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"Phew."

Setti suddenly let out a breath.

Sweat poured down his body, and he nearly slumped to the ground. The illusion woven by the technique had put Setti under immense pressure; even the high-multiplier Force Application Technique was useless against it.

Once ten seconds had passed, the strength of the illusion attack abruptly dropped, and Setti finally got a chance to catch his breath.

Guen's expression, however, grew even more solemn. Although the illusion attack had weakened,

Lava Stone Monsters began emerging from all directions, one after another. Their roars rose and fell, forming another powerful illusion attack.

Every one of these Lava Stone Monsters was powerful, their strength close to that of a Ninth-rank Warrior, and they even knew how to cooperate.

As soon as they appeared, they attacked the three of them.

Meanwhile, the illusion attack that had weakened was slowly growing stronger again.

Some Lava Stone Monsters fought at close range, while others stood farther away and controlled magma-wreathed rocks to attack, much like Artifact Users. Their attacks were well-organized and quite powerful.

"No!"

Setti roared in fury. Under the illusion attack, his consciousness grew muddled, and he couldn't manage any decent counterattack. Two Lava Stone Monsters smashed him in the head, and before his skull could split apart, he was transported out of the Volcanic Space.

Lianda's expression was grave as she controlled twenty-two Flying Daggers, constantly attacking the Lava Stone Monsters around her.

The Flying Daggers moved so fast that even Guen could only track them with his eyes; his body couldn't keep up. The daggers roared through a Lava Stone Monster's head, shattering it into several pieces, yet it still charged toward Lianda.

The Flying Daggers struck the Lava Stone Monster one after another, and only after its entire rocky body had been knocked apart did it finally crumble completely, its fragments falling to the ground.

If it were a human, a single Flying Dagger through the head would be enough to kill them.

But a Lava Stone Monster had to be completely shattered. Even with Lianda's high Mental Power Amplitude, she still needed to attack it repeatedly.

After finally killing one Lava Stone Monster, the others charged at her in fury. Farther away, more Lava Stone Monsters controlled fiery rocks to attack her. Lianda dodged in every direction, and only after a struggle did she open a gap and fly out.

Lianda stood on another Flying Dagger and took to the air. However, her flying height was restricted in this place, and she couldn't ascend very high. Still, she managed to put some distance between herself and most of the Lava Stone Monsters, giving her a moment to glance at Guen.

She was an Artifact User, and even she was being driven into a frantic retreat. Surely Guen, a warrior, couldn't have an easier time than her?

But after just one look, Lianda was stunned.

Guen moved like a snake, darting and weaving within a small area; then, all at once, he moved like a monkey, leaping up and down in ways that were impossible to predict. He made sure he never faced attacks from more than four Lava Stone Monsters at once, and the monsters hampered one another, limiting their own power.

Guen's Body Movement Technique had reached the point where he could use his surroundings to his advantage. Through his movement alone, he prevented the Lava Stone Monsters from using their full strength. The monsters farther away, controlling enormous magma-covered rocks, had even been led by Guen into nearly striking their companions several times, forcing them to hold back and watch helplessly from a distance.

If that were all, Guen would eventually lose.

The key was his boxing!

Guen's boxing was remarkably intricate.

The same amount of strength could have different effects depending on the punch. Guen now shifted between straight punches, collapsing punches, short punches, and charged punches with ease. He could easily block the Lava Stone Monsters' heavy blows while continuously counterattacking.

Lianda was certain that if the Lava Stone Monsters kept pursuing him, Guen would defeat them one by one.

Guen wasn't simply running away. He was keeping himself in a relatively safe position while wearing down his opponents.

Guen has actually reached this level! Lianda was shaken to the core.

She felt a little bitter.

Lianda knew why. In the Second Stage, there had been more than just ways to train the Force Application Technique; there were also Secret Methods for foundational martial arts, including boxing, swordsmanship, and Body Movement Techniques.

But most people hadn't had time to study and practice them.

Only Guen had completed the trial in the first month, giving him two months to learn these things.

And for him to have reached this level in just two months could only mean that his foundations were solid and his comprehension was astounding.

This Fourth Stage's trial no longer posed a threat to Guen.

While Lianda was distracted, the Lava Stone Monsters seized their chance. One controlled an enormous magma-covered rock and knocked her out of the air, leaving her no choice but to focus fully on everything around her.

Guen noticed what had happened, but couldn't spare much strength to help her. What was more, the illusion attack was still growing stronger, slightly affecting his movements as well.

He had to stay completely focused to deal with these Lava Stone Monsters. Now that the illusion was affecting him, Guen was under great pressure too.

The seconds passed one by one, yet both Guen and Lianda felt that every second dragged on endlessly.

When more than forty seconds had passed, Lianda went all out, frantically controlling her Flying Daggers to attack every Lava Stone Monster within range.

Each Flying Dagger created a sonic boom as it cut through the air. Though they were powerful enough to split enormous rocks and tall buildings, they could only just manage to knock the Lava Stone Monsters back. She had to strike them repeatedly to truly damage them.

Lianda had reached her limit.

