" Mad Blade, I'll remember this debt!"
Xue Wu glanced at his injuries and stood up from the ground.
After taking the healing Danyao, his complexion improved somewhat, but his breathing remained weak.
Although the bleeding from his right arm, which had been injured by the Mad Blade, had stopped, it was still throbbing with pain, and every breath aggravated the injury.
He took a deep breath and walked towards the passageway.
The moment they stepped into the passage, all five puppets moved simultaneously.
He drew his sword, and the sword light transformed into a crimson streak, meeting the onrushing Fierce Tiger Puppet.
"Clang--"
Amidst the clanging of metal, the Fierce Tiger Puppet's forward momentum was halted.
He turned and dodged the Giant Bear Puppet's palms, then swung his sword at the giant python puppet.
His Sword Technique was fierce and domineering, carrying an indomitable spirit.
However, the injury to his right arm ultimately affected his performance.
His sword's power was noticeably weakened.
He deflected the giant python puppet's head with his sword, but failed to force it back.
The thick, bucket-like metal snake tail swept across, and he had no time to dodge, so he could only parry with his sword.
"Bang--"
He was so shaken that he staggered back several steps, and the wound on his right arm reopened, soaking his sleeve with blood.
Before he could regain his footing, the Giant Bear Puppet's two paws slammed down from the side.
His expression changed drastically, and he dodged to the side with all his might.
The Giant Bear Puppet's left paw grazed his shoulder, spraying a cloud of blood, while its right paw slammed solidly into his back.
"Puff--"
He coughed up blood and flew forward like a kite with a broken string.
He crashed heavily to the ground, rolled twice, and then stopped.
The giant ape puppet's fists slammed down from above.
He struggled to get up, but found he was too weak to fight anymore.
"Hateful!"
He raised his head, staring at the approaching dark silver fists, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes.
If he hadn't been injured, he might have been able to overcome this obstacle and obtain a better reward.
But in this world, there are no "what ifs," and he ultimately paid the price for his "provocation two days ago."
"Whoosh!"
A golden barrier appeared out of thin air, enveloping Xue Wu and sending him outside the Ancient Ruins.
A jade box containing rare and precious materials fell into Xue Wu's hands.
Xue Wu looked down at the jade box in his hand.
He received a rare and precious herb as a reward, but there was no joy in his eyes, only deep resentment.
A golden barrier enveloped him, and he disappeared at the entrance of the passage.
"Hey--"
Mad Blade, carrying his giant sword, grinned as he gazed in the direction Xue Wu had disappeared.
There was not a trace of pity in that smile, only undisguised smugness.
The remaining prodigies of East Foothills Prefecture entered the passage one after another.
In the end, only Lie Yunting and four others passed the fourth level, while the rest failed.
In Qingyang Prefecture, it was Fang Han' turn.
Fang Han took the lead and walked towards the passage.
The moment they stepped into the passage, all five puppets moved simultaneously.
A tiger, Giant Bear, a python, a monkey, and Giant Eagle —five metallic figures pounced simultaneously from five directions.
Fang Han's expression remained unchanged as he placed his right hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Clang--"
The Cloudsplitter Sword was drawn.
A bluish-gold light flowed across the sword's blade.
He did not use Sword Intent, but merely used the power of the Perfection Realm Wind Momentum.
A sharp, all-encompassing aura emanated from the five incoming metal golems.
"Clang clang clang clang--!"
After several dozen moves.
The five puppets, like five pieces of rubble swept up by a hurricane, slammed heavily against the walls of the passage.
The walls trembled, emitting a dull rumble.
Taking this opportunity, he sheathed his sword and crossed the passage.
Luo Yuntian was the second to step into the passage.
He drew his sword, its light steady, and engaged in battle with the five puppets.
His Sword Technique was neither fast nor slow, yet it possessed a meticulous and watertight quality, always able to neutralize the puppet's attacks at the last possible moment.
However, the five Third Grade Early Stage puppets were still a great challenge for him.
Thirty moves.
Fifty moves.
Eighty moves.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Luo Yuntian's forehead, and several rips appeared on his green robe, torn open by sharp claws.
The Fierce Tiger Puppet's claws grazed his left shoulder, leaving a deep bloody gash.
The giant python puppet's tail swept across his side, causing his blood to surge.
He gritted his teeth, exerted all his strength to force back the Giant Bear Puppet with a single sword strike, and then darted away.
The Giant Eagle Puppet's wings swept down from above, leaving him no choice but to parry with his sword.
"Bang--"
He was jolted several feet to the side, a sweet taste rose in his throat, and a mouthful of blood surged up.
But he used this momentum to increase his speed by three points, and finally passed through the passage before the five puppets could surround him again.
As he stepped through the passage, he stumbled and nearly fell.
He steadied himself, panting heavily, his face as pale as paper, blood seeping from the wound on his left shoulder, and sharp pain throbbing in his side.
But he made it through in the end.
Yun Muyao was the third to step into the passage.
She drew her sword, its blade gleaming with icy coldness, and engaged in battle with the five puppets.
With her cultivation at the Fourth Grade Late Stage, she was no weaker than a typical Third Grade Early Stage, and was even confident that she could defeat a typical Third Grade Early Stage martial artist in a one-on-one situation.
However, it was clearly outmatched when faced with an attack from five puppets comparable to the Third Grade Early Stage.
After thirty moves.
The giant ape puppet's fists came crashing down from the side; she couldn't dodge in time and had to parry with her sword.
"Clang--"
Amidst the clanging of metal, she was jolted back several steps.
