Reversing the Milky Way

Bai Dou: "Young Master, I never imagined that Bai Cheng could defeat a spirit puppet that is a realm higher than him."

Bai Fengze: "Of course. Don't forget that he also has a pseudo-spiritual artifact. Just based on that, he should be able to pass the third level."

Bai Dou: "This is a spirit puppet made by Lu Xuzi and Mo Rui. Both of them come from two great families in Shitie City. One is from the Lu family, which is skilled in forging, and the other is from the Mo family, which is skilled in formations and mechanisms. If the spirit puppets they make are fighting against people of the same level, they can easily handle one against many."

Just as the group was talking, the spiritual light on the third floor of the Trial Tower went out, and the spiritual light on the fourth floor began to shine.

Bai Fengze: "Look! He's actually going to challenge the fourth level!"

On the fourth floor of the Trial Tower, Bai Cheng rested for a short while.

Bai Cheng: "Since we're already planning to use the power of the fragments, why not activate the state in advance, or even condense that strange ancient sword first, and then unleash a full-force strike the moment the trial begins?"

Bai Cheng, who had just thought of this, shook his head.

'Forget it, that's just a last resort to save your life; there's no need to waste it.'

Thinking of this, he slowly walked towards the center of the hall. When he got close to the spirit puppet, he was surprised to find that the material of the spirit puppet was different from that of the previous floors.

The spirit puppets on the first few floors were crafted from Celestial Star Willow, a type of fourth-grade spirit wood. Celestial Star Willow wood is exceptionally tough and cannot be destroyed by ordinary iron tools. Similarly, it is also the main material for crafting spirit boats.

The material of this layer of spirit puppets is made of Xuan Tie Wu Tan, a fifth-grade spirit wood. Xuan Tie Wu Tan is hard and is one of the few wood materials that can rival the strength of refined iron. Because it can only grow in environments with abundant spiritual energy, many cultivators even use it to forge weapons.

Bai Cheng: "I'm afraid the strength of this spirit puppet is insufficient to break through its defenses with the weapon I've condensed at my current level. If that's the case, will the materials used for the spirit puppets become stronger and stronger? If we don't have a weapon, we really won't be able to handle it."

After observing for a while, Bai Cheng began to infuse his spiritual energy.

The moment the spiritual energy fluctuation emanated from the spirit puppet, Bai Cheng immediately retreated. At the same time, the scene inside the tower began to change, but this time the scene was different from the previous ones.

The surrounding environment this time is a huge arena, and around the arena is an endless sea of ​​clouds, with golden patterns visible on the distant edge.

Bai Cheng: "What's going on? Is this scene taking place in the air?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Bai Cheng sensed a deadly danger lurking around him.

The spirit puppet in the center of the arena had been activated, and to Bai Cheng's surprise, the spirit puppet opened a pair of eyes that emitted a faint spiritual light. These eyes made Bai Cheng feel somewhat uneasy.

The battle began instantly. The spirit puppet held two swords together, and a circular array appeared behind it.

As the spirit puppet pointed two fingers at Bai Cheng, countless spirit swords surged out from the magic array behind him, numbering over a hundred, each carrying an arrogant aura as it flew towards Bai Cheng.

Bai Cheng quickly conjured a spirit sword in his hand and unleashed a slash, colliding with the spirit sword that was attacking him.

Although this sword energy shattered several spirit swords flying towards him, subsequent spirit swords kept coming, engulfing Bai Cheng's sword energy.

Upon seeing this, Bai Cheng leaped into the air with the force of his legs, and at the same time, flying swords appeared under his feet, allowing him to soar through the air in a sword-riding posture.

The swarm of spirit swords, controlled by the spirit puppet, relentlessly pursued him. He moved his knuckles and fingers with the same lifelike demeanor as a real person, his gaze fixed on Bai Cheng.

Bai Cheng began to increase his speed on his sword, while the spirit sword behind him kept close behind. He first glanced at the spirit sword behind him, then his gaze fell on the spirit puppet that was also flying in the air on its sword, and then he quickly rushed towards it.

He first manipulated his Thunderclap Flying Knife to rapidly weave around himself, deflecting the incoming spirit swords. Those spirit swords that weren't blocked were also deflected by the swings of his own sword.

