'Five of them this time, and two of them at the 2nd level of Qi Training Realm,' Li Yun noted with a frown.
The difficulty had increased significantly from the first floor to the second. The 2nd level of Qi Training Realm would obviously mean a considerable increase in strength for the puppets.
Considering what he had seen on the first floor, Li Yun believed that these 2nd level Qi Training Realm puppets would be much stronger than typical martial artists at the same level.
'I should handle the weak ones first this time,' Li Yun decided, planning to deal with the 2nd level Qi Training Realm puppets after taking care of the weaker 1st level ones. That way, he wouldn't be distracted during the fight against them.
As he finalized his plan, the puppets sprang into action. The two 2nd level Qi Training Realm puppets took the lead, followed by the three 1st level ones.
Li Yun frowned at this. With the 2nd level Qi Training Realm puppets attacking first, he would have to face them head-on. He didn't possess a movement technique that would allow him to swiftly reach the ones behind them.
At this moment, Li Yun's desire for a movement technique intensified. He understood that such a technique would make him more versatile, significantly enhancing his combat strength and chances of survival.
'Since I don't have one, I might as well finish these two first before going after the weaker ones,' Li Yun resolved and sprinted forward from his left side.
Before long, he and one of the 2nd level Qi Training Realm puppets were face-to-face. Not wanting to waste any time, Li Yun immediately used the 5th layer of the Thunderclap Dragon Sword, swinging his sword with full strength.
The puppet also wielded a sword, and it swung it toward Li Yun. His eyes narrowed when the puppet attacked—it wasn't a mere strike like those from the first floor but a full-fledged martial technique of low-grade human rank, mastered to perfection at the 6th layer.
Li Yun hadn't expected a puppet to use a martial technique and hadn't thought about using his right eye. Now, it was too late to do so.
Their swords collided with a rumbling sound, causing the wind to rage and sparks to fly in all directions. But just then, Li Yun noticed from the corner of his eye that the other 2nd level Qi Training Realm puppet had arrived before him.
"Damn!"
Li Yun cursed, raising his leg to kick the puppet whose sword was locked with his own, forcing it back a few steps.
At that moment, the second 2nd level Qi Training Realm puppet attacked with its sword, using a different martial technique—also of low-grade human rank, mastered to perfection at the 6th layer.
"This is bad!"
Li Yun exclaimed as he saw the puppet's attack. It didn't feel like a mere sword slash but something much greater and more overwhelming pressing down upon him.
It felt like with the attack closing in on him, something else also increase the weight of his body.
However, Li Yun didn't succumb to the pressure. He used his right eye to analyze the attack. A purple light glowed from his eye as the puppet's attack began to break down in his mind. The form, the swing, and even the sword's mastery became clear to him.
He finally noticed a subtle flaw in the puppet's attack—so subtle that it might not even be considered a flaw by others, but Li Yun recognized it as one. Other than this flaw, the attack was a pure masterpiece of martial technique, perfected by someone who had comprehended it entirely.
Li Yun thrust his sword toward the flaw with impeccable precision. As his sword was about to collide with the puppet's attack, he harnessed the strength of the 6th layer of the Thunderclap Dragon Sword. With a rumbling sound of thunder, the speed of his sword increased, and it clashed with the puppet's attack.
Boom!
The sharp sound of metal colliding echoed throughout the empty stage as a figure was blasted back like a broken kite. The puppet was pushed back several steps, hurtling backward uncontrollably, and its sword was flung from its hand.
Seeing this, Li Yun immediately pressed forward, intending to finish the puppet. But at that moment, the three 1st level Qi Training Realm puppets blocked his path.
"They're so organized," Li Yun muttered, but he didn't stop.
He felt that these puppets were too coordinated, attacking like human beings. They wouldn't let him focus on a single puppet and would immediately block his path after he attacked one. This made him feel like he wasn't fighting mere puppets but rather a puppet master controlling them from the shadows.
It was a frustrating realization, coupled with the puppets' strength, that made the second floor far more challenging than the first.
Seeing the three 1st level Qi Training Realm puppets blocking his path, Li Yun thought of a countermeasure.
He glanced at the puppet he had just blasted away, seeing that it still hadn't regained its footing and was still reeling from his attack. This was an excellent opportunity to finish it off. Turning to look behind him, he saw that the first 2nd level Qi Training Realm puppet was also running toward him, making him even more eager to eliminate the one he had just battled.
But as he looked at the three 1st level Qi Training Realm puppets, he frowned. If he wanted to kill them, he would surely waste time, giving the puppet behind them a chance to recover. At that moment, he would be cornered from all sides.
This left Li Yun with only one option.
As he sprinted toward them, Li Yun used the full strength of the 6th layer of Thunderclap Dragon Sword and struck the tiles beneath his feet with all his might.
Boom!
The tiles weren't destroyed by Li Yun's attack, and strangely, not even a scratch appeared on them. However, Li Yun also vanished when he struck down on the tiles.
At this moment, Li Yun was above the three 1st level Qi Training Realm puppets, flying toward the injured 2nd level Qi Training Realm puppet that was behind them.