27 Chapter 27: Demon Li Gang
On the day of Test
Everyone from all the factions are gathered here again. Jiang Wushuang looked at everyone and nodded.
"Since everyone is here. Then let us start the third test. You can see here, hundreds of small buildings are present. All you have to do is enter these and battle the puppets. The number of puppets you defeat would be your score. Remember that, each puppet is of same cultivation level as yours, but they don't have any Secret Techniques and Spiritual Imprint to back them up. Take these talisman and enter the buildings. If you feel that you could no longer continue, then break these talisman. If you overestimate yourself and don't come out, then you might even die."
Hearing that, everyone was stunned and they finally became serious.
Long Yifan murmured. "This time, I would definitely win. I won't let those lowborn surpass me."
Soon, everyone entered the buildings and started fighting. But, not long after, the elimination began.
After all, fighting someone of similar cultivation is not easy. Most of them were able to defeat one, but when they fought with two, they started feeling difficulties.
After one hour, 80% of them were eliminated.
Li Yuxong's fight
He is currently fighting 8 puppets at the same time. Using Sword Step and Sword Slash, he is effectively able to dodge and attack them. But, instead of getting any advantage, he is continuously being suppressed.
But, he continued his fight. Finally, he awakened his Spiritual Imprint.
"Poplar Resilience"
His veins turned green, and a tree shaped mark appeared on top of his forehead. As soon as this Spiritual Imprint was used, his temperament changed. His soul has increased to Grade 5 peak, and so does his Spiritual Imprint.
All his exhaustion swept away, and he started attacking even strongly. Soon, he suppressed and destroyed all of them.
Next, He immediately went to next stage. What greeted him were 16 puppets. Without waiting, he attacked immediately, but this time, he faced much more difficulty. His wounds increased and healed, and he was continuously being suppressed.
Soon, he slashed one of the puppet, but, the pressure didn't reduce a bit. 'I can't go on like this!'
He immediately took back 'Poplar Resilience' and shouted. "Spiritual Imprint: Warp Walker"
As soon this appeared, a dark shadow covered his various parts of body, like dark tattoos engraved within it, with various peculiar shapes.
Warp Walker allows him to gain slight control of Space, and use it to travel through it.
Like shadows, he appeared and disappeared instantly, killing various puppets instantly. But he felt his Spiritual Essence is reduced by 90%!
He sighed. "It seems I have to keep the talisman in hand during the next fight."
In the next stage, 32 Puppets appeared.
This time, he again used the Warp Walker, and destroyed 5 of them, before using the talisman to come out.
While all these were going on, something strange happened in Tang Liuyue's fight.
Tang Liuyue was fighting 8 puppets.
But, as soon as she awakened her Spiritual Imprint, her body became paralysed. She could no longer move, and could only watch as the puppets surrounded her.
She wanted to scream, but no voice came out. She died miserably, but there was no one to pity her.
Wang Xueyao's battle
She is currently fighting with 64 puppets at the same time, and a mysterious mark was present on her forehead, and but, she was struggling to keep up with her consumption. After destroying all of the puppets, her Spiritual Essence nearly exhausted.
She sighed. 'If only I possessed lower grade Secret Techniques. But, it should be enough to get to the top.'
It's not that Wang family doesn't have Secret Techniques, but her attributes are special, and those Secret Techniques are completely incompatible. She came out and immediately looked at the list.
What shocked her was that she was not at the top position. And there is one building, which is still lit up, indicating one person is still fighting.
The current list:
1. Huang Ling (140 puppets)
2. Wang Xueyao (127 puppets)
3. Huang Weimin (46 puppets)
4. Long Yifan (41 puppets)
5. Li Yuxong (36 puppets)
6. Han Li (28 puppets)
...
At that moment, Xu Zhi suddenly shouted. "Why is Lady Tang Liuyue's name disappeared?"
Jiang Wushuang said deeply. "I warned you beforehand, that don't overestimate yourself. Disappearance of a name means her death."
"What?" Xu Zhi's face turned ugly. 'How could this happened? How could she commit such a big mistake?'
Wang Xueyao's eyes narrowed. 'I know her well, she wouldn't commit such mistakes.'
She couldn't even ask about it or it would be asking for troubles.
'It doesn't matter. I have already achieved my goal. Even though there were some unexpected situations.' She said inwardly as she looked at Huang Ling with her deep eyes.
At this time, the light of the last building dimmed and a person, hidden under a hooded scarf came out. His whole body was covered in scars. Wang Xueyao glanced at him, and then ignored him.
But, when she looked at the final score, her face changed.
1. Ren Ying (255 puppets)
2. Huang Ling (140 puppets)
3. Wang Xueyao (127 puppets)
4. Huang Weimin (46 puppets)
5. Long Yifan (41 puppets)
6. Li Yuxong (36 puppets)
7. Han Li (28 puppets)
...
She subconsciously glanced back at the man, who took out his scarf slowly and looked at her with a meaningful smile.
