Chapter 466 - 463: The Fifth Level

Chapter 466: Chapter 463: The Fifth Level

"Mad Saber, I won’t forget this!"

Xue Wu glanced at his injuries and pushed himself up from the ground.

After taking a Healing Elixir, some color returned to his face, but his aura was still faint and unsteady.

Although the bleeding in the arm Mad Saber had injured had stopped, it still throbbed with a dull pain, and every breath sent a fresh pang through it.

He took a deep breath and walked toward the passage.

The moment he stepped into the passage, five puppets moved in unison.

He drew his sword, its light transforming into a crimson streak as it met the pouncing Fierce Tiger Puppet.

"CLANG—"

Amid the ringing of metal, the Fierce Tiger Puppet’s forward charge was stopped cold.

Twisting his body, he dodged the Giant Bear Puppet’s palms and, with a backhanded slash, struck at the Giant Python Puppet.

His Swordsmanship was fierce and domineering, carrying an indomitable momentum.

However, the injury to his right arm ultimately hampered his performance.

The power of his sword was clearly diminished.

He struck the Giant Python Puppet’s head, knocking it aside, but failed to force it back.

The metal serpent’s tail, as thick as a water bucket, was already sweeping toward him. He had no time to dodge and could only block with his sword held horizontally.

"BANG—"

The impact sent him staggering back several steps. The wound on his right arm split open again, soaking his sleeve in blood.

Before he could regain his footing, the Giant Bear Puppet’s palms slammed at him from the side.

His expression changed drastically as he dodged to the side with all his might.

The Giant Bear Puppet’s left palm grazed his shoulder, spraying a shower of blood, while its right palm landed squarely on his back.

"PFFT—"

He spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying forward like a kite with a snapped string.

He slammed heavily onto the ground, rolling twice before coming to a stop.

The Giant Ape Puppet’s fists were already smashing down from above.

He struggled to get up, only to find he no longer had the strength to fight.

"Damn it!"

He looked up at the dark silver fists drawing ever closer, a flash of bitterness in his eyes.

’If I hadn’t been injured, I might have passed this trial and received a better reward.’

But in this world, there are no ’what-ifs’. He was finally paying the price for his provocation two days ago.

"SWOOSH!"

A golden barrier materialized out of thin air, enveloping Xue Wu and transporting him out of the Ancient Ruins.

A Jade Box containing Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures fell into his hands.

Xue Wu looked down at the Jade Box in his hand.

He had received a Heavenly Material as a reward, but there was no joy in his eyes—only deep, bitter resentment.

The golden barrier, still enveloping him, vanished from the passage entrance.

"Heh—"

Mad Saber, a giant saber resting on his shoulder, watched Xue Wu disappear and grinned.

His smile held not a shred of sympathy, only undisguised glee.

The remaining prodigies from Donglu County entered the passage one by one.

In the end, only Lie Yunting and four others passed the fourth trial; the rest all failed.

On the side of Qingyang County, it was now the turn of Fang Han’s group of three.

Fang Han was the first to step forward, walking toward the passage.

The moment he stepped into the passage, five puppets moved in unison.

A Fierce Tiger, a Giant Bear, a Giant Python, a Giant Ape, and a Giant Eagle—five metal figures—pounced from five directions at once.

Fang Han’s expression remained unchanged as his right hand came to rest on his sword hilt.

"SHIING—"

The Cloud Splitting Sword left its sheath.

A cyan-gold light flowed along the blade.

He didn’t use Sword Intent, only his Perfection-level Wind Momentum.

A piercing sharpness that seemed capable of tearing through anything radiated out to meet the five attacking Metal Puppets.

"CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG—!"

A few dozen exchanges later.

The five puppets, like five pieces of rubble swept up by a hurricane, were viciously slammed against the passage walls.

The walls trembled, letting out a dull roar.

Seizing the opportunity, he sheathed his sword and passed through the passage.

Luo Yuntian was the second to enter the passage.

He drew his sword, its light steady, and engaged the five puppets in a fierce battle.

His Swordsmanship was unhurried yet carried a dense, impenetrable quality, always managing to neutralize the puppets’ attacks in the nick of time.

But five Early Third Grade puppets were still an immense challenge for him.

Thirty exchanges.

Fifty exchanges.

Eighty exchanges.

Fine beads of sweat broke out on Luo Yuntian’s forehead, and several new tears, ripped open by sharp claws, appeared on his green robe.

The Fierce Tiger Puppet’s claws grazed his left shoulder, leaving a deep, bloody gash.

The Giant Python Puppet’s tail swept across his waist, making his qi and blood roil from the impact.

He gritted his teeth and, with a desperate sword strike, forced back the Giant Bear Puppet and darted forward.

The Giant Eagle Puppet’s wings swept down from above. Unable to dodge, he could only block with his sword held horizontally.

"BANG—"

The impact knocked him several feet sideways. A sweet taste rose in his throat as blood surged up.

But he used the force of the blow to accelerate, finally breaking through the passage just before the five puppets could surround him again.

The moment he cleared the passage, he staggered and nearly fell.

Steadying himself, he gasped for breath, his face ashen. Blood seeped from the wound on his left shoulder, and sharp pains pulsed from his side.

But in the end, he had made it through.

Yun Muyao was the third to enter the passage.

She drew her sword, its light radiating an icy chill, and engaged the five puppets.

With her Late-Stage Fourth Grade Limit Cultivation, her strength was by no means inferior to that of an ordinary Early Third Grade Martial Artist. She was even confident she could defeat one in a one-on-one fight.

However, when faced with a siege by five puppets comparable to the Early Third Grade, she was clearly outmatched.

After thirty exchanges.

The Giant Ape Puppet’s fists smashed at her from the side. Unable to dodge in time, she could only block with her sword.

