Eternal Heavenly Emperor

Chu Hao finally reached the end of the first layer.

"Hm?"

He suddenly stopped. A young man was approaching, with a saber hung at his waist, and his right hand resting on the hilt, exuding a sharp and formidable aura.

Wu Shitong!

"Chu Hao, was it you who passed through 100 trials?" Wu Shitong suddenly asked, his eyes bursting with an astonishing battle intent.

Chu Hao hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yes, it was me!"

Since he was the only one who took such a long time to pass the trials, it would be hard to deny it.

Wu Shitong had already been ninety-nine percent certain, so Chu Hao's answer did not surprise him. His battle intent burned even more fiercely, and his right hand gripped the hilt tightly, making his fingers turn pale.

A piercing metallic scraping sound echoed as Wu Shitong slowly drew his saber.

The more the saber was drawn, the stronger his momentum became, as if he himself was an unparalleled sharp blade now emitting a brilliant light.

"A battle!" Wu Shitong said in a deep voice, his tone as sharp and piercing as metal scraping.

Chu Hao was about to accept the challenge but waved his hand, saying, "Someone's coming!"

Wu Shitong was first stunned, then his ears twitched slightly as he, too, heard movement. His heart couldn't help but tighten; at least in terms of hearing, he had lost to Chu Hao.

Don't underestimate this small point. In a duel between experts, any tiny advantage could determine the final victory.

A figure flew over like a fairy.

It was Qin Yulian.

"So, it's Brother Chu and Brother Wu!" Qin Yulian smiled slightly at both of them. Since they were all from Tianhe County, they naturally felt a bit closer.

"Miss Qin!" Chu Hao also smiled.

Wu Shitong did not smile, but he nodded. After all, Qin Yulian was a stunning beauty, and even if he had no interest in her, it was hard to treat her coldly.

"Brother Wu, listen to me: you and Brother Chu can have your duel after we leave the Ancient Training Ground. We don't know how often this underground area opens, and who knows what greater opportunities might lie ahead? So let's not waste time!" Qin Yulian advised.

Wu Shitong slowly sheathed his saber with a piercing sound. He nodded and said to Chu Hao, "I also need some time to digest the benefits I've gained in the tower. After we leave, I'll come to Yunliu Sect for our duel!"

Chu Hao naturally had no fear and said with a smile, "But I may not be at Yunliu Sect."

He planned to travel the world, aiming to break through to War General level within the next three years, neutralize the Ten Insect Powder within him, then sweep through Yunliu Sect and grant freedom to all Lower World disciples.

Wu Shitong knew Chu Hao wasn't afraid of the duel. He thought for a moment and said, "I have a feeling that as long as I defeat you, I can become the strongest Blademaster in history!"

Chu Hao was surprised. Although his opponent wanted to defeat him, he also gave him the highest evaluation—beating him to become the strongest Blademaster ever was the highest compliment.

Chu Hao solemnly said, "If I meet you again, Brother Wu, I will go all out!"

His opponent didn't need his flattery, only a full-fledged battle.

Wu Shitong smiled but said nothing more.

"Shall we go in?" Qin Yulian smiled, pointing to the door in front of them.

"I'll do it!" Chu Hao stepped forward. It was a task for men, and he had the courtesy.

Qin Yulian smiled, not contesting with Chu Hao, and took a step back.

Chu Hao placed his hands on the door and pushed hard. The door slowly opened with a creaking sound, dust falling and getting into his nose, making him want to sneeze.

It took at least five or six seconds before the door was fully opened.

Inside was a grand hall, very large but strangely furnished.

In the center of the hall was a huge balance scale, so high that it was impossible to see what was on the trays. The arms of the balance were about three meters long, and the entire balance was silver-white and very beautiful.

Within a hundred meters of the balance, the ground was black, different from other areas, making the balance and the ground stand out and catch the eye.

Around the hall were many smaller scales, but they were much smaller, and their trays were empty.

The three of them jumped up to a higher vantage point and looked down. They saw that on the large balance, both trays had something on them—the left tray held a small golden weight, and the right tray held a book.

"Crescent Slash!"

All three said simultaneously—the words were written on the cover of the book.

"It should be a Martial Technique."

"Any Martial Technique found here wouldn't be of low rank!"

"But, could it be so easily obtained?"

All three were skeptical. Things here required strength to exchange for, could they just walk over and take it?

Chu Hao thought for a moment, took out a small piece of Star Stone from his Mustard Seed Ring, and with a flick of his right hand, the Star Stone flew over and hit the tray holding the "Crescent Slash."

