Chapter 92: Chapter 92 - The Shadow Beast Tide and the Three-Gates Severing Lock

The spectators at the edge of the training ground were utterly speechless.

At first, everyone had expected Phase Two to be brutal.

After all, the disciples had to protect ten jade pillars. The Shadow Beasts were endless, and only ten disciples would advance.

No matter how one looked at it, this phase should have been chaotic.

But the scene in front of them was strangely stable.

The hundred disciples guarding the ten jade pillars were doing... very well.

So well that, for a moment, the spectators almost forgot this was a competition.

The disciples were coordinating.

No one was trying to sabotage anyone. Instead, all ten jade pillars remained standing beneath the protection of the disciples.

At one pillar, Ji Ruyue raised her hand.

Cold Qi spread like moonlight.

The ground froze, then ice spikes erupted in rows, piercing through a wide swarm of Shadow Beasts. Their black bodies shattered into mist before they could even cry out.

At another side, Han Yuelin laughed as he drew his sword.

"Good! Come!"

Sword Qi burst outward. It gathered into clean, bright arcs that cut through the charging beasts in layers.

One slash, dozens of Shadow Beasts split apart. Another slash, the wave before him was torn open.

Han Yuelin’s eyes were bright with battle intent. He was clearly enjoying himself.

Meanwhile, at Su Bai’s pillar, the scene was quieter.

Su Bai raised his hand.

Dozens of dark needles vanished. A breath later, dozens of Shadow Beasts burst into black mist at the same time.

The disciples beside him felt their scalps tingle.

They could barely see when Su Bai attacked.

They only knew that whenever the front became too crowded, black mist would suddenly explode in neat rows.

Liu Meng stood behind him.

Her hands moved quickly, releasing waves of green-red flame. Her flame was strange. It was reinforced by wood Qi.

Once it touched a Shadow Beast, it did not immediately explode. It clung to the beast’s shadow body, then spread like burning roots.

Several beasts collapsed before reaching the group.

Su Bai noticed and became slightly surprised.

Liu Meng was better at fighting than he had expected.

Beside them, the shield-bearing disciple struck the ground with his shield.

Dong.

A wall of yellow light rose. Three Shadow Beasts slammed into it and bounced back.

The disciple shouted, "Now!"

Two cultivators beside him acted at once.

Sword light flashed.

The three beasts burst apart.

Su Bai glanced at the shield disciple.

’Good timing. This group was better than expected.’

...

On the high platform, Li Xuanzong watched the scene and slowly nodded.

His eyes carried satisfaction.

However...

Li Xuanzong also knew this could not continue.

If no one was eliminated, Phase Two would lose its meaning.

The Sect Master calmly spoke.

"Increase the strength of the Shadow Beasts."

The Peak Masters moved at once. Qi was poured into the array discs.

The illusionary valley trembled. The shadows at the edges of the valley twisted. Then a deeper roar echoed through the dark soil.

The next wave appeared.

This time, the aura was different.

Hundreds of Foundation Establishment Shadow Beasts crawled out of the darkness.

The atmosphere changed immediately.

The disciples who had been relaxed became serious.

The first wave had been numerous, but weak.

This wave was different. The Shadow Beasts were larger, and their bodies were denser, no longer collapsing from casual strikes.

Their movements were more coordinated too. They advanced like an army.

"Hold formation!"

"Do not break away!"

"Protect the pillars first!"

The disciples adjusted quickly.

Han Yuelin stepped forward, sword in hand.

"I will take this side!"

His sword Qi erupted.

He charged directly into one side of the tide, cutting open a path by force.

Ji Ruyue stood farther back.

Her cold Qi spread across the battlefield, forming ice ridges that slowed the Shadow Beasts before they reached the pillars. Every few breaths, she raised a finger, and ice spears fell like quiet rain.

Su Bai took a different role.

He did not rush. He watched the gaps.

Whenever a Shadow Beast escaped Han Yuelin’s sword light, a dark needle pierced its eye.

Whenever one avoided Ji Ruyue’s ice, a Nether-Thread caught its leg.

Whenever a beast slipped through the formation and lunged toward a jade pillar, a Hollow Needle struck it from an impossible angle.

Black mist burst again and again.

Su Bai did not look eye-catching at first.

But the longer the battle continued, the more terrifying his presence became.

Because no matter where a gap appeared, one of his needles appeared there first.

However, the pressure kept increasing.

A disciple near Han Yuelin became excited after seeing him charge.

He gritted his teeth and rushed forward with his sword.

"I can do it too!"

He could not.

Three Foundation Establishment Shadow Beasts surrounded him instantly.

He blocked the first, dodged the second, then the third struck his chest.

His body turned into a streak of light and vanished from the valley.

He was not injured. But he was eliminated.

The spectators outside finally remembered. This was still a competition.

Soon, more disciples began falling.

Some were overwhelmed. Some panicked when the pressure surged. Some broke formation for only a breath, and the Shadow Beasts immediately took advantage of the opening.

