Chapter 927: The Ninth Layer

"Not at the pinnacle of Transcendent Mortal?"

The puppet was stunned for a moment. It couldn't help but look down as power instantly ignited within its body.

Boom!

A powerful aura surged, forcing everyone to involuntarily retreat a few steps.

"This is... Saint realm first layer? I... how did I break through?" The puppet looked dazed.

He had been a puppet for four millennia, always at the pinnacle of Transcendent Mortal. He had never imagined his strength could still advance.

"If my guess is correct, it should be the Dean! After consuming the Earth Core Crystal within your body, he also helped you break through your strength..."

Zhao Bingxu said.

Having experienced the sixth trial, they knew the Dean possessed such an ability.

Perhaps he felt bad about consuming the Earth Core Crystal from the puppet's body, so he conveniently helped modify its structure, making it smoother and more in line with nature. This naturally led to a qualitative leap in its strength.

"This..."

After listening to the explanations of the various deans, the puppet stood frozen in place.

Although the Earth Core Crystal was very important to him, it wasn't absolutely essential. Sacrificing a portion of it, but gaining a massive increase in strength to the Saint realm, was definitely a huge gain!

However... with his increased strength, future challengers would likely face even greater difficulty. Reaching this point would become a dead end, making it impossible to reach the higher ninth floor.

For him, it was a good deed, but for future generations, it was a disaster.

It was equivalent to completely blocking the path, preventing anyone else from succeeding.

"What exactly is the ninth floor?"

As they were marveling, Wei Ranxue looked over.

"The ninth floor... I don't know either. I only know that since the establishment of the Master Teacher Academy, no one has ever entered it. Perhaps... only Ancestor Mu Kai, who founded the school, knows!"

The puppet shook its head.

The guardian of the ninth floor was a Saint realm first layer puppet, while the requirement to challenge the Record Mountain was to be below Half-Saint. This meant one needed to overcome three major cultivation realms in a single leap. Even he, back then, couldn't achieve it, let alone others!

In the ten thousand years since the Master Teacher Academy was founded, only this young man had accomplished it.

"No matter what it is, there shouldn't be any danger. The purpose of establishing the Record Mountain is to select talented individuals; naturally, it's impossible for talents to die inside!"

Seeing everyone's concern, the puppet said.

"Indeed!" Everyone nodded.

That's right, the Master Teacher Academy's goal is to select talents, and the Record Mountain is no exception. To pass the first eight layers indicates an extraordinary talent, unparalleled throughout history. How could such a person encounter trouble in the final trial?

So, there was no need to worry at all!

However, even if they weren't worried... what exactly had the Dean experienced on the ninth floor?

In an instant, Zhao Bingxu and the others were filled with curiosity.

***

A day earlier.

Having successfully passed the first eight layers, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at the puppet he had pinned to the ceiling, then continued upwards.

To be honest, he had still overestimated himself.

Against the Transcendent Mortal-level puppet on the sixth layer, he had struggled.

Although his strength had reached 65 million ding, comparable to a mid-stage Transcendent Mortal, the puppet's body had "sanctified," meaning its reactions, consciousness, and adaptability in combat far surpassed his. Even if his raw strength was greater, winning was still very difficult.

In other words, even with his powerful strength, Half-Saint pinnacle was his limit. To defeat an early-stage Transcendent Mortal, he could only rely on external means.

Thus, on the sixth layer, he gave the opponent pointers, allowing it to successfully acknowledge him as a master and pass the trial smoothly.

As for the seventh layer, the opponent didn't believe him. Unable to win the fight, he had no choice but to dismantle it into pieces.

If he could have simply defeated it, he wouldn't have resorted to such an extreme measure.

Dismantling the opponent to such an extent that even a ghost wouldn't recognize it... was simply too embarrassing.

On the eighth layer, Mo Liuzhen's rib-refined puppet was even more powerful. Zhang Xuan was immediately subjected to a brutal beating, leaving numerous large pits on the ground and sustaining severe injuries, spitting blood.

He had thought he wouldn't be able to pass this trial, but then he suddenly discovered that this puppet had been refined using an Earth Core Crystal.

The Earth Core Crystal was a treasure required for cultivating the fourth stage of the Five Elements Golden Body, which he had been unable to find. Seeing it here filled him with ecstasy.

However, if he openly stated he needed this spirit stone, the opponent would surely turn hostile on the spot and beat him to death. Left with no choice, he resorted to a small trick.

With the power of the spirit stone, his Five Elements Golden Body successfully broke through to the fourth stage, causing his physical strength to surge once again.

Previously, his physical strength alone was 16 million ding, but now it had doubled, reaching 32 million ding!

This meant that his physical strength alone was already comparable to a late-stage Chrysalis Realm expert!

Combined with his 29 million ding of zhenqi and 20 million ding of soul power, his total strength had reached 81 million ding!

Such power far surpassed even a Transcendent Mortal pinnacle cultivator. Mo Liuzhen's puppet, completely unprepared, was naturally sent flying by a single punch, pinned against the wall, and knocked unconscious.

(Transcendent Mortal early-stage: 60 million ding, mid-stage: 65 million ding, late-stage: 70 million ding, pinnacle: 75 million ding!)

"Although I defeated the puppet on the previous layer, my true combat strength still falls short of a Transcendent Mortal pinnacle."

