Whistling a low tune, Ricky regarded his enemies with slightly raised brows. "So, this is the third
challenge for us, huh? Luckily, there are only ten bronze men in the array. We'll surely win against them
in no time!" He let out a chuckle filled with uncertainty, trying to ease up his nerves while he examined
his opponents tactically changing their positions in lieu of the incoming menace.
Despite his initial positivity, his eyes narrowed in unbridled focus as he assessed the scene before him
with a seriousness only veteran warriors could exhibit during battle. He clenched his teeth, knowing
that his prior words were a mere attempt to diffuse the high difficulty of the trial they were to face. The
strengths of their adversaries were not to be taken lightly. He knew how much of it could potentially
damage his own body the moment he exerted his internal strength as a test to see the extent of their
prowess. It was borderline startling how they were more powerful than fifty wooden men. He felt
intimidated and alarmed, even with their few numbers. He could see by now that he would be entering
a brutal zone.
He gripped his long saber, a steely gaze gauging the capabilities of both teams. He had to have firm
will and determination to win in order to have a chance at defeating the bronze puppets. No pure and
unabashed might would be enough to take them down; he needed to enact a clever plan.
"Hey, Agnes. Do you know any of their weaknesses?"
Ricky asked, his mind turning its gears as he struggled to concoct a flawless strategy to take
advantage of their frailer sides.
Agnes shook her head in dismay. "I'm afraid not. The Trio Array was introduced into the competition
four years ago. During that time, only the men of the Sage Faction succeeded in reaching this level.
Contenders from the Purity Faction and the Groom Faction have not even seen it in the past; let alone
attain any knowledge of their weakness." Ricky's face scrunched up with worry.
"Well, it appears that we're going to have to face a really difficult problem."
She looked back at him and nodded, sensing his apprehension.
"Yes, I'm ready for that."
Metallic screeches scraped against the other and created high-pitched noises that hurt the pair's ears.
The horde was starting to move at a fast pace, their tumultuous steps creating a barricade that soon
encircled them.
They had no time to react from the ambush, only able to tense up in defense as brass bars suddenly
manifested from their foes' hands while dashing towards them in an organized manner.
Strikes and lashes released from the collision of opposing forces signified the beginning of the long
exhausting warfare. Agnes did not dare take leisure in blocking their attacks, not with their power
carrying the level of Blood Purification. She was able to resist the aggressiveness of one or two tools,
but she had to put her life on the line if she were to combat them all.
Ricky glanced at her in between his own engagements, uneasy with the thought of her getting beaten
badly. He acknowledged that Agnes was more than capable of handling herself but he believed he had
a responsibility to avoid on any fatal injuries to befall on his companion. They only had each other to
depend on after all, and so, he willingly took the majority of their rivals head on.
Flames licked at the metal of his blade and emitted a heat only he could take. He maximized its power;
parrying the flurry of russet arms threatening to incapacitate him. He swung and dodged until he
managed to receive a momentary break from the ruthless scuffle. Heaving deep breaths to regain his
composure, he winced when he felt his chest tighten uncomfortably, making him nauseous and wary of
the ominous urge to vomit out blood from his damaged core.
They had successfully made it through the first wave of assailments.
Agnes returned to stand beside Ricky's form, not letting her guard down as she talked to her partner,
"Ricky, I can fight two guys at most. That way, you won't have to push yourself too much in taking them
all at once. I'll buy you some time so you can figure out their weakness."
"Are you sure? If you fail, our teamwork would break. Do you understand the risks?"
he asked, making sure that Agnes' offer was something that was not merely backed up by empty
promises.
Sensing his underlying meaning, she wordlessly released her full energy. A boom shook the ground
from the force of her power as steam raised high to the ceiling due to the heat wave pulsing around her
form.
"The blood power of innate spirit!"
she shouted, her aura changing enormously under drastic speeds that chased away any trace of her
former soft grace and gentleness.
She had evolved into a reverent queen that demanded praise and obedience from her subjects, the
pressure flowing out of her in multitudes coaxing lower beings to bow before her mercy.
"Th-this is incredible!"
Ricky unconsciously took a step back in shock upon seeing the revelation unfold in front of him.
He knew that Agnes' power could only be attained through inheritance from one's own lineage. It was a
skill that was passed down generations to generations from the first warrior who became the innate
spirit.
It lived in all the descendants that undeniably had the ancestor's blood pumping in their veins.
However, only a few were granted to assume the blood power of innate spirit.
Once gained, the practitioner would go smoother compared to the vast majority. It would not be so far
off to say that they would achieve the level of demi-immortal if they were to continue their relentless
training; a big advantage that was regarded with envy by most.
"God! What are the odds… Someone from the Shui Clan really made it to the innate spirit!"
he uttered in disbelief, his widened eyes glued on Agnes' majestic form. "If she decides to use this
power to compete with the other disciples in the competition, she would definitely be bound to finish in
the final round!"
