Chapter 430 - 428: One-Man Show

Outside the Martial Pavilion!

When the thousands of spectators saw Luo Tian become the first to reach the Eighth-Layer, they erupted into a thunderous uproar.

"He fought two against one, beat back Wu He and Lu Yue, and cleared the level first! Amazing!"

"My god, a disciple of the Sea Demon Palace was overtaken! This Martial Pavilion event has had a huge upset!"

"Can Luo Tian make it to the Ninth-Layer?"

The fervent discussions of the audience were fueled by the intense battle inside the Martial Pavilion.

Just then, Sun Jun and Zhao Yuran were teleported out.

"What happened on the Seventh-Layer? We were eliminated not long after we got in!"

Sun Jun and Zhao Yuran were somewhat dazed.

They only remembered being hit by a violent blast of energy right after entering the Seventh-Layer, injuring them both.

Immediately after, they saw the clearance item and tried desperately to get it, but it remained out of reach. In the end, they encountered a mysterious and powerful enemy who defeated them and had them teleported out.

Listening to the discussions around them, they turned to look up at the Martial Pavilion.

The Eighth-Layer was lit up, and there was only one person inside—Luo Tian!

Meanwhile, Wu He and Lu Yue were still on the Seventh-Layer!

Sun Jun and Zhao Yuran stood frozen in shock, their gazes stiff.

Luo Tian had actually surpassed Wu He and Lu Yue to be the first to enter the Eighth-Layer!

From the surrounding chatter, Sun Jun and Zhao Yuran finally understood. When they first entered the Seventh-Layer, they had been caught in the crossfire of the battle between Luo Tian and the other two, sustaining injuries. Afterward, they had fallen deep into an illusion and were judged as having failed, thus being teleported out.

"You two were eliminated right after entering the Seventh-Layer. With a result like that, it’ll be hard to even make it into the top twenty!"

Mu Li’s expression was stern as he looked at Sun Jun and Zhao Yuran.

Sun Jun and Zhao Yuran lowered their heads, feeling ashamed.

Sun Jun’s original goal had been the top ten, but now even the top twenty was a long shot.

Remembering all the times he had mocked Luo Tian, Sun Jun was overcome with shame and wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

Now, Luo Tian had become the center of everyone’s attention. He was the biggest dark horse of this Martial Pavilion event, the first to break through to the Eighth-Layer.

Could he maintain his lead, suppress Wu He and Lu Yue, and perhaps even conquer the Ninth-Layer?

The Eighth-Layer of the Martial Pavilion was named the "Earth Pavilion."

When Luo Tian arrived, he felt as if a ten-thousand-jin boulder was pressing down on him, making it difficult to fly.

’Can’t fly?’

Luo Tian tested it. He found that he could fly if he really wanted to, but it would consume four to five times more True Essence than usual.

He gazed around.

It was a narrow space, only two hundred meters long, with Luo Tian and the clearance item at opposite ends.

Luo Tian took a few steps and immediately felt the weight on him increase, as if it intended to crush him completely and bury him in the earth.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Every step was incredibly difficult.

At that moment, Lu Yue and Wu He were also teleported in.

Lu Yue immediately slashed out with her sword, attacking Luo Tian!

However, the Swordsmanship she executed was also suppressed by the formless power, causing its trajectory to shift and land on the ground at Luo Tian’s feet.

"On this level, you need to adapt to the gravitational suppression first, or your attacks will have a hard time hitting their mark,"

Wu He explained.

He hoped Lu Yue would adapt quickly and stop Luo Tian.

Lu Yue’s brow furrowed. She took a few steps to adapt to the gravitational suppression, calculating in her mind how to attack to guarantee a hit.

Wu He also began walking toward the center.

As a member of the Barbarian Race, his physical constitution was even stronger than that of the Sea Hunter Race. On top of that, Wu He himself also practiced Body Refining Techniques!

Both of them were observing Luo Tian.

’He’s also cultivated a powerful Body Refining Technique. His physical defense and strength might even be greater than mine!’

Wu He deduced.

