shuō wán ， yǔ wén xīng yòu bù jīn gǎn tàn dào ：“ cǐ rén bù guāng xiū xíng tiān fù zhī gāo ， shì suǒ hǎn jiàn 。 xiū xíng yì zhì yǔ yǒng qì yě shì dāng shì shǎo yǒu 。”
说完，宇文星又不禁感叹道：“此人不光修行天赋之高，世所罕见。修行意志与勇气也是当世少有。”
Afterwards, Yuwen Xing couldn't help but exclaim, "Not only does this person have an extraordinary cultivation talent that is rarely seen in the world. His determination and courage in cultivation are also rare among contemporaries."
“ nà shí qī zūn kuǐ lěi shí lì qiáng hàn ， xún cháng xiū shì wéi kǒng bì zhī bù jí 。 zhè zhāng hào bō què fǎn qí dào ér xíng zhī ， ná qí shì jiàn 。”
“那十七尊傀儡实力强悍，寻常修士唯恐避之不及。这张浩波却反其道而行之，拿其试剑。”
"That seventeen puppet masters are incredibly powerful; ordinary cultivators would be afraid to even approach them. Yet Zhang Haobo goes against the grain and uses these puppets to test his sword skills," he continued.
“ zé zé zé ， ruò shì cǐ rén jiē xià lái bù yǔn luò de huà ， bì dìng shì dà dào kě qī a ！”
“啧啧啧，若是此人接下来不陨落的话，必定是大道可期啊！”
"Zhu Zhu Zhu, if this person doesn't fall into a pit in the future, he will surely achieve great things on the path of Dao!" Li Fan echoed, nodding in agreement.
lǐ fán fù hè dào ：“ yǔ wén dào yǒu suǒ yán jí shì ！”
李凡附和道：“宇文道友所言极是！”
After a long while, no news came from the other side. Clearly, Yuwen Xing had gone to spread the word among others.
xǔ jiǔ ， duì miàn dōu zài méi yǒu xiāo xī chuán lái 。 xiǎn rán ， shì zhè yǔ wén xīng yòu qù hé bié de rén xuān yáng cǐ shì le 。
许久，对面都再没有消息传来。显然，是这宇文星又去和别的人宣扬此事了。
"Zhang Haobo managed to凝聚出 twenty-four定海剑 at the Foundation Establishment stage, yet he only recently entered the Qi Condensation realm. It's quite remarkable!"
“ zhù jī qī cái néng níng jù de èr shí sì bǐng dìng hǎi jiàn ， zhāng hào bō jū rán gāng rù liàn qì bù jiǔ ， jiù níng jù chū lái le 。”
“筑基期才能凝聚的二十四柄定海剑，张浩波居然刚入炼气不久，就凝聚出来了。”
"Is it because he is particularly suited for this technique? Or is there some other reason? This is interesting..."
“ shì tā tè bié shì hé zhè mén gōng fǎ ？ hái shì yǒu shén me qí tā yuán gù ？ yǒu qù ……”
“是他特别适合这门功法？还是有什么其他缘故？有趣……”
Driven by curiosity, Li Fan immediately set out, heading towards Tianyang Cave Mansion to see what was happening.
yī shí lái le xìng zhì ， lǐ fán dāng jí dòng shēn ， zhǔn bèi qián wǎng tiān yáng dòng fǔ ， kàn gè jiū jìng 。
一时来了兴致，李凡当即动身，准备前往天阳洞府，看个究竟。
Tianyang Cave Mansion was located in the western part of Cunyun Sea, within a dormant underwater volcano.
tiān yáng dòng fǔ wèi yú cóng yún hǎi xī bù hǎi yù ， yī chù chén jì de hǎi dǐ huǒ shān nèi 。
天阳洞府位于丛云海西部海域，一处沉寂的海底火山内。
Since the last volcanic eruption revealed the existence of Tianyang Cave Mansion, the underwater geothermal activity around it had become more active.
zì cóng zhī qián huǒ shān bào fā ， tiān yáng dòng fǔ xiàn shì zhī hòu 。
自从之前火山爆发，天阳洞府现世之后。
On his way, Li Fan occasionally saw groups of Qi Condensation cultivators traveling together. They were visibly excited and their conversations revolved around Zhang Haobo, who was currently testing his sword skills.
