Chapter Fourteen: Shall We Continue?

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The two began experimenting with moving the stones according to the pattern of the formation.

Carefully, they adjusted the position of each stone, hoping to find a way to break the cycle.

Just as they finished adjusting the last stone, the water in the pool suddenly changed.

The calm surface began to spin, forming a whirlpool.

At its center, a passage leading downward gradually appeared.

Lu Qingyun and Xu Feng exchanged a glance, each seeing surprise in the other’s eyes.

They knew this might be the entrance to the next trial.

“Looks like we found the right method.”

Without hesitation, the two of them leaped together into the passage within the whirlpool.

When Lu Qingyun and Xu Feng bravely jumped into the vortex, they discovered that they had not been drenched by the water at all. Instead, they were standing on a stretch of dry ground.

They exchanged another glance, understanding that they had passed the Trial of Wisdom—but an even greater challenge still awaited them.

That mysterious voice sounded once more, this time carrying a hint of satisfaction.

“You have indeed passed the Trial of Wisdom, displaying both courage and caution, as well as a wealth of experience. But do not celebrate too soon. The Trial of Strength awaits you. If you fail here, there will be no way back.”

Lu Qingyun and Xu Feng drew a deep breath. They knew the trial ahead would push them to their limits.

Looking around, they found themselves in a spacious indoor training ground. Ancient runes were carved into the surrounding walls. At the center stood a stone platform, upon which rested two gauntlets radiating a faint glow.

Lu Qingyun stepped forward and cautiously picked up one of the gauntlets. At once, he felt a surge of power course through his body.

Xu Feng picked up the other. Both of them could sense the tremendous strength contained within the gauntlets.

Suddenly, at the far end of the training ground, a stone door slowly opened, and a powerful aura rushed toward them.

A stone giant lumbered inside. Every step caused the ground to tremble faintly, and red light flickered in its eyes. It was clearly no easy opponent.

Lu Qingyun and Xu Feng clenched their fists around the gauntlets. They knew this would be a contest of strength and will.

Standing shoulder to shoulder, they prepared to meet the challenge.

“Come on! Let us see just how formidable this Trial of Strength really is!”

Lu Qingyun’s voice was firm and powerful.

Xu Feng nodded as well, an unyielding fighting spirit shining in both their eyes.

They knew that only by passing this trial could they continue forward and uncover more of the mysteries surrounding them.

The stone giant released a deafening roar and launched itself at them.

Lu Qingyun and Xu Feng reacted swiftly. Once they donned the gauntlets, their movements became even faster and more powerful.

The battle erupted in an instant. Every collision between their fists and the giant’s rock-hard body produced a deep, muffled boom.

Relying on their tacit coordination and unshakable resolve, Lu Qingyun and Xu Feng engaged the stone giant in a fierce clash.

As the battle continued, they gradually felt the power within their bodies surge. Every punch grew stronger, and every evasion became swifter.

Their movements grew increasingly fluid. The gauntlets seemed to merge with their bodies, and every attack struck the giant’s weaknesses with pinpoint accuracy.

At last, after a succession of violent exchanges, the stone giant collapsed beneath their combined blow and crumbled into a heap of rubble.

Lu Qingyun and Xu Feng stood there, breathing heavily, victory gleaming in their eyes.

Before the joy of victory had even faded, a new challenge unfolded before them.

A gap in the wall appeared as though torn open by an invisible hand. Through it stepped an even taller stone giant, emerging into Lu Qingyun and Xu Feng’s sight.

Xu Feng’s complaint was tinged with helplessness.

“Will this trial never end? Do they really have to drive us all the way to the brink?”

Lu Qingyun’s gaze remained as resolute as ever.

“Brother Xu, perhaps this giant is a test of our trust in one another. Your strength is enough to deal with it. I believe in you.”

With that, Lu Qingyun handed his own gauntlet to Xu Feng without the slightest hesitation.

Xu Feng’s tongue might have been sharp, but the light in his eyes revealed how deeply he treasured that trust.

As he accepted the gauntlet, Xu Feng felt power circulate through his body, and his confidence increased severalfold.

“Very well. Then let me bring this trial to an end!”

Like an arrow loosed from a bow, Xu Feng shot toward the stone giant.

Clenching both fists, Xu Feng felt the power within the gauntlets course through him.

He faced the stone giant, battle blazing in his eyes.

Under the dim light, the giant’s body appeared even more enormous. Every muscle was as hard as carved stone.

The giant released a low roar that shook the entire chamber and advanced toward Xu Feng with heavy, ponderous steps.

