Chapter 137: Chapter 137
Two hundred years ago, the Azure Origin Dao Sect had stopped ordinary disciples from setting foot into the inheritance grounds, decreeing that only the Saint and Saintess could undertake its trial.
The decision was born of necessity—too many had perished before even glimpsing the second level.
Looking upon the stone tablet, Ethan observed a pattern he hadn’t noticed earlier. Next to each name engraved in gold were numbers. Lyralei’s mark gleamed with the number eight, Seraphina’s with six. Realization struck almost instantly.
"These must represent the number of bronze figures defeated when undergoing the inheritance trial," he thought, eyes narrowing in focus.
He turned his gaze back to the battlefield before him, his Heaven-Piercing Mind Eye flashing as he examined the bronze men in greater detail.
Their faces were carved into grotesque expressions—cold yet lifeless. These weren’t demons or living creatures; they were puppets, animated by the ancient arrays buried beneath the stone floor.
Compared to the Mahayana-ranked puppet he’d seized from Bram, these constructs were mere imitations.
At most, their strength touched the late stage of Tribulation Transcendence Realm, but they lacked the instinctive agility.
Still, there were twelve of them, and the subtle formation array linking their movements was undeniably formidable.
"You all come at once," Ethan said evenly, putting his hands behind his back.
The crystal eyes of the bronze men flickered with golden sparks—as if insulted. Slowly, they began to move, the sound of grinding gears echoing like thunder throughout the inheritance chamber.
Seeing this, Ethan’s aura flared skyward. His blood surged through his veins like molten fire as crimson and azure radiance shimmered around him. But just before he unleashed his strength fully, a pulse of pressure rippled from the bronze army.
Their power rose to meet his—matching him blow for blow.
He sensed the intelligent array binding them, adapting in real time. When his strength increased, theirs followed.
"So," Ethan mused, suppressing his essence again. "Their strength scales with the challenger’s power. It’s a mirror test."
As he reined in his energy, the bronze men’s light dimmed slightly, stabilizing at early-stage Tribulation Transcendence Realm.
"Understood... then let’s finish this quickly."
He clenched his fist, drawing forth an eruption of blood essence. Crimson light swirled, compressing into his knuckles until they glowed like molten iron.
Without another word, Ethan moved.
Bang—!
A single step shattered the air, leaving only a blur where he had stood. The nearest bronze man reacted with uncanny speed, swinging its heavy fist to meet his strike.
But the exchange was one-sided.
Ethan’s punch crashed forward, overwhelming its defense instantly. The bronze puppet was flung from the platform, its metal carapace denting deeply before skidding lifelessly to the edge.
If Seraphina were to witness this, she would have crumbled out of sheer disbelief.
The one she had barely defeated after many dozens of bruising exchanges? Ethan had obliterated it with a single blow.
He advanced.
The second bronze puppet lunged toward him—but Ethan’s form flickered like a phantom tiger, swift and merciless. His blows landed in rhythmic bursts, each one laced with water and fire essence, shaking the air with the heat of a volcanic storm.
In seconds, the training ground became a storm of noise and motion.
Boom!
Crash!
Crack!
Each strike reduced the bronze soldiers to heaps of twisted limbs and shattered cores. The energy swirling within Ethan’s body burst outward in dazzling waves—pure, unrestrained might.
The last bronze puppet fell, its crystal eyes fading to dull amber.
Silence descended again.
Only Ethan stood untouched on the platform.
He exhaled slowly, dust rising in spirals around him. "And yet..." his brow furrowed. "No reaction from the tablet?"
He turned, expecting his name to be etched among the golden list of victors—but the stone remained unchanged.
"What’s this? They’ve already lost all function. Why haven’t I cleared the level?"
Then came a deep rumble beneath the platform.
Ethan froze, faintly intrigued.
The fallen bronze men began to twitch unnaturally. Their bodies distorted, arms folding into new configurations, thighs merging with torsos as the broken fragments hovered in midair.
