Chapter 616: Chapter 398: Fierce Battle

All nine Gatekeepers were massive, broad-shouldered and barrel-chested, revealing muscles that looked as though they had been cast from solid iron. The aura they exuded was far beyond what the Gatekeepers of the first layer could compare to.

The Gatekeepers of this level were all configured with tyrannical Body Refining Cultivation. Coupled with their exquisite battle formations, Xu Yang felt a heavy wave of suppression pressing on his chest.

Aside from Body Refining Cultivation, these Gatekeepers must have also been configured with formidable Sword Skill Cultivation.

All nine Gatekeepers gripped long sabers formed from Energy. Their bodies emitted fierce Sword Intent. As the nine streams of Sword Intent converged, the air inside the secret chamber constantly distorted.

He thought, "I can’t beat this layer!"

Just by sensing their auras, Xu Yang knew that with his current Cultivation, he had absolutely no chance of clearing this layer. Only after stabilizing his Cultivation and training for a few more months would he have a chance to break through the Ninth Layer.

He thought, "It’s a pity I didn’t bring my saber!"

If he had brought his saber, he really would have liked to test the true power of his Extreme Prison Heaven-Slaying Technique against these nine Gatekeepers and their imbued Sword Intent.

These nine Gatekeepers could no longer be considered ordinary Celestial Essence Third Layer Perfection. If categorized as Martial Artists, they had reached the talent level of regular students at the Celestial Strategy Academy, far surpassing ordinary Martial Artists at the Celestial Essence Third Layer Perfection.

Coupled with their battle formation, even geniuses on the Lingyun List would find it incredibly difficult to pass if they reached this layer.

At that moment, sensing Xu Yang’s appearance on the Ninth Layer, the nine Gatekeepers moved.

The Gatekeeper in the center erupted with dazzling light, slashing his saber at Xu Yang from a distance. Drawn by his Qi mechanism, the power of the other eight Gatekeepers poured out like a tidal wave, converging onto him.

BOOM!

The air let out a tearing roar as a massive Sword Aura shattered the space, slashing down as if it were cleaving heaven and earth apart.

Before the Sword Aura even landed, the fierce Sword Intent was already clashing against Xu Yang’s momentum, causing ripples to form across his Protective Gang Yuan.

This slash was incredibly exquisite. Xu Yang immediately felt as though there was nowhere to dodge. A powerful pressure enveloped his surroundings, making the air around him feel as if it had solidified.

Azure Dragon Dominating Body, Eight Ferocious Hidden Dragon Strength, Black Tortoise Mountain-Suppressing Fist—activate!

At this moment, Xu Yang unleashed his full firepower.

His joints popped and cracked like a string of firecrackers, his muscles bulged like mountain peaks, and Dragon Qi blanketed his entire body.

In an instant, he was like a Fierce Dragon awakening from a deep slumber. All of his dormant strength was activated, connecting his four limbs to the great dragon of his spine.

His Qi-Blood boiled over, billowing from his crown like a thick pillar of smoke and dispersing the surging Power of Heaven and Earth.

BOOM!

He no longer suppressed himself. His Spirit Bone rumbled, and brilliant light shot out from his flesh and blood, causing his entire body to radiate dazzlingly.

A violent shockwave of air exploded with him at the center, forming a visible blast that scattered the pressure attempting to imprison his body.

Xu Yang’s long hair whipped wildly, and a profound light surged in his eyes. A giant tortoise with a ferocious visage manifested behind him, roaring loudly toward the heavens.

Black Tortoise Mountain-Suppressing Fist!

This was a Fist Technique he had obtained from the Song Family’s Treasure Vault. He had begun practicing it shortly after breaking through to the Celestial Essence, but he had yet to reach Perfection. Among his numerous Martial Techniques, the intricacy of the Black Tortoise Mountain-Suppressing Fist was not much weaker than the Extreme Prison Heaven-Slaying Technique.

After achieving Great Success in it, he had even relied on the Black Tortoise Mountain-Suppressing Fist to comprehend Fist Intent.

At this moment, his Fist Intent—capable of suppressing mountains and shattering peaks—clashed against the Sword Intent of the nine Gatekeepers, instantly easing the pressure on his Spirit.

