Chapter 24: Chapter 23: The 5th Layer
"That kid... he’s been in there for so long. Why hasn’t he come out?" Zhou Yang grumbled impatiently.
Zhou Yang was furious. He secretly swore that as soon as Wen Qingye came out, he would teach him a lesson. How dare he ignore his words? It was a complete slap in the face to him, Zhou Yang. He was a student from South Mountain, after all.
Suddenly, a student from East Mountain pointed at a stone monument before them and said, "Quick, look! It seems he’s passed the 2nd Layer and reached the 3rd!"
This stone monument reacted every time a challenger in the Heaven-Reaching Martial Pavilion advanced a layer. Wen Qingye had just now reached the 3rd Layer, and the monument was displaying his progress.
Kang Yan said dismissively, "It’s only the 3rd Layer. He definitely won’t last long."
Gao Yuerou’s eyes were fixed on the stone monument. She shook her head and said, "That’s not necessarily true."
A man beside them asked curiously, "Is this Wen Qingye really so arrogant? You mentioned Brother Yu and he still acted dismissively? Does he have that much nerve?"
Zhou Yang frowned and said, "Brother Feng, why would I lie to you? That Wen Qingye is as bold as brass. He..."
"Quick, look! The 4th Layer! He’s reached the 4th Layer!"
"Who in the world is this person? He can’t be a complete unknown."
"Not many people have made it to the 4th Layer these past couple of days. Could it be a genius from South Mountain or East Mountain who just had a breakthrough and came to try the challenge?"
The surrounding crowd broke into a flurry of discussion, utterly astonished by the challenger.
Zhou Yang looked shocked, saying in disbelief, "No way... Is that really Wen Qingye from North Mountain?"
"Impossible. It can’t be him," Kang Yan said, shaking her head.
Gao Yuerou said softly, "But he was the only one who went in just now."
Kang Yan’s mouth opened, but no words came out. ’She’s right... it seems only Wen Qingye went in just now. If not him, then who?’
Just as the crowd was waiting in awe, the stone monument flashed again, then shot straight to the 5th Layer.
"My heavens! Someone finally reached the 5th Layer again! Among the new students, only a scant few have ever made it this far."
"Wen Qingye! The guy who just went in is named Wen Qingye, a student from North Mountain!"
"The sole student of North Mountain? This Wen Qingye is incredible! Could he be a prodigy too?"
"Impossible! Weren’t all the geniuses recruited by South Mountain?"
Both Zhou Yang’s and Kang Yan’s lips trembled as they stared at the stone monument in disbelief.
......
The moment Wen Qingye stepped into the 5th Layer, he was immediately assaulted by a powerful aura—it was the oppressive might of Primordial Qi.
Refining Essence Realm!
Wen Qingye couldn’t help but frown as his gaze fell upon the Iron Man before him. The Iron Man was pitch-black and radiated an aura of immense destructive power. Primordial Qi surged from its body, buffeting the surrounding air.
Wen Qingye grew cautious. The Iron Man before him was in the Refining Essence Realm and could not be underestimated. Although Wen Qingye didn’t know its exact cultivation, he guessed it was around the Refining Essence First Layer Heaven.
Wen Qingye had no idea that a crowd was anxiously waiting for him outside. It was far more lively out there than inside the trial. Everyone stared at the stone monument, not daring to blink, afraid they might miss the slightest detail.
The Iron Man moved like lightning. With a single stomp, the very air around it shuddered.
The Iron Man’s Fist Force carried an unstoppable momentum, and the whistling Powerful Qi stung Wen Qingye’s eyes. Wen Qingye clenched his fists, refusing to retreat.
"Bring it on!"
Wen Qingye met it head-on with a single hand. A massive, illusory Palm Seal slammed forward with crushing force.
BOOM!
The massive shockwave from their collision sent the surrounding Primordial Qi scattering.
Wen Qingye felt a searing heat spread through his chest, and he couldn’t help but spray out a mouthful of blood.