Before his eyes, their remains formed a single, colossal frame.
The air grew still, heavy with anticipation.
In seconds, the fragments had merged into a towering puppet of pure bronze, its body easily spanning three meters in height—its shape radiating monstrous power.
Ethan’s Heaven-Piercing Mind Eye activated again, perceiving the flow of spiritual energy within the giant.
Its heart glowed—within it, ten top-grade spiritual stones nestled perfectly, channeling energy into the array that held its form.
"This... it’s consolidating the cores of the twelve into one composite construct."
A grin tugged at the corner of his lips. "Did I just unlock a hidden round?"
The puppet rumbled to life. Its immense crystal eyes blazed with violet flame, radiating tribulation-level power.
"If this thing ran on spiritual crystals instead of stones, it could easily breach Mahayana-level strength."
Lucky for him, only a third of its stored energy remained. It would run hot for five minutes—maybe less—but its efficiency was monstrous.
"This trial truly doesn’t lack creativity."
The ground quaked as the bronze giant took its first step, each footfall like thunder. Energy rippled outward, tearing through the air itself.
"Not bad." Ethan rolled his shoulders, fire glimmering in his eyes. "Let’s see how long you can last."
He pressed his palms together, voice commanding the heavens.
"The Law of Heaven mirrors the Earth!"
A radiant light enveloped his body as it expanded, growing larger and larger until Ethan matched the colossal puppet in size.
"I’ll grow too," he said with a faint grin, lightning crackling in his eyes. "Let’s make this fun."
Their gazes locked—two titans standing amidst ruin.
Ethan’s blood surged with combat desire. He clenched his fists tight, every muscle trembling with condensed energy.
"Come!"
The bronze titan lunged first, massive arms swinging forward with terrifying speed.
Bang!
Their fists collided, producing a shockwave that tore through the canyon, flattening the surrounding rock forest and gouging fissures dozens of meters deep.
The force of their clash caused the stone platform beneath them to crack—spiderweb lines spreading like frantic lightning strikes.
The puppet somersaulted backward, its right leg sweeping through the air with a shriek of friction that left sonic booms crackling behind. Ethan met it head-on, their blows echoing like divine drums.
Every collision produced a storm of energy, their sheer power distorting the very air.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
The platform beneath their feet began to give way, unable to sustain two bodies warring at this magnitude.
Then—
Bang!
Ethan’s fist struck the puppet’s chest, sending sparks flying. Its arms rose in instinct to guard, but his follow-up attack was merciless.
Three consecutive blows hammered into its upper torso.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The bronze giant staggered, gears screeching as its joint mechanisms sparked violently.
Seizing the opportunity, Ethan roared, his essence blazing.
Ethan used the Black Mist hand, forming the shape of a demonic hand that dwarfed the puppet.
With a sweep, it descended like a meteor from the heavens.
"Break!"
Boom!
The blow landed squarely. The puppet slammed into the ground below, shaking the inheritance cavern from wall to ceiling.
Ethan stood above, towering at full height, his body bathed in golden and red light. Sweat glistened faintly, not from exhaustion—but exhilaration.
"Enjoyable," Ethan muttered, his grin widening, eyes gleaming with battle haze. "This kind of full-body fight... nothing compares."
The excitement coursed through him like roaring thunder, every cell in his body singing with raw life.
He hadn’t faced such a powerful, relentless opponent since reaching the Divine Fire Realm.
And yet, this puppet—unfeeling, unyielding—fueled his joy.
His heart pounded violently. Flames licked his veins.
"Again!"
He raised his massive fist once more.
"Come again!" Ethan shouted.
A/N:
Extra Chapters
100 power stones - 1 Extra Chapters
200 power stones - 2 Extra Chapters
Capsule - 1 Extra Chapters
Massage Chair - 3 Extra Chapters
Luxury Car - 5 Extra Chapters
Magic Castle - 15 Extra Chapters
....
Sorry for the slow updates, I will be doing a mass release on Sunday.