"State your name, warrior." Suddenly, a booming voice thunderded across the valley, shattering the eerie silence that lingered in the aftermath of the battle.
Ji Wuye snapped his head toward the towering, ethereal figure before him. The ghost's eyes flickered like smoldering embers before bursting into an intense blaze, casting an otherworldly glow upon the carnage surrounding them.
Ji Wuye's crimson pupils dilated momentarily as he studied the spectral entity. With a deep, steadying breath, he set the weapon aside and cupped his calloused hands in a respectful greeting. "My name is Wuye, from the Ji family, a humble martial artist of Jianghu," he declared.
"Martial artist, huh?" The speaker—the ghost—the very same spectral figure Ji Wuye had clashed with mere moments ago, rose from its crumbled form, its ethereal body rippling like water.
Undeterred by the devastating blows it had sustained, the phantom stood tall, gripping its massive sword with a unique, ornate hilt that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy.
"It's crude... a ridiculous notion to me," the greenish ghost rumbled, its voice echoing with an ethereal timbre. "But I have neither the right nor the desire to ridicule a great warrior like you."
With a graceful sweep, the ghost raised its great sword skyward. The blade caught the golden sunlight, which struggled to pierce through the thick, dark clouds, casting a haunting, ghostly sheen across the valley. It then lowered the weapon, positioning it precisely between its chest and eyebrows in a formal, reverent gesture.
"I am known as... William Wallace," the ghost declared, its introduction brief and measured.
Ji Wuye's lips curled into a faint smile. Of course, he had already identified the figure standing before him. 'How could I forget? I used every one of your moves in the previous timeline.'
As if responding to Ji Wuye's unspoken acknowledgment, William Wallace's spectral armor began to shimmer with an otherworldly iridescence, slowly transitioning into a tangible form—a physical-looking set of armor that appeared as real and solid as the earth they stood upon.
The great sword with its unique hilt hummed with energy, emanating a faint aura akin to a Sword Aura.
Behind the cross-shaped design of his helmet, William Wallace's piercing eyes locked onto Ji Wuye's, burning with an intensity that seemed to pierce the very depths of his soul.
"Then let us have a great battle..."
…
The clash between Ji Wuye and the ghostly William Wallace could be described as both fleeting and eternal, a dance of blades that defied the boundaries of time itself.
Now, as the dust settled, Ji Wuye stood tall and unscathed, his white martial robe adorned with dark blue stripes remaining pristine, without a single tear or blemish marring its surface.
However, the state of Ji Wuye's Cháng Dāo, told a different story entirely. The weapon shimmered with an ethereal greenish aura, radiating the essence of Wood Qi.
Continuous vibrations rippled through the air, causing the very ground beneath their feet to tremble, as if the earth itself struggled to contain the residual energy from their clash.
"I would like to say, thank you for the enlightenment," Ji Wuye said, his voice carrying a tone of profound respect as he cupped his hands toward the broken form of William Wallace.
The once-mighty figure, whose name had echoed through the ages, now lay defeated, its spectral head pierced by Ji Wuye's Cháng Dāo, the blade protruding from the ghost's incorporeal form like a grim trophy.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
In that moment, Ji Wuye's attention shifted, his gaze drawn to a series of transparent screens that materialized before his eyes, shimmering with an otherworldly radiance.
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[>> QUICK ADAPTATION (B) <<]
The proficiency of your passive skill has slightly increased!
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[>> QUICK ADAPTATION (B) <<]
The proficiency of your passive skill has slightly increased!
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===========================
[>> QUICK ADAPTATION (B) <<]
The proficiency of your passive skill has slightly increased!
===========================
...
It was the usual progression – incremental growth in his Quick Adaptation. Yet, what Ji Wuye had aimed for from the very start appeared next on the screen, causing his eyes to narrow with intense focus.
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[!] You have successfully analyzed and replicated Great Sword Technique: The Tyrant's Execution!
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'A great technique indeed,' Ji Wuye muttered inwardly, nodding in satisfaction as a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He glanced back at William Wallace, whose broken form had reverted to its original greenish spectral state, the ghost-like figure giving no response as Ji Wuye carefully withdrew his Cháng Dāo from its incorporeal head.
The scene stirred memories from Ji Wuye's previous timeline, where William Wallace's Great Sword Technique had served as the foundation for his own Eternal Blade Art.
From its very form to its execution and essence, William Wallace's Great Sword Technique:
The Tyrant's Execution had been paramount to Ji Wuye's growth as a martial artist. However, it had also been the reason his martial art, the Eternal Blade Art, had stagnated – for it was built upon nothing more than fleeting glimpses.
