Ning Zhuo increased his strength.
Whoosh.
One of the diamond-shaped crystals suddenly shot out, embedding itself into the red copper wall.
A fine thread connected the crystal and the ring.
He tugged on the thread, realizing that, although frighteningly thin, it was remarkably resilient.
He took a few steps forward, closely examining the crystal embedded in the wall.
Initially, he thought the crystal had pierced the wall like a nail, but to his surprise, he found that the crystal had fused with the wall itself.
The point where the crystal touched the wall had completely transformed into red copper, with only a faint bluish-purple glow near the thread.
It looked as if the crystal was a natural part of the red copper wall, with only a small bump sticking out, linking it to the Hanging Loop.
"Marvelous, truly marvelous!"
"How was this accomplished?"
"Did they use talismans, engrave a miniature formation, or is it the crystal’s unique material?"
Ning Zhuo’s curiosity was piqued, and he wished he could dismantle it on the spot and study it for days.
"Too bad, now isn’t the right time!"
He knew that exploration was more important.
Holding the Hanging Loop, he looked down at his body, searching for a place to wear it.
The puppet Ning Zhuo’s limbs were much thinner than the ring, and both his upper and lower arms were equally slim, as were his thighs and calves.
He couldn’t just carry the Hanging Loop in his hands; he would need both hands free to clear Room Two.
Losing even one hand would be inconvenient.
This minor problem didn’t stump Ning Zhuo.
Soon, he came up with a solution.
He first removed his head, then placed the Hanging Loop around his neck, and finally reattached his head.
With his large head now firmly locking the ring in place, he entered Room Two after opening the door.
The door closed heavily behind him, and Ning Zhuo tried to push it, but it wouldn’t budge.
Looking at the familiar corridor-like Room Two, Ning Zhuo didn’t immediately sprint but took some time to practice using the Hanging Loop.
After a few tries, he began to test it in earnest.
Bang, bang, bang…
He failed several times in a row, getting repeatedly knocked back.
He remained calm, much less anxious than during his first attempt.
A moment later, he had sprinted halfway through.
Two giant logs came hurtling toward him from either side.
Ning Zhuo jumped into the air, finding no way to avoid them.
No problem.
"I have the Hanging Loop!" Ning Zhuo thought.
The wooden ring lodged beneath his large head suddenly shot out a crystal with a crisp ding, embedding it in the ceiling.
The thread held strong, and Ning Zhuo, pulled by it, hung in mid-air, avoiding the logs.
Another log descended directly toward him.
Ning Zhuo released his spiritual power, causing the thread to snap instantly, completely disconnecting the ring and the crystal.
He fell, evading the log, then quickly shot out another crystal, which embedded itself in the log.
As the log retracted, it pulled Ning Zhuo along with it.
In this way, Ning Zhuo occasionally tilted his head, using the hanging posture to successfully clear Room Two and arrive at the second doorway.
"No wonder it's called the Hanging Loop. The name is precise and to the point," Ning Zhuo thought, straightening his head with both hands.
Using the Hanging Loop had dramatically lowered the difficulty of Room Two.
Now, his body was relatively intact, with only a crack in his left leg and a broken finger on his right hand—an enormous improvement from the battered state he was in after his first exploration.
"What if I’d chosen the Hanging Loop last time?" Ning Zhuo thought briefly and shook his head. "It would have been worse."
The Hanging Loop intensified spiritual power consumption.
If he’d chosen it during his first exploration, he would have been immobilized from lack of spiritual power.
He touched the second door.
A reward message reached his mind: two spirit stones, a mechanical part—the glass flying knife—and the technique Fire Grip Technique.
During his previous exploration, with his soul weakened to its limit, he had hastily chosen the technique.
This time, feeling much better, he could take his time.
"The number of spirit stones has increased to two."
"The glass flying knife is an offensive mechanical part."
"Fire Grip Technique... it seems to pair with the Ice Embrace Technique."
With only thirty percent of his spiritual power left, Ning Zhuo had no choice and selected the first reward—two spirit stones.
After glancing back at Room Two, he pushed the door open with all his strength and officially entered Room Three.
The message came through—defeat the martial puppet, clear Room Three, and proceed to the preparation room.
"It’s not Room Four?" Ning Zhuo’s mind stirred.
Room Three was circular, with dimming light toward the edges and the brightest area in the center.
"It’s like a circular arena." Ning Zhuo immediately noticed a tall, thin wooden puppet standing in the room’s center.
The puppet, made of yellow wood, bore black lines across its surface, with the word "Martial" inscribed on its chest.
Sensing his presence, the puppet’s eyes glowed yellow. It raised a thumb, rubbed it across its wooden nose, then half-squatted with a forward and backward stance, stretching one hand forward in a palm strike posture while keeping the other behind, beckoning Ning Zhuo to attack.
"Interesting," Ning Zhuo chuckled, "I did learn some martial arts techniques at the academy."
Having recently acquired two spirit stones, he wasn’t short on energy, and eager to gather more information, he stepped forward to engage.
Within just a few breaths, the puppet Ning Zhuo was nearly dismantled.
"I can’t win. The gap is too wide!"
He suddenly grabbed the puppet’s waist in a tight hold.
The guarding puppet struggled immediately, elbowing and punching Ning Zhuo’s back and head.
Bang, bang, bang—the sound echoed like a sudden downpour.
Ning Zhuo, however, quickly channeled his spiritual power to unleash his trump card.
Technique—Ice Embrace Technique!
Crack…
A series of faint cracking sounds followed, and the surface of the guarding puppet was soon covered in ice, restricting its movements.
"Without Ice Embrace Technique, there’s no way I could clear this stage."
Ning Zhuo attempted to dismantle the martial puppet, but a warning message stopped him.
He squatted down and continuously punched the puppet’s head, shattering the ice layer as he went, though the yellow eyes remained glowing.
He tried to detach the eye parts but received another message—violently dismantling the guarding puppet is prohibited!
The rewards at the third door were once again three options.
Ten spirit stones, a mechanical part—the small flying box, and the technique Wood Fusion Technique.
After expending considerable spiritual power to activate Ice Embrace Technique in the recent battle, Ning Zhuo prudently chose ten spirit stones.
He opened the door and entered the preparation room.
The preparation room was spacious, much larger than the previous three rooms. At its center stood a five-sided stone pillar.
One side of the pillar read:
Qi Refining Leaderboard.
First place: Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo: …
The stone pillar clicked and rotated to another side, which read:
Assessment Progress Leaderboard.
First place: Ning Zhuo.
Below him, the list was blank. He was the only one on the board.
Ning Zhuo tilted his head: Huh?!
After a few breaths, he felt as if struck by lightning, his whole being trembling as he grasped the severity of the situation.
"Damn!"
"Am I… am I exposed?!"