Chapter 99

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"I am the first."

"Everyone, get out of the way."

Over six hundred people burst into action, each displaying astonishing speed, like eagles spreading their wings, like riding the wind, like leopards charging, rushing toward the open doors of the wooden man tower.

The main gate was five meters high and ten meters wide, capable of accommodating twenty to thirty people at once, but with over six hundred people, everyone wanted to be the first to enter. After all, entering earlier meant a head start.

As they say, winning at the starting line, though not absolute, has its own logic.

But among over six hundred people, some would be ahead and some would be behind. Whether one could enter earlier than others depended on one's ability and a bit of luck.

Amid the crowd, Chen Zong moved lightly, as if a gentle breeze surrounded him, integrating the essence of the Wind Step, making him even more agile. He weaved through the gaps in the crowd, quickly approaching the main gate of the wooden man tower, becoming one of the first twenty to enter.

Bai Mingze was extremely domineering, his movements direct and forceful, pushing everyone in front of him to the sides, also becoming one of the first twenty to enter.

As soon as he stepped into the wooden man tower, Chen Zong felt a sense of awe.

Ten paths lay ahead, each separated by a one-meter-wide ditch. On both sides of the ditches, wooden men were lined up like an army, exuding a formidable and strict aura, creating an inexplicable sense of power and intimidation.

Without hesitation, since he was among the first to enter and had a lead over most people, Chen Zong immediately rushed down the seventh path.

"Hmph, I'll see how you surprise me." Seeing Chen Zong rush into the seventh path, Bai Mingze did not hesitate, sneered, and immediately followed.

Subsequently, one after another, people rushed into the ten paths.

The number of wooden men and their attack methods were the same in each path. Regardless of which path one chose, the ultimate goal was to break through the wooden man tower. The first ten to do so would be ranked in the top ten and receive rewards.

The over six hundred people surged into the ten paths like a school of fish, with about sixty people in each path.

As soon as they stepped into the path, a wooden man wielding a wooden sword immediately attacked, the wind from the sword slicing through the air with great force, capable of splitting rocks.

Chen Zong did not engage, his steps nimble like a willow swaying, instantly dodging the wooden sword and moving past the wooden man.

The wooden men were fast and powerful, but their movements were stiff and not very flexible, and their reaction speed was not that fast.

"Scram!"

Bai Mingze, who arrived shortly after, punched with great force, like a stone shattering the sky, directly pushing the wooden man back and rushing past, chasing after Chen Zong.

"Stay put." Bai Mingze rushed toward Chen Zong, punching at his back. The terrifying force of the punch shattered the air, creating a deafening roar as it fiercely struck Chen Zong's back, enough to shatter a stone statue.

Chen Zong did not turn around, but it was as if he had eyes on his back, and he dodged, making Bai Mingze's punch miss.

At the same time, two wooden men appeared ahead, wielding wooden swords and thrusting them forward, but Chen Zong dodged, and they thrust at Bai Mingze instead. Another wooden man also punched at Bai Mingze, making him face attacks from three directions.

"Scram, all of you!" Bai Mingze roared, his fists continuously striking, forcefully defending against and pushing back the three wooden men. However, this slight delay allowed someone to rush past him, overtaking him.

"Damn it!" Bai Mingze was furious, his steps like a fierce tiger leaping forward, directly knocking the person who dared to overtake him into the ditch, disqualifying him.

"Chen Zong, stand still."

With a roar, Bai Mingze approached Chen Zong again.

With more wooden men blocking the way ahead and Bai Mingze chasing from behind, it was a situation of being between a wolf and a tiger. However, Chen Zong was not afraid. The eight days of confinement in the dark room, from initial resistance to collapse and then reinvigoration, had brought about a spiritual transformation, making his grasp of the surrounding space more accurate and clear, and his movements more agile.

With light and swift steps, he dodged Bai Mingze's attacks and the encirclement of four wooden men, continuing to advance, leading the way in this path.

Bai Mingze was almost furious, his anger growing as he continuously unleashed powerful attacks, breaking the wooden men's weapons with his fists, which seemed to fall like meteorites.

In the other nine paths, there were also people leading the way. Tang Junluo was in the third path, though relatively behind, but he was gaining ground, gradually overtaking others.

At the martial disciple level, having refined his blood and qi eight times, he had an extraordinary foundation, with strong endurance, gradually standing out and becoming quite famous in the Weapon Glory Hall.

Chen Zong found that the further he went, the more wooden men there were, and the attacks became more frequent and difficult.

