Next, Li Qingyang and the others entered the second checkpoint.
Because they had Lu Qianqian and Zhou Hong—these two controllers and damage dealers—clearing trash mobs was exceptionally easy. They quickly reached the boss.
It was still an armored giant, but this one rode a mount that would assist its master by spewing skill attacks during battle.
One careless moment and the entire team was wiped out.
“Damn it!”
Before the weakness debuff arrived, Ye Xingchen angrily grabbed Song Dehen and roared, “How could I be partnered with you?!”
“Big brother… this time… it’s not… not my fault!”
Indeed, it wasn’t his fault.
But because Ye Xingchen was being overly cautious in the Life and Death Secret Realm, fighting timidly, he could only vent his frustration over the failure on Song Dehen.
In short, he needed a scapegoat.
“It’s fine.”
Li Qingyang consoled them, “We’ll challenge it again next time.”
The Life and Death Secret Realm didn’t actually kill anyone—at worst, they’d be weakened for a while. They could just come back multiple times. Once they became familiar with the boss’s attack patterns, defeating it was just a matter of time.
Sure enough, over the following month, whenever everyone recovered, they would go challenge it. Although they repeatedly died to the second checkpoint boss several times, through persistent effort, they finally discovered its attack patterns and, after spending an hour, managed to defeat it.
“Huff, huff!”
“Huff, huff!”
Su Xiaomo sat cross-legged on the ground, enveloped in glowing light. Immediately, a massive breakthrough aura emerged from her, and she exclaimed excitedly, “I’m about to break through to peak Truth Seeking Realm!”
After defeating the first boss, she was still far from breaking through. After defeating the second boss, she broke through on the spot—this was the generous reward Hell Mode provided.
“I’m almost there too!” Li Fei said.
He and Su Xiaomo weren’t as monstrous as Ye Xingchen and the others—their cultivation had always been stuck at upper-tier Truth Seeking Realm.
Actually, disciples who could reach the upper tier ranked quite high in the Eternal Sect. Just look—even elders like Liu Sinan were only at peak Truth Seeking Realm.
It could be said that advancing from Truth Seeking Realm to Heavenly Secret Realm was a major hurdle. Currently, only Jun Changxiao had achieved it. Even Hua Meigui, who inherited the Supreme Thousand Practices Soul, was only at the peak level. Advancing another step would require great fortune.
…
“Thud!”
“Thud!”
In the third checkpoint’s boss area, Xiao Zuiji and Su Xiaomo fell to the ground. Both had suffered heavy damage and entered critical health status.
“…”
Seeing this, Li Qingyang thought silently, “We’re done for again.”
After clearing the second checkpoint boss, they had challenged the third checkpoint boss ten times already. Each time, at this exact moment, they were completely wiped out with absolutely no way to counter it.
“Roar!”
A roar sounded.
A serpent beast with nine heads rushed out, then spewed poison-like energy at everyone present.
Li Qingyang and the others shrugged helplessly.
This familiar scene—they had experienced it ten times already.
“Watch out!”
Just then, Xiao Zuiji rushed forward holding his shield, gathering his last bit of defense and standing in front of everyone.
As the raid team’s main tank, even if only one drop of blood remained, he would fearlessly stand before his companions to shield them from wind and rain.
“Boom!”
The poisonous energy splashed over, rapidly corroding the Flowing Light Shield.
Xiao Zuiji’s health bar also completely emptied, and he transformed into flowing light before everyone’s eyes.
“Bang!”
“Bang!”
Having lost the tank’s protection, Li Qingyang and the others were eliminated one after another.
This team wipe was the same as the last—they had absolutely no way to fight back. Even understanding the mechanics couldn’t help them avoid it.
Outside the secret realm, Xiao Zuiji said weakly, “We can’t get past it!”
“Sigh.”
Li Qingyang said, “Let’s stop here for now. We’ll challenge it again when everyone’s stronger.”
“Second Senior Brother!”
Su Xiaomo clenched her fists. “Can you accept this?!”
They had spent so much time finally reaching the final checkpoint boss. If they gave up and waited for the cooldown to reset, for these competitive people, it was unacceptable.
On the contrary, Night Emperor was very calm.
Because Song Dehen existed, he hadn’t really exerted much effort throughout.
Of course, even if he had given his all, they still couldn’t clear it, because the third checkpoint was truly too difficult.
“Let’s go.”
Li Qingyang struggled to stand up. “After the side effects wear off, everyone should diligently cultivate. Sooner or later, we’ll be able to clear it.”
Though Su Xiaomo and the others were unwilling, their strength didn’t allow them to keep challenging, so they could only leave dejectedly.
