Chapter 221: Shocking |
Chen Qing stepped onto the stairway to the twenty-ninth level of the Tianbao Tower, his mind taut with tension.
In the center of the stone chamber, two puppets stood quietly.
Their forms were slightly larger than the puppets on the lower levels, covered entirely in armor with an ancient and simple design. Beneath their face guards, two points of scarlet light locked onto Chen Qing.
Late-stage True Aura! And there were two of them!
Chen Qing clearly sensed that the aura fluctuations emanating from these two puppets had both reached the level of late-stage True Aura. The pale golden aura force radiating from their bodies was incomparably solid, like two volcanoes about to erupt.
Even more alarming was that one puppet wielded a door-panel-sized black iron heavy shield, while the other gripped a ferocious great blade nearly as tall as a person, one defensive and one offensive, their formation naturally perfect.
"The further along, the smaller the strength gap, but two late-stage True Aura experts with seamless coordination..."
Chen Qing's heart grew solemn as he gripped the Point Azure Spear in his hand tightly.
Without any superfluous sound, battle erupted in an instant!
Boom!
The air was brutally compressed and exploded, producing a deafening sonic boom!
A shockwave formed purely from immense force and condensed True Aura, like an invisible wall, crushed toward Chen Qing.
Almost at the same moment, the blade-wielding puppet moved!
It silently merged into the shockwave created by the shield-wielding puppet. That ferocious great blade swept up a piercing blade gleam at an extremely tricky angle!
Perfect coordination! Murderous intent surging!
Chen Qing didn't dodge backward but instead advanced against the attack!
The ground beneath his feet cracked with a boom. The True Aura within his body surged and roared at unprecedented speed, erupting from his dantian and instantly infusing his entire meridian system and the Point Azure Spear!
Chen Qing gave a low shout, the Point Azure Spear suddenly thrusting toward the ground before him!
Hum!
The Mountain Suppressing Prison Spear was deployed. An ancient mountain phantom suddenly manifested, standing across his body.
Boom!!!
That invisible shockwave crashed viciously into the mountain phantom, producing a dull, massive sound!
The mountain shadow trembled violently, flowing light rapidly flickering on its surface. It was actually forced to concave backward by that pure immense force, countless fine cracks instantly covering the mountain body!
Chen Qing grunted, the sleeves on both arms holding the spear instantly exploding into butterflies, exposing arms with coiled, bulging muscles and veins rising like dragons and serpents!
His feet even sank half a foot into the stone ground!
However, just as the mountain shadow was about to shatter, fierce determination flashed in Chen Qing's eyes!
He forcibly suppressed his churning vital blood and suddenly withdrew the spear with a spin, using that impact force!
The Point Azure Spear was like an enraged dragon breaking free from restraints, transforming from extreme stillness to extreme motion!
True Aura highly condensed at the spear tip, ultimately transforming into an extremely brilliant thunderbolt!
It possessed both thunder's swift explosiveness and contained the mountain's steady weightiness!
Mountain and thunder merged! The spear emerged like a dragon!
Swish!
This spear struck with perfect precision at the weak point of that incoming blade gleam!
A piercing, sharp sound of metal clashing tore through the air!
Thunder light and blade aura frantically ground and annihilated each other!
The blade-wielding puppet's form stiffened, its blade momentum actually forcibly halted by this spear thrust!
But from the other side, the shield-wielding puppet had already steadied its footing. The massive shield swept across again with overwhelming force, shield wind howling, attempting to smash Chen Qing at the waist!
Chen Qing's spear had already thrust out. He was about to be struck by the massive shield!
At this critical moment, the vital blood within his body boiled thunderously. The Eight Extremes Vajra Body circulated to an unprecedented peak!
Hum!
The skin around his body instantly transformed to a deep dark gold color, his tendons and bones resonating together producing low sounds of tiger roars and elephant trumpeting!
A savage aura like a primordial fierce beast emanated from his body!
Rather than dodging or evading, he suddenly bent his left arm, forcefully meeting that sweeping black iron heavy shield with his elbow!