Before she could regain her footing, the giant python puppet's tail swept across her.
"Bang--"
She coughed up blood, flew backward, and crashed heavily into the entrance of the passage.
A golden barrier appeared, enveloping her, and a jade box containing rare and precious materials landed in her hand.
She looked down at the jade box in her hand, but there was no disappointment in her clear, cold eyes.
She was well aware of her own abilities and knew that the chances of passing the fourth level were slim.
A golden barrier enveloped her, and she disappeared at the entrance of the passage.
Three people from Qingyang Prefecture attempted the fourth challenge; two succeeded, and one failed.
Next, the prodigies from each prefecture successively passed the challenges.
The vast majority of people failed; only a handful succeeded.
Even those who succeeded were mostly seriously injured and in a sorry state.
In less than half an hour, everyone had finished the challenge.
In the hall, the queue that originally numbered nearly a hundred people had dwindled to less than fifty.
Those who managed to pass the fourth level were all the most outstanding talents from their respective counties, and all had a sliver of hope of becoming grandmasters in the future.
Although it was only a trace, it was still a legendary level of mastery, which already demonstrated their extraordinary talent.
The wall directly in front of the hall changed again.
Ripples spread, the walls became transparent, and then disappeared.
Then, another passage appeared.
When the scene in the passageway became clear, everyone in the hall turned extremely solemn.
In the center of the passage, six metal golems stood in a circle.
A tiger, Giant Bear, a giant python, a giant ape, Giant Eagle —and in the center of them, there was an extra puppet.
It was a metal puppet shaped like a praying mantis, Dark Gold in color, smaller than the Fierce Tiger Puppet, yet it gave off a more dangerous feeling.
Its forearms were scythe-shaped, with a ghostly blue light emanating from their blades, and faint runes flowing within them. Its compound eyes were dark red, coldly watching the crowd ahead of the passage.
Six puppets, six pairs of eyes.
An oppressive feeling, several times stronger than that of the fourth level, emanated from the passage.
"Level 5..."
Someone swallowed hard, their voice hoarse.
"Six puppets... each one is as powerful as Third Grade Middle Stage martial artist."
Upon hearing this, the hall fell into a deathly silence.
Third Grade Middle Stage.
It's a minor realm higher than the Third Grade Early Stage in the fourth level.
For martial artists of the Upper Third Grade, the difference between each minor realm is enormous.
Although there is only a small difference of one rank between the Third Grade Middle Stage and the Third Grade Early Stage, the difference in strength is extremely significant.
What's more, there are six of them here.
No wonder...
Someone murmured, their voice filled with bitterness.
"No wonder the best result we achieved in our counties was only passing the fourth stage."
No one objected; everyone stared at the six metal puppets in the passage, their faces grave.
Six metal puppets, comparable to Third Grade Middle Stage, worked in perfect harmony, tireless and impervious to pain.
Even a Third Grade Late Stage martial artist would likely find it difficult to overcome such a lineup.
As everyone watched in shock, nine figures in Moon-White robes slowly walked towards the passage.
These were the remaining nine members of the Heavenly Origin Sect.
Bai Yan remained at the very front.
His steps were unhurried, his moon-white robe shimmering slightly in the light and shadow, his expression calm and revealing no emotion.
The moment he stepped into the passage, all six puppets moved simultaneously.
The Fierce Tiger Puppet lunged straight at his face, the Giant Bear Puppet slammed down its palms from the left, the python puppet launched itself from the right, the ape puppet leaped up from behind and smashed its fists down, Giant Eagle Puppet swooped down from above.
And then the Mantis Puppet moved.
Its speed was astonishing; its Dark Gold metallic body left a twisted afterimage in the passage, and its scythe-shaped forearms slashed out, blocking all of Bai Yan's paths of advancement.
This strike was faster, more ruthless, and more cunning than the attacks of the other five puppets.
Bai Yan placed his right hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Clang--"
The longsword was drawn, its pale blue blade gleaming brilliantly.
An incomparably sharp aura erupted from him, even more refined and sharper than during the fourth level.
The sword light flashed like a rainbow, and six sword strikes were unleashed in rapid succession.
"Clang clang clang clang clang--!"
The Fierce Tiger Puppet was sent flying backward, the Giant Bear Puppet staggered backward, the giant python puppet's head was knocked to the side, the giant ape puppet's fists were knocked away, and the Giant Eagle Puppet was slashed and sent flying into the sky.
The Mantis Puppet's scythe-like forearms were also shaken to one side by the sword strike, and its Dark Gold metallic body slid back several feet.
Bai Yan continued walking, passing through the gaps between the six puppets, and reaching the other end of the passage.
He sheathed his sword, stood with his hands behind his back, his expression still calm.
Xu Qing was the second to step into the passage.
She drew her sword, its blade flashing coldly and sharply, and engaged in battle with the six puppets.
The Mantis Puppet's scythe struck her vitals time and time again, but she dodged it all.
After dozens of moves, she seized a fleeting opening, darted through the passage, and disappeared into the distance.
The third disciple of the Heavenly Origin Sect stepped into the passage.
This person was slightly weaker than Xu Qing. After fighting the six puppets for nearly a hundred moves, he bravely endured a blow from the Giant Bear Puppet and forced his way through the passage.
As he passed through, he coughed up blood, his face turned ashen, and he staggered, nearly falling.
The fourth and fifth place finishers then stepped into the passage.
Both of them fought with all their might, sustaining more than ten wounds on their bodies, their moon-white robes soaked in blood, before barely managing to get through.