Martial Dao: I Can Enhance My Talents

Thirty moves.

Fifty moves.

Xu Qing had sustained seven or eight wounds. Her moon-white robes were soaked in blood, and her face was as pale as paper.

Just then, a flash of determination appeared in her eyes.

A violent aura erupted from within her. Her Cultivation surged in that instant, and the light from her sword became sharper than ever before.

She unleashed several slashes in quick succession, forcing back the besieging puppets, and her figure transformed into a streak of light, darting toward the other end of the corridor.

Just as she was about to break through, the Spider Puppet’s eight metal legs stabbed at her from the side.

Unable to dodge in time, her left arm was pierced by one of the legs, splattering blood.

She let out a muffled groan but used the force of the blow to increase her speed, finally breaking through the corridor.

The moment she passed through, she staggered and fell to one knee, gasping for breath.

Blood still seeped from the wound on her left arm. Her moon-white robes, soaked through, clung tightly to her body.

Her face was as pale as paper and her aura was faint. Clearly, that explosive Secret Technique had come at a great cost.

But she had made it through.

The third disciple of the Celestial Essence Sect stepped into the corridor.

This person was a notch weaker than Xu Qing. He lasted less than fifty moves against the seven puppets before the Mantis Puppet’s scythe slashed across his chest, sending him flying backward.

A golden barrier appeared and enveloped him, and a High-Grade Magical Soldier corresponding to his Martial Technique fell into his hands.

A High-Grade Magical Soldier was typically standard-issue for a Grandmaster.

This was enough to show that the rewards for clearing the fifth trial were already extremely generous.

The fourth and fifth disciples.

Both of them also failed to pass and were subsequently enveloped by golden barriers and transported out of the Ancient Ruins.

Each one held a new High-Grade Magical Soldier in their hands.

Thus, of the five members from the Celestial Essence Sect who had passed the fifth trial, only Bai Yan and Xu Qing managed to clear the sixth.

「In the hall of the seventh trial.」

The light of the Luminous Pearls cascaded down, casting the two moon-white figures in sharp relief.

Bai Yan stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the corridor, his expression calm.

Xu Qing had already taken a Healing Elixir and bandaged the wound on her left arm, but her face remained pale and her aura was still unstable.

"That Fang Han... to comprehend Sword Intent at such a young age."

Xu Qing spoke, her voice tinged with emotion.

"Even in the Celestial Essence Sect, he would be considered exceptionally talented."

Bai Yan nodded slightly but said nothing more.

"However, I’m afraid he won’t make it past this sixth trial."

Xu Qing paused before continuing.

"He may have comprehended Sword Intent, but his Cultivation is only at the Middle Stage of Third Grade. While Sword Intent can enhance the power of his Swordsmanship, it has its limits."

"With a Cultivation at the Middle Stage of Third Grade, even with the boost from Sword Intent, facing seven puppets at the Late Stage of Third Grade is just too much to handle."

Bai Yan was silent for a moment before he spoke slowly.

"If he isn’t hiding his true strength, it will indeed be very difficult."

His gaze fell upon the other end of the corridor, his placid eyes betraying no emotion.

"Seven puppets at the Late Stage of Third Grade, all with indestructible bodies... when they work together, they put more pressure on me than an ordinary Second Grade Martial Artist."

He paused, a hint of contemplation in his voice.

"Based on the strength he showed in the fifth trial... he’s still a step short of clearing the sixth."

Xu Qing nodded and said no more.

A brief silence fell over the hall. Only the quiet light of the Luminous Pearls shone down, stretching the two moon-white figures’ shadows long across the floor.

In the hall of the sixth trial, the light of the Luminous Pearls shone down quietly.

Only Fang Han remained in the vast hall.

His gaze fell upon the corridor of the sixth trial.

Seven Metal Puppets stood in a circle: the Fierce Tiger Puppet, the Giant Bear Puppet, the Giant Python Puppet, the Giant Ape Puppet, the Giant Eagle Puppet, the Mantis Puppet, and the Spider Puppet, whose pitch-black, disc-shaped body was supported by eight slender metal legs.

Their variously colored eyes glinted with a cold light, exuding a heart-pounding indifference under the glow of the Luminous Pearls.

Seven Metal Puppets at the Late Stage of Third Grade, perfectly coordinated, tireless, immune to pain, and with indestructible bodies.

Even a Second Grade Martial Artist would find such a lineup troublesome to face.

"TAP, TAP—"

Fang Han retracted his gaze and strode toward the corridor.

In the vast hall, only the sound of his footsteps remained, startlingly clear in the silence.

The moment he stepped into the corridor, all seven puppets moved at once.

The Fierce Tiger Puppet kicked off with all four paws, its dark gold metal body becoming a streak of light as it lunged for his face.

The Giant Bear Puppet took great strides, the ground trembling slightly with each step, and swung its palms down from the left with Mountain-Splitting Stone-Shattering Momentum.

The Giant Python Puppet coiled its body, then shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, opening its massive metal jaws to bite at his waist from the right.

The Giant Ape Puppet leaped from behind, its dark silver arms reaching past its knees, and brought its clasped fists down like a giant hammer.

The Giant Eagle Puppet beat its wings once, its bronze metal feathers slicing through the air as it dove from above, its talons aimed straight for the crown of his head.

The Mantis Puppet’s scythe-like forearms slashed out in a crisscross pattern, the faint blue light at their edges leaving two distorted trails in the air.

And the Spider Puppet—its speed was astonishing.

