Chapter 97: Fiery Golem
Chen Tian walked along a new path, his mind filled with a sense of relief. "Is it finally finished?" he wondered.
He had been doing that for a whole hour, searching for a new way, and each time he entered a new room, the number of paths increased, and the danger intensified.
His spiritual Qi was also decreasing as he kept using it, and even his spiritual sense was now weakened.
Initially, he could use it for about 30 meters, but now it was reduced to 15 meters, with half of his sensing ability being affected.
As he entered the new room, he noticed something different about it compared to the previous ones.
This room had 20 paths branching out in various directions.
Right in the center of the room, there was a large black rock that appeared to be heavily cracked.
The rock piqued his curiosity, and he couldn't help but wonder if it held any special meaning or significance.
The stone was about 4 meters tall and wide.
As he stood there thinking, he realized he had to choose one of the 20 paths to continue without wasting any more of his energy.
He took a deep breath, just as Chen Tian was about to use Chaos Insight again.
He quickly stopped and hid behind one of the pillars inside the room.
A moment later, he could hear footsteps approaching.
"Two people?" Two individuals entered the room from the same path.
There were two men from the Immortal Sword sect, both appearing tired and sporting some injuries.
"Aw, man!"
"We've entered yet another room! This makes it the 20th one!" exclaimed one of the sect disciples, sounding angry.
"Brother Zhang Ming, maybe we're going around in circles," replied the other disciple.
"I don't think so. Don't you remember that each path has multiple options? We can't be going in circles," argued Wei Wei.
Chen Tian remained hidden behind a boulder, taking advantage of the disciples' preoccupation.
They were too engrossed in their argument and lacked enough Qi to scan the room, unlike Chen Tian, who possessed abundant spiritual Qi for his level.
"Oh, brother Wei Wei, look!" Zhang Ming suddenly pointed towards a rock situated in the middle of the room.
"What's that? It's different from the other rooms," Wei Wei asked, intrigued by Zhang Ming's discovery.
"Maybe it's the end of this trial?"
"Are we finally getting out? Come on, let's check it out," Wei Wei exclaimed excitedly as he and Zhang Ming approached the rock in the middle.
Chen Tian followed closely behind, wanting to use his spiritual sense to scan the area for any potential dangers. However, he couldn't do so because the restriction on his sense grew stronger.
If he attempted it, there was a chance that the Immortal Sect discipline would discover him.
Left with no other option, Chen Tian resorted to using Chaos Insight.
'Chaos Insight'
The room didn't have any traps that could cause deadly harm, but there was a strange feeling coming from the rock.
Chen Tian couldn't quite understand it, but it felt like something was wrong. Chen Tian stared at the rock, and suddenly his eyes widened.
"Oh fuck," Chen Tian cursed silently.
"Congratulations! You have finished the challenge, but in the wrong way," Chen Tian thought to himself.
As Zhang Ming and Wei Wei approached the rock, they noticed a tiny carving etched into its surface.
Suddenly, the rock shook and cracks started appearing, spewing out flames. The whole area became scorching hot.
The two of them were separated by layers of rock as the cracks expanded, and an immense power emanated from within.
With a loud crash, the rock suddenly split apart, revealing a massive form emerging from below.
The hot, liquid-like substance burst out of the cracks and solidified to create a towering golem. The fiery energy that used to spew from the cracks now covered the entire golem, giving off scorching heat that distorted the air around it.
The golem stood tall at five meters, its body made of solid stone infused with the blazing essence of the earth.
Its strong and durable frame showcased the power of the rocks it was born from. The once ordinary rock had transformed into a fierce force, an elemental golem!
The flames that previously filled the cracks in the rock now danced along the golem's body, flickering and casting an otherworldly glow on the surroundings.
The two disciples, still startled by the flames engulfing the cracks in the rock and the golem's transformation, barely had time to react before a massive hand swung towards them.
Instinctively, they leaped apart, narrowly avoiding the devastating blow that crashed into the ground with a thunderous impact.
They weren't Immortal Sect disciplines for show.
Regaining their composure, the disciples exchanged a quick glance, silently communicating their next move.