The illusionary valley was merciless.

...

Then the valley shook again.

A heavy pressure descended.

The shadow at the far end of the valley split open.

This time, the beasts that emerged carried a terrifying weight.

Golden Core level. The moment they appeared, many disciples froze.

Even though they were illusionary, the pressure felt real.

One Golden Core Shadow Beast lowered its body... then vanished.

Boom.

A jade pillar group was struck head-on.

Three disciples were sent flying and turned into streaks of light.

The audience gasped.

The atmosphere changed completely.

Foundation Establishment disciples could fight Foundation Establishment beasts with teamwork.

But Golden Core beasts were different.

Their speed, pressure, and destructive force were on another level.

The objective of the disciples changed instantly.

It was no longer about killing as many beasts as possible. It was protect the pillars at all cost!

Ji Ruyue’s gaze sharpened slightly.

She raised both hands. An ice wall erupted before one of the Golden Core beasts, delaying it for one breath.

That one breath was enough for Han Yuelin to arrive.

His sword descended.

"Break!"

Sword Qi struck the beast’s shoulder and cut deep.

But the beast did not die. It roared and swiped at him.

Han Yuelin laughed and retreated half a step.

"Harder than expected!"

His voice was bright, but his expression had become serious.

On Su Bai’s side, the first Golden Core Shadow Beast approached.

The shield-bearing disciple stepped forward.

His face was pale, but his stance did not waver.

"I will block once!"

The shield disciple shouted and raised his shield.

The Golden Core beast slammed into him.

Boom.

The yellow light around the shield cracked instantly.

The disciple was pushed back several steps, but he did not fall.

At that moment, Liu Meng’s flame wrapped around the beast’s legs.

Two sword cultivators attacked its side.

Su Bai’s eyes narrowed.

A Hollow Needle appeared between his fingers.

Inside it, Ashen-Frost Blight Flame flickered silently.

The Weeping Needle vanished. It pierced the Shadow Beast’s chest.

For one breath, nothing happened.

Then gray-white flame exploded from within.

The Golden Core Shadow Beast stiffened.

Its body swelled. Then it burst into black mist.

The disciples froze.

Liu Meng’s eyes shone.

...

Outside the valley, the spectators held their breath.

This was the first time many of them had truly seen Su Bai fight.

During Phase One, he had only walked.

But now...

Now, every time Su Bai moved, something died.

His attacks were not flashy, but they were precise enough to make people feel cold.

The female disciples stared with dreamy expressions. The male disciples watched without blinking.

Some of them even forgot to cheer. They were afraid that if they blinked, they would miss the next needle.

More Golden Core Shadow Beasts entered the battlefield.

The situation quickly worsened.

More disciples were eliminated.

Seventy remained. Then fifty. Then thirty.

The pillars still stood.

But the disciples were being worn down.

Han Yuelin changed his fighting style.

He no longer chased beasts to kill them. Instead, he cut down only the most dangerous ones.

Ji Ruyue did the same. She stopped spreading ice widely and began freezing key paths, forcing Shadow Beasts to move where the disciples could handle them.

Su Bai became even busier.

He had no time to think about whether the Shadow Beasts were made of useful energy.

A beast lunged toward the left.

Needle.

A beast leapt from above.

Thread.

A beast broke through the shield disciple’s guard.

Weeping Needle.

A disciple stumbled.

Falling Leaf Substitution.

Su Bai appeared beside him, kicked him back into formation, then pierced the beast that had nearly eliminated him.

The disciple landed in a daze.

Then shouted, "Thank you, Senior Brother Su!"

Su Bai did not answer.

There was no time.

And just then...

The valley became silent.

Every Shadow Beast stopped moving.

The remaining disciples froze.

A pressure descended from above.

At the far end of the valley, a massive shadow slowly stood.

It was much larger than the others.

Its body was still formed from black mist, but it no longer looked vague.

Nascent Soul level.

Only one, but that one was enough.

The disciples’ breathing stopped.

Even Han Yuelin’s smile faded slightly. Then he stepped forward.

His sword trembled.

"Let me try."

Sword Qi gathered into a bright line.

For one moment, his sword seemed to cut open the darkness.

The Nascent Soul Shadow Beast raised one claw.

Clang.

The sword Qi shattered.

Han Yuelin was sent flying backward.

His feet skidded across the ground, carving two long lines into the soil.

He did not fall, but his hand trembled.

The remaining disciples felt their hearts sink.

That single exchange told them enough.

This beast was not meant to be defeated alone.

But the moment everyone’s attention moved to the Nascent Soul beast, the remaining Golden Core beasts charged again.

Several disciples reacted too slowly.

Streaks of light flashed.

Eliminated.

Twenty remained. Then eighteen.

Su Bai’s eyes became cold.

He fired Weeping Needles one after another.

Golden Core Shadow Beasts were harder to kill, but they were still made of illusionary shadow. Once the Ashen-Frost Blight Flame entered their bodies, they could not hold their shape for long.