Dong!!!!!!
A dull, massive sound like an ancient temple's bronze bell struck by a giant log exploded!
Chen Qing only felt a tremendous force transmit from his left arm, mixed with a strange oscillating force, frantically impacting his internal body!
Fortunately, his Eight Extremes Vajra Body had already been cultivated to Primordial Unity realm. Dark gold luster frantically flickered, offsetting most of that terrifying impact force. But the oscillating force that penetrated his body still caused his vital blood to churn!
As Chen Qing's form borrowed the force to drift backward, the Point Azure Spear shot out like a venomous dragon from its den. A move called 'Startling Thunder' thrust directly at the exposed armpit joint of the shield-wielding puppet!
The blade-wielding puppet attacked again.
The war blade once again transformed into countless blade shadows, pouring down like a violent storm, completely enveloping Chen Qing's entire body!
Chen Qing fell into bitter combat!
He hurriedly deployed the Startling Swan Escaping Shadow Formula. This top-grade superior movement technique was utilized to its extreme, his form transforming into layer upon layer of afterimages in a small space. The Point Azure Spear operated the Mountain Thunder momentum freely.
Sometimes standing like a mountain, forcefully meeting the heavy shield's impact; sometimes appearing like sudden thunder, swiftly thrusting at openings in the war blade.
Clang clang clang clang!
Boom! Boom!
Collision sounds and air explosion sounds were as dense as millions of firecrackers exploding simultaneously!
Throughout the entire stone chamber, True Aura interwove, collided, and annihilated!
Scattered True Origin cut the floor and walls, harder than refined steel, into a thousand holes, stone dust and fragments filling the air!
Chen Qing brought everything he had learned to its utmost. True Aura flowed endlessly, the Eight Extremes Vajra Body forcefully withstanding heavy blows, dual spear momentum changing unpredictably.
But the coordination of those two puppets was truly too perfect, offense and defense integrated, without any flaws. Moreover, they feared no death, their True Aura seemingly inexhaustible!
Chen Qing could feel his own consumption was enormous. Unless he used the Five Elements True Aura, he simply couldn't sustain such extravagance.
The Eight Extremes Vajra Body could resist impacts, but those oscillations transmitted again and again still made his internal organs feel like they were being repeatedly hammered.
He must break this deadlock!
As thoughts raced, Chen Qing had already made his decision.
He once again forcefully received a fierce collision from the shield-wielding puppet. The instant his body shook violently and slid backward, the blade-wielding puppet predictably followed like a shadow. Its war blade raised high, condensing all its True Aura, transforming into a massive blade gleam that tore through the sky, attempting to completely cleave him apart!
Chen Qing forcibly stopped his retreating momentum, forming a hand seal with one hand!
The True Aura that had originally been surging within his body gathered together.
A magnificent momentum encompassing mountains and rivers, suppressing the eight directions was born from his hands!
True Martial Seal! Mountain Suppressing Form!
A seal method that was ancient and heavy, containing unmatched suppressive power, instantly condensed and took form before him. Following his pushing palm momentum, rather than bombarding the blade-wielding puppet, it appeared as if teleporting above the shield-wielding puppet's head and crashed down!
The shield-wielding puppet sensed an enormous threat. It violently raised the black iron heavy shield upward, unreservedly injecting the pale golden True Aura around its body into the shield, attempting to forcefully withstand this suppressing strike!
Dong!!!!
The Mountain Suppressing Seal and black iron heavy shield collided fiercely! Like a meteor striking the earth!
Chen Qing's True Martial Seal had already been cultivated to minor achievement. This move not only gathered all the True Aura in his body but also incorporated all the physical force of the Eight Extremes Vajra Body.
The ground beneath the shield-wielding puppet's feet collapsed with a boom. Its massive body suddenly shortened downward. The arms holding the shield made "creaking" sounds, clearly bearing unimaginable pressure, its movements instantly stiffening!
And in this split second—
The blade-wielding puppet's terrifying blade gleam had already descended!
