“F***, can you guys get a move on!” Ling Han gritted his teeth. He was enduring all the firepower from the Demonic Beast. Those were the attacks of a being at the peak stage of the consummate level with eight stars of strength. That was practically about Sun Moon Tier-level, and even if his physique was comparable to Level Four Godly metal, he could not hold on much longer.
If it were not for the effects of the Indestructible Heaven’s Scroll, continuously healing his body, he would have been killed who knew how many times over.
“We’re close!”
Even Shao Sisi had joined the team that was attacking the collar. She shot out arrow after arrow, and they were all hitting the same place.
Because none of them would dare fight this demonic tiger at close quarters, they could only shoot out Sword Rays, Saber Rays, Fist Rays, and other such long-distance attacks. Their power was naturally slightly weaker, which also caused severing the collar take a considerably long amount of time.
After clost to an hour had passed, a ding was heard. The collar had finally been broken in half, and while the upper half was still stuck on the neck of the demonic tiger, the lower half had already dropped down.
And on it, the key was attached.
Ling Han hurriedly retreated, creating some distance between himself and the demonic tiger, whereas the others took advantage of the opening to pick the key up and rushed towards those big doors.
They pushed the key in, and after turning the key, the great doors slowly opened.
“Run!” Ling Han called out at Shui Yanyu. It was necessary for all of them to pass through at this point, and even one less person would be considered as a failure.
The two weaker ones of the bunch, Shui Yanyu and the spear-wielding man, left first, followed by Shao Sisi and the others, whereas Ling Han tailed behind. He made use of the pillar and circled around it before turning right around to charge ahead of the demonic tiger, and leaped towards those big doors.
“Ang!” the demonic tiger released a furious roar, and chased after him.
“Quick! Quick!” At the entrance, Du An and the others were calling out anxiously. Even Xia Wuque and the spear-wielding man were no exceptions, and the demonic tiger was already approaching closer and closer behind him.
Shua , the demonic tiger shot out a paw, and smacked it out at Ling Han.
If it landed a solid hit, Ling Han would definitely be sent veering away from his original course, and thus smash into the wall on the side instead of charging out the big doors.
“Hmph!”
Ling Han drew out the Ultimate Arrow. Though he was wielding himself like a bow, the might released was still very frightening. Origin Power condensed, and turned into a stream of light that shot out.
Pu!
The arrow of Origin Power landed on the paw of the demonic tiger, but facing what possibly could be defenses comparable to Level Five Godly metal, even the Ultimate Arrow could not penetrate it. However, this was an attack that had Ling Han’s full power behind it; with the frighteningly powerful impact, the tiger’s paw still veered off slightly.
Hu , this paw missed Ling Han by a hair’s breadth.
And Ling Han shot out, flying out the huge doors.
Peng , he fell onto the ground, feeling weak all over. He had no way of regulating the might of this Ultimate Arrow. The moment he used it, he would definitely expend all the energy in his body, not leaving the slightest drop behind.
Thankfully, as his cultivation level increased, the rate at which he recovered his power was also extremely fast. It would only be a matter of a few hours for him to recover completely.
The demonic tiger stopped at the entrance, and did not pursue them out. It was as if an invisible wall was stopping it from going further.
It roared for a while, and they saw the great doors slowly close, placing it firmly on the outside.
The 10 of them sighed in relief. They had finally forced their way in.
However, had they actually passed the first stage, or was it one of the tests of the first stage?
They turned around, and looked around carefully.
This was another great hall, and was an incredibly large one. In the center, there was a stone tablet standing upright.
“Congratulations for passing the first stage,” a voice suddenly spoke from the stone tablet.
Everyone experienced a shock.
“Hoho, don’t be nervous. This is only a sliver of consciousness that I have left behind. As for the real me, hehe, I am not going to tell you!” the stone tablet said. Merely a few words from it were enough to engender anyone’s fury, making the 10 of them very much want to give it a good beating.
Unfortunately, this was only a remaining sliver of consciousness, so how were they supposed to accomplish that?
Ling Han was immediately sure that it must have been left behind by the owner of the tomb because it was extremely narcissistic and was practically asking to be beaten, having the same style as the message on the stone table that appeared when the stone statue formation concluded. However, this time, the tomb owner was playing a new trick, and actually left behind a sliver of divine sense to joke around.
“Want a reward? If you do, beg me!” the stone tablet continued.
They all looked at one another. Was this really a great senior and ultimate elite? Why did he seem to be quite shameless?
“Passing the first stage should have a reward, right?” Ling Han deduced. “Since that is so, then no matter if we beg or not, we would still be able to obtain the reward. So why should we beg then!”
“Aaaah!! I’m about to die of fury. What harm would it do if you begged me a little? Would you die from it?” the stone tablet abruptly cried out.
Everyone decided to simply remain silent by now. This great elite and senior seemed to be out of touch completely.
“Fine then. Rules are rules. I shall give you a little reward, then.” The stone tablet calmed down, and its tone was much calmer than before.
Chapter 1117 - Pummeling Xia Wuque
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
“Here, take it, brats,” the stone tablet said.
10 jade vials materialized on the ground in a row.
