"This bamboo house is practically worthless now."
Han Jue examined the purple bamboo structure, its surface covered in spiderweb cracks. The palace-type treasure had barely survived an attack comparable to a Tier 4 Universe Master. At best, it might withstand one or two blows from a top Universe Overlord before shattering completely. Its only remaining value lay in salvaging the materials for forging new treasures.
Unfortunately, no one in the human race possessed the necessary craftsmanship for such work.
Han Jue stored the damaged bamboo house along with the bamboo staff left behind by the Lord of Hundred Bamboo, then turned his attention to the remaining golden-scaled beasts.
A single thought!
"Destroy!"
The boundless void began to contract. Countless five-colored sword energies and arcs of brilliant light materialized, instantly engulfing the golden-scaled beasts.
"BOOM!"
The golden-scaled beasts couldn't withstand the overwhelming power. They disintegrated completely.
"Something's wrong."
Han Jue surveyed the unchanged hall around him, his brow furrowing in thought.
'Another 128 days of rest? Are these 128 golden-scaled beasts not the final challenge? Will the next wave include beasts comparable to a Tier 5 Universe Master?'
Could it be that the test wasn't about simply killing golden-scaled beasts?
Because he'd been locked in a standoff with the Lord of Hundred Bamboo, and considering the test requirements the treacherous Universe Master had mentioned earlier, Han Jue hadn't carefully examined the golden-scaled beasts or the rules inscribed on the walls. Now, looking closely, he quickly noticed something amiss.
"These golden-scaled beasts aren't ferocious beasts at all, they're biological puppets!"
The realization struck him like lightning.
Because they were puppets, they possessed identical divine bodies and strength. And because they were puppets, they could coordinate attacks comparable to a Tier 4 Universe Master. These puppets merely served as energy outlets for the temple; the real attack originated from the temple itself!
Understanding dawned.
The Lord of Hundred Bamboo had been deceiving him from the very beginning!
Fortunately, Han Jue had discovered the truth in time. Otherwise, who knew what the upper limit of these golden-scaled beasts might be?
Even without a Tier 5 attack power, their sheer numbers would likely overwhelm him, unless he simply abandoned this main body.
However, now that he'd identified the problem, things became much simpler.
He just needed to wait for the next appearance of the golden-scaled beasts, locate their energy source, trace it back to its origin, and annihilate it completely. Only then could he advance to the next level!
Of course, he couldn't rule out the possibility that this was actually a dead end.
However, the Lord of Hundred Bamboo had already cleared this level once and successfully escaped, so leaving this place wouldn't be too difficult for Han Jue.
"Wait."
Han Jue settled cross-legged in the air, entering a meditative state.
"BOOM!"
Because Lord Youhou had entered the second level of the temple alone to face the golden-scaled beasts, and given his vast experience as a Universe Master, far greater than Han Jue's, without the Lord of Hundred Bamboo providing false information, Lord Youhou quickly noticed the anomaly with this space and the golden-scaled beasts.
And so,
When the 128 golden-scaled beasts materialized, Lord Youhou directly severed their energy pathways and annihilated them all.
"Whoosh!"
A white jade staircase materialized before him. Without hesitation, Lord Youhou ascended.
The third level of the temple!
Lord Youhou emerged in a new hall, noticeably smaller than the one below.
Inside, a stone table held a radiant, diamond-shaped crystal.
Lord Youhou strode over and picked it up.
"A primordial treasure that accelerates divine body recovery ten thousand times, comparable to a High Arcana? Excellent!"
Lord Youhou's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
Lacking a massive divine body, this primordial treasure would significantly boost his combat effectiveness!
After Lord Youhou claimed the primordial treasure, the stone table vanished. A large doorway appeared nearby.
Lord Youhou approached the doorway, pushed it open, and saw Lord Qilan in the main hall. Upon seeing the inscriptions on the wall before Lord Qilan, Lord Youhou immediately understood the situation.
Sensing someone approaching, Lord Qilan opened his eyes, glanced dismissively at Lord Youhou, then closed them again, his face full of disdain.
"Lord Qilan, are you provoking me?"
Lord Youhou's rage ignited instantly.
Lord Youhou was inherently arrogant and domineering, acknowledging no one as his equal!
Except for members of his own clan, Lord Youhou treated almost everyone with contempt.
"Heh."
Lord Qilan sneered, unwilling to engage with Lord Youhou.
Since he and Lord Youhou had appeared separately from the main hall and a side hall, Lord Qilan believed that this temple intentionally separated the three Universe Masters, only to eventually reunite them.
Therefore, once the Lord of Hundred Bamboo emerged from the remaining side hall, they could join forces against Lord Youhou!
Fighting Lord Youhou now would be a thankless task.
Seeing Lord Qilan ignore him, Lord Youhou's fury exploded.
"Damn it! How dare you disregard me!"
Having just obtained the primordial treasure, Lord Youhou felt invincible against Universe Masters of the same tier!
"BOOM!"
Lord Youhou attacked Lord Qilan instantly!
The collision between a top-tier melee weapon and top-tier armor produced a tremendous roar.
"Are you insane?"
Lord Qilan staggered back several steps, unable to suppress his roar.
Lord Youhou had actually burned his divine power to unleash that attack!
Although only 3% of his divine power was consumed, the strike still landed on Lord Qilan, causing his massive divine body to lose a full 1%!
It seemed like Lord Youhou had suffered a huge loss, but in reality, Lord Youhou's 3% divine body contained far less divine power than Lord Qilan's 1% divine body. Lord Qilan's 1% divine body was almost equivalent to more than 30% of Lord Youhou's divine body, the exchange ratio was extremely exaggerated.
After all, Lord Youhou possessed a top-tier treasure, had created the ultimate secret technique of a Universe Master, and was also a disciple of the Lord of Darkness. He excelled at unleashing burst attacks, and Lord Qilan remained wary of his offensive power.
Although the final contest of divine power would undoubtedly see Lord Qilan emerge victorious, he would also suffer heavy losses!
"Haha, this is the consequence of ignoring me!" Lord Youhou laughed wildly.
With his primordial treasure, he wasn't worried about depleting his divine power!
A mere 3% of his divine body could be recovered in less than a year, what was there to fear?
"Oh, how lively?"
Han Jue emerged from the side hall and witnessed the two Universe Masters facing off. He greeted them casually.
Upon seeing Han Jue, Lord Qilan's expression changed dramatically.
"What? It's you? Where's the Lord of Hundred Bamboo?"