The Final Battle

Blade light blazed.

The Gatekeeper of the ninth floor of the Heavenly Bridge strained to unleash his strongest axe strike.

Collision. Dispersion. Oblivion.

The ninth floor of the Heavenly Bridge—passed.

All spectators had long known this outcome.

Yet many still couldn't help but marvel. But no one dared to shout loudly. Because dozens of Immortals were already in the sky above, including over a dozen Marquis Rank Immortals. What was rarer still, the powerful King Rank figures who were usually hard to spot had shown up in the greatest number—over thirty of them in attendance.

Those below couldn't hear it, but among the King Rank group, chaos had already broken out.

Someone said, "My disciple's comprehension of the Law of Space—passing the ninth floor alone is no problem at all."

Someone immediately retorted, "Your disciple? Since when is he your disciple? You big-eared bastard, have you no shame? Huh?"

"That's right! Big Ears, you think you can claim this disciple? In this hundred epochs, you've taken in the most disciples already. Step aside." Another King Rank joined in the jab.

The King Rank with the oversized ears hadn't even had time to fire back before someone else spoke. "What are you all thinking? Taking a disciple? This disciple probably belongs to the Venerable."

"Can't say that for sure. The Venerable is the Venerable, we are we. It's not like he can only have one teacher. But you Limit King Ranks better not meddle this time. A few of us will give it a try. The Venerable is too busy. We have far more time." An Invincible King Rank spoke up.

Several other Invincible King Ranks all agreed. They had been stuck at Invincible King Rank for endless ages. To take another step forward through solitary cultivation alone was nearly impossible. If they truly wanted to find time to teach a disciple, they could spare as much time as they needed.

King Huansha had just received an email from Venerable Meng Yu, instructing her to bring Li Dui to see her immediately. Seeing these King Ranks scheming over Li Dui, she promptly wrote another email to report the situation.

At the end of the tenth floor of the Heavenly Bridge.

The Gatekeeper materialized. Perhaps knowing he was no match for Li Dui, he struck first, going all out, using the third axe strike from the Giant Axe Chaos Stele.

This strike, wielded with flexibility, was enough to pass this floor.

Li Dui's fighting spirit was ignited. He wasn't in a hurry to clear the floor. He used his own comprehension of the Giant Axe Third Blade, clashing with the Gatekeeper in a fierce melee.

The audience wasn't lacking in keen eyes. They could see that Li Dui's secret technique, in terms of power, was on par with the Gatekeeper's.

But in this kind of prolonged battle, Li Dui's combat technique, combat experience, and timing were actually inferior to the Gatekeeper's. He was always being suppressed in the exchange.

Yet Li Dui's footwork was simply too... slippery. He dodged attacks at impossible moments and even created opportunities for himself.

As Li Dui repeatedly used his footwork to gain nearly "free" openings, wounds piled up across the Gatekeeper's body. Finally, unwillingly, he fell.

Li Dui had found his rhythm. He couldn't wait to fight again. He shot upward.

In the plaza, all spectators below World Lord rank held their breath.

Among the Five Great Powers, core members who hadn't yet reached World Lord—those who could pass the tenth floor of the Heavenly Bridge were few and far between. As for those who could breach the eleventh floor, they could probably be counted on one hand.

Li Dui's friends had mostly calmed down. They stared at the big screen, unable to hide their admiration. This man was creating a miracle, about to become a legend.

Qianshui tightly gripped Luliduo's hand. Qianshui's eyes were full of pride. Luliduo was overjoyed. Their relationship with this kid was really good. His performance made them feel honored to know him.

The end of the eleventh floor—arrived.

Choosing Warrior without a second word. Li Dui's battle intent was at its peak. He raised his blade and charged.

His third strike was too ferocious, clearly exceeding the strength of this floor. The eleventh-floor Gatekeeper struggled left and right. After a few exchanges, he was torn apart by the blade light.