zhè fù jìn de hǎi dǐ huǒ mài yù fā huó yuè qǐ lái 。
这附近的海底火脉愈发活跃起来。
From what they said, it seemed that Zhang Haobo could now persist for nearly a cup of tea's duration against the seventeen puppet masters.
lù shàng ， lǐ fán ǒu ěr yě néng kàn dào sān sān liǎng liǎng jié bàn ér xíng de liàn qì xiū shì 。
路上，李凡偶尔也能看到三三两两结伴而行的炼气修士。
Many people took advantage of Zhang Haobo's distraction to sneak into the cave mansion in search of opportunities. However, with only a short time available, before they had any chance to discover anything, Zhang Haobo would be overwhelmed and withdraw from the cave.
tā men miàn sè xīng fèn ， yán yǔ jiāo tán zhōng huà tí lí bù kāi nà zhèng zài shì jiàn de zhāng hào bō 。
他们面色兴奋，言语交谈中话题离不开那正在试剑的张浩波。
Thus, these people became targets for the increasingly angry puppets and met their demise one by one.
tīng tā men jiāo tán de yì si ， sì hū xiàn zài zhāng hào bō néng zài nà shí qī zūn jī guān kuǐ lěi shǒu zhōng jiān chí chà bu duō yī zhǎn chá de gōng fu le 。
听他们交谈的意思，似乎现在张浩波能在那十七尊机关傀儡手中坚持差不多一盏茶的功夫了。
However, news spread that through repeated trials, Zhang Haobo's progress was rapid. Perhaps he would soon break through to the middle stage of Qi Condensation.
bù shǎo rén chèn zhe zhāng hào bō xī yǐn kuǐ lěi huǒ lì de shí hòu ， tōu tōu liū jìn dòng fǔ nèi ， shì tú móu qiú jī yuán 。
不少人趁着张浩波吸引傀儡火力的时候，偷偷溜进洞府内，试图谋求机缘。
At that point, his strength would surely surge, allowing him to hold off the puppet masters longer. Meanwhile, others could take advantage of the chaos and enter the cave mansion for exploration.
kě yī zhǎn chá de shí jiān tài duǎn ， hái méi děng tā men yǒu suǒ fā xiàn ， zhāng hào bō biàn lì bù néng zhī ， chè chū le dòng fǔ 。
可一盏茶的时间太短，还没等他们有所发现，张浩波便力不能支，撤出了洞府。
Zhang Haobo seemed indifferent to this behavior; he continued with his routine of resting, testing his sword skills, and resting again.
yú shì zhè xiē rén biàn bèi yù fā fèn nù de kuǐ lěi dàng zuò le xiè fèn duì xiàng ， fēn fēn cǎn sǐ 。
于是这些人便被愈发愤怒的傀儡当做了泄愤对象，纷纷惨死。
As a result, more and more cultivators began scheming their own strategies.
bù guò yǒu xiāo xī chēng ， tōng guò zhè yī cì cì bù duàn de shì jiàn ， zhāng hào bō jìn bù shén sù 。
不过有消息称，通过这一次次不断的试剑，张浩波进步神速。
Of course, there were also those who came out of admiration for Zhang Haobo's feat of single-handedly battling seventeen puppet masters. They wanted to see him in action.
huò xǔ bù jiǔ zhī hòu ， jiù yào tū pò dào liàn qì zhōng qī le 。
或许不久之后，就要突破到炼气中期了。
In no time, Li Fan arrived at the location of Tianyang Cave Mansion.
dào shí hòu ， shí lì bì dìng yǒu yí gè fēi yuè ， néng qiān zhì zhù kuǐ lěi gèng zhǎng shí jiān 。
到时候，实力必定有一个飞跃，能牵制住傀儡更长时间。
Due to active geothermal activity, the water temperature here was noticeably higher than elsewhere.
yī páng de rén bì rán kě yǐ hún shuǐ mō yú ， jìn rù dòng fǔ tàn suǒ jī yuán 。
一旁的人必然可以浑水摸鱼，进入洞府探索机缘。
Floating on the surface were many dead fish; this had been cleaned up once already.
