“Ahhh.”

Zhao Luo rushed at the level 12 puppet whose name had the extra word “Wood”.

“Creak”

From the other side, the puppet was also moving towards Zhao Luo but its speed was twice as less than Zhao Luo’s 

“Clang”

*Spark*

When Zhao Luo’s sword came in contact with the puppet’s sword, the collision was so great that sparks started flying around their swords. 

‘What?’

Zhao Luo was baffled for some reason.

The previous puppets that he faced wouldn’t even be able to match his single swing.

Even though Zhao Luo was using only half of his strength, this situation was indeed a new experience for him.

Zhao Luo looked at the puppet as the puppet with his sword and Zhao Luo with his sword, Ifrit was still in a battle of persistence.

*Spark*

Zhao Luo used a little more force to push the puppet away but the puppet was still unscathed.

The sword in the hand of the puppet was shorter than Ifrit but the way that puppet used its sword was better than how Zhao Luo used his sword.

‘Hmm let me test that again.’

Zhao Luo thought as he swung his sword towards the puppet again.

With the same strength, Zhao Pup’s sword came down towards the puppet’s head who didn’t try to dodge it.

Instead, the puppet blocked it with his sword again.

‘Huh?’

Zhao Luo wondered if what he saw was correct as the puppet blocked Ifrit twice in a single move.

“You pulled back your sword after the first collision just to strike my sword again to dissipate the power behind the sword attack.”

Zhao Luo talked yet the puppet had only one thing to say.

“Creak”

“Hahahaha.”

Zhao Luo laughed after hearing the metallic sound of the puppet as he struck the puppet’s sword with Ifrit again.

“Clang.”

“Clang.”

“Clang, Clang.”

Zhao Luo struck the puppet’s sword again and again just to end up in a draw in each collision.

Zhao Luo moved his wrist and jumped backward.

‘Swoosh, Swoosh.’

Zhao Luo tried to copy the moves of the puppet and he pulled it off successfully.

The sword style that the puppet used had a sturdy form.

This was connected to the *Wood* after its ‘Sword appreciate’ title.

The puppet used the characteristics of wood in its defensive style.

‘So first bending its sword as it would come in contact with my Ifrit, then just like the elongation and suppression of wood, the puppet pulled back its sword with super speed by adding the force of the collision. Then using a counter compression force, it would strike back. Using two sword strikes in one move to block my attack and stopping my sword right there.’

As Zhao Luo moved his index finger and hit it twice on the sharp edge of the crimson Ifrit while going over his theory behind the sword move that the puppet was using.

Zhao Luo walked toward the puppet as it was time to test if he was right or not.

Zhao Luo decided to wait for the puppet to attack.

“Creaa~ak.”

The puppet ran at Zhao Luo and executed its sword move which looked rather normal when compared to how it was defending Zhao Luo’s attack.

“Clang, Clang.”

Zhao Luo did the same as the puppet.

He first blocked the puppet’s attack then pulled back his sword and struck it at the puppet’s sword again but more fiercely.

“Creak.”

The puppet fell back as it made a confused sound.

“This human is using my technique.”

Zhao Luo said as he smiled. He was saying the things that could be going through the mind of this puppet.

But unfortunately, the puppet didn’t have a free mind of its own.

“Here I come.”

Zhao Luo said as he rushed at the fallen puppet and slashed his Ifrit at the puppet mercilessly.

‘Cla..Slice’

The puppet tried to block Zhao Luo’s sword but it wasn’t in a position to use the move it was using before. Just like that Zhao Luo’s sword passed through the puppet’s necks splitting it into two.

“Clap”

The clapping sound started ringing around the silver space once again.

“So annoying.”

Zhao Luo cursed at the one who made this challenge. The puppets weren’t that bad but this stage clearing celebration was bullshit.

“This sound is harder to beat than the puppets.”

Zhao Luo said in anger as the next stage started.

<Stage 13>

“LVL 13”

*Sword Apprentice: Wood*

Zhao Luo looked at the three puppets that had appeared in front of him as the 13th stage started.

“Hmph jumped to three. Come at me.”

Zhao Luo said as the ground around him was somewhat filled by the lifeless metallic bodies of the puppets that he had destroyed in the earlier rounds.