They knew they had to work together to stand a chance against this formidable foe.
"Whirling Gale"
Wei Wei summoned a vortex of swirling winds around the golem, attempting to disrupt its balance and impede its movements.
The howling winds whipped around the golem, causing its fiery form to flicker and falter momentarily.
"Quickly, let's attack its leg!"
"Okay"
As the winds swirled around the golem, Zhang Ming seized the opportunity and dashed towards its towering form.
With a swift motion, he channeled his spiritual Qi into a focused strike, aiming for the golem's leg.
Boom
Their attack connected with a resounding impact, causing the golem to stagger for a moment.
However, its fiery essence swiftly rekindled, mending the damage inflicted upon it.
Before the second disciple could retreat, the golem retaliated with a powerful sweep of its arm, sending a wave of scorching heat toward them.
Zhang Ming managed to evade the brunt of the attack but was grazed by the searing flames, leaving him with singed clothing and a minor burn.
Meanwhile, Wei Wei continued to maintain the whirlwind, using their control over the wind element to disrupt the golem's movements.
However, the fiery golem proved resilient, with its molten body pushing against the gusts with unwavering force.
The golem retaliated by raising its massive arms, summoning a torrent of blazing rocks from the ground.
The projectiles hurtled towards the two disciples, forcing them to scatter and dodge with agility. Some rocks grazed their bodies, leaving deep gashes and bruises.
"Fuck that hurts!" Zhang Ming cursed.
"Watch out! This golem is stronger than both of us," Wei Wei exclaimed.
"I think we should run away. I don't think we can beat it," Wei Wei continued.
"No," Zhang Ming refused. "We can definitely defeat it. It's just a big rock. Maybe if we defeat it, we'll get something from this challenge."
"...Fine"
They exchanged a brief but determined nod, their minds synchronized with a shared goal.
"Combustion Technique!"
The Zhang Ming channeled his energy, creating a ball of intense flames in their hands. He hurled it towards the golem's chest, aiming for a concentrated attack to exploit its fiery essence.
Simultaneously, Wei Wei focused his energy to enhance his wind manipulation, creating a powerful gust that propelled the fiery projectile towards the golem with even greater force.
The flaming ball collided with the golem's chest, causing a burst of fiery explosion that momentarily engulfed the area. For a moment, it seemed like the disciples had gained the upper hand.
"It's hopeless," Chen Tian thought as he watched the fight unfold.
He could clearly see that the Immortal Sect's disciplines techniques were ineffective against the golem's strength and resilience.
Just as he had predicted, the golem remained unaffected by the attack. It retaliated with a powerful stomp, causing the ground to shake violently and sending shockwaves rippling through everything nearby.
Caught by surprise, the disciples were knocked off balance, falling to the ground. They struggled to stand up again while the golem moved closer, its fiery fists ready to attack.
Despite trying their hardest, the disciples realized they were no match for the golem's immense power.
"Oh no, brother! What are we going to do?" Wei Wei asked.
"I'm not sure."
The situation seemed dire, as the disciples were no match for the golem's strength and power. Wei Wei's question hung in the air as they desperately searched for a way to defeat the golem.
The fight went on for a few minutes, but in the end, neither of the Immortal Sword sect members could hold on any longer. They even attempted to escape down one of the paths, but the golem blocked their way.
BAM
Finally, with one last devastating blow, the golem sent both disciples flying through the air, their bodies crashing against the unforgiving ground.
They lay motionless, their clothes singed, and their bodies battered.
The golem stumped on the ground as he advanced towards both disciplines, but when he was about to land the last blow, he stopped as both discipline figures started to vanish from their places.
"I knew they wouldn't be able to defeat it. Both of them were still at the mid-stages of Qi Refinement Realm," Chen Tian said as he looked at the golem.
*****
Name: Fiery Golem
Strength: Meridian Opening Realm First Stage
Element: Fire
*****
Even Chen Tian would have to use everything if he wanted to defeat this golem.
"Now it's my chance," Chen Tian's eyes sparkled as he gripped the sword tightly in his hand.