Chapter 709 - 705: That Divine Statue

Chapter 709: Chapter 705: That Divine Statue

To enter the Fourth Layer of the True Dragon Ancient Hall, one must first find an entrance in the Third Layer.

Then, they must pass the test at the entrance!

The entrance to the Fourth Layer was different for everyone. There were thousands upon thousands of entrances, perhaps hidden in a tiny detail. As long as one found and deciphered it, they could enter.

Of course...

Some experts could find an entrance but lacked the strength to pass through!

"Hahaha, I finally found it!"

The first to find an entrance was, surprisingly, Bai Shikang.

His face was flushed with excitement. Before him was a golden wine cup; he had just accidentally touched it, triggering a mechanism.

RUMBLE!

A surge of golden light erupted as the wine cup enlarged, transforming into a watery curtain.

"Shatter the watery curtain to enter the Fourth Layer!"

A line of small, golden words spun on the watery curtain.

Bai Shikang waved his right hand, his palm forming a fist, and suddenly threw a punch.

This trial was about breaking through with brute force.

The powerful, heavy punch seemed simple, but it actually contained the profound insights into the Martial Dao of a dignified City Lord Level expert like Bai Shikang. Strands of Order Divine Chains flowed along his arm, and then, with a RUMBLE, the Fist Gang howled, kicking up gales in the hall.

It was as if a white tiger was roaring at the sky. Then, the heavy shadow of his fist smashed into the watery curtain.

BUZZ!

The watery curtain trembled violently but did not break.

Bai Shikang’s expression darkened. He gritted his teeth and said, "I don’t believe this... White Tiger Dharma Aspect, manifest for me!"

ROAR!

A colossal White Tiger suddenly appeared.

This White Tiger Dharma Aspect stood a full three hundred meters tall, a truly imposing sight. Its white fur was as sharp as Divine Weapons, gleaming with a cold, metallic luster. Its body quaked violently, and each of its black stripes trembled like an Order Divine Chain, containing boundless power.

"Dharma Integration, Heaven-Reaching Fist!"

Bai Shikang roared, his voice exploding in the void like thunder.

His legs rooted themselves to the ground. The floor, forged from Ten Thousand Years Radiant Gold, rang out with a deafening PANG! PANG! as it thundered under the force, like metal striking metal.

Bai Shikang viciously swung his fist.

Powerful, heavy, and utterly terrifying!

This punch looked as if it could truly make the heavens collapse and punch a hole straight through the sky.

As the punch landed squarely on the watery curtain, with a CRACKLE, it suddenly fractured. Spiderweb-like cracks spread out in all directions before it shattered like a broken mirror, revealing a soft, blue screen of light.

"Hahaha, I’ve finally succeeded! Eldest Brother, I’m going in first!"

Bai Shikang called out to Xiahuang the First before turning his cold gaze to Hong Yu. He laughed sinisterly, "Hong Yu, I’ll be taking my leave! The day I return with the inheritance of the Divine Statue will be the day I kill you!"

"If you’re in such a hurry to die, you can come over and test my fists right now!"

Hong Yu said with a grin.

"You..."

Bai Shikang’s face fell.

He knew he was no match for Hong Yu right now. How could he possibly dare to step forward?

With a cold snort, he turned and entered the spatial passage, heading for the Fourth Layer.

With Bai Shikang’s example, everyone became more meticulous in their search for an entrance, no longer overlooking any suspicious detail.

Half an hour later, nine people had found their entrances, and five had passed through.

Among them, Yao Yueye was the third to find an entrance. With a flash of his sword, he sliced the watery curtain open and entered the Fourth Layer.

Even Venerable Xiahuang and Xiahuang Shang had a stroke of luck, quickly finding their own entrances and entering the Fourth Layer.

It wasn’t until then that Hong Yu finally discovered his entrance.

Before him was a strange metal relief sculpture. It was a mass of pitch-blackness, like a dark cloud, yet somehow different—exceptionally bizarre.

