Chapter 142: The Fifth Level of the Heavenly Bridge

Chapter 142: The Fifth Level of the Heavenly Bridge

The Cloud Alliance had laid a siege to kill Ning Xiaochuan. Many hidden factions were involved in this operation, sealing off all his escape routes. Naturally, they also witnessed Ning Xiaochuan using the Blood Devouring Demon Art to absorb human blood.

Yet, at this moment, no one dared to step forward.

To come forward would mean exposing themselves as part of the ambush against Ning Xiaochuan—a foolish move no one was willing to make.

Moreover, the situation was clear to everyone now. Anyone who dared to accuse Ning Xiaochuan would not only provoke this ruthless man but also offend the Golden Roc Prince's Manor.

Seeing that no one stepped forward to testify, Zhang Linshan understood their hesitation but could do nothing about it. After all, Yu Qianqian was siding with Ning Xiaochuan and had even summoned Deputy Headmaster Hun Shi.

Few dared to provoke that unruly tyrant.

Zhang Linshan turned his gaze toward Deputy Headmaster Yan.

Deputy Headmaster Yan stepped forward and said, "Ning Xiaochuan has killed dozens of students, causing immense losses to the Emperor's Martial Palace. Shouldn’t this matter be investigated?"

Deputy Headmaster Hun Shi snorted coldly. "Are conflicts among students in the Emperor's Martial Palace rare? When the Cloud Alliance members ganged up on Ning Xiaochuan, why didn’t Deputy Headmaster Yan step in to uphold justice?"

Deputy Headmaster Yan’s face darkened. "None of us are qualified to handle this matter. Let’s wait until Ning Xiaochuan emerges from the Heavenly Bridge and hand him over to the Law Enforcement Team for judgment."

The instructors, deputy headmasters, and headmasters of the Emperor's Martial Palace were primarily responsible for teaching martial arts and rarely intervened in matters of discipline.

Deputy Headmaster Yan’s involvement stemmed from the rivalry between his disciple, Ming Yang, and Ning Xiaochuan. The two were set to face off in a year, and to ensure Ming Yang’s victory and claim the title of Champion, Ning Xiaochuan had to be suppressed—or even eliminated.

Deputy Headmaster Hun Shi, on the other hand, had intervened at Yu Qianqian’s request.

Thus, when Deputy Headmaster Yan proposed handing Ning Xiaochuan over to the Law Enforcement Team, even Deputy Headmaster Hun Shi couldn’t refute it—because this was indeed the Law Enforcement Team’s jurisdiction.

Yu Qianqian’s star-like eyes gleamed coldly as she glared at Zhang Linshan. "If there’s to be a trial, it should include everyone involved. Why target Ning Xiaochuan alone?"

Deputy Headmaster Hun Shi agreed. "Exactly. Zhang Linshan must also be held accountable for this bloodshed and handed over to the Law Enforcement Team."

Zhang Linshan clenched his fists but refrained from challenging Deputy Headmaster Hun Shi. Provoking this unruly tyrant now might lead to his immediate demise.

Besides, the captain of the Law Enforcement Team was on good terms with the leader of the Cloud Alliance, so Zhang Linshan wasn’t afraid of being tried.

Deputy Headmaster Hun Shi declared, "For fairness, let’s both attend the trial as observers, Old Ghost Yan."

Deputy Headmaster Yan smirked. "I was just thinking the same."

The atmosphere around the Heavenly Bridge grew eerie as everyone fell silent, their gazes fixed in its direction.

"Ning Xiaochuan still hasn’t emerged from the Heavenly Bridge. Could he be attempting the fifth level?" someone murmured.

Hearing this, both Zhang Linshan and Deputy Headmaster Yan’s expressions shifted slightly. If Ning Xiaochuan truly conquered the fifth level of the Heavenly Bridge, just how formidable would his talent be?

If the fifth light pillar of the Heavenly Bridge were to ignite, even figures at the academy master level would likely be startled, making it even harder to punish Ning Xiaochuan later.

