<h4>Chapter 46: -46- Battle halls 2nd level</h4>


    Ss soon left the Insight Hall with the old man while the small child and Kai stayed inside.


    As they walked out to the main hall, Thea and Red quickly stood up.


    "So, how was it?" Thea asked with genuine curiosity.


    "It was amazing... I''ve already made so much progress..." Ss began, but he quickly stopped himself. He didn''t want to brag too much... Both Thea and Red, of course, didn''t have the opportunity, and he didn''t want to rub it in their face too much.


    "That''s amazing. I''m so happy for you," Thea said, which made Ss smile. He had been slightly worried she would be a little jealous or maybe feel down, but it looked like the only thing she truly cared about was that he had benefited in some way.


    "So what are you going to do now?" Red asked.


    "I''m going to go challenge the 2nd level of the Battle Hall," Ss said, seeing no reason to hide it.


    "What? Are you sure?" Thea asked. She wasn''t sure since she hadn''t been told, but she figured this challenge would be dangerous, if not deadly.


    "Don''t worry. This senior told me that I have roughly a 50% chance, so even if I can''t win, I''m more than confident in keeping myself alive long enough to retreat and forfeit the challenge," Ss said, trying to assure both Thea and Red.


    "Ok, well, stay safe," Thea said as she walked forward and gave Ss a small hug and kiss. She was slightly embarrassed at first, but she soon got over it. This was her husband, what did she have to be embarrassed about?


    "Alright, I''ll be right back," Ss said as the old man led him to the Battle Hall.


    Soon, Ss was once again standing before a golem, this one clearly much stronger than thest.


    <strong>[Golem - Qi Cultivation: Peak Revolving Core - Body Cultivation: Peak Revolving Core]</strong>


    ''So this one is a dual Qi and body cultivator...'' Ss thought as he stood in front of the ck-robed golem who wielded a spear.


    Before Ss could start the fight, the old man quickly said, "Remember, this fight shall be much harder than thest, and this golem is set to kill, so be careful. It would be a shame if an inheritor and disciple of myte master were to die in such a fashion..."


    Ss nodded his head, "I''ll be careful, Senior."


    Ss stared at the golem, its ck robes swaying gently, a spear held tightly in its grip. This was no ordinary opponent—its presence exuded both physical dominance and the cold, calcting aura of a qi cultivator. Ss could feel the sharp pressure in the air, as though the entire hall was waiting for the inevitable sh.


    The golem''s dual cultivation made it a formidable enemy. Ss could sense its overwhelming strength, both in terms of qi mastery and brute physical power. He knew this battle would push him to his limits.


    Without a word, the golem moved first. Its ck robes billowed, and the spear in its hand shot forward with blinding speed. Ss barely had time to react as the spear whistled through the air, glowing with a sharp edge of qi.


    "Bang!"


    Ss deflected the attack with his scythe, sparks flying from the sh. The power behind the strike sent tremors through his arms, and he felt the golem''s raw strength bearing down on him. Before he could retaliate, the golem flicked its wrist, and the spear vanished, reappearing in the air above Ss, descending like a meteor.


    "Bang!"


    Ss leaped back, avoiding the devastating blow. The ground cracked where the spear struck, but he couldn''t let up. The golem''s movements were deceptively fast, and it wasn''t just relying on its body. Ss could feel the qi stirring in the air around him.


    Suddenly, four translucent disks of qi formed around the golem, each disk marked with ancient runes glowing faintly. The disks expanded outward, creating a wide barrier that began to ripple with destructive energy.


    Ss''s eyes narrowed.


    The golem had activated a powerful qi formation, and it was clear the disks were meant to suppress and trap him. The barrier shimmered with malevolent energy, and Ss felt the air around him grow heavier. He could already feel the suppression on his body and qi cirction.


    Before he could n his next move, the golem raised its hand, and several magic treasures appeared in the air—three shining orbs, each one pulsating with different elements: fire, lightning, and ice. The orbs hovered within the formation, each aimed directly at Ss.


    Without warning, the fire orb shot forward, unleashing a torrent of me that roared toward Ss.


    "Boom!"


    Ss barely managed to twist out of the way, but the heat singed his robes and scorched the ground where he had stood. Before he could recover, the lightning orb struck next, releasing bolts of blue energy that crackled through the air.


    "Crack!"


    The bolts hit Ss''s side, sending jolts of pain through his body as they coursed through his qi pathways. He gritted his teeth, the energy momentarily disrupting his control over his flying sickles.


