Chapter 472 - 469: The Ring

Chapter 472: Chapter 469: The Ring

"Everyone underestimated you."

Bai Yan spoke softly, his voice still flat, but tinged with genuine admiration.

"You’re not bad yourself!"

Fang Han replied, then turned and scanned the hall.

The wall at the very front of the hall began to change again.

Ripples spread across it as the wall turned transparent and vanished.

Behind it, another corridor was revealed.

As they saw the scene within the corridor, both Fang Han’s and Bai Yan’s gazes sharpened.

In the center of the corridor stood nine Metal Puppets in a circular formation.

A tiger, a giant bear, a giant python, a giant ape, a giant eagle, a mantis, a spider, a scorpion—and in their center, there was one more puppet.

It was a Metal Puppet shaped like a centipede, dark gold in color and a fair bit longer than the Spider Puppet.

Its body was formed from dozens of interlocking metal segments, each flanked by a pair of sharp metal legs tipped with a faint blue light.

Its head was triangular, and its massive pincers made faint, grinding metallic sounds as they opened and closed. Dozens of compound eyes glowed dark red, staring coldly down the corridor.

Nine puppets, nine pairs of eyes.

An oppressive feeling, countless times stronger than the seventh trial’s, radiated from the corridor.

"The eighth trial."

Bai Yan spoke in a low voice, his tone laced with a gravity he hadn’t shown before.

"Nine puppets... Following the pattern, the puppets in this trial are likely comparable to the Middle Stage of Second Grade."

Nine Metal Puppets at the Middle Stage of Second Grade.

They had perfect coordination, felt no fatigue or pain, and their bodies were indestructible.

A lineup like this would be trouble even for a First Grade Martial Artist.

Bai Yan was silent for a moment before striding toward the corridor.

His moon-white robes shimmered faintly in the light of the Luminous Pearls. His wounds were still seeping blood, soaking through the bandages.

His steps were still steady, but they carried more weight than before.

The moment he stepped into the corridor, all nine puppets moved at once.

Bai Yan drew his sword, his Wood Sword Intent erupting forth.

However, this time, he did not make it through.

The coordinated assault of the nine Middle Stage Second Grade puppets was simply too dense, too fierce.

He fought with all his might, accumulating another dozen or so wounds. His moon-white robes were soaked in blood, and his face was as pale as paper.

He tried to break through their encirclement again and again, only to be forced back each time.

After dozens of exchanges,

the Centipede Puppet’s dozens of pairs of metal legs stabbed at him simultaneously, sealing off all his escape routes.

He no longer had the strength to resist.

A golden barrier materialized out of thin air, enveloping him.

A Jade Box, radiating a treasured light, landed in his hands.

The treasured light was gentle yet brilliant, swirling with a captivating luster under the glow of the Luminous Pearls.

It was impossible to know what was inside, but as a reward for clearing seven trials, its value surely surpassed even that of an Mental-level Cultivation Technique.

The golden barrier enveloped him and vanished from the corridor’s entrance.

In the hall, only Fang Han remained.

His gaze fell upon the corridor.

The nine Metal Puppets stood in their circular formation, their nine pairs of differently colored eyes gleaming with a cold light.

Nine Metal Puppets at the Middle Stage of Second Grade.

Fang Han took a deep breath and strode toward the corridor.

The moment he stepped into the corridor, all nine puppets moved at once.

Their coordination was even better than in the seventh trial—sharper, more lethal.

SHING!

Fang Han drew his sword, unleashing the full force of his Sword Intent from the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique at the Minor Achievement Realm. He pushed his Wind God Step to its absolute limit.

His figure weaved through the nine puppets’ coordinated assault, his sword light and Body Technique complementing each other perfectly.

But the assault of nine Middle Stage Second Grade puppets was simply too terrifying.

Fifty exchanges.

A claw from the Fierce Tiger Puppet grazed his left shoulder, tearing his green robes and leaving a bloody gash.

Eighty exchanges.

The Scorpion Puppet’s tail hook stabbed his right arm, sending blood flying.

One hundred exchanges.

A metal leg of the Centipede Puppet slashed across his back, leaving a long, bloody wound.

He gritted his teeth, holding on with every ounce of his strength.

Finally, at the one hundred and fiftieth exchange, he seized a fleeting opening. His body transformed into a stream of green light and shot through a gap between the puppets.

The moment he passed through the corridor, he staggered and dropped to one knee.

His green robes were soaked in blood, his body now covered in more than a dozen new wounds, large and small. His face was as pale as paper, his aura weak.

But he had made it through.

He swallowed a Jade Dew Pill and tore off strips of cloth to crudely bandage his deeper wounds.

Just then, the wall at the very front of the hall began to change again.

Ripples spread across it as the wall turned transparent and vanished.

Behind it, another corridor was revealed.

In the center of the corridor stood ten Metal Puppets in a circular formation.

A tiger, a giant bear, a giant python, a giant ape, a giant eagle, a mantis, a spider, a scorpion, a centipede—and in their center, there was one more puppet.

It was a Metal Puppet that looked like a hybrid of a mantis and a spider. Its body was dark silver, and it was a full size larger than the other puppets.

It had six long, slender metal legs, and its forelimbs were shaped like scythes, even longer and sharper than those of the Mantis Puppet.

Its head had dozens of compound eyes that glowed dark gold, staring coldly down the corridor.

