Chapter 29: Virtual Realm Heavenly Clock

Titus entered the ancient bronze door and saw an old man with white hair sitting cross-legged behind the door. The elder was very old, with wrinkled skin and closed eyes, appearing like a withered tree. "Senior." Titus greeted with a bow. The white-haired elder slowly opened his eyes, glanced at Titus with his dim, old eyes, and lazily pointed to the path behind him, "Just survive this path, and at the end, you'll find an ancient clock. Try your best to ring it." Having said that, he closed his eyes again, as if he had fallen asleep. Titus did not disturb him further. After another bow, he walked towards the path indicated by the elder. Click! The moment Titus passed the elder, the walls behind started moving. They were, in fact, mechanisms made of thick, refined steel. Instantly, the mechanical walls blocked all of Titus’s paths of retreat. The white-haired elder wasn't asleep; he slightly opened his eyes, sighed at the sight of the closing walls, "This young man knows his manners. Many have come these days, but none showed such respect. It's a pity, though; with only thirty percent of his Sea of Qi, it'll be even harder for him to traverse this path..." The elder felt a certain fondness for Titus's politeness, a rarity among many who had come, none of whom had shown him such courtesy. Had Titus’s Sea of Qi been more full, containing more Qi, the elder might have offered some guidance. However, given his condition, guidance wouldn't make much difference. Inside the mechanical walls. As Titus moved forward, he encountered numerous bronze figures, realistic and unique in appearance. If not for their skin shimmering with the unique luster of ancient bronze, they could easily be mistaken for real people. Suddenly, the foremost bronze figures sprang to life, charging at Titus with formidable momentum. Thousand Jins Fist! Titus's fist collided with the leading bronze figure, causing him to stagger while the figure only paused momentarily. "Comparable to the Element Integration Stage bronze figures..." Titus looked serious. No wonder the elder had said just surviving the path was enough. These bronze figures were too strong. Handling one was difficult enough, let alone a group. "Just for an entry qualification token, is such difficulty necessary?" Titus felt uneasy, but there was no time for further thought as the bronze figures charged at him. Without delay, Titus drew his refined steel Horse Beheading Blade. Starry Brilliance! A powerful Blade Gale was unleashed, showcasing the might of Blade Cultivation. One after another, the bronze figures were felled. Their formidable bodies, akin to dried wood, were no match for the unstoppable Blade Gale. "One hundred and eight bronze figures..." After a quarter of an hour, Titus defeated the last bronze figure, clearing the path completely. Looking at the fallen figures, Titus's Horse Beheading Blade slowly dropped to the ground. Without his Blade Cultivation, it would have been impossible to clear this path. There are too many bronze men, and their bodies are incredibly tough. Ordinary Martial Cultivation simply can't cut through them. Only Blade Cultivation can use Blade Gale to sever the mechanisms inside them. What makes these bronze men terrifying is their level of cultivation and their sheer numbers. Each of them is comparable to the Martial Cultivation at the Element Integration Stage, and there are a total of one hundred and eight of them. If surrounded, it wouldn't take long for them to be overpowered. Titus withdrew his gaze and continued to move forward. In reality, Titus didn't understand the meaning behind the words of the white-haired old man. Allowing him to "pass through alive" didn't mean he had to slay all the bronze men to pass. To "pass through alive" meant that many Martial Cultivation practitioners who entered this place would choose to charge straight through because there were simply too many bronze men, and no one could easily deal with so many of them at once. While charging through, there was still a probability for Martial Cultivation practitioners to survive, albeit not a high one. At the path’s end, Titus saw a massive ancient bronze clock, hanging on the left side of the path. The right side was wider, allowing passage. The elder had instructed to ring this clock. As Titus approached, the surroundings underwent a bizarre change, plunging into darkness, giving the feeling of being in a strange space. Nine shadowy figures, wielding various types of blades, appeared around him. From short daggers to nearly ten-foot-long swords. "This is a Virtual Realm Spirit Weapon..." Titus was surprised to see the hanging clock. There are many types of spiritual weapons, with the most common being weapon-type spiritual weapons. Of course, there are also spiritual weapons with special effects, and the Virtual Realm Spirit Weapon is one such example. This type of spiritual weapon creates a unique virtual realm and then releases virtualized Martial Cultivation with its own power. The type of Martial Cultivation that enters the virtual realm determines the type of virtualized Martial Cultivation that will be released. As a Blade Cultivator, Titus faced phantasmal Blade Cultivators. The role of the Virtual Realm Spirit Weapon is to serve as a tool for enhancing and cultivating Martial Cultivation. Titus just hadn't expected it to be placed here and used as a test. Moreover, judging by the appearance of this ancient clock, its grade within the Virtual Realm Spirit Weapon category should be quite high, as it was able to instantly release nine virtualized Blade Cultivation techniques. "To ring it, I must first defeat these nine Blade Cultivators," Titus thought. Whoosh! The first phantasmal Blade Cultivator attacked with a willow-leaf saber, its speed and contained Blade Gale seemingly aimed at slicing through everything. Boom! Titus's Horse Beheading Blade blocked the attack. Although both were Blade Cultivators, Titus had the upper hand with his Blade Vein, blade bone, and the newly forged blade soul, far surpassing the phantasmal Cultivator. Starry Brilliance! The Horse Beheading Blade struck continuously, repelling the phantasmal Cultivator. At this moment, the second virtualized Blade Cultivation practitioner joined in. While Titus could have easily dealt with one, he now felt some pressure. Titus not only wasn't worried but also showed a hint of delight on his face. His own foundation was shallow, but battling these phantasms would deepen his understanding of the blade and strengthen his foundation. Although his Blade Vein, Blade Bone, and Blade Soul were forged, they hadn't yet unified, mainly due to his insufficient foundation. After a brief exchange, the third virtualized Blade Cultivation practitioner joined the battle. Titus suddenly felt even greater pressure, but it was under this pressure that he unleashed greater potential. His Blade Vein, blade bones, and the newly forged Blade Soul released even more formidable power. When the fourth phantasmal Cultivator joined, Titus could only counter with blade intent, which multiplied under the pressure. Fight! Holding the Horse Beheading Blade, Titus battled the four phantasmal Cultivators intensely, losing himself in the fight, forgetting his original purpose and the qualification token, focusing solely on the battle. In this state of self-forgetfulness, Titus grew stronger, his blade intent continuously emerging...