"You think you can stop me?"

Watching the armored zombie monstrosity on horseback that had burst from the ground, Su Xuan didn't bother trying to climb the pit walls. Instead, he walked toward the creature. He knew that if he didn't deal with this thing, he wouldn't be going anywhere.

Besides riding a tall warhorse, its attire was different from the other Armored Zombie Soldiers. This was a being that could only be described as a General Shi Jia. Furthermore, Su Xuan used his mutated eyes to discern his opponent's power. It has only just stepped into the Longevity Realm! Such a cultivation level… I don't even need to take it seriously!

"Lord Valley Barron is covering our retreat!"

"Can he really deal with that thing?"

"Should we go down and help him?"

The group of Trialists climbing up the walls paused as they witnessed the scene at the bottom of the pit. They were immensely grateful to Su Xuan; if he hadn't stepped forward, they all would have died down there. Now that Su Xuan was confronting the General Shi Jia alone, what were they to do? Continue to flee, or go down and lend a hand?

"Let's just watch for a moment," someone suddenly suggested. "That thing on the horse looks incredibly tough. If we go down there rashly, we might just get in Lord Valley Barron's way!"

Everyone agreed this made sense, so they remained on the pit walls to observe.

"You!" the General Shi Jia who had burst from the ground roared, pointing its greatsaber at Su Xuan. "If you hadn't stopped those mortals from slaughtering each other, I could have broken out of the grand array at the bottom of this pit with ease and without paying any price. But you… you ruined my plans, and for that, I will make you—"

"Enough talk. Come on!" Su Xuan cut it off, hefting the Ruyi Stick. He leaped into the air, a decisive and ruthless blur, and smashed the staff down toward the General Shi Jia!

This General Shi Jia's combat strength is rapidly increasing! he realized, having noticed something no one else had. It's using a method invisible to ordinary people to secretly absorb the blood qi left on the ground. If I don't end this quickly and let its power continue to climb, I'm not sure I can win! The "price" it mentioned was likely the power it lost by forcefully breaking through the array. It's recovering that power right now. It's also possible I misjudged the Yu Xian Sect. The grand array at the bottom of the pit wasn't meant to exploit the Trialists, but to hold back the monsters underground.

BOOM!

In an instant, Su Xuan was directly above the General Shi Jia, the Ruyi Stick descending with immense, crushing force!

"Hmph!" The general tilted its withered face upward, scoffing with disdain as it swung its long saber to meet the Ruyi Stick!

CLANG!

A deafening shriek of metal erupted, followed by a fierce shockwave that blasted outward in all directions!

SWOOSH!

The next second, Su Xuan's figure drifted backward, his feet scorching as they landed and slid several meters across the ground.

STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!

The General Shi Jia was also forced back several steps along with its horse, the disdain on its face completely gone.

"A Longevity Realm Expert!" the General Shi Jia exclaimed in shock, having failed to discern Su Xuan's true cultivation level at first. "The Valley of Thousand Snakes trial strictly forbids Longevity Realm Experts from entering. How did you get in? Is Su Pei blind?"

This General Shi Jia actually knows Su Pei! Su Xuan narrowed his eyes. "Can't I have just broken through?" he asked coolly.

Before his words even faded, he swung the Ruyi Stick and charged the General Shi Jia again. I have to be wary of that saber in its hands. It's completely undamaged after a clash with my Ruyi Stick; it's clearly no ordinary weapon. If I get the chance, I'm taking that blade!

"Arrogant!" The General Shi Jia spurred its horse forward, swinging its saber through the air to intercept the charging Su Xuan, completely unaware that its opponent was already plotting to steal its weapon.

BOOM!

The two clashed again! Just like the first time, Su Xuan slid backward upon landing, and this time, the qi and blood within him even churned slightly.

The General Shi Jia, however, only retreated three or four steps—a marked improvement from the last exchange.

Its cultivation has risen again! Su Xuan's brow furrowed. It's still secretly absorbing the blood qi from the pit, and its power is soaring. If I don't do something, I'll definitely lose! But he wasn't afraid. If I can't win, I can easily escape. But if I do that, the General Shi Jia will probably take its anger out on the Trialists on the walls, including Zhu Hongyun and the others.

Then, Su Xuan did something that left everyone completely dumbfounded.

With a wave of his hand, a beautiful shower of flower petals scattered through the air! A massive pile of Moon Profound Stones, looking like a small hill and numbering in the tens of thousands, suddenly appeared at his feet. He was instantly surrounded by them!

Not only that, but as if performing a magic trick, Su Xuan began pulling out all sorts of heavenly treasures that could boost cultivation and stuffing them into his mouth. These were all spoils he'd gained from his robberies.

In the blink of an eye, the cultivation fluctuations radiating from Su Xuan surged violently. He stopped suppressing his power, and his cultivation began to climb rapidly from the Longevity Realm Initial Stage toward the Middle Stage!

"Uh…" The General Shi Jia was stunned. Its dry eye sockets stared wide in disbelief. His cultivation is rising even faster than mine! If he keeps this up… what's the point in fighting?! I might as well ride my little horse and burrow back underground!

"Die!" Now it was the General Shi Jia's turn to get anxious. It immediately swung its greatsaber and charged at Su Xuan!

The Trialists clinging to the pit walls were equally stunned. Su Xuan actually has the strength of a Middle Stage Longevity Realm expert? Just what kind of adversary robbed us?!

"Again!" Narrowing his eyes at the thundering charge of the General Shi Jia, Su Xuan took a deep breath, soared into the air, and gripped the Ruyi Stick with both hands, bringing it crashing down on the general's head! The situation looked identical to the first two clashes.

BOOM!

With a tremendous roar, the two figures met and instantly separated!

When Su Xuan landed, he didn't take a single step back. He merely left two deep footprints in the ground, sinking up to his ankles.

This time, the General Shi Jia had clearly suffered a loss, staggering back uncontrollably! As it retreated, it couldn't help but glance at its greatsaber. The dry muscles on its face twitched—a shocking, new notch had appeared on the blade.

CRASH!

To its absolute horror, another disaster struck immediately. In the middle of its retreat, its horse's legs buckled, and it collapsed to the ground, sending the general tumbling with it!

"Hmph!" The General Shi Jia leaped up from the ground and looked at its horse, gasping in shock. Embedded in the steed's throat was a sword glowing with fire. If it wasn't the Fire Spirit Sword, what else could it be! Did Su Xuan actually manage to secretly stab my horse while we were fighting?

"Go in peace!" Su Xuan gave the General Shi Jia no time to recover. He was already above it, swinging the Ruyi Stick down with furious intent!

The general hurriedly raised its saber to parry!

CLANG!

It successfully blocked the attack!

SPLAT!

But the fiery sword that had just pierced its horse suddenly flew through the air and thrust straight into its chest!

The General Shi Jia stared at Su Xuan, its mouth hanging open. "Well, what do you know. You can control objects from a distance, too?"

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