An oppressive feeling, countless times stronger than the eighth trial’s, radiated from the corridor.

"The ninth trial."

Fang Han spoke in a low, hoarse voice.

Ten puppets. Following the pattern, the puppets in this trial were likely comparable to the Late Stage of Second Grade.

Ten Metal Puppets at the Late Stage of Second Grade.

Even a First Grade Martial Artist would not necessarily be able to pass a lineup like this.

Fang Han was silent for a moment before striding toward the corridor.

The moment he stepped into the corridor, all ten puppets moved at once.

He drew his sword, his Sword Intent erupting as he pushed his Body Technique to its absolute limit.

However, this time, he only lasted for thirty exchanges.

The coordinated assault of the ten Late Stage Second Grade puppets was like an inescapable web of death, sealing off all his room to evade.

He fought with all his might, accumulating several more wounds.

But when the dark silver puppet lunged, its six scythe-like forelimbs slashing from six directions at once, weaving a lethal net with the attacks of the other nine puppets,

he no longer had the strength to resist.

A golden barrier materialized out of thin air, enveloping him.

A plain, pitch-black ring landed in his hand.

The ring was entirely black, made of some unknown material. It felt slightly heavy to the touch, and its surface bore faint patterns that exuded an ancient and mysterious aura.

’A ring?’

Fang Han looked down at the ring in his hand.

He didn’t know what the ring was for, but as a reward for clearing eight trials, its value surely had to be greater than what Bai Yan had received.

He had no time for a closer look before the golden barrier enveloped him and began to transport him out of the Ancient Ruins.

He naturally understood the principle of not flaunting one’s wealth, so he quickly put the ring away, planning to examine it later when he had the chance.

Wrapped in the golden barrier, Fang Han ascended rapidly from the depths of the Ancient Ruins.

The world spun around him in a blur of light and shadow. When he came to his senses, he was standing outside the entrance to the ruins.

Behind him, the jade gate that slanted down into the earth slowly boomed shut. The complex patterns along its edges gradually dimmed, finally falling silent.

At the edge of the basin, hundreds of gazes fell on Fang Han in unison.

Fang Han’s green robes were torn in many places, with blood seeping from his left shoulder, right arm, and back. His face was pale, his aura unstable.

But in their eyes, he didn’t look wretched at all. Instead, he seemed incredibly mysterious.

After all, this was the person who had emerged last from the Ancient Ruins.

"Fang Han!"

Chen Wanjun’s voice rang out.

The Vice Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall flickered, appearing at Fang Han’s side like a phantom.

His gaze swept over Fang Han’s wounds, and he frowned almost imperceptibly.

He took out a Jade Bottle and tipped out a lustrous, longan-sized Elixir.

This was a Creation Pill, a treasure even more precious than a Jade Dew Pill.

"Take this first."

Chen Wanjun placed the Elixir in Fang Han’s hand, his voice steady and filled with unquestionable concern.

Fang Han didn’t refuse and put the Elixir in his mouth.

The Creation Pill dissolved the moment it entered his mouth, and a gentle yet immense wave of Medicinal Power instantly surged through his limbs and body.

Wherever it passed, his still-bleeding wounds stopped seeping blood at a visible rate, and the churning qi and blood within him gradually calmed.

Some color finally returned to his pale face.

"Thank you for the Elixir, Vice Hall Master Chen."

Fang Han said, cupping his fist.

Chen Wanjun shook his head slightly. His gaze lingered on him for another moment, and only after confirming his injuries were not serious did he relax.

He didn’t ask how many trials Fang Han had cleared, only saying calmly,

"Rest for now."

Fang Han nodded and sat down on a nearby green rock.

Only then did the various factions at the edge of the basin snap out of their astonishment.

"The last one out was... Fang Han from Qingyang County?"

someone murmured in disbelief.

"That Bai Yan from the Celestial Essence Sect came out before him."

"Does that mean he cleared at least as many trials as Bai Yan?"

A brief silence fell over the crowd at these words.

Who was Bai Yan?

He was the strongest disciple on this trip from the Overlord-level Influence, the Celestial Essence Sect.

And Fang Han, from a remote place like Qingyang County, belonged to the Qingxuan Sect—a mere ordinary top-level influence. The gap between it and the Celestial Essence Sect was as wide as the heavens and the earth.

But despite his background, he was the last one to remain in the Ancient Ruins.

The Elders leading the major factions from Qingyang County exchanged glances, all seeing unconcealed surprise in each other’s eyes.

However, mixed in with their surprise was a faint sense of relief, as if this was only to be expected.

After all, this was Fang Han.

The man who had topped the Celestial Pride List just over two years after his Entry Level, and comprehended Sword Intent at the age of twenty.

His path of growth was already the stuff of legends in Qingyang County.

Now, achieving a result in the Ancient Ruins that matched or possibly even surpassed that of the strongest disciple from an Overlord-level Influence was shocking, but not entirely unbelievable.

But the factions from the four counties of Donglu, Songquan, Bailu, and Taishun were not so "accustomed" to it.

"The last one out... was actually him!"

Elder Shi Jing of Songquan County’s Cangsheng Temple murmured, his experienced eyes filled with unconcealable shock.

He had lived for over sixty years and seen many astonishingly brilliant talents, but he had never witnessed a scene like this—

a young man from a remote county who had remained in the Ancient Ruins until the very end, performing even better than the disciple from an Overlord-level Influence.