Li Dui's fighting spirit burned even fiercer. Though he could only use the Law of Space at the level of the ninth floor of the Heavenly Bridge, his true comprehension of the Law was at the eighteenth floor.

At this moment, Li Dui, who had been constantly connected to the Ring, felt a flood of insights surging into his mind.

He had experienced many battles in the Xueluo World. But those opponents were far too weak—there was no pressure at all. Nothing like the last two opponents, whose oppressive force was immeasurably greater.

He moved at his fastest possible speed to the end of the twelfth floor.

Choosing Warrior.

Gripping his blade tightly, the moment the Gatekeeper materialized and assumed a combat stance, Li Dui attacked the very next second.

Fighting the Heavenly Bridge Gatekeeper was originally a process of testing and learning. Normally, at the start, the Gatekeeper faced opponents who had just risen to this floor. So under normal circumstances, the Gatekeeper would only use the basic power of this floor to fight the challenger. Then he would gradually increase the intensity until either the challenger was eliminated or the Gatekeeper was defeated.

But this Li Dui today—starting from the fifth floor, he had cleared seven floors in a row, reaching the twelfth. He couldn't be judged by common sense.

Thus, the twelfth-floor Gatekeeper erupted with nearly full power from the very beginning. His battle axe spun wildly, each move tearing through the void itself.

Li Dui fought back with all his might, exhilarated in his heart. This was a real fight. Everything before had been child's play.

The two clashed at the bridgehead. Figures crossed, blade light flashed, axe light crisscrossed.

Dozens of exchanges later, the Gatekeeper suddenly laughed and spoke: "Young man, you are exceptional. It has been countless years since I last faced a Universe Rank opponent on this floor. But today is not the day you defeat me. Fall now. I look forward to your next visit."

With that, he began to truly unleash his full power.

Indeed, even the Universe Rank spectators below could see that on this floor, Li Dui had fallen into a disadvantage. He probably couldn't pass.

Li Dui's friends, and many unrelated onlookers, all felt deep regret. To pass this floor meant becoming the benchmark of genius for the entire human race.

Li Dui himself knew that fighting like this, he wouldn't clear this floor. Unless he continued to reveal part of his true strength.

But there really was no need.

Displaying talent was meant to cash in on certain things—raising his status, increasing his authority, improving his freedom and autonomy, and so on. Showing this much was enough. Revealing more would only bring trouble. It might even affect some of his important plans later.

Losing was fine. But that didn't mean he would give up easily. Li Dui let out a roar, swinging his long blade wildly, fighting the Gatekeeper head-on.

Dozens more exchanges passed.

His secret art's power was inferior to his opponent's, putting him at a disadvantage in both offense and defense. If not for his ability to dodge fatal strikes in the nick of time time and again, he would have been slain by the Gatekeeper long ago.

Even so, Li Dui had sustained numerous injuries. The other's movement technique was no slouch either. As time passed, the Gatekeeper's relentless pressure and suppression inflicted more and more wounds on Li Dui.

There was no helping it—at this level of combat intensity, a Universe Rank ninth-stage body was far too fragile. Not to mention a direct hit; even a slight graze would instantly erase him from existence.

To endure the last hundred moves, Li Dui paid a grievous price. A massive horizontal gash across his waist nearly cleaved him in two. His left arm was gone, and half his left shoulder had been sheared away. Piled with other wounds, he resembled a tattered sack, spraying blood with every movement.

The discerning spectators were shaken to their core. It wasn't that being wounded was a big deal. The key point was that even at this moment, Li Dui's attack power and evasive footwork had not noticeably declined—they were nearly on par with when he was intact. That he had fallen to this state was simply because he was outmatched.

This showed that the man's willpower was equally formidable.

How had the Battle Axe Secret Realm produced such a freak? Law comprehension talent, law integration talent, secret art cultivation talent, willpower—all were exceptional. Did he have no weaknesses at all?