It was evident that there was one vial per person.
This was a team victory, and thus everyone’s reward was naturally the same. One wouldn’t get a richer reward just because they contributed more to the victory.
Everyone grabbed their vial of pills. However, Xia Wuque had an advantage over everyone else. This was because the spear-wielding man was clearly his subordinate, meaning that he would have to give all of the benefits to Xia Wuque.
Ling Han grabbed a vial of pills and noticed that there was no label on the vial. He turned to the stone tablet, and said, “May I ask what kind of pills these are?”
“Purple Pattern Mountain River Pills,” the stone tablet answered.
“What’s that?” None of them had ever heard of this kind of pill before.
“After ingesting it, one’s power will increase by one star for a period of two hours,” the stone tablet explained.
“It’s that trashy?” Ling Han said in disappointment.
“Oi, oi, oi, you have to learn to be thankful after receiving something from others,” the stone tablet said in displeasure. “Moreover, you guys have only passed the first level. Did you expect some extremely valuable reward?”
“So you’re saying that… we can still receive more rewards after passing the second, third, and other levels?” Ling Han asked.
“That’s right, as long as you guys are powerful enough,” the stone tablet replied.
Their fighting spirits were instantly ignited. They weren’t motivated by the rewards per se, but rather by their unyielding ambitions and confidence as prodigies to become number one.
“What are the remaining levels like?” Ling Han asked.
“Why should I tell you?” the stone tablet countered. “If you want to kno
w, then go and experience them for yourself. However, I can tell you this—the second level is a labyrinth, and only those who navigate out if it within two hours will receive a reward.
“There’s no need to form a team for this level. In fact, forming teams is forbidden. You guys can set off now.”
The stone tablet fell silent after saying this.
A set of stairs that led to the second level appeared before them.
“Hehe, let’s go,” Du An said with a smile. He was the first to walk toward the stairs.
Ling Han didn’t move. He found this situation to be particularly strange. This was a tomb, so why were there trials and challenges? Even if this old senior had left a wisp of his will, wouldn’t it be better for him to guard his tomb? Why did he have to make it seem as if he were selecting disciples for a large sect?
However, since there were rewards involved, Ling Han was still prepared to take part in these trials. There was nothing to lose, after all.
“Ling Han, didn’t you want to fight me?” Xia Wuque said, his finger pointed at Ling Han.
“Come at me!” Ling Han was naturally unafraid.
“I won’t kill you, since we have fought side by side just then. However, I’ll have you know that there are always those who are stronger and more talented than you! Don’t be too full of yourself!” Who would’ve thought that Xia Wuque could utter such truthful words?
Ling Han was slightly surprised. He had initially thought that Xia Wuque was a petty and narrow-minded person. To his surprise, he was actually open-minded to a certain degree.
He pondered for a moment before saying, “I’ll also spare your life since you were able to utter such words. I’ll simply have you understand the meaning of what you just said.”
“Haha, how arrogant!” Xia Wuque chuckled coldly, and said, “Let’s fight!”
He roared softly, and over 60 divine patterns lit up on his hands. At the same time, four Mountains and Rivers materialized behind his back, each of them radiating with a terrifying aura.
The fact that he possessed over 60 divine patterns signified that he had a power of six stars.
“You want to threaten me with such measly power?” Ling Han said with a smile. It wasn’t as if Xia Wuque hadn’t seen his defenses before. Although six stars above the peak stage of the consummate level of the Mountain River Tier was indeed powerful, it still wasn’t enough to defeat Ling Han.
“Of course this isn’t all!” Xia Wuque retrieved a black arm armor and wore it on his arm. He shook his arm, and the arm armor was instantly activated. The patterns that were carved into it lit up, and the number of divine patterns on his hand instantly increased dramatically.
71 divine patterns.
This signified that his power had gone up another star!
Ling Han was surprised, and he exclaimed, “You didn’t use this God Tool when challenging the stone statue formation just then!”
“It’s not that I didn’t want to use it. It’s because this God Tool is damaged and can only last for a quarter of an hour.” Xia Wuque didn’t hide the truth from Ling Han.
It would definitely take far longer than 15 minutes to pass the stone statue formation, and thus he would’ve only been able to advance a short distance had he used it at that time. It definitely wouldn’t have helped him pass the formation.
Ling Han laughed loudly, and said, “You’re confident that you can defeat me within 15 minutes?”
“It’s more than enough!” Xia Wuque said proudly.
Although Ling Han’s defenses were astonishing, Xia Wuque’s power was already near the pseudo-Sun Moon Tier. After unleashing his secret techniques, it was even possible that he could kill Ling Han.
“Hehe, I hope you can maintain your confidence,” Ling Han said with a chuckle. He took out the Lion Seal that he had received. This seal could be used a total of 10 times, though this upper limit might decrease depending on the period of time that it was activated during each use.
His battle prowess was far weaker than that of Xia Wuque’s—this was inevitable due to the large gap in their cultivation level. If they fought without using external items, Ling Han would definitely be crushed.
However, how could someone as proud as Ling Han accept the fate of being crushed?
Thus, he resolutely decided to use the Lion Seal.