Before Wen Qingye could even get back on his feet, the Iron Man rushed forward with another punch.
Not daring to be careless, Wen Qingye drew his sword. Golden light flashed like a dancing snake, flowing over the Iron Man’s body.
CLANG CLANG!
Sparks flew from the Iron Man’s body as Wen Qingye nimbly dodged its Fist Force.
’This Iron Man’s hide is too thick. How can I possibly pierce it?’ Wen Qingye thought with a frown.
They exchanged a few more blows. Wen Qingye didn’t dare to face its attacks directly, relying on evasive footwork. His sword moves were incredibly unpredictable and his Sword Qi flowed like a rainbow, but he was inflicting minimal damage on the Iron Man.
’Vital points. Every body has them. If I can just find and strike a vital point, I can defeat it instantly.’
Wen Qingye gripped his sword and weaved in close to the Iron Man. The construct reacted with incredible speed, its fingers forming a claw as it tried to snatch the sword from his hand.
"Spiritual Snake Transforming Dragon!"
Wen Qingye’s sword moved like lightning, slipping right through the Iron Man’s grasp. The blade flashed with golden light, transforming into a roaring dragon that thrust toward the Iron Man’s throat with thunderous power.
Seeing its grab fail, the Iron Man shifted its feet and twisted its head, trying to dodge the fatal strike.
A sharp glint flashed in Wen Qingye’s eyes as his left hand shot out.
"Celestial Hand!"
It was as if the sky had been blotted out. A Great Hand Seal smashed down toward the Iron Man’s head.
BANG!
THUD!
The two sounds echoed through the 5th Layer simultaneously. Wen Qingye’s arm went numb, followed by a sharp pain as if the bone had snapped.
In its final, furious blow, the Iron Man’s fist had struck Wen Qingye’s right wrist, knocking it aside. But despite the agonizing pain, Wen Qingye kept a death grip on his sword.
The Iron Man, struck in the head by Wen Qingye’s final Celestial Hand, collapsed to the ground, motionless.
Waves of excruciating pain shot through Wen Qingye’s wrist. He had no choice but to switch his sword to his left hand and slowly push himself to his feet.
......
Wen Qingye’s successful clearing of the 5th Layer caused a massive uproar outside the Heaven-Reaching Martial Pavilion.
"Look! All of you, look! My heavens, that disciple from North Mountain is incredible!"
"He passed! He’s the second new student this year to clear the 5th Layer! A genius! An absolute genius!"
"North Mountain produced an unparalleled genius! This is unbelievable! Does North Mountain only accept geniuses?"
Previously, only one person in Qig Mountain Academy had ever successfully cleared the 5th Layer: Xia Moyu. But now a second person had appeared—and one from North Mountain, no less. How could they not be astonished?
Zhou Yang’s face was livid. He said angrily, "I don’t believe Wen Qingye could have passed the 5th Layer. He must have used some kind of trick. When he comes out, I’ll see for myself what he’s made of."
Kang Yan also looked grim. A moment ago, she had been mocking Wen Qingye for having no prospects, but now it seemed he not only had prospects, but his future was blindingly bright.
Zhao Feng stood by, his brow deeply furrowed. He took a deep breath and said, "Regardless of how he did it, Wen Qingye has made a name for himself. He’s the second new student to clear the 5th Layer. Besides Brother Yu, he has no equal."
Kang Yan suddenly pointed at the monument. "Quick, look! Why did the light go out? Did he give up?"
Zhao Feng said slowly, "Most likely. After all, the gap between the 5th Layer and the 6th Layer is as wide as the heavens and the earth."
"What a shame. Why did Wen Qingye give up? I really thought he was going to keep going."
"Yeah, it’s a real shame."
Everyone sighed, disappointed that Wen Qingye didn’t continue. Still, they had witnessed someone reach the 5th Layer today—and a student from North Mountain, at that. They’d have something to brag about when they got back, so the trip hadn’t been a waste.