’His True Essence is incredibly condensed and enduring, and he excels at defense! The Cultivation Technique he practices is no simple matter. What Tier is it?’

Lu Yue’s elegant brows knitted together.

The two quickly came to a conclusion: on this Eighth-Layer, it would be very difficult for them to surpass Luo Tian.

Lu Yue’s and Wu He’s gazes met. They both nodded slightly, reaching some kind of agreement.

They decided to continue joining forces against Luo Tian.

"I’ll warn you one more time. Don’t mess with me!"

Luo Tian seemed to have anticipated this and suddenly issued his warning!

Lu Yue sneered dismissively. "You’re bluffing! You used a killing move to force us back and seize the chance to enter the Eighth-Layer. But the same trick won’t work twice!"

"Attack!"

Wu He barked, also full of confidence.

He and Lu Yue were behind Luo Tian, so the gravitational suppression they endured was weaker. Luo Tian, walking ahead, was bearing a stronger pressure!

’In this situation, a two-on-one fight, how could they possibly lose?’

"You brought this on yourselves!"

Luo Tian suddenly spun around, his expression ice-cold!

He took out a dark leather whip and poured his Spiritual Power and Divine Vein Power into it.

WHIR!

The whip abruptly glowed with dark light patterns, expanding and extending. The huge hook at its tip shot out like a specter, hooking toward Lu Yue.

"Not good!"

Lu Yue sensed the danger.

But under the terrifying gravitational suppression, even flying was difficult, let alone dodging.

"Ugh... What is this..."

The moment she was hooked, the blood and qi throughout her body seemed to freeze. Her consciousness felt sealed, leaving her unable to move or speak.

SWOOSH!

The next moment, Lu Yue was yanked in front of Luo Tian!

Luo Tian grabbed Lu Yue’s neck with one hand. A suffocating sensation washed over her, and her face turned deathly pale!

"Ugh... Mmph!"

Fear filled Lu Yue’s face. With Luo Tian’s hand around her neck, she felt the threat of death!

Luo Tian did, in fact, want to kill Lu Yue.

But according to the rules of the Martial Pavilion event, malicious injury would lead to elimination, and maliciously killing someone would surely have even more severe consequences.

Lu Yue was a genius from the Sea Demon Palace. It was possible that the authorities of the Martial City Spirit Hall, to absolve themselves of responsibility, would directly apprehend Luo Tian.

Lu Yue saw that Luo Tian didn’t dare to kill her and breathed a sigh of relief.

But the next moment...

SLAP!

The resounding slap echoed as a red Palm Seal appeared on Lu Yue’s left cheek.

A public humiliation!

Slapping a disciple of the Sea Demon Palace in front of thousands of spectators!

Lu Yue was furious.

The audience outside the Martial Pavilion was even more astonished, shocked by Luo Tian’s audacity!

This was a genius disciple of the Sea Demon Palace, yet Luo Tian was humiliating her in public!

SLAP!

Another slap rang out, and a red handprint appeared on Lu Yue’s right cheek.

"You never learn! You’re asking for it! A few more slaps might help you remember!"

Luo Tian’s gaze was cold as his palm swung.

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!

Lu Yue was slapped repeatedly by Luo Tian. Overcome with shame and anger, tears even began to well up in her eyes, yet she was powerless to resist, able only to let him slap her.

Lu Yue’s face swelled up until it looked like a pig’s head.

At this point, the referee activated the Array and teleported Lu Yue out.

The continuous slapping was suspected to be malicious humiliation, and the referee could not watch it continue.

"Now, it’s your turn!"

Luo Tian looked at Wu He.

A shiver went down Wu He’s spine.

’That Leather Whip Hook Luo Tian just used... what kind of treasure is it? Even Lu Yue couldn’t dodge it and was slapped and insulted by him.’

Wu He worried that the same would happen to him next.

But Luo Tian didn’t use that treasure again, instead attacking directly with his Swordsmanship.

In a one-on-one fight, Wu He was no match for Luo Tian.

After a few moves, Wu He was injured and forced to retreat to the very edge of the Earth Pavilion.

