I Am Overlord c1-962
Page 14
“What’s wrong?” Lu Xiaoqing asked, completely clueless about Xiang Shaoyun’s sudden outburst.
“Were you beaten stupid? Boss, don’t scare me!” Xia Liuhui hurriedly asked.
“Wait awhile for me, I’ve got something to do at the Hall of Limits. Once I finish it, I’ll treat you to all you can imagine at the restaurant, I promise!” Xiang Shaoyun said extremely confidently before sprinting headfirst to the Hall of Limits.
“F*ck, I almost forgot I have no points left! Good thing this young master is quick witted!” Xiang Shaoyun sighed in relief. If they really had gone to the restaurant only to find out that he was completely broke, it would be a source of great embarrassment. He had to go to the Hall of Limits and challenge the second room for more points.
“Something to do at the Hall of Limits? He can’t be going to challenge the first room, right?” Mei Lianhua speculated.
“That should be the case! With his current strength, it should be just right for him to challenge the first room. Why don’t we go take a look?” Mo Buhui suggested to the group.
“Boss is definitely not going to challenge the first room. He should be going for the second room!” Xia Liuhui replied with absolute certainty.
“For real?!” Lu Xiaoqing asked, full of astonishment.
“Of course it’s real! Boss mentioned to me before that he had already cleared the first room!” Xia Liuhui proudly replied.
“Then all the more we should go and take a look! I’ve been wanting to challenge the second room for a while now!” Mo Buhui spiritedly said.
As such, the group of them followed closely behind. By the time they arrived at the Hall of Limits, Xiang Shaoyun had already entered the second room.
“Revered overseer, is Xiang Shaoyun challenging the second room?” Mei Lianhui asked the overseer in charge.
Nodding his head, the overseer replied, “Indeed. He just went in.”
“As I said, my boss was rushing for the second room!” Xia Liuhui exclaimed, slightly moved.
“I want to go in,” Mo Buhui said without hesitation.
“Are you sure?” the deacon asked.
“I’m sure,” Mo Buhui confidently replied.
“Okay then, enter as you like. If you can stay in there for an hour, it’ll be your success,” the overseer instructed.
“I also want to go in!” Lu Xiaoqing said as well.
“Since Sister Xiaoqing is so brave, I, Mei Lianhua, cannot fall behind!” Mei Lianhua added in turn.
“Very good, you’re all brave youngsters! No matter whether or not you clear the room, you’re all deserving of praise!” The overseer laughed. Looking at the Xia Liuhui standing to the side, he asked, “They’re all going in, what about you?”
“About that…overseer, I-I haven’t challenged the first room yet, so forget it.” Xia Liuhui tried to avoid the matter.
“Challenge the first room then! You’re already at the peak of seventh-stage Basic Realm, not too weak at all!” The overseer encouraged Xia Liuhui before subsequently adding, “If you’re able to last for half an hour, you’ll have passed. How about it? Do you want to give it a shot?”
Xia Liuhui’s expression turned troubled. However, the moment he caught sight of Mei Lianhua’s disdainful gaze, he gritted his teeth and loudly proclaimed, “I’ll give it a shot, then! I, Xia Liuhui, am not afraid of anything!”
As such, they each separately entered the Hall of Limits. Within the second room of the Hall of Limits, Xiang Shaoyun had already begun to experience the trials in the room.
This room actually contained a boulder formation. Numerous boulders each weighing 500 kilograms, a weight that was equal to a normal ninth-stage Basic Realm cultivator’s maximum output, were flying non-stop throughout the room. If one was careless for a single moment, one would immediately be pummeled by the various flying boulders, possibly leading to death.
Any ninth-stage Basic Realm cultivator would find it extremely difficult to stay in the room for a whole hour. The Hall of Limits challenged one to the very limits, and those who were able to successfully emerge would attain exceptional rewards.
Chapter 23: Hall of Limits, Second Room!
One could only see the 10 or more boulders flying haphazardly throughout the second room, leaving behind very little breathing space. If one wanted to remain in the room, not being able to dodge the boulders meant that one would be utterly crushed into a meat paste. Xiang Shaoyun was completely unprepared when he first walked in and was struck by numerous loose boulders, leaving him crying out in extreme pain.