    "Shing!—"


    Ss groaned in frustration. The golem wasbining long-range attacks with its formation, limiting his ability to retaliate. But the golem wasn''t done. The ice orb released a freezing mist, and within moments, the air grew cold, frost gathering on the ground beneath Ss''s feet.


    ''It''s not just a defensive formation—it''s offensive too.'' Ss realized he couldn''t remain passive. He needed to break through the Fourfold Suppression Formation if he had any chance of winning.


    Summoning his divine will, Ss activated the [Ten Scythes of Requiem].


    "Whoosh!" The ten sleek, ck sickles shot into the air. Each sickle shimmered with the power of death, ghostly trails of energy lingering in their wake.


    "Requiem Harvest Formation!"


    The sickles formed into a deadly circle around Ss, their spectral energy resonating with his dao of crumbling and rot. Ss sent them crashing into the golem''s Fourfold Suppression Formation, aiming to weaken the barrier.


    "Shing! Shing!"


    The sickles shed against the qi disks, their power of death and decay biting into the formation. The disks wavered under the assault, cracks forming along their surface, but the formation held strong.


    The golem, watching Ss''s attempt to break through, remained calm. It raised its hand again, and this time, a formation appeared beneath Ss''s feet. The ground beneath him lit up with crimson runes, forming a new trap.


    "The Binding Chains of Tian," the golem intoned.


    Suddenly, chains of pure qi shot from the ground, wrapping around Ss''s legs and arms, pulling him down. The chains were infused with the golem''s qi, and they tightened with every passing second, restricting Ss''s movements.


    Ss struggled against the chains, his muscles straining as he tried to break free. The power of the golem''s formation was overwhelming—it was trying to immobilize himpletely. But Ss wasn''t one to give up easily.


    "Crumble!" he roared, invoking a hint of his Crumbling Sythe Domain.


    The air around him darkened, and the chains began to wither and decay under the force of his dao. Cracks appeared along the surface of the chains, and within moments, they shattered into dust.


    Ss didn''t waste a second. With the chains broken, he sent his sickles forward again, this time aiming directly for the golem.


    "Shing! Shing!"


    Two of the sickles struck the golem''s shoulder and arm, cutting deep into its flesh. Blood sprayed into the air, and the golem staggered, but it quickly regained itsposure. It swung its spear in a wide arc, forcing Ss to back away as it reasserted control over the battlefield.


    But just as Ss prepared for another assault, the golem vanished.


    "What?!"


    Before Ss could react, the golem reappeared behind him, moving with shocking speed. It had used its body cultivation to close the distance while Ss was focused on the formation. The spear struck forward, aimed for Ss''s back.


    "Bang!"


    Ss twisted at thest second, deflecting the blow with his scythe, but the force behind the attack sent him flying backward, crashing into the ground.


    "Shing!—"


    He coughed up blood, his vision blurring for a moment. The golem''s strength was monstrous, and its ability to seamlessly switch between qi attacks and physical assaults made it a nightmare to fight. Ss''s fiendgod body worked quickly to heal the damage, but he couldn''t keep taking blows like that. Taking to many big hits would only expend his divine power even faster.


    The golem advanced, preparing to strike again, but Ss wasn''t about to let it have the upper hand. He extended his divine will,manding his sickles to converge on the golem from all sides. The spectral des whirled through the air, glowing with the power of rot and decay.


    "Shing! Shing!"


    The sickles struck the golem''s qi shield, cracks spreading across its surface as the death energy gnawed away at its defenses. The golem let out a low growl, its movements bing more aggressive as it tried to shake off the sickles.


    Ss pressed his advantage. He channeled more of his power into his Crumbling Sythe Domain, the aura of crumbling intensifying around him. The air became thick with decay, and the ground beneath his feet began to crack and disintegrate.


    The golem swung its spear again, but this time, Ss was ready. He dodged the strike, closing the distance between them, and brought his scythe down with all his strength.


    "Cleaving!"


    The de of the scythe glowed with destructive energy, empowered by Ss''s dao of cleaving. It crashed hard into the golem''s spear.


    "Bang!" "Shing!"


    The golem staggered back, blood pouring from its wounds, but it didn''t falter and was quickly using its own divine power to heal itself. Instead, it raised both hands, summoning a new formation. This one was moreplex, with dozens of glowing runes spinning in the air, each one radiating immense power.


    "The Infinite Abyss Formation," the golem intoned.