Chapter 617: Secret Compartment
Translator: KurazyTolanzuraytor Editor: Jay
Holding a grade one spirit sword in his hand and carrying the strength of almost ten ancient horned dragons, Duan Ling Tian was filled with confidence.
"No matter what the second test of strength is, I must sweep through it!" Duan Ling Tian took a deep breath before taking a stride out.
According to the experiences from the first test of wisdom, the second test of strength probably required him to activate it himself.
The facts proved that Duan Ling Tian’s guess was correct.
He’d only just walked out a few steps when a wave of familiar fluctuations came from beneath his feet, and it was precisely the fluctuation of an Inscription Formation.
"The second test is a test of strength…" Right at this moment, the Martial Monarch’s words sounded into Duan Ling Tian’s ears once more, and it was like thunder reverberating in his ear.
"Walking forward three steps will activate the Origin Shadow Inscription Formation, at that time, 100 sixth level Void Initiation Stage Origin Shadowpuppets will appear… From the moment the formation is activated, you’ll be considered to have passed the test by killing all the Origin Shadowpuppets within 15 minutes!" The Martial Monarch spoke of the rules of the second test of strength.
"One hundred sixth level Void Initiation Stage Origin Shadowpuppets?" Duan Ling Tian took a deep breath as his eyes flickered with a bright light.
Originally, with his current strength, sweeping through 100 sixth level Void Initiation Stage Origin Shadowpuppets that didn’t possess spirit weapons or concept to rely on wasn’t a difficult thing.
After all, even if the sixth level Void Initiation Stage Origin Shadowpuppets exerted their full strength, it would only be comparable to the strength of eight ancient horned dragons.
But now, he was instead required to kill these Origin Shadowpuppets in 15 minutes.
15 minutes of time wasn’t short, yet wasn’t long either.
"With my current strength, it’s sufficient to crush these sixth level Void Initiation Stage Origin Shadowpuppets… If I exert my full speed and full strength, I ought to be able to kill these Origin Shadowpuppets in time." Duan Ling Tian thought in his heart as his eyes emitted strong confidence, and then he abruptly took a stride forward.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
Activate!
Instantly, deep fluctuations of an Inscription Formation spread out from beneath Duan Ling Tian’s feet.
Subsequently, silhouette after silhouette appeared out of thin air around Duan Ling Tian, and these silhouettes were precisely the Origin Shadowpuppets.
The number of Origin Shadowpuppets were still ceaselessly skyrocketing, and it only stopped after it skyrocketed to a total of 100 silhouettes.
100 Origin Shadowpuppets floated around Duan Ling Tian and filled the entire cavern.
"Kill!" Duan Ling Tian’s gaze went cold as his Origin Energy pulsated on the grade one spirit sword in his hand, and then his third level Wind Concept, Advanced Lightning Force, and Elementary Earth Force arose.
When faced with the 100 Origin Shadowpuppets that had condensed into form, Duan Ling Tian didn’t dare dally in the slightest.
His time was limited.
Swish!
Duan Ling Tian’s sword flashed out as if it had transformed into a black colored bolt of lightning that flashed directly towards seven Origin Shadowpuppets that were gathered together.
However, these seven Origin Shadowpuppets seemed as if they had foresight and had already scattered apart at the instant Duan Ling Tian’s sword flashed out.
Whoosh!
In the end, Duan Ling Tian’s sword only destroyed one Origin Shadowpuppet, and the other six Origin Shadowpuppets fled away.
When faced with the other Origin Shadowpuppets that took the positions of their fallen allies to pounce at him, Duan Ling Tian’s face was cold as he continued to strike out with his sword.
Sword Drawing Arts!
The spirit sword in Duan Ling Tian’s hand sometimes transformed into a bolt of lightning and sometimes condensed into a ‘tempest sword light,’ and it swept out to flash towards the Origin Shadowpuppets.
Needless to say, the Origin Shadowpuppets were truly too skilled.