Hong Yu only realized there was something unusual about the sculpture after probing it with his Spiritual Power.

Upon touching it, an entrance indeed appeared.

"Hahaha, I’ve finally found it!" Xiahuang the First was just a step behind Hong Yu.

A watery curtain appeared before both of them at the same time.

Xiahuang the First glanced at Hong Yu, the corner of his lip curling into a disdainful smirk. "I only need one strike to get in. Hong Yu, I wonder how long you’ll need?"

"We’ll have to see!"

Hong Yu said calmly.

Xiahuang the First sneered, raising his hand and swiping down with a Palm Blade.

SWOOSH!

The Palm Blade, condensed from gray light, flashed past, causing the watery curtain to ripple like a flowing stream.

With a soft PFFT, the esoteric Palm Blade sliced down, effortlessly cutting the watery curtain in two and revealing the spatial passage in the center.

Hong Yu frowned imperceptibly, a question forming in his mind. ’The Mystical Technique Xiahuang the First is using seems somewhat similar to the Chaos Mysteries. But it doesn’t seem as powerful as the Chaos Mysteries. Strange, so strange... What Mystical Technique did he comprehend?’

As he pondered this, Hong Yu suddenly attacked.

He thrust a finger forward!

A gray brilliance gathered at his fingertip, sharp and piercing, and instantly shot out.

The Finger Light grew larger and larger, expanding to ten meters in an instant.

A closer look would reveal that this was not a single Finger Light, but one condensed from tens of thousands of tiny Finger Lights.

In other words...

In the instant he pointed his finger, Hong Yu had actually launched over ten thousand attacks simultaneously.

The tens of thousands of Finger Lights formed what looked like a giant finger. With an exceptionally clean aura and a series of PFFT-PFFT-PFFTs, it pierced through the watery curtain, riddling it with holes until it resembled a sieve and completely exploded. The display was even cleaner and more decisive than Xiahuang the First’s.

"Hmph!"

Xiahuang the First snorted coldly.

He had intended to mock Hong Yu, but he hadn’t expected Hong Yu to be so formidable. Without another word, he entered the spatial passage.

Hong Yu followed close behind, entering his own spatial passage.

WHOOSH!

The moment he appeared in the Fourth Layer, Hong Yu felt a terrifying Sword Dao aura rush toward him. It was incredibly sharp and clean, as if it could slice the very heavens and earth apart.

’Hm? Yao Yueye?’

Surprised, Hong Yu looked toward the source of the dispersing Sword Qi.

Yao Yueye was standing silently before a True Dragon Divine Statue.

This Divine Statue was pitch-black and incredibly gaunt, depicting an emaciated, middle-aged man.

He carried a longsword on his back and had the air of an otherworldly immortal. Sharp Sword Qi radiated from his entire body, scattering in all directions as sword light shot to the sky. The throne behind this True Dragon Divine Statue was a full nine hundred zhang tall. This was a peerless Great Power of the Sword Dao!

Yao Yueye stood face-to-face with the Divine Statue, and the Treasure Sword in his hand was trembling slightly.

A terrifying sword light erupted from his entire being, his robes whipping in the wind. He was actually using the Sword Dao contained within the Divine Statue to verify his own path and comprehend a higher realm.

’What sharp sword intent. It looks like Yao Yueye has gained a lot!’

Hong Yu nodded to himself.

’Yao Yueye’s talent is absolutely terrifying. He has always relied on his own arduous cultivation and his insights into the sword to reach his current level.’

’Now that he has this True Dragon Divine Statue of a powerful Sword Dao expert to study, his future prospects will be limitless!’

’As expected of the Fourth Layer. Each of the one thousand and eight True Dragon Divine Statues is extraordinary!’

Hong Yu scanned his surroundings.

The Fourth Layer was arranged in a pyramid formation. The front row consisted of four hundred two-hundred-zhang-tall thrones.

