Chapter 615: Chapter 397: Ninth Level

BOOM!

The two fists collided with a deafening roar. A fierce wind, sharper than a blade, swept in all directions, causing the surrounding runes to light up with a blinding brilliance.

With this punch, Xu Yang did not suppress his strength, nor did he hold back in the slightest. He was entirely venting the battle intent he could no longer keep contained. Overbearing power burst from his fist like a flash flood. His body only trembled slightly, but the charging Gatekeeper’s light dimmed, its body—made entirely of Energy—looking as though it would explode.

With a WHOOSH, the Gatekeeper flew backward even faster than it had charged. The arm that had clashed with Xu Yang’s fist was covered in dense cracks.

Everything about this Gatekeeper was comparable to a Martial Artist at Celestial Essence Third Layer Perfection. Without using Cultivation Techniques like the Eight Ferocious Hidden Dragon Strength or Black Tortoise Mountain Suppression, Xu Yang was still unable to blow it apart in a single strike.

"Exhilarating!"

His battle intent successfully vented, Xu Yang felt refreshed from head to toe, and his spirits soared. While the Gatekeeper’s body was still in mid-air, he took a large stride forward, giving chase and throwing another heavy punch.

This punch was simple and crude. He still didn’t use any Martial Technique, purely venting his battle intent. His red fist fell like a meteor. The already battered Gatekeeper struggled to raise its arms to block, but it stood no chance against Xu Yang’s heavy punch.

BANG!

The heavy punch landed, and the cracked arms instantly exploded, dissipating into pure Energy. Xu Yang’s fist struck with irresistible force, directly piercing through the Gatekeeper’s body. A Gatekeeper comparable to Celestial Essence Third Layer Perfection had been killed by him in two punches.

Of course, this didn’t mean that if he encountered a real Martial Artist of this level, he could kill them in two punches. Although the Gatekeeper’s strength was comparable to a Celestial Essence Third Layer Martial Artist, it wasn’t a real person. Its reflexes and combat awareness couldn’t match a human’s, nor did it know any Martial Technique or Combat Enhancement Secret Skill. If it were a real person at Celestial Essence Third Layer Perfection, he absolutely wouldn’t have been able to crush them so easily.

Beside him, the passageway to the Second Layer opened, and Xu Yang charged in with his surging battle intent.

This time, he took the initiative. Before the two Gatekeepers could attack, he was already rushing forward, fiercely throwing out a domineering punch. His battle intent had long since boiled over. He had no intention of testing his opponents, entirely employing grand and sweeping Techniques, focusing solely on attacking rather than defending.

The first Gatekeeper had barely started to move when his fist tore through the air and landed.

RUMBLE!

A violent wave of air exploded outward, and all the runes in the sealed room lit up at once. The first Gatekeeper flew backward, its light dimming as spiderweb-like cracks covered its body.

BANG!

Protective Gang Yuan spread across his whole body like an iron plate, and he forcefully endured a punch from the other Gatekeeper. This punch carried a penetrating Force. Even though most of the power was blocked by the Protective Gang Yuan, Xu Yang still felt his Qi-Blood surge and his bones rumble. He didn’t find it uncomfortable. On the contrary, he felt a masochistic thrill, and his battle intent soared even higher.

"Thrilling!"

Xu Yang let out a long howl. His battle intent—brought about by his Cultivation breakthrough and surging strength—was finally vented. His bones emitted crisp pops like roasting beans, further integrating with his newfound power.

CRACK!

He chopped out a backhand punch, his fist striking the Gatekeeper’s chest like an axe. Amidst a crisp sound, the Gatekeeper’s chest caved in, and it stumbled backward as if struck by lightning.

BOOM!

At this moment, the Gatekeeper that had been knocked away came charging back, throwing a heavy punch that tore through the air. Xu Yang neither dodged nor evaded. He thrust his fist out like a massive spear, meeting the attack head-on.

