Chapter 144: The Final Trial

Pang Yunrui was shocked and enraged.

This ambush came too suddenly, too vicious!

Pang Yunrui and Shen Ge had just endured a brutal battle, their breath unsteady, injuries severe; faced with this powerful, terrifying slash, they could not dodge or parry in time, their faces instantly turning pale.

"Watch out!"

Chen Mu reacted with extreme speed!

He had remained on high alert all along; the instant the crimson blade glow appeared, the Solitary Star Sword hummed and leapt from its sheath.

The "Struggle Against Heaven Sword" —

Star River Shines Bright!

Silver River Reverses!

Moon Grotto Flows with Radiance!

……

Without holding back, Chen Mu unleashed his Duan Tianhe True Qi, surging forth in a torrent, transformed instantly by the "Five Elements Spirit Conversion Scripture," and slashed out three swords in rapid succession!

Three fierce, wild, and ruthless flamesword beams, launched later but arriving first, struck with pinpoint precision at the weak points of the crimson blade glow!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The piercing sound of metal clashing exploded as the crimson blade glow and the flamesword beams clashed violently and annihilated each other!

The escaping energy shockwaves shook the nearby Shi Zhu, causing stones to crumble and rain down.

Finally, under Chen Mu's full-power three strikes, the crimson blade glow shattered with a roar, dissolving into a thousand crimson specks.

Huh~ Huh~

Chen Mu's body swayed slightly, his sword grip steady as a boulder, his cold gaze sweeping toward the direction the blade glow had come from — but all he saw was a slowly moving Shi Zhu, a faint crimson shadow flickering away, accompanied by a faint, eerie laugh, vanishing swiftly into the depths of the labyrinth.

"Nie Renchou… that madman!" Pang Yunrui muttered, still shaken.

Shen Ge's solemn countenance deepened, "This guy has been watching us in secret…"

Chen Mu sheathed his sword and said gravely, "We can't stay here. Let's get out first."

That brief clash had already alerted others nearby.

"Got it!" Pang Yunrui took a deep breath.

"Go!"

Shen Ge gathered his Qi.

The three no longer hesitated, rushing swiftly out of the Shi Lin labyrinth and back onto the broad Bai Yu staircase.

Seeing daylight again, all three exhaled in relief.

Pang Yunrui and Shen Ge were nearly exhausted; they immediately sat cross-legged beside the staircase, pulled out healing pills, and swallowed them, focusing their Qi to recover.

"Brother Chen, thank you just now! If not for you, the two of us might have…" Pang Yunrui said gratefully, still meditating.

Shen Ge also bowed solemnly, "Brother Chen, I owe you again."

Chen Mu waved his hand, "We're brothers — no need for thanks. Focus on healing first, wait for Brother Qin."

"I wonder how Brother Qin is doing," Pang Yunrui exhaled.

Shen Ge said nothing, closed his eyes, and meditated to recover his injuries.

Chen Mu remained impassive.

The appearance of Lianyu Stone held great temptation for warriors attempting to pass through.

Fights over the "Stone Soul" were inevitable.

If they were all Innate Realm cultivators, it would be fine — but the problem was that Tang Zhenke, Guan Shanhai, and three other Earth Altar Realm experts had also entered the ruins.

If Earth Altar Realm experts truly tore open hostilities, one Qin Liangjing clearly couldn't hold them off.

Even though Qin Liangjing was stronger than Chen Mu, Shen Ge, and Pang Yunrui — Eighth Stage of Heaven, his "Soul-Chasing Spear" reaching perfection, capable of defeating even Innate Realm full-circle warriors —

He could only yield when facing Earth Altar Realm.

……

"Hah! Finally out!"

"Damn, this damn Shi Lin is disgusting."

"Huh…?"

"…"

Chen Mu, Pang Yunrui, and Shen Ge waited at the exit; dozens of warriors emerged from the Shi Lin, some battered, some elated. Seeing Pang Yunrui and Shen Ge healing and Chen Mu standing guard, they all kept their distance, avoiding any confrontation.

Those on the Qianlong List weren't to be judged by realm alone.

One group after another of warriors passed through the Shi Lin.

Chen Mu's trio waited nearly half an hour before Qin Liangjing dashed out of the Shi Lin — his appearance disheveled, robes torn in several places, a trace of dried blood still clinging to his lips.

"Brother Qin!" Chen Mu stepped forward to meet him.

Pang Yunrui and Shen Ge had nearly recovered; they rose at once and hurried over with concern.

Qin Liangjing saw Chen Mu and the others, especially the injured Pang Yunrui and Shen Ge, and Chen Mu's slightly unsettled aura — he paused in surprise, "What happened to you?"

"We ran into Tang Zhenke. Dealt with him," Chen Mu said succinctly. "Brother Qin, why are you so late? And why are you injured?"

Qin Liangjing let out a bitter laugh, a flicker of fear in his eyes, "Don't mention it — bad luck. I stumbled upon a sizable Lianyu Stone, just dug out the Stone Soul when I was spotted by Zhou Tong, that old devil among the rogue Earth Altar Realm cultivators. I fought and struggled with him for a long while barely escaped, took minor injuries, and lost the Stone Soul to him."

Hearing this, Chen Mu and the others understood the reason.

Zhou Tong, the rogue Earth Altar Realm cultivator, was one of the four Earth Altar experts who entered the ruins — formidable in strength, erratic in temperament; Qin Liangjing barely escaping him was already a miracle.

"Zhou Tong has already emerged, Brother Qin, rest here," Shen Ge said.

"That old man's already passed?"

Qin Liangjing, upon hearing this, relaxed. He immediately sat down on the ground.

Seeing this, Pang Yunrui and Shen Ge also took out pills and consumed them, continuing to recover their injuries.

Another half hour passed. Once their condition was fully restored, the three rose. Chen Mu took the lead, climbing upward along the seemingly endless white stone steps.

……

After advancing several hundred meters and rounding a massive mountain hollow, the scene ahead changed once more.

The stone steps ahead had become exceptionally wide, wide enough to accommodate several dozen people abreast.

And on these roughly five-hundred-meter-long spacious stone steps, hundreds of humanoid puppets stood densely packed!

These puppets were entirely forged from a black material resembling ironwood, with metallic glints flickering at their joints. Their forms were plain and ancient, and they held various weapons in their hands — blades, swords, spears, staves, all present.

Like a silent army, they stood motionless upon the stone steps, radiating a cold and murderous aura.

Only when the martial artists attempting the trial stepped onto the platform where they stood would the nearby ironwood puppets be activated and launch an attack.

"This should be the third trial — defeat the ironwood puppets and ascend the mountain peak!"

Qin Liangjing said in a low voice.

"Finally at the third trial." Pang Yunrui exhaled.

"The first trial tested willpower, the second tested intellect, this one tests combat strength," Shen Ge analyzed. "The ancient sect that left this ruin clearly demands quite a lot of its new disciples."

"It does." Chen Mu nodded.

The third trial required defeating every puppet blocking the path before one could ascend to the end of the stone steps and reach the mountain peak shrouded in clouds and mist, concluding this trial journey.

At this moment, quite a few martial artists who had arrived earlier were already locked in fierce combat with the puppets, the clang of metal against metal ringing without cease.

These ironwood puppets possessed tremendous strength, astonishing defense, knew no pain, and were extremely difficult to deal with.

"Let's go too!"

Qin Liangjing waved his spear tip.

"Puppet men, nothing more." Pang Yunrui gripped his twin halberds tightly.

"Move!"

Chen Mu barked low and charged up the steps first……