Chapter 468 - 465: The Sixth Gate

Chapter 468: Chapter 465: The Sixth Gate

TAP, TAP—

Lie Yunting’s steps were steady. His dark red martial attire gleamed with a cold luster under the light of the Luminous Pearls.

The moment he stepped into the passageway, the six puppets moved in unison.

He drew his sword, its blade flashing crimson like fire as he engaged the six puppets in battle.

His Swordsmanship was fierce and domineering, every strike unleashing a searing wave of heat.

Fifty moves.

Eighty moves.

One hundred moves.

Several new wounds appeared on his body. His dark red martial attire was soaked in blood, and his face was ashen.

But he was still holding on.

One hundred and twenty moves.

He seized a fleeting opening and shot forward, rushing toward the other end of the passageway.

He was just about to reach it—

The Mantis Puppet’s scythe slashed in from the side with astonishing speed.

Unable to dodge in time, he could only block with his sword held horizontally.

CLANG—!

Amid the clang of metal, the impact sent him flying sideways for several meters. A sweet taste filled his throat as a mouthful of blood welled up.

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

He had nowhere to run and was struck squarely in the back.

PFFT—

He spat out a mouthful of blood and flew forward, crashing heavily at the entrance of the passageway.

A golden barrier appeared and enveloped him, and three Jade Boxes containing Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures fell into his hands.

He looked down at the Jade Boxes in his hands, his eyes filled with unwillingness.

’So close. I was so close to passing.’

The golden barrier wrapped around him and vanished from the passageway’s entrance.

In the main hall, the prodigies from the various counties watched the spot where Lie Yunting had disappeared, falling silent for a moment.

Even Lie Yunting, number one on the Donglu County Celestial Pride List, had failed.

’The fifth trial really is impossible for us to pass.’

Next, Lu Qingyun, number one on the Songquan County Celestial Pride List, strode toward the passageway.

He was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a slender build, a handsome face, and a scholarly air about him.

He wore a long, gray-blue robe, a sheathed long saber hanging from his waist. The scabbard was simple and unadorned.

The moment he stepped into the passageway, he drew his saber. The blade’s light flowed like water—gentle yet sharp—as he engaged the six puppets.

His Saber Technique was exquisite and his Body Technique was agile, but under the siege of six Middle Stage of Third Grade puppets, he was still hard-pressed to defend himself.

After over a hundred moves, the Mantis Puppet’s scythe grazed his shoulder, sending him flying backward.

A golden barrier appeared and enveloped him, and three Jade Boxes fell into his hands.

He remained silent for a moment before being transported out of the Ancient Ruins.

Su Wanqing, number one on the Bailu County Celestial Pride List, followed close behind.

She was about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with a graceful figure, a clear and beautiful face, and a hint of cold arrogance in her eyes.

She wore a moon-white long dress, a slender Soft Sword hanging from her waist. Her steps were light and silent.

The moment she stepped into the passageway, she drew her sword. Its light was like silk—soft, yet lethally sharp.

Her Swordsmanship was strange and unpredictable, and her movements were erratic, but she still struggled to hold on against the six puppets’ combined assault.

After over a hundred moves, the Fierce Tiger Puppet swiped a claw across her shoulder, sending her flying backward.

A golden barrier appeared and enveloped her, and three Jade Boxes fell into her hands.

Her face was pale, her eyes filled with unwillingness, but she could only be transported out of the Ancient Ruins.

Zhou Fang, number one on the Taishun County Celestial Pride List, was the last to step into the passageway.

He was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a burly, powerfully built frame and rugged features.

He wore black martial attire, with a heavy Ghost Head Saber carried on his back. His steps were steady and powerful.

The moment he stepped into the passageway, he drew his saber. The light from his blade was like a bolt of white silk—fierce and domineering—as he engaged the six puppets.

His Saber Technique was forceful and heavy, with every chop carrying a Mountain-Splitting Stone-Shattering Momentum.

But under the siege of six puppets, he too found it difficult to hold on.

After over a hundred moves, a punch from the Giant Ape Puppet slammed into his chest, sending him flying backward.

A golden barrier appeared and enveloped him, and three Jade Boxes fell into his hands.

He gritted his teeth, his face livid, as he was transported out of the Ancient Ruins.

Donglu County, Songquan County, Bailu County, Taishun County—the top prodigies from all four Celestial Pride Lists had failed.

Silence fell upon the hall of the fifth trial.

The remaining prodigies watched as the top-ranked geniuses from Donglu, Songquan, Bailu, and Taishun Counties were successively sent away by the golden barriers. They remained speechless for a long time.

If even those four had failed, how could any of them possibly succeed?

"I’ll go."

A voice spoke up, tinged with a sense of resignation.

A prodigy from Donglu County strode toward the passageway.

His pace wasn’t slow, but it carried an air of indescribable perfunctoriness.

Facing the siege of the six puppets, he didn’t even last ten moves before being sent flying by a palm strike from the Giant Bear Puppet.

The golden barrier enveloped him and sent him out of the Ancient Ruins.

Another person stepped forward.

He too lasted barely a dozen moves before the Mantis Puppet’s scythe slashed across his chest, sending him flying backward.

A third person, a fourth, a fifth...

One figure after another stepped into the passageway, and one figure after another was sent away by the golden barrier.

No one held out any hope anymore; they were merely going through the motions of this final trial.

The one who performed the best was a prodigy from Bailu County.

He lasted for several dozen moves under the puppets’ siege and even managed to get close to the middle of the passageway.

But in the end, he was struck in the side by the Giant Python Puppet’s tail, spitting blood as he was sent flying backward.

At this point, aside from Fang Han and the five from the Celestial Essence Sect, every prodigy from the various counties who had reached the fifth trial had failed.

