257: Self-contained world

"What's the use of saying so much? I still can't beat you."

Xiao Weiqing popped two Medicinal Pills into his mouth and began to recover from his injuries.

"It's only natural that you can't beat me. In the last hundred years, thirteen people have entered the trial, but only one has succeeded."

"Who?"

"A kid named Dongfang Hao."

"Dongfang Hao again?"

"You know him?"

"I've heard of him."

"Which attempt did he succeed on?"

The Silver-Clad Man recalled, "The second time. Actually, when he first came in, his strength was about the same as yours is now."

"It's strange, come to think of it..."

"That person didn't use the time cultivation chamber. He just entered the ninth room, and in just a few hours, he successfully comprehended a Domain and defeated me in a few moves."

"Even for the Disciples of the great Dominator, comprehending a Domain is measured in years."

The Silver-Clad Man shook his head repeatedly as he spoke, seemingly unable to understand such a thing.

Xiao Weiqing frowned; it seemed that comprehending a Domain was the only way to defeat the Silver-Clad Man.

However, with only two days left, this was almost a death sentence.

He didn't speak with the Silver-Clad Man any further.

He sat down cross-legged.

Three hours passed.

Having returned to his Peak state, Xiao Weiqing stepped into the ninth room without hesitation... Meanwhile.

Gong Feng and the other two followed Xiao Jin toward the interior of the spaceship.

To avoid the Mechanical Lifeforms, they had hidden in a storage room for a day.

"Damn it, are these monsters never going to leave?"

The group was extremely anxious. They had been here for nearly four days, hadn't gained a single thing, and were even in mortal danger.

Suddenly.

*Chichi~~*

"Holy crap, how did this Spider-like Mechanical Lifeform get here?"

"Run!"

After killing over a dozen of them, the three fled the storage room.

As Xiao Jin led them in their escape, he revealed a terrifying piece of news: "The appearance of Spider-like Mechanical Lifeforms means the invaders in one of the sectors have already been cleared out."

"Invaders?"

"There are other invaders?"

"That would be you guys," Xiao Jin said as if it were obvious.

"..."

*Puchi!*

"Ah~"

Li Lingling screamed in pain as a Spider-like Mechanical Lifeform suddenly appeared and tore a large chunk of flesh from her calf, leaving a wound deep enough to see the bone.

"Die!"

Gong Feng struck out with several sword thrusts, hacking the Spider-like Mechanical Lifeform to pieces.

He Zheng carried Li Lingling on his back and hid in a room. The sound of metal slamming against the door from outside was heart-pounding.

"What do we do?"

The blood was attracting more and more Mechanical Lifeforms.

"Don't worry about me, you guys go."

He Zheng said, "If we leave, we leave together."

Gong Feng hesitated. They couldn't hold out here at all; staying meant waiting for death, but taking Li Lingling would also lead to death if they were caught.

*Sigh~*

Gong Feng said, "He Zheng, you take Li Lingling and go first. I'll lure these Mechanical Lifeforms away. After that, we'll each have to fend for ourselves."

Xiao Jin interrupted, "Don't be in such a hurry, it hasn't come to that yet."

After saying that.

Golden Thorn stood up straight.

His claws, smaller than ping-pong balls, pressed against Li Lingling's wound. Blood-red energy appeared in his hands, and Li Lingling's wound actually began to heal at a visible rate, even new flesh started to sprout.

Three minutes later.

Having finished, Xiao Jin breathed a sigh of relief.

"How do you feel?"

Li Lingling said, "The wound feels a bit cold, but it doesn't hurt anymore. Thank you, Xiao Jin."

Golden Thorn nodded and said:

"You're welcome. Let's hurry and leave. We'll take the waste disposal channel this time. Be careful."

...Inside the ninth room.

It was pitch black and silent.

Logically, with Xiao Weiqing's eyesight, he should have been able to see his surroundings clearly even in the dark of night.

However.

In this room, no matter how much Xiao Weiqing focused, he couldn't see anything around him, not even a faint outline.

His Mental Energy spread out, but it was like a stone sinking into the ocean.

Occasionally, unknown forces flowed around him. Only this sensation made Xiao Weiqing feel that his senses were still intact.

Suddenly.

