"This..."
Seeing this scene, even the Seven Worlds Mansion Lord's composure cracked. His lips trembled, and his chest heaved violently.
The elders were even more shaken, their faces drained of color, not daring to draw a single breath.
Because on the enormous elimination board, there were only six words.
Jie Tian of the Seven Worlds Holy Mansion.
As members of the Seven Worlds Holy Mansion, they knew full well that among the juniors who had entered the Pinnacle of Nine Heavens, there was only one named Jie Tian.
That was the Seven Worlds Mansion Lord's grandson, recently made public only days ago.
...
"Jie Tian was eliminated?"
"It must be someone with the same name. The Seven Worlds Holy Mansion has others named Jie Tian, right?"
"What's going on? The elimination board is that large, yet only his name appears? No one else's has shown up?"
"Could he really be the only one eliminated? That's way too conspicuous!"
Outside, the crowd had already erupted into chaos. Every faction was engaged in heated discussion.
...
The Pinnacle of Nine Heavens, inside that cave.
Jie Tian was gritting his teeth, glaring at Liu Kuo.
Because he had just watched with his own eyes as Liu Kuo wrote his name on the board.
And Liu Kuo had even made a point of adding those four characters — Seven Worlds Holy Mansion.
As if afraid no one would know that the person who'd been eliminated was him.
"I almost forgot to add Seven Worlds Holy Mansion. Good thing I remembered. Now you don't need to worry — they all know it was you who got eliminated."
Liu Kuo grinned at Jie Tian.
"You'll regret this." Jie Tian spoke through clenched teeth, the veins on his face bulging grotesquely.
If he could, he would tear Liu Kuo to shreds right now.
In response to Jie Tian's threat, Liu Kuo simply smiled, then flicked his prayer beads. Buddha's light instantly blazed forth.
But that seemingly holy radiance slammed Jie Tian against the rock wall, twisting his features into a grotesque mask.
The force was immense — if it continued, it would crush Jie Tian's physical body to dust and scatter his soul.
After suppressing Jie Tian with his formation, Liu Kuo walked right up to him, their faces nearly touching.
"Benefactor Jie Tian, this humble monk may be a man of the cloth, but I am very much lacking in manners."
"If you dare threaten me again, I really might not be so polite."
"The trial at the Pinnacle of Nine Heavens isn't without danger. Forget injuries — it would be perfectly reasonable for you to simply vanish."
Only after saying this did Liu Kuo withdraw the formation's power, allowing Jie Tian to slide down from the wall.
At this moment, Jie Tian was gasping for breath, as though starved of air.
But how could someone of his cultivation ever lack oxygen?
The reason was purely the overwhelming pressure Liu Kuo had exerted on him.
"You dare treat me like this? You truly aren't afraid of my Seven Worlds Holy Mansion?"
Jie Tian clutched his chest with one hand, his voice hoarse and weak.
"Afraid?"
"Your Seven Worlds Holy Mansion has had its eyes on my Pinnacle of Nine Heavens for quite some time now."
"If you actually had the ability, wouldn't the Pinnacle of Nine Heavens already be in your grasp?" Liu Kuo asked.
"What's strong about the Pinnacle of Nine Heavens is the formations. That has nothing to do with you," Jie Tian said.
"Speaking of formations — aren't all members of your Seven Worlds Holy Mansion Spirit World Masters? Aren't you all specialists in formations? Then why can't you break through my Pinnacle of Nine Heavens' formations?" Liu Kuo asked.
"Don't you dare look down on my Seven Worlds Holy Mansion." Jie Tian's eyes blazed with killing intent. Despite his weakness, he truly cared about the dignity of the Seven Worlds Holy Mansion.
"Get this straight. I have never looked down on the Seven Worlds Holy Mansion. But I want you to know — don't you dare look down on my Pinnacle of Nine Heavens either."
With that, Liu Kuo turned and left.
Jie Tian seethed with fury, but made no further attempt to resist.
He knew this cave had been sealed shut. It was the Pinnacle of Nine Heavens' formation power — there was absolutely no way he could break through that formation. All he could do was remain here.
"Next time, I will make all of you realize just how powerful I, Jie Tian, truly am."
Jie Tian swore to himself. The next time he encountered Chu Feng and Xianhai Yu'er, as well as Liu Kuo, he absolutely would not be in such a sorry state again.
...
Chu Feng, Xianhai Yu'er, and the others each showed off their skills. The men fished, caught shrimp, and hunted wild game within Chu Feng's territory, while the women prepared cooking utensils and seasonings.
In the end, they truly managed to fill an entire table with food.
But since no one had used barrier techniques and instead relied on traditional cooking methods to prepare the dishes, the food didn't look particularly appetizing at all.
Of the three hallmarks of fine cuisine — color, aroma, and flavor — not a single one met the mark.
Yet Chu Feng and the others raised their cups and drank heartily, eating with great joy as well.
The taste was a bit lacking, but at least it was edible. For those who had endured countless hardships in their cultivation, what did this small thing amount to?
Of course, what truly mattered was showing appreciation.
Long Chengyu, in particular, gave the most face. He ate the most and drank the most as well.