“Damn it, was this boulder formation really prepared for Basic Realm cultivators? How many people can even withstand these things?” Xiang Shaoyun loudly cussed. He felt like he was simultaneously facing several, if not tens, of ninth-stage Basic Realm practitioners. He had no way of defending against this group attack.
“I must think of a way to hold on!” Xiang Shaoyun was not someone to easily give up. Adjusting his mentality, he began dodging to the left and the right. Luckily, he had already experienced the first room of the Hall of Limits. He was quick as a swallow, able to identify the empty spots he could dodge into.
However, just purely relying on dodging to stay within the room for a whole hour was not a viable solution. At this moment, Mo Buhui, Mei Lianhua, and Lu Xiaoqing entered the second room. The moment they entered, they immediately took out their weapons to defend themselves against the boulder formation.
Clink Clang Clink Clang!
Sparks flew as the boulders came into contact with their various weapons. Xiang Shaoyun was momentarily stunned before coming to a realization, exclaiming, “So you can use weapons to defend yourself!”
Using a weapon to hold off the boulders would make it much easier to cope. However, after considering the situation for a while, he decided to temporarily abstain from using his weapon. He wanted to raise his own combat ability in order to prepare for the future. Hence, he decided to rely on his own two hands to destroy all the boulders inside the room.
Thinking about his home, Xiang Shaoyun’s eyes began to dim, and he began to revolve the Heaven Conquering Overlord Manual. Astral energy began to ripple within his body. He concentrated his strength into his two fists and yelled, “Break!”
His voice was like a sudden clap of thunder, his fists as hard as steel.
Peng!
Xiang Shaoyun’s full-powered blow thoroughly decimated the oncoming boulder, but he had no time to rejoice. Another boulder was heading swiftly for his back. Startled, he twisted his body in an attempt to dodge, but he soon noticed yet another boulder speeding towards him. With no other choice, he forced out yet another punch.
This time, however, he was unable to gather his strength quickly enough, resulting in his fist bleeding after the impact. Not allowing him to rest for long, boulders from all around started rushing towards him one after another.
“Come at me! I’ll destroy each and every one of you!” Xiang Shaoyun yelled, his fighting spirit reignited as he more quickly sent out fist after fist.
Pow Pow!
With the revolution of the Heaven Conquering Overlord Manual, along with Xiang Shaoyun’s remarkable physique, his fists broke the boulders one after another, giving him much more breathing room.
This did not mean that there were no more issues, however. Xiang Shaoyun’s body was covered in several wounds, and he had been knocked to the ground twice by the boulders, making it very hard for him to remain standing.
His body had also been pounded to the point of almost being unrecognizable, his character itself turning into that of a wild beast. Even if he was to face off against three Wu Mingliangs, it would not be as strenuous as right now.
The Hall of Limits, a place to push one to the very limits of possibility. It remained to be seen if he would be able to accomplish it.
Meanwhile, Mo Buhui, Mei Lianhua, and Lu Xiaoqing were not doing too well either. Their physical bodies could not compare to Xiang Shaoyun’s, which had been temp
ered since young with various medicines. After being hit several times, they were finding it very hard to keep persisting.
“I can’t hold on any longer; I’m retreating!” Mei Lianhua was the first one to buckle under the pressure, swiftly heading for the exit. Lu Xiaoqing held on a few more moments, but she was also incapable of holding on and ended up leaving as well.
As for Mo Buhui, he was definitely considerably stronger than the two. Gritting his teeth, he repeatedly stabbed out with the spear in his hand, knocking away as many boulders as he could manage. Some of the boulders, however, similarly hit him.
“Looks like I have to retreat too,” Mo Buhui muttered quietly before rushing for the exit. As he left, he sneaked a glance at Xiang Shaoyun and was thoroughly astonished. However, he did not wish to stay in the room a moment longer, so he swiftly exited the second room.
“Damn it, I couldn’t even last for half an hour!” The moment Mo Buhui came out of the room, he did not pay attention to the injuries on his body. He punched the wall in front of him hard, completely unsatisfied with his performance.