A sensation of being torn apart struck. Xiao Weiqing couldn't dodge in time; it felt as if his mind was being ripped open, causing unbearable pain.

Xiao Weiqing stood up to dodge, only to find there was nowhere to hide. This kind of attack seemed to act directly upon the Divine Soul.

Just as he was at a loss for what to do.

The next second.

The sensation vanished abruptly, as if it had never existed.

Before Xiao Weiqing could recover, a surge of sinister cold Qi swept through his entire body.

Xiao Weiqing hurriedly activated his Samadhi True Fire, but he still couldn't dispel this cold; even his Soul was trembling.

The sinister cold Qi came quickly and left just as fast.

It wasn't over yet. Before Xiao Weiqing could react.

A wave of pressure descended, as if a mountain were crushing down on him.

Thus, Xiao Weiqing was ravaged by invisible forces... Time passed.

Xiao Weiqing endured the devastation of countless forces. He felt as if he were floating within the void of Chaos. There was a speck of starlight in his mind keeping his consciousness awake—it was a point of flame, not even a wisp or a thread, just a single point, yet it was eternal and indestructible.

He didn't know how much time had passed.

Xiao Weiqing seemed to remember who he was and what he was supposed to do. He also recalled what the Silver-Clad Man had said: his Fire Domain already had the embryonic form of a Domain.

"What is the Fire Domain to me?"

And what is a Domain?

The Fire Domain was merely a means he used to try and deal with Luo Ziyuan, an extension of his own power.

As Xiao Weiqing pondered, he 'wandered' through the boundless space.

In an instant.

A flash of insight struck his mind. He understood!

Extension... no, that's not right. It should be creation.

Using his own power as the core, he would create a space that belonged solely to him around his body.

Wherever the Domain exists, my power can reach.

Where my will resides, there my laws hold sway!

This is my Domain!

*Weng~~~*

A powerful force of the Divine Soul erupted.

Within the void of Chaos, that single point of flame suddenly spread out.

The Domain was formed!

Inside the room.

*Boom~*

An invisible Domain abruptly expanded from within Xiao Weiqing.

Within a thirty-meter radius, everything turned golden, becoming a world of its own.

The other unknown forces in the room couldn't get away fast enough and could no longer cause even a sliver of harm to Xiao Weiqing.

It turned out that from beginning to end, Xiao Weiqing had remained in the same spot, never having moved.

*Ka~~*

The door opened, and Xiao Weiqing walked out.

The Silver-Clad Man opened his eyes.

"Oh, you're out?"

Expressionless, Xiao Weiqing slowly walked to the center of the training ground.

"Let's go."

"The time isn't up yet. Are you sure?"

Xiao Weiqing didn't answer and manifested the thousand flame blade in his hand.

"As you wish."

The Silver-Clad Man's eyes closed and then snapped open. A murderous aura erupted, cold and indifferent.

The next second.

Both moved simultaneously.

The two-hundred-meter distance vanished in an instant.

"Qiang!"

The blades clashed, producing a massive impact.

Then they separated.

The Silver-Clad Man frowned.

"Is that all?"

"I won't hold back like I did last time."

Xiao Weiqing didn't speak. He used Illusionary Light and launched an attack.

He struck with his blade.

The Silver-Clad Man was preparing to counter-attack.

Suddenly.

A world of golden light enveloped him.

The Silver-Clad Man's expression changed drastically.

"This is... a Domain?"

"Good kid, you actually did it?"

"Hah!!!"

Despite his shock, the Silver-Clad Man didn't give up resistance; his figure suddenly swelled in size.

"Bang!"

One strike.

"Qiang!~"

Another strike.

Xiao Weiqing's ghostly figure appeared in all directions, continuously swinging his blade with wide, powerful strokes.

The Silver-Clad Man couldn't dodge at all. He wanted to escape, but Xiao Weiqing's Domain followed him like a shadow—no, within the Domain, the Silver-Clad Man couldn't even tell where he was. His tall body was nothing more than a target.

In less than half a minute, his body was in tatters, scorched by the Samadhi True Fire and riddled with wounds.

"Pass!"

"Stop, stop hitting me."

The Silver-Clad Man pleaded for mercy with a different expression.