Xu Feng drew a deep breath and adjusted his breathing, preparing to withstand the impact that was about to come.

The giant swung its enormous stone fist. With a roar that split the air, it smashed toward Xu Feng.

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Xu Feng’s body blurred as he nimbly evaded the blow, and his counterattack followed immediately.

His left fist shot forward and struck the giant squarely in the abdomen, sending stone fragments flying in every direction.

The giant cried out in pain and unleashed a thunderous roar, but Xu Feng gave it no chance to recover. His right fist followed at once, his attacks descending like a violent storm and leaving the giant unable to defend itself.

The stone giant tried to shield itself with its rock-hard arms, but Xu Feng’s gauntlets seemed capable of piercing every obstacle. Each blow inflicted terrible pain upon the giant.

The battle grew increasingly fierce. Xu Feng’s technique became more polished, and he began drawing upon the power of the gauntlets. Every punch carried a formidable inner force.

Although the stone giant possessed immense strength, cracks began to appear in its defenses beneath Xu Feng’s ceaseless assault.

Xu Feng spotted an opening. Gathering all his strength, he drove a heavy punch into the giant’s chest.

The blow struck with the force of rolling thunder. A distinct crack appeared across the stone giant’s chest, and its steps faltered as it nearly fell.

Xu Feng gave it no opportunity to catch its breath. He attacked again, his fists flashing like the wind, each one striking the giant’s weak points with unerring precision.

At last, the stone giant’s defenses collapsed. More and more cracks spread across its body.

Finally, beneath Xu Feng’s precise and powerful uppercut, the giant’s head suffered a crushing blow. Its entire body split apart down the middle and collapsed into countless chunks of stone.

Xu Feng stood amid the rubble, gasping for breath, victory shining in his eyes.

Lu Qingyun stepped forward and said with a smile, “Brother Xu, your strength truly is extraordinary.”

Xu Feng smiled in return and handed back the gauntlet.

“This strength is partly thanks to you. It was your trust that allowed me to give everything I had.”

Xu Feng had never expected to gain a friendship here, nor had he imagined that Lu Qingyun would place such trust in him.

Lu Qingyun had just begun to speak when the white figure appeared before them out of thin air.

Looking at the scattered stones, the figure regarded Lu Qingyun with profound meaning and said, “Heh heh heh. How interesting. Do you intend to continue?”

The white figure appeared especially mysterious in the hazy light, and his voice echoed across the empty grounds, lending the trial an even more unfathomable air.

“You have already passed the Trials of Wisdom and Strength.”

The white figure spoke slowly, a trace of approval in his voice.

“Are you willing to continue and accept the final trial?”

Xu Feng unconsciously looked toward Lu Qingyun. After enduring one challenge after another, he had developed an indescribable dependence on him.

Lu Qingyun answered with a smile.

“Why wouldn’t we continue? Of course we will.”

The white figure did not seem surprised by their answer. He began to tell them an ancient story.

“Once, there was a young man who became the high priest of a certain kingdom at an early age. However, an unforeseen calamity caused that extraordinarily gifted youth to lose his body, leaving behind only a wisp of his shattered soul, waiting for someone destined to find him.”

Lu Qingyun listened patiently until the story ended, wisdom gleaming in his eyes.

“That person is you, isn’t he? If we pass the trial, will you ask us to do something else?”

The white figure smiled faintly, his gaze lingering on Lu Qingyun for a moment.

“To awaken such a powerful martial spirit, you are certainly no ordinary person. But was that martial spirit originally yours? Pass the trial first, and we shall speak afterward. For now, you will face the Trial of Courage.”

Lu Qingyun and Xu Feng exchanged a glance, determination shining in both their eyes.

The white figure slowly faded away. At the center of the grounds, a radiant teleportation array gradually emerged.

Lu Qingyun stepped onto it first, with Xu Feng close behind.

A flash of light passed over them, and the two were transported to a new space.

This place was entirely different from the training ground they had just left. Endless darkness surrounded them. Only a narrow bridge stretched across an abyss, leading toward a distant point of light.

“So this is the Trial of Courage!” Lu Qingyun said solemnly.

“We probably have to cross this bridge and reach the other side.”

The moment Lu Qingyun and Xu Feng stepped onto the narrow bridge spanning the abyss, they felt an indescribable pressure descend upon them.

The bridge was narrow and fragile, as though it might break at any moment. Below lay bottomless darkness, with only the howling wind echoing around their ears.