Ning Xiaochuan had indeed gone to challenge the Fifth Level of the Heavenly Bridge.

"Boom!"

Ning Xiaochuan was sent flying for the eighth time by the White-robed Figure, his body covered in wounds, his face smeared with dust, looking utterly disheveled. Yet, he still gripped his battle sword tightly, his eyes burning with unyielding determination.

The White-robed Figure on the Fifth Level of the Heavenly Bridge possessed formidable cultivation, but his greatest strength lay in his defense. Even with Ning Xiaochuan’s Ninth Level of the Divine Body Realm physique, a single punch couldn’t deal significant damage to him.

The White-robed Figure on the first level wielded the power of the Five Elements—Metal Elemental Power.

The second level’s White-robed Figure wielded Wood Elemental Power.

The third level’s White-robed Figure wielded Water Elemental Power.

The fourth level’s White-robed Figure wielded Fire Elemental Power.

And the fifth level’s White-robed Figure wielded Earth Elemental Power.

Thus, it was understandable why the White-robed Figure on the Fifth Level of the Heavenly Bridge had such formidable defense—his power was rooted in Earth Elemental Power.

The vast earth, towering mountains, and celestial stars were not things mere human strength could shake.

The White-robed Figure stood steadily on the bridge, speaking calmly, "Young man, for someone of your cultivation to reach this level and exchange so many blows with me, your talent must at least be at the 'Once-in-Three-Centuries' level. Not bad. Truly not bad. I genuinely don’t wish to kill you. Why must you be so stubborn?"

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "If you could kill me, you would have done so with thunderous force long ago. Why waste time with all this talk?"

The fifth White-robed Figure’s cultivation was indeed powerful, but his focus was on defense. His offensive power was only slightly superior to Ning Xiaochuan’s, making it no easy task to kill him.

The White-robed Figure was merely a manifestation of consciousness conjured by the Heavenly Bridge. Once the battle began, it would fight with full force—there was no such thing as holding back. His earlier words were nothing more than psychological tactics.

The higher the level of the Heavenly Bridge, the stronger the White-robed Figures’ martial prowess and wisdom became.

The White-robed Figure said no more. Instead, he gathered a vast amount of yellow Profound Qi in his palm, weaving intricate patterns that coalesced into a 30-meter-tall rocky mountain, which he then sent crashing down.

This was a divine ability achievable only by mastering Earth Elemental Power to an extreme degree—Condensing Qi into Rock, Refining Rock into Mountain—capable of suppressing martial experts.

Legends spoke of a mighty martial expert who once used Earth Elemental Power to conjure a towering divine mountain, suppressing a Martial Venerable beneath it for 120 years. That Martial Venerable eventually withered away, his Blood Qi depleted, dying of old age at the mountain’s base.

Ning Xiaochuan slashed out streams of Sword Qi, but they couldn’t even scratch the rocky mountain. He attempted to use Rainbow Teleportation, but the mountain shadowed him relentlessly, pressing down upon his head.

"Boom!"

Ning Xiaochuan planted his feet on the Heavenly Bridge, raising both arms to hold up the 40-meter-tall rocky mountain. The immense weight bore down on him, forcing his legs to buckle slightly, nearly crushing him to the ground.

The rocky mountain weighed over 250 tons. Even with his Ninth Level of the Divine Body Realm physique, Ning Xiaochuan struggled to endure. His spine felt as if it were on the verge of snapping.

"Still refusing to admit defeat? Sigh... If you didn’t possess ‘Once-in-Four-Centuries Talent,’ you’d never pass my trial. Why persist? The Emperor’s Martial Palace has finally produced someone like you—I truly don’t wish to kill you," the White-robed Figure said calmly, standing atop the rocky hill.

Ning Xiaochuan braced himself against the rocky hill, teeth clenched, his bones creaking under the strain, yet he still refused to yield.