It could be said that there was no skill at all in his current fighting style. This was indeed the case, as he didn’t care about clearing the floors right now. He was entirely venting his battle intent and clearing away the negative effects brought by the sudden spike in strength after his breakthrough.

The two fists collided, and the first Gatekeeper flew backward once again, the cracks on its body expanding further. At the same time, the other Gatekeeper with the caved-in chest came attacking again.

They were composed of Energy, not true lifeforms, making them little different from puppets. Therefore, even though Xu Yang displayed crushing strength, they showed no fear. Just as Xu Yang knocked the first Gatekeeper away, a large hand the size of a meditation cushion slammed down with the momentum to shatter mountains and rivers.

Fierce Palm Force crashed down like terrifying waves. Xu Yang’s Protective Gang Yuan caved in and seemed on the verge of shattering, causing his body to tremble uncontrollably.

"Die!"

With surging battle intent, he smashed a punch onto the exact same spot as before. Overbearing power erupted like a flash flood, pouring out frantically. The Gatekeeper trembled all over before exploding directly with a BANG.

Xu Yang’s entire body was engulfed in Energy. He charged out with his long hair wildly dancing in the air, blowing the second Gatekeeper apart in mid-air as well. The moment the entrance to the Third Layer appeared, he dove right in.

In the Third Layer, the three Gatekeepers represented more than just a simple increase in numbers; there was now the added factor of a battle formation. On this layer, Xu Yang fought with even greater exhilaration. It took him a full twenty or so moves before he finally blew the three Gatekeepers apart and stepped into the Fourth Layer.

Meanwhile, in the outside world.

"See? I told you he hasn’t improved. The time it took him to reach the Fourth Layer is almost exactly the same as last time," Lu Ren said with a wide smile, a hanging weight finally lifted from his heart. Whether Xu Yang had improved could be seen from the speed at which he cleared the Battle Tower. Compared to his speed two months ago, there was hardly any change this time; it took him roughly the same amount of time to break into the Fourth Layer.

"He’s been spinning his wheels for two months. No wonder he didn’t dare to fight me," Li Chuyang said, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes. When he had cleared the Battle Tower earlier, the time he took to reach the Fourth Layer was much shorter than Xu Yang’s. He had cleared the Third Layer in just over a dozen moves. Judging by Xu Yang’s time, it must have taken him over twenty moves to kill the Gatekeepers on the Third Layer.

"He’s merely relying on his past foundation," Du Ziming said, his face full of smiles. "As time goes on, his reserves will only grow thinner."

"How could Xu Yang have made no progress at all?" Zuo Mu was bewildered. How could two months pass without his Cultivation improving in the slightest, as if he were simply stuck in place?

"It’s probably because of the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture," Wenshan sighed. "He must have put all his eggs in one basket, dedicating all his energy to it. The Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture consumes far too much Heart Spirit. After comprehending it, Xu Yang likely had no energy left to practice other Cultivation Techniques, which is why it seems like he hasn’t moved forward at all."

"He’s foolish," Zuo Mu said, deeply distressed. He and Xu Yang were on fairly good terms. Although they weren’t as close as Xu Yang was with Sun Tao and Jiang Fan, Zuo Mu was one of the few people who could chat and laugh with him. Seeing Xu Yang in this situation naturally made him feel awful.

Wenshan shook his head. "He’s not foolish; he’s just too proud. He’d rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. From the Dragon Symbols Heart Scripture to the Azure Dragon Dominating Body and then to the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture, his sole objective has always been to compete with the Spirit Bone Celestial Prides.

"How many of the people looking down on him possess his courage and ambition? They are all easily satisfied, only wanting to stand out among the mediocre, and become terrified at the slightest setback.

"Are the people capable of entering the Celestial Strategy Academy truly fools? Would Xu Yang not know that these Cultivation Techniques are extremely difficult to master? He knows perfectly well.