"CLANG—"

Amid the ringing of metal, she was sent staggering back several steps.

Before she could regain her footing, the Giant Python Puppet’s tail was already sweeping toward her.

"BANG—"

She spat a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward, slamming heavily down at the passage entrance.

A golden barrier appeared and enveloped her, and a Jade Box containing Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures fell into her hand.

She looked down at the Jade Box, her cool, aloof eyes showing no sign of disappointment.

’She was well aware of her own strength and knew that the chances of her passing the fourth trial were slim.’

The golden barrier, still enveloping her, vanished from the passage entrance.

Of the three from Qingyang County who attempted the fourth trial, two succeeded and one failed.

Next, the prodigies from the various counties attempted the trial one after another.

The vast majority failed, with only a scant few succeeding.

Even those who succeeded were mostly heavily injured and in a wretched state.

In less than an hour, everyone had finished their attempt.

In the great hall, the group that had originally numbered nearly one hundred was now reduced to less than fifty.

Those who had managed to pass the fourth trial were the best of the best from each county, all of whom had a sliver of hope of one day reaching the Grandmaster Realm.

Though it was only a sliver, the fact that it was for the legendary Grandmaster Realm was enough to prove their extraordinary Talent.

The wall at the very front of the hall began to change again.

Ripples spread across it, and the wall turned transparent before vanishing completely.

Behind it, another passage was revealed.

When everyone in the hall got a clear look at the scene within the passage, their expressions turned incomparably grim.

In the center of the passage, six Metal Puppets stood in a circle.

The Fierce Tiger, Giant Bear, Giant Python, Giant Ape, and Giant Eagle were there, and in their center stood one additional puppet.

It was a Metal Puppet shaped like a mantis, dark gold in color. Though a size smaller than the Fierce Tiger Puppet, it exuded an even greater sense of danger.

Its two forearms were shaped like scythes, their blades glowing with a faint blue light, and indistinct runes flowed across their surface. Its compound eyes were dark red, coldly staring at the crowd before the passage.

Six puppets, six pairs of eyes.

A oppressive pressure several times stronger than that of the fourth trial emanated from the passage.

"The fifth trial..."

Someone swallowed hard, their voice hoarse.

"Six puppets... Each one’s strength is comparable to a Middle Stage of Third Grade Martial Artist."

At these words, a deathly silence fell over the hall.

Middle Stage of Third Grade.

An entire Minor Realm higher than the Early Third Grade puppets of the fourth trial.

For Upper Three Grades Martial Artists, the gap between each Minor Realm was immense.

Although there was only a single minor stage between the Middle Stage and Early Stage of Third Grade, the difference in strength was enormous.

What’s more, there were six of them.

"No wonder..."

someone murmured, their voice full of bitterness.

"No wonder the best result any of our counties has ever achieved was just passing the fourth trial."

No one argued. Everyone stared at the six Metal Puppets in the passage, their faces as grim as stone.

Six Metal Puppets, each comparable to the Middle Stage of Third Grade, perfectly coordinated, tireless, and impervious to pain.

Even a Martial Artist at the Late Stage of Third Grade would likely find it difficult to overcome such a lineup.

As the crowd watched in shock, nine moon-white figures began walking slowly toward the passage.

It was the nine remaining members of the Celestial Essence Sect.

Bai Yan still walked at the very front.

His pace was unhurried, his moon-white robes shimmering faintly in the shifting light. His expression was calm, betraying no emotion.

The moment he stepped into the passage, all six puppets moved at once.

The Fierce Tiger Puppet lunged for his face, the Giant Bear Puppet slammed its palms down from the left, the Giant Python Puppet shot out from the right, the Giant Ape Puppet leaped from behind to bring its fists down, and the Giant Eagle Puppet dove from above.

And the Mantis Puppet moved.

Its speed was astonishing. Its dark-gold metal body left a distorted afterimage as it moved, its scythe-like forearms slashing in a crisscross pattern, cutting off all of Bai Yan’s forward paths.

This strike was faster, more ruthless, and more cunningly aimed than the attacks of the other five puppets.

Bai Yan’s right hand came to rest on his sword hilt.

"SHIING—"

The longsword left its sheath, its pale cyan blade erupting in brilliant light.

An incomparably sharp aura burst from him, even more condensed and piercing than during the fourth trial.

The light of his sword formed a rainbow as he unleashed six rapid slashes.

"CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG—!"

The Fierce Tiger Puppet was sent flying backward, the Giant Bear Puppet staggered back, the Giant Python Puppet’s head was knocked aside, the Giant Ape Puppet’s fists were repelled, and the Giant Eagle Puppet was slashed upward into the air.

The Mantis Puppet’s scythe-like forearms were also knocked aside by the strike, its dark-gold metal body sliding back several feet.

Without breaking stride, Bai Yan passed through the gap the six puppets had left and reached the other end of the passage.

Sheathing his sword, he stood with his hands behind his back, his expression still perfectly calm.

Xu Qing was the second to enter the passage.

She drew her sword, its light cool and sharp, and engaged the six puppets.

The Mantis Puppet’s scythes slashed at her vitals again and again, but she dodged every time.

After a few dozen exchanges, she seized a fleeting opening and darted through the passage.

The third disciple from the Celestial Essence Sect entered the passage.

This person was a notch weaker than Xu Qing. After fighting the six puppets for nearly a hundred exchanges, he endured a direct blow from the Giant Bear Puppet to force his way through the passage.

As he passed through, he spat out blood, his face ashen. He staggered and nearly collapsed.

The fourth and fifth disciples entered the passage in succession.

Both fought with all their might, barely making it through with over a dozen new wounds on their bodies, their moon-white robes soaked in blood.