“Haha, wretched human, your swordsmanship may be impressive, but your speed can’t match mine!” the heavenly demon laughed as it attacked.
“Now!”
As the heavenly demon gloated, Lin Yun’s aura surged, his inner strength pouring out like a tidal wave. The power of his sword skyrocketed, slashing towards the demon!
The aura of the Second Eternal Realm erupted fully!
“What?”
The laughing demon, caught off guard by Lin Yun’s sudden outburst, frantically raised its hooves to block.
Boom!
Its hasty defence was instantly shattered by the sword’s overwhelming force.
The sword pierced through the demon’s defence, stabbing directly into its head through one eye!
The demon’s other eye widened in disbelief at Lin Yun’s sudden power.
“I deliberately let you gain the upper hand to make you think I couldn’t beat you, so you’d get careless,” Lin Yun said slowly, staring at the demon.
“Deceitful… cunning human… I… I was careless…” the demon muttered unwillingly before its life force faded completely.
Lin Yun withdrew his sword, and the massive heavenly demon collapsed onto the arena with a thud, lifeless.
In war, deception is fair play.
The demon had assumed Lin Yun was a new immortal and never expected him to be in the Second Eternal Realm. By feigning weakness, Lin Yun created an opportunity for its overconfidence.
Of course, Lin Yun could have won by fighting head-on, but it would have taken longer or required more techniques.
Since the trial was a series of stages, expending too much energy and stamina early on would leave him in poor condition for later challenges.
Li Tian, who set the record, failed at the fifth stage. Had he faced it in peak condition, he might have passed, but he had already exhausted much of his strength in earlier stages.
Lin Yun’s approach was to conserve as much energy as possible, maintaining his condition to avoid overexertion in the earlier stages.
This scene left the watching immortals in awe.
“I didn’t expect Lin Yun to deliberately feign weakness. His experience with demons is truly remarkable!”
“And this guy’s already at the Second Eternal Realm! But it makes sense. Last time he fought Cao Jun, he earned two thousand Haoyue Crystals from Emperor Xingwu and Emperor Huoyun, plus what Huoyun gave him before. It’s not surprising he reached the Second Eternal Realm.”
…
In the first three stages, Lin Yun had suppressed his cultivation to the First Eternal Realm. His sudden burst to the Second Eternal Realm surprised the crowd, though they could understand why.
“Lin Yun’s got something special,” Vice Palace Master Yao nodded in approval.
Lin Yun’s tactic seemed simple, but choosing the right strategy for different opponents was no easy feat.
“Well done,” Emperor Huoyun nodded with satisfaction.
He had previously advised Lin Yun to reach the Second Eternal Realm before the trial.
For someone like Lin Yun to face the entry trial at the Second Eternal Realm was unprecedented in the history of the Heavenly Gods Palace!
“Next is the fifth stage. If Lin Yun wins this, he’ll set a new record!”
“Now’s the moment to see who wins the bet between Huoyun and Xingwu. If Lin Yun passes this stage, Huoyun wins. If he fails, Xingwu takes the bet,” the Xiaoyao Tower master said, leaning back in his chair.
His words energized the immortals present.
“The fifth stage isn’t so easy to pass. Even the prodigious Li Tian couldn’t do it,” Emperor Xingwu said with a cold smile.
“I wonder what the fifth stage’s challenge will be.”
Many immortals were curious.
Though many present had taken the entry trial, none had reached the fifth stage.
The last person to reach it was Li Tian, long ago, so most had no idea what the fifth stage entailed.
On the arena.
“This stage determines the bet between Master and Emperor Xingwu,” Lin Yun murmured.
Xingwu wanted to win back his Haoyue Crystals, but Lin Yun wouldn’t make it easy for him!
Though unaware of the fifth stage’s nature or difficulty, Lin Yun had several techniques in reserve, giving him some confidence.
The stone gate opened again, signalling the start of the fifth stage.
Lin Yun focused and saw a refined figure step out from the gate.
“Little Sword Immortal Zhuang Song?”
Lin Yun was stunned.
Indeed, the person emerging was Zhuang Song, the immortal Lin Yun had nearly taken as his master.
Zhuang Song’s appearance elicited gasps from the crowd.
“It’s Zhuang Song!”
“The fifth stage’s difficulty is insane, pitting a newcomer against Zhuang Song!”
“Though Lin Yun’s reached the Second Eternal Realm, Zhuang Song’s swordsmanship is extraordinary. It’ll be tough for Lin Yun to win!”
…
Before Zhuang Song appeared, only Vice Palace Master Yao knew he would face Lin Yun in this stage.
“Interesting. Zhuang Song’s from Emperor Xingwu’s faction. He’ll definitely go all out to stop Lin Yun!” the Xiaoyao Tower master remarked.
“Lin Yun’s got a tough fight to pass this stage,” Empress Kunlan sighed softly, gazing at the arena.
“Perfect!”
Emperor Xingwu grinned broadly upon seeing Zhuang Song.
He quickly sent a message to Zhuang Song via his communication bracelet.
“Zhuang Song, stop Lin Yun at all costs. Don’t let him pass this stage! If you lose, you’ll be penalized with Haoyue Crystals. If you succeed, you’ll be rewarded with five hundred Haoyue Crystals!”
Emperor Xingwu pressured Zhuang Song directly.
On the arena.
Receiving the message, Zhuang Song gave a wry smile.
“Senior Zhuang Song, is this stage about defeating you?” Lin Yun asked, surprised.
“That’s right, Lin Yun. I’ve been assigned to guard this stage.”
Zhuang Song continued with a bitter smile, “Truth be told, I’ve got far more experience than you. Fighting you feels a bit like bullying, but the fifth stage’s difficulty is set this high. Since you’ve reached this stage, you must face its challenge.”
“The difficulty does seem quite high,” Lin Yun said with a wry smile.
