Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao

It was at the First Tier the first time, but now it was at the Second Tier.

Boom! The metallic figure attacked for the third time. It was still a palm strike descending straight down on Ling Han. Golden light flashed, wanting to smash him dead.

Ling Han replied with a punch. Boom! Amidst a massive bang, the metallic figure actually managed to parry Ling Han’s strike.

!!

This was Third-Tier power!

Peng, peng, peng! The metallic figure brandished both fists madly, continuously barraging Ling Han. Its speed was astonishingly fast, as if it was able to topple mountains and overturn seas.

It was slowly adapting to the power of the challenger. After every time it was “killed,” its power would increase by another level, and if it could continue to be strengthened like this, how could it be “killed”?

Ling Han set this thought aside first, and pounded this guy madly. Since he had yet to advance the Fists of Fury to the Third Tier, he might as well temper and practice well with this guy.

The two “men” fought intensely.

This metallic figure’s attacks were slightly mechanical, and stuck to certain patterns. Hence, in less than 15 minutes, Ling Han punched his fist right through its chest, creating a hole directly in its chest.

It quickly recovered, its fists smashing down madly. Its power had shockingly increased slightly again.

Fortunately, the degree of its improvement was not very large, and it had not directly crossed the boundaries of the Fourth Tier. Instead, it had reached an extent that just slightly surpassed Ling Han.

This made the battle become even more intense, but Ling Han was a real person, after all. After 30 minutes, he once again found an opening, and killed this metallic figure.

As expected, it naturally recovered once more.

Fight, fight, fight, fight! Every time it was “killed” by Ling Han, the metallic figure would grow slightly stronger, making it harder and harder to kill.

This was exactly what Ling Han wanted to practice his fist technique. He, too, needed an opponent that could match him. In the White Tiger Palace, the number of enemies was adequate, and here the enemy was strong enough for him.

Kill, kill, kill! He killed the metallic figure time after time, but the metallic figure was also becoming stronger and stronger, and its counterattacks became more and more powerful.

One year, 10 years, 100 years, and finally 700 years later, though Ling Han was still able to kill the metallic figure, the time he needed was increasing further and further. Moreover, he would have to pay an exorbitant price for it as well.

More importantly, the metallic figure would immediately recover after it was killed, and Ling Han was not given the opportunity to recover at all. Once or twice, this would be fine, but after several dozen, and over 100 times later, the pressure on Ling Han was also extremely heavy.

Ling Han was sure that this test was definitely not a matter of how long they could last. Otherwise, he would only have to drag out the battle with the metallic figure from before when it had not been so strong.

What this test was focused on was… killing!

Just how many kills would be considered a pass?

Ling Han did not know. He could only kill the metallic figure again and again, and perhaps he would be able to pass the test this time, or perhaps he still needed another 100 times, another 1,000 times, or 10,000 times.

There really was not the slightest hope. Similar to the White Tiger Palace, it was very likely that one would lose all fighting spirit as the battles continued and give up.

Ling Han did not. The strength of his willpower and fighting spirit was something that no one could imagine. He simply continued to temper Fists of Fury again and again, and after over 100,000 years had passed, he had a feeling that there was an opening that he was faced with now.

If he could reach this opening, the Fists of Fury could advance to the Third Tier.

If so, he would just fight to his heart’s content.

With a battle cry, he attacked madly. Peng, peng, peng! Very quickly, the metallic figure was killed “again.” However, it immediately made a comeback, and became even more frightening.

What Ling Han wanted was precisely that his opponent was strong. If his opponent was not strong enough, it would be very hard for him to break through his own limits.

‘Come at me!’

Peng!

However, the metallic figure’s battle prowess was already tremendously close to the Fourth Tier this time, and it turned around to suppress Ling Han. In an exchange of strikes, Ling Han felt his arms tremble in pain and twist unbelievably.

His arms were broken, but he did not even grunt. With sheer strength of mind, power surged into him, and forcefully righted his arms as he clashed with the metallic figure again.

Ling Han yelled, his power blazing and fighting spirit soaring.

Peng, peng, peng! In a single stroke, he delivered several thousand punches, and instantly, shattered that metallic figure.

He laughed loudly. His Fists of Fury had finally been advanced to the Third Tier, and that was what allowed him to unleash such great might.

However, he looked at his hands, and both his fists were gone. They had been destroyed in that intense clash from before.

Ling Han channeled the Indestructible Heaven’s Scroll, and his hands immediately grew back rapidly.

However, the metallic figure did not come back to life again this time.

‘Hmm?’

Ling Han faltered, and then felt that he was being guided by great power. Weng! He appeared inside a palace.

Boom! The power inside his body boiled, making him feel like he was newly born.

He had passed the test, so his spirit had returned to his body, creating an explosion of power.

Ling Han looked into his body, and discovered that his cultivation level had increased by a particular amount again, but this time he had only spent over 100,000 years in the spiritual world, so there was naturally not much time that had passed in the real world. Hence, his cultivation level had only increased a slight amount.

Ling Han was not concerned, because Fists of Fury had already reached the Third Tier, and was worthy of his battle prowess now.

Furthermore, Fists of Fury was a cultivation technique that belonged to him completely, which was more useful than any Heavenly Venerate Technique that anyone had taught him—Ling Han was sure that this was the best Heavenly Venerate Technique for him on the level of the Third Tier.

Weng! A golden bone suddenly appeared ahead of him. This should be a hip bone, and there was a blurred seal on it.

His inheritance was here.

Ling Han stretched out his hand to touch it. Boom! Instantly, a seal flashed in his mind, as if countless flames were burning, wanting to turn his mind into a sea of fire.

The Heavenly Venerate Four Directions’s voice rang out again, and the words he said were the exact same words that he had said in the White Tiger Palace.

Ling Han began to study this seal. The time needed for this was very long.

10,000 years passed, and he finally stood up, a smile appearing on his face.

Eleventh Seal, got it!

With the boost from this seal, the speed of Ling Han’s cultivation could increase to 17 times, which was equivalent to the Tenth Seal’s effect.

...

‘The Heavenly Venerate Four Directions has said that with the four seals merged into one, one could learn a secret technique of his. However, that mysterious woman had been able to pass through the White Tiger Palace, so she may also be able to pass through Azure Dragon Palace and Black Tortoise Palace… En, judging by the direction that she had taken, she should have gone to the Azure Dragon Palace1.

‘If she has taken the seal from the Azure Dragon Palace, then even if I manage to obtain the remaining seal in the Black Tortoise Palace, it will still be impossible for me to learn that secret technique.

‘Too bad, too bad.’

Ling Han shook his head. Though this Heavenly Venerable Seal could be severed by its master, that was done with the price of ripping off a corner of their own mind. For Heavenly Venerates, that was still a severe injury. Whatever offer he made, it was probably impossible that that woman would surrender the Azure Dragon Seal to him.

Moreover, she was a Fourth Tier, and an extremely powerful Fourth Tier at that. If he really dared to raise this issue, she might turn around and refine him instead. Similarly, she would also be able to obtain the seals of the Four Directions, and obtain that secret technique.

“Let’s go to the Black Tortoise Palace.”

Ling Han stood up, and after finding the exit, he immediately left. Then, after distinguishing his directions, he headed towards the Black Tortoise Palace.

Not much longer afterwards, he saw the third burial mound.

He entered, his eyes sweeping over his surroundings. He saw that there were still many people gathered at the plaza, but this was very similar to the White Tiger Palace. Everyone was not lining up, but rather scattered in twos and threes, looking towards the entrance into the palace.

There was someone sealing off the entrance there as well.

...