Soul Emperor Martial God

Inside the Mysterious Space.

Xiao Yi was fiercely battling the Ice Puppet.

But he was constantly at a disadvantage.

In a fight of equal realms and strength,

Xiao Yi had always been unbeatable, always crushing others.

Yet this time, his physical strength had soared to the Earth Origin Eighth Layer.

His strength was three layers higher than the puppet, which only possessed the strength of Earth Origin Fifth Layer.

Ironically, he found himself being crushed instead.

An Earth Origin Eighth Layer being crushed by an Earth Origin Fifth Layer?

It was indeed somewhat baffling.

Ultimately, it was because the extreme cold ice of the puppet was too formidable.

Its mastery of Sword Dao was terrifying.

Bang... Bang... Bang...

Xiao Yi was repeatedly knocked back.

Hideous bloodstains crisscrossed his chest.

"Wandering Cloud Kill Step."

Left with no choice, Xiao Yi resorted to using the recently mastered "Wandering Cloud Kill Step."

His footsteps shifted mysteriously.

He thrust his sword at the Ice Puppet.

Clang!

The Ice Puppet parried with its sword.

However, this time Xiao Yi did not give the Ice Puppet a chance to counterattack.

When one sword strike failed, Xiao Yi immediately retreated.

Then, Xiao Yi sought another opportunity to attack.

Clang!

Blocked again, he retreated once more.

Wandering Cloud Kill Step, One Step One Kill.

The essence lay in that single sword strike.

Between one sword stroke and the next, there was a minute gap.

Xiao Yi could not afford to let the Ice Puppet exploit these gaps.

Suddenly, the fight became a stalemate.

Xiao Yi and the Ice Puppet were evenly matched.

Yet, he felt no joy whatsoever.

At that moment, only deep surprise and a sense of defeat lingered in his heart.

Yes, a sense of defeat.

The Ice Puppet had only the strength of Earth Origin Fifth Layer.

While he, with Earth Origin Eighth Layer physical strength, wielded the Top-grade Spiritual Artifact, Blood Slaughter Sword.

Along with the Peak Earth-Rank step technique Wandering Cloud Kill Step.

Plus Sword momentum.

And the exquisite swordsmanship of the Overbearing Sword.

Even with all these boosts, he was only at a stalemate.

And his opponent's strength was much lower than his.

How could he not feel defeated?

"Which Sword Sect Elder's knowledge has been imprinted on this Ice Puppet?"

"It's so formidable."

Xiao Yi questioned himself, with his current strength enhanced multiple times,

He could easily kill those at Earth Origin Ninth Layer.

And even stand a chance against those at Heavenly Origin First Layer.

No wonder the second level's hardest trial is difficult even for those at the Heavenly Realm.

Time ticked by, second by second.

Xiao Yi could not inflict even a scratch on the Ice Puppet's body.

Several hours later.

Xiao Yi became anxious and frustrated.

Although the fight was at a standstill,

The Ice Puppet would never tire.

But his Asura Power was gradually depleting.

Once the Asura Power was exhausted, his physical strength would fall back to Earth Origin Fifth Layer.

He would undoubtedly lose.

If this continued, he had only one option left.

That was to use his other trump cards, like the Ice Phoenix Sword, Purple Flame, Ten Realms Annihilation Fire, Boundary Shattering Fist.

But, he did not want to use these trump cards.

To be precise, he dared not use them.

After all, he had just joined the Sky-Splitting Sword Sect and was unfamiliar with the situation here.

If these trump cards were exposed and discovered, he would be in significant trouble.

As for physical strength, as it was not outwardly evident, it likely wouldn't be recognized.

Amid this anxiety, frustration, and deep sense of defeat,

Another hour passed.

At that moment, Xiao Yi's eyes suddenly lit up.

It seemed something had excited him.

"My Sword Dao level is actually improving," Xiao Yi thought with joy.

He distinctly felt that the Sword Dao knowledge of the Sky-Splitting Sword Demon, which he had only truly mastered thirty percent of before,

Had now reached forty percent.

Xiao Yi then realized,

Throughout these hours of fighting the Ice Puppet,

Pairing the Wandering Cloud Kill Step with each sword strike being an Overbearing Sword,

Countless sword swings, countless pressures on his potential to perform the Overbearing Sword at the highest level,

His Overbearing Sword was also continuously integrating and improving.

He had long comprehended the Sword Dao knowledge of the Sky-Splitting Sword Demon.

What was lacking was truly making it his own, truly achieving full control.

Simultaneously, his Martial Arts bottleneck was also continuously rising.

"This battle, regardless of winning or losing, just the elevation of my Sword Dao level alone is the greatest gain,"

Xiao Yi optimistically thought to himself, his fighting spirit greatly renewed.

...

Inside the Mysterious Space, Xiao Yi was locked in fierce combat with the Ice Puppet.

In the second level of the Sword Pavilion,

Meteor Sword Master, Fierce Tiger Sword Master, Jie Mo and Zhong Wuyou were waiting anxiously.

Suddenly, a figure appeared out of nowhere.

It was the Sword Sect's Great Elder, who had swiftly come after sensing the aura of the Sword Master Tokens.

Seeing the Great Elder arriving,

They quickly informed him of the situations concerning Xiao Yi and the Wanshan Sword Master.

The Sword Sect Great Elder immediately frowned and stepped forward to examine the small light ball.

"Is it this light ball?" the Great Elder asked.

"Um," several people nodded.

Great Elder's expression changed, and then he sighed.

"The trial path of the Northern Mountain Sword Master has ended."