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Few days ago
Li Gang in Ren Ying's disguise visited Huang Ling. "What are you doing here Sister in law?"
Huang Ling glanced back and responded with irritation. "Ren Ying. What do you want now?"
Li Gang looked at her and said deeply. "I want your help."
Huang Ling asked with a deep voice. "Do you want to coerce me again?"
Li Gang denied. "No, this time it's a genuine help. You can reject me if you want. If my life wasn't in danger, I wouldn't have come. Also, you wouldn't deny your husband's elder brother's request, do you?"
Huang Ling asked suspiciously. "What do you mean?"
Li Gang immediately removed his disguise, completely catching Huang Ling off guard.
"You, you are Li Gang, Yuxong's elder brother?!"
"Correct." Li Gang replied with a smile.
Huang Ling said angrily. "You didn't even spare your own younger brother and poisoned him, and now you dare to ask my help?"
Li Gang looked indifferent to her accuses and still replied with smile. "If I had wanted to harm him, he wouldn't be so well and good. Why do you think I always stayed with you those two years when he was poisoned?"
Huang Ling said sarcastically. "Isn't it for those benefits?"
Li Gang didn't answer and changed the topic. "Wang Xueyao would make her move soon. I am the only one who can keep a check on her. If I am no longer present, her next target would be Li Yuxong."
Huang Ling finally turned serious. Li Gang passed by her, giving his back open to her. But, his eyes were deep and there was a smile on his face.
'Finally caught you!'
He said. "Wang Xueyao is Rank 6 Warrior just like you. I entered with her and stayed alongside with her for 5 years. I know her too well. She has already controlled Moonlight Sect, possibly after I stopped my contact with them."
"Tang Liuyue has also defected towards her, and everything she is doing, getting close to me is most likely her acting."
"I am not sure though, but just as a precautionary measure, I want you to help me this one time."
Huang Ling puzzled. "How did you know Tang Liuyue betrayed you?"
Li Gang eyes softened when he thought of her. "I don't know. Or rather, I don't want to believe it. But, I will never let my survival depend on some gamble over emotional beliefs. In fact, I know for 90% sure that she would never betray me. But that day..."
"I asked her why she kept asking me why I am late, and when I will arrive. This is not like her."
"In fact it was all bluff. She would still ask me such questions without anyone's intervention. But, when I asked her, she subconsciously glanced at my shoulder, instead of keeping the eye contact."
"Which means, she was surprised at my question and started panicking inside. Also, when I was with you, I had already thought what could be the worst possible situation for me. And the person who came to my mind was Wang Xueyao."
"I still believe she has not defected, but it's better to be safe than sorry."
Huang Ling looked at him and said. "I would only help you this time."
Li Gang nodded.
"I have already explored this area. All you have to do is stop Wang Xueyao from making her move. Tang Liuyue is most likely going to take me to that cliff few miles in the right side of that lake. If I were to think of her perspective, this is the most safe place, where no one comes."
"You will secretly follow us, and if it is the same place, then you don't have to fight her. Just secretly leave your Whirlwind Eagle and ask it to catch me when I am falling. And, if Wang Xueyao tries to ensure my death, then stop her from attacking at the last moment."
"If it is different place, then you just take a stubborn appearance of defending me till the end. She won't fight you, I can guarantee that."
Huang Ling nodded. "This will be the only time I will help you. Don't expect it again."
Li Gang suddenly asked. "Do you have Vitality pills?" Huang Ling was caught off guard at his sudden change in topic, but she replied. "I do have, but only few are left, and I can't give it to you."
Li Gang looked at her and didn't say anything more. 'It's good that I prepared it in advance!'
In fact, few hours before, during Ladder test, he saw Jiang Wushuang providing Vitality pill to an injured person. So, he also surpassed his limits and got himself injured.
When Jiang Wushuang put the Vitality pill into his mouth, he silently took it out and kept it. He was capable of healing that kind of injury, though it would take 2-3 days. But, when he gets injured later on, he would need high level pill for recovery.
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Current Time
Li Yuxong looked at Ren Ying and felt mixed emotion. 'Big brother, so you are fine.'
Huang Ling was surprised, she had expected this situation, but she never thought he had so high battle strength!
Wang Xueyao looked at Huang Ling deeply and retracted her gaze. She murmured inwardly. 'This is why I wanted to eliminate him now. 'Wanderers' have abnormally high compatibility with all the elements. They don't possess Spiritual Imprint, so their mastery over Secret Techniques increases their battle strength no less compared to Spiritual Imprints. It's just even I didn't expect him to have so high battle strength. This can no longer be considered a genius even among Wanderers!'
The crowd also went into commotion.
"255 puppets? How is that possible?"
"Even destroying 4-5 was so difficult, how did he achieve so many?"
"What sort of genius is he?"
"Genius? He can no longer be considered as a genius, he is a demon!"
"This is completely crushing all those geniuses!"
Long Yifan's face turned ugly. "This b*stard has so high battle strength!"