The next moment, all of his power poured out, piling onto his fist like a roaring, enraged dragon.

With his Fist Intent surging, Xu Yang did not retreat but advanced instead.

He took a massive stride forward. Amidst the rumbling tremors of the secret chamber, his fist—carrying the force of a thunderbolt—punched fiercely toward the descending Sword Aura.

Black Tortoise Mountain Suppression!

The giant, ferocious-looking tortoise behind him flared with blinding light. The arm he used to throw the punch swelled in size, erupting with light as his raw power roared outward.

BOOM!

The overbearing fist punched through the air, forming a white arc. A violent sonic boom burst out into visible waves of air, the sheer impact causing the runes of the Battle Tower to flash brilliantly.

Xu Yang’s fist, resembling a burning shooting star and carrying every ounce of strength he could muster, slammed heavily against the oncoming Sword Aura in a head-on collision.

BOOM!

The light of his fist and the Sword Aura clashed. The sheer sound of the impact alone could have vibrated an ordinary Martial Artist at the Celestial Essence Second Layer to death, and even those at the Celestial Essence Third Layer wouldn’t have been able to endure it if they stood too close.

Visible soundwaves spread like a tide, instantly filling the entire secret chamber and lighting up all the runes simultaneously.

It was only because the Battle Tower was made of a special material, its grade surpassing ordinary Spiritual Soldiers, that it held up. Anywhere else, a radius of dozens of meters would have been pulverized to dust in that instant.

Violent Energy detonated, endlessly washing over the walls and completely submerging the secret chamber in blinding light.

Xu Yang felt his Qi-Blood churning like ocean waves, the Qi-Blood outside his body entirely scattered. A berserk Force poured in from the Sword Aura. Even his Protective Gang Yuan and Dragon Qi couldn’t completely offset it. His bones and sinews groaned, and his internal organs shifted out of place.

Intense pain shot from his colliding fist, where a patch of fine cracks had actually appeared, oozing beads of blood.

His chest felt unbearably tight, as if struck by a heavy hammer, and his legs left the ground involuntarily as he was sent flying backward.

In that head-on clash, his fist had cracked, and he was thrown back by the impact. Given the toughness of his physical body, such a situation was incredibly rare.

CRACK!

Of course, the nine Gatekeepers hadn’t completely crushed him either. The combined Sword Aura they had slashed out dimmed, instantly covering with spiderweb-like cracks before shattering with a loud bang.

All nine Gatekeepers shuddered, their auras stagnating briefly. The battle formation was interrupted for a split second before it resumed functioning.

He thought, "Formidable!"

As sensation returned to his numb arm, Xu Yang’s Heart Spirit spread out like a tide to suppress his churning Qi-Blood, and his scattered Martial Dao Imagery manifested once again.

With a mere Heart Thought, his split flesh was forcibly closed by his Heart Spirit, ceasing to bleed.

BOOM!

His dissipated Qi mechanism reconverged, rushing out of his body like a tide and restoring his aura to its peak.

He had just managed to halt his backward momentum when the nine Gatekeepers formed their battle formation and charged at him again. Sword Auras intertwined into a massive net, sealing off every corner of space he could use to dodge.

A brilliant light surged in Xu Yang’s eyes. The space within the Battle Tower was simply too confined. Anywhere else, this saber net would have been useless against him. But here, the limited space made it easy to block his retreat, forcing him to face it head-on.

"Bring it on!"

Xu Yang’s Fist Intent surged, his wild hair flying in the wind, and parts of his robes were already torn to shreds.

Gang Yuan and Dragon Qi shrouded his body once more. Taking a wide stride forward, he threw a punch straight into the saber net. His swirling Fist Intent—unyielding and unimaginably fierce—tore through the air and slammed into the net.

BANG!

The fierce Fist Strength tore the saber net open, forcibly ripping a massive hole straight through it.

However, other Sword Auras still managed to hack down, their sharp Sword Intent feeling as though it would slice him into pieces.

