Phantom Beast Alley

As Lin Feng and Zhao Feng set foot on the 999th step almost simultaneously, the milky-white energy staircase suddenly erupted with an unprecedented, dazzling radiance, completely swallowing their figures!

A gentle yet irresistible force of teleportation enveloped his entire body, followed by a sensation of weightlessness. The next moment, Lin Feng found that he was no longer upon the towering Cloud Climbing Ladder, but standing before the entrance to a deep, dim, ancient alleyway that seemed to stretch on forever.

On either side of the alley stood towering gray-black stone walls whose tops could not be seen. The walls were covered in mottled traces and bizarre relief carvings, exuding an ancient, primordial aura. Within the alley, Light Rays twisted through drifting mist, while all manner of hair-raising roars, low growls, and the scrape of claws against stone faintly echoed from within.

The terrifying pressure of the Cloud Climbing Ladder vanished abruptly, but an invisible oppression from the spiritual level surged in like a tide, attempting to erode one's mind.

[You have entered the "Phantom Beast Alley" scenario. High-intensity spiritual interference field and energy mimicry attacks detected.]

[Thunder Foundation Establishment Chapter is operating automatically. True Meaning of Thunder possesses natural resistance to negative spiritual interference, reducing its effects by 65%.]

The system prompt settled Lin Feng's heart. Spiritual Power was one of his strengths.

He swept his gaze to the side and saw Zhao Feng's figure appear at nearly the same moment. The swordsmanship genius was still somewhat pale; the impact at the final stage of the Cloud Climbing Ladder had clearly drained him greatly. Yet his eyes remained sharp as swords. He merely cast Lin Feng a faint glance before stepping into the gloomy alley without hesitation, his figure swiftly swallowed by the distorted light and mist.

Soon after, several more flashes of light flickered. Chen Feng and several other examinees who had performed exceptionally on the Cloud Climbing Ladder were teleported here in succession. Their expressions turned complicated when they saw Lin Feng already present, but they had no time to concern themselves with anything else. One after another, they gritted their teeth and rushed into the alley.

Lin Feng did not act immediately. He stood at the entrance, his Spiritual Power spreading forward like a fine spiderweb as he carefully sensed the flow of energy within the alley and the patterns of the spiritual interference.

"The mist disrupts vision and perception... the roars contain spiritual shock... the real attacks come from those 'phantom beasts' formed through energy mimicry..." he swiftly analyzed. "Speed isn't the key. Advancing steadily, striking precisely, and reducing unnecessary expenditure and spiritual shocks—that is the royal road."

Taking a deep breath, Lin Feng stepped into Phantom Beast Alley.

In an instant, it felt as though he had stepped into another world. The surrounding light dimmed completely, with only patches of moss on the stone walls emitting a ghostly green glow to provide faint illumination. The invisible spiritual impacts pierced into his mind like needles, while the roars and whispers by his ears became clearer, trying to stir up the deepest fears in his heart.

But to Lin Feng, whose Spiritual Power had reached 38 points and who possessed the protection of the True Meaning of Thunder, such interference was no more than a breeze brushing his face.

Whoosh!

The mist on his left churned, and a phantom beast formed entirely of shadow energy, shaped like a leopard with blood-red eyes, suddenly pounced out. Its claws shot straight for Lin Feng's throat! It moved so quickly that it left only an afterimage behind!

Lin Feng's gaze sharpened. He neither dodged nor retreated, instead bringing together the index and middle fingers of his right hand as Electric Light Finger activated instantly! But this time, what burst from his fingertips was not condensed electric light. Instead, incorporating the explosive force technique of Nine Heavens Thunder Blade, a hair-thin dark-purple thunder finger-arrow struck after yet arrived first!

Pfft!

The finger-arrow hit the Phantom Leopard precisely between the brows! Its shadow-formed body stiffened violently, then, like ice and snow cast upon red-hot iron, dense purple lightning snakes erupted from within it. It instantly crumbled and dispersed! Only a wisp of pure spiritual energy remained, which Lin Feng naturally absorbed, leaving his spirit slightly invigorated.

[Defeated a first-rank Phantom Leopard. Absorbed a trace amount of spiritual origin. Spiritual Power +0.01.]

"As expected, defeating these phantom beasts not only lets me pass the trial, but can also temper and nourish my Spiritual Power in return!" A flash of delight crossed Lin Feng's eyes. To him, this Phantom Beast Alley was not merely a trial, but a treasured place for cultivation!