“I think we should challenge it one more time.”
Just then, a voice came from behind.
Li Qingyang and the others stopped in their tracks and turned to look at He Wudi.
“Junior Brother.”
Su Xiaomo said bitterly, “We’re being completely crushed by the serpent beast. Going again would just be feeding it.”
“Trust me.”
He Wudi said with a solemn gaze, “Let’s challenge it one more time.”
The usually silent and low-presence inner disciple suddenly had such a serious expression—this made everyone feel somewhat unaccustomed.
“That’s right!”
Ye Xingchen stood up. “We of the Eternal Sect never give up easily!”
“…”
Li Qingyang and Su Xiaomo fell silent.
“Seven days from now,” Lu Qianqian said. “Gather here.”
“Alright!”
Since Eldest Senior Sister had spoken, even knowing the challenge would fail, everyone still decided to try one more time.
Jun Changxiao, sitting on the mountain peak, bit into a cucumber while chewing and muttering to himself, “I’m proud of you all.”
Never giving up easily—this was the spirit of the Eternal Sect.
…
Seven days later, Li Qingyang and the others gathered once more before the Life and Death Secret Realm.
“Let’s go in.”
Everyone merged into the vortex without hesitation.
Because they had already defeated the first two checkpoint bosses, they were directly transported to the third checkpoint to face the nine-headed serpent emerging from the void.
“Form up!”
Li Qingyang shouted.
“Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!”
Xiao Zuiji, Su Xiaomo, and the others activated their character special effects, entering their most serious combat state. Even Ye Xingchen, who had been slacking off all along, donned his battle armor and summoned his Sky Piercer Halberd.
“Step!”
While everyone was gearing up, He Wudi stepped forward first. Facing the nine-headed serpent with his back to his fellow disciples, he said, “Leave it to me.”
“Whoosh, whoosh!”
Wind suddenly arose in the secret realm, blowing away his disheveled bangs and revealing his chiseled face.
Speaking of slacking off, Ye Xingchen could only be considered a little brother compared to He Wudi.
But today, coming to challenge this, he had decided to get serious.
Not for anything else, but because last time when they were wiped out, knowing defeat was inevitable, Xiao Zuiji still fought desperately to tank damage for him.
Laying low was to survive better.
But if laying low meant choosing to abandon and ignore everything, He Wudi couldn’t do it—because after joining the Eternal Sect for so long, his mindset had changed.
“Whoosh, whoosh!”
In an instant, extremely powerful True Spirit Force permeated around his body.
Lu Qianqian and Ye Xingchen were astonished. Both could clearly feel the opponent’s martial aura continuously rising. His strength was probably not below their own… it was above their own!
“Fall back.”
He Wudi raised one hand.
This was unnecessary, because Li Qingyang and the others had already retreated to a distance, silently cheering him on.
“Roar!”
“Roar!”
At this moment, the nine-headed serpent locked onto He Wudi. Its nine gaping maws charged forward.
“Whoosh, whoosh!”
An eerie aura erupted, sending chills down one’s spine.
“Swish!”
He Wudi assumed a stance similar to Gang Leader Qiao performing the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms. He rapidly formed certain hand seals, then struck toward the void. “Nine Dragon Splitting Palm!”
“Roar!”
“Roar!”
Instantly, the gathered massive True Spirit Force transformed into nine roaring dragon beasts that charged forward with space-shaking momentum.
The scene won’t be described in detail.
Just from Li Qingyang and the others’ wide eyes, one could guess it must have been magnificent and spectacular, with special effects maxed out!
Even if Jun Changxiao were present, he would probably be shocked speechless.
If one absolutely had to describe it, every battle they had experienced before, every martial technique they had deployed, paled in comparison to the emergence of the nine dragons—including Gu Tianxing, including… Gu Xuanyuan!
“Splurt!”
“Splurt!”
The power of nine dragons coiled around the nine-headed serpent, transforming into blades that mercilessly tore it apart.
Flesh and blood flew everywhere—it was too horrible to watch.
A moment later, everything returned to calm.
Li Qingyang, Xiao Zuiji, and the others remained dumbfounded.
As for the serpent beast that had wiped them out ten times, it had been split into fragments and was gradually transforming into countless specks of glowing light.
Instant… kill!
“Phew!”
He Wudi withdrew his palm and exhaled a breath of turbid air, thinking silently, “I haven’t performed this in so long, I’m getting a bit rusty.”
In the outside world, when the nine-headed serpent was annihilated, a heavy voice resounded throughout the entire sect: “Congratulations to core disciples Li Qingyang, Su Xiaomo, and eight others for successfully clearing Hell Mode!”
—