ér nà zhāng hào bō ， sì hū duì zhè zhǒng xíng wéi bù shèn zài yì ， méi yǒu biǎo shì shén me bù mǎn 。
而那张浩波，似乎对这种行为不甚在意，没有表示什么不满。
Fortunately, Li Fan had prepared beforehand. After activating his Shape Concealment and Fire Bathing Talismans, he dived into the water.
zhǐ shì zài xiū xī 、 shì jiàn 、 xiū xī zhī jiān ， bù duàn de kū zào chóng fù 。
只是在休息、试剑、休息之间，不断的枯燥重复。
As he descended deeper, the water temperature rose significantly. By the time he reached the bottom, it was almost boiling hot.
suǒ yǐ dǎ zhe xiǎo xīn sī de xiū shì yuè lái yuè duō 。
所以打着小心思的修士越来越多。
Inside a volcanic vent, scorching lava spewed out with billowing white smoke.
dāng rán ， yě yǒu chún cuì shì bèi zhāng hào bō yī rén dú dòu shí qī kuǐ lěi de zhuàng jǔ gěi jīng yàn dào ， lái zhè lǐ yī dǔ qí fēng cǎi de 。
当然，也有纯粹是被张浩波一人独斗十七傀儡的壮举给惊艳到，来这里一睹其风采的。
The lava quickly cooled upon contact with seawater and formed black stone that spread outward.
méi yòng duō jiǔ ， lǐ fán biàn lái dào le tiān yáng dòng fǔ suǒ zài hǎi yù 。
没用多久，李凡便来到了天阳洞府所在海域。
Around the volcano, many cultivators gathered, ignoring the boiling water and the spectacular sight of the underwater eruption. Their attention was fixed on Zhang Haobo, who was meditating nearby.
yóu yú dì huǒ huó yuè ， zhè lǐ hǎi shuǐ de wēn dù míng xiǎn yào gāo chū qí tā dì fāng yī jié 。
由于地火活跃，这里海水的温度明显要高出其他地方一截。
As Li Fan approached, he heard whispers among the crowd.
hǎi miàn piāo fú zhe bù shǎo sǐ qù de yú lèi ， zhè hái shì yǐ jīng bèi qīng lǐ guò yī tàng de jié guǒ 。
海面漂浮着不少死去的鱼类，这还是已经被清理过一趟的结果。
"How did his first battle as a Qi Condensation中期 seem to last no longer than before?"
hǎo zài lǐ fán lái zhī qián jiù yǐ jīng yǒu suǒ zhǔn bèi ， cáng xíng fú 、 yù huǒ fú yī tóng jī fā hòu ， qián rù hǎi shuǐ zhōng 。
好在李凡来之前就已经有所准备，藏形符、浴火符一同激发后，潜入海水中。
"You don't know anything; didn't you see that his招式 still seemed similar to his earlier stage? He's clearly adapting to his newfound strength."
yuè wǎng xià ， hǎi shuǐ de wēn dù yuè gāo 。
越往下，海水的温度越高。
"Indeed. I think this time, he can hold out for two cups of tea!"
kuài dào hǎi dǐ shí ， hǎi shuǐ yǐ jīng jiē jìn fèi téng 。
快到海底时，海水已经接近沸腾。
...
yī chù hǎi dǐ huǒ shān kǒu nèi ， bù duàn yǒu zhì rè de yán jiāng bàn suí zhe gǔn gǔn bái yān pēn yǒng ér chū 。
一处海底火山口内，不断有炙热的岩浆伴随着滚滚白烟喷涌而出。
Amidst the murmurs, Zhang Haobo opened his eyes and suddenly stood up.
yán jiāng yù dào hǎi shuǐ hòu kuài sù lěng què ， xíng chéng hēi sè shí zhì ， cháo wài duī jī kuò sàn 。
岩浆遇到海水后快速冷却，形成黑色石质，朝外堆积扩散。
With a calm expression, he rushed into the volcanic vent.