“Brother Mo, don’t be too harsh on yourself. I believe you’ll be able to clear this room once you reach ninth-stage perfection!” Mei Lianhua comforted him, equally beat up.
Mo Buhui shook his head and replied, “No, it’ll be difficult to pass this room unless I train my body to utter perfection. Otherwise, I won’t be able to last at all.”
“The Basic Realm is for training one’s physical strength. If your physical strength is at its peak, one fist will be able to shatter boulders and startle the heavens. How difficult can the second room be then?” the overseer reminded the despondent youths.
“Strength to shatter boulders and startle the heavens with one fist?” The trio pondered his words for a while before coming to a sudden realization.
The overseer was implying that their physical bodies had not yet been honed to perfection; naturally, they could not be pushed to the limits.
“I must train my physical strength even harder!” Lu Xiaoqing muttered to herself while clenching her fists.
Mo Buhui and Mei Lianhua also naturally understood this concept. However, they were even more clear how hard it would be to bridge that one gap. Even with the growth of their strength, they would still choose to condense their energy in their acupoints to awaken the stars within their bodies, raising their strength within the shortest amount of time. Why in the world should they spend time training their physical bodies?
When the half hour mark was reached, Xia Liuhui slowly crawled out from the first room of the Hall of Limits. Such a sight was thoroughly comical.
“Not bad, not bad indeed. You were able to stay in there for half an hour! You should’ve had some form of benefit from being able to stay in there,” the overseer laughed lightly upon seeing Xia Liuhui.
After exiting the first room, Xia Liuhui stumbled and fell onto the floor, muttering, “I-I’m going to die.”
“Quickly sit cross-legged and meditate! This is the time when your gains from inside the room are the most fresh! Whether you’ll be able to break through to eighth-stage Basic Realm will all depend on this moment!” The overseer’s admonishment struck Xia Liuhui like a lightning bolt.
Not daring to hesitate, Xia Liuhui immediately began calming his breath and meditating. An hour passed within the blink of an eye. Lu Xiaoqing began to worry and asked, “An hour has passed. Great overseer, why hasn’t Xiang Shaoyun come out yet?”
“Could he be grievously injured inside?” Mei Lianhua asked at the side.
“I believe that Xiang Shaoyun will definitely be able to come out,” Mo Buhui said with conviction in his voice.
Lu Xiaoqing and Mei Lianhua both flashed looks of astonishment at Mo Buhui. Neither of them could understand where he got his confidence. Just then, the overseer indifferently said, “That brat’s examination time isn’t over yet, he still has one more hour.”
“One more hour?! Won’t he have been in there for two hours then?” Lu Xiaoqing lightly gasped.
“Great overseer, wh-what is going on here? Did he request this himself?” Mei Lianhua found it extremely hard to fathom. Mo Buhui also awaited the overseer’s answer, confusion clouding his face.
Speaking as though it were completely normal, the overseer replied, “The time I gave you is the shortest possible time required to pass the second room. I don’t even know if he’ll come out at that point.”
The moment he finished speaking, the trio’s jaws dropped to the ground.
Chapter 24: Breaking the Limits!
Hall of Limits, second room.
Numerous boulders continuously flew without end. If somebody was to step inside the room, they would become the boulders’ prime target of attack. What’s even more crucial was that each of these boulders carried a force behind them of 500 kilograms, not a weight that most Basic Realm practitioners would be able to withstand.
Whoever was able to last in the room for an hour would definitely be regarded as extraordinary. Since the establishment of Martial Hall Palace, the number of people who had been able to last an hour in the second hall was scarce. Those who had managed to overcome it, however, all eventually became people renowned throughout Cloud Margin City, apart from a small number who prematurely met their demise.
This was also why the Hall of Limits would hand out jade plates to those who managed to successfully pass their limits—it was meant to be a form of encouragement. The logic behind this was that Martial Hall Palace was meant to be a place to nurture martial cultivators. If their disciples were strong, then it meant they had a deep foundation and considerable strength. This would bring more benefits to Martial Hall Palace as a whole.
