Cosmic Professional Gladiator

He rode the waves, carried by spacetime fluctuations to this newfound land.

The land stretched endlessly, teeming with native creatures. They lived harmoniously; some soared through the sky, some raced across the ground, and some gracefully swam in the rivers.

However, as soon as the half-step third-realm beings were swept over by the spacetime fluctuations, the surrounding natives sensed their presence.

“Outsiders!” The native creatures turned their gaze towards the intruders, unmistakably detecting the arrival of foreign lifeforms.

Whoosh.

In an instant, the native creatures vanished without a trace.

…

In truth, Xu Jingming and the others, numbering over 10,000, were repeatedly caught up in the chaotic spacetime fluctuations. Except for a few unfortunate souls who met a gruesome end, the survivors found themselves upon this unfamiliar land.

But the land was vast, scattering the more than 10,000 half-step third-realm powerhouses far and wide. They were separated by great distances, making it nearly impossible for them to sense the presence of their comrades.

This land? Stepping onto the land, Xu Jingming surveyed his surroundings. It’s devoid of any living beings. The silence is palpitating.

Unbeknownst to him, the area had once been home to numerous native creatures.

The suppression of the laws here is formidable, Xu Jingming observed with caution. It surpasses even the suppression felt in Feather Fire City. My Heart Realm teleportation is hindered, and my karmic perception has grown feeble. Even flying feels like a strenuous task.

Casting a glance behind him, towards the spot where he descended, Xu Jingming found himself near the edge of the entire land, able to catch a glimpse of the tumultuous spacetime fluctuations beyond.

I shall venture deeper into the continent, he resolved, maintaining a vigilant mindset as he proceeded with caution.

In that very moment, an unseen illusionary creature fixated its gaze upon Xu Jingming. Slightly larger than him, it observed his every move with utmost care.

Unaware of their presence, Xu Jingming carried on, oblivious to the fact that these native creatures possessed an ability to hide so effectively that even Heart Realm powerhouses would fail to detect them.

Outsider, the concealed creature whispered silently, closing in on Xu Jingming. It grew ever closer, its eyes cold and murderous. Death befalls all of you.

Xu Jingming pressed on, remaining vigilant, completely unaware of the illusory creature’s approach. Little did he know that other hidden natives were also spying on his every move from a distance.

“Die!” The concealed creature struck suddenly, launching an attack when it came within striking distance of Xu Jingming.

In one swift motion, it shifted from an illusionary form to a corporeal one, fully materializing before Xu Jingming.

This was due to the fact that while Xu Jingming couldn’t sense or touch the creature in his concealed state, the latter also couldn’t harm him. Only by assuming his corporeal form would there be a chance to vanquish the outsider.

Huh? Surprised, Xu Jingming found himself confronted by a mysterious silver-gray creature that appeared out of thin air.

Its appearance alone threatened to corrode his mind. Thankfully, as a half-step third-realm powerhouse of the Heart Realm lineage, his mental fortitude proved strong enough to maintain his rationality.

Whoosh.

Sharp claws sliced through Xu Jingming’s body.

The proximity between them was too close, and the mysterious creature’s attacks were too swift.

Yet, Xu Jingming promptly transformed, splitting into three forms. Each Xu Jingming wielded a psychic spear, showing no intention to evade.

In an instant, they transformed into three dark beams of light that pierced through the creature’s body. These three dark beams of light were the fourth move of the Golden Halberd technique—Night!

Compared to its initial creation, this move had become more focused and even more terrifying.
Upon impact, darkness enveloped the area.

Then, the three dark beams of light dispersed from the creature’s body, darkness spreading in their wake.

“Woo.” The silver-gray creature cried out in pain, its eyes filled with anger as it locked its gaze onto the three Xu Jingmings. And then, it gradually turned ethereal, vanishing without a trace.

It vanished?

The three Xu Jingmings gripped their spears tightly, but two of the clones bore severe wounds.

In a single clash, my clones sustained devastating injuries, nearly half of their bodies destroyed. If that creature had made another strike, my clones would’ve been obliterated. Xu Jingming’s expression shifted, a flicker of concern crossing his face. Moreover, it actually withstood the simultaneous attack from my three psychic weapon-wielding clones.

Although the weapon he wielded wasn’t a third-realm artifact, but rather a psychic spear he had nurtured and refined… Nonetheless, the combined strength of the three clones was already formidable.

The mysterious creature I encountered upon my arrival on this land is in no way inferior to me, Xu Jingming pondered, dismissing his remaining two clones. He surveyed his surroundings with caution. Furthermore, it appeared without warning and vanished without a trace. I couldn’t sense it after its disappearance.

It could come and go as it pleased. This gave Xu Jingming an unsettling feeling.

“Woo, woo—”

Xu Jingming strained his eyes, but the ethereal native creatures kept their distance, observing him cautiously. They had witnessed the silver-gray creature engage in a fierce battle with Xu Jingming, leaving him seriously wounded.