"This is the most challenging Light Ball on the second level, unmatched."

"Even someone in the Heavenly Origin Realm First Layer couldn't pass."

Upon hearing this, the people said, "This matter is Wanshan Sword Master's fault, can we..."

"No," Great Elder interrupted, "Rules are rules."

"However, the Northern Mountain Sword Master won't be in danger inside."

"The Sword Master Token will keep him safe and send him outside the loft."

With that, the Great Elder looked toward the four people.

"Let's go, I'll take you back to the first level to continue the trials."

With a wave of the Great Elder's hands and a flash of light, everyone had left the second level.

...

Inside the Mysterious Space.

Xiao Yi was still fiercely fighting the Ice Puppet.

A day had passed already.

The Asura Power within Xiao Yi was continuously being depleted.

Yet, his level of mastery in Sword Dao was also continuously improving.

He had now mastered 50% of the Sky-splitting Sword Demon's Sword Dao Knowledge.

At this moment, Xiao Yi felt even more astonished.

Facing the sword technique of the Ice Puppet.

He found he still couldn't understand it, still couldn't see through it.

Xiao Yi couldn't imagine which Sword Sect Elder from the Sky-splitting Sword Sect possessed such superior mastery in Sword Dao.

The Sky-splitting Sword Demon, as the Supreme Strong of the Earth Extreme Realm.

His 50% Sword Dao Knowledge was already of an extremely high standard.

Xiao Yi shook his head, couldn't figure it out, and didn't wish to ponder further.

Wandering Cloud Kill Step, One Step One Kill.

He continued to swing his sword, clashing with the Ice Puppet.

...

Time moved to the next day.

Today was the last day for all the disciples undergoing trials.

As the sunset in the outside world.

All the Sword Masters and disciples gradually left the Sword Pavilion.

The Sword Sect Great Elder, looking at the crowd in front of him, suddenly furrowed his brow.

"Hm? How come one is missing?" the Great Elder asked.

"Northern Mountain Sword Master hasn't come out yet," Jie Mo and others said.

"He hasn't come out yet?" the Great Elder looked puzzled.

"Haha," the Wanshan Sword Master laughed, "He hasn't come out for so long; he probably died in there."

"Wanshan Sword Master, do you need to be dealt with?" Zhong Wuyou sternly glared at him.

"This loser has come out, and you think the Heavenly Talent of Northern Mountain County wouldn't?"

"Hmph," the Wanshan Sword Master snorted coldly.

With the Sword Sect Great Elder present, he wasn't afraid of Zhong Wuyou making a move.

"It's been more than two days now; if he isn't dead, he should have come out already," the Wanshan Sword Master sneered.

"Unless he was confident he could handle that trial."

"But that's impossible."

"I guess he overestimated himself and chose to take on the toughest trial."

"Only to find he was no match and got killed in an instant."

"Not even having time to use the Sword Master Token."

"Great Elder, aren't you going to check the situation?" Nine River Sword Master Zhou Yueyao said.

The Great Elder shook his head, spoke in a deep voice, "It's not possible."

"Sword Pavilion, the reason floors are separated."

"Is because our strength as elders, if we enter the prohibitions of the first and second floors, it would break the prohibition."

"We cannot enter those trials."

"Let's wait a bit longer."

The Great Elder spoke again, "There are 10 minutes left until the trials end."

"If the Northern Mountain Sword Master hasn't come out after 10 minutes."

"I will think of something."

...

Inside the Mysterious Space, at this moment, Xiao Yi's face was full of joy.

For he finally possessed the strength to defeat the Ice Puppet.

The 10 drops of Asura Power inside him had almost been depleted in the continuous battle over these past two days.

However, his level in Sword Dao had reached an astonishing level.

Mastering 80% of the Sky-splitting Sword Demon's complete Sword Dao Knowledge.

At the same time, his Martial Arts Bottleneck had also advanced beyond the Earth Extreme Realm.

He wasn't sure to which specific stage.

As it was a category so profound, he could not guess.

But it was definitely beyond the Earth Extreme Realm.

Moreover, he could now truly see through the sword technique of the Ice Puppet.

Naturally, he found a way to deal with it.

"Ha," Xiao Yi shouted loudly.

A domineering presence appeared out of nowhere from the Blood Slaughter Sword.

It was sword momentum.

The sword momentum directly suppressed the Ice Puppet, rendering it unable to move.

Mastering 80% of the Sky-splitting Sword Demon's Sword Dao Knowledge had yielded such a powerful sword momentum.

"Break," Xiao Yi shouted again.

The Ice Puppet instantly disintegrated under the pressure of the sword momentum, turning into a burst of light and vanishing into thin air.

In the space, a wooden platform appeared.

On the platform, there was a book.

Xiao Yi hurriedly approached to see; he wanted to know which Sword Sect Elder's Sword Dao Knowledge it was.

That made the Ice Puppet so powerful.

"Ice Sword Gang?" Xiao Yi frowned.

He flipped open the book, glanced at it, and his expression drastically changed.

"Ice Sword Gang, an Intermediate Heavenly Rank Technique, created by... Sky-splitting Sword Maiden."

In the history of the Sky-splitting Sword Sect, only two individuals were granted the 'Sky-splitting' title.

One was the Sky-splitting Sword Demon, and the other was the Sky-splitting Sword Maiden.

Neither of these individuals had ever been Sect Masters.

But in their era, they were universally acknowledged as supreme strong.

The 'Sky-splitting' title was not given by the sect, rather recognized by all powerful beings of the world.

Those who bore the title, each one representing the entire Sword Sect.

...

...