Chapter 87 - Fighting The Puppets VI
The training Area inside the trainee hall was experiencing a silence that had never been seen or witnessed before.
It had never been quieter than it was now.
The disciples were still there, but since the news of 'Zhao Luo is challenging the moonstone' started spreading in the trainee hall, all the disciples rushed to the training area like swamps.
The disciples facing the moonstone challenge kept on hitting their limits. One by one, the fifteen disciples on the ring platform challenging the moonstone would experience a decrease in their numbers.
Moonstone's challenge worked this way. Even if fifteen disciples had gotten on the ring simultaneously and they had the same strength, the time they would hit their limit would be probably the same. But if the disciples were on different levels of power, then the weaker ones would take longer to quit.
'Why the stronger disciples have to quit early?'
Some new disciple of the trainee hall may ask.
It was simply a case of 'Rapid Action' causes 'Force Ejection.'
The stronger disciples complete stages faster than the weaker ones, but they have to face stronger puppets too; thus, until they hit their limit, they may be ten stages ahead of the weaker disciples, but they would have to quit before the weaker disciples.
This was what was going on the ring platform now. The disciples kept on getting off the ring after quitting the moonstone challenge.
Yan had reached stage 27 before she had to quit, while Feng Mei was at stage 25, but they both got off the ring at the same time.
The disciples who were there earlier than them were also getting off the ring.
After a while, only Zhao Luo and Mo Lee were left on stage.
While Mo Lee was on stage 27 too, he was in that stage for some minutes now, so there was a chance that he would complete it.
Just like that, Mo Lee did complete stage 27 of the moonstone challenge and then had to quit it.
Zhao Luo was the last remaining challenger on the ring. With his back straight and facing the crowd of disciples who couldn't help but stare at Zhao Luo as if he was their father from some past life, Zhao Luo was in stage 32.
Nobody from among the crowd of disciples dared to go up the stage to challenge the moonstones. They were so mesmerized just looking at Zhao Luo and how the number of stages on top of the pillar was changing.
'What?'
A disciple thought.
"Look, it says he has reached stage 40."
That disciple questioned.
"How?"
Other disciples also noticed and started to question if what they were seeing was true.
"Unbelievable."
Some disciples denied accepting the truth even though they could see it clearly.
Zhao Luo, who was on stage 32 just a moment ago, had already reached stage 40.
The crowd couldn't control their excitement as they saw the sudden leap in the stages.
Even though they couldn't see what Zhao Luo was doing inside the silver space, it was already an unachievable feat.
None of the disciples could afford to close their eyes for even a second.
Inside the silver space, Zhao Luo's hair danced on his shoulder as he looked at the puppet with his squinted eyes.
The puppet in front of him was the "First Sword Warrior" with Dual Nature.
"How good is a sword warrior?"
Zhao Luo questioned the puppet even though he knew that the puppets weren't intelligent.
"Creak, Kekekeke."
The puppet croaked its head as it laughed weirdly.
'What, Senior Zi Fei?'
For a second, Zhao Luo was confused that he may be facing Zi Fei.
Zhao Luo shook his head as he lowered his body and pushed off the ground towards the Sword Warrior Puppet.
'Let's destroy it, Ifrit.'
Zhao Luo thought as he glanced at Ifrit for a second before bringing Ifrit down on the puppet, who still hadn't taken out his sword.
'Clang.'
Zhao Luo's sword landed on the puppet who was blocking Ifrit with his metallic arm.
If it were some other puppet, their hand would have been slashed off.
"Hmph."
Zhao Luo raised his eyebrow as he pushed his legs down. While bringing his sword down, Zhao Luo pushed his left leg backward, and by bending the knee of his right leg, he was pulling off the movements of 'Burst Slash' or potentially 'Dual Burst Drop.'
'Clang.'
'Clang.'
'Clang.'
Zhao Luo had indeed combined his 'Wood Drop' with his 'Burst Slash.'
To his surprise, the puppet was only pushed back with a dent on its arm while Zhao Luo hoped to destroy it by his best sword technique.
"Creak."
The puppet looked at the dent on its arm and then looked at Zhao Luo before making a sound.