With no one left to obstruct him,

Luo Tian advanced step by step to the center of the Earth Pavilion, clearing the Eighth-Layer!

BUZZ!

He was teleported by a golden light to the Ninth-Layer, the "Celestial Pavilion"!

The moment the Ninth-Layer of the Martial Pavilion lit up, the area outside erupted into a frenzy.

It had been fifty years since anyone had reached the Ninth-Layer.

Many of the spectators had never even seen what the Ninth-Layer looked like.

The Ninth-Layer of the Martial Pavilion gradually came into view.

In the center of a sealed room several hundred meters wide, a square metal block floated in the air!

BUZZ!

On the surface of the metal block, intricate and delicate patterns began to shine.

The metal block began to expand and extend, transforming within a single breath into a two-meter-tall puppet!

The puppet wore cyan armor, had four arms, a tail like a long whip, and four pairs of eyes on its round head, leaving it with no blind spots.

Inside the puppet’s chest was a golden ball of light—the clearance item!

Obviously, to truly clear the Ninth-Layer, one had to defeat the puppet!

SWOOSH!

The puppet charged in an instant. Its four hands held two swords and two shields, while its tail, like a metal long whip, could be used for ranged attacks!

Close combat, ranged attacks, defense—it had no flaws!

In an instant, Luo Tian was enveloped by fierce and swift attacks, giving him no time to launch a counterattack.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

His figure moved gracefully as he leaped and dodged, retreating.

"Hm? My True Essence..."

Luo Tian discovered that when he used his Body Technique, his True Essence was being consumed at three times the normal rate.

He tried to attack and found the same was true!

In the Celestial Pavilion, not only did one have to face a powerful puppet, but one’s True Essence also drained at triple speed!

’No wonder no one has passed the Ninth level in so long. Is the person who designed this test sick in the head?’

"Activate!"

Without hesitation, Luo Tian fully unleashed his Nether Dragon Divine Vein and closed in on the puppet.

A Cold Current swept out, assailing the puppet. It had a significant effect, reducing the puppet’s flexibility.

Luo Tian’s Spiritual Sense spread out. He activated the Celestial Sword Technique, his Swordsmanship no longer bound by its original forms, becoming flexible, versatile, swift, and sharp.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Luo Tian clashed with the puppet up close. Both sides attacked with blinding speed, sending sparks flying like lightning.

The battle looked incredibly perilous, as if a victor could be decided at any moment.

Outside the Martial Pavilion, there was dead silence.

Everyone stared at the Ninth-Layer of the Martial Pavilion. It was Luo Tian’s one-man show.

"I never expected the trial of the Ninth-Layer to be like this!"

"The destructive power of each of that mechanical puppet’s attacks is close to the Earth Element Realm Fourth Layer."

"But the mechanical puppet has four arms and no weaknesses in close combat, ranged attacks, or defense. Luo Tian’s situation is like being besieged by multiple opponents at once!"

"He’s going to lose, isn’t he?"

The crowd discussed with a sense of awe and wonder.

"He... has won!"

In the VIP section, the Hall Master of the Martial City Spirit Hall spoke softly after gazing at the scene for a moment.

As if to prove the Hall Master’s prediction,

on the Ninth-Layer of the Martial Pavilion, Luo Tian’s advantage gradually became apparent. His Swordsmanship was fierce and sharp, each strike perfectly placed. The Sword Techniques flowed one into the next, accumulating his advantage like an intricate game of chess.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Streaks of Sword Light rained down on the puppet’s shields and Scale Armor.

At a certain moment, Luo Tian slashed out with a ferociously powerful Sword Light, whipping up a dark and icy storm that let out a furious roar, shaking the heavens!

This sharp strike broke through the puppet’s offense and hit its chest, bursting forth in a brilliant flash of light as cold energy erupted!

THUD!

The mechanical puppet was sent flying dozens of meters, falling to the ground, unable to get up. The clearance item from its chest floated over to Luo Tian on its own.

Luo Tian took out his Token. Eight of the nine grooves on it were already lit.

The final groove suddenly filled with a golden radiance!