At this moment, Lu Ren had passed all eight gate trials and been teleported into the cave mansion.
Inside the cave mansion was a gigantic plaza, ringed by towering ceremonial pillars.
Directly above the plaza stood an enormous blood-red gate of light, already open.
Once one entered the gate of light, one could undergo the final trial.
However, Lu Ren had no intention of entering.
For so many years, not a single person had passed the final trial. As a Scrap Bloodline, what right did Lu Ren have to think he could clear the final trial outright?
Even during the Qian Gate trial, he had only lasted the time it took an incense stick to burn by relying on the slight advantage of his physical body.
Therefore, he intended to raise his strength further before taking the final trial.
And killing people was the best way to increase one's strength.
However, he would not take the initiative to kill. If others did not offend him, he would not offend them; but if anyone dared harbor ill intentions toward him, he would not mind killing them outright.
With that thought, Lu Ren hid behind one of the ceremonial pillars, concealing himself. At the same time, he entered the Nameless Treasure Pagoda to rest for a day and recover from his injuries.
Outside the Tuoshe Cave Mansion!
"Why isn't Lu Ren taking the final trial?"
Gu Yifan was utterly astonished. Lu Ren had clearly been the first to complete the eight gate trials, yet he was not immediately taking the final trial.
Only one person could undergo the final trial.
Right now was the perfect opportunity.
If he delayed until the others completed the eight gate trials as well, Lu Ren would be in danger.
Xie Kuang sneered. "Lu Ren just endured the Tusita Giant Beast's fierce assault head-on and suffered grave injuries. He must be hiding there to heal!"
Everyone nodded.
Just as they were discussing this, another figure appeared in Tuoshe Plaza.
It was a white-haired old man in coarse hemp robes, around fifty years old, with a shocking scar across his forehead.
"It's Huang Qi. He actually passed the eight gate trials before Xu Fu!"
Everyone was startled.
Within the Tuoshe Cave Mansion, aside from Tang Hao, the Ghost Sword Successor, the two greatest contenders were Huang Qi and Xu Fu. Both had opened nine Spiritual Apertures.
However, Xu Fu was much younger than Huang Qi and possessed stronger bloodline talent. Xu Fu had a Fourth-grade Bloodline, while Huang Qi only had a Third-grade Bloodline.
Therefore, in their eyes, Huang Qi should have been the first to pass the eight gate trials—naturally, excluding the unexpected variable that was Lu Ren.
"If Huang Qi discovers Lu Ren, then Lu Ren is as good as dead!"
Gu Yifan sneered.
At this moment, Lu Ren was hidden behind a ceremonial pillar and had also spotted Huang Qi, but he did not reveal himself.
A high-level hunter often appeared in the form of prey.
Thus, Lu Ren deliberately shifted his position, making a faint noise.
"Who's there?"
Seeing that the gate to the final trial had not closed, Huang Qi assumed that he was the first to complete the eight gate trials. Just as he was immersed in joy, the sudden sound yanked him back to reality.
He walked straight over and saw Lu Ren hiding behind the ceremonial pillar. He was startled at first, but then an ecstatic expression appeared on his face. "So it's you, you Scrap Bloodline! I never thought you would pass the eight gate trials before me!"
Lu Ren wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, deliberately letting a trace of fear show in his eyes. "What do you want?"
"What do I want? Naturally, I want to kill you. Only one person can take the final trial!"
Huang Qi said coldly.
Lu Ren gritted his teeth. "If I weren't injured, you might not be my match!"
"So you suffered severe injuries during the eight gate trials. No wonder you aren't taking the final trial. Heaven is truly helping me!"
With his hands clasped behind his back, Huang Qi smiled. "I'll kill you first, then take the final trial!"
Boom!
The moment the words left his mouth, he attacked. Power surged wildly from within his body as he struck fiercely toward Lu Ren with one hand.
Yellow Tier Low-grade Martial Skill: Dragon Grasp Hand!
As his palm struck out, the phantom of a dragon claw seemed to flicker into existence.
Lu Ren immediately felt how exceptionally fierce this palm strike was. Every finger was robust and powerful; the force of this one palm alone was unknown how many times stronger than his Fierce Tiger Fist.
