C4 Testing His Strength
In the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect, the Martial Arts Arena was the only place where Wai Jiang could test his strength without revealing his identity. The vast arena was occupied by a solitary figure.
"Let's begin!"
Without hesitation, Wai Jiang stepped into the assessment array. He felt the presence of someone entering, triggering the array's activation. A crushing sensation immediately enveloped him—a tenfold increase in gravity. An average Outer Sect Disciple would likely be flattened, immobilized by the pressure. But Wai Jiang merely shrugged.
"Is this all you've got?"
No sooner had he spoken than a horde of bronze-colored puppets emerged from the array, swarming toward him. Fifty in number, they were a significant increase from the mere eight he had seen just two days prior.
"Hmm?"
"Is this the extent of your capabilities?"
"They're far too weak."
Wai Jiang stood his ground, allowing the puppets to strike him. His body, fortified by the East-rising Purple Qi, was impervious to such mundane blows. Each impact generated a faint ripple across his skin before rebounding.
Eight Desolations Palm!
Instantly, a colossal palm shadow materialized, pulverizing the puppets into dust. Wai Jiang shook his head, unimpressed by the lack of challenge.
"Hey, got anything stronger?"
As if in response to his challenge, the array shimmered with light, and the gravitational force bearing down on him doubled. A twentyfold gravity field now. Simultaneously, ten silver puppets materialized within the array.
Swish, swish, swish!
The silver puppets wasted no time, assailing Wai Jiang with a barrage of attacks. This time, he noticed that each strike was infused with various elemental powers. While they couldn't injure him, the elemental forces they injected into his body were far from comfortable.
Having gauged the silver puppets' capabilities, Wai Jiang decided not to delay any further. Bringing his index and middle fingers together, a subtle gleam flickered at their tips.
With a swift motion, the ten puppets lunging at him were severed at the waist.
This was the Short Distance Sword Finger technique that Wai Jiang had long been honing.
Yet, without grasping the essence of sword qi, he had made little headway.
Nevertheless, the technique's potency was beyond what the silver puppets could withstand.
The twentyfold increase in gravity finally put some pressure on Wai Jiang.
But as he dispatched the silver puppets...
The formation sprang to life once more.
A fortyfold gravity field.
Now, Wai Jiang struggled to move, finding it hard to even take a step.
Simultaneously, a golden puppet rocketed towards him with such velocity that he couldn't react in time.
Boom!
Wai Jiang was hurled through the air, slamming into the formation's barrier, sending ripples through it.
Rather than anger, a smile spread across his face.
"At last, a worthy opponent."
The Spiritual Sense Dao Eye!
Within his inner sea of consciousness, three massive golden pills spun rapidly, channeling a torrent of Spiritual Force.
Bang!
The golden puppet struck again, but hit nothing but air.
Wai Jiang had punched the barrier, using the rebound to shift his position.
Yet the golden puppet allowed no respite, reappearing at Wai Jiang's side.
He unleashed the Short Distance Sword Finger with force!
Sensing danger, the golden puppet swiftly retreated.
Now, Wai Jiang's eyes were veiled in a golden glow.
Though movement was still a challenge, he could clearly discern the puppet's actions.
"The troops are arrayed for battle!"
Wai Jiang's hands flew, forming seals with impressive speed.
A magic array burst forth from behind him.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Spiritual swords launched from the array, homing in on the golden puppet.
It dodged with agile grace.
As the final sword vanished.
The golden puppet readied to strike Wai Jiang once more.
Eight Desolations Palm!
A colossal palm imprint thundered down.
Boom!
The imprint faded, leaving the puppet kneeling, hands braced upward.
"How intriguing!"
Wai Jiang chuckled, his journey proving worthwhile.
With a sizzle, his legs were suddenly enveloped in a faint lightning aura.
Thunder Shattering Step!
This time, Wai Jiang took the initiative, charging forward. Bolstered by the Thunder Shattering Step, he could finally move with ease.
The golden puppet, devoid of any sensation, would relentlessly use all its strength to defeat anyone within the array as long as it was operational.
It moved with astonishing speed, colliding with Wai Jiang.
Bang, bang, bang...
They traded punches and kicks in a test of physical prowess.
Crack!
Eventually, the golden puppet was the first to falter, with Wai Jiang managing to knock a piece off of it.
Then came the second, the third, the fourth...
Ultimately, the golden puppet crumbled under Wai Jiang's relentless physical assault.
As it fell, the trial array burst into a blinding light that shot skyward.
"Not good!"
Seeing this, Wai Jiang quickly withdrew his Spiritual Force and executed the Thunder Shattering Step, vanishing without a trace.
A second after his departure, several figures materialized.
"Someone actually dared to challenge the trial array in the dead of night."
Lou Haitian, the Vice Sect Master of the Piercing Wind Hall, was astounded.
From the array's level of activation and the state of the golden puppet, it was clear that only a peak Core Formation Stage genius could have succeeded.
"This is the aura of the Ten Thousand Sword Array."
Mooh Chenyi from the Nebula Hall could still sense the lingering presence of the Myriad Sword Formation.
"And there's more, including the East-rising Purple Qi and the Eight Desolations Palm."
Ren Qingfeng bent down, lightly touching the fragments that had fallen from the golden puppet.
The deacons responsible for the various pavilions and sects were wide-eyed in disbelief.
The techniques mentioned by the Sect Masters were the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect's most secret and powerful scriptures, which ordinary disciples would find nearly impossible to master.
Yet now, they seemed to be mastered by a single individual.
Who could this formidable challenger be?
After a brief pause, the head of the Spiritual Pill Pavilion ventured a guess, "Could this be connected to the odd phenomenon at the Profound Heaven Treasured Temple from a year ago?"
A year ago, within the Profound Heaven Treasured Temple, the first Holy Lord of the Profound Heaven Holy Land was suddenly enveloped in a dazzling golden light, and the stone-like Profound Heaven Record in his hand transformed into a phantom and ascended into the heavens. This extraordinary event plunged all the disciples present into a state of rare enlightenment, with some even breaking through their own barriers. At that time, the three Sect Masters believed that the Ancestor had bestowed a blessing upon the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect from the Immortal Realm through some arcane method. They also thought that he had imparted the long-lost Profound Heaven Record to a particular disciple. However, after a thorough investigation of all the disciples present, they found no anomalies. This incident has weighed on their minds ever since, prompting them to keep a watchful eye on the matter.
...
Wai Jiang returned to his room in the Outer Sect, gasping for breath. "That was close." "Good thing I didn't hesitate, or I would have been caught for sure." Yet, it's in the face of danger that fortune often comes. The battle with the golden puppet had further strengthened his physique. He could sense that the final step to achieving the Indestructible Diamond Body in his East-rising Purple Qi technique was within reach. If he could keep sparring with a golden puppet like that, he was certain he could make the breakthrough in less than a fortnight. He also had a good grasp of his own capabilities by now. Within the Core Formation realm, he was unrivaled. He even had the confidence to defeat a slightly weaker Nascent Infant Cultivator with the protective aura of the Profound Heaven Record.
The following day, the entire Profound Heaven Taoism Sect was abuzz with talk about the individual who had breached the formation the previous night. Wai Jiang alone remained detached, quietly sweeping the floor. "Senior Brother, are we really going to do it tonight?" "Idiot, do you have to be so loud? Do you want everyone to know?" Once the pair had departed, Wai Jiang continued sweeping, his gaze following the direction in which they had left.