Chen Qing could even feel that fierce blade edge about to tear his scalp!
But he still didn't turn back!
The Startling Swan Escaping Shadow Formula's ultimate Evasion Void power erupted!
His body seemed to transform into an incorporeal wisp of green smoke, drifting toward the side rear!
Swish!
The blade gleam fell almost grazing his nose tip, tearing his lingering afterimage to shreds. The fierce blade qi opened a wound on his chest but the price Chen Qing paid obtained a once-in-a-millennium opportunity.
Chen Qing's form suddenly shot forward like a hunting leopard. The Point Azure Spear already re-gripped in his hand emitted an unprecedented hum!
Mountain momentum! Thunder momentum!
At this moment, they were unreservedly injected into this spear thrust!
The Point Azure Spear transformed into a destructive torrent that tore through everything, first thrusting with perfect precision into the blade-wielding puppet's wide-open chest from its full-force chop!
Pfft!
The spear tip penetrated its protective True Aura and tough armor without obstruction, instantly shattering the core!
The scarlet light in the blade-wielding puppet's eyes suddenly froze!
Chen Qing didn't pause. He withdrew the spear! Spun around!
He violently swung the blade-wielding puppet's stiff corpse like a meteor hammer, fiercely smashing it toward the shield-wielding puppet that had just broken free from the Mountain Suppressing Seal's suppression!
Boom!
The shield-wielding puppet was struck by this sudden heavy blow and staggered backward, its shield momentum disrupted!
Chen Qing moved with his spear, following like a shadow!
The Point Azure Spear once again erupted with cold gleam, condensing all his remaining Qingmu True Aura into an extremely simple yet incomparably fierce straight thrust!
Pfft!
This spear seized that fleeting opening, precisely drilling in from the gap at the massive shield's edge, viciously thrusting into the shield-wielding puppet's throat region!
Crack!
The sound of a core shattering rang out again!
The shield-wielding puppet's movements suddenly froze, then with a clatter, it scattered on the ground.
The battle was over.
Chen Qing propped himself up with his spear, his body swaying violently.
The wound on his chest was healing, and the soreness in his chest was gradually easing.
This was precisely the remarkable aspect of the Eight Extremes Vajra Body.
The twenty-ninth level, passed!
Chen Qing breathed the air. After a full dozen breaths, he glanced at the stairway leading to the thirtieth level.
The purple light in his mind became increasingly active but Chen Qing was very clear that in his current state, it was absolutely impossible to challenge the thirtieth level.
He sat cross-legged, took out pills to restore True Aura and consumed them, seizing the time to meditate and recover.
Outside the tower, it was extremely quiet.
Whispered voices surged like tides, skeptical emotions permeating the air.
"The twenty-ninth level? He really dares try?"
Ruan Hongjin from the Blazing Sun Sect sneered, "Does he really think the twenty-ninth level is so easy to reach?"
Someone nearby nodded, "With mid-stage True Aura cultivation, reaching the twenty-eighth level is already the limit, right? He'll probably come out in a moment."
"He probably knows his final ranking is approaching and wants to gamble for something big."
A disciple ranked in the twenties crossed his arms. He had once failed before the twenty-ninth level and deeply understood its difficulty.
Shen Xiuyong clenched both hands tightly, his heart also extremely nervous.
Qiao Hongyun's expression was grave, slowly shaking his head, "The twenty-ninth level... too difficult. Two late-stage True Aura puppets with seamless coordination, their pressure far exceeds the one-on-one combat of the twenty-eighth level."
Shang Lujing's gaze flickered, thoughts racing in his heart, "If he truly can pass... then his previous achievements were definitely not lucky! This person has hidden himself even deeper than I imagined!"
He felt an unprecedented pressure.
Zhuo Xiaoyun's eyes didn't blink, her heart also surging with waves, "The twenty-eighth level might be forcibly breached with spear techniques and hard skills, but the twenty-ninth level... only those with extremely deep foundations can achieve it. How exactly did he do it?"
Even those "True Disciple candidates" in the distance focused their gazes on the tower gate.
