"I wonder what kind of mount I can find here. Hopefully, it won't be too weak, or it'll have a hard time keeping up with me."
As Yi Tianxing moved swiftly through the forest, he contemplated silently.
A mount—this was now the most pressing matter for every cultivator.
The theme of this Number One Under Heaven Martial Arts Tournament was a race. It was all about the mount. Or at least, the mount was the most critical part. Without a proper one, participants would be disqualified outright. They had one day to find a suitable mount—what kind of beast or spirit creature one might encounter entirely depended on luck.
But one day—was far too short.
It was very possible that after an entire day, one might not even find a single decent mount.
So now, every second counted.
As he darted through the woods, a flash of light appeared in his hand—his battle spear was already gripped tightly. In the very next instant, it struck like lightning.
Puff!!
A sound like steel tearing through flesh rang out. A thick grey viper, as wide as an adult man's thigh, was skewered seven inches below its head. The snake had been mid-lunge, fangs bared, prepared to strike, its venomous fangs glinting coldly in the light.
Silent and deadly—had it landed a bite, it would've been fatal.
But what awaited it instead was an unhesitating, lethal strike.
"A fat snake... looks highly venomous. The more toxic the snake, the more delicious it is. This'll make a fine dish—snake soup. It's good stuff."
Yi Tianxing nodded as he appraised the snake he'd just killed, recognizing its culinary value. Without hesitation, he sent it into his Spirit Pearl space for storage—awaiting its transformation into a fine delicacy.
Puff!!
Just as he killed the snake, a large rabbit suddenly leapt out from behind a tree. Its blue eyes locked onto Yi Tianxing as it opened its mouth and spat out an ice arrow, shooting toward him like a bolt of lightning.
The ice arrow sliced through the air, causing the temperature around it to plummet.
"Kill!!"
In front of the ice arrow, two spear shadows suddenly appeared—like real, tangible weapons.
Jade-Shattering Spear Art – "Immaculate White Jade Illuminates the Nine Provinces!"
He didn't manifest all nine spear shadows—just two. One struck the ice arrow directly, shattering it. The other pierced through the air like a shooting star, impaling the rabbit and pinning it to the ground with sheer force.
The spear pierced straight through its head. The rabbit didn't even get the chance to squeal before dying on the spot.
"A wild rabbit that can fire ice arrows… its strength rivals that of a first- or second-layer Sea of Divinity cultivator. This is a Frost Rabbit, a feral beast. Wild rabbit meat is already delicious—this one, infused with divine powers and natural energy, will be even better. Great ingredients."
Yi Tianxing looked at the rabbit pinned to the ground and nodded. The spear of true energy disappeared, and with a wave of his hand, the rabbit's corpse was collected into his Spirit Pearl space.
A treasure—too good to waste. Eat it and gain strength!
It quickly became clear that this forest was anything but friendly. Danger lurked at every step, and peril was everywhere.
All manner of fierce beasts revealed their feral nature, launching ambushes from the shadows.
Unfortunately for them, they were far too weak. Every time one showed killing intent, Yi Tianxing immediately sensed it. His spear would strike without delay—no unnecessary movements, just swift, fatal precision.
Each strike was clean and merciless—no hesitation at all.
Every throw of his spear exemplified speed, precision, and force taken to the extreme.
Even as the beasts kept coming, Yi Tianxing, robed in black, moved through the dangers like he was strolling in a peaceful garden. With his strength, these common beasts posed little threat.
His exquisite spear skills, powerful physique, and immense true energy formed a deadly triad. The result? Instant kill.
One shot—kill. Again and again.
Meanwhile, two cold pairs of eyes silently watched Yi Tianxing from within the forest. Seeing him effortlessly kill beast after beast, they radiated with icy killing intent.
"Grull, this Eastern cultivator is strong. His strikes are decisive and deadly—he doesn't even need to use battle techniques. Just one attack, and the beasts fall. He's powerful."
