Chapter 83 Breaking The Bronze Men Array


    Whistling a low tune, Ricky regarded his enemies with slightly raised brows. "So, this is the third


    challenge for us, huh? Luckily, there are only ten bronze men in the array. We''ll surely win against them


    in no time!" He let out a chuckle filled with uncertainty, trying to ease up his nerves while he examined


    his opponents tactically changing their positions in lieu of the iing menace.


    Despite his initial positivity, his eyes narrowed in unbridled focus as he assessed the scene before him


    with a seriousness only veteran warriors could exhibit during battle. He clenched his teeth, knowing


    that his prior words were a mere attempt to diffuse the high difficulty of the trial they were to face. The


    strengths of their adversaries were not to be taken lightly. He knew how much of it could potentially


    damage his own body the moment he exerted his internal strength as a test to see the extent of their


    prowess. It was borderline startling how they were more powerful than fifty wooden men. He felt


    intimidated and rmed, even with their few numbers. He could see by now that he would be entering


    a brutal zone.


    He gripped his long saber, a steely gaze gauging the capabilities of both teams. He had to have firm


    will and determination to win in order to have a chance at defeating the bronze puppets. No pure and


    unabashed might would be enough to take them down; he needed to enact a clever n.


    "Hey, Agnes. Do you know any of their weaknesses?"


    Ricky asked, his mind turning its gears as he struggled to concoct a wless strategy to take


    advantage of their frailer sides.


    Agnes shook her head in dismay. "I''m afraid not. The Trio Array was introduced into thepetition


    four years ago. During that time, only the men of the Sage Faction seeded in reaching this level.


    Contenders from the Purity Faction and the Groom Faction have not even seen it in the past; let alone


    attain any knowledge of their weakness." Ricky''s face scrunched up with worry.


    "Well, it appears that we''re going to have to face a really difficult problem."


    She looked back at him and nodded, sensing his apprehension.


    "Yes, I''m ready for that."


    Metallic screeches scraped against the other and created high-pitched noises that hurt the pair''s ears.


    The horde was starting to move at a fast pace, their tumultuous steps creating a barricade that soon


    encircled them.


    They had no time to react from the ambush, only able to tense up in defense as brass bars suddenly


    manifested from their foes'' hands while dashing towards them in an organized manner.


    Strikes andshes released from the collision of opposing forces signified the beginning of the long


    exhausting warfare. Agnes did not dare take leisure in blocking their attacks, not with their power


    carrying the level of Blood Purification. She was able to resist the aggressiveness of one or two tools,


    but she had to put her life on the line if she were tobat them all.


    Ricky nced at her in between his own engagements, uneasy with the thought of her getting beaten


    badly. He acknowledged that Agnes was more than capable of handling herself but he believed he had


    a responsibility to avoid on any fatal injuries to befall on hispanion. They only had each other to


    depend on after all, and so, he willingly took the majority of their rivals head on.


    mes licked at the metal of his de and emitted a heat only he could take. He maximized its power;


    parrying the flurry of russet arms threatening to incapacitate him. He swung and dodged until he


    managed to receive a momentary break from the ruthless scuffle. Heaving deep breaths to regain his


    composure, he winced when he felt his chest tighten ufortably, making him nauseous and wary of


    the ominous urge to vomit out blood from his damaged core.


    They had sessfully made it through the first wave of assailments.


    Agnes returned to stand beside Ricky''s form, not letting her guard down as she talked to her partner,


    "Ricky, I can fight two guys at most. That way, you won''t have to push yourself too much in taking them


    all at once. I''ll buy you some time so you can figure out their weakness."


    "Are you sure? If you fail, our teamwork would break. Do you understand the risks?"


    he asked, making sure that Agnes'' offer was something that was not merely backed up by empty


    promises.


    Sensing his underlying meaning, she wordlessly released her full energy. A boom shook the ground


    from the force of her power as steam raised high to the ceiling due to the heat wave pulsing around her


    form.


    "The blood power of innate spirit!"


    she shouted, her aura changing enormously under drastic speeds that chased away any trace of her


    former soft grace and gentleness.


    She had evolved into a reverent queen that demanded praise and obedience from her subjects, the


    pressure flowing out of her in multitudes coaxing lower beings to bow before her mercy.


    "Th-this is incredible!"


    Ricky unconsciously took a step back in shock upon seeing the revtion unfold in front of him.


    He knew that Agnes'' power could only be attained through inheritance from one''s own lineage. It was a


    skill that was passed down generations to generations from the first warrior who became the innate


    spirit.


    It lived in all the descendants that undeniably had the ancestor''s blood pumping in their veins.


    However, only a few were granted to assume the blood power of innate spirit.


    Once gained, the practitioner would go smootherpared to the vast majority. It would not be so far


    off to say that they would achieve the level of demi-immortal if they were to continue their relentless


    training; a big advantage that was regarded with envy by most.


    "God! What are the odds… Someone from the Shui n really made it to the innate spirit!"


    he uttered in disbelief, his widened eyes glued on Agnes'' majestic form. "If she decides to use this


    power topete with the other disciples in thepetition, she would definitely be bound to finish in


    the final round!"


