owlsbooks Chapter 93 Five Breaths to Break the Spirit Puppet
Chapter 93 Five Breaths to Break the Spirit Puppet
At the same time, the Xuanhuang giant hand suddenly tightened.
"Click—"
The ear-piercing sound of metal scraping against metal echoed throughout the ring.
The spirit puppet's right knee shattered under the combined attack of the armor-piercing golden blade and the giant hand, and spiritual power poured out like a waterfall.
The spirit puppet lost its support and swayed, and the Xuanhuang giant hand took the opportunity to press it to the ground.
Zhang Lin made a fist with his right hand, and the armor-piercing golden blade shrank to three feet in length. The golden light condensed as if it were solid, and pierced through the heart of the spirit puppet.
That is the core of the spirit puppet's spiritual power.
The moment the golden blade pierced through, Xuanhuang's large hand clenched its five fingers tightly, and the spirit puppet's body exploded under the immense pressure.
The dark cyan spirit puppet, at the peak of the late-stage Qi Refining realm, possessed both defensive and defensive capabilities. Just a moment ago it was struggling, but now it transformed into a sky full of spiritual light.
The golden light dissipated, and the earth and rocks crumbled.
Sparks of light fell like rain, scattering above the arena and shimmering in the afterglow of the setting sun.
silence.
The arena was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
No one spoke.
Even their breathing seemed to freeze.
Someone opened their mouth wide and forgot to close it.
Some people slipped their medicine bottles from their hands and fell to the ground without even noticing.
Some people turned pale, while others stared blankly.
After a long pause, Sun Maocai regained his voice and spoke hoarsely, "Zhang Lin... all three statues were destroyed, in what time..."
He paused, his voice tinged with disbelief, "Five breaths."
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
"Five breaths? Did he mean five breaths or fifteen breaths?"
"With four techniques unleashed in quick succession, how strong are his meridians? How can his true energy withstand it?"
"Wind Blade Slaughter, Heavenly Flame Devour, Golden Blade Armor Piercing, Xuanhuang Giant Hand Seizing—he's only at the Qi Refining Perfection stage, how could he possibly activate so many third-tier spells simultaneously?"
Zhang Lin remained calm as he turned and stepped off the stage.
His steps were unhurried, as if he had only done a trivial matter.
He knew perfectly well that breaking through three puppets in five breaths relied not only on the grade of the technique, but also on the precise targeting of the weakest point of the spirit puppet by the Qi Observation Technique, and the powerful control of spiritual sense by the Supreme Induction Chapter.
After consuming multiple transcendent-level pills, breaking through the three barriers, and expanding his spiritual sea, the speed at which the true qi circulated in his dantian was dozens of times faster than before.
Five breaths were used to activate four third-tier techniques. Although the meridians had a large capacity to bear the weight, it was kept within a manageable range.
Yu Youwei sat in the spectator area, her clear eyes fixed on him, her fingers gripping her sleeve, and her face beaming with an undisguised smile.
Chen Boyuan's mouth gaped open for a long time before he finally said, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, you've deceived me so badly."
Zhang Lin said calmly, "When have I ever lied to you?"
"You clearly said you were a rogue cultivator. What rogue cultivator at this age could master so many third-tier spells?" Chen Boyuan lowered his voice, his eyes reddening, looking as if he had been deceived by a heartless man.
"He is indeed a rogue cultivator, but he has a better comprehension and mastered it after a few moments of sudden enlightenment."
Chen Boyuan was speechless, unable to refute the claim of talent. After a long while, he finally smiled wryly and said, "Fine, you're amazing."
On the other side, Zhou Mingyuan's face was ashen, and the folding fan had already been snapped in two by his grip, with bamboo shavings falling from between his fingers.
He stared intently at Zhang Lin, a venomous glint flashing in his eyes.
Seeing Zhou Mingyuan's face, Chen Boyuan, beaming with excitement, patted Zhang Lin on the shoulder and whispered, "Look at Zhou Mingyuan's face! He was all smug just now, but now he looks like he's swallowed a fly!"
Zhang Lin did not respond.
