When the other cultivators arrived, they glared at each other. In particular, God Monarch Si Tian stared at God Monarch Lu Yuan with hateful eyes, looking extremely resentful.
Meanwhile, the God Monarch Bing Que fixed his gaze on Yi Tianyun and his companion, likewise full of frustration. His attention especially focused on Yi Tianyun, he knew that the reason all those beads had been taken so quickly was definitely Yi Tianyun's speed. He had never expected anyone could be that fast, totally beyond his imagination.
"Challengers, you have arrived," the Venerable Spirit said with a gentle smile.
The Venerable Spirit then repeated the overall situation, causing everyone's expressions to change, especially upon hearing that if you tried to pass through the gate with only one bead, it amounted to nine deaths and one life. Their faces darkened.
They didn't know what "nine deaths and one life" specifically meant for their level of cultivation, but it was obviously no joke.
"Senior Venerable Spirit, exactly what cultivation level is that nine deaths, one life difficulty intended for?" God Monarch Lu Yuan ultimately stepped forward to ask.
"It applies to any cultivation level. Unless your power reaches Middle Heavenly Venerable, everything below Middle Heavenly Venerable will be matched with difficulty according to your strength. In other words, your cultivation doesn't matter, this trial treats everyone fairly." The Venerable Spirit kept the same faint smile, but to their ears, it was anything but pleasant.
Their expressions soured; this revelation was harsh reality. If they lacked enough beads, it meant death!
None of them would claim to be truly invincible. Since the Venerable Spirit said as much, there was no point suspecting deceit. These trials would feature stronger foes proportionate to your strength, likely forcing you to fight above your level.
Otherwise, how would a "nine deaths, one life" scenario arise? The difficulty must be extraordinary or require severely overstepping one's cultivation to succeed.
From where Yi Tianyun stood, he nearly laughed out loud. His favorite kind of trial was precisely one where difficulty was based on cultivation. With his Crazy Damage Mode, multiplying damage by sixty-four times, he could crush his enemies instantly!
If he faced an "above-level fight," perhaps they'd dispatch opponents around the Fourth or Fifth Level God Monarch. In his eyes, that was trash. In that case, he'd only need one bead.
At that moment, God Monarch Lu Yuan and the others shifted their gazes, filled with killing intent, to the rest, clearly aiming to seize more beads or be the one left to die.
"No fighting is allowed here. If anyone starts a fight, their fate will be no different from death." The Venerable Spirit wore a smile, yet his words carried lethal menace.
His statement calmed them all down immediately. The murderous aura that had just bubbled up vanished. It would be suicidal to cause trouble in front of a Heavenly Venerable.
"Senior Venerable Spirit, is there really no other way to reduce the difficulty?" God Monarch Si Tian asked.
"None, unless you keep seizing more beads. You can't fight here, but that doesn't mean you can't compete. You can wager them in a duel, or have a life-and-death battle, as long as both sides agree. You can't force anyone." the Venerable Spirit explained.
Their eyes lit up. Instantly, they all looked to Yi Tianyun. Since he had the lowest cultivation, he was the easiest target. Speed alone meant little if he couldn't move beyond a certain area; he wouldn't be able to escape!
"Kid, if you've got guts, fight me! I have one bead, we'll wager bead for bead!" God Monarch Si Tian jumped forward, taking out a bead. He only had the one, so that was all he could stake.
"A single bead? That's too little. Kid, fight me instead, I've got two beads!" God Monarch Lu Yuan stepped out, grinning as he displayed two beads, inviting Yi Tianyun to a match.
The God Monarch Bing Que stayed silent, just standing to one side, just like his cold attribute, he was a man of few words.
"If there's going to be a match, then fight me!" Domain Lord Liuli spoke up coldly, fixing them with her gaze. "What's the honor in challenging someone whose cultivation is so far below yours?"
"He looks like a mere Heaven Monarch, but I bet he's actually around the God Monarch level. Plus, you're a woman and he's a man. Doesn't he look spineless, hiding behind a woman?!" God Monarch Lu Yuan taunted Yi Tianyun with his words, hoping to lure him into a trap.
This kind of provocation often works: if Yi Tianyun refused to fight, it would be like admitting he was weaker than a woman. In their view, no one truly believed Yi Tianyun was just a Heaven Monarch, the speed alone was too insane. But even so, how strong could he really be?
They hadn't witnessed him in a real fight, so they assumed that while he might not be weak, he probably wasn't that strong either.
"I challenged him first!" God Monarch Si Tian snapped, worried that if Yi Tianyun got killed by Lu Yuan, he'd lose his chance. His only other options were all half-step Heavenly Venerables, which would be a tougher fight.
"Yes, but you're only offering one bead. Why should he choose you?" Lu Yuan snorted, then turned to Yi Tianyun with a sneer. "Kid, have you decided? Will you hide behind a woman, or fight me like a real man? If you'd rather play the coward, feel free to stay behind her."
Lu Yuan's mouth was his greatest asset from the start. Now he used it again to egg Yi Tianyun on.
"Don't listen to him. If he's so capable, let him bet against me!" Domain Lord Liuli said icily.
"Ahem, that's enough." Yi Tianyun patted her on the shoulder and stepped forward with a smile. "Alright, since you're so insistent, I'll take you up on your challenge. Two beads, fine by me."
God Monarch Lu Yuan's eyes lit up, and he laughed:
"That's the spirit, kid, much more manly!"
He turned to the Venerable Spirit:
"Senior Venerable Spirit, he agreed. That's acceptable, correct?"
The Venerable Spirit nodded, then looked at Yi Tianyun:
"Are you sure you want to fight him?"
"Yes, I'll wager two beads," Yi Tianyun confirmed.
"Understood." With a wave of the Venerable Spirit's hand, a divine glow enveloped them both, forming a battle arena in that space. "Whoever leaves this arena loses!"
"Senior Venerable Spirit, if I accidentally kill him, no problem, right?" God Monarch Lu Yuan flashed a seemingly benign grin.
"No problem. In a duel, life and death are not constrained," the Venerable Spirit answered blandly.
Those words made it obvious: Lu Yuan intended to kill Yi Tianyun, leaving him no chance to resist.