He slapped the divine seal onto his body, and divine patterns instantly formed on his skin. At a rough glance, there were as many as 800 divine patterns!
Pu!
Xia Wuque immediately spluttered loudly, his face painted with shock.
He only possessed a tad over 70 divine patterns, yet Ling Han possessed a whopping 800! How big a difference was this? This wasn’t simply a case of being 10 times stronger, but rather a case of being one major tier plus dozens of minor levels stronger!
Even though he was a prodigy, could he defeat someone at the Sun Moon Tier? In any case, Ling Han’s power wasn’t simply at the Sun Moon Tier—it was at the consummate level of the Sun Moon Tier!
“I surrender!” he said with a bitter expression.
Ling Han flashed a smile, and said, “Do you think I’ll stop just because you surrendered? I’ve already activated the Lion Seal, so how can I let you off like this?”
He charged over with his hands open, the divine patterns providing him with boundless power.
Ling Han’s power was already miles above that of Xia Wuque’s, and thus there was no need for him to utilize any techniques. A simple grab was all it took for him to capture Xia Wuque. Afterward, he pummeled Xia Wuque to his heart’s content.
Although his impression of Xia Wuque had improved a tiny bit, it was only enough for him to spare Xia Wuque’s life. He would still beat him regardless, and there was no need for him to hold back.
“You’ve gone too far!” Xia Wuque wailed in agony.
Ling Han ignored him and continued to dole out the punishment.
The spear-wielding man was utterly stupefied by the scene playing out before him. In his eyes, Xia Wuque was an invincible god of war, unrivaled among those at the same cultivation level. Yet, right now, he was being mercilessly beaten by someone who was one minor level weaker than him!
Regardless of what the reason was, the truth was the truth. Young king tier cultivators should have been invincible no matter what.
Ling Han casually tossed Xia Wuque aside after beating him for a good while.
“Ling Han, I’ll definitely wash my humiliation away when we meet at the Majestic Heaven Sect!” Xia Wuque shouted loudly.
Ling Han laughed loudly, and said, “You won’t stand a chance!”
His cultivation was flying ahead, and the distance between his and Xia Wuque’s cultivation level was only growing smaller and smaller. Moreover, the barrier between the Mountain River Tier and Sun Moon Tier was tremendously hard to overcome, so there was definitely a chance for him to catch up to Xia Wuque in the short term.
“Wife, let’s go!” Ling Han held Shui Yanyu’s hand and walked toward the second level of the tower.
Chapter 1118 - Invincible Paragon Saint
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
“According to that unreliable stone tablet, the next trial is a labyrinth. Moreover, we can’t form teams and can only attempt it ourselves. Do you want to enter the Black Tower?” Ling Han asked.
Shui Yanyu pondered for a moment before shaking her head, and saying, “No, I want to attempt it myself!”
“It might be dangerous,” Ling Han warned.
“I know,” Shui Yanyu said with a nod. Then, she turned to Ling Han, and earnestly said, “I don’t want to become a burden to you. I want to be able to help you!”
Ling Han felt moved upon feeling her love for him. However, what he said next was still quite out of touch. “Then let’s have kids first!”
“Damn pervert!” Shui Yanyu rolled her eyes at him.
Ling Han laughed cheerily, and he stopped to pull her into an embrace. “B
e careful!”
“I will!”
Ling Han pecked her on the forehead before striding into the second level.
Shui Yanyu faltered for a moment. Then, she suddenly noticed that two divine seals had appeared in her pocket. They were none other than the Vajra Seal and the Lion Seal. Before she could even speak, Ling Han had already disappeared behind the turn in the stairs.
She hurriedly ran after him, yet she saw that he had already entered the second floor. Walls that were built from stone lay before her and stretched for a long distance. They appeared especially messy and disorderly.
This was already the second floor of the tower, and she had become separated from Ling Han.
This wasn’t the first time that they had come across such a situation. When they entered this tomb, those at the Mountain River Tier, Sun Moon Tier, and Heavenly Body Tier had already been separated from each other. She took the two divine seals out from her pocket. Ling Han had only left these with her because he was worried about her.
Moreover, he was afraid that she would reject them, and thus he immediately ran off after stuffing them into her pocket. He gave her absolutely no chance to speak.
Shui Yanyu stared at the divine seals absentmindedly. Then, she remembered that Ling Han still had the Black Tower, meaning that he would probably be safe. Only then did she regain her senses and start to analyze the stone formation before her.
Ling Han was also analyzing the stone formation in the same place—though it seemed as if he were in a different dimension.
There was no doubt that this was the labyrinth.
“Huh? It can move.” After studying the formation for a while, Ling Han discovered that the stone walls would move by themselves. As a result, the layout of the paths would completely change.
‘We have to pass this labyrinth in under two hours. Do we have to find the pattern that governs the movement of these stone walls?’
A confident smile appeared on Ling Han’s face. He had ventured into numerous ancient sites during the last few years of his previous life. During that time, he had come across countless formations. Although the level of the formation before him was much higher, his cultivation level and divine sense were also much more powerful than before.
Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao c1-1294 Page 574