Originally intending to ascend into the sky, Yi Tianxing and his mount had only reached about thirty meters before feeling an overwhelming pressure from above—a crushing force like a mountain weighing down. Once past thirty meters, a suppressive force would bear down on the body. Under this pressure, not only was further ascent impossible, even normal flight became extremely difficult.
A thirty-meter limit—this height was nothing to a cultivator. Even an average sword light could slash that far without issue. As for beast mounts, some with powerful jumping abilities could leap dozens of meters in a single bound.
With spells and divine powers, this kind of range meant almost nothing.
The key problem: if one couldn't reach high altitudes, the advantage of flying mounts like the Golden Roc would be greatly diminished, especially in terms of speed. For cultivators with flying mounts, this was not good news.
"Wasn't this supposed to be an unrestricted competition? Why is there an anti-flight restriction?" a cultivator asked bitterly.
"Of course, there are no restrictions," Black Commander replied coldly. "Flying mounts are still allowed. The competition doesn't ban them. But if you want to fly higher, be my guest. This mystic realm originally forbade flight entirely. You're only allowed up to thirty meters thanks to the boss's generosity."
"Then I'll try going higher!"
A cultivator contracted to a massive vulture began ascending. For a moment, it did seem the air restriction had vanished. The vulture soared past thirty meters.
RUMBLE!!
The moment it exceeded that limit, a deathly aura descended. Without warning, terrifying lightning bolts burst out of the void, completely enveloping the cultivator in a sea of thunder. The skies turned into a "Thunder Domain".
"No! How could this be—?!"
He only had time to scream before the thunder sea devoured him. In a deafening blast, both rider and mount were turned into fragments. His possessions dropped toward the ground.
"See that? That's what happens when you go above thirty meters," Shuaixiao shouted. "Sky is restricted. This is for your own good. There are no rules in this race—all are free to fight!"
Above thirty meters was now a forbidden zone. Anyone who dared fly higher would die—unless they could withstand heavenly lightning strikes.
Still, even with the altitude limit, flying mounts held a clear advantage: freedom from terrain, barriers, or obstacles. Yet land-based beast mounts weren't weaklings either, and this race was far from a simple run.
"Look! Zhu Yuanzhang's Blazing Flame Fire Dragon Pig charged ahead at lightning speed, seizing first place right at the start. But others aren't falling behind. Look—an archer just aimed at Zhu Yuanzhang's throat. Wait… the pig jumped forward—ah! Hit—right in the butt!"
Shuaixiao's shout was filled with excitement.
"That archer is Zhebie, a Godly Mongol Archer! His shot was fierce enough to pierce the pig's defense! That arrow's still sticking out of its flaming rump!" Black Commander explained with vigor.
"Mongol archer! You dare shoot me?! Taste my Thunderfire Pearl!!" Zhu Yuanzhang roared, glaring back at Zhebie. His pig had slowed, and Zhebie's snowy white wolf mount was rapidly catching up—tall and strong, like a warhorse.
Zhu Yuanzhang hurled a crimson bead at Zhebie.
Zhebie's expression changed. Not hesitating, he loosed another arrow to intercept the bead.
BOOM!!
A blast of thunder and fire erupted. The Thunderfire Pearl exploded, releasing a terrifying burst of lightning and flame. Luckily, Zhebie's snow wolf dodged at the last moment, but its speed was hindered.
"Look over there—Xiang Yu! He's riding a Tyrannosaurus Rex! So fierce! The beast charges like a battering ram! It has dragon blood in its veins!"
Ahead of Xiang Yu was a Western cultivator wielding a knight's lance. Xiang Yu caught up in no time.
"He's attacking! The Tiger-Head Coiling Dragon Halberd is swinging—oh no! The Western knight is doomed!" shouted Shuaixiao.
Xiang Yu's Tyrannosaurus mount rampaged forward, crushing everything in its path. His halberd pierced the knight's chest with overwhelming force, tearing him to pieces. The knight's mount was instantly smashed to bits by the T-Rex's charging skull.
"Block my way, and die. The prize is mine."
A mage's eyes glinted as he targeted an Eastern cultivator ahead of him. He waved his staff, unleashing a series of spells:
Grease Spell!
Pitfall Spell!
A slippery path formed beneath the enemy's mount, causing it to skid. It then fell directly into a hidden pit. Before they could react, a chain of fireballs exploded upon them. The cultivator and mount were seriously wounded, coughing blood in the crater.
The mage's rapid adaptation showed high combat skill—basic spells, but deadly when combined properly.
The race had devolved into chaos from the very start, with fierce clashes and cultivators dropping out one by one.
"Golden Roc, head toward the Western cultivators. This race won't end quickly. 'Three Calamities, Nine Tribulations'—this isn't a joke. There are too many contestants. We need to thin the herd. No need to fight fellow Eastern cultivators yet," Yi Tianxing said calmly from above, analyzing the battlefield. Spells, treasures, and talismans were flying in all directions.
He muttered, "This opening chaos is inevitable—it's a purging phase. The strong don't share the stage with the weak."
He didn't fear challenges—but he didn't want to waste strength fighting allies either.
"This emperor agrees! Let's go slaughter those hairy Western freaks!" Green Emperor howled, eyes gleaming as he dove toward the Western camp.
Howl!!
Golden Roc's sharp gaze locked on and surged toward the sky above the Western cultivators.
"At this point, nothing beats archery."
Yi Tianxing's bone war bow appeared, his spear vanishing. A glowing talisman arrow was already nocked. As he drew the bow, true qi surged into the arrow.
Swoosh!!
A sharp tearing sound cut through the air.
One Western cultivator's ears twitched. Sensing imminent death, he turned and spotted Yi Tianxing in the air, bow drawn.
"Bastard! I won't let you get away with this!"
The Western cultivator snarled. It was too late to dodge. A magic pistol adorned with demonic runes appeared in his hand.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!
Three shots fired at Yi Tianxing and the Golden Roc.
These weren't ordinary bullets—they were glowing with divine light, like magic treasures. Three golden armor-piercing rounds, inscribed with radiant runes.
They clashed in midair—arrow vs. bullet.
Clang! Clang! Clang!!
Yi Tianxing's gaze sharpened. He didn't flinch, firing three talisman arrows in succession, each glowing with golden light.
The air rang with harsh, metallic screeches. The bullets and arrows collided precisely—like a rehearsed performance.
Bullet: Armor-Piercing RoundArrow: Armor-Piercing Talisman Arrow
The clash erupted with golden sparks. The bullets twisted midair, overwhelmed by the force. They were knocked aside, while the talisman arrows—though dimmed—continued forward, veering slightly off-course.
Victory: Arrow.
Pffft!!
The first talisman arrow pierced straight through the Western cultivator's heart, leaving a gaping wound in his chest.