However, the quality of the spiritual sword he has condensed is no match for the spiritual sword condensed in the late stage of Qi Condensation. Every time he blocks a flying spiritual sword, the spiritual sword in his hand will be shattered, and then he will condense a new spiritual sword. This cycle will cause serious consumption of spiritual power.

Seeing that he was almost at the same distance from the spirit puppet, he suddenly exerted force with his feet and leaped high into the air. Then he quickly activated the power of the fragments in his body. In an instant, his skin was enveloped by countless blue spiritual lights.

The spirit puppet in front of him seemed to sense the change in Bai Cheng's body. It crossed its arms and suddenly burst out with a surge of spiritual energy. A suit of armor that kept flashing with lightning slowly appeared on the spirit puppet's body.

Bai Cheng: "This is... Spirit Armor Technique!"

Without thinking twice, Bai Cheng swung his spirit sword fiercely at the spirit puppet's head.

However, the next moment, the spirit puppet in front of him simply raised its arm, and the spirit armor covering its outside blocked Bai Cheng's spirit sword.

Bai Cheng roared, and although he felt the resistance coming from his hand, he still insisted on swinging down. However, the result was that the spirit sword in his hand was shattered by the spirit armor on the spirit puppet.

In the blink of an eye, the spirit puppet swiftly threw a punch, striking Bai Cheng directly in the abdomen.

Immediately afterwards, Bai Cheng's figure flew rapidly from the air to the ground.

With a loud thud, cracks appeared on the smooth surface of the arena due to Bai Cheng's impact.

Bai Cheng: "Cough cough!"

Bai Cheng slowly rose from the smoke and dust.

Bai Cheng: "This power is not right! The spirit puppets in the previous levels did not have such great power. That punch just now had reached the power of three dragons, comparable to the vein-forging stage of a body-tempering cultivator."

Bai Cheng glanced at the area in his abdomen where he had been attacked.

'Although he was wearing a protective robe comparable to a high-grade magic weapon, the powerful impact still depleted the spiritual energy stored in the fragment.'

Thinking of this, he looked at the spirit puppet in mid-air. At this moment, the spirit sword under the spirit puppet's feet dissipated, and the entire figure quickly landed on the arena.

Bai Cheng's eyes were sharp, and as he slowly raised his hand, the Thunderclap Flying Knife flew alongside him under his control.

Meanwhile, the spirit puppet began to gather spiritual power on its legs. As the lightning emanated from its spiritual armor, it charged towards Bai Cheng.

'Wow, so fast! That trick again!'

The moment Bai Cheng had this thought, the spirit puppet arrived in front of him, its spirit sword beginning to condense as it swung its arm to slash at Bai Cheng.

The sword flashed with dazzling lightning, which shone in Bai Cheng's pupils and then grew larger and larger.

At this moment, Bai Cheng's spiritual power also began to erupt, and his brain was in a state of high tension. In this second, he felt as if it had been slowed down several times.

As the spirit puppet swung its sword, his body reacted in sync with its movements. He first bent down to dodge the spirit puppet's horizontal slash, then used both arms to grab the spirit puppet's arm that was swinging the sword.

"Got him! The spirit puppet doesn't have any human weaknesses; we'll just have to remove one of his arms first!"

Just as he was about to make a move, the spirit puppet used him as a fulcrum to quickly leap into the air, and then swept a kick towards Bai Cheng.

Bai Cheng dodged backward instantly. Although he could withstand the kick in his current state, it would accelerate the depletion of the spiritual power of the fragments within his body. He could not take the risk until he could find a way to break the deadlock.

If the fragment's spiritual power is exhausted, he will definitely be unable to defeat the spirit puppet in front of him.

Before Bai Cheng could regain his footing, his mind raced, and the Thunderclap Flying Knife had already flown behind the Spirit Puppet, launching an attack from behind with lightning speed.

Without turning his head, the spirit puppet sensed the attack from behind. Lightning gathered beneath his feet, and his figure began to move at lightning speed once again.

Bai Cheng had just regained his footing when the spirit puppet appeared in front of him again.