    "So, Ricky, do you still doubt me now?" Agnes smirked as she crossed her arms in defiance.


    Ricky sputtered out a chuckle, caught off guard by her domineering position when a wayward bronze


    man put a halt to their conversation.


    After fending it off briefly, he turned to her and said, "Well, how long can you use this power to fight?"


    He propped a hand on his hip and shed a faint smile at her. He could no longer deny her mastery,


    but he knew it would be idiotic of him to be swept away by carelessness. He had to take everything into


    consideration to be victorious by the end of the fight.


    "An hour would be a piece of cake,"


    Agnes brimmed with confidence, putting all her faith in the gift left by her ancestor for her to wield.


    "Great! I''ll deal with the remaining eight within that time,"


    he eximed, relief flooding through him.


    Hisst statement marked the end of their allocation. He straightened his posture and closed his eyes


    momentarily, intending to mimic Agnes'' unabashed disy of talent earlier. He let the simultaneous


    warmth and coldness lick across his flesh as he activated the Nine-degree Body Refining Form to


    the Second Degree. In a blinding sh, the army was plunged under the gravity of his aura and colored


    them in orange hues which carried both halves of his infernal and frosty power.


    With the addition of the Light Apperception to support the duo''smand over the battle, they


    completed the image of supreme and overwhelmingpetitors.


    Ricky''s saber hummed in his grip, buzzing with unrivaled vitality that signified its own alertness. He was


    prepared to end the long driven out strife.


    The unexpected turnaround of the match was met with outcries of awe and fascination from the three


    demi-immortals residing above the pce.


    "The dual powers! This guy''s spiritual meridian can carry dual powers!" They gaped, watching the


    conflictmence below in surprise.


    "That girl


    did a remarkable job! She''s really smart for inviting a genius with a spiritual meridian that carried the


    dual powers!" The grandmaster from the Purity Faction proimed in joy.


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    They stayed immersed in the scene, taking in as much information as they could from the ongoing


    dispute with the Array.


    Ricky swung his saber, the mixed energies he controlled exploding on their adversaries and ferociously


    assaulted every gap and corner of their bodies.


    He aimed to purposely overpower them with his wild charges; a cunning scheme to seek out their


    fragile cores.


    He targeted the mostmon vulnerable parts of a puppet: the brain, chest, stomach, and shoulders,


    in hopes of demolishing them thoroughly.


    Nevertheless, his blind strikes only proved to be futile. Theck of evidence from the dolls tiring out


    anytime soon confused and despaired Ricky. If he were to continue at this pace, he would end up


    copsing in fatigue. No matter how potent his current state was, it would be useless if he were to drain


    all his energies at some point.


    It did not help that Agnes also seemed to be sumbing to her limit as she fought the two puppets with


    increasing sluggishness chaining down her movements.


    Her blood power of innate spirit was running out with every passing second, revealing an urgency that


    spurred Ricky into thinking overdrive on how to render the bronze men into total decrepitude.


    "Aren''t they supposed to have a weak spot?" Muttering in frustration, Ricky unyieldingly pierced his


    saber again and again through the tough surfaces of his enemies.


    He scanned their figures as he prayed fervently to notice any unusual circumstance to serve as his


    breakthrough.


    He held his breath as his frantic eyes jumped to one body to the next. Suddenly, he was struck with a


    realization that his saber had sessfully left cracks on their chestnut exteriors.


    "Maybe there isn''t any array power in them?"


    he mumbled, puzzled by his finding.


    If that were the case, it should not have been possible for the array to be stronger than the mobs they


    had fought previously. He could still vividly recall the shadow marks left as trails of evidence to the cuts


    his weapon had tried to inflict on them. Those stone and wooden men did not break into pieces as it


    should have because of the array power embedded in their forms.


    But then, if the bronze array had possessed the same skill as the former legions, he would not have


    been able to leave deep cuts caused by his inexorable shes.


    Unless, its aim was to solely break down their dissidents'' real strength.


    He startled upon his new discovery. Their physiques bore no weaknesses and no array powers; all they


    had was their own pugnacious strengths that equaled to a warrior at the first grade of Blood


    Purification. The only way to triumph over the mob was to harbor a power stronger than theirs.


    "Finally!"


    Ricky grinned, mustering all his momentum to unleash the devouring runes from within. With those


    runes'' help, he made it to the second grade of Blood Purification.


    It renewed his being; baptizing him with fresh and unrestrained vigor that permitted him to sh


    through his nearest enemy.


    "Crack!"


    The metal ripped like a loose thread from a broken hem before it split into halves and fell on the solid


    ground heavily.


    ''I was right! It all depends on true strength!''


    he sighed, mitigation and glee prancing around in his chest.


    He proceeded to take them down one by one; raising his saber and plunging it countless of times into


    the puppets without any remorse. In a span of a few seconds, he had emerged gloriously undefeated


    as he stood on top of the fragments scattered along the floor.


    Ricky and Agnes shared a look brimming with the pride of conquering theirst mission.


    He breathed in ease, oblivious to the panting of his partner almost on the verge of fainting from the


    tenacious exercise. Atst, they were crowned champions. All their efforts paid off, with Ricky even


    managing to receive the bonus of reaching the second stage of Blood Purification.