Everyone underestimates you.
Bai Yan uttered two words in a low voice, his tone still calm, yet carrying a hint of heartfelt emotion.
"You're not bad either!"
Fang Han responded with a sentence, then turned around and glanced across the hall.
The wall directly in front of the hall changed again.
Ripples spread, the walls became transparent, and then disappeared.
Then, another passage appeared.
When they saw the scene in the passage, Fang Han and Bai Yan's gazes both sharpened.
In the center of the passage, nine metal puppets stood in a circle.
Tigers, Giant Bear, pythons, apes, Giant Eagle, mantises, spiders, scorpions—and in the center of them, there was an extra puppet.
It was a metal puppet shaped like a centipede, dark gold in color, and longer than the Spider Puppet.
Its body is made up of dozens of metal rings connected together, and each segment has a pair of sharp metal feet on both sides, with the tips of the feet gleaming with a ghostly blue light.
Its head is triangular, and a pair of huge chelicerae make a faint metallic scraping sound when they open and close. Dozens of compound eyes are dark red and are coldly staring at the passage ahead.
Nine puppets, nine pairs of eyes.
An oppressive feeling, many times stronger than that of the seventh level, emanated from the passage.
"Level 8."
Bai Yan spoke in a low voice, his tone carrying an unprecedented solemnity.
"Nine puppets... Based on previous patterns, the puppets in this level are probably comparable in strength to Second Grade Mid-Stage puppets."
Nine metal puppets at the Second Grade Mid-Stage.
They work in perfect harmony, are tireless, feel no pain, and have indestructible bodies.
Such a lineup is enough to cause trouble for First Grade martial artist.
Bai Yan remained silent for a moment, then stepped towards the passage.
His moon-white robe shimmered slightly in the light of the Night-Luminescent Pearl, and his wounds were still bleeding, the bandages soaked with blood.
His steps remained steady, but carried a heavier weight than before.
The moment they stepped into the passage, all nine puppets moved simultaneously.
Bai Yan drew his sword, Wood Sword Intent erupted forth.
However--
This time, he failed.
The attack from nine Second Grade Mid-Stage puppets was simply too dense and too fierce.
He fought with all his might, inflicting more than ten more wounds on his body. His moon-white robe was soaked with blood, and his face was as pale as paper.
He tried to break through the encirclement time and time again, but was forced back each time.
After several dozen moves.
The Centipede Puppet's dozens of pairs of metal legs stabbed at him simultaneously, sealing off all his escape routes.
He was no longer able to resist.
A golden barrier appeared out of thin air, enveloping him.
A jade box radiating a precious light landed in his hands.
Its radiance was warm and dazzling, shimmering with a captivating glow under the light of the Night-Luminescent Pearl.
It's unknown what's inside, but as a reward for passing seven trials, its value must be even greater than that of a cultivation technique at the realm of Artistic Conception.
A golden barrier enveloped him, and he disappeared at the entrance of the passage.
Fang Han in the hall.
His gaze fell on the passageway.
Nine metal puppets stood in a circle, each with nine pairs of eyes of a different color gleaming with a cold light.
The Second Grade Mid-Stage.
Nine metal puppets at the Second Grade Mid-Stage.
Fang Han took a deep breath and stepped towards the passage.
The moment they stepped into the passage, all nine puppets moved simultaneously.
More coordinated, more ruthless, and more deadly than level seven.
"Whoosh!"
Fang Han drew his sword, unleashing the full Sword Intent his Minor Success Stage Mastery of the Void-Sundering Sword Manual, and pushed the Wind God Step to its limit.
His figure weaved through the encirclement of nine puppets, his swordplay and Body Movement perfectly coordinated.
However, the combined attack of nine Second Grade Mid-Stage puppets was truly terrifying.
Fifty moves.
His left shoulder was grazed by the Fierce Tiger Puppet's claws, tearing his blue robe and leaving a bloody mark.
Eighty moves.
The Scorpion Puppet's stinger pierced his right arm, and blood splattered.
One hundred moves.
The Centipede Puppet's metal feet slashed across his back, leaving a long, bloody gash.
He gritted his teeth and strained with all his might.
Finally, on the 150th move, he seized a fleeting opening, his figure transforming into a streak of azure light, passing through the gap between the puppets.
The moment he stepped through the passage, he stumbled and fell to one knee.
His green robe was soaked in blood, and his body was covered with more than a dozen wounds of varying sizes. His face was as pale as paper, and he was barely breathing.
But he made it through in the end.
He took a Jade Dew Pellet and tore off strips of cloth to simply bandage several of the deeper wounds.
Just then--
The wall directly in front of the hall changed again.
Ripples spread, the walls became transparent, and then disappeared.
Then, another passage appeared.
In the center of the passage, ten metal puppets stood in a circle.
Tigers, Giant Bear, pythons, apes, eagles, Giant Eagle, spiders, scorpions, centipedes—and in the center of them, there is an extra puppet.
It was a metal puppet that resembled a combination of a mantis and a spider, its entire body dark silver, and its size was larger than the other puppets.
It has six slender metal legs, and its forelimbs are sickle-shaped, longer and sharper than the sickles of Mantis Puppet.
Its head has dozens of compound eyes, Dark Gold in color, which are coldly watching the passage ahead.
An oppressive feeling, many times stronger than that of the eighth level, emanated from the passage.