In the shadows stood a young man in a gray mage's robe, golden hair flowing, a staff in hand. He frowned as he watched Yi Tianxing, wariness written across his face.
"Yorklis, that's exactly why he's worth killing. Eliminating someone this strong before the main tournament begins would be a huge advantage. One less powerful opponent. There's clearly a rivalry brewing between East and West. And he definitely has a Pet Contract. If we take him out, we might get another beast to sign. Who knows what else he's carrying."
The man called Grull had a rugged Western face, long brown hair, and a massive sword slung across his back. Muscles bulged under his armor, radiating raw strength and danger.
"Yes, let's do it. It's risky, but the potential rewards are great. At the very least, that Pet Contract alone is worth it. You're the warrior—engage him directly. I'll attack from the side with magic."
A glint flashed through Yorklis's eyes as he made his decision.
According to the two eggs, even if someone died in the competition, they wouldn't truly die—they'd be ejected from the secret realm the moment they were fatally wounded. Since death wasn't permanent—what was there to fear?
And their opponent was an Eastern cultivator.
Yorklis had long been eager to see just what made Eastern cultivators so special.
Previously, whenever he encountered them, he'd felt a powerful threat. Something was different about the energy they wielded.
In truth, on the Eternal Continent, the Eastern and Western systems shared the same foundational realm—Sea of Divinity. But the power within that sea differed greatly.
Take the Confucian path, for example. Though it opened a Sea of Divinity, it was also called a Sea of Learning. It gathered righteous energy, not only absorbing natural energy but also things like scholarly virtue, public will, and the people's faith—rapidly enhancing cultivation.
In contrast, the Western path was split between Magic and Battle Qi.
Both started from the Sea of Divinity, but their approach diverged.
Mages used meditation to cultivate powerful spiritual force, which they then merged with natural energy to form mana within their Sea of Divinity—thus, for mages, the Sea was also known as a Mana Sea.
This allowed them to visualize magical constructs, forming spell models using their spiritual force. These models, nurtured by mana, could be stored temporarily in the Sea.
But spell models were temporary—lasting only a day before collapsing. Regardless of whether they were used, they dissipated after 24 hours. Hence, mages had to re-visualize and record their spells daily. The amount and quality of spells one could store depended on their cultivation and the mana within their Sea.
At higher realms, mages could eventually solidify these models permanently—effectively creating innate spell abilities. While not as powerful as Eastern Life Apertures, they weren't bound by the need for rare materials and resources. Still, they lacked the potential of true apertures.
But mages could cast powerful spells from the Sea of Divinity stage onward—something Eastern cultivators could only do after awakening apertures. In this sense, they had a certain early advantage.
Then there were warriors, who trained in Battle Qi.
Like cultivators, they absorbed natural energy to open the Sea of Divinity—but they didn't cultivate meridians. Instead, they formed Battle Qi cyclones in the Sea. One cyclone marked the first level, two cyclones the second, up to nine for the ninth level.
They infused their Battle Qi directly into their bodies. Without flowing through meridians, it became violent and crude, offering immense destructive power—but at the cost of bodily strain. Unlike true energy, it didn't nurture the body—so their lifespan was affected unless they advanced to higher realms.
In short, Battle Qi was explosive but coarse compared to true energy.
Each system had its strengths—but the true measure could only be determined in combat.
Grull was a warrior who trained in Battle Qi. Yorklis was a mage. The two had landed in the same area by chance and quickly teamed up. Upon spotting Yi Tianxing, darker thoughts had begun to take root.
They exchanged a glance—and nodded in unison.
This score… they were taking it.
Their blood began to boil.
They silently followed behind Yi Tianxing.
He, meanwhile, was moving through the forest as if simply searching for the perfect mount.
Swish!!
Suddenly, a thick vine, origin unknown, sprang out from the nearby undergrowth. It slithered like a serpent, lunging straight toward Yi Tianxing—intent on binding him.