"That Rock Monster is going to take a real beating this time, isn't he?" one examiner chuckled.
"Mmm, young talents taking a loss isn't always a bad thing."
"Something's definitely odd this time. Fifth-level difficulty, he was out in less than half an hour. But the seventh level? Two days and he still hasn't emerged? Even in a desperate fight, it shouldn't be that grueling."
Indeed, it had been two days since
In those two days, other fighters had also begun their challenges.
But Jiang Chen, for two straight days, stubbornly hadn't come out.
Two days of continuous battle made the examiners seriously doubt whether he could actually endure it.
In reality, these past two days, Jiang Chen wasn't embroiled in the desperate struggle everyone outside imagined. Quite the opposite, his gains had been enormous.
Through his battles and sparring with the mechanical puppets, his comprehension of the "Azure Nether Seal of Life and Death" had been constantly improving, and there were faint signs of a breakthrough to the Great Perfection level.
"Between life and death, all phenomena are encompassed. This Seal of Life and Death, its mysteries of life and death—if I integrate the mysteries of the Kurong Shenquan into it, wouldn't that perfectly align with the seal's essence?"
Suddenly, a brilliant thought struck Jiang Chen.
The Kurong Shenquan was indeed a remarkable martial art. Jiang Chen had merged it with other techniques multiple times, always achieving incredible results.
When fusing it with the Ice Fire Demon Lotus, the waxing and waning mysteries of the Kurong Shenquan had played a crucial role.
When practicing the Moon-Shattering Flying Knife, he also incorporated the Kurong Shenquan. The Eagle Soar Stance and
This showed that the waxing and waning mysteries of the Kurong Shenquan truly had the miraculous power to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Every time Jiang Chen comprehended these mysteries, he gained new insights.
Now, integrating the waxing and waning mysteries into the Seal of Life and Death produced an unexpectedly wondrous effect.
"Take my seal!"
Jiang Chen opened his palm and struck out with a graceful flourish. A seal as solemn and harsh as an autumn wind smashed directly toward the mechanical puppet.
Simultaneously, his left hand drew a circle, manifesting another seal. The endless vitality of this seal and the lethal force of the right-hand seal formed a cycle of life and death.
For an instant, the two seals reinforced each other. The powerful force seemed to tap into the cycle of heaven and earth, bombarding the mechanical puppet.
Boom!
The puppet, struck head-on, crashed directly into the wall, scattering into fragments that clattered down in a heap of despair.
Jiang Chen was overjoyed. As expected, after fusing with the waxing and waning mysteries, the power of the Seal of Life and Death had instantly surpassed the Great Perfection level, breaking through the original limits of the "Azure Nether Seal of Life and Death" and reaching a legendary realm.
That strike truly felt as if it had summoned the power of heaven and earth's cycle, completely obliterating a mechanical puppet at the peak of the Third Spirit Realm!
The large doors slowly swung open.
Jiang Chen had succeeded in his second challenge!
And only three days of the examination had passed.
This meant Jiang Chen still had seven days to attempt the tenth-level difficulty. Of course, he had used two of his challenge opportunities, leaving him with only one last try.
After resting for half a day, Jiang Chen appeared once more in the Azure Nether Hall.
Since among the other worldly fighters, those who had performed outstandingly and caught the eye were still exceedingly rare, the examiners had grown somewhat bored.
As examiners, their greatest pleasure was discovering geniuses.
But so far, aside from the "Rock Monster" who kept astonishing them time and again, none of the remaining worldly fighters, though some had shown decent ability, had been truly spectacular.
Let alone competing with the Rock Monster, none could even come close.
Therefore, the bored examiners brightened considerably upon seeing Jiang Chen.
As long as the Rock Monster showed up, it meant the dull, tedious time was ending, and moments of excitement and stimulation were about to begin.
"Challenging again?" the examiner greeted him with a smile.
Jiang Chen nodded. If he wasn't here for a challenge, why else would he come to the Azure Nether Hall?
"What level of difficulty are you planning this time?" the chief examiner asked, his face full of anticipation.
During the first challenge, he had worried Jiang Chen might impulsively choose a difficulty that was too high and had even tried to dissuade him. But now, he almost seemed concerned that Jiang Chen might pick a level that was too easy.
Dozens of eyes rolled, fixed intently on Jiang Chen, filled with expectation.
Having succeeded at the seventh level, he would at least attempt the eighth.
If he could conquer the eighth level, just his combat prowess alone would be comparable to a top-tier talent within the sect. Moreover, given this young man's extraordinary aptitude, with time, he could undoubtedly surpass those sect geniuses and rank among the absolute elite.
"I'll raise the level higher this time. I intend to challenge the tenth level," Jiang Chen said.
"What?"
"The tenth level? The highest difficulty?"