Chapter 234: Breaking the Formation

Under the tense watching of the crowd, an intense battle of life and death unfolded inside Jiangwu Hall.

Each wave of attacks from the Battle Puppets inevitably caused an uproar, accompanied by startled screams. Seeing Mu Feng in constant peril, nearly split in half by the terrifying great cleaving blade or cut at the waist, people’s tension involuntarily grew, their hearts seeming ready to leap out.

The huge projection on the palace wall was so lifelike, even though it was dark and only vaguely showed the movements inside Jiangwu Hall. But the rumbling sounds of the Battle Puppets sliding, the crisp clashes of blades, the dull thuds of bodies crashing heavily to the ground… all clearly reached their ears, making them feel as if they were there.

The thrilling and tense fierce battle attracted more and more students. Gradually, the square grew increasingly crowded, and many people from outside the Scholastic Palace also heard the news and came. The magnificent Jiangwu Hall square was packed with people.

News of Jianning First Scholar Mu Feng challenging Xiangshan Academy’s legendary Eighteen Battle Puppets Restriction quickly spread to every corner of Jiangling Prefecture.

From high-ranking officials and nobles down to village farmers and laborers, everyone quickly learned that the Scholastic Palace had welcomed a student whose literary talent shook the world and whose martial prowess moved heaven and earth, causing a sensation throughout the city!

Boom, boom, boom…

Dull, thunderous noises sounded intermittently from the dark hall. Mu Feng’s injuries seemed to worsen, but under the increasingly fierce attacks of the eighteen Battle Puppets, he stubbornly held on. Each time he fell, his Black Inscription Heavy Sword left deep, trench-like marks on the ground. Slowly, these deep trenches became more numerous and deeper, crisscrossing chaotically.

At first, few noticed this. Gradually, people began to see the clever trick.

As the deep sword marks grew in number, the Battle Puppets’ movement speed gradually slowed. Often at crucial moments, they had to turn, their fierce attacks pausing briefly. Finally, one large Battle Puppet, moving too fast, couldn’t turn in time, tripped over a deep sword mark, and crashed loudly to the ground, losing balance.

“Amazing, what a clever plan and method!”

“Look, everyone look! Mu Feng is about to counterattack!”

…

Some experienced students shouted excitedly.

As soon as the words fell, Mu Feng, who had been passively dodging, suddenly changed from his critically injured, precarious state. His fallen body shot upward like a rocket, darting toward the toppled Battle Puppet like lightning. He raised his Black Inscription Heavy Sword high and brought it down with a whooshing sound.

Boom…

A deafening dull thud echoed from the dark hall.

But this time, it wasn’t Mu Feng’s body crashing heavily to the ground. The unlucky one was the fallen Battle Puppet.

Mu Feng’s Black Inscription Heavy Sword slammed hard onto the head of the downed Battle Puppet. Instantly, the latter’s large head developed countless cracks before shattering into pieces, turning into a headless puppet. After a mournful cry, its limbs stopped struggling. With a clink, a completely black Talismanic Script Crystal Stone fell to the ground.

One strike to blast the head!

Mu Feng, who had been waiting a long time, showed no mercy. The astonishing power of his Eighteen Dragon Strength was finally revealed in full.

Seeing him leap up, the other Battle Puppets aggressively charged, trying to cut off his retreat with their blades. However, unlike the beginning, they were now hindered by the crisscrossing deep sword marks on the ground, unable to move quickly. By the time they reached him, Mu Feng had already landed, locking onto another target.

Unconsciously, the balance of victory was shifting further from the imposing Battle Puppets!

“First one!”

Mu Feng’s left hand made a grasping motion in the air, unceremoniously collecting the fallen Talismanic Script Crystal Stone. Lightly tapping his toes on the ground, he leaped high, nimble as a swallow. The next moment, he stepped on a Battle Puppet’s shoulder, flipped forward, and landed behind the leftmost Battle Puppet. His heavy Black Inscription Heavy Sword descended with a gust of fierce wind.