“Creak, Creak, Creak.”

The three puppets moved together at Zhao Luo.

‘Swosh.’

Three swords were coming at Zhao Luo while cutting through the surrounding air.

“Clang, Clang.”

Zhao Luo used the same move that he had learned in the last stage to block their initial charge and then striking again to throw them off tempo.

‘Slash, Slash, Slash.’

Zhao Luo brought down Ifrit on the pullets like a sword of judgment using a single slash to destroy three puppets.

Just like that he used the new technique to his advantage as he cleared the next stages.

“Clap.”

The clapping sound exploded around him as he cleared the 19th stage.

<Stage 20>

“LVL 20”

*Skilled Sword Apprentice: Wood*

Another tall puppet appeared in front of Zhao Luo but this time it was alone.

“As expected of a boss.”

Zhao Luo said just to get a ‘Creak’ instead of a ‘thank you’ from the puppet which was twice as tall as Zhao Luo.

The puppet looked like a thick tree holding a sword by its branch.

“Creaa~~~~ak.”

The puppet released a metallic roar making Zhao Luo’s robe to dance because of the pressure behind its roar.

“ENOUGH.”

“Creak?”

Zhao Luo shouted interrupting the damned puppets roar.

The puppet looked confused after getting shouted at by this handsome human.

The puppet leaped at Zhao Luo intending to slice him with his sword. 

Zhao Luo raised Ifrit while standing at his position.

“Come.”

Zhao Luo said with a smile.

“Clang, Clang.”

“Clang, Clang.”

Both swords, one used to attack and the other used to defend came in contact.

*Spark*

Both Zhao Luo and the puppet pulled their swords backs at the same time and struck each other’s swords again.

This continued as Zhao Luo was using the technique that was originally the puppets method.

Both Zhao Luo and the puppet came at each other like crazy beasts fighting for food.

After clashing nonstop for more than a minute Zhao Luo decided to end the fight as he brought down his sword and did something unbelievable.

“Clang, Clang, Clang.”

Zhao Luo’s single swing didn’t stop at striking the puppet’s sword twice instead Zhao Luo improved the technique to bring it a step further.

The time it took for the puppet to pull back its sword, Zhao Luo had already hit the puppet’s sword three times resulting in the breaking of the puppet’s sword.

“Hmph, ahhh.”

Zhao Luo smirked as he roared while bringing down his sword to defeat this opponent.

“Clap”

As the clapping started inside the space of the moonstone. Something completely opposite was taking place outside the space.

The disciples were quietly spectating Zhao Luo even though there was no fight going on.

Just changing of the number on the pillar where Zhao Luo was standing was so fast that in eight minutes this star disciple had already cleared the 20th stage.

While Zhao Luo was already in the 21st stage, the others were very far from Zhao Luo.

The top three were only at the 12th and the 13th stage. They were Feng Mei who was on the 12th stage while Yan and Mo Lee were on the 13th stage.

Back in the silver space of Moonstone.

The clapping which had ended just a second ago was again echoing around Zhao Luo.

<Stage 22>

“LVL22”

*Sword Apprentice: Fire*

It wasn’t like Zhao Luo had skipped a stage instead the previous stage did end in just a second as the puppet was so weak that it couldn’t handle Zhao Luo’s ‘Wood Drop’.

“Wood Drop.”

This was what Zhao Luo had named the technique that he had learned from the earlier puppets.

“It’s ‘Fire’ now. Good.”

Zhao Luo was excited as he looked at the status of the puppet under its level.

‘Wood drop strengthens the defense and the attack. What is fire supposed to do?’ 

Zhao Luo wondered as he attacked the puppet.

“Swoosh.”

Zhao Luo’s sword arrived over the head of the puppet.

Zhao Luo smiled but soon that smile vanished as the puppet didn’t block his sword instead the puppet just took a single step back to dodge it.

“Creak.”

The puppet grabbed its sword with his other hand too and brought it down on Zhao Luo like lightning.

“Swoosh.”

Zhao Luo tried to block the puppet’s sword with Ifrit.

‘Clang.’

‘Clang.’

Zhao Luo used the ‘Wood Drop’ to survive the attack of the puppet which would have caused him to drop like a dead man.