Li Yun frowned when he saw the man. Although he appeared to be a middle-aged man, Li Yun could tell he wasn't a living being but a puppet. There were lines on his face, his skin, and many other strange details that made him believe this.
Although the professions of alchemist, array master, puppet master, blacksmith, and many others seemed different, they were related in profound ways. Therefore, when Li Yun's mother had taught him about alchemy, she had also mentioned various things about other side professions in this world.
With that knowledge, it wasn't difficult for him to recognize the man in front of him as a puppet.
The middle-aged man, or puppet, looked around and smiled when he saw the large gathering of disciples.
"Disciples, it's nice to meet you. I am Kai, the caretaker of the Combat Pagoda."
The puppet introduced himself before moving on to the main topic.
"I will first explain the rules of the Combat Pagoda, so listen carefully. You will be eliminated if you are knocked unconscious, or you can say the phrase 'I admit defeat,' and the pagoda will take it as you giving up and let you out. You can only enter the next floor after clearing the floor you are currently on. That's all."
He looked at the others and pointed to the entrance. "You can enter now."
Li Yun looked at Hua Fu and said, "Let's go."
Hua Fu nodded and followed him into the pagoda.
All the other disciples also went inside.
***
As Li Yun stepped into the Combat Pagoda, he was first enveloped by an impenetrable darkness. The suffocating blackness was fleeting, quickly giving way to a dramatically different scene.
He found himself standing on a stage made of pristine, white square marble. The stage gleamed under an unseen light, its smooth, reflective surface casting a soft, ethereal glow.
Beyond the boundaries of this stage, the surroundings were shrouded in a dense, swirling purple miasma. The mist wove through the space like an eerie fog, creating an atmosphere of mystery and otherworldliness.
'I am alone.'
While observing his surroundings, Li Yun also realized that he was alone, even though he had come with all the other disciples.
'It's a separate test for each person.'
He concluded and looked around but didn't find anything noteworthy except for the purple miasma surrounding him from all sides.
However, it was also at that moment that three figures clad in red robes suddenly appeared before him.
Noticing their cultivation, Li Yun saw that all three were at the 1st level of Qi Training, just like him.
'The first level seems easy.'
He thought, sensing the cultivation of the three figures before him. The three figures in red looked like mere puppets like the one he saw outside. The only difference was that, while he couldn't sense the cultivation of the puppet outside, he could easily tell that these three were at the 1st level of Qi Training Realm.
As he pondered this, the three figures suddenly moved.
One of them approached him from the front, while the other two flanked him from the sides.
The figure in front carried a sharp spear, its spearhead aimed directly at his head, while the other two wielded gleaming swords and hacked at him.
Li Yun focused his attention on the puppet in front, sensing that it was faster and stronger than the other two.
Leaping across the tiles to close the distance, Li Yun thrust his spear using the 4th layer of the Thunderclap Dragon Sword against the puppet with the spear.
The puppet also attacked at that moment, thrusting its spear forward.
The sword and spear collided, releasing sparks, before the puppet was forcefully blasted back, its spear flying out of its hands.
But Li Yun frowned when he saw that the puppet survived his attack. He had used the full strength of the 4th layer of the Thunderclap Dragon Sword, knowing that his opponent was a puppet rather than a living being. Yet, his attack hadn't destroyed the puppet.
'These puppets aren't ordinary,'
Li Yun quickly assessed the situation and made a decisive move. Ignoring the other two figures for the moment, he focused his attention on the puppet he had previously battled. Understanding that this particular puppet appeared to be stronger and potentially more dangerous than the others, he decided it was crucial to eliminate it first.
He sprinted across the expansive white tiles, closing the distance to the puppet with determined strides.
As he reached the puppet, he harnessed the power of the 5th layer of the Thunderclap Dragon Sword. With a swift, decisive motion, he swung his sword downward.
A low rumble reverberated through the air as Li Yun's sword met its target. The blade cleaved through the puppet with precision, slicing it cleanly in two from shoulder to waist. The severed pieces tumbled onto the tiles, their remains disintegrating into fragments.
At that moment, the other two puppets with swords caught up with him.
Li Yun turned around and attacked them both using the 5th layer of the Thunderclap Dragon Sword, blasting them apart.
The puppets' forms crumbled under Li Yun's attack, and they were soon destroyed.
'It's done,' he thought.
Darkness enveloped Li Yun once more, and when it receded, he found himself standing on a stage made entirely of square-shaped white tiles once again.
The stage was slightly different from before. The remnants of the puppets he had just destroyed were nowhere to be seen, erased as if they had never existed and the new stage was significantly larger than its predecessor.
At that moment, Li Yun felt an itch on his left hand and saw another increase in points.
+300
Seeing the increase, he speculated that the 1st level Qi Training puppets were worth 100 points each.
Suddenly, Li Yun sensed the presence of new figures materializing in the arena.
As he surveyed the scene, he noticed a significant change: the number of puppets had increased from three to five.
And not only that, among them two stood out with a distinct and formidable presence. These two were at the 2nd level of Qi Training Realm, a marked upgrade from the previous floor.