huǒ shān kǒu zhōu wéi ， jù jí zhe bù shǎo de xiū shì 。
火山口周围，聚集着不少的修士。
The onlookers did not follow him in but instead watched as a water curtain in the center lit up, showing the scene inside the cave mansion.
tā men bù zài yì fèi téng de hǎi shuǐ ， yě duì hǎi dǐ huǒ shān pēn bó de yì jǐng háo bù zài yì 。
他们不在意沸腾的海水，也对海底火山喷薄的异景毫不在意。
It seemed that these puppets were not just mere lifeless objects. After several provocations from Zhang Haobo, they had anticipated his return and set up ambushes at the entrance of the cave mansion.
zhù yì lì quán dōu jí zhōng zài bù yuǎn chù bì mù dǎ zuò de zhāng hào bō shēn shàng 。
注意力全都集中在不远处闭目打坐的张浩波身上。
Upon entering, they immediately launched an attack.
lǐ fán kào jìn hòu ， dī shēng de yì lùn chuán rù ěr zhōng 。
李凡靠近后，低声的议论传入耳中。
Zhang Haobo remained calm, with twenty-four azure water swords forming a protective barrier around him as he deflected the puppet's attacks one by one. He then leaped through the gaps between the puppets, breaking free from their encirclement and flying up into the air.
“ gāng gāng liàn qì zhōng qī dì yī zhàn ， zěn me hǎo xiàng jiān chí shí jiān méi bǐ zhī qián duō xǔ duō a ？”
“刚刚炼气中期第一战，怎么好像坚持时间没比之前多许多啊？”
"Hey? What is he doing?"
“ nǐ dǒng shén me ， méi kàn dào tā de zhāo shì lì dù yě gēn zhī qián liàn qì qián qī chà bu duō me 。 míng xiǎn hái zài shì yìng xí guàn tū pò hòu de lì liàng 。”
“你懂什么，没看到他的招式力度也跟之前炼气前期差不多么。明显还在适应习惯突破后的力量。”
"Is he not just defending now? Is he using offense to defend?"
“ bù cuò ， wǒ kàn zhè cì kěn dìng néng jiān chí liǎng zhǎn chá shí jiān ！”
“不错，我看这次肯定能坚持两盏茶时间！”
The crowd gasped as Zhang Haobo stared at the puppets below. His eyes flashed with determination, and he formed a hand seal.
……
……
Instantly, the twenty-four water swords sped up several times their original speed.
zhòng rén de yì lùn shēng zhōng ， zhāng hào bō zhēng kāi le yǎn jīng ， zhòu rán qǐ shēn 。
众人的议论声中，张浩波睁开了眼睛，骤然起身。
They rained down like a storm, striking the puppet masters from all angles.
yī liǎn gǔ jǐng wú bō ， chōng jìn huǒ shān kǒu zhōng 。
一脸古井无波，冲进火山口中。
The water swords danced like spirits, creating countless illusions. The scene appeared to be filled with hundreds of water swords crisscrossing in mid-air.
kàn rè nào de zhòng rén méi yǒu gēn jìn qù 。
看热闹的众人没有跟进去。
Despite the intense attacks, the puppets' bodies were incredibly hard; the water swords could not leave even faint marks on them. They only caused their movements to pause slightly.
zhǐ shì zhōng yāng yī kuài shuǐ mù liàng qǐ ， xiǎn xiàn chū dòng fǔ nèi huà miàn 。
只是中央一块水幕亮起，显现出洞府内画面。
But as soon as they recovered from these pauses, the water sword attacks continued relentlessly. Their movements became stiff again.
nà shí qī zūn kuǐ lěi sì hū yě bù dān chún zhǐ shì sǐ wù 。
那十七尊傀儡似乎也不单纯只是死物。
The water sword attacks flowed like a waterfall, unceasingly, forcing the puppets to merely defend.
zhāng hào bō jǐ cì sān fān tiǎo xìn zhī hòu ， tā men yě zǎo yǐ yù liào dào tā huì zài lái ， yǐ jīng tí qián mái fú zài le dòng fǔ mén kǒu 。
张浩波几次三番挑衅之后，它们也早已预料到他会再来，已经提前埋伏在了洞府门口。
Zhang Haobo had managed to suppress seventeen puppet masters with his own strength!