Behind them were rows of three-hundred-zhang, four-hundred-zhang, and five-hundred-zhang thrones...

And so on.

At the very back were ten one-thousand-zhang thrones. The figures on each of these thrones were shrouded in a mist formed from layers of Order Divine Chains, making it impossible to see their faces, let alone comprehend the profound principles they embodied.

’It seems the only way to observe the top ten True Dragon Divine Statues is to climb this Throne Pyramid step by step!’

Hong Yu stepped onto the pyramid.

A powerful pressure radiated from the Throne Pyramid, which was composed entirely of True Dragon Divine Statues. The moment Hong Yu stepped into the first row, it enveloped him, carrying with it a supreme will.

Even Hong Yu felt a trace of its weight.

If an ordinary Divine King were to enter, they would most likely be suppressed into madness in the very first row!

’No wonder each layer requires a corresponding level of strength to enter. The True Dragon Ancient Hall... just who was it that arranged such a magnificent setup?’ Hong Yu mused as he continued forward.

If the pressure from the first row could drive an ordinary Divine King mad...

...then the pressure from the second row was enough to shatter an ordinary Divine King’s Soul.

The pressure in the third row was ten times stronger than the second!

Despite Hong Yu’s strength, by the time he reached the seventh row, his feet felt as if they were filled with lead, and moving became extremely difficult.

Hong Yu couldn’t help but stop.

"Heh heh, Hong Yu, oh Hong Yu, and here I thought you were some big shot. Can’t even handle the seventh row? To think I, Bai Shikang, actually considered you a major enemy. What a disappointment!"

Bai Shikang, however, was in the eighth row, standing before a nine-hundred-zhang-tall True Dragon Divine Statue.

Its aura was immense.

It was in no way weaker than the one before Yao Yueye.

This was one of the sixty-eight nine-hundred-zhang Divine Statues. It radiated a domineering Fist Intent that resonated with Bai Shikang.

Hong Yu glanced at him and smiled faintly.

BUZZ!

The Star River Spirit Bone erupted with a dazzling radiance. The pressure on Hong Yu instantly lightened, and he strode forward, arriving before the eighth row of nine-hundred-zhang Divine Statues.

"Huh?"

Bai Shikang’s expression darkened, his face burning with humiliation.

’Just a moment ago, I was mocking Hong Yu for being nothing special, and now he’s standing shoulder-to-shoulder with me. This is a harsh slap in the face.’

His eyes darted around, and he continued with a sneer, "So what if you can reach the eighth row? Eldest Brother Xiahuang reached the ninth row long ago! He’s looking for a suitable Divine Statue right now. Compared to him, you’re just trash!"

"Is that so?"

Hong Yu smiled faintly and took another step forward.

"Ah?"

Bai Shikang’s jaw dropped. He was dumbfounded, utterly speechless.

Hong Yu had already surpassed him, reaching the ninth row and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Xiahuang the First.

’N-No way... Am I seeing things? How... how is he worthy of standing beside Eldest Brother Xiahuang?’ Bai Shikang’s mind was buzzing.

Sweat beaded on Xiahuang the First’s forehead. He had to constantly endure the terrifying pressure of the ninth row as he searched for a suitable Divine Statue.

When he suddenly noticed Hong Yu had also appeared in the ninth row, Xiahuang the First’s heart skipped a beat. He sized up Hong Yu, his thoughts racing. ’This Hong Yu’s talent and strength are terrifying. No, I must find a way to kill him as soon as possible. Otherwise, with his growth rate, he will surely become a grave threat to me in the future!’

’But the most important thing right now is to find a suitable Divine Statue and obtain its inheritance!’

With this thought, Xiahuang the First resumed his search.

Suddenly...

His gaze landed on Hong Yu, and he saw Hong Yu staring intently at one of the Divine Statues. Xiahuang the First was taken aback and followed his line of sight.

In the next moment, a look of shock suddenly appeared on Xiahuang the First’s face...

’How is that possible? That Divine Statue is actually...’