'Damn it, that move was too fast! If I can't limit the spirit puppet's speed, with my current spirit control techniques, I simply can't catch up. Although I can concentrate my mind to superimpose the Mystic Lightning Shadow onto the Thunderclap Flying Knife, the spirit puppet's attack hasn't stopped for even a moment.'

Just as he thought of this, Bai Cheng used his elbow to deflect the spirit puppet's arm that was slashing at him. Immediately afterwards, he delivered a chop to the spirit puppet's neck. However, protected by the spirit armor technique, Bai Cheng's attack only caused the spirit puppet to move back half a step after it unleashed a burst of lightning.

Before he could think any further, the two sides immediately engaged in battle. The spirit puppet unleashed a variety of close-range attacks, sometimes wielding a sword in its left hand, but as the fight progressed, it would switch to its right.

Bai Cheng also tried to counterattack with his spirit sword during the fight, but when his spirit sword attacked his opponent, the opponent neither dodged nor avoided it, allowing the spirit sword to strike his spirit armor technique.

This is simply a difference in their levels of understanding, something Bai Cheng cannot surpass at this stage.

As the opponent's attacks intensified, Bai Cheng was also struck. If it were just a slash from a spirit sword, it wouldn't be so bad; even if he couldn't dodge in time, the spirit sword could still be blocked by his inner garment after tearing through his clothes.

Although he was able to block it, the opponent's attack left a mark on the precious garment, which made Bai Cheng feel a little heartbroken, as this garment was quite valuable.

Despite his efforts to defend himself against the opponent's punches and kicks, Bai Cheng was overwhelmed by the immense power of the blows and was blasted dozens of meters away each time he was hit.

After a fierce battle, the fragment's spiritual power was quickly depleted by 20%.

Finally, after a close-quarters attack, Bai Cheng seized the opportunity and kicked his opponent in the head. The spirit puppet's head was also protected by spirit armor. Faced with this attack, the spirit puppet merely tilted its neck slightly and took half a step back on one foot, causing the floor beneath its feet to shatter and sink into the arena.

Immediately afterwards, the spirit puppet grabbed Bai Cheng's face with its backhand, then leaped into the air with him before slamming him hard to the ground. Throughout the ordeal, the spirit puppet's hand remained tightly gripping Bai Cheng's face.

In an instant, Bai Cheng felt the floor shatter where the back of his head touched. Spiderweb-like cracks began to extend from the floor beneath him, and half of the spiritual energy in the fragments was instantly consumed.

Immediately afterwards, Bai Cheng arched his knee and instantly pressed it against the spirit puppet's chin. The huge impact also caused the spirit puppet to suddenly release its grip.

Upon seeing this, Bai Cheng leaped away, quickly creating space, and simultaneously summoned Thunderclap to unleash the Mysterious Thunder Shadow Technique in front of him.

Bai Cheng: "A great opportunity!"

Seeing that the distance between himself and the spirit puppet had increased, Bai Cheng began to frantically chant in his mind.

'Don't come close...don't come close...!'

The spirit puppet did not pursue Bai Cheng closely, and Bai Cheng began to feel fortunate. However, the next moment, Bai Cheng discovered that the longsword in the spirit puppet's hand was beginning to change. It started to move downwards from the center of the hilt and soon turned into the shape of a spear.

Bai Cheng: "Huh??"

The spirit puppet gripped its spear, making a throwing motion, while lightning surged around its body.

Bai Cheng: "What?! Isn't this the Cloud-Piercing Technique from the Wind Soul Spear Art?! How is this possible? Does this mean that the technique has no restrictions on spiritual power attributes? Why can it also be used with lightning attributes?!"

Before Bai Cheng could think further, he was fully focused on condensing the attack of the Xuan Lei Secret Shadow. Just then, the lightning surrounding the spirit puppet suddenly contracted, transforming into a dazzling arc of electricity that condensed in the spear in his hand.

The next instant, the spirit puppet hurled its spear, and at the same time, dazzling lightning exploded around it once more. The speed was so great that one could even see the distorted ripples created by the high-speed penetration of the air; this throw had broken the sound barrier.

Bai Cheng's heart tightened, and he suddenly exerted force with his legs.