"He also knows that if he wishes to compete with Spirit Bone Celestial Prides, mastering these Divine Skills that others find impossibly difficult is the only way to gain the strength to do so. As for ordinary geniuses, they have never been his goal."

As soon as he said this, silence fell over the surroundings.

Whether Xu Yang was overestimating himself or possessed an ambition higher than the heavens, they all had an answer in their hearts. Looking at the new students in their year, Xu Yang was the only one who attempted the Azure Dragon Dominating Body after failing a Spirit Bone Technique. And after failing the Azure Dragon Dominating Body, he attempted the even more difficult Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture. This wasn’t him overestimating himself; it meant he had never given up the idea of competing with the Spirit Bone Celestial Prides.

In contrast, many of them hadn’t even attempted the Dragon Symbols Heart Scripture before giving up, resigning themselves to the fact that they were inferior to the Spirit Bone Celestial Prides.

For a time, even Du Ziming, who usually made cynical remarks, was speechless, and Li Chuyang followed suit in silence. In this moment, Li Chuyang faintly realized just how high Xu Yang’s ambitions truly were. Let alone the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture, he hadn’t even had the courage to attempt the Azure Dragon Dominating Body or the Dragon Symbols Heart Scripture. Xu Yang might have fallen behind, but his courage and ambition were beyond compare.

Back inside the Battle Tower, if Xu Yang knew that Wenshan had saved his reputation with such a speech, he would have bought him a drink. He hadn’t even considered that his choices could be explained from such an angle, because whether it was the Dragon Symbols Heart Scripture, the Azure Dragon Dominating Body, or the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture, he was capable of mastering them all.

Upon reaching the Fifth Layer, his battle intent had mostly been vented. After exchanging about a hundred moves, the desire for combat brought on by the sudden spike in his strength had almost entirely faded. He began to clear the Battle Tower in earnest.

The Gatekeepers on the Fifth Layer were even stronger. Without using Martial Techniques, it would be difficult for him to break through in a short time. On this layer, he utilized the Bright King Unmoving Body and took nearly forty moves to kill the five Gatekeepers.

On the Sixth Layer, he employed the Great Success Black Tortoise Mountain-Suppressing Fist.

On the Seventh Layer, he used the Azure Dragon Dominating Body and the Black Tortoise Mountain-Suppressing Fist.

By the Eighth Layer, merely using the Azure Dragon Dominating Body and the Black Tortoise Mountain Suppression wasn’t enough to handle the opponents. He activated the Eight Ferocious Hidden Dragon Strength as well, exchanging over a hundred moves before finally resolving the Gatekeepers of the Eighth Layer.

At this point, any lingering battle intent was long gone. Even if he were a Spirit Bone Celestial Pride, he would still be breaking a sweat. To engage in fierce battles against so many Gatekeepers at Celestial Essence Third Layer Perfection right after breaking through... aside from the Spirit Bone Celestial Prides, no one else could push themselves to this extent.

Outside the Battle Tower!

"The Ninth Layer!"

"How long can he last this time? I remember last time he was beaten out right after going in."

"It should be a bit longer this time."

"His clearing speed is about the same as last time, so he should be knocked out pretty quickly."

Seeing Xu Yang reach the Ninth Layer, the crowd immediately burst into discussion. They were entirely unaware that Xu Yang wasn’t clearing the Battle Tower with a Celestial Essence Second Layer Cultivation, but a Celestial Essence Third Layer Cultivation.

Inside the tower.

As the passageway to the Ninth Layer opened, Xu Yang stepped inside. He had reached the Ninth Layer last time, but because he needed to hide his true strength, he had conceded without even entering it. This time, naturally, he was going to take a look at the Ninth Layer and reclaim his dropped ranking.

The moment he stepped into the Ninth Layer, he felt a tide-like pressure permeating the air, weighing down on his heart like a massive boulder. Nine Gatekeepers, each with a different expression, stood in the center of the Ninth Layer in an exquisite battle formation.

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