'Was this a declaration of war?'
Zhao Luo thought he couldn't tell what the puppet was going through because there was no ounce of expression displayed on its metallic face.
'Ching.'
The puppet's arms turned sharper and sharper until they took the shape of a shiny black sword.
'Hah. If only...'
Zhao Luo wondered while looking at his arms.
If only he could change his arms to the sword, too, then he would have three blades to fight this puppet.
"But Ifrit is enough to defeat you."
Zhao Luo pointed Ifrit at the puppet as the glowing Ifrit started trembling with excitement again.
This shiver of Ifrit caused a smile to emerge on Zhao Luo's handsome face as he waited for the puppet's attack.
"Creak."
The puppet was done waiting as it attacked Zhao Luo with its sword hands.
'Clang.'
'Clang.'
'Clang.'
.
.
.
Intense sword clashes were taking place inside the silver space as Zhao Luo, and the 'First Sword Warrior' puppet swung their swords at each other.
Zhao Luo was pressured by the strength behind the swords of the puppet while fighting it.
Since the puppet started attacking, Zhao Luo was the only one who was pushed back.
'So he uses one of the swords to use 'Wood Drop' technique while using 'Burst Slash' with the other sword.'
Zhao Luo, who was still looking at the puppet tricks, had finally concluded his information on the attack pattern of the puppet.
'Grab.'
Zhao Luo bent down and grabbed the sword of one of the destroyed puppets in his other hand.
"I can also do it."
Zhao Luo said with a severe face, but inside his mind, there was no end to his happiness.
'Let's go, Ifrit and Blackey.'
Zhao Luo said while looking at the two swords in his hands.
Zhao Luo's eyebrows arched inwards as he pounced towards the puppet, like a beast.
'Swoosh.'
'Swoosh.'
Zhao Luo's Ifrit and the blackey were brought down on the puppet with such an intense speed that the air below his swords was getting cut in half, and the sound echoed around them.
'Clang.'
'Clang.'
'Clang.'
The puppet blocked Zhao Luo's swords with his sword-like arms.
"Creak."
The power behind Zhao Luo's sword was too much for the puppet as its back was forced to bend under the pressure of his swords.
"Creak"
The puppet screamed, but that didn't help him push back Zhao Luo's charge as Zhao Luo pulled back both of his swords intentionally just to bring them back on the sword arms of the puppet.
"Wood Drop."
"Dual Burst Drop."
Zhao Luo shouted as he used 'Wood Drop' with blackey and used Ifrit to perform the 'Dual Burst Drop.'
The puppet, who was already under unbearable pressure because of Zhao Luo's earlier swings, had no way to block these attacks.
"Crea~"
The puppet screamed, but before it could even complete it, Zhao Luo's swords passed through it.
'Clap.'
The moment Zhao Luo destroyed the 'First Sword Warrior' puppet, the clapping sound he hadn't heard for a long time started echoing around the silver space.
"Hehehe, I will let you make some sound."
Zhao Luo said as if approving this sound polluting entity.
<Stage 50>
"LVL ERROR"
*First Sword Warriors: Dual*
Zhao Luo could see around twenty of the same puppets that he had destroyed just a stage ago.
"Another ten stage jump. Great."
Zhao Luo didn't complain as this was better for him.
'Why should I even challenge them one by one when I can just eradicate them all together?'
Zhao Luo nodded his head while questioning the counter situation.
He couldn't see the boss of this stage as there were many puppets in front of him.
'I will reach him eventually.'
Zhao Luo thought with a smirk.
"CREAK."
A loud sound came from behind the group of 'First Sword Warrior' puppets.
It was like an announcement that ordered the puppets to destroy the human in front of them.
The puppets dived towards Zhao Luo, who was ready for them.
With Ifrit and Blackey in his hands, he didn't fear even the hundred of these puppets.
Zhao Luo also jumped at the puppets and fought them as they came at him simultaneously.
'Clang, Clang, Clang, Cling.'
Intense sparks were produced in mid-air as Zhao Luo blocked multiple attacks by the puppets.
Zhao Luo still felt undefeatable until an unfortunate accident happened.