Clearing Five Floors in Succession

Starting from the second level, Ling Xuan no longer needed to demonstrate the gatekeeper's combat power for Feng Lishuang and the others, instead going all out from the start.

He unleashed the third stage of the Fire God Absolute Domain Blade with full force, taking down the gatekeeper in a single exchange.

On the third level, the gatekeeper also used the third stage of the Fire God Absolute Domain Blade, but Ling Xuan's comprehension of the laws was higher, and his techniques were more flexible and varied; after only a few exchanges, he easily defeated the opponent under his blade.

On the fourth level, the gatekeeper used the fourth stage of the Fire God Absolute Domain Blade, the Sun Piercing Slash.

Ling Xuan had broken through and mastered this move three years ago while challenging the Trial Tower.

Over these three years, he had not only fully comprehended the first volume of the Space-Time Essays but also frequently requested guidance from the Giant Axe Founder.

With the consciousness of the Giant Axe Founder, even while adventuring in the Universe Ocean, it was an effortless task to spare a sliver of his mind to guide a little Universe Level fellow like him.

His blade technique progressed rapidly, and his mastery of the fourth stage was far superior to that of the gatekeeper.

He still defeated his opponent within a few exchanges, and the path to the fifth level appeared beneath his feet.

Ling Xuan transformed into a streak of crimson lightning, tearing through the sky and flying straight toward the next level.

Both the fourth and fifth levels were filled with howling gales, and having reached such a great height, the Heavenly Bridge on the fifth level was so far above the sea below that the naked eye could only see the gray, turbulent winds of the fourth level, with the sea itself completely invisible.

"The fifth level!" Ling Xuan's gaze was like a torch, staring at the massive, rotating tornado ahead that radiated a terrifying aura.

The tornado seemed like a living creature, emitting a low and hoarse voice: "Choose between martial artist, controller, or illusionist. Defeat your opponent to enter the sixth level."

"Martial artist!" Ling Xuan's reply was firm and decisive.

No sooner had his voice fallen than a teeth-gritting sound of metal grinding against metal came from the center of the tornado.

"Sshh~~" With a piercing sound of air being torn apart, a figure shot out from the tornado.

It was a burly man clad in mysterious black armor and battle boots, wearing a mask of the same pitch-black color. He held a Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear identical to Ling Xuan's, and his body was wreathed in faint, flickering black mist, his aura intimidating.

"To reach the fifth level on your first time challenging the Heavenly Bridge at the Universe Level, your talent is quite good." The Black-Armored Man sneered, "However, this is about as far as you go. Go back and cultivate some more!"

"You certainly have a big mouth." Ling Xuan's eyes sharpened; he stepped on his Flowing Cloud Battle Boots, and the crimson flames around his body surged violently.

He could feel that the aura emanating from his opponent was several times stronger than any of the previous gatekeepers.

The Black-Armored Man let out a fierce roar, his figure closing in like a ghost, his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear whistling through the air as he slashed down at Ling Xuan's head.

This strike was incredibly fast, the air being torn apart by the blade and emitting a sharp, shrill sound.

Ling Xuan raised his blade to block horizontally. With a loud "clang," sparks flew, and where their weapons collided, the air was shaken into visible ripples.

The Black-Armored Man used the momentum to spin, his blade sweeping horizontally. The three points of his spear carved a half-moon of black energy in front of him, thrusting viciously toward Ling Xuan's waist and abdomen.

The angle of this move was tricky, but Ling Xuan pulled in his stomach and leaned back, his waist twisting like a bent bow, his body assuming an incredible arc.

The Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear in his hand lashed out from bottom to top. As the blade flipped, crimson flames spiraled up along the edge, colliding head-on with the Black-Armored Man's black crescent.

The two forces clashed, exploding into a fireball with a diameter of a thousand meters in the void. The scorching heat wave blew the surrounding gale into a vortex, and the roaring sound of the flames was enough to make one's eardrums ache.

Seizing the moment before Ling Xuan could recover his strength, the Black-Armored Man lunged forward.

He flicked his wrist, and the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear suddenly struck out like a venomous snake, all three points aiming simultaneously at the vital points on Ling Xuan's chest.

Ling Xuan's pupils constricted. He spun his arms rapidly, mobilizing all the flame energy in his body, and danced his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear into a wheel of fire. The crimson flames coiled like a giant python, shielding all his vital points.

