The Black Blood Mountains loom vast and formidable, resembling a colossal dragon sprawled upon the desolate earth, seemingly gazing into the distance.
Built against the mountains, Black Blood City's western gate faces the peaks directly. Given the frequent hunting expeditions by warriors into the Black Blood Mountains, this gate bustles with activity, drawing nearly half the warriors from the entire city.
The entrance to the unknown warrior's miniature world lies deep within the mountains, approximately a day and a half's journey from the western gate of Black Blood City.
On the morning of the second day, Ye Tian, Niu Yunshan, and Sun Piaopiao set out, reaching the Black Blood Mountains by dusk.
Meanwhile, Liu Hongwu returned to Blood Jade City with the blood-clad guards, her demeanor sullen as she left, insisting that Ye Tian must bring back some treasures for her.
Ye Tian readily promised, finally sending off this little mistress.
In the dimly lit forest, the trio advanced in silence.
"It's getting late; we should quicken our pace. It's best if we can meet the City Lord before nightfall!" Niu Yunshan observed the twilight and urged in a low voice.
With that, he accelerated dramatically, dashing forward.
Seeing this, Ye Tian and Sun Piaopiao hurriedly followed suit, the three of them shooting through the dense forest like arrows.
"Hmph, that kid has just broken through to the seventh level of martial arts; his true essence is surely no match for mine!" Sun Piaopiao shot a glance at Ye Tian, quickening her pace to catch up with Niu Yunshan, intending to leave Ye Tian behind.
However, when she turned back, she was startled to find that Ye Tian was nowhere in sight.
"Impossible! Even if that brat isn't as fast as I am, he shouldn't be able to disappear like this!" Panic washed over Sun Piaopiao as something felt off.
"Ha! You've surprisingly picked up speed! If I don't push myself harder, you'll overtake me!" Niu Yunshan's laughter rang out from ahead.
Sun Piaopiao turned her gaze forward, her pupils narrowing in shock.
At some point, Ye Tian had surged ahead, keeping pace with Niu Yunshan.
"His speed is astonishing!" Sun Piaopiao's heart raced as her icy demeanor flushed crimson; her face felt as if it were on fire.
Yesterday, Ye Tian's cultivation had already shaken her, and now his speed had surpassed her, filling the usually haughty Sun Piaopiao with an unprecedented sense of defeat.
Yet neither Ye Tian nor Niu Yunshan were aware of Sun Piaopiao's inner turmoil.
The Black Blood Mountains were home to numerous demonic beasts, many reaching the level of martial artist. Along their journey, the trio encountered several, but their combined strength made short work of them.
Finally, just before nightfall, they spotted a stone tower, broken in half.
Perched on a hillside, the tower was surrounded by lush greenery, yet Ye Tian discerned numerous figures lurking in the foliage.
Moreover, atop the shattered tower, a massive spatial rift gaped like a tear in the heavens, leaving Ye Tian in awe.
"That must be the entrance to the miniature world!" Ye Tian thought, gazing at the rift large enough for five people. His mind brimmed with curiosity.
What kind of realm could a martial artist attain to create a miniature world so akin to reality? It was akin to divine sorcery.
"This desolate place conceals a stone tower; it seems the City Lord of Black Blood City built it to mask the entrance to this miniature world. Unfortunately, fate played its hand, and the world still fell into someone's sights," Niu Yunshan remarked, laughing heartily as he gazed at the tower in the distance.
"Look! The City Lord and the Commander are over there!" Sun Piaopiao suddenly pointed to the hillside ahead, exclaiming.
Ye Tian followed her gaze, and there, upon the slope, stood three imposing figures. Two wore blood-colored robes, identical to his own, identified as Liu Bao, the Commander of the Blood Guards, and Duan Wenbo, a Captain.
However, at that moment, Liu Bao and Duan Wenbo stood respectfully behind a middle-aged man in a flowing white robe, who exuded an ethereal quality.
"Is this the City Lord of Blood Jade City?" Ye Tian pondered, slightly astonished. The white-robed man bore no aura of formidable strength or regal presence; it was hard to believe he was Xue Yuhai, the City Lord.
Suddenly, as Ye Tian assessed the City Lord, the man seemed to sense his scrutiny, abruptly turning to meet his gaze, his deep-set eyes radiating an overwhelming aura.
"What a piercing gaze!" Ye Tian's heart raced, finally confirming the man's identity. With his current cultivation, even Liu Bao couldn't project such an intensity; only a master of martial spirits like the City Lord could exert this kind of pressure.
"Let's go; it seems the City Lord has already noticed us!" Niu Yunshan chuckled, urging them forward.
The trio then made their way up the slope towards the tower.
As they drew closer, Ye Tian observed a multitude of warriors concealed within the surrounding forest, densely packed, numbering in the thousands.
Upon reaching the slope, they began to hear the cacophony echoing from the woodlands.
However, few warriors hid near Liu Bao and the others, clearly wary of the formidable strength possessed by Xue Yuhai, the City Lord of Blood Jade City.
"Subordinate Ye Tian, paying respects to the City Lord, the Commander, and the Captain!"