Elder Huo En took a deep breath and said to the young woman beside him, "Regardless of success or failure, this person is worth a higher evaluation. Being able to persist this long is already extraordinary."
The young woman quickly nodded, rapidly flipping through the sparse information about Chen Qing.
In the pavilion, Deng Ziheng, Gong Nansong, and Elder Feng had already put down their wine cups.
"Still inside..." Deng Ziheng's tone carried a trace of imperceptible anticipation.
Gong Nansong's brow furrowed tightly, "You and I both know the strength of the twenty-ninth level's guardians. The battle formation of two late-stage True Aura puppets is comparable to an experienced late-stage True Aura expert... If he truly can..."
Elder Feng's gaze was sharp as she said slowly, "If he can pass, it means his combat power far exceeds his realm. His potential must be reevaluated!"
Just at this moment of universal attention—
The massive stone monument beside the Tianbao Tower suddenly flowed with radiance!
The number behind Chen Qing's name, under countless watching gazes, suddenly jumped!
Twenty-nine!
And his ranking, unstoppably climbing madly upward, instantly crushing past name after name ahead, finally settling powerfully at—
Eighth place!
Silence!
Deathly silence!
As if time had been suddenly seized by an invisible hand, everyone's movements, expressions, and voices froze.
The previous discussions... all sounds came to an abrupt halt.
Everyone's face was filled with shock, as if seeing something absolutely impossible.
The next instant!
Boom!!!!!!
Like a long-accumulated volcano suddenly erupting, massive uproar and exclamations instantly tore through the brief silence, shooting straight to the clouds, shaking people's eardrums with buzzing!
"T-twenty-nine levels?! He passed! He actually passed the twenty-ninth level!!"
"Eighth! Ranked eighth! Heavens! He charged directly into the top ten!"
"How is this possible?! Isn't he only at mid-stage True Aura?! How could he possibly pass the twenty-ninth level?!"
"Monster! Another monster is born! After Wu Anren and He Shuang, the third person!"
"True Disciple candidate! This person absolutely has the potential to compete for True Disciple status!"
"Look quickly! He's coming out!"
At the entrance of the Tianbao Tower, Chen Qing's figure slowly emerged.
His complexion was slightly pale, breathing rapid, his chest garment torn with blood traces visible. The arm holding the spear trembled slightly, clearly having experienced an extremely brutal battle with enormous consumption.
His gaze swept over the plaza that was silent as death before erupting with earth-shaking uproar. Facing countless gazes converging upon him, filled with shock, awe, inquiry, and disbelief, he merely pressed his lips together slightly without much expression, then dragging his exhausted body, stepped out step by step.
Wherever he passed, the crowd instinctively parted to create a path, gazes following his retreating figure with extreme complexity.
Shen Xiuyong, Qiao Hongyun and others couldn't speak a word for a long time, only wild joy and shock erupting in their eyes.
Shang Lujing's pupils suddenly contracted. Watching Chen Qing walk past, his fists unconsciously clenched tight, "Eighth... twenty-ninth level... he actually... truly did it!"
A strong sense of crisis arose spontaneously.
Zhuo Xiaoyun took a deep breath, obvious emotion appearing on her face for the first time. She looked at Chen Qing as if recognizing this person anew.
The twenty-ninth level, this height had far exceeded her imagination.
Initially, she only felt Chen Qing was a worthy young talent to befriend. Only now did she understand that she had ultimately still underestimated his strength.
Xiao Bieli quietly watched this scene, suddenly recalling words his master had once said, a bitter smile involuntarily rising at the corner of his mouth.
It seemed now that the moment when he was closest to Chen Qing was actually the day he was defeated by his hand.
In a corner of the plaza, Wu Anren, who was conversing in low voices with several acquaintances, raised his eyebrow slightly.
He had originally thought that within Xuwang Mountain, only He Shuang could stand shoulder to shoulder with him, at most adding one more Luo Qianjue.
Now it seemed one more needed to be added, Chen Qing.
