At dawn, in Crescent Valley.
The sky was only beginning to lighten. Many people had yet to climb out of their warm blankets but Han Tianxing had already been fighting in Crescent Valley for four hours.
At this moment, he was drenched in sweat, and a thin layer of frost hung on the corners of his clothes. Hot air kept coming out from his sleeves and collar, making him look like he was steaming. However, his body was mostly covered in filthy blood, and there were all kinds of exotic beast corpses around him. Most of them were jackals, while a few were wild wolves. Occasionally, there were one or two small tiger-striped tigers.
The scholarly Han Tianxing was now covered in wounds and blood. His robes were in tatters and he was covered in claw marks. There were several deep claw marks on his right cheek, one so deep that his bones could almost be seen. Blood flowed down his face and quickly froze, making half his face look bloody and terrifying.
Han Tianxing's entire body trembled. He did not even have the strength to hold the Heavenly Dragon Sword. When he killed the last jackal and pulled the sword out of its skull, he wobbled and knelt on one knee, feeling like his body was about to fall apart.
But this was not the end. Han Tianxing heard rustling footsteps and low growls from the forest in despair. Deep in the dark forest, pairs of green eyes appeared, menacing and terrifying.
Han Tianxing had been fighting here for more than two hours and was already familiar with this sound.
These were the footsteps and howls of a pack of wild mountain wolves. They came in packs and were extremely difficult to deal with. If he hadn't relied on the giant tree and the terrain to his advantage, he wouldn't have been able to hold on for even a quarter of an hour. He would have been torn to pieces by these wild mountain wolves.
The youngest disciple of Hidden Sword Court wiped the blood that had frozen on his face. He did not feel a shred of cold or pain, instead, he was filled with impatience and passion. When he was being chased by Xi Mengcai, he had already felt the Heavenly Dragon Sword in his hand come to life. He could feel a powerful force coursing through his body. He could even feel the Heavenly Dragon Sword breathing in his hand, its pulse beating. It was like an armoured knight, eager to charge into the battlefield.
But once that critical moment passed, Han Tianxing realised that this force was rapidly leaving him. No matter how he searched, he could not find it.
Seeing that the assessment was about to begin, Han Tianxing clenched his teeth in despair, unable to unleash the power of the Sky Dragon Sword. He could only sneak to Crescent Valley alone, wanting to place himself in a dangerous environment in an attempt to find that mysterious feeling of life and death.
However, this feeling never returned. No matter how hard Han Tianxing searched, no matter how he fought the beasts in Crescent Valley in the middle of the night, he could not find this force.
With his bravery and the Heavenly Dragon Sword's sharpness, as well as his rare battle talent, Han Tianxing managed to survive until now in Crescent Valley!
If this was any other time, Han Tianxing would have been ecstatic and Li Chengfeng and the rest would have to look at him in a different light.
But now, there was only despair and pain in Han Tianxing's heart!
"Could it be … I really have no talent for cultivation?" Han Tianxing muttered to himself in despair.
Han Tianxing clenched his fists unwillingly and let out a despairing howl, like the roar of a trapped beast.
As the howl gradually spread throughout Crescent Valley, a voice suddenly rang out beside Han Tianxing.
"That's because … you're looking in the wrong direction!"
Han Tianxing shuddered, using the Heavenly Dragon Sword to prop himself up. He stared warily in the direction of the voice and saw Grand Senior Brother standing not far away, staring in shock at the scene of corpses strewn all over the ground.
Grand Senior Brother had always looked down on Han Tianxing, feeling that he was too scholarly and entered the sect too late. The time given to him to cultivate was too short. In such a short time, it was almost impossible for him to grow.
But now, Grand Senior Brother realised he was wrong, very wrong at that.
This seemingly gentle and elegant scholar was actually so fierce and had such a high talent for combat!
He was clearly weak when he first entered the sect, but he dared to barge into the Crescent Valley with only the Heavenly Dragon Sword in his hand. He constantly forced himself to break through his limits on the line of life and death, and he was actually able to survive under the siege of so many wild beasts!
This level of talent was one in a million!
The moment Eldest Senior Brother's figure appeared, the rustling sound in the depths of the forest immediately disappeared. The pairs of green eyes also retreated, and the wild mountain wolves fled in all directions in fear.
Han Tianxing stared at Grand Senior Brother warily. To him, anyone who was Li Chengfeng's enemy was his enemy. Grand Senior Brother was obviously one of the culprits behind Senior Brother Qin, Tianjun and Blockhead's deaths!
Han Tianxing raised the Heavenly Dragon Sword with trembling arms and pointed it at Grand Senior Brother. "Don't you dare take my Heavenly Dragon Sword away!"
The Eldest Senior Brother snorted and said, "You can only get the true approval of the Sky Dragon Sword if you can match the last user's fighting spirit in the last battle … But you haven't built the foundation, so even if you can use it, you can't use the power of the Sky Dragon Sword.
That's why you have to build your foundation first! "
Han Tianxing roared, "I don't need you to teach me!
If you're after my Heavenly Dragon Sword, then come at me. Although I'm not your match, when I'm angry, blood will splatter everywhere!
I can't kill you but I can still splash your blood all over you! "
Grand Senior Brother was stunned for a moment. He looked at Han Tianxing and sighed softly. He took out a black pill and flicked it at Han Tianxing.
The black pill drew an arc in the morning light, flying towards Han Tianxing. However, Han Tianxing dodged to the side, allowing the pill to fall to the ground.
The precious Foundation Establishment Pill fell to the ground and rolled into the blood and mud, becoming filthy.
Grand Senior Brother sighed. "This pill can help you build your foundation. You just need to circulate your energy according to the outline, concentrate and form your core …"
Han Tianxing glared at Grand Senior Brother, his expression impassive. A mouthful of blood splashed on the ground and he said angrily, "What were you doing earlier?
Stop being so fake!
I won't fall for your tricks! "
Grand Senior Brother was a little dejected. He took a step back. "The path is under your feet. It's up to you whether you believe me."
With that, he flew away in a flash.
Han Tianxing stared at Grand Senior Brother's figure. Seeing that he was indeed far away, he looked away to the blood-soaked Foundation Establishment Pill on the ground. He hesitated for a moment but quickly stomped on it without hesitation, crushing the precious Foundation Establishment Pill into pieces. He even ground it a few times. Gritting his teeth, he said, "I, Han Tianxing, walk my own path!"