fǔ yī jìn rù ， jiù lì mǎ fā dòng xí jī 。
甫一进入，就立马发动袭击。
Outside the cave mansion, cultivators watching were all stunned and stirred up.
zhāng hào bō bù huāng bù máng ， èr shí sì bǐng zhàn lán shuǐ jiàn hù liè shēn cè ， jiāng kuǐ lěi de gōng jī yī yī dǎng xià 。
张浩波不慌不忙，二十四柄湛蓝水剑护列身侧，将傀儡的攻击一一挡下。
"Is Zhang Haobo really at the Qi Condensation中期? What cultivation technique is he practicing? He's so strong!"
zì jǐ zé shì shēn xíng fēi yuè ， zài kuǐ lěi kòng xì jiān chuān suō bù zhǐ 。
自己则是身形飞跃，在傀儡空隙间穿梭不止。
"It's said that he only started cultivating a year ago. Truly a prodigy of heaven!"
zhǎ yǎn jiān biàn yǐ jīng tū pò le fēng suǒ ， lái dào le kuǐ lěi bāo wéi quān zhī wài 。
眨眼间便已经突破了封锁，来到了傀儡包围圈之外。
"Fellow Daoists, let's rush in! I think these puppets are already beaten and can't even lift their heads. This is the perfect time to explore the cave mansion for opportunities!"
suí hòu fēi shēn ér shàng ， xuán yú bàn kōng 。
随后飞身而上，悬于半空。
Amidst the crowd, someone suddenly called out, stirring up excitement.
“ yí ？ tā xiǎng yào gàn má ？”
“咦？他想要干嘛？”
Though it seemed logical, people began to move restlessly.
“ bù dān dān shì fáng shǒu le ？ tā zhè shì yào yǐ gōng dài shǒu ？”
“不单单是防守了？他这是要以攻代守？”
At that moment, a rather robust man shook his head and said, "I don't think so. Fellow Daoist Zhang's招式 are indeed terrifying, but they surely consume too much元气 to be sustainable. This time, he probably won't last as long as before."
zhòng rén de jīng hū shēng zhōng ， zhǐ jiàn zhāng hào bō zhù shì zhe xià fāng de kuǐ lěi ， mù guāng rú diàn ， shuāng shǒu qiā le yī dào fǎ jué 。
众人的惊呼声中，只见张浩波注视着下方的傀儡，目光如电，双手掐了一道法诀。
The crowd was taken aback by this, pondering for a moment before nodding in agreement.
chà nà jiān ， nà èr shí sì bǐng shuǐ jiàn ， sù dù zhòu rán biàn kuài le shù bèi 。
刹那间，那二十四柄水剑，速度骤然变快了数倍。
Li Fan watched the scene on the water curtain, frowning slightly.
rú kuáng fēng zhòu yǔ bān ， duì zhe jī guān kuǐ lěi pī tóu gài liǎn dǎ qù 。
如狂风骤雨般，对着机关傀儡劈头盖脸打去。
He knew that just now Zhang Haobo used The Water Dragon's Lament—a powerful technique from the Sea Calming Divine Sword.
shuǐ jiàn rú tóng jīng líng bān bù duàn wǔ dòng ， chǎn shēng wú shù huàn yǐng 。 chǎng zhōng zhà kàn shàng qù ， lán yǐng zòng héng jiāo zhī ， shì tóng shí chū xiàn le chéng bǎi shàng qiān bǐng shuǐ jiàn 。
水剑如同精灵般不断舞动，产生无数幻影。场中乍看上去，蓝影纵横交织，似同时出现了成百上千柄水剑。
With sword movements like dragon dance, it was wide-ranging and fast, with strong destructive power.
jī guān kuǐ lěi de shēn tǐ jí wéi jiān yìng ， shuǐ jiàn hōng jī zài qí shēn shàng ， yě shì lián qiǎn bái de hén jì dōu bù néng liú xià 。 zhǐ néng ràng tā men de dòng zuò wēi wēi yī dùn 。
机关傀儡的身体极为坚硬，水剑轰击在其身上，也是连浅白的痕迹都不能留下。只能让它们的动作微微一顿。
Indeed, it was formidable, but required immense spiritual energy to sustain, typically only achievable by Foundation Establishment cultivators.