With a thud, another Battle Puppet crashed to the ground, its head shattered. A black-glowing Talismanic Script Crystal Stone dropped to the floor.

“Second one!”

Mu Feng roared, his body rolling on the spot. His heavy sword swung forcefully, tripping a fiercely charging Battle Puppet. Before it could swing its great cleaving blade, his left hand suddenly transformed from a palm into a claw. With a cracking sound, it pierced the opponent’s head and directly dug out the Talismanic Script Crystal Stone inside.

Yinwind Skeleton Claw!

At the crucial moment, Mu Feng instinctively used Ghost Mother’s ultimate skill.

With one claw strike, not just a skull—even a hard iron plate could be pierced with five ghostly finger holes!

“Third one!”

After taking down two Battle Puppets in a row, Mu Feng fought with increasing courage. His figure swayed as he pounced toward the next Battle Puppet with limited mobility.

“Incredible, is this… Mu Feng’s true strength?”

“Late Elite Realm, no—peak Elite Realm! I dare say Mu Feng is definitely an expert at the peak of the Elite Realm, hiding his true power!”

“It seems our Scholastic Palace will produce another peerless genius like Tuoba Tiandu!”

…

Watching Mu Feng’s unstoppable counterattack, the square erupted in excitement.

When Mu Feng eloquently debated on Tiance Platform, successively defeating the rising stars of Civil and Martial Hall, Literary Brush Hall, and Literary Sword Hall, who could have imagined he was not only brilliantly talented but also this astonishing in cultivation?

When Mu Feng narrowly escaped danger under the endless attacks of the eighteen Battle Puppets, covered in bloodstains, who could have guessed he had planned this all along? Pretending to be weak while storing energy for a counterattack; secretly leaving chaotic, deep sword marks, quietly breaking the fearsome Battle Puppet Restriction?

As the last Battle Puppet crashed down, the packed square erupted with thunderous cheers like a landslide and tsunami.

Mu Feng was completely unaware that his every move was projected onto the outer palace wall. After storing the last Talismanic Script Crystal Stone, he reattached the heavy Black Inscription Heavy Sword to his back and calmly walked toward the exit in the darkness. Meanwhile, the crowd gathered outside the square was thoroughly stirred.

The infamous, so-called hellish trial of the Eighteen Battle Puppets Restriction—just like that, completely broken?

People found it hard to believe, but watching the projection on the palace wall, they had to accept the truth.

Over the centuries, the long-established Xiangshan Academy had produced many talents, and students who could pass the Eighteen Battle Puppets Restriction were not unheard of. Not to mention distant examples, the legendary First Senior Brother Tuoba Tiandu easily passed it over a decade ago. But unlike Mu Feng, they all relied on overwhelming strength to quickly get through. Someone like Mu Feng, who combined courage and strategy, painstakingly scarred the ground beyond recognition, indirectly broke the restriction, and then fiercely counterattacked, destroying all eighteen Battle Puppets—that was unprecedented and unrepeatable!

It should be known that the floor in the hall wasn’t just extremely hard; it also had invisible restrictions layered on it. Even without the interference of Battle Puppets, an ordinary person striking with all their might might only spark a few flames, leaving no mark at all. To leave deep sword marks like Mu Feng did required not only exceptional courage and planning but also unimaginable, astonishing strength!

Even if others thought of such a method to break the formation, they absolutely couldn’t achieve it, yet Mu Feng did it quietly and effortlessly.

Courage and wisdom combined!

Under the tense watch of everyone, on his very first day joining the Scholastic Palace, Mu Feng demonstrated what courage and strategy truly meant.

Witnessing his entire process of breaking the Eighteen Battle Puppets Restriction, which of the thousands of students gathered in the square wasn’t thrilled, which didn’t cheer loudly, and who could remain calm and composed?

The battle-zealous Jian Wushang couldn’t do it, and even the always confident Ghost Prodigy Lu Xuanfeng showed a slight change in expression. Among the massive crowd in the square, perhaps only the one called Second Lord Liu Lei remained silent, his face dark and growing increasingly unpleasant.