As for those who had managed to last significantly longer than an hour, up till now, there had been none who had accomplished this task. Xiang Shaoyun had already passed the hour mark and was currently in the process of setting the longest time recorded in the second room.
Pow Pow!
Xiang Shaoyun’s fists were covered in fresh blood, his whole body covered with wounds. Although he seemed to be heavily injured, not only was his breath not feeble and weak, it was even more vigorous than before. Piled up near him were bits and pieces of broken boulders, all destroyed with a single fist.
Rushing Qi Fist!
Cloud Splitting Palm!
Two tier-1 battle techniques were being used to the very epitome of perfection, destroying one boulder after the other. Xiang Shaoyun, however, had to pay a price: with his back left fully exposed, boulders had injured him to the point his flesh split.
“I can’t hold on much longer! I have to use my weapon!” Xiang Shaoyun cried out in anguish, finally drawing his Heavy Cleave Saber.
Heavy Cleave Technique!
As the saber drew a beautiful arc like a rainbow, a boulder was destroyed at once. Xiang Shaoyun shuttled back and forth like a butterfly, dodging two consecutive boulders as he sent out two consecutive slashes. Although the slashes seemed rather slow, the amount of strength behind each of the two was well over 500 kilograms. The two boulders were destroyed on the spot.
The main focus of the Heavy Cleave Technique is in its heaviness, every single slash requiring all my strength. Furthermore, I must hit every single time when I use this skill, or it’ll be a sheer waste of a significant bit of my strength, Xiang Shaoyun silently thought to himself.
Xiang Shaoyun continuously grasped the key points of the Heavy Cleave Saber without fail, wielding the saber more proficiently each passing moment. As the number of broken rocks stacked up, the pressure he faced also decreased. As long as his strength could hold out just a bit longer, he could destroy every single boulder within the second room. Unfortunately, he was almost completely out of energy by this point.
If he continued to forcefully hold on, his losses would most certainly outweigh his gains. Not forcing the situation, Xiang Shaoyun retreated while fending off the final few flying boulders. He had finally cleared the second room.
/> “He’s out! Boss is finally out!” Xia Liuhui was the first to cry out in sheer joy.
Mo Buhui and Mei Lianhua, as well as Lu Xiaoqing, immediately turned to look in the direction of the second limit room. One could only see Xiang Shaoyun completely covered in wounds, trudging over to them step by step.
Seeing this man thoroughly covered from head to toe with injuries, Lu Xiaoqing’s eyes flashed for a moment as her heart began beating quickly all of a sudden. Mei Lianhua was similarly filled with utter astonishment and amazement. Xiang Shaoyun’s wounds only seemed to add to his demeanour, giving him a boundless charm.
A youth who could stay inside the second room for more than an hour, coupled with immense combat prowess and a limitless future—which young lady wouldn’t be moved? At this moment, the overseer suddenly moved. Appearing before Xiang Shaoyun, he flicked a single pill at him and said, “Take this recovery pill. Once you’re somewhat healed, we’ll talk about the rewards.”
Xiang Shaoyun did not hesitate and swallowed the pill at once. The moment the pill entered his mouth, its medical efficacy began to show, flowing through his meridians as it slowly healed all his wounds, making him feel much better.
“Many thanks to the revered overseer!” Xiang Shaoyun spiritedly said to the overseer.
“Haha, you’re welcome. This was prepared for you in the first place. Being able to stay in the second room for a whole extra hour is the longest recorded time in the history of Martial Hall Palace, and you’re only at seventh-stage Basic Realm!” The overseer enthusiastically laughed.
Xiang Shaoyun gnashed his teeth as he said, “I’m merely lucky. Can I ask overseer to give me my points? I wish to go back and recuperate soon. It hurts so much—that damned boulder formation.”
Seeing the state he was in, Lu Xiaoqing was pained and said, “Yes, quickly go back and recover!”
“Shaoyun, do you want me to accompany you back?” Mei Lianhua boldly said. Her way of addressing him had changed, as was painfully obvious to Xia Liuhui, even to Mo Buhui at the side. Through their eyes flashed very complicated emotions.