"So, Ricky, do you still doubt me now?" Agnes smirked as she crossed her arms in defiance.
Ricky sputtered out a chuckle, caught off guard by her domineering position when a wayward bronze
man put a halt to their conversation.
After fending it off briefly, he turned to her and said, "Well, how long can you use this power to fight?"
He propped a hand on his hip and flashed a faint smile at her. He could no longer deny her mastery,
but he knew it would be idiotic of him to be swept away by carelessness. He had to take everything into
consideration to be victorious by the end of the fight.
"An hour would be a piece of cake,"
Agnes brimmed with confidence, putting all her faith in the gift left by her ancestor for her to wield.
"Great! I'll deal with the remaining eight within that time,"
he exclaimed, relief flooding through him.
His last statement marked the end of their allocation. He straightened his posture and closed his eyes
momentarily, intending to mimic Agnes' unabashed display of talent earlier. He let the simultaneous
warmth and coldness lick across his flesh as he activated the Nine-degree Body Refining Formula to
the Second Degree. In a blinding flash, the army was plunged under the gravity of his aura and colored
them in orange hues which carried both halves of his infernal and frosty power.
With the addition of the Light Apperception to support the duo's command over the battle, they
completed the image of supreme and overwhelming competitors.
Ricky's saber hummed in his grip, buzzing with unrivaled vitality that signified its own alertness. He was
prepared to end the long driven out strife.
The unexpected turnaround of the match was met with outcries of awe and fascination from the three
demi-immortals residing above the palace.
"The dual powers! This guy's spiritual meridian can carry dual powers!" They gaped, watching the
conflict commence below in surprise.
"That girl
did a remarkable job! She's really smart for inviting a genius with a spiritual meridian that carried the
dual powers!" The grandmaster from the Purity Faction proclaimed in joy.
They stayed immersed in the scene, taking in as much information as they could from the ongoing
dispute with the Array.
Ricky swung his saber, the mixed energies he controlled exploding on their adversaries and ferociously
assaulted every gap and corner of their bodies.
He aimed to purposely overpower them with his wild charges; a cunning scheme to seek out their
fragile cores.
He targeted the most common vulnerable parts of a puppet: the brain, chest, stomach, and shoulders,
in hopes of demolishing them thoroughly.
Nevertheless, his blind strikes only proved to be futile. The lack of evidence from the dolls tiring out
anytime soon confused and despaired Ricky. If he were to continue at this pace, he would end up
collapsing in fatigue. No matter how potent his current state was, it would be useless if he were to drain
all his energies at some point.
It did not help that Agnes also seemed to be succumbing to her limit as she fought the two puppets with
increasing sluggishness chaining down her movements.
Her blood power of innate spirit was running out with every passing second, revealing an urgency that
spurred Ricky into thinking overdrive on how to render the bronze men into total decrepitude.
"Aren't they supposed to have a weak spot?" Muttering in frustration, Ricky unyieldingly pierced his
saber again and again through the tough surfaces of his enemies.
He scanned their figures as he prayed fervently to notice any unusual circumstance to serve as his
breakthrough.
He held his breath as his frantic eyes jumped to one body to the next. Suddenly, he was struck with a
realization that his saber had successfully left cracks on their chestnut exteriors.
"Maybe there isn't any array power in them?"
he mumbled, puzzled by his finding.
If that were the case, it should not have been possible for the array to be stronger than the mobs they
had fought previously. He could still vividly recall the shadow marks left as trails of evidence to the cuts
his weapon had tried to inflict on them. Those stone and wooden men did not break into pieces as it
should have because of the array power embedded in their forms.
But then, if the bronze array had possessed the same skill as the former legions, he would not have
been able to leave deep cuts caused by his inexorable slashes.
Unless, its aim was to solely break down their dissidents' real strength.
He startled upon his new discovery. Their physiques bore no weaknesses and no array powers; all they
had was their own pugnacious strengths that equaled to a warrior at the first grade of Blood
Purification. The only way to triumph over the mob was to harbor a power stronger than theirs.
"Finally!"
Ricky grinned, mustering all his momentum to unleash the devouring runes from within. With those
runes' help, he made it to the second grade of Blood Purification.
It renewed his being; baptizing him with fresh and unrestrained vigor that permitted him to slash
through his nearest enemy.
"Crack!"
The metal ripped like a loose thread from a broken hem before it split into halves and fell on the solid
ground heavily.
'I was right! It all depends on true strength!'
he sighed, mitigation and glee prancing around in his chest.
He proceeded to take them down one by one; raising his saber and plunging it countless of times into
the puppets without any remorse. In a span of a few seconds, he had emerged gloriously undefeated
as he stood on top of the fragments scattered along the floor.
Ricky and Agnes shared a look brimming with the pride of conquering their last mission.
He breathed in ease, oblivious to the panting of his partner almost on the verge of fainting from the
tenacious exercise. At last, they were crowned champions. All their efforts paid off, with Ricky even
managing to receive the bonus of reaching the second stage of Blood Purification.
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