Naturally, the silver-gray creature appeared inconspicuous amidst the vast expanse of the land. Many others were stronger than it.

However, within the immediate vicinity, it was considered one of the strongest. Although it couldn’t defeat the outsider, the weaker creatures dared not attack.

Moreover, I felt fear just by glimpsing his true form? Xu Jingming’s surprise remained hidden within.

The sight of high-dimensional beings could corrupt low-dimensional beings.

Xu Jingming dared to look at this native creature. While it didn’t reach the level of high-dimensional corruption, it still possessed the ability to corrode the mind—an utterly terrifying prospect.

I must exercise greater caution in areas associated with Ultimate beings, Xu Jingming reminded himself.

…

As Xu Jingming and the scattered group of survivors found themselves at the borders of the land, only a fortunate few remained in a relatively safe area. The others fell prey to the relentless assaults of the native creatures.

These elusive beings were adept at concealing themselves, evading detection even by the formidable half-step third-realm powerhouses. The attacks inflicted considerable harm upon the hapless victims.

Huh? A weaker-minded half-step third-realm powerhouse succumbed to the patterns adorning the skin of a native creature. His consciousness distorted, leaving him defenseless against the creature’s onslaught. Inevitably, he met a gruesome demise, torn apart by the merciless native.

Only those capable of resisting the mind-corroding effects were qualified to engage in combat against the native creatures.

******

At first, Xu Jingming’s speed was relatively slow, but as he encountered no attacks and saw no signs of life, he began to pick up the pace.

Transforming into a blur of motion, he traversed the vast expanse of land.

There don’t seem to be any other creatures inhabiting this land besides the one I fought earlier. Xu Jingming continued his journey, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings. Utilizing his sharp intellect, he meticulously analyzed every scene and considered the various possibilities.

“Die!”

Without warning, a scimitar-like black tentacle materialized in front of Xu Jingming, moving at lightning speed and sweeping across his body.

Though his body sustained significant damage, it swiftly regenerated. Moreover, two additional Xu Jingmings materialized out of thin air.

“Abyssal Void!”

The wounded Xu Jingming focused his gaze on the tentacled creature.

Towering in stature, it possessed nine dark appendages. Merely looking at it triggered a corrosive force, which threatened to cloud Xu Jingming’s judgment. Yet, his mental fortitude remained resolute, impervious to its influence.

The Abyssal Void illusory realm descended, enveloping the tentacled creature. Two Xu Jingmings charged forward, wielding their spears.

Whoosh. Whoosh.

Within the confines of the Abyssal Void illusory realm, the tentacled creature struggled, but it was ultimately pierced by the two dark beams of light emitted by Xu Jingming’s spears.

As the beams penetrated, an invisible darkness spread rapidly, corroding the creature entirely. Its body stiffened, its eyes dulled, and its mind and consciousness were utterly obliterated.

It’s dead? Xu Jingming breathed a sigh of relief. When the psychic weapons struck, he had sensed the tentacled creature’s feeble mental resistance, which proved to be far weaker than that of the silver-gray creature.

Having ventured far enough, this particular creature was unaware of Xu Jingming’s previous battle with its counterpart. Had it known, it likely wouldn’t have dared to launch an attack.

Now that I’ve slain one and obtained its corpse, I can study this creature and its unknown origin. It’s unlike anything I’ve encountered before. Its mere appearance possesses the power to affect the mind of a half-step third-realm powerhouse. Xu Jingming approached the corpse of the black tentacled creature, eager to examine it.

Its mind and consciousness were wiped out, but its corpse remained intact.

As he observed, the corpse crumbled silently, dissipating into nothingness.

What’s happening? Xu Jingming was taken aback. He attempted to employ his Heart Realm Force to seal the corpse, but his efforts proved futile.

The disintegration of the corpse couldn’t be halted. In a matter of seconds, the black tentacled creature’s remains vanished entirely.

Huh? Xu Jingming inspected the remnants of the corpse. What’s this?

A solitary black character floated where the creature’s body once lay. The character appeared to be an enigmatic script or rune, inscribed with just a few strokes.

With utmost clarity, Xu Jingming perceived that the black character likely resided within the enigmatic creature’s body, only manifesting itself upon the corpse’s dissipation.

A creature transforming into a character upon its demise? Xu Jingming cautiously reached out, using his Heart Realm Force to make contact.

The black character appeared tangible as it hovered before him. The more Xu Jingming stared at it, the more it stirred a sense of familiarity within him. Though composed of just a few strokes, these particular strokes… Why do they bear a striking resemblance to those used to delineate the spear technique on the silver parchment?

That spearmanship had been meticulously outlined with numerous strokes.

Xu Jingming had once divided the silver parchment into smaller fragments, meticulously studying each one. He had devoted hundreds of thousands of years to the careful examination of every stroke, ingraining their intricacies into his being. Hence, when he beheld the character, he swiftly confirmed the connection.

Could it be that the strokes of this character and the spear technique originated from the same Ultimate being? Xu Jingming’s mind raced as he entertained a compelling hypothesis.