dàn děng tā men gāng cóng zhè wēi wēi yī dùn zhōng huī fù guò lái ， shuǐ jiàn de gōng jī yòu jiē zhǒng ér zhì 。
但等它们刚从这微微一顿中恢复过来，水剑的攻击又接踵而至。
Even a hundred miles dust, who was also at Qi Condensation中期 and had the full version of The Sea Calming Divine Sword, could not perform this technique.
yú shì tā men de dòng zuò yòu xiàn rù le jiāng zhí zhī zhōng 。
于是它们的动作又陷入了僵直之中。
What puzzled Li Fan was that although Zhang Haobo's talent far exceeded that of a hundred miles dust, he was still only at the Qi Condensation中期 stage.
shuǐ jiàn de gōng jī rú bēn liú pù bù ， yī kè bù tíng ， ràng zhè xiē jī guān kuǐ lěi jìng rán yìng shēng shēng de zhǐ néng zhāo jià 。
水剑的攻击如奔流瀑布，一刻不停，让这些机关傀儡竟然硬生生的只能招架。
This Water Dragon's Lament should not be sustainable for long. But now, it seemed as if Zhang Haobo had complete confidence and showed no concern about his spiritual energy.
zhāng hào bō ， jìng rán píng jiè yī jǐ zhī lì ， jiāng shí qī zūn kuǐ lěi yā zhì ！
张浩波，竟然凭借一己之力，将十七尊傀儡压制！
Why?
Afterwards, Yuwen Xing couldn't help but exclaim, "Not only does this person have an extraordinary cultivation talent that is rarely seen in the world. His determination and courage in cultivation are also rare among contemporaries."
"That seventeen puppet masters are incredibly powerful; ordinary cultivators would be afraid to even approach them. Yet Zhang Haobo goes against the grain and uses these puppets to test his sword skills," he continued.
"Zhu Zhu Zhu, if this person doesn't fall into a pit in the future, he will surely achieve great things on the path of Dao!" Li Fan echoed, nodding in agreement.
After a long while, no news came from the other side. Clearly, Yuwen Xing had gone to spread the word among others.
"Zhang Haobo managed to凝聚出 twenty-four定海剑 at the Foundation Establishment stage, yet he only recently entered the Qi Condensation realm. It's quite remarkable!"
"Is it because he is particularly suited for this technique? Or is there some other reason? This is interesting..."
Driven by curiosity, Li Fan immediately set out, heading towards Tianyang Cave Mansion to see what was happening.
Tianyang Cave Mansion was located in the western part of Cunyun Sea, within a dormant underwater volcano.
Since the last volcanic eruption revealed the existence of Tianyang Cave Mansion, the underwater geothermal activity around it had become more active.
On his way, Li Fan occasionally saw groups of Qi Condensation cultivators traveling together. They were visibly excited and their conversations revolved around Zhang Haobo, who was currently testing his sword skills.
From what they said, it seemed that Zhang Haobo could now persist for nearly a cup of tea's duration against the seventeen puppet masters.
Many people took advantage of Zhang Haobo's distraction to sneak into the cave mansion in search of opportunities. However, with only a short time available, before they had any chance to discover anything, Zhang Haobo would be overwhelmed and withdraw from the cave.
Thus, these people became targets for the increasingly angry puppets and met their demise one by one.
However, news spread that through repeated trials, Zhang Haobo's progress was rapid. Perhaps he would soon break through to the middle stage of Qi Condensation.
At that point, his strength would surely surge, allowing him to hold off the puppet masters longer. Meanwhile, others could take advantage of the chaos and enter the cave mansion for exploration.
Zhang Haobo seemed indifferent to this behavior; he continued with his routine of resting, testing his sword skills, and resting again.
As a result, more and more cultivators began scheming their own strategies.
Of course, there were also those who came out of admiration for Zhang Haobo's feat of single-handedly battling seventeen puppet masters. They wanted to see him in action.
In no time, Li Fan arrived at the location of Tianyang Cave Mansion.
