Continuous Challenges, Unstoppable

The wind swept low across the stone platform. I stood where I was, one hand still resting on my sword hilt. The aura from the southeast was drawing closer and closer, like a rift tearing through the air.

The spirit beast raised its head, a low growl rolling from its throat.

That figure leaped out from the woods, its wings spread a full thirty feet wide. Golden feathers glinted with a cold sheen beneath the setting sun. It landed without a sound, save for the shockwave of crushed air.

"Golden Feather Demon King." I recognized the name. Rumor had it that on the northern wilderness plains, he could kill an early-stage shapeshifted demon cultivator within three breaths.

He said nothing. With a sweep of both arms, over a dozen wind blades slashed toward my face.

I took half a step back. The spirit beast charged out fiercely, using its body to knock aside the first wave of attacks. The Golden Feather Demon King rose into the air, circling upward with the momentum as he prepared to dive.

I raised my head and watched his trajectory, slowing my breathing.

[Which attribute restrains wind-element divine arts? Time limit: fifteen breaths]

The countdown began.

I recalled the earth-element barrier I had used against the Earth Splitting Rhinoceros, as well as something Zhen Yuanzi had once said—no matter how fast the wind was, it could not pass through a mountain.

The answer came to me.

I chose "Earth."

[Correct answer! Reward issued: one Mountain Suppressing Talisman]

A yellow talisman appeared in my palm, bearing the outline of a mountain.

Without hesitation, I raised my hand and slapped the talisman onto the ground.

Boom!

Three rock walls surged up from the ground, curving around the stone platform. The Golden Feather Demon King was in the middle of his dive and had no choice but to snap his wings shut and halt abruptly, his body jerking to a stop.

Now!

I drew my blade, kicked off the edge of the stone platform, and leaped into the air. Flowing Abyss cut a straight line toward the base of his right wing.

He raised an arm to block. The shriek of metal striking metal rang out. Cracks appeared across his armor, and the blow knocked him off course, sending him crashing to the ground.

He rolled over and rose to his feet, his gaze changed.

"You didn't win through brute force," he said.

"Judgment." I tightened my grip on the hilt. "The rock walls restricted your flight path. When you turned for the second time, you would be half a beat slower."

He stared at me for a while, folded his wings, and turned to walk out of the valley.

I did not move, standing there as I caught my breath. Only a little over twenty percent of the spiritual power in my dantian remained, but my heartbeat was steady.

The spirit beast returned and rubbed against my leg.

The shadows of the distant trees shifted, and three figures entered the mouth of the valley.

They wore gray-white robes, frost masks covering their faces. Thin ice formed across the ground wherever they stepped.

"Northern Desolation Cold Generals," the system prompt sounded.

The three stopped and raised their hands at the same time. A wave of cold spread from their palms, swiftly blanketing the entire stone platform.

I immediately felt my meridians stiffen and the circulation of spiritual power slow.

The spirit beast spat out a burst of golden light, attempting to disperse the chill, but it was suppressed after only a few breaths.

The three stood in a triangular formation. The one in the center spoke. "Three Talents Frost Condensing Array, trap the gods and lock the meridians."

As his words fell, ice spikes descended from the air while ice pillars rose from the ground. I failed to dodge in time, and one grazed my left shoulder, sending a burst of sharp pain through me.

I knew I could not take this head-on.

Half a bottle of Soul Protecting Dew remained. I took it out and drank it, and my divine sense instantly cleared somewhat.

[What is the weakest force in the Three Talents Array?]

The options appeared.

A. Heaven position

B. Earth position

C. Human position

I remembered an ancient text mentioning that among the Three Talents, heaven guided, earth formed the foundation, and humanity controlled. The human position controlled the array's operation, and it was also the easiest link to disrupt.

I chose C.

[Correct answer! Reward issued: one Formation Breaking Nail]

A short black nail appeared in my hand, heavy to the touch.