He no longer lingered. His figure swayed as he unleashed the Thunder Flash movement technique, advancing through the dim alley like a ghost. His Spiritual Power remained highly focused, like a precise radar, catching in advance the energy fluctuations of phantom beasts forming within the mist.

Hiss! Bang! Crack!

Finger-arrows flashed like lightning, while his fists struck like thunder! Lin Feng wielded Electric Light Finger and Thunderclap Break with consummate mastery. Against swift, fragile phantom beasts, he used the improved Electric Light Finger to kill them with a single strike—efficiently and effortlessly. Against thick-skinned, powerful phantom beasts, he simply blasted them apart with a Thunderclap Break!

His movements were simple, efficient, and precise, without the slightest excess. Wherever he passed, phantom beasts of every shape exploded and vanished like ignited fireworks, turning into pure spiritual energy that replenished him.

Rather than slowing due to battle, his speed grew even faster as his Spiritual Power increased bit by bit and he became increasingly familiar with the environment!

Before long, he caught up with Chen Feng and the others who had entered ahead of him.

Chen Feng was currently swinging both palms, his palm wind fierce as he smashed apart a phantom beast made of rock. Yet the recoil left his blood and qi churning, and his speed had clearly slowed. When he saw Lin Feng glide past him as if strolling through a courtyard, thunderlight flickering between his fingers and palms while phantom beasts along the way crumbled one after another with barely any obstruction, his face immediately turned livid, his eyes full of resentment and envy.

The other geniuses were the same. Under the phantom beasts' siege and the spiritual impacts, every step was arduous. They could only watch helplessly as Lin Feng's retreating figure rapidly disappeared into the distance.

Deeper within the alley, the mist grew denser, and the spiritual impacts became increasingly violent. Illusions that could directly affect the five senses even began to appear. Yet Lin Feng guarded his true heart closely. The True Meaning of Thunder stood firm like a pillar in the middle of the current, preserving the clarity of his spiritual platform. Every illusion shattered like a bubble the moment it approached him.

He even began attempting to use his Spiritual Power to analyze the energy composition and attack patterns of the phantom beasts at the instant he destroyed them, further training his control.

Ahead, a sharp Sword Qi tore through the dense mist, shredding several diving flying phantom beasts. Zhao Feng's figure flickered in and out amid the Sword Qi. His speed was equally astonishing; clearly, his powerful sword intent also possessed extremely high resistance to spiritual interference.

One in front and one behind, the two were like twin sharp blades, cleaving through layer after layer of mist and beast tides, leaving the other examinees far behind.

At last, after defeating an unknown number of phantom beasts, a light appeared ahead. The exit of the alley was already in sight!

However, a sudden change occurred a hundred meters before the exit!

The mist there churned violently as energy gathered madly. Three phantom beasts, far larger than any before and possessing auras comparable to peak Late Stage Martial Artists, condensed into form! One was a Skeleton Warrior clad in bone armor and wielding a giant axe; another was a two-headed Demon Lizard that spewed breaths of ice and fire; the last was a Ghost Siren floating in midair, its body wreathed in distorted spiritual ripples!

Not only were these three phantom beasts immensely powerful, they had also faintly formed an encircling formation, blocking the final route to the exit!

Zhao Feng stopped ten meters before them, his expression solemn as he slowly drew the ancient sword from his back. The blade rang clear, and fierce sword intent shot into the heavens, standing toe-to-toe with the powerful auras of the three phantom beasts.

Lin Feng arrived at that moment as well, standing shoulder to shoulder with Zhao Feng. His gaze swept over the three phantom beasts, his expression calm.

"One each?" Zhao Feng suddenly spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse, yet filled with soaring battle intent.

Lin Feng looked at the Ghost Siren. The spiritual ripples around it made even him feel slightly uncomfortable. It clearly possessed strong resistance to the combined physical and spiritual impact of sword intent, whereas his thunder power seemed to restrain it more effectively.

"The skeleton and Demon Lizard are yours. The siren is mine." Lin Feng was concise.

"Good!"

Before his words had even faded, Zhao Feng moved with his sword, transforming into a brilliant streak of sword light as he charged directly at the Skeleton Warrior and the two-headed Demon Lizard! Sword light erupted, instantly drawing both into a fierce battle!

Meanwhile, Lin Feng stamped his foot, and Galloping Thunder Steps erupted. His figure shot forth like lightning toward the floating Ghost Siren! Dark-purple Thunder Gang faintly emerged once more around his fist!

The final obstacle—thunder sweeping the lair!