C81 Profound Heavy Power(2)

Zhou Muyuan's face, which had just lost its look of terror, was now filled with it once more. Woo Zhengyang's palm had come down swiftly, but Zhou Muyuan had let go of his spear just in time, theoretically allowing him to dodge the blow. Yet, instead of dodging, it seemed as if he had moved his head right into the path of Woo Zhengyang's strike, receiving a solid slap.

"This... this is the power of the Profound Heavy Mountain..." he mumbled, spitting out a mist of blood and broken teeth, his face swelling on one side. He hadn't intentionally moved his head to be hit; his energy had suddenly become chaotic, uncontrollably drawn in that direction. Having just come from the Profound Heavy Mountain, Zhou Muyuan remembered well its ability to absorb energy. However, he couldn't fathom how Woo Zhengyang could wield the mountain's power—something that had never happened before.

"Could it be... he really passed the third level of the trial? No... it must be more than just the third level..." Zhou Muyuan thought, forming a judgment in his mind.

Woo Zhengyang, on the other hand, paid no attention to Zhou Muyuan's thoughts. He had held back somewhat with that slap, but due to his unfamiliarity with controlling the Profound Heavy Power, it had landed harder than intended.

"This is the sorrow of being a test subject, but the Profound Heavy Power sure is useful!" Woo Zhengyang thought to himself. If Zhou Muyuan knew, he would probably spit out another mouthful of blood.

He looked at the silver spear he had taken, unable to determine its quality due to the lack of any obvious markings. He casually tossed it back to Zhou Muyuan and said, "Here's your spear back, keep going!"

In his state of shock, Zhou Muyuan instinctively caught the spear, only then processing what Woo Zhengyang had said.

"Keep going..."

Hearing this, Zhou Muyuan nearly spat out blood again, mumbling, "No more... I give up..."

"Give up? My experiment isn't over yet!" Woo Zhengyang replied, not waiting for Zhou Muyuan to say anything else. He slapped the other side of Zhou Muyuan's face.

"Experiment?" Zhou Muyuan finally understood that he had been nothing more than a test subject all along. That's why Woo Zhengyang had initially used basic sword techniques with no real power. Now, even though victory was assured, he casually returned the spear.

Zhou Muyuan, the fifth-ranked outer disciple of the prestigious Martial Academy, found himself in such a predicament. It felt like a nightmare, one that left him cold and helpless.

"Slap..." Still seething with anger and frustration, Zhou Muyuan was jolted awake by Woo Zhengyang's slap.

This time, Woo Zhengyang had better control over the Profound Heavy Power, leaving only a trace of blood at the corner of Zhou Muyuan's mouth. It wasn't out of mercy; for someone like Zhou Muyuan, Woo Zhengyang saw no need for that. He held back just enough to ensure Zhou could still speak, allowing Woo to get the results he wanted.

Even with a lighter touch, the slap stung Zhou's face, but it was the unfamiliar sense of humiliation that truly ignited his fury. "You forced my hand!" Zhou shouted, pulling a jade box from his pocket and quickly swallowing its contents before Woo could intervene. Woo caught a glimpse of what he consumed—a Seven-star Flower.

This was Woo's first time seeing a Seven-star Flower, though he had read about it during his time as a novice disciple. Properly used, this rare herb could temporarily elevate a One-star Martial Disciple to the level of a Seven-star Martial Disciple, lasting just long enough to turn the tide of a battle. That's how it earned its name.

In the Mystic Trace Realm, the effects of spiritual herbs like the Seven-star Flower were amplified several times over. Just how potent it would be here, Woo couldn't say for sure.

"I didn't expect this guy to actually have something valuable on him. It's a shame he's wasting it like this," Woo Zhengyang thought regretfully, though he wasn't too concerned. It was just a rare herb, after all, and he could consider it a part of his experiments.

After swallowing the Seven-star Flower, Zhou Muyuan's body turned crimson, with veins bulging prominently.

"Ah..."

Without the aid of other herbs, the effects of the Seven-star Flower hit him all at once, causing Zhou Muyuan to cry out in pain and tremble all over.

Amidst the agony, the energy within Zhou Muyuan surged, as if splitting apart, doubling and then doubling again. Originally at the ninth level of the Pulse Refinement stage, his energy skyrocketed, advancing from mid to late ninth level, reaching the peak of the Pulse Refinement stage.

The Seven-star Flower's potency continued to work, and although it couldn't propel Zhou Muyuan directly into the Reality Condensing Stage, it did push the intensity of his energy beyond the limits of the ninth level, bringing him tantalizingly close to the power of a Martial Master.

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