C7 The More He Fought the Braver He Became

Demonic beasts, unique in their existence, have the ability to absorb the vital energy of the world, forming a Demon Core to enhance their powers. Woo Zhengyang had only ever seen pictures and read descriptions of these creatures in the library of the Profound Heaven Sect; he had never encountered one in person. When a fireball appeared above the wolf-shaped puppet's head, he immediately grasped the situation's significance.

Based on the strength hierarchy of the nine puppets, this wolf-shaped demonic beast puppet seemed to be a low-level creature that had just formed its Demon Core. However, any demonic beast's core fire was formidable. Zhengyang knew he was resilient, but he couldn't be sure of his fire resistance. If he punched and got his fist burned to a crisp, it would be disastrous.

With the light curtain behind him, there was no way to retreat. As he swiftly retracted his punch, Zhengyang sidestepped to the side. These puppets weren't meant to harm but to push back intruders. After Zhengyang dodged, the wolf-shaped puppet didn't pursue him directly. Instead, it changed direction, continuing its duty.

If this had been a real demonic beast, Zhengyang would have been in serious trouble. But since they were just puppets, he wasn't afraid. Dodging the wolf-shaped puppet's core fire, he seized the opportunity and landed a punch on it.

The wolf-shaped puppet, though small in stature, packed a powerful punch of fiery energy. With a mighty blow, Woo Zhengyang sent it flying with a howl. One punch led to another, and eventually, the wolf puppet met the same fate as the previous two.

Once again, the light curtain appeared. This time, besides the clothes and badge, there was a bottle of elixir next to one set of clothes. Yet, Woo Zhengyang didn't pause and continued toward the dark curtain.

Time ticked by, and it was nearing noon.

In the hall, Zhang Tia, who was sitting cross-legged, stopped his meditation and opened his eyes.

Woo Zhengyang hadn't emerged yet, which didn't surprise Zhang Tia. What puzzled him was why Yue Liqing hadn't shown up for the assessment yet.

Although it was only the first day of the assessment, the elixirs available after passing the third level were limited. The earlier one arrived, the better the chance to obtain them.

Moreover, those who passed the assessment first could choose the best badge in the room. While the elixirs might not be of much interest to him, the badge could only be earned through one's own efforts, something even Elder Yue from Yue Liqing's family couldn't influence.

"Why worry about him? In the next couple of days, it's unlikely anyone will activate their Origin Genuine Qi. I should focus on my cultivation. If I can be promoted to the inner circle by Elder Yue, I might advance further." With this thought, Zhang Tia closed his eyes and resumed his meditation.

Woo Zhengyang sat on the ground, his clothes tattered and his hair disheveled, with scars scattered across his body. This was the space where the eighth puppet had been, but now it had disintegrated into a pile of black, sand-like material on the floor.

Zhengyang, growing more determined with each battle, attacked every puppet he saw and entered every black light curtain he encountered. However, he was beginning to reach his limit here.

Over time, Zhengyang had noticed that after the appearance of the black vortex, whether attacking or being attacked, his body was indeed undergoing a transformation. Yet, this transformation was limited to his physical form.

His fight with Yue Liqing had triggered his Origin Genuine Qi, and Zhengyang thought continuous fighting would lead to continuous advancement. However, this wasn't the case. The activation of Origin Genuine Qi was closely tied to the strength of his body. Once his physical strength reached a certain limit, the Origin Genuine Qi in his dantian would activate on its own. However, advancing in rank depended on the concentration of Qi in his dantian.

In these intense battles, Zhengyang's physical strength was gradually increasing, surpassing the typical limits of his current level. Yet, the concentration of Qi in his dantian remained unchanged. In other words, while his body was getting stronger, advancing in rank still required dedicated cultivation.

Even if he couldn't advance through fighting alone, the increase in physical strength was undoubtedly beneficial.

In the Mirror of Trials, aside from the first puppet, which had to be faced due to no other options, the subsequent ones were meant to deter challengers. This strategy significantly reduced their combat effectiveness. Woo Zhengyang, however, pushed forward, relying on his ever-strengthening body to overcome each obstacle.

By the time he faced the eighth puppet, Woo Zhengyang was barely holding on, enduring the hits and appearing quite battered. It was here that he realized his body wasn't invincible; it simply hadn't faced enough damage before. Against a truly formidable opponent, he would struggle to withstand their attacks. To avoid such situations, he knew he had to keep getting stronger.

The mysterious black vortex offered another advantage: remarkable healing abilities. After resting for a short while, his minor wounds vanished, and the larger ones scabbed over and healed, leaving him in decent shape.

Rising to his feet, Woo Zhengyang continued toward the dark light curtain. In a lifetime, one could only enter the Mirror of Trials once, and it had to be right after awakening their Origin Genuine Qi. Now that he was here, he was determined to see it through to the end.

If Woo Zhengyang shared his intentions, people might laugh at him. But if they knew he had defeated the eighth puppet beast, their laughter would quickly fade.

Even the current Sect Master of the Profound Heaven Sect and the elders would be stunned if they knew Woo Zhengyang had passed the eighth level. Since the founding of the sect, no one has ever reached this milestone.

The sect's outer disciples and inner disciples operate under two separate systems, each with its own set of identification tokens. The outer disciples' tokens range from one to 9,999, covering all numbers. However, the inner disciples' tokens range from two to 999, with no token number one. It's not that number one doesn't exist; it's just that no one has ever earned it.

This dates back to the founding of the Profound Heaven Sect. At that time, the sect was newly established and not as large as it is today, with no distinction between inner and outer disciples. The founding ancestor crafted 999 tokens and a "Mirror of Inquiry" to motivate the disciples. These tokens are now the inner disciple tokens, while the outer disciple tokens were created later as the number of disciples grew.

The puppet within the Mirror of Inquiry isn't particularly formidable, but the entry restrictions are extremely stringent. For a one-star Martial Disciple who has just activated their Origin Genuine Qi to break through nine levels is almost unimaginable.

The exact circumstances of that time are largely forgotten. In the past few centuries, despite the large number of disciples in the Profound Heaven Sect, no one has ever passed the sixth level to reach the seventh, let alone the eighth.

In front of the Mirror of Inquiry, corresponding to the eight heavens, there are eight rooms. Over the years, the last three rooms have become mere decorations; their plaques were removed by subsequent sect leaders. As for where the ninth heaven leads, no one knows, and the mysterious Number One Token has never appeared. Out of respect for the founding ancestor of the rival sect, the Profound Heaven Sect never forged a new Number One Token.

At this moment, Woo Zhengyang, completely unaware of all this, walked onto the battlefield closest to the Number One Token!