Chapter 20 : The Trial of the Mirror of the Heavenly Abyss

"Where is this?" Zhou Tong wondered. "Could it be inside the Heavenly Abyss Mirror?"

"The first stage of the trial, evade attacks for one minute. If hit, recalculate. It starts now." The cold voice had just finished speaking when Zhou Tong, still unaware, was heavily punched from behind.

"Pfft." Zhou Tong spat out blood and fell several meters away.

"What's going on?" Zhou Tong stood up and looked back, but there was no one in the space except for him. "Where did that punch come from? Why didn't I feel anything?" Zhou Tong looked around vigilantly. Suddenly, a gust of wind came from his left rear. Zhou Tong quickly jumped to evade, and the punch disappeared in place.

"Huh?" Zhou Tong had just landed and hadn't reacted yet when a punch came from the front, directly hitting his abdomen. Zhou Tong coughed up blood and knelt on the ground.

"Fourteen seconds. Time recalculated. The trial participant can choose to continue or withdraw." The cold voice echoed again.

Wiping the blood from his mouth, Zhou Tong stood up, determinedly saying, "Continue! I don't believe I can't withstand this!"

"Come on!" Zhou Tong shouted.

As if responding to Zhou Tong's call, punches suddenly flew out. Zhou Tong activated the Empty Abyss Body Technique, dodging one punch, but another was closing in. Zhou Tong flipped and jumped, the two punches collided and dissipated instantly.

"It seems there's a way. Great!" Zhou Tong was excited, having discovered a method to pass this trial.

"Bang!" Another punch heavily hit Zhou Tong's waist, and he flew backward, crashing into the wall, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Bang, bang, bang..." Zhou Tong's figure kept flickering. He couldn't see where the enemy was, but Zhou Tong was clever. Utilizing his agile body technique, he constantly changed positions, evading the enemy's assault.

However, although Zhou Tong could evade the attacks, the elemental power within him was decreasing rapidly. If he continued like this, he would inevitably be hit. He needed to resolve this fight quickly, or he was destined to fail!

"Not getting hit... If I can find out who is attacking, then I've passed?" Zhou Tong thought to himself, waiting for the next punch. Suddenly, a gust of wind from the right front, Zhou Tong leaped towards it.

"Boom!"

The next moment, his foot heavily stepped on an illusory figure.

Zhou Tong's speed was extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye, he arrived in front of the enemy. However, the opponent seemed unprepared, stumbling back a few steps after being kicked in the chest. Yet, the expression on the figure remained unchanged, with a faint silver glow in its eyes.

"This is... a puppet?" Zhou Tong's face changed as he observed the illusory figure.

The illusory figure looked like it was made of refined iron, shining with a metallic luster, giving a sense of extreme hardness.

Zhou Tong, seeing that his kick couldn't even break its surface, revealed a look of shock.

"This thing is too powerful." Zhou Tong took a deep breath.

"Attacker detected. The first stage ends prematurely. Initiating the second stage of the trial."

"Second stage: Defeat the puppet." The voice of the Heavenly Abyss Mirror echoed again, and the illusory puppet attacked Zhou Tong once more.

Zhou Tong immediately activated his elemental power, concentrating it on his palms, preparing for a head-on collision. However, when they truly clashed, Zhou Tong was utterly dumbfounded. The puppet's strength was terrifying.

"Boom."

Zhou Tong was hit and flew out.

"This thing seems invulnerable." Zhou Tong stood up, showing a serious expression.

"Such formidable power. I'm afraid I can't handle it without going all out." Zhou Tong thought.

However, Zhou Tong quickly regained his composure. This was just a trial, and he was confident he could pass it.

Thinking this, Zhou Tong rushed forward again. This time, he focused all his elemental power on his right fist, preparing to deliver a powerful blow to the illusory figure!

"Bang!"

Zhou Tong's right fist hit the figure, but to his dismay, he gained no advantage this time. His attack was effortlessly blocked by the illusory figure.

"Pfft!"

After the hit, Zhou Tong spat out blood and was thrown more than ten zhang away before stopping. Zhou Tong squatted on the ground, his eyes revealing a trace of daunting determination.

"This puppet's body is too strong; my attacks have no effect." Zhou Tong thought. "There must be another way. In the first stage, discovering the attacker allowed for an early end. The second stage might have other methods."

Suddenly, the puppet began to move again, facing Zhou Tong. It raised its right fist forward, and a punch was rapidly aimed at Zhou Tong. Zhou Tong quickly jumped to avoid this attack, and the puppet's punch landed on the ground, creating a depression.

"This puppet's strength is too formidable. My punches just now didn't even cause any damage to this space. How can the puppet produce such power with a single punch?" Zhou Tong was somewhat stunned.

"Perhaps I can make use of this puppet's power." Zhou Tong frowned, thinking.

"Swoosh!"

Suddenly, Zhou Tong took action. He activated the Empty Abyss Body Technique, weaving like a ghost around the puppet. Each time, he skillfully evaded the fierce attacks. Eventually, he got close to the puppet, reached out his right hand, grabbed the puppet's arm, and then forcefully threw it away.

The puppet stabilized its figure about five meters away from Zhou Tong. Then, it turned to face Zhou Tong. Subsequently, it slowly raised its arm, lifted the right fist forward, and then, its body trembled. A dense white mist rose, gathering in front of its right fist. After a moment, the puppet's right fist turned silver.

"Whoosh."

The silver right fist shot towards Zhou Tong with astonishing speed, making it difficult for anyone to catch, even Zhou Tong's naked eyes.

Zhou Tong's face changed, quickly dodging to the side. The silver right fist whizzed past him, crashing into the spatial wall behind him, creating a hole right in front of Zhou Tong.