With his mighty strength, the collision immediately sent the book flying off the tray, falling to the ground.

However, the balance lost its equilibrium and tilted to the other side. As soon as it moved, countless black threads shot out from the ground and turned the Star Stone into countless fragments with a snap.

Terrifying!

Chu Hao, Qin Yulian, and Wu Shitong were all shocked. Before the energy in the Star Stone was drained, its hardness was terrifyingly strong, yet those threads could instantly shred it to pieces. If those threads touched their bodies, no matter how strong their defense techniques were, it would be like cutting through tofu.

Not even the Eight Meridians Martial Sect could withstand it.

What surprised them was that the "Crescent Slash" book was unharmed and was gently drawn back to the tray by a mysterious force, restoring the balance.

Apart from the shredded Star Stone, it was as if nothing had happened.

"This can't be a dead end, otherwise there's no point!" Chu Hao said first.

Qin Yulian nodded. "So, there must be a way!"

"Since it's a balance, it must be about equilibrium!" Wu Shitong directly got to the point.

"In other words, if we can take both items simultaneously and keep the balance steady, the mechanism won't trigger!" Chu Hao continued.

Qin Yulian also tossed a Star Stone, but this time she threw it into the black area. As soon as the Star Stone landed, black threads shot out again, instantly cutting it into fragments.

"The black area is untouchable!" She pointed to the ground. "But the safe zone is too far from the balance. It's impossible for two people to grab both items simultaneously and fly to the other side."

Chu Hao nodded and said, "Two people have to land on the trays at the same time without any delay. Plus, their weights must be exactly the same, or the balance will still be off."

The three of them looked at each other in dismay. This required extreme coordination, or both of them would die.

Although they were all Heaven Talented of the world, geniuses among geniuses, they had never cooperated before. Could they possibly achieve such precise coordination?

This was playing with their lives!

Chu Hao took a deep breath and said, "I have some proficiency in lightness skills; I am confident I can coordinate with another person."

Qin Yulian and Wu Shitong were both surprised and looked at Chu Hao. This was not a time for empty boasts—one mistake wouldn't just cost someone else their life; Chu Hao's life would be at stake too. Qin Yulian asked, "Brother Chu, are you sure?"

Chu Hao relaxed and smiled, saying, "Of course!" His Sky Stepping Technique had already reached the Third Layer Realm, enabling him to pause in the air and even reverse direction, providing a huge buffer time.

"Then the other person will be me!" Qin Yulian said.

Wu Shitong frowned. The task of getting the "Crescent Slash" only required two people, meaning there was no work for him. How could he ask for a share later? He wasn't the kind of person to take without working for it.

"Brother Wu, guard the door and don't let anyone interfere!" Chu Hao saw the expression on Wu Shitong's face and smiled.

Wu Shitong hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright, as long as I'm alive, no one will get in!"

"Miss Qin, you must be much lighter than me?" Chu Hao looked at Qin Yulian. Since they had to stay on the balance for a while and then borrow its force to leave, their weights couldn't differ at all.

Qin Yulian blushed slightly. Being asked about her weight was too personal, but it was necessary. She pointed around to the scales and said, "These must be for weighing us."

Chu Hao nodded. The trial ground was designed with solutions in mind, never offering a dead end.

The two of them stepped onto one of the scales, and it was clear that Chu Hao was much heavier, causing the scale to tip.

Qin Yulian took out Star Stones from her Mustard Seed Ring, one, two, three, until her side of the scale leveled out. Moreover, the area had a natural Star Stone shredder, allowing for fine adjustments so both of them could match their weights precisely.

Soon, their weights matched perfectly.

Chu Hao and Qin Yulian practiced together on the smaller scales, making sure not to make a single mistake because even the smallest error could be fatal.

After a few minutes, they stood at opposite ends of the largest scale.

Wu Shitong stood guard at the door, his right hand on the saber hilt, expressionless.

"One, two, three!"

Chu Hao was the first to jump. This wasn't a mistake because his Space-Condensing and Reverse Sky abilities allowed him to adjust mid-air.

Qin Yulian jumped immediately after him. They were so fast that they reached the balance in the blink of an eye.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Chu Hao's feet tapped in quick succession. His strong derivation ability allowed him to constantly adjust according to Qin Yulian's speed.

Buzz! Buzz!

Both of them landed like feathers, gathering Star Force to make themselves as light as possible.

In the distance, Wu Shitong couldn't help but break into a cold sweat. This was even more nerve-wracking than if he were participating himself. His right hand gripped the hilt so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

The balance remained perfectly still.