Despite knocking unconscious the puppet formed from Mo Liuzhen's ribs with a single punch, Zhang Xuan did not arrogantly believe he possessed combat strength comparable to a Transcendent Mortal pinnacle.

The ease of victory was due to the fact that this puppet had fought him once before, allowing him to fully understand its flaws and weaknesses in its techniques. This, coupled with the opponent's underestimation, led to his success.

If he were to encounter a Transcendent Mortal pinnacle cultivator fighting with full strength, even if his power was not inferior, victory certainly wouldn't be easy.

It was still better to be cautious.

This was also why he always wanted to keep a low profile.

A tall tree in the forest will be toppled by the wind; a dike higher than the bank will be lashed by the waves.

Unfortunately, every time he tried to be low-key, it backfired, filling him with melancholy.

Perhaps this was life! It was often as lonely as snow.

Defeating even a Transcendent Mortal pinnacle was difficult. To pass the ninth layer, there was likely no chance at all, unless... he could find a Heaven's Path cultivation technique for the Chrysalis Realm right now and directly raise his strength to the pinnacle of that realm.

But such a cultivation technique was clearly not available here.

"Since I've come this far, I might as well go up and see!"

Exhaling, Zhang Xuan continued upward without any hesitation.

Having come all this way, passing through trials to reach this point, if he were to stop due to fear, he would feel he was letting himself down.

He had to go up and see no matter what; at worst, he could just concede.

***

Pushing open the door to the ninth layer, a massive, empty room appeared before his eyes.

Looking up, an old man came into view.

"Master Mu?"

Recognizing the man's appearance, Zhang Xuan frowned.

It was none other than Mu Kai, the founding patriarch.

He had just seen the residual soul left by the patriarch on the high platform.

"No, that's incorrect. It's a Saint realm puppet refined by Master Mu based on his own likeness!"

Although strange, he quickly understood the situation.

The figure before him was neither the real Master Mu Kai nor his residual soul, but a puppet refined in his likeness. From a distance, it looked so much like a real person that he hadn't recognized it at first glance.

"To pass from the first trial all the way here without reaching Half-Saint shows your talent and strength!"

Seeing him approach, Master Mu's puppet looked over with a faint smile in its eyes.

"Greetings, Master Mu!"

Zhang Xuan cupped his fists and stepped forward.

Even if it was just a puppet, it surely contained Master Mu's will, just like the one on the eighth layer, and could not be underestimated.

"Hmm!" Master Mu's puppet nodded with a smile. "I am currently at the early stage of Saint realm first layer. As long as you can defeat me, you will have passed the Record Mountain and obtained the benefits I've left behind!"

"Defeat you..."

Zhang Xuan looked troubled.

To be honest, defeating the opponent based solely on his strength had almost no chance of success.

However, if he relied on his ability to dismantle things, rendering the opponent crippled and then breaking it into pieces, it should be quite simple.

But using such a method against the founding patriarch felt truly improper and highly embarrassing.

If others found out, as the Dean who valued his reputation, he would surely be mortified.

"Don't worry, as long as you can defeat me, any method can be used. There's no need to stick to rules!"

As if seeing his doubts, Master Mu smiled. "To be honest, for me, a Saint realm cultivator, to act against someone who hasn't even reached Half-Saint, is already not adhering to rules!"

"Are you sure?" Zhang Xuan's gaze was peculiar. "I don't have to stick to rules?"

"That's right!" Master Mu smiled.

"Since you say so, then it's fine..."

Hearing the opponent say that rules were unnecessary, Zhang Xuan sighed in relief, the burden in his heart lifting. With a thought,

The Golden Origin Cauldron appeared before him.

"Cauldron, go knock this guy out for me..."

With a wave of his hand, Zhang Xuan exuded a heroic aura.

"Don't worry, it's just old Mu's puppet. I'll turn it into scrap for Master right now..."

The Golden Origin Cauldron responded, its body swaying as it prepared to charge forward.

It was a Saint artifact left by the Master Teacher Pavilion for the academy, and it had seen Master Mu Kai in the past, recognizing him instantly now.

"Wait..."

Master Mu's puppet's mouth twitched, nearly fainting, and he hurriedly shouted.

"What's wrong?"

Gesturing for the Golden Origin Cauldron to stop, Zhang Xuan looked over in confusion.

You just said any method could be used, so what's wrong with me summoning the Golden Origin Cauldron now?

"Cough, cough," Master Mu's puppet said, his face flushing. "When I said 'any method,' I meant you could use your strength, techniques, and various auxiliary professions, not... relying on a Saint artifact. Otherwise, relying on the might of a Saint artifact, even someone only at the first or second layer of Mortal Transcendence could easily rush through the first trial, and the Record Mountain would lose its meaning!"

It was his fault for not making it clear. The Record Mountain was meant to assess individual ability. If you brought out a Saint artifact, even if your own strength wasn't sufficient, you'd certainly have a smooth journey and pass all the trials! How could that possibly be a proper assessment?!

"This... I misunderstood!"

Zhang Xuan scratched his head, put the Golden Origin Cauldron back into his ring, and with a flick of his wrist, a common supreme-grade spirit weapon longsword appeared in his palm. He pointed it directly at the opponent.

"This should be fine, right?"

Master Mu's puppet nodded with a slight smile. Just as he was about to speak, a sword gleam shot straight out, like a dazzling meteor.