The front wall of the sixth trial’s hall began to change once more.

Ripples spread across it as the wall turned transparent and vanished.

Behind it, another passageway was revealed.

"Seven puppets..."

Fang Han’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as he got a clear view of the scene inside the passageway.

In the center of the passageway, seven Metal Puppets stood in a circle.

The Fierce Tiger, Giant Bear, Giant Python, Giant Ape, Giant Eagle, and Mantis—and in their center, there was one more puppet.

It was a Metal Puppet shaped like a spider, pitch-black all over. Eight slender metal legs supported its disc-shaped body.

It was a size smaller than the Mantis Puppet, yet it gave off a much more dangerous feeling.

The tips of its eight legs were as sharp as spears, glowing with a faint blue light, with runes faintly flowing across them.

At the front of its body, a dozen or so compound eyes glowed dark red, staring coldly toward the passageway’s entrance.

An oppressive aura, several times stronger than that of the fifth trial, radiated from the passageway.

"Late Stage of Third Grade."

Fang Han muttered to himself.

Following the pattern of the previous trials, the number of puppets increased by one and their strength increased by one Minor Realm with each trial.

The fourth trial: five at Early Third Grade.

The fifth trial: six at the Middle Stage of Third Grade.

’Then in the sixth trial, the strength of these seven puppets should be comparable to the Late Stage of Third Grade.’

Seven Metal Puppets at the Late Stage of Third Grade.

They were perfectly coordinated, tireless, and impervious to pain. Their bodies were indestructible, and they felt no fear.

With a lineup like this, even an ordinary Second Grade Martial Artist would probably find them difficult to handle.

The five remaining members of the Celestial Essence Sect stood to one side of the hall.

Bai Yan stood with his hands behind his back. His gaze lingered on Fang Han for a moment before shifting to the newly revealed passageway.

His expression was as calm as ever, betraying no emotion, but his indifferent eyes seemed to hold a hint of gravity.

"Let’s go."

He took the lead, striding toward the passageway.

The moment he stepped into the passageway, the seven puppets moved in unison.

The Fierce Tiger Puppet lunged for his face, the Giant Bear Puppet slammed its palms down from the left, and the Giant Python Puppet shot out from the right.

The Giant Ape Puppet leaped from behind to smash down with both fists, the Giant Eagle Puppet dove from above, and the Mantis Puppet’s scythes slashed in a crisscross pattern.

As for the Spider Puppet, its speed was astonishing.

Its eight metal legs pushed off simultaneously, its pitch-black body leaving a distorted afterimage in the passageway.

It didn’t lunge directly at Bai Yan but circled to his rear flank. The sharp spear-tips of its eight legs stabbed out from eight different angles, sealing off all his space to dodge or retreat.

Seven puppets, seven directions, attacking at the same time.

Their coordination was better than in the fifth trial—sharper, deadlier.

Bai Yan’s right hand rested on the hilt of his sword.

SHING—

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

In the next instant, a completely new aura exploded from his body.

The aura was no longer just sharp; it carried a vigorous, inexhaustible quality.

It was as if grass and trees were breaking through the soil in spring, as if ancient trees were reaching for the sky with lush foliage, as if an entire mountain forest had awakened in that single moment.

Wood Sword Intent.

As the strongest of the twelve disciples from the Celestial Essence Sect on this trip, he had naturally comprehended Mental.

By employing his Wood Sword Intent, Bai Yan’s combat power instantly skyrocketed by more than tenfold.

The pale cyan sword light transformed into a bolt of silk, striking out seven times in quick succession.

Wherever the sword light passed, faint emerald phantoms appeared in the air—a phenomenon caused by the Sword Intent solidifying and resonating with the Power of Heaven and Earth.

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG—!

The seven sounds of metal clashing rang out almost simultaneously, merging into a single, long chime that echoed through the passageway.

The Fierce Tiger Puppet was sent flying backward, its dark gold metal body crashing heavily against the wall with a dull thud.

The Giant Bear Puppet staggered back nearly ten steps before steadying itself.

The Giant Python Puppet’s head was knocked aside, its massive metal body rolling several times on the ground.

The Giant Ape Puppet’s fists were thrown apart, and its entire body flipped backward, smashing onto the passageway floor and gouging out a long, white scar.

The Giant Eagle Puppet was struck by the sword and sent soaring into the air, crashing against the ceiling before falling back down, its metal wings scraping white marks into the ground.

The Mantis Puppet’s scythe-like forearms were knocked high into the air. Its dark gold metal body slid back nearly ten feet, the faint blue light on its blades flickering violently.

As for the Spider Puppet, its eight stabbing metal legs were knocked away in all directions by the sword strike. Its pitch-black body slid back several feet, the dark red light in its dozen or so compound eyes flashing rapidly.

Bai Yan sheathed his sword and walked through the passageway without breaking stride.

Xu Qing was the second to enter the passageway.

Her right hand rested on her sword hilt. The moment the longsword left its sheath, its light was cold and sharp.

Even among the disciples of the Celestial Essence Sect, very few had comprehended Mental. She was only a hair’s breadth away from it, but in the end, she had not yet comprehended Mental.

Without having comprehended Mental, she was at a disadvantage from the very beginning against the seven Late Stage of Third Grade puppets.

After just a dozen moves, the Fierce Tiger Puppet’s claws grazed her left shoulder, tearing her moon-white robe and leaving a shallow, bloody gash.

A few moves later, the Giant Python Puppet’s tail swept across her waist, the impact causing her blood and qi to roil and a trickle of blood to escape the corner of her mouth.

She gritted her teeth, struggling with all her might to hold on.