Chapter 480 - 479: You Passed

Chapter 480: Chapter 479: You Passed

With every passing battle, Qin Ya absorbed more combat experience and techniques from his clone. His own shortcomings were gradually patched, his spear strikes grew faster and more accurate, and his application of the Mysterious became ever more flexible.

CLANG! CLANG!...

Within the Space of the seventh level, two figures clashed with long spears. Unlike before, when he was completely suppressed, Qin Ya could now fight his opponent on even ground. The comprehension and learning ability he displayed were nothing short of astonishing.

Sensing that the Holy Liquid Energy in his body was nearly depleted, Qin Ya abruptly retreated dozens of yards. He once again produced a large mass of Holy Liquid—even more than before—and swallowed it, much to the disbelief of the onlookers outside.

"Tsk, tsk. I wonder how much more Holy Liquid that guy has."

"He’s the only one who could possibly use Holy Liquid like that."

"But can this method really get him through the seventh level?"

After consuming the Holy Liquid, Qin Ya’s stamina and True Essence were completely restored; he felt even stronger than before. With a faint smile, he raised his spear and charged forward again.

「Two days passed.」

Only one day remained of the time allotted by the Nine-Layered Tower. And while Qin Ya was fighting his clone to a standstill, defeating it still seemed impossible.

Qin Ya had hit a bottleneck. It felt as if he had run up against an indestructible barrier; no matter what he did, nothing worked.

The Four Symbols Mysteries swirled and gathered around his spear before he abruptly thrust it forward. The strike was perfect in both angle and power, and the Mysterious it contained was so formidable that not even a Martial Arts King would dare face it directly.

Yet, the clone raised its own spear. It too gathered the Four Symbols Mysteries and unleashed an exquisitely precise thrust, forcefully parrying the attack. "You may have progressed rapidly these past two days," the clone said coldly, "but you still cannot defeat me."

"As long as you fail to break through your limits, your defeat is certain!"

Qin Ya’s brow furrowed for a moment, but his expression quickly returned to normal. Though the pressure on him mounted, he remained outwardly composed. The hand wielding his spear was utterly steady, without a hint of impatience, and possessed a supreme calm—something else he had learned from his clone.

’Limits... What are limits?’

’Is it the bottleneck in my Cultivation? The bottleneck in my Spear Technique? The bottleneck in the Mysterious? Are those my limits?’ Thoughts flashed through Qin Ya’s mind, but his spear strikes never faltered. In his trance-like state, his attacks gained an indescribable, ethereal grace.

As the clone faced this new strike, its pupils suddenly contracted. Its footwork became rushed, losing its usual composure. It was actually on the defensive!

Unfortunately, Qin Ya appeared to be lost in thought, his spear moving purely on instinct. A glazed look was in his eyes, yet his Spear Technique had become even more unpredictable and elusive, and the Four Symbols Mysteries it carried flowed in perfect harmony.

With Breaking Army in hand, the clone could only defend, blocking left and right. It had been forced into a passive, defensive state. When the onlookers outside saw this, their faces lit up with excitement. ’What is happening? Could it be... is he about to clear the seventh level?’

As if confirming their suspicions, Qin Ya’s assault grew even more ferocious. His Spear Technique had reached a seemingly divine level of skill. Each thrust now carried not only Mysterious Power, but also a certain magical cadence.

This cadence made his Spear Technique even more unpredictable, causing its power to soar. Even without being infused with the Mysterious, its might was enough to threaten a King. This was not Mysterious Power; it was the power generated when a skill is honed to its absolute limit.

This was... Skill Approaches Dao!

Xu Zhenhong and Yuee Hongyi exchanged a look, both seeing the utter shock in the other’s eyes. Skill Approaches Dao. This was an extremely rare state for a Martial Artist to achieve. After all, once a Martial Artist grasped the Mysterious, they rarely spent time honing mere technique.

Furthermore, the time and energy required to hone a single skill to such an extreme were immense; one might not even succeed after a lifetime of effort.

It was far better to spend that time on gaining Mysterious Insights instead.

That was why, even among the myriad talents of the Four Great Hidden Sects, no one had ever been heard of honing a skill to the level of Skill Approaches Dao.

And yet, right before their eyes, Qin Ya had done it!

He had pushed his Spear Technique to its absolute apex!

"This boy is truly terrifying. In the Martial Arts Realm, Skill Approaches Dao is practically a lost art, yet he actually managed to grasp it."

"His Spear Technique was already at the worldly pinnacle. Only by battling his clone and patching his own deficiencies could he have reached this stage."

"Even without the Mysterious, his Spear Technique, having reached the state of Skill Approaches Dao, is enough to threaten a Martial Arts King. Tsk, how enviable."

Xu Zhenhong stroked his beard, his face a picture of gratification. Yuee Hongyi, on the other hand, felt a renewed pang of regret. ’To think I passed on such a peerless genius back then!’

Faced with this supreme Spear Technique, the clone was steadily pushed back. It let out a long roar, and a wave of Destruction pulsed out once more. It had activated the Godslaying Technique!

The violent wave of Destruction snapped Qin Ya out of his strange trance. He was startled. ’What was that state I was just in? I just felt... hazy. Wait, what is this wondrous feeling?’

Qin Ya suddenly noticed a magical feeling as he gripped his spear. ’It’s like this spear has become an extension of my arm. I have... near-perfect—no, *beyond*-perfect—control over it.’

For some reason, he was filled with an inexplicable confidence.

It was a feeling that even if the Breaking Army in his hand were not a Spiritual Artifact, but just an ordinary spear, he could still use it to run a Martial Arts King through.

"This feeling is... Skill Approaches Dao!!"

A look of excitement spread across Qin Ya’s face. He knew exactly what this state represented. He had always thought it was just a legend, but now, he had achieved it himself. How could he not be thrilled? How could he not be overjoyed!

Just then, the clone, having entered the Godslaying State, appeared right in front of him. Acting on pure instinct, Qin Ya sidestepped and thrust his spear in a single motion. Like a Flood Dragon bursting from the ocean, the spearhead pierced the clone’s shoulder with unerring accuracy. Immediately, the Power of Nature erupted from the spear, battering the clone’s body and threatening to rip it apart.

This was the most grievous wound the clone had suffered yet!

Qin Ya immediately pressed his advantage. Condensing a wave of Destruction in his palm, he slammed it viciously into the clone’s chest. BOOM! The clone was blasted over a hundred yards away, but it immediately charged back, seemingly berserk.

But Qin Ya was dauntless. With the Breaking Army Spear in hand, he unleashed his Spear Technique, now so exquisitely refined it seemed to embody the Dao itself. Augmented by the Power of Nature, he completely suppressed the clone. In the span of a dozen breaths, its body was riddled with wounds. It stopped attacking and simply looked at Qin Ya with a smile on its face.

"Congratulations. You have passed the trial of the seventh level."

The moment it finished speaking, the clone dissolved into motes of white light and vanished. Soon after, the mirror reappeared. Suddenly, an invisible ripple enveloped Qin Ya, and his figure vanished in an instant.