Not far away, He Shuang, standing alone quietly, also slowly raised her eyes.
Her gaze fell on Chen Qing's name, lingering for several breaths.
This person not yet thirty had actually come from behind, reaching the twenty-ninth level, almost catching up to her.
The waters of this Xuwang Mountain were deeper than imagined.
Where the Blazing Sun Sect people were located, the atmosphere was even more oppressive.
The sneer on Ruan Hongjin's face had long since frozen, transforming into incredulous pallor with a trace of panic.
He instinctively looked toward Liu Wu beside him.
Liu Wu's complexion was as gloomy as water.
Chen Qing's breakthrough to the twenty-ninth level this time, showing his initial brilliance, undoubtedly possessed True Disciple candidate qualifications!
He was basically the third person following closely behind Wu Anren and He Shuang!
This fact, like a heavy hammer, struck viciously at Liu Wu's heart.
He had originally thought that although Chen Qing had some talent, his foundation was ultimately still shallow and not worth worrying about. Given time, there would be ways to deal with him.
But now, the other party had suddenly leaped to possess "True Disciple candidate" potential. His status would soon be completely different, no longer someone he could manipulate at will.
From today on, Chen Qing would definitely receive attention and resource allocation. If he wanted to make any moves, the difficulty would multiply exponentially, possibly even backfiring on himself!
Liu Wu thought to himself, "It seems this matter needs careful consideration."
On the other side, Zhu Yu from the Blazing Sun Sect looked toward Chen Qing's direction, his face full of complex emotions.
Given Chen Qing's performance today, their future paths would likely diverge greatly.
In the distant pavilion, the interest in Elder Huo En's eyes grew increasingly intense.
"Investigate! Immediately investigate all of Chen Qing's details thoroughly! Background, master lineage, preferences, interpersonal relationships, the more detailed the better!"
He said to the young woman beside him, "Although this person couldn't pass the thirtieth level, he already possesses True Disciple candidate potential. In my view, we should make our move early."
Every True Disciple candidate was someone with the opportunity to compete for True Disciple status.
Not to mention whether they could become Sect Master in the future, their potential was enormous. Most would become high-level members of Tianbao Upper Sect. Building relationships now would bring nothing but benefits.
The young woman didn't dare be negligent, hurriedly bowing to acknowledge.
In another pavilion, Deng Ziheng clapped his hands with loud laughter, his face full of comfort and pleasant surprise, "Good! Good lad! He truly gave this old man another enormous surprise! Twenty-ninth level! Achieving this with mid-stage True Aura cultivation, this combat power and potential are truly remarkable. This old man's eye indeed didn't err!"
He had already thought highly of Chen Qing before, and now it seemed to confirm his judgment even more.
Gong Nansong also nodded at his side, "This person has hidden himself truly deeply... previously not revealing any hint, but once he erupts, earth-shattering! His temperament, foundation, and combat power are all top-grade choices."
"Brother Deng, looking at it now, do you regret it?"
He had once suggested that Deng Ziheng take Chen Qing as a disciple, but the latter politely declined.
"He is indeed excellent material, but speaking of regret, not really."
Deng Ziheng shook his head slightly, but a trace of worry passed through his gaze, "It's just that he's still young after all. I'm more worried that one moment of misjudgment might cause him to stumble on his path forward."
Chen Qing's current strength and potential were on par with Wu Anren and He Shuang, all belonging to the True Disciple candidate tier, possessing the qualification to compete for True Disciple status.
Of course, compared to the latter two's accumulations, Chen Qing was still slightly inferior in foundation.
The waters of Tianbao Upper Sect ran very deep. For a disciple without backing like Chen Qing, one careless step could drown him.
There had been such examples before.
A trace of faint smile finally appeared on Elder Feng's usually calm and emotionless face. She slowly put down her wine cup, her gaze profound, "Elder Deng, Elder Gong, this person's subsequent movements require much attention and guidance. If he truly can stabilize this position or even go further... I will personally report to the Sect Master."
Her tone already carried obvious importance.
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