Even without the ever-strengthening illusion attack, fighting with such intense focus for more than forty seconds had left Lianda exhausted. The battle was so intense that she couldn't afford to let her guard down for even a moment, and it was more exhausting than any fight she'd ever been in.

Lianda began making mistakes, and the Lava Stone Monsters struck her more and more often.

"Bang!"

A Lava Stone Monster's enormous fist hit Lianda squarely in the body, but she didn't crumple under the blow. A red light enveloped her, and she was transported away.

Before she left, Lianda didn't let out an unwilling howl like Setti. Instead, she looked at Guen, wanting to see where his limits lay.

"Whoosh."

In the end, Lianda didn't get to see.

Guen didn't falter at all. He kept punching with determination, dodging and shifting.

After Setti and Lianda left, the Lava Stone Monsters that had surrounded them crumbled on their own instead of turning to attack Guen. The monsters Guen faced remained the same: every time he defeated one, another appeared.

Although he had adapted to this rhythm, the increasingly powerful illusion attack still caused Guen to make mistakes.

Guen could handle the Lava Stone Monsters on their own, or the illusion attack by itself. But when the two combined, they could pressure him into making mistakes.

"Thud."

A Lava Stone Monster seized its chance and struck Guen in the chest. Guen managed to move back in time, so the blow only grazed him, leaving a searing, blistered burn across his chest.

"Get lost!"

Guen was furious too.

He stopped controlling the fight with precision and let himself go, charging in and attacking with all he had!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

One Lava Stone Monster after another was defeated, only for another to rise again.

In return, Guen spent a tremendous amount of stamina and gained more wounds across his body.

Without saying a word, Guen charged forward again.

Punch after punch after punch.

At this moment, Guen felt an unparalleled sense of exhilaration. Every cell in his body seemed to cheer. He had never been able to unleash his strength so freely.

Just as Guen was caught up in the exhilarating fight, every Lava Stone Monster around him suddenly disappeared, and the illusion attack ceased as well.

Guen panted heavily, wishing he could collapse right onto the ground. Waves of pure energy flowed into his body, healing his injuries and washing away his exhaustion.

"Congratulations, Guen. You've completed the Fourth Stage, and you're still the second person on this planet to complete the Second Stage. You're qualified to attempt the Fifth Stage." The stiff, emotionless voice rang out.

The second?

Guen was startled. That meant someone else had completed the Fourth Stage before him. Was it one of the two Saint Tier experts?

The stiff voice seemed to know what Guen was thinking. "It was a Chief of a Western Tribe, a people you call 'Barbarians.' He's already on the verge of breaking through to Star Level and is currently attempting the Fifth Stage."

To the west of the Aoyu Empire lived a group of humans who still maintained a tribal way of life. Most people looked down on these humans they had never even met. Guen had never met one either; he only knew that such a person existed.

"The Fifth Stage is difficult to complete. The master set up the first four stages to select talents, and that alone is enough. The Fifth Stage is for a talent who would shine across the universe. The Fifth Stage is about comprehending a domain while you're at Star Level. If you can do that, your status will be elevated directly, making you a citizen of the core ranks, beyond the ordinary citizens of Tucha Planet. Work hard, Guen. Strive toward this goal. The master would be glad to see a talent emerge."

Afterward, five items appeared in front of Guen.

"The first is a Battle Suit, similar to the ones used in your Aoyu Empire. It's your reward for the First Stage. It can protect your entire body, and even a Planetary Level warrior would have trouble destroying it. It's more than enough to keep you safe in the Aoyu Empire.

"The second is Grey Bamboo Shoot Liquid, a rare treasure even in the universe. It can make your body more resilient and bring you many other benefits. Taking it is your reward for the Second Stage.

"The third is a Second-order Force Weapon, the Meteor Light Blade. It'll serve you well up to Star Level. It's your reward for the Third Stage.

"The fourth is a sleeping Kejia Beast. It may not be as good as auxiliary Plant Lifeforms like the Cloud-Touching Vine or Star-Quaking Grass, but it's loyal and grows quickly. It can reach the seventh rank of Planetary Level in a short time. Although it'll be difficult to improve after that, it'll be enough to help you explore this planet and stay alive. It's your reward for the Fourth Stage.

"As for the fifth, it's the most important! It's an Auxiliary Optical Computer containing a number of basic Secret Methods unique to Tucha Planet. Two of them are even considered valuable Secret Methods here, and it also contains a wealth of cultivation experience. It'll be a great help as you cultivate to the Universe Level or comprehend a domain while at Star Level. I think your chances of meeting either of those requirements are less than one in ten thousand, but keep at it. Do your best to become a citizen of Tucha Planet.

"Stop using terms like Super Tier and Saint Tier. In the universe, they're called Planetary Level and Star Level. This information is also in your Auxiliary Optical Computer. Since you've reached the Fourth Stage, you qualify to become a citizen of Tucha Planet even if you aren't a Spirit Reader or an Elf. In three to five years at most, someone will come to take you all to Tucha Planet. Keep at it, Guen."

The stiff voice finished saying everything it had to say.

The five items were placed in Guen's hands, and he was transported out of the Volcanic Space.