"Sheng Tianlong?" As his gaze fell upon the man at the forefront, a chill slowly crept into Lin Tian's eyes. Until now, there had been no personal enmity between them. Yet what had transpired earlier at Beast Peak had left Lin Tian with a deep and abiding distaste for Sheng Tianlong.
A reckoning between the two was inevitable—but this was certainly not the right moment. At Sheng Tianlong's side stood two disciples of Beast Peak, along with an Earth Dragon that possessed a trace of dragon blood as their trump card. Lin Tian, by contrast, was already seriously injured. Worse still, after the previous battle, the Coldwater Sword was on the verge of ruin and could no longer be used.
"Lin Tian, if you know what's good for you, hand over that ring you're wearing," Sheng Tianlong said, his eyes glinting with naked greed. "I might consider sparing your life."
After all, teleportation brought everyone to random locations, and Sheng Tianlong's luck had been extraordinary. He had quickly encountered two fellow Beast Peak disciples and formed an alliance with them.
The commotion from Lin Tian's earlier battle had drawn the trio over. After witnessing the entire fight, Sheng Tianlong's desire for the spatial ring in Lin Tian's possession grew uncontrollable—especially when he saw Lin Tian draw a spiritual-energy rifle from it. In that moment, Sheng Tianlong had all but yearned to rip the ring straight from Lin Tian's hand.
"And if I refuse?" Lin Tian asked, a faint smile curling at the corners of his lips. Though his condition was grim, he had no intention of surrendering so easily with the means still at his disposal.
"Refuse? That's not for you to decide." Sheng Tianlong sneered. Beneath his feet, the Earth Dragon let out a thunderous roar. In the next instant, terrifying waves of energy surged from both man and beast.
"A fusion technique?" Lin Tian's expression shifted in shock. He had not expected Sheng Tianlong to leave him no room at all, unleashing such a move right from the outset.
That Earth Dragon had already reached the first layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm. When fused with Sheng Tianlong, the resulting power was enough to rival a fifth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Behind Sheng Tianlong, the two Beast Peak disciples watched with cold indifference, as though the outcome had already been decided.
At that very moment, Seban suddenly dashed forward, placing himself squarely in front of Lin Tian.
"Overestimating yourself." Sheng Tianlong let out a cold laugh. Seban's bloodline might have been impressive, but his cultivation was far too low. At the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, he was nothing more than cannon fodder in the face of a fifth-layer Foundation Establishment attack.
Yet just as the attack was about to be unleashed, Sheng Tianlong saw spatial energy flicker around Seban's body. Armor-like equipment rapidly manifested over Seban's claws, spreading across his entire form in an instant. The human-made cannon activated at once.
Boom.
With a deafening crash, the two forces collided and shattered. Lin Tian immediately circulated his spiritual energy to block the residual shockwaves. Seban staggered back repeatedly before barely steadying himself. Blood spilled from his mouth, but his gaze remained unshakably resolute.
"I never imagined that a mere spirit beast could actually block my fusion technique." Wiping the blood from the corner of his lips, Sheng Tianlong's eyes brimmed with astonishment. Seban's performance had genuinely impressed him.
The unknown armor enveloping Seban only strengthened Sheng Tianlong's resolve to slay Lin Tian on the spot.
"You two—help me," Sheng Tianlong commanded, casting a cold glance at the disciples behind him.
"Too late for that." Lin Tian let out a sharp laugh. In the next instant, streams of talismanic seals burst forth, instantly surrounding and trapping the two disciples.
"You—!" Sheng Tianlong's expression changed dramatically. At the same time, Lin Tian drew out the spiritual-energy rifle, instantly filling it with spirit liquid. An overwhelming wave of power erupted from the weapon.
"Earth Dragon Prison!" Sheng Tianlong dared not hesitate. Joining forces with the Earth Dragon, he raised a massive wall of earth in front of them.
Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Lin Tian swiftly stored the Black-Gold Python's corpse into his spatial ring, then grabbed Seban and fled at full speed.
By the time Sheng Tianlong reacted, Lin Tian had already put considerable distance between them. Only after reaching a relatively safe area did Lin Tian finally spit out the mouthful of blood he had been forcing down.
The Black-Gold Python's earlier strike had already left him gravely wounded. Though Seban had blocked Sheng Tianlong's attack, the shockwaves of a fifth-layer Foundation Establishment strike were still terrifying. Even after absorbing most of it, a portion had still landed on Lin Tian.
That small fraction alone was enough to worsen his injuries significantly. Although his earlier battle tactics had seemed methodical and controlled, the truth was that he was already at the end of his rope, utterly no match for Sheng Tianlong in a direct confrontation. Recognizing this, Lin Tian had never intended to fight him head-on.
"I never thought Sheng Tianlong would be this troublesome." Wiping the blood from his lips, Lin Tian sat down cross-legged. He took out another bottle of spirit liquid and swallowed it, rapidly stabilizing his injuries.
At the same time, he retrieved the Black-Gold Python's corpse. Its beast core was extracted and swallowed by Seban in a single gulp. A hazy white light immediately burst forth from Seban's body. Clearly, consuming the core had greatly enhanced his cultivation. Barring any accidents, breaking through to the first layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm was all but guaranteed.
However, Lin Tian also knew that once Seban entered hibernation, he would lose a crucial source of combat power. At least for the foreseeable future, Seban would be unable to assist him.
And within the perilous depths of Xuanwu Valley, danger lurked at every step. Alone, he would find it exceedingly difficult to survive. At this point, it was clear—he needed a trustworthy ally.
After a moment's contemplation, Lin Tian took out a communication jade token and crushed it. Not long after, a figure sped swiftly toward him.