The small red dragon crouched at the edge of the Heavenly Bridge, watching Ning Xiaochuan curiously, its tiny claws lightly scratching its lips, utterly baffled by his struggle.

As Ning Xiaochuan was pushed to his physical limit, the Demonic Sword within his heart began to rotate. A wisp of Annihilation Qi coiled around the blade, releasing an ancient and boundless power.

"Whoosh!"

A blood-red Sword Qi erupted from Ning Xiaochuan’s body, shooting upward and splitting the rocky hill in two. The White-robed Figure’s body was torn apart by the Sword Qi.

Ning Xiaochuan knelt on one knee, gasping for breath, his hand pressed against his chest. His heart had been pounding so violently it felt like it might burst from his body.

"When I challenged the Fifth Level of the Heavenly Bridge, my talent definitely wasn’t at the ‘Once-in-Four-Centuries’ level. Yet just now, my talent improved significantly, and my potential increased as well. What happened?"

"It must be the power of the Demonic Sword and Annihilation Qi."

"I understand now—when pushed to the brink of life and death, my body automatically unlocks hidden potential. The Demonic Sword is the key to unleashing it."

Ning Xiaochuan had finally discovered a way to enhance his talent: seeking breakthroughs at the edge of death. However, this method was far too dangerous—one misstep, and he’d perish without a burial site.

It seemed he still needed to find other ways to improve his talent and potential.

To Ning Xiaochuan, his current martial prowess wasn’t the most important thing—potential mattered more. Only with sufficient potential could he go further on the path of martial arts.

‘Once-in-Four-Centuries Talent’ might seem unattainable to other warriors, but to Ning Xiaochuan, it was still far from enough.

The White-robed Figure’s corpse dissolved into countless points of light, forming the fifth pillar of radiance.

From within the pillar, the White-robed Figure’s voice echoed, "Congratulations on passing the Fifth Level of the Heavenly Bridge. Your talent has now reached the ‘Once-in-Four-Centuries’ level. Truthfully, I never held back during your trial—I was always trying to kill you with my full strength. Your success was entirely due to your own ability."

"The Heavenly Bridge’s intelligence is quite remarkable. I wonder what grade of Mystic Artifact it is?" Ning Xiaochuan pondered before continuing toward the sixth level.

After an unknown length of time traversing the bridge, he finally encountered the sixth White-robed Figure.

The White-robed Figure studied Ning Xiaochuan for a long moment before nodding. "Impressive. To reach me at just sixteen years old—remarkable, truly remarkable. But I advise you to turn back. Though your talent is high, your cultivation is still far from sufficient. If I strike, I could end your life in an instant, leaving you no chance to surrender."

Ning Xiaochuan was well aware of his own limitations. He said, "The power of the White-robed Figures on the first five levels corresponds to the 'Five Elements'—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. I came here to witness what kind of power you wield. Even if I can’t defeat you this time, I’ll be better prepared next time."

"Since you insist on trying, I’ll oblige. But this attempt might cost you your life." The White-robed Figure’s aura grew sharp, and a fiery qilin’s phantom manifested behind him.

"Roar!"

The White-robed Figure merged with the qilin, transforming into a nine-meter-tall fiery beast, unleashing a savage force.

"I surrender!"

The moment the qilin lunged, Ning Xiaochuan felt his meridians on the verge of exploding. He immediately used Rainbow Teleportation to escape while conceding defeat.

Even so, the qilin’s claw still struck him, slamming him to the ground and tearing a large chunk of flesh from his back.

Had he been a fraction slower, or hesitated even for an instant before saying "I surrender," the qilin’s claw would have pierced straight through his body, ensuring his death.

The qilin reverted to the White-robed Figure, who refrained from further attacks. He praised, "I thought you were doomed, but your reflexes were impressive. I look forward to the day you return, when I may no longer be your match."

"Count on it." Ning Xiaochuan slowly rose to his feet, his resolve unwavering.