Chapter 100

The world is a vast arena of fame and fortune.

People living in this world spend their entire lives chasing after fame and fortune.

Detachment from fame and fortune, and a clear and unassuming heart, are not something ordinary people can achieve, or rather, not something normal people can achieve. Either they are people without any ambition, or they are people who have gone through hardships and seen through the world.

As a martial artist, cultivation requires the consumption of various resources, whether given by others or obtained by oneself. In short, one must strive to obtain them, and that is profit.

To obtain more resources, one must attract more attention, and that is fame.

Fame and profit are what every martial artist pursues, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Chen Zong found that the second half of the Wooden Man Tower was more difficult than the first half. A wooden man with four arms attacked him head-on. One arm held a knife, one held a sword, and two were empty, attacking Chen Zong from four angles, fast, direct, and fierce. The power was more than twice as strong as that of a wooden man with two arms.

Chen Zong still did not draw his sword. His figure flashed, dodging the four arms of the wooden man, but a gust of wind came from the front.

It turned out that two wooden men with four arms had attacked.

The pattern of the wooden men in the Wooden Man Tower started with one, then two, then three, and so on, up to ten at the end. The first half was like this, and the second half was probably similar.

Although it was clear, the difficulty remained.

It should be noted that the wooden men would coordinate with each other. The more wooden men there were, the tighter their coordination. When there were enough of them, the combined attack was almost airtight. Many people could initially dodge with agile movements, but eventually had to fight back.

In the first half, more than two hundred people were eliminated, and most of the remaining still did not pass. Only a small number, less than a hundred, entered the second half.

Chen Zong found that when four wooden men with four arms surrounded him, the pressure was no less than that of ten wooden men with two arms in the first half.

His steps were quick but not chaotic, and he moved with ease and confidence.

Whether it was a frontal attack, a side attack, or a rear attack, Chen Zong could sense it and quickly react to avoid it.

Bai Gu chose a different route from Chen Zong, but it was close enough that he could see Chen Zong's situation through the gaps. He was greatly shocked by Chen Zong's agile movements and steps, which were even better than his own, and felt the pressure increase.

Bai Mingze's strength was indeed astonishing. He caught up again, following closely behind Chen Zong. Just as he was about to attack Chen Zong, Chen Zong slipped forward, evading the four wooden men with four arms and advancing again.

Ahead were five wooden men with four arms. As soon as they attacked, the pressure increased by more than thirty percent, making Chen Zong momentarily breathless.

However, this was not enough to make Chen Zong draw his sword. He could still handle it with his movements and steps.

Moving in all directions, Chen Zong evaded the attacks of the five wooden men, seizing a fleeting gap to slip through.

"This Chen Zong is indeed terrifying. He still hasn't drawn his sword," Bai Gu was even more surprised. He then thought, "No, Chen Zong and my Bai family are not on good terms. I can't let him take the lead."

He sped up, catching up with Chen Zong and passing the five wooden men. He had already drawn his knife, and with sharp and fierce strikes, he repelled the wooden men's attacks, striving to be first.

The pressure from six wooden men with four arms was thirty percent stronger than that from five wooden men.

The pressure increased by thirty percent each time, which was very noticeable and terrifying. Chen Zong still did not draw his sword, challenging his limits and testing the transformation brought by the eight days of confinement in the dark room.

Six wooden men with four arms attacked from all sides, with twenty-four arms wielding wooden knives and swords. Despite their stiff movements, they were very fast and powerful. If hit, one might suffer broken bones and injuries. Once injured, it would be difficult to maintain the best state, and one might be defeated.

The pressure from six wooden men with four arms was undoubtedly intense. Chen Zong constantly moved his feet and swayed his body, enhancing his perception to the extreme.

After being transformed by the mysterious sword tip, his potential seemed to be unlocked, and his perception surpassed that of ordinary people. After the eight days of confinement in the dark room, he underwent a transformation from resistance to collapse and then to calm acceptance, further enhancing his perception.

Without looking, his ears could hear every subtle sound around him clearly and distinguish them.

Without listening, he could sense the distance between various things and himself.

Of course, this was limited to a certain range, only a few meters. Beyond that, Chen Zong could not sense anything, but this was already very impressive. Even martial artists at the Qi Condensation stage would find it difficult to do this.

This was not related to the level of cultivation or the strength of power, but a kind of ability. Some people might be born with it, while others might acquire it by chance.

Bai Mingze caught up again, aligning with Chen Zong. Seizing the opportunity, he fiercely punched Chen Zong with both fists, striking six punches in an instant from different angles, filling the gaps in the attacks of the six wooden men.

For a moment, the pressure on Chen Zong increased dramatically, affecting his perception. It seemed as if the air around him was distorted, becoming a bit blurry.

