Chapter 143: The Mosquito Strategy

This was the most grueling battle Lin Zhan had fought so far.

The white bone tower was ensnared in the arms of a giant stone golem; the two were locked in a stalemate, neither able to overcome the other. The strength of the giant stone golem was evenly matched with that of the bone tower, a high-grade magical artifact. Whenever the bone tower shifted its size to break free from the golem’s grasp, the stone giant would react with impeccable timing to tighten its hold. Meanwhile, the bone tower’s own structural integrity was extraordinary; it was impossible for the golem to crush or flatten it. Under the control of a sliver of his consciousness, the white tower successfully held one giant golem at bay, leaving Lin Zhan to engage in a fierce struggle with the other.

"Coming from the left—no, wait, it’s the right! Watch out for the right..."

Lin Zhan felt that Little Black’s warnings were more of a hindrance than a help, adding to the chaos.

"Oh, apologies! A momentary lapse in judgment—please, Old Black, don't blame me!" Inside the Nine-Star Space, Little Black’s short, fingerless hands covered his chubby face in a gesture of avoiding punishment.

Lin Zhan had no time to spare for him; the battle was at its peak. Although the giant stone golem lacked facial features, Lin Zhan clearly sensed an overwhelming rage, as if the smaller golems he had shattered earlier were the offspring of these two titans. At the thought, Lin Zhan found it difficult to continue that line of reasoning.

The giant stone golem was so colossal that Lin Zhan, hovering on his flying sword, was like a mosquito buzzing around it. His tactic was indeed mosquito-like: a prick here, a jab there, using his Ink Sword while carefully avoiding the golem’s massive, swatting palms—the only attack the creature seemed capable of. In this third stage of the formation trial, Lin Zhan was not restricted in his flight altitude, which was the key to his "mosquito strategy." Simultaneously remote-controlling the white bone tower, splitting his focus to monitor the other battle, managing his flight, and wielding the Ink Sword—Lin Zhan was challenging his own limits as much as he was challenging his opponent.

"Hah!"

Lin Zhan leaped high, tracing a sharp arc in the air with the Ink Sword, and struck with all his might at the golem’s neck, where several deep ravines from previous strikes already scarred the stone.

Struck again from behind by the "mosquito," the giant arched its back, attempting to blast Lin Zhan away with a surge of turbulent air. The Ink Sword bit dozens of feet deep, becoming wedged in a crevice. While Lin Zhan’s body was buffeted into the air, he held onto the sword tightly, using the momentum to swing back, determined not to let go.

"Strike! Strike! Strike!"

Lin Zhan poured endless spiritual energy into the Ink Sword, swearing to sever the giant’s head and kick it like a ball. Suddenly, a change occurred within the rocky crevice: a pair of stone hands erupted from the surrounding rock, swatting at him.

"Damn it, it can do that?"

Lin Zhan’s Ink Sword was stuck once more, clearly manipulated by the golem. He was forced to release his grip and defend himself with his fists, unleashing the Blazing Fist technique. However, it was far less effective this time, as stone hands were no longer appearing in pairs, but by the dozens and hundreds. Some were short and sturdy, others long and flexible, resembling writhing tentacles. From a distance, the giant golem looked like a thrashing monster, with Lin Zhan surrounded by stone hands within the deep, cavernous wound in its neck, his room for maneuver rapidly vanishing.

Worse, the surrounding rock began to close in, intending to entomb him. It was a perilous situation; if he were trapped here, even with his strength and treasures, he would be in a hopeless position with no room to act. Lin Zhan felt a surge of indignation. If he was to be trapped, he would simply bore deeper!

With a desperate surge of strength, he shattered several stone arms, broke free from the blockade of hands, and seized the hilt of the Ink Sword again.

"Rise!" he roared. Layers of Creation Spiritual Energy surged forth, manifesting into thousands of tidal sword auras that blasted outward.

A deafening boom shook the world. Lin Zhan sensed that the giant golem had surely been driven into a frenzy. With the release of the tidal sword auras, the stuck Ink Sword finally regained its mobility. Lin Zhan pressed his attack, boring deep into the "neck" of the golem.

Only then did he feel his own impotence. The deeper he went, the harder the rock became—harder than century-old ice, closer to the density of thousand-year frost. His tidal sword energy, having been exerted for too long, began to falter, and the blockade of stone hands grew even more relentless, slowing his movements further.

His Creation Spiritual Wheel was forced to emerge from his body, spinning and hovering around him, slicing through the canopy of stone hands.

*Pfft!*

Lin Zhan was struck. Several long stone tentacles lashed out from different directions behind him, slamming into his back and limbs. He spat a mouthful of blood, looking ghastly. His momentum failed repeatedly, and as his injuries mounted, his recovery could no longer keep pace, leading to an irreversible decline. Anxious, he reached out to Little Black, asking for a way out.

Inside the Nine-Star Space, Little Black paced back and forth, his small hands clasped behind his back, his lantern-like eyes looking significantly dimmer.

"What to do? Does this mean I must exhaust a thousand years of spiritual cultivation, refine the Broken Blade Peak, and fuse it into that piece-of-trash heavy sword? If I do that, I’ll have to fall into a deep slumber..."

Lin Zhan was still fighting to break through, but he was completely engulfed by the world of stone. Even more terrifying was that the inner layer of rock was no longer solid; it was growing hot and pliable. His Ink Sword struck, but instead of sparks, it sank into the surface. This liquid magma was even harder to contend with. Lin Zhan’s robes were charred and shredded, his skin torn and lacerated, a gruesome sight. With almost no space left to move and magma surging toward him, he was on the verge of being swallowed whole.

*Ding!*

At that moment, a soft chime resonated through Lin Zhan’s soul, causing his heart to tremble and his mind to suddenly sharpen and clear.

Within the Nine-Star Space, the towering Broken Blade Peak trembled, and the soul of the broken blade separated from it, flying toward Little Black. A shadow of Little Black emerged from the sword spirit’s own body, and the two shadows merged, becoming one. The remaining body of Little Black, previously plump and round, withered into a frail, exhausted form. Finally, he crawled into the essence of the spiritual stone where Little Purple resided, curling up in her arms and falling into a deep slumber.

The body of the broken blade quivered gently, then streaked out of the Nine-Star Space, fusing directly into the Ink Sword in Lin Zhan’s hand.