4372 A Group of Prodigies in Captivity

'Exactly what kind of place is this?'

Panic began to creep in after Duan Ling Tian failed to find any signs of life in this unknown independent realm after wandering for a period of time.

'Is this place uninhabitable? However, what's the point of him sending me here if there's nothing here?'

Duan Ling Tian did not think that the Crimson Demon would send him here for no reason. It was impossible for the Crimson Demon to waste his time and energy sending him here just for entertainment.

'I'll find the end of this independent realm…'

After making up his mind, Duan Ling Tian continued to move again.

…

Unknowingly, days turned into months and months turned into years during Duan Ling Tian's journey to find the end of the independent realm.

"When will I reach the end of this independent realm? Why do I feel like I'm back at the same place I started? Is this independent realm a sphere like Earth?"

In just a blink of an eye, six years had passed since Duan Ling Tian came to this independent realm. During this time, he still failed to sign any signs of life. Occasionally, thoughts of escaping from the independent realm would appear in his mind, but he quickly dismissed them when he recalled the Crimson Demon's warning. He did not doubt that the Crimson Demon would kill him immediately if he attempted to escape.

"I'll have to soldier on…"

Six years were nothing, and it could not wear down Duan Ling Tian's mind and determination.

After a while, Duan Ling Tian suddenly stopped in his tracks when something dawned on him. His eyes brightened as he muttered to himself, "Wait a minute. This doesn't make sense. It's impossible for my Divine Energy to remain stagnant after six years… It's normal for ordinary intermediate Supreme Gods to not have any changes in their Divine Energy, but I'm different! I'm a little over a thousand years old so six years can be considered a long time to me. Even if I didn't cultivate, I should still make some progress in my cultivation. However, after six years, my cultivation base didn't move at all. This means that either this independent realm suppresses my cultivation base or the six years I spent here is just an illusion! However, the Heaven and Earth Spirit Energy here is even richer than that of the Outer Boundary, and I'm able to absorb it. This only means that the six years I spent here are just an illusion! If so, not much time must have passed in reality!"

Duan Ling Tian's eyes brightened further at the end of his thoughts. He released his Divine Energy as he flew into the sky. Then, he brought the Seven Orifices Exquisite Sword out and brought it down.

'Slash!'

With just a thought, countless seven-colored sword rays shot out off the tip of the Seven Orifices Exquisite Sword and slashed at the void.

In just a moment, the void cracked as the illusion broke.

Following that, Duan Ling Tian heard the sounds of exclamations.

"Heavens! This kid only spent six years in the illusion?"

"Six years? Are you joking? I was lost in the illusion for at least 100 years, and that was considered a short time!"

"Before he broke the record, the shortest time someone spent in the illusory realm was 39 years, right?"

"39 years? That person was the first person to be sent here so we don't know if he's telling the truth."

"You're right. However, he's really quite strong. The person in second place who spent 55 years in the illusory realm couldn't beat him until now…"

"Isn't it normal for him to be stronger since he's much older? After all, among all of us, he's the only one above 10,000 years of age!"

After shattering the illusion, Duan Ling Tian's vision went dark briefly. When he returned to his senses, he discovered himself hovering in midair and shrouded by a glowing spherical barrier. He saw a mountain in the near distance. There was a stone platform at the peak of the mountain, and a group of men was gathered on the stone platform. After a quick look, he discovered that the men were very young based on the Myriad Worlds' standards.

'They're under the age of 10,000 years old…'

Suddenly, the spherical barrier around Duan Ling Tian disappeared, and he began to plummet to the ground. He reacted quickly and hastily mobilized his Divine Energy to break the fall. At the same time, he sensed several different energies streaking toward him from the stone platform. They were the Divine Consciousness of a few men on the stone platform.

'Advanced Supreme Gods… and a few intermediate Supreme Gods…' Duan Ling Tian thought to himself after sensing the energies. He also found that the intermediate Supreme Gods had all stabilized their cultivation bases like him.

'Where am I?'

Duan Ling Tian was confused. Everything in the independent realm was out of his expectations.

'Is this also another illusion?'

Duan Ling Tian did not waste time. He soared high into the sky and extended his Divine Consciousness as he wielded the Seven Orifices Exquisite Sword again.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Sword rays shot out in all directions as Duan Ling Tian tried to break what he thought was another illusion. However, this time, nothing happened.

At the same time, a few men laughed upon seeing this.

"I was just like him in the past. I thought this was an illusion as well!"

"It's been a long time since we had a newbie in this place! I was just as foolish as him in the past. How nostalgic…"

"His comprehension of the law of space is shockingly profound even though he's just an intermediate Supreme God! It's close to the perfect form!"

"Has anyone sensed his age? He seems to be younger than all of us. To be precise, he's not even 2,000 years old!"

"Not even 2,000 years old? Are you sure?!"

Meanwhile, Duan Ling Tian was shocked and confused when he overheard the men's conversation. If he was not in another illusion, were they sent here just like him?

After taking a deep breath, Duan Ling Tian cupped his fists together at the group of men and asked, "Gentlemen, may I ask who sent you to this place?"

Following that, an aloof young man dressed in black robes replied, "Who else could it be? We're being held captive by that Crimson Demon from the Crimson Demon Ridge."