Yet faced with this move, Lu Ren remained motionless. Just as that palm was about to strike him, he suddenly activated the Spirit Burst Secret Art, forcefully fusing the spiritual energy from five Spiritual Apertures into a vortex before throwing a punch!
Fierce Tiger Fist!
When Huang Qi saw Lu Ren use Fierce Tiger Fist, a scornful smile appeared on his face. Lu Ren's strength was inferior to his, and the martial skill he used was merely the most common Fierce Tiger Fist. How could he possibly contend with him?
Boom!
Fist and palm collided, and a terrifying force crashed into Huang Qi's body.
Aah!
Huang Qi screamed as he was blasted backward. When he crashed onto the ground, he felt that his right arm had been completely broken, and his entire body was unable to move.
With only one punch, he had been defeated!
"How is this possible?"
Huang Qi's face still carried its former arrogance, but it gradually turned into shock. "You have only opened seven Spiritual Apertures, while I have opened nine. My Dragon Grasp Hand has even been cultivated to perfection. How could I possibly lose to you?"
"You talk too much nonsense!"
Lu Ren sneered and killed Huang Qi with a single palm strike.
Afterward, he dragged Huang Qi behind a ceremonial pillar and began searching him.
After a long while, his gaze fell upon the thumb ring on Huang Qi's hand, and he removed it.
Lu Ren sent his spiritual energy into it and began tallying the spoils.
"This fellow was able to pass the eight gate trials second. His strength is extraordinary, so he should have quite a bit of wealth!"
Lu Ren muttered to himself.
Copper coins: five hundred thousand!
Twenty Human Tier Low-grade Martial Skills, five Human Tier Mid-grade Martial Skills, and one Yellow Tier Low-grade Martial Skill.
Twenty Low-grade Spirit Stones.
There were also some common healing pills.
"I can try fusing the spiritual energy of the sixth Spiritual Aperture now!"
With that thought, Lu Ren entered Pagoda Space.
He now had twenty-one Low-grade Spirit Stones on him, enough to let him cultivate bitterly for forty-two years.
Lu Ren sat cross-legged and began fusing the spiritual energy of the sixth Spiritual Aperture.
In twenty years, Lu Ren fused the spiritual energy of the sixth Spiritual Aperture in one sustained burst.
With one punch from Lu Ren, he could now unleash nearly twelve thousand jin of force. Such strength was generally only possessed by Martial Artists who had opened twelve Spiritual Apertures.
With more than twenty years remaining, Lu Ren gave up the idea of fusing the seventh Spiritual Aperture.
Afterward, Lu Ren began cultivating martial skills bitterly.
As the saying went, the more skills one had, the less one was burdened!
Within the pagoda, Lu Ren casually selected three Human Tier Low-grade Martial Skills: Sword Finger, Mountain Shaking Fist, and Seven Injuries Palm.
These three martial skills each had their own merits. In Lu Ren's view, once he could apply them in battle, they would definitely be stronger than using Fierce Tiger Fist.
Lu Ren spent more than twenty years cultivating all three Human Tier Low-grade Martial Skills to perfection.
After leaving Pagoda Space, only one second had passed in the outside world.
Lu Ren hid behind the ceremonial pillar and continued waiting.
After the time it took an incense stick to burn.
A youth carrying a pitch-black longsword on his back saw that the gate of light had not closed and grinned. "Looks like I was the first to pass the eight gate trials!"
"Tang Hao?"
Lu Ren's heart stirred. Just as he was about to use the same trick again and kill Tang Hao.
Suddenly!
Figures were teleported out almost simultaneously, landing in the center of Tuoshe Plaza.
Lu Ren estimated that there were at least thirty or forty people.
"This is Tuoshe Plaza. They say that once you enter Tuoshe Plaza, you can participate in the final trial!"
"We were clearly still undergoing the eight gate trials. How did we end up here?"
"What exactly is going on?"
The Martial Artists who had been teleported in all wore bewildered expressions.
Seeing this scene, Tang Hao also hid himself, preparing to adapt to the situation.
While the mantis stalked the cicada, the oriole waited behind. As long as he hid in the shadows and killed Huang Qi and Xu Fu, no one would dare compete with him.
Naturally, the one he most wanted to kill was still Lu Ren. Once Lu Ren was teleported out as well, he would definitely kill him in a single strike.
Before you continue