This was an exquisite defensive technique. The shield formed by the flames collided with the Black-Armored Man's spear, sparking a series of crisp clangs of metal, each collision causing ripples to spread through the surrounding space.

Defending while attacking, Ling Xuan used the recoil from the weapon collision to rotate his body half a turn in mid-air.

Using the momentum of the spin, he pushed his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear out horizontally, aiming to slice at the Black-Armored Man's neck.

Wherever the blade passed, the air was ignited by the scorching flames, emitting "pop-pop" explosions.

The Black-Armored Man was forced to pull back his blade to block. The two spears collided heavily, the energy released blowing away the surrounding howling winds and creating a vacuum state.

"Space Rending Moon Slash!" Seeing that he could not gain an advantage in close combat, the Black-Armored Man roared and unleashed the fifth stage of the Fire God Absolute Domain Blade.

He gripped his spear with both hands and shook the blade violently, sending three black arc-shaped blade auras flying out in a fan shape.

Where the blade auras passed, the air was torn like tattered cloth, emitting a teeth-gritting "hissing" sound, as if forming small black holes.

Ling Xuan's expression was solemn, the flames around his body surging by three feet.

He took a deep breath, the crimson-gold patterns on his Fire God Absolute Domain Blade glowing brilliantly as he also unleashed the fifth stage of the Fire God Absolute Domain Blade.

"Space Rending Moon Slash!"

Nine crimson blade auras roared out, colliding head-on with the black blade auras in the air.

In an instant, the energy released was like a supernova explosion, the blinding light illuminating the entire fifth level.

The spatial ripples surged against each other, forming continuously expanding, distorted vortices. The Heavenly Bridge shook violently, and the ancient runes on the bridge surface flickered under this power, as if they might fall off at any moment.

Taking advantage of the moment the Black-Armored Man's old strength was spent and his new strength had yet to arise, Ling Xuan flashed forward, turning into a streak of crimson light.

He utilized the fourth stage of the Flying Dragon in the Sky movement technique from the Youlong, transforming into a crimson dragon that swept past the Black-Armored Man in the blink of an eye, his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear dancing in his hands.

At times it was like a dragon emerging from the sea, the tip of the blade thrusting directly at the face; at other times it was like a fierce tiger descending the mountain, the blade sweeping across the waist and abdomen.

This was a coherent combination of attacks, the blade shadows sweeping toward the Black-Armored Man like a violent storm, each shadow carrying scorching flames and leaving long trails in the void.

The Black-Armored Man roared and swung his weapon, attempting to block. But Ling Xuan's blade momentum grew faster and more ferocious, each strike carrying the power to split mountains and shatter rocks.

Under the dense barrage of attacks, cracks gradually began to appear in the Black-Armored Man's defense.

Ling Xuan seized the moment, twisting his blade as a crimson beam of light, imbued with the formidable power of laws, streaked across the air like lightning.

With a crisp "clang," the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear in the black-armored man's hand was precisely knocked away, tracing a black arc through the air.

Having lost his weapon, the black-armored man's face filled with terror; he tried to retreat and dodge, only to find his surroundings completely sealed off by Ling Xuan's flames.

Before he could even react, Ling Xuan had already unleashed the Space Rending Moon Slash once more.

This time, the crimson blade energy transformed into a massive red moon, carrying an unstoppable momentum that instantly engulfed the black-armored man.

Following a roar of unwillingness, the black-armored man dissipated into the crimson flames, leaving behind only some black ash that vanished without a trace as the gale-force winds blew.

Level five, cleared!

As the storm dispersed, the path leading to the sixth level of the Heavenly Bridge was revealed, and Ling Xuan transformed into a streak of light, flying rapidly ahead.

At this moment, Bafen, the Venerable in charge of mass-mailing, had already sent out the news of Ling Xuan clearing five levels of the Heavenly Bridge in succession.

The powerful figures who received Bafen's email showed little reaction; given the combat strength Ling Xuan displayed in clearing the seventh level of the Trial Tower, it was entirely expected that he could clear the seventh level of the Heavenly Bridge as well.

What they were concerned about was whether Ling Xuan would use that ability again while challenging the Heavenly Bridge, and if he didn't, what his true level of strength actually was.

And if he did use it, then which level would be his limit?