Starting as a Grandmaster, all of my cultivation techniques are at max level.

Even though they had already escaped dozens of miles away, Tian Hong's voice still reached Jian Wuhen's ears with perfect clarity.

"What terrible luck!! Coming into this so-called Thunder Pool assessment has resulted in me being chased! No way, when I get back, I have to get something to get rid of this bad luck!!" Jian Wuhen spat lightly to the side with a dark face.

Meanwhile, Tian Hong, who had already seen the other party escape far away, squatted down slightly while carrying the black iron rod.

next moment,

The ground beneath his feet collapsed with a deafening roar, and cracks spread out like a spiderweb around Tian Hong's feet, creating a radius of dozens of feet. His figure was sent flying like a cannonball.

"How come this guy is so fast? Could he have been caught up with?" Jian Wuhen suddenly felt the other party's aura rapidly approaching him, getting closer and closer, and his heart tightened.

Not fast enough!

He gritted his teeth, a ruthless glint in his eyes. Without any hesitation, he bit two fingers, letting his vital essence gush out, and pressed it forward fiercely.

"Buzz!"

A palm-sized red sword light suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Go!! Whether I can escape today depends entirely on you!!" The palm-sized blood sword in front of Jian Wuhen seemed to sense his determination, directly cutting off the air wave in front of him, allowing him to increase his speed again in a short period of time.

A crimson sword light cleared the way, and Jian Wuhen's figure left a long, blood-red trail of flame in the thick fog.

fast!

Faster!

We need to be quick!

Jian Wuhen felt no relief at his increasing speed; instead, his heart sank. He could sense that the aura behind him was getting closer and closer, and it seemed that the opponent was always one step ahead of him in speed.

I don't know how much time has passed.

Suddenly, a cold voice reached his ears.

"Have you run enough? If you have, then prepare to die!"

Jian Wuhen's heart sank.

It's Tian Hong! He's caught up!

Sure enough, as soon as he turned his head, he found that the figure holding the iron rod had appeared less than a hundred feet behind him, looking at him with a cold smile.

"What do I do now?!" A flurry of thoughts flashed through Jian Wuhen's mind, but none could help him escape his predicament. Finally, he could only helplessly shout, "Don't forget the temple's rules: fellow disciples must not kill each other!!"

His words were both a reminder and a test.

Tian Hong's expression remained completely unchanged upon hearing Jian Wuhen's words, utterly unconcerned: "This is Thunder Pool, not some other place. If you die, will anyone know I killed you? And even if they did, who would risk offending our Tianqi Continent for someone from the Eastern Xuan Continent?"

After saying that, Tian Hong swung the black iron rod with one hand and smashed it down in the air in the direction where Jian Wuhen was.

A gigantic staff shadow appeared out of thin air, a hundred feet long, blotting out the sky, and crashed down on Jian Wuhen.

Wherever the staff passed, the thick fog dissipated, the lightning vanished, and the entire area emitted a piercing explosion under the blow.

Jian Wuhen's expression instantly turned extremely ugly; he was locked onto by the opponent's aura.

This blow was unavoidable.

There's no escaping it, and it seems there's no way to stop it either!

"Damn it, I don't believe it!" He gritted his teeth, braced himself, and raised the iron sword in his hand. The sword intent within his body surged out wildly, condensing into an incomparably dazzling sword light above his head.

But he knew in his heart that even if he could withstand the blow, he would be seriously injured.

The difference between the Creation Realm and the ninth level of the Divine Realm, even though it is only one realm, is like an insurmountable chasm.

The shadow of the staff drew closer and closer, the oppressive feeling growing stronger, and Jian Wuhen could even feel a stinging pain on his skin.

"Am I really going to die here today? Brother Xia, Miao Di, one of you two needs to come and lend a hand!! I'll acknowledge you as my elder brothers from now on!!"

"Amitabha!"

A Buddhist chant suddenly resounded throughout the land.

The news reached Jian Wuhen's ears, and naturally it also reached Tian Hong's ears.

"This voice...it really is Venerable Miaodi!!" The moment he heard this voice, Jian Wuhen's expression changed from great sorrow to great joy.

He knew that voice all too well!

"Save me, Venerable One!!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

A dazzling beam of Buddhist light suddenly shone forth.

A giant golden handprint emerged from the depths of the thick fog, its five fingers spread wide, and gently patted the hundred-foot-tall staff shadow.

"boom!"

A deafening roar shook the heavens and the earth.

The golden handprint collided with the hundred-foot-long staff shadow with a thunderous crash, and a violent shockwave swept out in all directions, instantly clearing away the surrounding thick fog and revealing a clear sky covering several miles.

Immediately afterwards, a figure slowly emerged from the thick fog and landed beside Jian Wuhen.

The newcomer was enveloped in a faint Buddhist light, his aura vast and unfathomable.

That's right, it was Jian Wuhen's old acquaintance, Venerable Miaodi.

"Venerable One! You've finally arrived! If you had been even a fraction later, you would probably be collecting my corpse today!!"

Jian Wuhen let out a long breath, feeling utterly exhausted, almost collapsing to the ground. He looked at Venerable Miaodi with the eyes of someone who had become his savior.

Venerable Miaodi nodded slightly to Jian Wuhen, but his gaze quickly fell on Tian Hong not far away, and a trace of solemnity flashed in his eyes.

"My benefactor, it is wise to show mercy when possible. Why be so ruthless?"

At this moment, Tian Hong's expression changed from previous disdain to seriousness.

He stared intently at Venerable Miaodi, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes. As a powerful cultivator at the Creation Realm, and having clearly sensed from their brief exchange that this monk was on par with him in strength, he knew that this monk was absolutely on the same level.

"And who are you? Could you also be from the Eastern Xuan Continent?!" After a moment of silence, Tian Hong pointed the iron rod in his hand directly at Venerable Miao Di, showing a tendency to attack immediately if there was any disagreement.

"This humble monk is Miaodi, a native of the Eastern Xuan Continent." Venerable Miaodi clasped his hands together, his face expressionless, but a faint golden light shimmered in his eyes.

Tian Hong frowned. They really were from the Eastern Xuan Continent. How come these newcomers from the Eastern Xuan Continent who entered the Divine Temple were all so difficult to deal with?!

And they actually have that kind of strength? How is that possible?

The two remained locked in a standoff, neither making the first move.