101: Chapter 101 The Second-Order Puppet is Heart-stirring

Cheers erupted from the arena.

"Is that Old Man He's Bronze Moon Greatsword? I've long heard it's renowned for its offensive power, especially in dismantling Puppets."

"How else do you think Old Man He became such an old gambling addict? If you didn't win every day, you wouldn't last long."

Everyone came to a sudden realization.

He Fangru was not nearly as frail as he appeared on the surface.

The aura of a Qi Refining Great Perfection was no joke.

He was clearly a top-tier powerhouse among those in the Qi Refinement Stage.

The noisy chatter died down as everyone held their breath, wanting to see the strength of this famous Old Gambler.

He Fangru's white eyebrows twitched.

He gave a low shout.

Raising his Bronze Sword, he slashed at the Bedrock Puppet, which had not yet prepared itself.

A faint smile played at the corners of his mouth.

He would take advantage of the Puppet before it activated, leaving a few small gashes on it first.

Later, as long as he continued to strike those gashes, he could dismantle the Puppet into eight pieces and claim the prize.

His movements were so fast he didn't seem like an old man at all.

In the next instant...

Blade met stone.

Clang!

A crisp sound rang out.

An unbelievable scene unfolded before He Fangru's eyes.

Not a single mark was left on the Puppet's smooth surface.

"How is this possible?"

A look of shock and sharp focus flashed in He Fangru's cloudy eyes.

Refusing to believe it...

He gathered all the Spiritual Qi in his body into his palms and poured it into the Bronze Sword.

The Bronze Sword erupted with a dazzling yellow light.

He gritted his teeth: "Break for me!"

Clang! Clang! Clang!

He delivered several more slashes in quick succession.

Just like the first time...

Not a single mark was left.

Now He Fangru was truly panicked, his age spots contorting together.

He took a few steps back.

The people below didn't know He Fangru's scheme had failed; they thought it was a tactical maneuver for the battle.

"Fellow Daoist He is indeed an old fox, striking first before the Puppet even moved."

"Hurry up, Old Ghost He, don't get in the way of me getting that foundation establishment pill."

He Fangru ignored them.

He looked up at the tall Bedrock Puppet, a hint of hesitation flashing across his stiff face.

"Could it be this isn't a High Grade Puppet, but a Quasi-Second Tier one?"

He had encountered Quasi-Second Tier Puppets before that were comparable to the strength of a Qi Refining Great Perfection.

But even then, it shouldn't be impossible to leave even a single scratch.

At that moment...

A terrifying thought flashed through his mind.

"Could it be a second-tier Puppet?"

The next instant, he tossed the idea aside.

"Absolutely not! The Hongyun Arena has always been for Qi Refining Cultivators; why would they put out a Foundation Establishment monster!"

"Then who could possibly pass?"

With this thought...

A look of madness appeared on He Fangru's face, the dark spots on his skin twisting.

He mobilized every bit of Spiritual Qi in his Dantian and poured it with all his might into the Bronze Sword.

In the next breath...

The Bronze Sword left his palm and flew into the air, its light becoming blindingly bright.

Under He Fangru's control...

It slashed toward the Bedrock Puppet.

"This old man wants to see if you can withstand this peak strike!"

It cleaved toward the neck of the Stone Ape Puppet with lightning speed.

Just as it was about to make contact...

A sudden change occurred.

The Puppet's dim pupils, crafted from black stone, suddenly emitted a burst of light!

The Bedrock Puppet had finally moved!

Its stone arm swung out.

Clang.

It accurately caught the flying Bronze Sword.

Seeing this scene...

He Fangru's heart skipped a beat.

The next moment...

Crack.

Under the shocked gazes of everyone...

The Puppet's fingers moved, snapping the Bronze Sword in two.

"Broken?"

"Impossible! That sword of Old Ghost He's was a High Grade Magical Artifact."

"This Fellow Daoist He seems to have grown old and weak, unable to get things done. I was almost fooled by you all."

The spectators chattered away.

However, in the next instant...