But for him, it was merely a matter of using a little more effort, not a significant obstacle. With his agile movements and flexible steps, he had not yet drawn his sword.

Bai Mingze followed closely behind, displaying astonishing strength, just a step behind Chen Zong, frequently attacking, but each time missing, his anger growing stronger.

Those who caught up from behind became Bai Mingze's punching bags, either being pushed back or knocked into the ditches. Of course, some underestimated the difficulty of the wooden man tower and could not withstand the combined attacks of the wooden men, immediately being injured and forced to lie down and move to the ditches, giving up on breaking through.

It could be said that even before reaching a quarter of the wooden man tower, over a hundred people had already failed.

"Bai Mingze, get out of the way, or I won't be polite."

A peak eighth-layer Blood Qi Realm disciple caught up from behind but was intercepted by Bai Mingze, becoming angry.

"Try me." Bai Mingze was furious.

"Try me, I'm not afraid of you." This person was even more angry, immediately attacking, his palms continuously striking like waves, one after another, all aimed at Bai Mingze.

"I'll oblige you." Bai Mingze, full of anger, sneered and punched out.

A loud boom echoed, like a massive meteor falling from the sky, powerful and fierce, shattering the waves and striking the other person's palms. With a bang, the air exploded.

Bai Mingze, known as the top newcomer in the Earth Glory Hall, was not without reason. Not only was his cultivation the earliest to reach the eighth layer of the Blood Qi Realm, but his strength was also very strong at that level. Moreover, within the Blood Qi Realm, the difference in strength between the initial, middle, and peak stages was not significant.

With his fists, Bai Mingze pushed the other person back, but the other person was also strong, not falling into the ditch but adjusting and chasing after again.

Taking this opportunity, someone bypassed Bai Mingze with agile movements, quickly overtaking him.

"Looking for death!" Bai Mingze was furious, his blood and qi bursting forth, his punch shattering the sky, forcing the peak eighth-layer Blood Qi Realm disciple to retreat, spitting blood. He immediately moved forward, punching again.

This person had barely secured the second place in the path, closely following Chen Zong, but was now facing the combined attacks of several wooden men. As he hesitated, Bai Mingze angrily rushed from behind.

Unable to resist, he could only dodge, and a slight misstep sent him into the ditch.

"Chen Zong, wait for me." With a roar, Bai Mingze pushed back the wooden men and chased after again.

It had to be said that Bai Mingze's strength was indeed formidable. He had been continuously fighting the wooden men, constantly pushing them back. If not for blocking others, he would not have stopped at all.

Chen Zong heard but ignored it. From the beginning, he had not considered Bai Mingze as a rival.

This was not blind arrogance but a confidence that came from within, a trust in his own strength and ability.

As a martial artist, one must have confidence, especially in oneself. Without self-trust, what can one rely on? This is especially true for those who practice the sword.

The sword is in the hand, but it must also be in the heart. Without trust, how can one fully unleash the sword's sharpness?

Chen Zong was determined to be among the top ten in the wooden man tower, and his goal was even higher, aiming for the top three, even the first place.

Breaking free from the encirclement of nine wooden men, ahead was a circular open space, empty. Beyond the open space were ten intersecting paths, looking more complex, the second half of the wooden man tower.

Chen Zong was not the first to break through the first half; someone else had done so a step ahead, someone Chen Zong did not recognize, unassuming.

Then, several more people quickly broke through.

After exchanging glances, they did not hesitate, immediately rushing forward to enter the second half.

The first half was the beginning of the competition, and the second half was the end. To secure a place in the top ten, the second half was crucial.

"Last year, I deliberately did not break through the wooden man tower to avoid the top ten, all for this moment. First place is mine." The first person to break through the first half was Bai Gu, thinking to himself. He had trained hard for a year, and this time, he would achieve his goal.

Although he thought this, Bai Gu did not relax his vigilance. Others had performed excellently, only slightly behind him in the first half, posing a significant threat. A slight misstep could result in being overtaken.

Soon, Bai Mingze and others caught up.

Bai Mingze harbored deep resentment and hatred toward Chen Zong, his anger burning, fiercely chasing after him. However, those who had broken through the first half and entered the second half, though partly due to luck, were mostly due to their strength and ability. In this situation, even if Bai Mingze was strong, he could not suppress everyone.

Being among the top ten not only brought substantial rewards but also great fame, a win-win situation. Who would not want it?

Therefore, no one was willing to lose to others, especially when they had already gained some advantage. At the very least, they wanted to maintain their advantage, making it even more difficult for Bai Mingze to catch up and overtake, as others were not inferior to him in strength.