Fortunately, Gulanxiu's will was strong. Even when faced with a Soul Attack one level above his own, he wasn't killed instantly. His opponent's primary specialty was illusion, and though he also had some close-combat ability, his skill in that area was only on par with a Warrior of the Fourth Layer.
So although Gulanxiu struggled to defend himself, he could still just barely hold on.
"This kid's soul is remarkably resilient!" Bafen said in surprise.
"Indeed! I didn't expect him to hold out this long either!" Barbarian Hammer King nodded.
"Too bad! He's about to reach his limit!" Bafen sighed and shook his head.
Barbarian Hammer King didn't deny it. With their keen eyes, they could see that Gulanxiu was already nearing his limit and couldn't possibly hold out much longer.
Yet Gulanxiu, still fighting, didn't feel as if he was about to give out. Though he was struggling to defend himself, he had the strange feeling that the Black-robed Man's Soul Attack was gradually weakening, while his own soul was being tempered like steel and beginning to transform to a higher level.
A series of "Boom! Boom!!" sounded in Gulanxiu's mind, yet the Soul Attack was having less and less of an effect on him.
Gulanxiu gradually found his footing and was no longer in such a sorry state.
Of course, even so, it would be difficult for Gulanxiu to defeat his opponent. Though the Black-robed Man's physical attacks were about on par with Gulanxiu's, and his Soul Attack was no longer having much effect on Gulanxiu, his Law Comprehension was considerably greater. He also specialized in Teleportation, causing all of Gulanxiu's attacks to miss. His speed gave him an insurmountable advantage.
So, later on, Gulanxiu stopped wasting his strength on attacks and focused on defending against his opponent's repeated strikes. The situation gradually stabilized.
Bafen and Barbarian Hammer King were astonished as they watched. With their keen eyes, they could tell that Gulanxiu had just undergone a transformation of will, strengthening it enough to withstand the Black-robed Man's attacks.
That was precisely what astonished them. Willpower usually grew along with one's level; only a rare few geniuses could develop willpower that outpaced their cultivation.
Although stronger willpower didn't greatly increase one's combat strength, it could make future cultivation much smoother.
Barbarian Hammer King burst out laughing. "Hahaha, Bafen! You said my disciple had little hope of becoming a King. What do you think now?"
Bafen shook his head. "His willpower has improved, but I still don't think his chances are good."
Barbarian Hammer King replied firmly, "I think that as long as my disciple doesn't perish, he'll certainly become a King!"
Bafen didn't argue. He simply nodded and said, "I'll wait and see."
The battle in the arena had changed again. Gulanxiu couldn't do much to the Black-robed Man, but the Black-robed Man hadn't managed to break through Gulanxiu's defense either. After failing to make headway for so long, the Black-robed Man's speed had noticeably slowed.
The reason was a drop in Gene Force. Everyone in the Virtual Universe used the same physical attributes, and as the one on the offensive, the Black-robed Man had clearly expended more Original Force. He was beginning to falter.
Noticing that the Black-robed Man's attacks were slowing, Gulanxiu's eyes lit up. His chance had come.
After blocking another descending blow from the giant axe, Gulanxiu pressed forward and brought his axe down hard on the Black-robed Man's head.
The Black-robed Man had no choice but to block with his own axe.
But Gulanxiu suddenly twisted his wrist, slipping past the Black-robed Man's axe to strike at his body.
The Black-robed Man swung at Gulanxiu in turn.
The fierce gust of the axe made Gulanxiu feel the breath of death. Even so, he didn't dodge, instead striking at the Black-robed Man as well, as if intent on taking them both down.
Boom! A deafening crash rang out! They struck each other almost simultaneously, but a faint smile appeared on Gulanxiu's face. He could clearly sense that he had landed his blow a moment before his opponent. In a real battle, they might have killed each other, but under the Sky Bridge's rules, he had won.
Sure enough, after the Black-robed Man was killed by Gulanxiu, he quickly reappeared and said, "You actually managed to get past my layer that way. But you'll only get away with it once. The opponent on the next layer is much stronger than I am!"
Gulanxiu smiled. "We'll talk about the next layer later. I'm not planning to challenge it now anyway. Goodbye!"
With that, he logged out and returned to Barbarian Hammer King's courtyard.
That's right, Gulanxiu had no intention of challenging the Sixth Layer. He knew his own limits. If he hadn't deliberately chosen an Illusionist and broken through with his willpower during the battle, he never could have passed the Fifth Layer. Against an opponent on the Sixth Layer, no matter what profession he chose, he'd be killed instantly.
Gulanxiu wasn't one to seek a beating for no reason, so he'd wait until he was stronger before challenging the Sixth Layer.
At the same time, Gulanxiu secretly resolved that this would be the last time he resorted to a trick. There was no shame in doing so for the sake of points, but from now on, he would defeat his opponents openly and honestly to advance through the Sky Bridge.
Seeing the 24,000 points that the Virtual Universe had just credited to him, Gulanxiu was thrilled.
A single point was basically equivalent to one Hunyuan Unit, and was even more valuable in some ways. After all, there were things one could buy with points that Hunyuan Units couldn't buy.
An Ordinary Immortal was worth only about ten thousand Hunyuan Units, while Gulanxiu's twenty thousand points already rivaled the entire fortune of an Immortal Expert.
In the Sky Bridge Plane, Barbarian Hammer King and Bafen were astonished to see that Gulanxiu had truly passed the Fifth Layer. With their keen eyes, they knew exactly where his limits lay.
Before the fight, no one had thought Gulanxiu stood a chance. Even after his willpower breakthrough, they still hadn't believed he could win. After all, a defender was bound to make a mistake eventually, and even the smallest mistake could prove fatal.
But Gulanxiu hadn't made a single mistake. When the Gatekeeper's strength waned, he seized the tiny opening and used the rules to successfully pass the Sky Bridge.
Bafen laughed. "It may have been a bit of a cheap trick, but getting through is what counts!"
Barbarian Hammer King nodded. "Thirty years in Chaos City, and he's passed the Fifth Layer of the Sky Bridge. Not bad, eh? Hahaha, Bafen! If there's nothing else, I'll be off!"
With that, he disappeared from the Sky Bridge without waiting for Bafen to say goodbye.
Bafen rubbed his chin and said, "First Yunmiao, then Gulanxiu. That makes two geniuses in a row who've passed the Sky Bridge by using a trick! I should report this to the City Lord and see whether the Sky Bridge needs to be adjusted."
"But first, I'll send those little fellows some emails to give them a jolt!"
Before you continue