More precisely speaking, it was the Origin Shadowpuppets around Duan Ling Tian that were too skilled.
Every sword the Duan Ling Tian struck out with only destroyed one Origin Shadowpuppet, whereas, the other Origin Shadowpuppets would be able to dodge in time every single time.
"This won’t do! It won’t do if this goes on! Every strike I make only kills a single Origin Shadowpuppet… How many strikes would I need to kill all 100 Origin Shadowpuppets?" When he thought of how he only had 15 minutes, Duan Ling Tian was exceedingly anxious.
"Hmph! Let me see how all of you dodge if I do that." Duan Ling Tian experienced a flash of inspiration, causing his eyes to glow, and his violet clothed fluttered in the wind.
Whirlwind!
Instantly, Duan Ling Tian’s body seemed to have transformed into a gust of wind that swept towards a corner of the cavern before floating in midair with his back towards the wall, and he looked concentratedly at the group of Origin Shadowpuppets from afar. Whereas, the group of Origin Shadowpuppets charged towards Duan Ling Tian once more.
But, because of Duan Ling Tian’s back being against the wall, the space they occupied was forcefully compressed causing them to converge together in a dense group.
When he saw the group of Origin Shadowpuppets pouncing over, Duan Ling Tian kept his back closely on the wall before swinging out with the spirit sword in his hand.
The strength of almost 10 ancient horned dragons gushed out.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
…
With a raise of his hand, numerous sword lights swept out as if it had formed into a sword net, and it enveloped the group of Origin Shadowpuppets.
The sword net that seemed like a heaven encompassing net firmly trapped them here.
The group of Origin Shadowpuppets fled in all directions when they saw Duan Ling Tian’s sword light descend, but unfortunately, because of Duan Ling Tian having the wall to his back, the area they were able to flee to was extremely narrow.
In the blink of an eye, over 10 Origin Shadowpuppets had been annihilated under Duan Ling Tian’s sword.
"Nice!" The sword strike caused Duan Ling Tian to feel the depression in his heart vanish completely, and he had a satisfied feeling.
Along with Duan Ling Tian stopping his attack, the remaining Origin Shadowpuppets pounced towards Duan Ling Tian once again.
Although they knew how to dodge at a dangerous moment, yet they didn’t possess human emotions and didn’t know fear, so they still attacked Duan Ling Tian instinctively.
The outcome was obvious.
Even though the Origin Shadowpuppets were many, yet they were unable to withstand the slaughter of Duan Ling Tian who had his back to the wall.
It wasn’t even 15 minutes when the 100 Origin Shadowpuppets were wiped out!
Whoosh!
Right at this moment, a wave of strange winds abruptly arose within the cavern, and then dust suffused the air.
"Where’s this wind from?" Duan Ling Tian looked over curiously.
Only now did notice that at the other side of the cavern, at the place that emitted dust, was an exquisite box.
"That’s the reward for the second test?" Duan Ling Tian’s gaze lit up, and then he flew out to descend at the side of the box.
Subsequently, he impatiently opened up the box.
Within the box was a glittering and translucent pearl laying silently there.
"Soul Pearl?" With just a glance, Duan Ling Tian recognized that this pearl was precisely the Soul Pearl that he’d obtained once before.
At that time, his Spiritual Force underwent a change after fusing with the Soul Pearl.
It increased to a state of being two levels higher than his cultivation.
Now, his cultivation was at the third level of the Void Initiation Stage, yet because he’d fused with that Soul pearl, his Spiritual Force had advanced to the fifth level of the Void Initiation Stage.
It was still two levels higher than his cultivation!
"I wonder if my Spiritual Force will advance from fusing with this Soul Pearl." Duan Ling Tian didn’t think any further and picked up the Soul Pearl impatiently.
Right when he was about to fuse his Spiritual Force into it, a voice sounded out from the Soul Pearl.
