4371 The Crimson Demon’s Motives
Upon hearing the Crimson Demon’s words, Duan Ling Tian’s heart skipped a beat. However, he quickly regained his composure. This was because he knew that the Crimson Demon would have killed him earlier if the Crimson Demon truly wanted him dead.
At the same time, Duan Ling Tian sighed inwardly. He naturally noticed the loophole in the Crimson Demon’s words earlier, but he did not dare to say anything. In the end, he inhaled deeply before he raised his head to look at the Crimson Demon and say solemnly, “Senior, you could’ve killed me earlier as soon as I stepped foot out of Crimson Demon Ridge. May I ask what it is you need from me? I’ll do my best to cooperate as long as it’s within my capabilities.”
The Crimson Demon smiled. “How courageous. You’re right. I have no intention of killing you. I should say that killing you doesn’t benefit me at all. I’m here for a different matter. Rest assured. I won’t make you stay in Crimson Demon Ridge and turn you into my puppet…”
Duan Ling Tian continued to look at the Crimson Demon even though his heart was racing in his chest.
“There must be a catch, right, senior?” Duan Ling Tian asked. He naturally knew the Crimson Demon did not come to him just to tell him these things.
“That’s right,” the Crimson Demon said as he nodded, “I want to send you to a place. If you’re able to survive, you can consider it a fortuitous encounter. You can refuse me, but the consequence is death.”
Duan Ling Tian’s expression changed upon hearing the Crimson Demon’s words. He naturally knew the Crimson Demon must have a reason for doing this. He took a deep breath before he asked, “Senior, may I know what kind of place you plan to send me to? What kind of fortuitous encounter is there?”
“You’ll find out when you’re there,” the Crimson Demon said unhurriedly, “It’s an independent realm outside of the Outer Boundary. Don’t even think of escaping once you’re there. If I catch you trying to break the spatial barrier there to escape, I won’t hesitate to kill you immediately. I trust a smart person like you won’t take such risks, right?”
Duan Ling Tian’s expression darkened when he heard the Crimson Demon’s words.
“Tell me. What’s your decision? You’ll have to choose between death and going to that independent realm,” the Crimson Demon said.
“I’ll go to the independent realm,” Duan Ling Tian replied without any hesitation.
The Crimson Demon smirked. “Excellent choice! You’re a true prodigy!”
As soon as his voice fell, the Crimson Demon raised his hand.
Duan Ling Tian felt the void shaking before he was overwhelmed by an energy that stopped him from mobilizing his Divine Energy, making him feel helpless. The power of a supreme powerhouse far exceeded his expectations. He thought to himself, ‘The Crimson Demon might not be an ordinary supreme powerhouse…’
This was Duan Ling Tian’s final thought before he lost consciousness.
Meanwhile, the Crimson Demon looked at the unconscious Duan Ling Tian who was suspended in midair by his energy with bright eyes. He muttered to himself, “I hope this boy will be able to survive my cultivation plan… He’s the best candidate I found so far.”
Subsequently, the Crimson Demon brought Duan Ling Tian with him and vanished into thin air.
…
After a while, the Crimson Demon arrived in a remote valley near the Crimson Demon Ridge. He waved his air, and a spatial tear appeared in the void.
“Now, go… Perhaps, you’re my last hope,” the Crimson Demon murmured as he sent the unconscious Duan Ling Tian into the spatial tear, “Although many years have passed, I refuse to just wait and die…”
As soon as he finished speaking, the Crimson Demon’s body trembled slightly. He held his chest and coughed out two mouthfuls of blood. The blood was quickly dissipated by his Divine Energy.
If Duan Ling Tian had witnessed this, he would have been able to tell that the supreme powerhouse was seriously injured internally. Under normal circumstances, this level of injury had to be inflicted by a supreme powerhouse more powerful than the Crimson Demon or by a few supreme powerhouses on par with the Crimson Demon. There was also a possibility that the injury was caused by another reason. Perhaps, the Crimson Demon was injured in a highly dangerous place outside of the Outer Boundary, or perhaps, the Crimson Demon was injured by the Time Heavenly Tribulation that happened once every 10,000 years. It was similar to the Heavenly Tribulations that cultivators under the realm of supreme powerhouses had to go through once every 1,000 years. Even supreme powerhouses could not avoid the Heavenly Tribulation. Needless to say, similar to the Heavenly Tribulation, the Time Heavenly Tribulation would only get increasingly strong.
Although supreme powerhouses were powerful, they would eventually succumb to the Heavenly Tribulation with the passage of time. No one knew the origins of the Heavenly Tribulation; they only knew it was unavoidable.
In the God Defying World, all cultivators knew that they would have to undergo the Heavenly Tribulation after reaching a certain level. Many cultivators tried to escape the Heavenly Tribulation by fleeing to the lower realms. However, they all discovered that it was futile; they could not avoid the Heavenly Tribulation at all. Moreover, the strength of natives of Realms of Gods would be suppressed in the lower realms, lowering their chances of surviving the Heavenly Tribulation. With this, they stopped trying to escape to the lower realms.
…
When Duan Ling Tian regained consciousness, he found himself in a desolate mountain range. It was extremely quiet, and there were no signs of life at all.
Duan Ling Tian staggered slightly after rising to his feet.
‘Where am I? The Heaven and Earth Spirit Energy here is much richer than the Outer Boundary… According to the Crimson Demon, this is an independent realm outside of the Outer Boundary and that there are fortuitous encounters here. There’s no doubt that this place is dangerous. I have to learn more about this place before searching for fortuitous encounters. There must be a catch somewhere. It’s impossible for him to have no hidden motive for sending me here. Although this place might benefit me, there’s no doubt it’ll benefit him as well. Is he planning to use me to obtain some treasure here? Perhaps, supreme powerhouses can’t enter this place. Well, as long as I’m able to preserve my life, he can have whatever he wants. I have no choice but to become his errand boy since I’m no match for him. This is how the world is. Is this karma? Back on the Realm Battlefield, everyone had no choice but to follow my orders since they were no match for me…’
Duan Ling Tian was certain that the Crimson Demon wanted something from this place. He did not care about that; what he cared about was his life.
‘I hope the Crimson Demon will stop pestering me after he gets what he wants. I hope he’ll let me go…’
Duan Ling Tian kept his spirits high despite feeling a little uneasy. He flew into the air and surveyed his surroundings before he wandered aimlessly, searching for signs of human activities. However, as time passed, he still did not see any signs of life after traveling for 10,000 miles. He did not even see a single plant in this desolate independent realm.