'This attack is terrifying! As long as I dodge it, there won't be any problems. Fortunately, this spirit puppet's cultivation level is still in the late stage of Qi Condensation. If its cultivation level were higher, then this terrifying attack would be unavoidable!'

After thinking it over, Bai Cheng instantly moved to the side. Although the opponent's attack was extremely fast, he was in the mysterious state of the fragments and could increase his speed again by fully circulating his spiritual power.

Seeing the spear fly straight back to where he had just been, Bai Cheng felt a sense of relief.

'Fortunately, although the attack was powerful, as long as I dodge it, I won't be affected!'

Just as this thought flashed through his mind, the spear suddenly changed shape. The head of the spear, crackling with lightning, began to swell, and the shaft began to bend.

What is that?!

This sudden change caught Bai Cheng off guard. The spear abruptly changed direction with lightning speed, transforming into a lightning serpent that bent rapidly in the air before shooting straight at Bai Cheng's body.

With a deafening boom, the world before Bai Cheng's eyes was instantly engulfed by white light. A terrifying explosion erupted at the edge of the arena, and rolling shockwaves swept outwards like a surging tide.

Amidst the smoke and lightning, Bai Cheng felt an overwhelming force slam into his body, making his internal organs feel numb and even causing the ground beneath his feet to crack.

Bai Cheng: "What a powerful move! This attack actually knocked away 30% of the fragment's spiritual power! If it weren't for the fragment's mysterious state, I would probably have been pulverized by this attack."

As the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, Bai Cheng found himself in a deep pit, with the surrounding ground churning outwards.

His outer garment had been reduced to charcoal in the attack, and even his inner garment was somewhat damaged.

Before him, the Thunderclap Flying Knife was already radiating terrifying lightning, and each flash of energy distorted the surrounding air.

After the attack, the spirit puppet discovered that Bai Cheng was completely unharmed, so it began to gather lightning in its hand again, and the spear reappeared.

At that moment, Bai Cheng leaped out of the air. The instant he jumped out of the pit, the golden lightning emanating from around Jing Lei continued to extend and flash in all directions.

Bai Cheng: "I'll take your move! Now it's my turn to show you what I'm capable of!"

After Bai Cheng finished speaking, several spirit swords immediately materialized around him, and with a wave of his hand, they swept rapidly towards the spirit puppet.

Seeing this, the spirit puppet launched another attack. He gripped his spear, and with a burst of lightning, hurled it once more.

Bai Cheng also unleashed his Thunderclap Arrow. Bai Cheng's previous attacks were merely to confuse his opponent, fearing that if his attack landed, the spirit puppet would react accordingly and flee. Although his attack was also extremely fast, the spirit puppet's speed was still sufficient to dodge it.

The spirit puppet's spear shattered Bai Cheng's spirit sword, its domineering momentum unstoppable. Bai Cheng's Thunder Flying Knife was equally imposing, its golden light causing space to rapidly distort.

The two collided simultaneously, and for a moment, the entire space seemed to fall silent, followed by a huge explosion.

The spirit puppet's spear and Bai Cheng's thunderous flying knife clashed in mid-air, the chaotic and violent lightning intertwined, and the explosion sounded like a bomb exploding in one's ear, making one's eardrums ache.

The shockwave swept outwards, sending up pebbles and debris from the arena floor wherever it passed.

Bai Cheng was forced to retreat by the shockwave, but he could clearly sense the terrifying spiritual power contained in the opponent's spear from the Thunderclap Flying Knife.

At this moment, the spirit puppet also took a few steps back, but then he raised his hands and manipulated the spear to fight against Bai Cheng's Thunder Flying Knife.

Bai Cheng's expression was solemn. He braced his feet on the ground. He could feel that if he used his own spiritual power to unleash the Mysterious Thunder Shadow, he would definitely not be able to withstand the opponent's move. Fortunately, his Thunder Flying Knife was of pseudo-spiritual weapon quality, and its attack was even stronger with the support of the Mysterious Thunder Shadow.

Not long after the two sides were locked in a stalemate, the Thunderclap Flying Knife pierced through the head of the spear inch by inch, instantly shattering the spear with golden lightning, and then turning into golden light that struck the spirit puppet's chest.