Ji Ruyue also acted.

Cold Qi condensed into a thin blade of ice and swept across the battlefield. A Golden Core beast lost half its body and collapsed.

Han Yuelin recovered his stance.

His smile returned, though it was sharper now.

"Good. This is more like it."

The Nascent Soul Shadow Beast moved.

One step... then it appeared before a group of disciples.

A claw swept down.

The shield-bearing disciple from Su Bai’s group roared and threw himself forward.

His shield expanded into a wall of yellow light.

Boom.

The claw struck. The yellow wall shattered.

The shield disciple flew backward.

But he had blocked it.

For one breath.

That one breath mattered.

"Attack!" Han Yuelin shouted.

Sword Qi erupted. Ji Ruyue’s ice descended. Talismans burned. Spells crashed.

Su Bai released three Hollow Needles at once.

A barrage of attacks struck the Nascent Soul Shadow Beast.

The beast staggered half a step.

Then it roared.

The sound wave swept across the valley.

Several weaker disciples were knocked out instantly.

Fifteen remained.

Then twelve.

The Nascent Soul beast began moving differently.

It started targeting the weakest disciples first.

A flash of black mist, another disciple eliminated.

Han Yuelin moved to intercept.

Ji Ruyue froze the ground beneath the beast’s feet.

Su Bai’s needles chased after it from impossible directions.

But the beast was too fast.

It was not a true Nascent Soul cultivator, but in this illusionary valley, it carried enough pressure to crush most Foundation Establishment disciples.

Su Bai’s eyes moved.

This could not continue.

If they only reacted, they would keep losing people.

They needed to lock it down.

Su Bai looked toward Han Yuelin.

"Senior Brother Han."

Han Yuelin glanced over.

"Can you hold its front?"

"For one strike," Han Yuelin said.

Su Bai looked toward Ji Ruyue.

"Senior Sister Ji."

Ji Ruyue’s gaze was calm.

"Freeze its movement?"

"Yes."

"One breath," she said.

Su Bai nodded.

"One breath is enough."

Han Yuelin laughed.

"Good. Then let us gamble."

Ji Ruyue did not laugh.

She simply raised her hand.

Cold Qi gathered.

The Nascent Soul beast vanished again, appearing behind a disciple.

Its claw rose.

At that moment, Han Yuelin moved.

His sword light flashed like a white line cutting across the valley.

Clang.

His sword blocked the beast’s claw. Bloodless illusionary pressure shook his body, but he held firm.

"Now!"

Ji Ruyue’s ice erupted from beneath the beast.

Frost climbed its legs, waist, and shoulders.

The beast roared.

The ice cracked immediately.

But it slowed.

Su Bai’s eyes became sharp.

Three dark needles appeared.

He focused to try the Three-Gates Severing Lock combo.

The first needle vanished.

It struck the base of the Shadow Beast’s skull, the Wind Pool point.

In a human body, it was where the spine met the head. In this illusionary beast, the structure was different, but the flow of shadow Qi still had a similar junction.

The needle entered.

The beast’s head jerked, and its balance broke.

Han Yuelin immediately slashed upward, forcing its claw away.

Ji Ruyue’s ice tightened again.

Su Bai disappeared.

Falling Leaf Substitution.

A dead leaf drifted down.

Su Bai appeared above the beast’s shoulder.

The second needle entered to its Shoulder Well Acupoint.

The Shadow Beast’s right arm suddenly froze mid-swing.

It tried to raise its claw, but it failed.

The spectators outside the valley held their breath.

Even the Peak Masters leaned forward slightly.

Su Bai had no time to think.

The third needle was the most important.

Gate of Life Acupoint.

If it landed, the Three-Gates Severing Lock would complete.

Even if the beast was Nascent Soul level, it would be paralyzed for at least one breath.

One breath was enough for everyone to attack.

Su Bai twisted in midair.

The third needle formed between his fingers.

But the Nascent Soul Shadow Beast suddenly roared.

Its body released a violent shockwave.

The remaining ice shattered.

Han Yuelin was forced back.

Ji Ruyue’s sleeve fluttered sharply.

A nearby disciple was struck by the shockwave and vanished into light.

Su Bai’s needle was about to descend to the last point.

But at that exact moment, Li Xuanzong’s voice echoed through the valley.

"Phase Two is over."

The world froze.

The Nascent Soul Shadow Beast stopped.

The third needle hovered less than an inch from its lower spine.

Su Bai paused.

Everyone paused.

The illusionary valley slowly began to fade.

Only then did the remaining disciples realize something.

There were only ten of them left.

Phase Two had ended... just as they were about to lock down the Nascent Soul Shadow Beast.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then Han Yuelin suddenly laughed.

"Hahaha! Sect Master ended it too early!"

Ji Ruyue lowered her hand calmly.

Su Bai looked at the fading beast.

Then at the third needle that never landed.

His expression remained peaceful.

But in his heart, something stirred.

’No wonder my coworkers hated cliffhangers,’ he thought.