Its eight metal legs pushed off simultaneously, its pitch-black body leaving a distorted afterimage in the corridor as it skirted around to his rear flank instead of attacking directly.

The sharp points at the ends of its eight legs stabbed out from eight different angles, sealing off all room to dodge or retreat.

Seven puppets, seven directions, attacking all at once.

Their coordination was better than in the fifth trial, their attacks sharper, their intent more lethal.

Fang Han’s right hand rested on the hilt of his sword.

"CLANG—"

The Cloud Splitting Sword left its sheath. Its dark cyan blade shimmered with a reserved luster under the light of the Luminous Pearls.

At the same time, an incredibly sharp aura burst from him, carrying with it a terrifying Tearing Realm that seemed capable of ripping anything to shreds.

Wind Sword Intent, unleashed.

On the blade, a cyan-gold radiance transformed into a sharpness so focused it was almost transparent, yet tangible. The sword began to hum and vibrate.

Fang Han slashed out.

It was not one slash, but seven.

The sword light left seven barely perceptible trails in the air, striking all seven puppets at almost the exact same instant.

"CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG—!"

Seven metallic clashes rang out almost simultaneously, merging into a single, long chime that echoed through the corridor.

The Fierce Tiger Puppet was sent flying backward, its dark gold metal body slamming heavily against the wall.

The Giant Bear Puppet staggered back several steps before steadying itself.

The Giant Python Puppet’s head was knocked aside, its massive metal body rolling twice on the ground.

The Giant Ape Puppet’s fists were blasted apart, and its entire body flipped backward.

The Giant Eagle Puppet was sent soaring into the air by a sword strike, crashing into the ceiling before falling back down.

The Mantis Puppet’s scythe-like forearms were knocked high into the air, and its dark gold metal body slid back several meters.

As for the Spider Puppet, its eight stabbing legs were sent flying in all directions. Its pitch-black body slid backward, the crimson light in its dozens of compound eyes flashing rapidly.

However, in just an instant, the seven puppets had stabilized themselves and lunged forward again.

Their bodies were indestructible. Although Fang Han’s Sword Intent could knock them back, it couldn’t cause any substantial damage.

And that brief delay was not nearly enough time for Fang Han to get through.

The Fierce Tiger Puppet lunged again, its claws tearing through the air.

The Giant Bear Puppet’s palms slammed in from the left, while the Giant Python Puppet’s tail swept in from the right.

The Giant Ape Puppet leaped from behind, and the Giant Eagle Puppet dove from above.

The Mantis Puppet’s scythes slashed in a crisscross pattern, and the Spider Puppet’s eight legs stabbed in from various cunning angles.

The assault was like a tidal wave, one crashing down before the last had even receded.

"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG—"

Fang Han’s sword flashed through the corridor, each slash knocking back an advancing puppet.

But the seven puppets were too well-coordinated. The moment he knocked one back, another would move in to take its place, blocking all paths forward.

’They really are a handful!’

Fang Han’s brows furrowed slightly. These puppets were even more troublesome than he had anticipated.

Their bodies were indestructible; his Sword Intent could push them back, but it couldn’t truly harm them.

And their attacks—each blow was equivalent to a full-power strike from a Late Stage of Third Grade Martial Artist. With all seven working together, they formed an airtight net that completely sealed off the corridor.

The pressure on him was immense.

’Wind God Step.’

Fang Han took a deep breath, and his footwork suddenly changed.

"WHOOSH!"

He executed the Wind God Step, a Grandmaster-level Body Technique he had reached the Entry Level with. His speed instantly skyrocketed.

It wasn’t just simple speed; there was a profound quality to it, a sense of merging with the wind.

The Wind God Step was better suited for long-distance sprints, battlefield evasion, and life-saving escapes in moments of crisis, but that was only in comparison to other Grandmaster-level Body Techniques.

It didn’t mean it couldn’t be used in combat.

On the contrary, as a Grandmaster-level Body Technique, its application in battle resulted in an incredible boost in power.

"WHOOSH!"

His figure left a series of distorted afterimages in the corridor, appearing in front one moment and behind the next.

The Fierce Tiger Puppet’s claws grazed the corner of his robes. The Giant Bear Puppet’s palms struck a foot to his side. The Giant Python Puppet’s tail swept through his afterimage, failing to even touch the hem of his clothes.

When the Mantis Puppet’s scythes crisscrossed toward him, he flickered slightly and slipped through the gap between them.

When the Spider Puppet’s eight metal legs stabbed from all directions, his figure was like a wisp of invisible wind, drifting effortlessly through the gaps between the sharp points.

"WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!"

Fang Han no longer focused solely on blocking with his sword. Instead, he used his Body Technique to evade most of the attacks, only using the Cloud Splitting Sword to knock back a puppet when a strike was unavoidable.

He weaved through the siege of the seven puppets as freely as a willow catkin drifting on the wind. What looked like a series of close calls was actually a display of effortless skill.

「In the hall of the seventh trial.」

Bai Yan and Xu Qing stood at the other end of the corridor, their eyes fixed on the cyan figure weaving through the seven puppets’ assault.

Xu Qing’s pupils contracted slightly.

"This is...?"

Her voice was soft, laced with disbelief.

Bai Yan didn’t speak, merely watching the elusive figure in silence.

A flicker of unconcealable astonishment crossed his placid eyes.

"A Realm-level Body Technique."

He spoke slowly, his voice steady but tinged with a solemn weight.