"Subordinate Niu Yunshan pays respects to the City Lord…"
"Subordinate Sun Piaopiao…"
As Ye Tian and his companions approached Liu Bao and the others, they promptly bowed in respect.
Liu Bao, standing behind Xue Yuhang, was struck by a blinding realization as he exclaimed, "You've advanced to the seventh level of Martial Master?"
Ye Tian's current cultivation indeed reflected his status as a seventh-level Martial Master, making his revelation immediately apparent to Liu Bao.
Beside him, Duan Wenbo gazed at Ye Tian with astonishment etched across his face.
"Reporting to the Grand Commander, I recently managed to achieve this breakthrough," Ye Tian replied modestly.
"Managed?" Liu Bao shot him a skeptical glance and pursed his lips, choosing not to pursue the matter further.
Xue Yuhang scrutinized Ye Tian intently, his profound gaze sending a chill down Ye Tian's spine, making him feel as though his very essence was laid bare.
"Could he possibly discern that my true cultivation is at the eighth level of Martial Master?" Ye Tian mused inwardly, awestruck by the imposing presence of a Martial Spirit-level powerhouse, whose mere glance elicited such overwhelming pressure.
"You are Ye Tian? I've heard Liu Bao speak of you. Impressive!" Xue Yuhang suddenly praised, to Ye Tian's astonishment.
Liu Bao, Duan Wenbo, and the others were taken aback, as it was the first time they had witnessed their lord commend a junior. It was worth noting that even Xue Yuhang's own son, Xue Yun, the youngest captain among the Blood Guards, had never received such accolades.
Feeling unexpectedly honored, Ye Tian hastily returned the compliment.
However, Xue Yuhang did not continue to examine Ye Tian; instead, he turned away, his gaze fixated on the space rift atop the stone tower, lost in contemplation.
Liu Bao broke the silence, asking, "What's the situation in Black Blood City? Have the members of the four great families arrived yet?"
"Reporting to the Grand Commander, they have yet to make any moves, and neither has the lord of Black Blood City," Niu Yunshan replied.
"That's peculiar. Haven't they been inquiring about the whereabouts of the small world all along? Now that they've found it, why are they still not here?" Liu Bao pondered, frowning deeply.
"Perhaps they are waiting for something," Ye Tian suggested, his eyes flashing with insight.
Liu Bao's expression sharpened as he scrutinized Ye Tian, commanding, "What do you know? Speak!"
"It's like this: while en route to Black Blood City, I encountered a band of mountain bandits, led by a former centurion of the Black Armored Army. He informed me that the lord of Black Blood City has long known about the entrance to this small world and has ventured inside several times, only to escape in a state of utter disarray each time," Ye Tian revealed without hesitation.
"It seems this small world is no trifling matter!" Liu Bao's face darkened; if even the lord of Black Blood City had escaped in such a manner, entering it would be tantamount to seeking death.
"Lord, what do you think…" Liu Bao glanced at Xue Yuhang.
"Wait!" Xue Yuhang replied coolly.
As time passed, the number of warriors in the Black Blood Mountains grew steadily. Ye Tian and his companions remained on the slope, refraining from entering the small world prematurely. Not a single warrior around them took the initiative to proceed either.
Three days later, Ye Tian was abruptly roused from his meditation, his eyes snapping open as he gazed down into the forest below the slope.
With a sudden whoosh, a sizable procession of over a hundred individuals approached, led by an elder sporting a goatee and a young man clad in a golden robe.
"Those are the Wu family members. I didn't expect that the young master, Wu Ding, would also be here. Rumor has it he's only 22 years old yet already on the verge of Martial Spirit level—indeed, it appears to be true!" Liu Bao's voice carried a low undertone.
"Wu family, Wu Ding!"
Ye Tian felt a jolt of surprise as he directed his gaze toward the young man in the golden robe. The youth exuded an extraordinary elegance, a proud demeanor, and an intimidating aura that deterred the surrounding warriors from approaching.
However, what truly unsettled Ye Tian was the goateed elder beside Wu Ding. As soon as he arrived, the elder's piercing gaze swept over the slope where they stood. The intensity of his stare made Ye Tian's eyes sting, compelling him to avert his gaze.
"Xue Yuhang? Hmph!" The goateed elder shot a sidelong glance at the lord of Xue Yu City, following which he let out a contemptuous snort and paused on another slope.
The forces from the Wang family also settled on that slope, driving away nearby warriors.
"How outrageous! The Wang family truly acts like tyrants!"
"Who dares to provoke them? They belong to the four great families; we're simply no match for them!"
The displaced warriors wore expressions of indignation, yet they remained mute, unwilling to voice their frustrations.
In southern Lin County, the influence of the four great families was widely acknowledged, and these warriors understood well enough not to provoke them.
"A bunch of uncultured natives daring to enter Zhao Yun's small world—how laughable!" Wu Ding scoffed disdainfully at the gathered warriors.
"Ding'er, our task this time is to locate that object; pay no heed to these insects!" the goateed elder rasped.
"Understood, Uncle San!" Wu Ding nodded in acquiescence.
Seeing this, the goateed elder turned his gaze to the forest below, murmuring, "Those fellows should be arriving soon..."