I fixed my eyes on the Cold General in the center. The instant he formed another hand seal, I charged forward. The spirit beast cooperated with me, pouncing from the side and forcing him to divide his attention.

I took the chance to circle behind him and drove the Formation Breaking Nail viciously into the spiritual acupoint at his lower back.

The man let out a muffled groan, and the rhythm of the array broke. The movements of the two on either side slowed, and the ice pillars began to collapse.

I swept my blade horizontally, its edge skimming over the ground and cutting through the ice beneath their feet. The two lost their balance, and the formation completely fell apart.

The three exchanged glances, withdrew their hands, and retreated.

I did not pursue.

I sat down against the stone platform, my fingers trembling slightly. Blood began seeping from my wound, staining the left shoulder of my Daoist robe red.

The spirit beast lay beside me, panting heavily.

The sun was nearly down, its slanting rays shining into the valley floor. More movement came from the distance.

A figure wrapped in crackling arcs of lightning strode toward me. The Lightning Kylin Beast. A ring of lightning flared outward each time its four claws touched the ground.

It stood at the valley entrance and looked up at me. "Can you still fight?"

"Yes." I rose to my feet and held Flowing Abyss across my body.

It smiled faintly and charged.

It was so fast that its shadow was nearly impossible to see. I could only rely on my spiritual sense to catch its direction and barely block its attacks. Every collision made my arms go numb. Lightning force traveled down the blade and into my meridians, bringing unbearable pain.

After more than a dozen exchanges, one of its claws swept across my shoulder blade, and blood streamed down my back.

It retreated a step and shook the blood from its claws. "You're finished."

I did not answer. Instead, I watched the arcs of lightning dancing above its head.

The system was still there. Maybe I could try once more.

Is there a question about the weakness of the lightning attribute?

A few seconds later, the system responded.

[What do lightning-attributed lifeforms fear most? Time limit: twenty breaths]

The options appeared.

A. Water

B. Fire

C. Wood

D. Metal

I remembered one rule of the Five Elements' mutual restraint—wood generated fire, fire restrained metal, and metal restrained wood. But lightning belonged to metal, so in theory, it should fear fire.

Yet the Lightning Kylin before me clearly did not fear high temperatures.

Then I recalled another saying—lightning descended from the heavens and struck whatever stood high. If I could guide the lightning into striking its own body...

I chose C, wood.

[Answer not entirely correct, but a special judgment has been triggered. Reward: one Lightning Guiding Needle]

A long, slender silver needle fell into my palm, its tail engraved with a leaf pattern.

I raised my hand and threw the needle into the air.

When the Lightning Guiding Needle rose a hundred feet high, clouds churned across the sky, and a bolt of lightning crashed down onto its tip.

The current flowed through the needle, yet did not strike the ground. Instead, it formed a circuit in the air and rebounded into the Lightning Kylin.

It screamed. Its body was scorched black, and its limbs convulsed.

I did not stop. Drawing upon the last thread of spiritual power in my dantian, I unleashed the third form of the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Art: Wave Breaking Style.

Flowing Abyss erupted with blue-gray light. The blade light poured forth like a waterfall, slashing horizontally.

The Lightning Kylin was hurled more than a hundred feet away, smashing through two ancient trees. It struggled several times but could not rise again.

It lay on the ground, gasping heavily. "You... what exactly are you?"

I did not answer. I sheathed my sword and walked back to the stone platform.

The sun had fully set, leaving only the afterglow in the valley to illuminate the bloodstains.

I sat against the stone platform, one hand on the sword hilt. Blood slicked my fingertips.

The spirit beast lay at my feet, no longer moving.

Several figures still stood in the distant woods. They neither entered nor left.

I knew they were still watching.

I also knew that as long as I remained standing, this would not end.

Blood slowly dripped from the sword hilt, falling onto the stone platform and leaving a small pit.

The next second, footsteps came from the southwest.