Joe Di had been standing for days, but only he knew that he had not truly fallen. He simply could not move, nor could his spiritual sense extend outward.
At this moment, Joe Di could clearly feel the deathly aura atop Cultivator's Mount. That aura confined his movements and the space in which his spiritual sense could be released, yet it could not strip the vitality from his divine-level body, nor could it penetrate his tenth-level sea of consciousness.
Even so, Joe Di was still deeply shocked. His body and sea of consciousness remained uncorroded, yet his life force continued to ebb away. One day, when his lifespan ran out, he would perish completely on Cultivator's Mount, no different from the other cultivators.
The only reason he was still alive now was thanks to his tenth-level sea of consciousness and top-tier tempered body.
Though Joe Di's spiritual sense could not reach out, he now desperately wished someone would rush to his side and attack him.
As long as an external force touched his body, his spiritual sense could burst forth, allowing him to regain his mobility.
But as day after day passed, Joe Di's despair grew. He did not know how much longer he had to live, but he was certain his time was running short.
......
Cynthia Winters saw Sherry Jing perish on Cultivator's Mount, and a trace of regret flashed through her heart. After all, they had spent some time together, and some feelings had developed.
That sentiment was quickly set aside. She stared at Joe Di standing atop Cultivator's Mount, feeling increasingly disappointed.
So far, at least a hundred and thirty people stood behind Joe Di, but not a single one could approach within twenty steps of him. Did she really have to act herself? By now, not only Cynthia Winters but everyone else could see it—Joe Di's path was perhaps the deadliest on Cultivator's Mount.
She had to obtain the Realm-Splitting Talisman, for it was her secret.
Just as Cynthia Winters was about to step forward herself, a figure in yellow descended at the base of Cultivator's Mount. Cynthia instantly halted—she recognized the newcomer: Victor Brooks of the Brooks Family.
The Brooks Family was easily among the top three families in the True Domain, and lately, they had grown even more powerful. In recent years, two peerless geniuses had emerged from their ranks, and these two were siblings. The sister, Joanna Brooks, was rumored to be on the verge of reaching the Transforming True Stage before the True Domain Prodigy Trials. Her brother, standing before them now—Victor Brooks—was even more formidable, already at the ninth tier of the Tribulation King Stage. If nothing went wrong, Victor Brooks would soon step into the Transforming True Stage after leaving Little Central Star. He was already famed throughout the True Domain, and for his fondness of yellow attire, he was known as the Young Lord in Yellow.
Cynthia Winters would also compete in the True Domain Prodigy Trials. At her current pace, she would likely only reach the fourth tier of the Tribulation King Stage by then, far behind the Brooks siblings.
"So Junior Sister Cynthia is here too." Victor Brooks spotted Cynthia Winters and made a point of greeting her.
Cynthia Winters was rare in beauty even within the True Domain, not to mention her origins from Frostfall Mountain.
Cynthia Winters returned the salute. "Cynthia greets Senior Brother Brooks. Are you planning to ascend Cultivator's Mount, Senior Brother?"
Victor Brooks smiled slightly. "Indeed, I intend to go up. My cultivation method requires a large quantity of top-grade spirit veins. I heard Little Central Star had discovered a hidden ancient Spirit Vein Valley, but by the time I arrived, all the top-grade veins were gone."
Cynthia Winters smiled faintly. "I heard the same. They say all the top-grade spirit veins ended up with the Red Tassel Young Lord."
"That's right." Victor Brooks glanced at Joe Di atop Cultivator's Mount and replied casually, "I came here precisely for those spirit veins."
Cynthia Winters bowed once more. "Senior Brother Brooks, I have a favor to ask."
Victor Brooks had always harbored some thoughts about Cynthia Winters, so he answered without hesitation, "Junior Sister Cynthia, just say the word. If it's within my power, I'll do it."
Cynthia Winters said, "Red Tassel Young Lord Joe Di took one of my Realm-Splitting Talismans. I want it back..."
"Haha..." Victor Brooks laughed heartily. "Just a Realm-Splitting Talisman? I'll guarantee you get it back. I'm heading up the mountain first—wait here for my good news, Junior Sister Cynthia."
With that, Victor Brooks flickered and stepped directly onto Cultivator's Mount.
To him, a mere Realm-Splitting Talisman was nothing worth worrying about. Though valuable, it was not something Victor Brooks needed.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Brooks." Cynthia Winters still expressed her gratitude. She knew Victor Brooks had no use for the talisman. Realm-Splitting Talismans were rare in the cultivation world, but not truly priceless. Yet she needed one to reach that place, so for her, it was irreplaceable.
