"Ha ha ha…" High above the island, all the powerful figures burst into laughter.
Desli cursed with a smile: "Fain, that Adamantium Golem 'Ruyi' possessed a Life Source Pearl. He thought you could only wound him at best. Of course he didn't care — he never expected that your ultimate move as a Saint-level warrior would surpass Forbidden Magic in power."
"So the poor fellow just died like that." Tulilei laughed as well.
All the powerful figures were deeply pleased. With the Adamantium Golem dead, they could enter the tenth level with ease. The tenth level certainly shouldn't be too dangerous — once they dealt with the creatures within, they could calmly prepare and step into the eleventh level.
If they succeeded, the divine spark would be theirs!
"With this Life Source Pearl, our chances in the eleventh level are a bit better." Fain gazed at the Life Source Pearl in his hand with great delight, then immediately let a drop of fresh blood fall onto it. The pearl absorbed the blood like a sponge, then fused directly into Fain's body.
Sensing the surging vitality within him, Fain was brimming with confidence.
"Shall we rest first? Or head straight to the tenth level?" Desli looked around and asked.
"No need to rest. After the fight with that Adamantium Golem, only Fain took any real injuries," Tulilei said with a grin.
Everyone looked at Fain. Fain laughed heartily: "My body was fairly damaged a moment ago, but I'm in excellent shape now. Let's go — it's only the tenth level. Nothing to worry about."
In truth, Fain's condition was not at its peak.
Although the Life Source Pearl had fully restored his body, the use of 'Heavenly Lightning Dragon Descent' had consumed a massive amount of Mental Power, and the Life Source Pearl could not recover that.
But Fain didn't much care — after all, what awaited them was only the tenth level.
Before entering, everyone carefully searched the surrounding area for any divine artifacts that might have appeared. The results were clear: conquering the ninth level had yielded only that Life Source Pearl. For Saint-level powerhouses, the value of a Life Source Pearl truly did surpass that of an ordinary divine artifact.
The tenth level of the Tomb of the Gods. Eleven powerful figures materialized in midair.
"The scenery is quite nice," Lin Lei said, smiling as he looked around.
"Once we deal with the creatures in the tenth level, we rest here, prepare properly. Whether we can obtain the divine spark will depend entirely on how we perform in the eleventh level," Desli said with a chuckle.
The group of powerhouses surveyed their surroundings.
It was a beautiful grassland — an endless expanse of green stretching to the horizon, with the occasional large patch of wildflowers blooming here and there. The fresh, clean air put everyone at ease.
"Where are the creatures of the tenth level?" Rosali was also scanning carefully.
"Don't bother looking," one of the six-eyed golden beasts said. "Let's go straight to finding the passage entrance to the eleventh level. The creature may well be right there. Once we find the entrance and take care of it, everyone can rest and prepare for the final push. Success or failure — it all comes down to this last attempt."
Everyone nodded and began searching carefully across the vast grassland.
The terrain was not entirely flat.
Looking out, the grassland actually rolled in gentle undulations. If some terrifying creature or a hidden passage lay concealed in one of the depressions, you truly wouldn't spot it without flying close.
"Look!" Bei Bei, soaring at the very front, called out in surprise. "There's a stone pillar up ahead — and below it, what looks like a passage entrance!"
The eleven powerhouses immediately flew over.
The pillar was roughly three meters in diameter and nearly twenty meters tall. It looked ancient, its age impossible to reckon. Deep, arcane carvings traced across its surface. At the base lay the passage entrance, and from outside one could see a section of staircase within, shimmering with a dark, black glow.
"This is it." All eleven felt a weight settle in their chests.
Up this passage lay the eleventh level, where the divine spark awaited.
*Ssshhhkk—*
Without warning, a streak of light burst from beneath the grassland and shot straight toward Fain, the closest target. None of the eleven powerhouses had ever relaxed their vigilance. The instant they saw the light lancing toward them, everyone understood: the creature of the tenth level had finally revealed itself.
"Hmph." When the streak was only meters from Fain, he immediately transformed into a bolt of lightning and retreated.
Fain's speed was such that among the eleven, only Desli and Bei Bei could rival him.
But—
*Clang.*
Steel met steel.
Fain was sent hurtling through the air, tumbling before landing with a flip. His face went deathly pale, and a thin line of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. However, the Life Source Pearl inside him immediately took effect, and his body was restored to peak condition in a flash.
"What is that thing?" Lin Lei and the others rushed to Fain's side.
The eleven powerhouses stared at the creature that had appeared before them.
Its entire body could nearly reflect the surrounding scenery — it was composed entirely of metal. But this metal resembled steel forged a hundred times over, reflecting its surroundings like a keen blade, like a mirror — only slightly more blurred.
It had a humanoid form, standing two meters tall, every inch of it metal.
A blade-like horn protruded from its forehead. Blades jutted from its shoulders as well. Its arms and legs were essentially long sabers — the front and back edges of its arms both bore razor-sharp cutting surfaces. Without question, whether this creature swung an arm or a leg, it was tantamount to swinging a great saber. Even its fingers were sharp blades.
And on its back, it carried an actual long saber.
"The whole thing's made of blades — legs are blades, hands are blades, arms are blades, head's got a blade, and it's even got one on its back!" Bei Bei exclaimed in amazement.
"Practically a living weapon," Tulilei agreed.
Fain said in a low voice: "Everyone be careful. This blade-covered monster is incredibly fast — it matches my speed completely. And that single slash carried enough force to seriously wound any of us. Lin Lei, even your defense probably couldn't withstand it."
Everyone understood.
Fain's strength was formidable, yet he had still been sent flying by a single strike, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.