Chapter 120: Summon Elder Yunfei Immediately

Freed from the constraints of the formation, Li Sibai finally let go of all inhibitions. His Mystic Sky Sword danced in his hand as he unleashed the thirty-six stances of the Mystic Sky Sword Technique. A rhythmic "clang, clang, clang" echoed through the room; it felt as though Li Sibai were a blacksmith hammering away, locked in a fierce exchange with the Wind-element puppet.

The puppet was no pushover. Despite sparks flying from its body wherever the blade struck, it showed no sign of retreating, meeting Li Sibai’s relentless onslaught head-on.

Li Sibai grew exhilarated, calling out in delight. His previous opponents had never been able to withstand his sword work; they would usually concede after a blow or two. He had no idea what material this puppet was made of, but it was incredibly sturdy, remaining intact despite the countless strikes.

Immersed in the thrill of the fight, Li Sibai secretly increased his strength. The puppet immediately began to struggle. Though it continued to parry, it was forced into a steady retreat, its frame becoming riddled with deep gouges from the Mystic Sky Sword.

Li Sibai seized the momentum with a sweeping blow. With a dull thud, the puppet’s head was sent rolling to the ground. To his surprise, the headless body continued to fight. Li Sibai felt a headache coming on—if the head falling off didn't count as a victory, what did? Did he have to dismantle the entire thing?

Just as he was pondering this, the puppet suddenly lost its momentum. Its movements slowed, and then it ground to a complete halt.

Li Sibai let out a long sigh of relief. It seemed decapitation worked after all; it just took a moment for the mechanism to register.

A loud rumble echoed through the chamber, and a large door to the side slowly creaked open. This must be the reward for passing the trial. Li Sibai smoothed out his robes and stepped through.

Inside was a small room containing a single bookshelf. On it sat a collection of texts—the promised rewards of the Wind Lane.

There were only a dozen or so books. Li Sibai opened them one by one, finding them filled with three-star Wind-element techniques, including the very two moves the puppet had just used against him.

He had asked the attendant disciple earlier; passing the trial granted one the right to study these books for the duration of one incense stick.

Li Sibai had already scanned through them once, memorizing the techniques he found most useful. Thanks to the enhancements made to his sea of consciousness, his memory was far superior to that of an ordinary person. He committed the contents to heart quickly, planning to practice them once he returned home.

Although these were only three-star techniques, they were significantly more powerful than the one- or two-star manuals found in the library.

Just then, a bell chimed, and the stone door outside began to slide open. Li Sibai hurried out. It was said that if one did not leave before the time was up, even more formidable puppets would be released, and he had no desire to take such risks.

Back in the courtyard, he found Xiahou Lu emerging as well. Xiahou’s robes were in a sorry state, riddled with holes, and his body was covered in bruises. Despite this, an expression of sheer excitement was etched onto his face.

"Young Master Xiahou, what happened to you?" Li Sibai asked, his face full of surprise.

"Oh?" Xiahou Lu only then noticed his disheveled attire. Looking embarrassed, he quickly found a secluded corner to change his clothes.

When he reappeared, he looked no different than when they had first met, perhaps even more spirited.

"Young Master Xiahou, by the looks of it, you successfully cleared the Green Lane?" Li Sibai asked.

Xiahou Lu nodded and chuckled. "Indeed. And if I am not mistaken, Young Hero Li has also cleared the Wind Lane."

Li Sibai nodded as well. The two walked out of the courtyard with a tacit understanding. One could ask if someone had passed, but asking about the specific techniques learned was a taboo—a person’s cultivation methods were their most private affairs, and even the closest of friends would not reveal them entirely. Li Sibai understood this well.

The attendant disciple at the entrance was stunned to see them walk out together. "You two... are you alright?"

He had assumed they would fail, yet they didn't look nearly as battered as he had expected. They seemed unscathed. Could it be they had actually succeeded?

The puppets here were notoriously difficult to defeat even for challengers of the same rank, let alone these two who had challenged them two levels above their own. How could they be perfectly fine?

Xiahou Lu smiled, returned his pass to the disciple, and bowed to Li Sibai. "Young Hero Li, I have some matters to attend to. Let us part ways here for today."

Xiahou Lu knew clearly that he was injured and had just obtained a powerful technique; he needed to focus on cultivation and saw no reason to stay and continue challenging trials. He could always return in a few days.

Li Sibai also handed his pass to the disciple and said, "Young Master Xiahou, we shall meet again soon."

Though Li Sibai was not significantly injured, the exertion had been considerable. Seeing that the sun was beginning to set, he decided to return to his quarters to rest and reflect. He had new techniques to practice and the newly acquired Origin Spirit Pearl to study; there was no point in lingering here.

As the two walked away, the attendant disciple sneered. "Putting on a brave front, are we? They’re probably suffering from internal injuries and are rushing back to heal."

He picked up the passes to put them away, but when he looked down, he froze. There was a new white stripe on each pass—a sign that the examination had been passed.

"They both succeeded?" The disciple was completely bewildered. In all his time working here, he had never seen anyone succeed while challenging two levels above their own, let alone two people at once!

Still skeptical, the disciple rushed inside to check the state of the puppets. He went to the Green Lane first and activated the mechanism. The puppet inside seemed normal, though its reactions were sluggish. "It seems its spiritual energy has been exhausted. No wonder they passed."

This was easy enough to fix; the puppets were powered by spiritual energy, and they would self-repair once recharged. Still, to drain a puppet's energy entirely was no small feat.

He then went to the Wind Lane. Upon entering, he found a headless puppet sprawled on the ground, its round head lying not far away.

"This..." The disciple’s composure shattered. Though these puppets often suffered wear and tear, he had never seen one decapitated. He stared in shock, wondering how he was even supposed to repair such damage.

"Go and fetch Elder Yunfei at once!" the disciple ordered a junior who had followed him in.

This was beyond his control. The puppet in the Wind Lane was incapacitated and required major repairs, a matter that had to be reported to Elder Yunfei, who was in charge of the facility.

The junior disciple obeyed the order and sprinted out the door like a gust of wind.