think you can just do anything you want by flaunting your status here?" Wang Xinyi mocked.
"Senior brother, there's no hope in peacefully settling this", informed Shen Li, his junior sister.
"I've also just received some information from one of our scouts that they've found a cave guarded by a heaven-tier beast", she added.
Shen Wei nodded at the mention of this.
"We better finish this quickly then", Shen Wei judged, after looking at his clansmen, who were still slightly exhausted from fighting the earth-tier guardian beast.
"Took you long enough to realise", snorted Wang Xinyi as he saw them starting to revolve their qi.
All of the wandering cultivators already had a mutual agreement that they would fight with each other against other clans and sects. The rest would be sorted out later.
Shen Wei was at the 8th Qi Condensation stage, while Wang Xinyi was only at the 7th Qi Condensation. However, he had experience in body tempering and was at the 3rd Strength Training stage. The rest were below the 5th Qi Condensation stage and only some had also cultivated to the 1st Strength Training stage.
Both sides clashed mercilessly. Wang Xinyi wielded his battle axe, while Shen Wei used his Shen family's famous sword techniques. As Wang Xinyi swung his battle axe downwards, Shen Wei barely reacted in time and diverted a small portion of the force by twisting his body and letting the battle axe slide down the edge of his blade.
"Ugh", Shen Wei groaned.
"3rd Strength Training stage!?!" he exclaimed.
He hadn't cultivated much in body tempering and had only reached the 1st Strength Training stage. So, against Wang Xinyi's brute force, Shen Wei had to make up for the disparity with pure sword skills.
"Hah, scared now?" Wang Xinyi taunted.
"Dream on!" he shouted as he shoved the battle axe away.
'Formless Sword Style, First Form', Shen Wei thought in his mind.
"SORA!" he yelled as he jabbed forward.
'Hmph, do you really think this slow blade could ever reach me', Wang Xinyi commented as he withdrew his axe to parry the attack.
*Slice*
"KEUK!" he groaned as he coughed out blood.
The sword he thought he had parried turned illusionary as Shen Wei drew a beautiful arc across his chest. Blood sprayed everywhere as chaos rampaged within the battlefield.
"Y-You… What was that?" asked Wang Xinyi, while staggering backwards.
"I might not be as physically strong as you, but that doesn't mean I'll let myself lose in terms of skill to a mere brute", Shen Wei said in a resolute tone.
"Let's see how long you can keep up that arrogant attitude", he replied angrily.
Countless clashes ensued between both sides before they realised they were evenly matched. Wang Xinyi had been stabbed in the stomach twice and another in his chest. Blood dripped down from all his wounds. Compared to him, Shen Wei was in a slightly better condition. Although he had managed to avoid minor injuries, he had been hit brutally by Wang Xinyi, which left his left shoulder butchered.
'Shit, my left arm is going numb. We're both losing too much blood', he judged.
*Huff, huff*
At that moment, a laugh suddenly rang out, causing everyone to look towards its direction.
"HAHAHA!?! Having fun?" the voice teased.
'Shit, there was still someone hiding. I thought we all had a mutual agreement to fight together', Wang Xinyi thought, but when he recognized who it was; his expression became distorted.
"Xu Yang, I didn't know you were such a coward", Wang Xinyi angrily yelled out.
"Throw as many insults as you want. The dead tell no tales.." he retorted.
"We may be injured, but do you really think you can take us all on?" asked Shen Wei calmly.
Black mist leaked from Xu Yang's body as a tyrannical pressure was released. Light dimmed, sound silenced and bloodlust more potent. Red light overran his eyes as his aura seemed to transform drastically.
"How can this be? I heard that you didn't cultivate much in body tempering and was at the 8th Qi Condensation stage", Wang Xinyi muttered in confusion.
"T-This power… it certainly doesn't belong to someone within the Qi Condensation or Strength Training stage. He follows the unorthodox path; a demonic cultivator!" confirmed Shen Wei as beads of sweat dripped down his neck.