His gaze swept over the crowd and landed on Zhou Mingyuan on the east side of the arena.
Zhou Mingyuan's face was ashen, his fingers clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
His gaze met Zhang Lin's in mid-air, filled with malice and resentment.
Zhang Lin withdrew his gaze, his expression remaining unchanged.
On the high platform, the deacons discussed in hushed tones for a moment, then Du Zhong stood up and made the announcement.
"Spell test, Zhang Lin, broke three spirit puppets in five breaths, without a single mistake or deduction, score 30 points."
"Currently ranked first."
On the high platform, Du Zhong breathed a sigh of relief: "This year, Cuiping Peak has finally produced someone worth watching. Perhaps this year they can compete for the title of outer sect leader."
Qian Tong stroked his beard and laughed, "It's more than just good to look at. Even those top-ranked disciples who have already entered the inner sect would have to think twice before seeing this kid."
Sun Mao pondered for a moment and said, "If word gets out about what happened today, it'll be quite a spectacle when we actually fight tomorrow."
By the time the magic assessment ended, the sun was high in the sky. Two more people had defeated three puppets, but it took them quite a long time.
With a score of five breaths, Zhang Lin rightfully holds the top spot in both categories, and with a perfect score in alchemy, his total score is far ahead.
Luo Yuan is currently ranked second overall, with second place in alchemy and third place in magic.
Zhou Mingyuan ranks third in alchemy and second in magic, temporarily placing him third overall.
......
Chen Boyuan ranked sixth in alchemy and eleventh in magic, barely making it into the top ten overall.
On the west side of the platform stands a jade disc three zhang high, with spiritual light flowing across it and rankings updated in real time.
The disciples gathered around the jade disc, discussing it animatedly.
"Zhang Lin won first place in both events. As long as he doesn't run into Zhou Mingyuan and Luo Yuan in tomorrow's sparring match, he's guaranteed a top-three finish."
"So what if we ran into him? Look at those four spells he used today, none of them are weak. Is the world about to change on Cuiping Peak?"
Du Zhong stood up and announced loudly, "The two tasks for today are complete. Tomorrow at 3:45 AM, we will draw lots at the Dao Discussion Platform to conduct the practical assessment."
"Participating disciples should rest well and are not allowed to engage in private fights; those who violate this rule will be disqualified."
The disciples gradually dispersed.
Some were elated, some looked solemn, and some were dejected.
Just as Zhang Lin was about to leave, a voice came from behind him.
"Junior Brother Zhang, you're quite skilled."
Zhou Mingyuan walked slowly, followed by two disciples from aristocratic families who were at the late stage of Qi Refining.
He had a smile on his face, but the smile didn't reach his eyes; the smile was like a piece of paper pasted on his face, which would break with the slightest touch.
"If we are drawn into the same match tomorrow, I, Zhou, will definitely learn a lot from my junior brother's skills."
Zhang Lin said calmly, "Let's see who's the best in the ring."
Zhou Mingyuan's smile froze slightly, then returned to normal: "Good, very good."
He gave Zhang Lin a deep look, then turned and left.
Zhang Lin watched him leave, his gaze calm and unreadable, revealing neither joy nor anger, nor any depth of feeling.
Chen Boyuan leaned closer and whispered, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, if he really confronts you tomorrow, be extremely careful."
"This person was born into a prestigious family and must have been exposed to many third-tier spells. His practical combat experience must also be quite strong. Although he was slightly inferior to you in today's spell test, tomorrow's test will be a spell-based attack, which will involve more variables."
"Moreover, his elder brother Zhou Mingxuan must have secretly given him a lot of good things, perhaps even secret techniques to temporarily boost his cultivation level."
"I know what I'm doing." Zhang Lin nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the rankings on the jade wall, lingering for a moment on Zhou Mingyuan's name before looking away.
He said to Chen Boyuan, "Go back and rest. There's another tough battle tomorrow, but you still have a chance to get into the top ten with your points."
When I returned to courtyard number 72, it was nearly dusk.
Yu Youwei didn't say much, only stopped at the fork in the road and said, "Be careful tomorrow."
He then turned around and went back to courtyard number eighty-three.