"Level Nine."
Fang Han spoke in a low, hoarse voice.
Ten puppets. Based on previous patterns, the puppets in this level are probably as strong as Second Grade Late Stage puppets.
Ten Second Grade Late Stage metal golems.
Even First Grade martial artist might not be able to overcome such a lineup.
Fang Han remained silent for a moment, then stepped towards the passageway.
The moment they stepped into the passage, all ten puppets moved simultaneously.
He drew his sword, unleashing his Sword Intent and pushing his Body Movement to their limits.
However--
This time, he only lasted thirty moves.
The attack from ten Second Grade Late Stage puppets was like an impenetrable net of death, completely sealing off all his escape routes.
He fought with all his might, and suffered several more wounds.
But when the dark silver puppet lunged forward, its six scythe-like forelimbs slashed out simultaneously from six directions, weaving together with the attacks of the other nine puppets into a deadly net.
He was no longer able to resist.
A golden barrier appeared out of thin air, enveloping him.
A dark, antique ring landed in his hand.
The ring was entirely black, made of an unknown material. It felt slightly heavy to the touch, and faint patterns were visible on its surface, giving it an ancient and mysterious aura.
"A ring?"
Fang Han looked down at the ring in his hand.
He didn't know what the ring was for, but as a reward for passing eight trials, its value must be even greater than the reward Bai Yan received.
Before he could take a closer look, the golden barrier had already enveloped him, sending him away from the Ancient Ruins.
He naturally understood the principle of not flaunting wealth, so he quickly put the ring away and planned to check it later.
Fang Han was enveloped by a golden barrier and rapidly ascended from the deep Ancient Ruins.
In a dizzying moment, the light and shadows shifted before his eyes, and when he came to his senses, he was already standing outside the entrance to the ruins.
Behind them, the jade gate that cut diagonally into the ground slowly closed with a rumbling sound, the intricate patterns on the edges gradually dimming and finally falling silent.
At the edge of the basin, hundreds of eyes fell on Fang Han.
Fang Han robe was torn in many places, and blood seeped from his left shoulder, right arm, and back. His face was pale and his breathing was weak.
But to them, it didn't seem embarrassing at all; on the contrary, it seemed incredibly mysterious.
After all, this was the last person to step out of the Ancient Ruins.
" Fang Han!"
Chen Wanjun's voice rang out.
The deputy head of the Law Enforcement Hall moved with lightning speed, appearing beside Fang Han like a ghost.
His gaze swept over the wounds on Fang Han's body, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
He took out a jade bottle from his bosom and poured out a Danyao the size of a longan, with a lustrous color.
This is Creation Pill, even more precious than the Jade Dew Pellet.
"Take it first."
Chen Wanjun handed the Danyao to Fang Han, his voice steady and filled with unquestionable concern.
Fang Han did not refuse and put the Danyao into his mouth.
The Creation Pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth, and a gentle yet powerful medicinal force surged into every part of the body.
Wherever it went, the bleeding wounds that were still oozing stopped at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the churning blood and qi in the body gradually calmed down.
His pale face finally regained some color.
"Thank you very much, Vice Hall Master Chen, for bestowing the pill."
Fang Han cupped his hands in greeting.
Chen Wanjun shook his head slightly, his gaze lingering on him for a moment, confirming that the injury was no longer serious before he felt relieved.
He didn't ask Fang Han which level he had reached, but simply said:
"Take a break first."
Fang Han nodded and sat down on the blue stone beside him.
Only then did the various forces on the edge of the basin recover from their astonishment.
"The last one to come out was... Fang Han from Qingyang Prefecture?"
Someone spoke in a low voice, their tone filled with disbelief.
" Bai Yan from the Heavenly Origin Sect came out earlier than him."
"So, his number of challenges completed is at least equal to Bai Yan's?"
A brief silence fell over the room upon hearing this.
Who is Bai Yan?
The strongest disciple of the Overlord-Level Faction, Heavenly Origin Sect, on this trip.
Fang Han, on the other hand, came from a remote place like Qingyang Prefecture. His Azure Profound Sect was just an ordinary top-tier power, and the gap between it and Heavenly Origin Sect was like heaven and earth.
Despite his humble origins, he was the last one to survive among the Ancient Ruins.
The Elder of the major powers in Qingyang Prefecture exchanged glances, all seeing undisguised surprise in each other's eyes.
However, this surprise was tinged with a hint of "I knew it" relief.
After all, that was Fang Han.
Beginner stage the top of the Prodigy Ranking after just over two years of training, and comprehended Sword Intent at the age of twenty.
His growth trajectory has long been legendary in Qingyang Prefecture.
While it is astonishing that someone could achieve results in Ancient Ruins that are on par with, or even surpass, the strongest disciple of Overlord-Level Faction, it is not entirely unacceptable.
However, the four commanderies of East Foothills Prefecture, Songquan Prefecture, White Egret Prefecture, and Taishun Prefecture did not have this "habit".
"The last one to come out... it was him!"
Elder Shi Jing of Vast Pine Abbey in Songquan Prefecture spoke in a low voice, his experienced eyes filled with undisguised astonishment.
He had lived for over sixty years and seen many brilliant and talented people, but he had never witnessed such a sight—
A young man from a remote county survived to the end in the Ancient Ruins, performing even better than the disciples of the Overlord-Level Faction.