A massive pressure, centered on the Bedrock Puppet, slowly began to spread out.

Feeling the pressure bearing down on his crown...

He Fangru suddenly understood.

He gave a bitter smile: "So that's how it is. It really is a second-tier Puppet."

He reached out and summoned the broken Bronze Sword back to his hand, putting it into his Storage Pouch.

He cupped his hands to Fourth Disciple: "This Junior admits defeat."

The latter nodded and opened a gap in the light barrier to let him out.

Witnessing this situation...

It was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.

The entire audience was in an uproar.

"It's actually a second-tier Puppet? Are they playing with us?"

"I was wondering why the Immortal City was so kind as to put out a foundation establishment pill. As expected, it's unobtainable."

"Stop talking, it's just a bait. What a waste of my ten Spirit Stones."

Seeing the scene grow increasingly chaotic, Fourth Disciple...

Injected his cultivation power into his voice and shouted: "Silence!"

The sound seemed to rush from their ears straight to their crowns.

The entire venue settled down.

Fourth Disciple spoke calmly: "I know you are unhappy, but this is the trial the Immortal Master has set for you. If you want the foundation establishment pill, you must pass the trial and defeat the Bedrock Puppet."

The loud complaints turned into hushed whispers.

"Tch, if they don't want to give it, then don't. Calling it a trial... why should we Loose Cultivators take part in your Immortal City's trial?"

"Me, at the Qi Refinement Stage, fighting someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage? My great-grandfather wouldn't believe it even if I told him!"

Fourth Disciple didn't care.

His words were cold: "Next!"

However...

For a long time, no one dared to step onto the stage.

Talk was cheap, and cursing was easy, but no one was actually willing to face it.

"I'll do it!"

Right then...

A deep male voice came from the back.

Everyone turned their heads.

They automatically cleared a path for this person.

But they soon noticed something was wrong.

Because this person's cultivation was not Qi Refining, but that of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Fourth Disciple frowned: "Foundation Establishment Cultivators are not permitted to enter."

"Why not? Since you've put out a second-tier Puppet, it's only right that a Foundation Establishment Cultivator should challenge it!"

These words struck a chord with the Loose Cultivators present.

They chimed in one after another.

"Senior said it well! It should be you."

"The Immortal City is just bullying people. This is a trap."

Fourth Disciple's expression had turned completely cold as he spat out a single word: "Begone!"

He acted without warning.

With a palm strike from a distance, he pushed the Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator away.

The man was pushed all the way to the end of the street.

The latter didn't have the slightest power to resist.

Only then did everyone recall Fourth Disciple's cultivation level.

Foundation Establishment Great Perfection.

The half-step False Core Realm.

No one dared to speak again.

To show their dissatisfaction, the Loose Cultivators tore up their tickets and stopped playing.

They began to leave one by one.

Before long, the venue became sparse.

Xu Changsheng saw his chance. He pulled down his hood and was about to step forward.

"Let me give it a try."

A magnetic voice came from the side of the arena.

Looking closely...

It was the Young Miss of the Zhou Family, Zhou Yu.

Dressed in a black gown, she stepped forward and gave a graceful bow to Fourth Disciple.

"Mhm."

Fourth Disciple nodded slightly.

"Little Friend Zhou, please proceed."

Zhou Yu's appearance made some of the Cultivators who were about to leave change their minds: "The Zhou Family's Young Miss is taking action. It's worth watching."

Zhou Yu walked onto the arena.

She didn't make any grand movements.

She simply gave the Spirit Beast Bag at her waist a light pat.

A red light flowed out.

A massive creature appeared by her side.

As the light dissipated...

"Whoa!"

The Cultivators below the arena cried out in surprise.

A Snow Leopard, half a zhang tall, now stood next to Zhou Yu.

The leopard's head, as large as a watermelon, rubbed against Zhou Yu.

Whispers broke out.

"A Second-Tier Spirit Pet!"

"As expected of the Beast-Taming Zhou Family!"

"So it's not that we are incompetent, but that today's arena was prepared for a Disciple of a great family like her."