Chapter 23: The Battle Beyond Limits

Wu Tian's muscles tensed as the intruder vanished, his body dissolving into the fractured space around them.

A chill ran down his spine. He wasn't just fast—he was beyond comprehension.

Instincts flaring, Wu Tian barely managed to twist to the side as a blackened hand pierced through the air, the very fabric of reality trembling from the force of the strike. A split second later, an ear-shattering explosion erupted behind him, sending rock and dust flying in all directions.

The intruder reappeared, standing exactly where Wu Tian had just been. His robes fluttered in the wind, his gaze calm but undeniably intrigued.

"You reacted," he mused, tilting his head. "That alone puts you above the worms I killed earlier."

Wu Tian exhaled, feeling the raw energy coursing through his body. Draconic Veins had saved his life just now, allowing him to react with inhuman speed.

Yan Xue reappeared at his side, her breath labored. "He's using spatial manipulation," she said through gritted teeth. "His movement isn't speed—it's teleportation."

Wu Tian's eyes narrowed. A spatial cultivator.

This wasn't just someone from the outside world—this man had comprehended the Dao of Space.

A Fight Against the Unknown

Yan Xue's sword glowed with immense Qi, her gaze sharp. "We can't let him control the battle."

Before Wu Tian could respond, she launched forward, her blade carving a radiant arc through the air. The sheer force behind her strike distorted the space itself.

The intruder did not move.

Instead, the air warped, and Yan Xue's attack missed entirely. It was as if the very fabric of reality had folded, altering the trajectory of her strike.

Her pupils shrank. "What?!"

Before she could adjust, the intruder flicked a finger. The space around Yan Xue collapsed inward, trapping her in a sphere of distorted energy.

She struggled, but it was as if she were caught in a separate dimension. Her body flickered, her movements lagging behind reality itself.

Wu Tian had no time to think. If she stayed there, she would be erased.

He moved.

His foot slammed into the earth, launching himself forward. Draconic Veins burned through his body, enhancing his speed beyond mortal limits. His fist clenched, glowing with an overwhelming golden aura. The sheer force of his strike cracked the ground beneath him.

He threw a punch toward the space cage.

BOOM!

The valley trembled as the barrier shattered. Yan Xue stumbled free, gasping for breath.

The intruder's gaze flickered with something new.

Amusement.

"I see," he murmured. "You… aren't bound by the laws of this world."

Wu Tian cracked his knuckles. "What gave it away?"

The intruder smiled. "Good. That means you might survive a bit longer."

He vanished again.

The Limits of the Fifth Gate

Wu Tian's senses sharpened to their peak. He needed to predict the next attack.

He didn't react with his eyes—he listened. He felt the distortion of space.

And then, he struck.

His fist lashed out at nothing—but an instant later, the intruder reappeared right where Wu Tian's punch was already waiting.

The man's eyes widened. He hadn't expected that.

Wu Tian's strike connected, sending the intruder skidding backward, cracks forming beneath his feet.

A hush fell over the battlefield.

Yan Xue's breath hitched. "You… you read his teleportation?"

Wu Tian exhaled sharply. "No. I felt the space shift."

The intruder chuckled, wiping a smear of blood from the corner of his lips. "Impressive."

Then his aura changed.

The air collapsed inward, and the valley itself began to twist.

The ground bent. The sky fractured. Reality itself was being rewritten.

Wu Tian's body burned. His Fifth Gate had reached its peak. But even now, he knew—it wasn't enough.

This man was on a completely different level.

He needed more.

The book in his mind flickered.

A whisper echoed in his soul.

"The Sixth Gate—Void Heart."

Wu Tian's eyes widened. The next step.

But could he reach it before he was erased from existence?