Victor Brooks had already stepped onto Cultivator's Mount. He was not worried about perishing there. While he wouldn't claim to be the top genius of the True Domain, he was certainly among the top three. Moreover, he possessed a unique talent: when facing death, he could sense it a breath ahead of time.
Cultivator's Mount was terrifying for other cultivators, but for him, it was not fatal.
Victor Brooks did not move quickly, but the other cultivators soon sensed that he would surely claim Joe Di's ring—such was his aura.
After seeing Victor Brooks' speed and presence, several cultivators at the foot of Cultivator's Mount halted their ascent.
It was Victor Brooks' first time climbing Cultivator's Mount, though he had heard plenty of rumors about it. With his strength, he was certain that surpassing a hundred steps should be easy.
Yet by the seventieth step, a shadow of death crept into Victor Brooks' heart. By the eightieth, the sense of doom grew even clearer. He was sure his limit would be around ninety-five steps.
At this point, Victor Brooks fully understood that the route chosen by the reckless Red Tassel Young Lord was one of the most terrifying paths on Cultivator's Mount. Even he could not pass a hundred steps, so this path was essentially a dead end.
(This chapter is not yet finished~.~ Please click next page to continue reading the exciting content!)
Victor Brooks slowed his pace, becoming more cautious. Top-grade spirit veins were important to him, but his life was even more so. After the True Domain Prodigy Trials, with his talent and strength, he was sure to reach the Domain Stage and then ascend to the Immortal Realm. With such a bright future, he would not risk his life on Cultivator's Mount.
Everyone at the foot of Cultivator's Mount watched Victor Brooks. When he passed ninety steps, nearly every cultivator holding their breath. Previously, those who wanted to snatch Joe Di's ring had only managed about eighty steps—twenty short of Joe Di's hundred.
Now Victor Brooks had surpassed ninety steps and was still moving forward, showing just how formidable he was. Yet the crowd soon remembered that the Red Tassel Young Lord was even more terrifying—he had taken a hundred steps on this deadly path.
Victor Brooks stopped at the ninety-fifth step, advancing no further. The sense of impending death in his heart intensified—he knew that if he dared take one more step, he would surely die. At this moment, he was also deeply shocked, especially by the Red Tassel Young Lord's fearsome prowess.
Victor Brooks was a top prodigy of the True Domain, already at the ninth tier of the Tribulation King Stage—just one step away from the Transforming True Stage. Yet with all his strength, he could only reach the ninety-fifth step on this path, showing just how terrifying Joe Di was to have died after a hundred steps.
Though he could go no further, Victor Brooks was unfazed. He drew a flying dagger. Even with his spiritual sense suppressed to the extreme, severing Joe Di's ring-bearing arm with the dagger should be no problem. After all, the dagger was a low-grade immortal artifact.
He unleashed the flying dagger, and just as expected, it sliced across Joe Di's wrist, spraying a mist of blood. Yet to Victor Brooks' shock, the blade did not sever Joe Di's arm—the dagger was an immortal artifact! Victor Brooks poured his spiritual sense into it, and finally, with a surge of power, the flying dagger cut off Joe Di's wrist.
Joe Di had been waiting for an external force. When Victor Brooks' dagger struck, the force severed his wrist but also triggered the true essence in his starry meridians. His spiritual sense, compressed into his sea of consciousness, burst forth like life breaking out of an eggshell.
In the next instant, Joe Di grabbed his severed wrist and reattached it in a flash.
Suddenly, Victor Brooks sensed something was wrong—Joe Di's severed wrist had sprayed blood. On Cultivator's Mount, the dead cultivators bled no more. The Red Tassel Young Lord's wound was bleeding—could it be...
Then he saw Joe Di actually move, not only moving but grabbing and reattaching his severed wrist.
Victor Brooks had no idea that Joe Di's ring was real and fake—what he could see was fake, what he couldn't see was real. Watching as the hundreds of top-grade spirit veins were reclaimed by Joe Di, Victor Brooks was unwilling to let go. Instinctively, he stepped forward, trying to snatch the severed wrist back.
The moment he lifted his foot, Victor Brooks knew something was wrong and tried desperately to step back. But the entire space froze in that instant. Victor Brooks felt his consciousness rapidly collapsing, his body completely out of his control. Mouth open, he wanted to call out for Joe Di to save him, but not a word could escape.