By now, Ji Wuye had easily overpowered William Wallace, not to mention. 'Now that I've finally able to further improve the Eternal Blade Art,' he thought, his gaze fixed upon the Cháng Dāo in his hand, the blade still pulsing with the lingering vibrations, fading ever so slowly.
In that moment, Ji Wuye found himself alone in the empty battlefield. The sky above remained unnaturally bright, resembling daylight, but the thick and menacing clouds cast an oppressive atmosphere over the valley, shrouding the scene in an ominous shadow.
The battlefield, which had once been littered with the remnants of past clashes – broken weapons, rusted armor, and the skeletal remains of long-dead warriors – was now spotless, as if the very earth had been scoured clean by the intensity of their battle.
The scorched marks that had marred the ground from Ji Wuye's previous attacks were now joined by a multitude of small, charred craters, evidence of the raw power unleashed in his clash with William Wallace.
Yet, despite the devastation that surrounded him, there was no instruction, no announcement, and no information offered by the Tower.
Most challengers would have been left confused, uncertain of what to do next in the face of such silence. But Ji Wuye already knew what came next, his eyes narrowing as he turned his gaze toward the heart of the valley.
'The altar,' Ji Wuye thought.
In the distance, the imposing form of the massive altar stood, surrounded by an otherworldly, flickering green flame that cast an eerie glow upon the scene.
Drawing upon the knowledge he had gathered during his first journey up the Tower in the previous timeline, Ji Wuye reflected inwardly, 'There are three ways to complete the final phase of the sixth-floor challenge.' Without any hesitation, he walked steadily toward the altar.
'The first path is the Path of Honor, which requires cleansing the entire valley. One must either perform a ritual or recite an ancient mantra to free the fallen spirits,' Ji Wuye explained inwardly, stepping onto the grand platform of the altar.
As soon as his foot made contact with the ancient stone, the greenish, flickering flames that had surrounded the altar abruptly vanished, extinguished in an instant, as if acknowledging his presence.
This first method, the Path of Honor, was most suited for those skilled in dealing with souls or spirits. Ji Wuye continued his mental recollection, 'It's why the Shaolin Temple often used this challenge to promote their faction.'
In addition, it was said that once a challenger performed the ritual, they would acquire techniques, skills, or abilities related to the spirit they had selected during Phase 2 of the challenge.
The altar before Ji Wuye was a massive, circular stone platform, etched with ancient runes written in calligraphy both familiar and unfamiliar.
Surrounding the altar were four enormous stone pillars, each shaped like the blade of a warrior's sword, their surfaces chipped and fractured, as though they had once belonged to legendary warriors who fell in great battles eons ago.
Ji Wuye's attention, however, remained fixed on the very center of the altar, where a blackened stone slab rested ominously, its surface smooth and unmarred, as if untouched by the passage of time.
For those who chose the first path, the Path of Honor, all they needed to do was place their hands upon the blackened stone slab, and... "The challenge would be completed," Ji Wuye muttered.
But despite his words, Ji Wuye did not immediately touch the blackened stone slab. There was an alternative, a second path that presented itself – simply touching the slab without engaging further would also complete the challenge, a method known as 'The Path of the Wanderer.'
However, Ji Wuye did not choose either of these two paths. Instead, he turned around briefly, his gaze sweeping across the eerie valley that stretched out before him, a vast expanse of desolation and echoes of bygone battles.
"I've heard that one can also use a forbidden technique, or an item such as a talisman, to..." His words trailed off. Without hesitation, Ji Wuye summoned his inventory screen, the ethereal display flickering into existence before him as he swiftly selected an item.
A Banner...
The banner materialized in Ji Wuye's grip, a battle-worn, ghostly war banner that fluttered eerily despite the complete absence of wind. Its pole was crafted from blackened, twisted wood, appearing gnarled and scorched by some unholy force, as if it had been forged in the depths of the abyss itself.
Then...
STAB!
Ji Wuye slammed the banner into the altar with such force that the stone surface below cracked and trembled under the impact, sending tremors rippling outward in all directions.
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[!] You have planted the Soul-Forged Banner!
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[!] The Soul-Forged Banner has begun absorbing the spirit of warrior Alric the Ironbound.
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[!] The Soul-Forged Banner has begun absorbing the spirit of warrior Takeda Kojiro.
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[!] The Soul-Forged Banner has begun absorbing the spirit of warrior Xu Liang, the Silent Gale.
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[!] The Soul-Forged Banner has begun…
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