They cautiously took their first step, and the bridge began to sway beneath their feet as if protesting their weight.

Each step required tremendous courage and balance.

Suddenly, a violent gust rose from the abyss and slammed into them, nearly sweeping them off the bridge.

Lu Qingyun and Xu Feng had no choice but to halt. They steadied themselves and gripped the edge of the bridge tightly.

At that moment, illusions began to appear.

A scene Xu Feng feared most suddenly materialized before his eyes.

He was alone, trapped in endless darkness, with no way out.

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Panic surged through his heart, and his feet unconsciously began to retreat.

“Xu Feng, don’t look! Focus!”

Lu Qingyun’s voice sounded beside him and pulled him back from the illusion.

Xu Feng shook his head, trying to cast off the fear in his heart. But just then, a flock of birds suddenly burst from the darkness. Their sharp claws and pointed beaks attacked the two of them, attempting to stop their advance.

Lu Qingyun swung his gauntlet and knocked the birds back, while Xu Feng used his martial techniques to protect himself and Lu Qingyun.

The birds attacked without pause, but the two stood back to back, supporting one another as they faced the sudden storm together.

Amid the continuous attacks and evasions, Xu Feng lost his footing for a moment. His body lurched, and he nearly fell from the narrow bridge.

Lu Qingyun reacted with lightning speed. He seized Xu Feng’s arm and hauled him back with all his strength.

“Careful!”

Xu Feng gasped for breath, his heart filled with gratitude.

“Thank you, Brother Lu.”

The two continued forward. The howling wind, terrifying illusions, and attacks from the birds persisted, yet their resolve only grew stronger.

They knew that only by persevering to the very end could they pass the Trial of Courage.

At last, after enduring countless difficulties and dangers, Lu Qingyun and Xu Feng finally reached the other side of the bridge.

Standing on the far shore, they looked back and saw the narrow bridge gradually disappear into the darkness behind them, as if it had never existed.

Xu Feng looked at Lu Qingyun, admiration filling his eyes.

“Brother Lu, if it weren’t for you, I might already have…”

The smile on Xu Feng’s face had not yet fully formed when Lu Qingyun’s vigilance interrupted him. A trace of solemnity appeared in Lu Qingyun’s eyes.

“Don’t celebrate just yet. The previous trials were not so simple. There must still be something ahead.”

As if to confirm Lu Qingyun’s words, an intense fluctuation of spiritual energy suddenly spread through the air.

Immediately afterward, the enormous phantom of an Azure Dragon appeared before them. Its body looked especially majestic in the dim space, and every scale shimmered with a ghostly light.

Xu Feng spoke in astonishment.

“Isn’t that your martial spirit? How did it appear here?”

His eyes were filled with confusion and shock.

Lu Qingyun shook his head, indicating that he was equally bewildered.

At that moment, the phantom of the high priest slowly appeared, his voice echoing through the space.

“Lu Qingyun, do you know how this kingdom was destroyed?”

Lu Qingyun and Xu Feng exchanged a glance, both seeing gravity in the other’s eyes.

Lu Qingyun answered in a low voice, “I don’t know.”

The high priest’s phantom nodded and continued.

“This kingdom was once the most powerful nation on the continent, but because of a calamity, it was reduced to nothing in a single night.”

“And I, as the kingdom’s high priest, survived—but only as this remnant of a soul.”

Unable to restrain himself, Xu Feng interrupted.

“What was that calamity? Was it connected to his martial spirit?”

The high priest’s gaze seemed to pierce through time and space, as though he had returned to the night when the disaster occurred.

“It was a calamity born from an internal struggle for power. The rulers of the kingdom, in their quest for supremacy, did not hesitate to invoke forbidden forces. In the end, they brought about the destruction of the entire kingdom.”

Lu Qingyun clenched his fists. He could sense the immense power contained within the phantom of the Azure Dragon.

“Then what is the purpose of this trial?”

The high priest answered slowly.

“The purpose of this trial is to find someone capable of inheriting this power and using it correctly. Lu Qingyun, your martial spirit shares an inseverable connection with the kingdom’s guardian divine beast. That is why I chose you.”

Xu Feng tightened his grip on his weapon, his gaze burning.

“If you chose him, what does that have to do with me?”

The high priest did not answer.

Instead, he merely swept out one hand, and the phantom of the Azure Dragon instantly surged toward Lu Qingyun.

Lu Qingyun’s eyes widened. He tried to retreat, but it was already too late.

Suddenly, an immense and domineering force burst into his body.

“Ah…!”

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