The Light-Imperial Ninja Blade now embodies not only Soul Power and physical strength, but also the Divine Power contained within the bloodline of the Radiant King Dragon. The golden light on the sword is condensed to its extreme, like a solidified ray of sunlight.
The blades intersected.
There was no sound of metal clashing.
The Light-Imperial Ninja Blade, like cutting tofu, sliced through the golden edge of the Wing Guillotine, cleaved the butterfly's body, and then—
The blade flashed across the girl's neck.
The girl's movements came to an abrupt halt.
Her long, light blue hair floated in the air as her exquisite head slowly slid down.
There was no blood. The girl's body transformed into countless specks of light, which, along with her head, vanished in the golden light.
The Light-Imperial Ninja Blade, Mikage, was sheathed.
Zhong Shenxiu stood still, his chest rising and falling slightly. His body was covered with fine wounds, several of his dragon scales were broken, and blood seeped from the wounds, staining his clothes red.
But his eyes remained calm, even carrying a hint of satisfaction.
His movements as he sheathed his sword were slow and deliberate, the blade rubbing against the scabbard producing a clear, resonant sound that echoed through the empty Hall of Heroes.
The wounds on his body were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye. The regenerative ability of the Indestructible Dragon Body far exceeded that of ordinary people; new scales were growing beneath the dragon scales that had been cut open by the light blades.
The electronic voice remained silent for a long time.
It was as if even the system was processing the outcome of this battle.
"Passed the second stage of the Special Grade assessment."
"Evaluator detected..."
The electronic voice paused briefly, as if recalculating something.
"The assessment is over."
A beam of blue light descended from the sky, enveloping Zhong Shenxiu.
With a flash of light, his figure disappeared from the Hall of Heroes.
The next moment, Zhong Shenxiu's feet touched the ground, and he was standing in that deep blue space again.
The deep blue crystals above and below him refracted a cold halo, and his figure was reflected on the silver-white metal wall.
Wu Zhangkong stood to one side of the wall, hands in his pockets, watching him appear expressionlessly. His sky-blue eyes revealed no emotion; he simply nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Zhong Shenxiu nodded in response, then glanced around.
Tang Wulin and Xie Xie had already come out before him.
The two were squatting in the corner, their expressions best described in one word—utterly hopeless.
Xie Xie's short brown hair was a mess, as if it had been blown up by something. He hugged his knees, his dark green eyes filled with frustration, and he was muttering something under his breath.
Tang Wulin didn't have any visible injuries, but he covered his face with one hand, radiating an aura of "not wanting to talk." His handsome face was filled with complex emotions, as if he were recalling some unbearable experience.
"Those guys inside... they're ruthless."
Xie Xie muttered, "I didn't even see the first move clearly before I was sent flying."
Tang Wulin's hand, which was covering his face, trembled slightly. "You're alright, you came out right away. I endured it for a full thirty seconds, just from being hit."
The two exchanged a glance and sighed simultaneously.
Then, they noticed Zhong Shenxiu, who had just appeared.
Xie Xie's eyes lit up instantly, and he scrambled to his feet, rushing forward in a few quick steps.
Tang Wulin also lowered his hand from his face and stood up. Although his expression still showed some lingering fear, his curiosity overwhelmed everything else.
" Shenxiu!"
Xie Xie closer to Zhong Shenxiu, his dark green eyes gleaming with gossip. "How many rounds did you pass? I couldn't even make it past the second one."
He said this frankly, without the slightest embarrassment. After all, the Projection's strength was undeniable; if he couldn't beat it, he couldn't beat it, and there was nothing shameful about it.
Tang Wulin nodded in agreement. He seemed to empathize with the situation; even though the injuries hadn't actually affected his body, he couldn't help but cover his face again, as if he had suffered some kind of inhuman torture.
"Yes,"
Tang Wulin's voice carried a hint of lingering fear, "If I weren't so resilient, I wouldn't have been able to pass the second level at all!!"
He spoke with exceptional sincerity.
The Golden Dragon King Bloodline endowed him with physical strength and regenerative abilities far exceeding those of his peers, which had always been his advantage in training. However, in that Hall of Heroes, the green-haired girl's every move precisely struck his vital points, with perfect force, angle, and timing, rendering his proud defenses useless.
He could withstand the first challenge with his physical strength, but after the girl's strength increased in the second challenge, he could only passively take the beating. Thirty seconds, a full thirty seconds! He was bombarded so badly that he lost his bearings. Although the damage didn't actually affect his body, the feeling of being crushed was truly etched into his memory.
Zhong Shenxiu looked at the two of them with a surprised expression.
"Is it that difficult?" he countered, his tone genuinely doubtful. "Isn't passing the level very easy?"
Xie Xie: "...?"
Tang Wulin: "...?"
The air was silent for a full three seconds.
Xie Xie thought he might have misheard something. He turned to look at Tang Wulin, wanting to confirm if he was hallucinating.
Tang Wulin also looked bewildered, his big eyes filled with confusion.
"Passed through customs?!"
Xie Xie's voice rose an octave, "You beat the game?!"
He emphasized the word "pass" very much, as if to confirm whether its meaning matched his understanding.
Tang Wulin's eyes widened, and he even forgot to cover his face, staring blankly at Zhong Shenxiu.
Zhong Shenxiu remained calm, as if he had just said something completely ordinary. He nodded, seeing the incredulous expressions on their faces.
"A guy with light blue hair came out,"
He paused, seemingly recalling specific details, "I killed her a few times, and that's how I said I beat the game."
His tone was flat, as if he were simply saying how many bowls of rice he ate today.
Xie Xie's mouth opened and closed, then opened again.
Tang Wulin's eyelids twitched.
"How many times did you... how many times did you kill him?" Xie Xie repeated the sentence with difficulty, his voice trembling.
The use of the quantifier "several times" here made him feel that his understanding had been greatly impacted.
He and Tang Wulin were completely overwhelmed in the second round, unable to even last thirty seconds.
Zhong Shenxiu said "several times"—meaning he defeated his corresponding Projection more than once, and the Projection's strength clearly increased as the level progressed.
Xie Xie imagined the scene: Zhong Shenxiu expressionlessly drew his sword and chopped the one who had beaten them to a pulp into a white light. Then the system said, "Not enough, do it again." So he chopped and chopped and chopped... until the system said, "Alright, you've cleared the level."
The image sent a chill down his spine.
Tang Wulin's expression was similar. Although he knew Zhong Shenxiu was very strong, he had never had a clear understanding of the specific extent of "strong." Now he did—strong enough to turn around and kill the person who was beating him several times over.
The two looked at each other and saw the same thing in each other's eyes.
Then, they both gave a wry smile.