Wu Tian’s words had undoubtedly infuriated the burly man.
He struggled to get up from the ground, then yelled at Wu Tian, "What do you know? You can only talk the talk!"
"If you're so good at talking, why don't you try it yourself?"
"I'm telling you, if you dare to face this level of trial, I bet you'll die right here!"
"Die here?" Wu Tian shook his head and said with a smile, "That sounds quite frightening, but honestly, I don't really believe it."
The burly man snorted, "You're ungrateful! Who do you think you are? No matter what, can you be any better than me?"
Wu Tian smiled and said, "Is that so?"
"Since you've said it like that, it would indeed be unreasonable if I didn't give it a try. So, why don't I give it a go as well?"
Everyone was startled by Wu Tian's words, and the burly man was also taken aback.
He had only intended to scare Wu Tian into backing down, thereby saving some face for himself.
But he hadn't expected Wu Tian to be so direct and actually agree.
He sized Wu Tian up and said, "Kid, aren't you a bit too arrogant?"
"How can you withstand an attack that even I couldn't? Do you think your strength is greater than mine? That's ridiculous!"
Wu Tian, however, had no intention of sparing the burly man's feelings and simply nodded, "Yes, I think I am stronger than you, and quite a bit stronger at that."
"What did you say?!" Wu Tian's words almost made the burly man spit blood in anger.
He pointed at Wu Tian, his hand trembling, and said, "Good, good! I never thought you could say such things. Even if you're going to be arrogant, there should be a limit!"
The others also found Wu Tian's words hard to believe.
After all, no matter what, the burly man was a high-grade immortal!
Wu Tian claiming to be significantly stronger than him sounded like pure self-aggrandizement.
However, Wu Tian maintained a faint smile, "I'm not joking. It might be difficult for you, this level nine trial, but for me..."
At this point, Wu Tian stopped speaking.
But judging from the smile on his face, it was a case of silence speaking louder than words, indicating that Wu Tian didn't take the level nine trial seriously at all.
To the burly man, however, such an attitude was no different from showing off.
He believed Wu Tian was simply spouting nonsense. If Wu Tian could truly accomplish such a feat, how could he still maintain his standing?
Therefore, he gritted his teeth and said, "Do you just love putting on a show? Fine, then go ahead and try."
"But let's be clear, this is all on you."
"If anything unexpected happens, don't blame us!"
Wu Tian smiled and nodded, "No problem. Since we've come this far, please move aside."
"Don't block my way here, lest it affects my performance."
Seeing that Wu Tian actually considered him an obstacle, the burly man's lungs nearly exploded with anger.
However, he said nothing and turned to walk to the side.
His gaze was extremely venomous, clearly wishing Wu Tian would be utterly annihilated.
Wu Tian, on the other hand, looked at the statue, which seemed to be a masterpiece of divine craftsmanship, with an air of composure and confidence.
He announced loudly, "I wish to participate in the level nine trial. You may proceed with the attack."
As he spoke, Wu Tian also summoned his Thunderclap Sword and entered the Thunder God Transformation state.
A powerful aura surged outwards like a tide. Upon sensing this aura, everyone's expression froze!
"This... How is this possible? He's also a high-grade immortal?!"
Disbelief echoed from the crowd, and the burly man's pupils contracted, as if he were dreaming.
In his opinion, he had always thought Wu Tian was at most a mid-grade immortal. He had never imagined that Wu Tian had already reached the level of a high-grade immortal.
Even so, he refused to accept reality and said grimly, "So what if he's a high-grade immortal? This trial isn't something one can pass just by reaching the high-grade immortal realm!"
"I am also a high-grade immortal. Do you really think there's a significant difference in strength between us?"
Hearing this, Wu Tian smiled faintly and said, "I'm truly sorry, though this might hurt your pride, but to be honest, there is indeed quite a gap between you and me."
"What did you say?!" The burly man, enraged, was about to retort.
But at that very moment, the dragon head opened on its own, and lightning energy began to condense again.
Sensing the aura of the lightning energy, the burly man felt a genuine sense of fear. After all, such lightning energy had nearly taken his life just moments ago!
He saw Wu Tian's calm demeanor and couldn't help but clench his fists, then grit his teeth and say, "You scoundrel, I'll watch closely to see how you die!"
The lightning energy condensed more and more powerfully.
Wu Tian, however, was not idle. He channeled his immortal energy into the Thunderclap Sword, and the sword body immediately glowed with pure lightning.
As the energies from both sides intensified, suddenly, without any warning, the dragon head unleashed the powerful beam of lightning!
The beam shot forward relentlessly, directly at Wu Tian, its force so immense it was almost overwhelming.
Facing the dazzling beam, a smile played on Wu Tian's lips.
Then, his eyes darkened, and he roared, "Furious Lightning Slash!"
Immediately, the Thunderclap Sword slashed down!
In an instant, an arc of light, condensed from violent lightning power, struck the beam with an unstoppable ferocity!
A shattering sound echoed through the hall, followed by a brilliant explosion of lightning, like fireworks.
Blinded by the intense light, everyone instinctively closed their eyes. As the violent tremors subsided, they tentatively opened their eyes.
The sudden impact almost made their hearts stop!
For they saw that in the vast hall, the beam of light had vanished, and Wu Tian had returned to his sword-wielding stance.
He appeared so composed, showing no signs of strain, as if dealing with that beam had been as simple as cutting through tofu.
A strange silence then permeated the hall...