Due to active geothermal activity, the water temperature here was noticeably higher than elsewhere.
Floating on the surface were many dead fish; this had been cleaned up once already.
Fortunately, Li Fan had prepared beforehand. After activating his Shape Concealment and Fire Bathing Talismans, he dived into the water.
As he descended deeper, the water temperature rose significantly. By the time he reached the bottom, it was almost boiling hot.
Inside a volcanic vent, scorching lava spewed out with billowing white smoke.
The lava quickly cooled upon contact with seawater and formed black stone that spread outward.
Around the volcano, many cultivators gathered, ignoring the boiling water and the spectacular sight of the underwater eruption. Their attention was fixed on Zhang Haobo, who was meditating nearby.
As Li Fan approached, he heard whispers among the crowd.
"How did his first battle as a Qi Condensation中期 seem to last no longer than before?"
"You don't know anything; didn't you see that his招式 still seemed similar to his earlier stage? He's clearly adapting to his newfound strength."
"Indeed. I think this time, he can hold out for two cups of tea!"
...
Amidst the murmurs, Zhang Haobo opened his eyes and suddenly stood up.
With a calm expression, he rushed into the volcanic vent.
The onlookers did not follow him in but instead watched as a water curtain in the center lit up, showing the scene inside the cave mansion.
It seemed that these puppets were not just mere lifeless objects. After several provocations from Zhang Haobo, they had anticipated his return and set up ambushes at the entrance of the cave mansion.
Upon entering, they immediately launched an attack.
Zhang Haobo remained calm, with twenty-four azure water swords forming a protective barrier around him as he deflected the puppet's attacks one by one. He then leaped through the gaps between the puppets, breaking free from their encirclement and flying up into the air.
"Hey? What is he doing?"
"Is he not just defending now? Is he using offense to defend?"
The crowd gasped as Zhang Haobo stared at the puppets below. His eyes flashed with determination, and he formed a hand seal.
Instantly, the twenty-four water swords sped up several times their original speed.
They rained down like a storm, striking the puppet masters from all angles.
The water swords danced like spirits, creating countless illusions. The scene appeared to be filled with hundreds of water swords crisscrossing in mid-air.
Despite the intense attacks, the puppets' bodies were incredibly hard; the water swords could not leave even faint marks on them. They only caused their movements to pause slightly.
But as soon as they recovered from these pauses, the water sword attacks continued relentlessly. Their movements became stiff again.
The water sword attacks flowed like a waterfall, unceasingly, forcing the puppets to merely defend.
Zhang Haobo had managed to suppress seventeen puppet masters with his own strength!
Outside the cave mansion, cultivators watching were all stunned and stirred up.
"Is Zhang Haobo really at the Qi Condensation中期? What cultivation technique is he practicing? He's so strong!"
"It's said that he only started cultivating a year ago. Truly a prodigy of heaven!"
"Fellow Daoists, let's rush in! I think these puppets are already beaten and can't even lift their heads. This is the perfect time to explore the cave mansion for opportunities!"
Amidst the crowd, someone suddenly called out, stirring up excitement.
Though it seemed logical, people began to move restlessly.
At that moment, a rather robust man shook his head and said, "I don't think so. Fellow Daoist Zhang's招式 are indeed terrifying, but they surely consume too much元气 to be sustainable. This time, he probably won't last as long as before."
The crowd was taken aback by this, pondering for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Li Fan watched the scene on the water curtain, frowning slightly.
He knew that just now Zhang Haobo used The Water Dragon's Lament—a powerful technique from the Sea Calming Divine Sword.
With sword movements like dragon dance, it was wide-ranging and fast, with strong destructive power.
Indeed, it was formidable, but required immense spiritual energy to sustain, typically only achievable by Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Even a hundred miles dust, who was also at Qi Condensation中期 and had the full version of The Sea Calming Divine Sword, could not perform this technique.
What puzzled Li Fan was that although Zhang Haobo's talent far exceeded that of a hundred miles dust, he was still only at the Qi Condensation中期 stage.
This Water Dragon's Lament should not be sustainable for long. But now, it seemed as if Zhang Haobo had complete confidence and showed no concern about his spiritual energy.
Why?