Xu Yang’s Protective Gang Yuan flared as he met the Sword Auras head-on. Unfortunately, his newly transformed Celestial Essence Third Layer power was still a bit too weak against these attacks. It held on for less than a breath before being sliced into varying chunks of shattered energy.

The Sword Auras pressed forward with irresistible force, continuing to hack down onto his body.

CLANG CLANG...

Four or five Sword Auras struck as if hitting solid metal, emitting crisp, metallic clangs. After his Protective Gang Yuan mitigated most of the power, his physical body—bolstered by Dragon Qi—blocked the rest of the Sword Auras, leaving his flesh unbroken.

His clothes, however, weren’t as lucky. Wherever the Sword Auras struck, the fabric was sliced open, revealing muscles brimming with explosive power.

BANG BANG...

The Protective Body of the Dragon Qi sent out a counter-shock, shattering all the Sword Auras that had already reached their limits.

Although he had blocked the attack and his body hadn’t been sliced open, the Force still penetrated his flesh.

Xu Yang felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His bones and muscles trembled, his internal organs rumbled, and even his breathing grew labored.

He couldn’t help but stagger backward, his heavy footsteps causing the ground to quake.

BOOM BOOM...

This time, before he could even suppress his churning Qi-Blood, the nine Gatekeepers joined forces and attacked again, their fierce Sword Intent engulfing his body.

"I concede!" Xu Yang shouted.

He could have held on a little longer, but there was no need. He wouldn’t be able to clear this layer anyway, and he had no intention of doing so.

His will to fight had been fully vented. Having held out for this long, his rank on the Celestial Strategy Wind and Cloud List would have sufficiently recovered to its previous standing; there was no point in continuing.

At his voice, the nine Gatekeepers stopped simultaneously and returned to their original positions.

He quickly concealed the auras of his Spirit Bone and his Celestial Essence Third Layer Cultivation. The next moment, the scenery before his eyes shifted, and he appeared at the entrance of the Battle Tower.

"Xu Yang is out."

"He looks awful!"

"He stopped at the Ninth Layer again."

"It seems he lasted a bit longer than last time."

"He really is just treading water. Even going all out, he was quickly beaten out of there."

Xu Yang’s appearance instantly drew everyone’s gaze.

He looked incredibly battered. His clothes had been reduced to strips of cloth in multiple places, and his fist still bore the scars of its forcibly closed cracks.

"The Celestial Strategy Wind and Cloud List has changed!" someone shouted.

Everyone turned their heads toward the ancient stele, only to see the text on it distorting. Xu Yang’s rank jumped from eighty-ninth straight to eighty-fourth, while Li Chuyang, who was previously eighty-fourth, dropped to eighty-fifth.

Seeing this, Li Chuyang’s face instantly darkened, tinged with a measure of disbelief.

He hadn’t even warmed his seat at the eighty-fourth rank on the Celestial Strategy Wind and Cloud List, yet he had already been squeezed down to eighty-fifth by Xu Yang.

"Eighty-fourth place!"

"What did he do? How could his rank surpass Li Chuyang’s when he lasted such a short time on the Ninth Layer?"

Everyone present was somewhat astonished. The time Xu Yang spent on the Ninth Layer wasn’t as long as Li Chuyang’s, but his final ranking had actually surpassed his.

This meant that his strength still exceeded Li Chuyang’s.

"Who said Xu Yang was treading water? Compared to two months ago, his rank has even improved by one spot," Zuo Mu said, his face filled with joy. He and Wenshan walked over with wide strides, leading the "exhausted" Xu Yang away from the Battle Tower’s entrance to sit on the ground nearby.

"He actually moved up to eighty-fourth place," Lu Ren murmured, his face full of disbelief.

Was Xu Yang truly not delayed by the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture? His Cultivation progress had somehow kept pace with everyone else’s, even showing a slight improvement.

Du Ziming’s expression was incredibly foul. Now that Xu Yang’s dropped rank had been restored, he was the one suffering the most.

He hadn’t even managed to squeeze onto the Celestial Strategy Wind and Cloud List yet. Catching up to Xu Yang seemed hopelessly far off. He had wanted to wait for Xu Yang to stagnate so he could mock him, but he never expected such an outcome.

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