"Congratulations for passing through the second test. The next test, the third test, is a test of wisdom… Walk back five steps, then three steps right and you’ll be able to activate the third test." The Martial Monarch’s voice sounded out, and the Voice Transmission Inscription was exactly within the Soul Pearl.
"Inscribing a Voice Transmission Inscription within a Soul Pearl… Looks like the attainments of this Martial Monarch in the Dao of Inscriptions is deep." Duan Ling Tian thought to himself.
After he returned to his senses, Duan Ling Tian’s Spiritual Force fused into the Soul Pearl and directly absorbed the pure Spiritual Force within it.
After a short moment, Duan Ling Tian was able to feel his Spiritual Force was transforming.
But this transformation was extremely small.
In the end, his Spiritual Force wasn’t even able to break through to the sixth level of the Void Initiation Stage.
The effect of a Soul Pearl was better when one’s Spiritual Force was at a lower level.
"Perhaps, if there’s another two or three then my Spiritual Force will be able to transform a step further… But unfortunately..." Duan Ling Tian sighed.
With a quick thought, Duan Ling Tian felt at ease. "Being able to obtain a single Soul Pearl can already be considered to be lucky… I’m still too greedy." Duan Ling Tian stood up and walked towards the spot that activated the third test that the Martial Monarch spoke of.
The Inscription Formation arrived as expected.
"The third test is a test of wisdom… Find a secret compartment within the cavern and obtain the thing within the compartment." The Martial Monarch’s voice sounded out stiffly. "The limit is 15 minutes… After 15 minutes, the test will be a failure if you haven’t found the secret compartment! If you find the secret compartment and obtain the thing within it, then that thing will be your reward for passing the third test."
Along with the voice of the Martial Monarch vanishing, Duan Ling Tian hurriedly flashed towards a corner that was closest to him and sized it up carefully.
At the same time, his Spiritual Force stretched out to no miss any place.
If the traces couldn’t be noticed with his eyes, then he would use his Spiritual Force to sense it.
Duan Ling Tian was extremely confident towards his Spiritual Force.
"15 minutes of time is sufficient for my Spiritual Force to search every corner of this cavern." When he thought up to here, Duan Ling Tian heaved a sigh of relief.
If he wasn’t an Inscription Master and didn’t possess Spiritual Force, and he’d instead only used his eyes to search for the secret compartment the Martial Monarch spoke of, or perhaps used some other method to search for it, it would be extremely difficult for him to pass the test in 15 minutes.
"This test seems to have been specially made for Inscription Masters." At this moment, Duan Ling Tian even had a misconception like this.
From the corner of the cavern, Duan Ling Tian carefully searched for the secret compartment the Martial Monarch spoke of, his gaze sizing up from up to down, and his Spiritual Force penetrated everywhere.
Time passed silently.
Duan Ling Tian seemed to be tireless as he seriously searched every corner of the cavern.
Finally, when half of the 15 minutes limit had passed, Duan Ling Tian’s Spiritual Force detected a place that was extremely strange.
"This is…" Duan Ling Tian’s body that floated in midair flashed to descend before one side of the cavern’s wall, and then he squatted down to size up the flat wall before him.
If he only used his eyes to look at it, he would be utterly unable to notice anything off about this wall.
Slap!
Duan Ling Tian raised his hand before slapping out with his palm, and his Origin Energy descended onto it.
Bang!
An enormous bang sounded out as the entire wall started to shake before splitting into pieces, yet nothing was revealed.
If it was someone else, perhaps the person would have left because of this and searched everywhere.
After all, no inkling could be seen solely from the cracked open cavern wall.
But Duan Ling Tian didn’t leave.
"It’s really concealed deeply!" Duan Ling Tian shook his head and smiled, then the Origin Energy on his hand condensed into form to transform into a short sword before piercing it into the cracked open cavern wall to tear the cracks open.
Subsequently, Duan Ling Tian pulled forcefully.