As the black shadow suddenly lunged toward Lin Tian, the speed was so fast that it was almost impossible to react. Zidian shouted and quickly rushed forward, unleashing a burst of purple lightning from its mouth, attempting to block the man's attack.
"Get out of the way!" The man sneered, his figure flashing as the lightning barely missed him, easily avoided by him. His speed was so ghostly quick that Zidian was momentarily dazed, unable to track his movements.
A sharp glint flashed in Lin Tian's eyes as he gathered his spiritual energy, and in an instant, a sword qi flew toward the man. He knew that relying on physical strength alone would never be enough to face this guardian; only spiritual power and spiritual energy attacks could make a difference.
However, the black shadow merely waved his hand lightly, and the sword qi was shattered as if it had encountered a strong wind. The man's strength far surpassed any enemy Lin Tian had encountered before.
"Interesting." The man sneered, suddenly stopping his attack, his gaze turning cold as he looked at Lin Tian. "You are not simple. Since that's the case, I'll give you a chance."
"A chance?" Lin Tian frowned, his wariness increasing. "Who are you? Why are you stopping us?"
The man no longer wasted words and directly said, "I am the guardian of the Black Dragon Mountain Range and the judge of the trials. If you want to enter the Black Dragon Mountain Range, you must first pass my trial."
"A trial?" Zidian was stunned, staring at the man. "What do you mean?"
The man's eyes were as sharp as knives: "If you want to obtain the 'Eternal Night Pearl', you must pass my trial. Whether it's your wisdom, strength, or willpower, all will be part of the trial. Only by passing the trial will you be able to step into the true Black Dragon Mountain Range!"
Lin Tian was silent for a moment, thinking about the man's words, and then looked at Zidian, whispering, "This might be our only chance. If we can't pass his trial, we won't even be able to talk about entering the Black Dragon Mountain Range."
Zidian gritted its teeth, a hint of reluctance in its eyes. "I'm not afraid of the trial, but I'm curious—how strong is this Black Dragon Mountain Range's guardian?"
Seeing that they did not refuse, the man nodded. "Alright, if that's the case, then I will begin the trial. If you pass, I will grant you a way out. But if you fail…" He sneered coldly, "Your fate will be decided by me."
As the man's words fell, the surrounding space suddenly changed. Lin Tian and Zidian felt the environment rapidly distort. In an instant, they were transported to an entirely new space.
This space resembled an endless wasteland, shrouded in thick darkness. There was no light between the heavens and earth, and the air was suffused with a suffocating pressure. In the distance, some massive figures could be vaguely seen moving in the darkness.
"Where is this?" Lin Tian furrowed his brows, alert as he sensed his surroundings.
"Welcome to the trial grounds of the Black Dragon Mountain Range." The man's voice echoed from all directions, filled with cold, oppressive pressure. "This is the heart of the Black Dragon Mountain Range. All who enter must face endless trials. Only by passing my trial will you be able to venture deeper into the mountain range and seek the 'Eternal Night Pearl'."
"What is the trial?" Lin Tian's expression grew grave, his spiritual energy already beginning to gather, preparing to face any danger that might arise.
"Your trial, the first test, is—life and death duel." The man's voice carried an almost cruel delight. "In this dark wasteland, you will face the most powerful enemies. Only by killing them will you prove you are worthy of passing the trial."
As his words fell, several figures suddenly flashed in the distance. They moved with incredible speed, like shooting stars streaking across the sky, rapidly closing in on Lin Tian and Zidian.
Those figures were massive black dragons, their forms gigantic, their blood-red eyes glowing. They breathed scorching flames, and the air around them sizzled from the heat. Their strength was immense, clearly the "guardians" of this trial ground, each one capable of rivaling top-tier spirit beasts.
Lin Tian and Zidian's hearts tightened. Without hesitation, they sprang into action. Zidian's eyes flashed with purple lightning, its form leaping up to collide with one of the black dragons. Lin Tian drew his sword, pouring spiritual energy into it, condensing a sharp sword qi that slashed toward another black dragon.
However, these black dragons were clearly not ordinary spirit beasts. They moved incredibly fast, and their strength was overwhelming. Zidian's lightning strike hit one of the dragons but only caused it to pause briefly before it recovered.
Lin Tian's sword qi, though sharp, merely tore through the dragon's scales, not inflicting any fatal damage.
"These black dragons have such strong defense and recovery abilities!" Lin Tian's heart jolted as he realized the trial was far more difficult than he had imagined.
As they continued battling the black dragons, suddenly, a brilliant figure appeared in the distance. It was a woman in a purple cloak, with an air of nobility. Her face was cold, and she held a sword in her hand. Her steps were light, seemingly unaffected by the darkness around her.
Lin Tian and Zidian were both stunned. The woman's appearance clearly did not belong to the trial environment of the Black Dragon Mountain Range. Who was she? Why had she appeared here? What was her connection to the 'Eternal Night Pearl'?
As Lin Tian was about to observe further, the woman gently waved her hand. In an instant, a powerful force shot into the sky, and the movements of the black dragons froze as if bound by some immense power.
"You…" The woman's gaze fell on Lin Tian and Zidian, a slight frown on her face. "Are you also here to seek the 'Eternal Night Pearl'?"
Lin Tian was taken aback, thinking to himself: "Who exactly is she? Why does she know so much about the 'Eternal Night Pearl'?"
At that moment, Zidian noticed a flicker of light behind the woman, as if some mysterious power was subtly connected to the depths of the Black Dragon Mountain Range. This woman was no ordinary person.
"She… might be someone related to the 'Eternal Night Pearl'." Zidian whispered.
Lin Tian's gaze grew firm. "She's not simple. We need to be careful."