Wind Step!

From start to finish, Chen Zong finally burst with blood qi power, unleashing a human-level martial art.

His figure was like the wind, his steps even lighter. In an instant, he escaped from Bai Mingze's six punches and the attacks of the six wooden men with four arms.

Chen Zong applied the Wind Step at the Subtle Level more deeply and skillfully, passing the six wooden men and entering the circle of seven wooden men with four arms, where the pressure increased again.

This level of pressure clearly interfered with Chen Zong's perception.

"Mountain-Circling Blade!" Bai Gu shouted, his heavy and steady blade light circling around him. Each strike seemed slow but was continuous, like a series of small mountains circling his body. After repelling the attacks of the six wooden men, he almost simultaneously entered the circle of seven wooden men with four arms, not giving an inch.

There were a few others who were just a step behind, making the competition extremely intense and bringing even greater pressure.

To win first place was very difficult, and a single mistake could cost it to someone else.

The reward for first place was the best, and everyone wanted it, whether it was the 300,000 white jade coins or the precious iron-grade weapon, each was very attractive.

"Damn!" Seeing Chen Zong take the lead again, Bai Mingze was even more furious, fiercely attacking the wooden men with four arms without retreating.

"I have to draw my sword." The pressure from seven wooden men with four arms blurred his perception, and it was not easy to dodge with just the Wind Step at the Subtle Level.

The sword light flashed three times, repelling the attacks of three wooden men with four arms, reducing the pressure. His steps were light and his body agile, like willow fluff in the wind, moving and swaying, escaping the circle of seven wooden men with four arms and entering the circle of eight wooden men with four arms.

The pressure increased by another thirty percent, making breathing difficult and perception even more blurred.

Thirty-two arms transformed into fierce attacks from all sides, densely packed, making one dizzy.

Chen Zong drew his sword, and due to his extreme speed, his arms formed illusions. The sword light flashed continuously, repelling the wooden men's attacks and reducing the pressure.

However, with eight wooden men with four arms, the attacks were fierce and continuous, and it was not easy to repel them.

Chen Zong's sword was like lightning and thunder, and suddenly like a fierce wind, but it did not carry the essence of the Phantom Sword Technique, as the wooden men, unlike humans or beasts, had no consciousness and were lifeless objects that only attacked according to preset patterns. The interplay of light and shadow in the Phantom Sword Technique could not confuse them.

Without the essence of the Phantom Sword Technique, the sword seemed purer and sharper.

On the other side, Bai Gu fought the eight wooden men with four arms, blocking all their attacks.

Bai Mingze also escaped the attacks of the seven wooden men with four arms and rushed forward, heading towards Chen Zong.

At the same time, Chen Zong seized a momentary opportunity, blocking the attack of one of the wooden men with four arms, creating a gap. He used the Wind Step, taking a step forward and once again leading Bai Mingze.

Bai Mingze's face was dark, and he said nothing, but he used all his strength to repel the attacks of the eight wooden men with four arms.

The pressure from nine wooden men with four arms was even stronger and more terrifying, making the air chaotic, like ripples in water.

Thirty-six fierce attacks came from all sides, and Chen Zong dodged and blocked them.

Each wooden man was made of very hard material and had been treated, with a surface like iron. Under normal circumstances, even a precious iron sword would find it difficult to cut through them, only leaving some marks.

Of course, it was not impossible to cut them, but it would require a burst of greater power, which would undoubtedly take some time and might result in being hit by other wooden men, which would be very disadvantageous.

The purpose of passing the Wooden Man Tower was to pass through, not to destroy the wooden men.

If the goal was to destroy the wooden men, one would likely be exhausted before destroying all of them, even for a martial artist at the ninth layer of the Blood Qi stage.

Finally, Chen Zong entered the circle of ten wooden men with four arms, taking the lead over Bai Gu for the first time.

"No, first place must be mine," Bai Gu growled, bursting with even greater power, slashing nine times in a row, each strike fierce and powerful.

Under the nine strikes, one of the wooden men's arms was immediately cut off, and the powerful cutting force made the wooden man pause slightly. Seizing this opportunity, Bai Gu took a step forward and entered the circle of ten wooden men with four arms.

"It's time to unleash my full strength," Bai Gu thought, his body trembling, his aura suddenly increasing by a third, and his strikes becoming even stronger.

The ten wooden men with four arms were the final obstacle. Once broken through, the exit of the Wooden Man Tower would be ahead, and there was no need to hold back any longer.

However, the pressure from the ten wooden men with four arms was extremely strong, with forty arms attacking densely, the air rippling like water, and the pressure becoming even more chaotic.