Boom!
The first level of Purgatory. The moment Li Xuan entered the great hall, he felt as if he had entered a spatial domain. Then, Li Xuan's vision brightened, and a figure shot towards him.
Without a moment's hesitation, Li Xuan punched out at the figure before him. With a roar, the figure that had been rushing towards Li Xuan instantly dissolved into streaks of spiritual light, merging into Li Xuan's body.
Hum.
As the spiritual light flowed into Li Xuan's body, a humming sound resonated through the heavens and earth. Li Xuan immediately understood that the figure from before was the guardian of the first level of Purgatory Hall.
As Hu Dequan had explained earlier, once one entered Purgatory Hall, they could not absorb spiritual energy from the environment for replenishment. The only way to recover spiritual power was through spiritual decomposition after clearing a level.
By defeating the guardian of Purgatory Hall, one could receive a certain amount of spiritual power replenishment. This was designed to stimulate the potential of the Xuan Sect disciples and to increase the difficulty of the levels.
"This first level is quite simple," Li Xuan muttered to himself as the scene before him continued to shift.
With his previous punch, Li Xuan had only used ten percent of his strength. If the difficulty increased at this rate, Li Xuan reckoned he wouldn't encounter major problems in the first ten levels.
As soon as Li Xuan thought this, another figure appeared before him. Seeing this, Li Xuan's figure shot forward, and with the same punch, the result was the same.
"The difficulty of the first ten levels isn't too great. The real formidable opponents should appear around the nineteenth level. Given Junior Brother Li Xuan's speed, he'll likely finish these first ten levels very quickly."
"When I was fighting against those from the Sacred Sect, I didn't pay too much attention to Junior Brother Li Xuan's strength. This time, I can observe him closely." Zhou Wenlun said with a smile, watching Li Xuan clear two levels in succession.
"When I was sparring with Wu Pengfei and the others, I dared not be distracted to observe Junior Brother Li Xuan. However, it was beyond our expectations that Junior Brother Li Xuan could actually kill Gongsun Li. Now, it is indeed worth a good look." Yue Mingchi agreed with a nod.
Soon, on the projection screen suspended in mid-air, Li Xuan had already defeated several guardians consecutively with a single punch. In just a few minutes, Li Xuan had already reached the tenth level. And Chu Xiyun, who had taken a step behind Li Xuan, had currently reached the sixth level.
"It's the eleventh level. The strength of the phantom bodies here is already twice that of the guardians in the previous ten levels. Junior Brother Li Xuan's speed should be significantly slower now." Yue Mingchi, Fu Yaojin, and others showed solemn expressions as the guardian of the eleventh level appeared.
Even when they had attempted the levels themselves, they had wasted considerable time at the eleventh level. Although they weren't as decisive as Li Xuan, their speed was not low. Now, they feared that Li Xuan might also waste some time at this eleventh level.
"The guardians of the first ten levels were all around the Dao Yuan realm. From the eleventh level onwards, their strength reaches the He Dao realm. Although it's not difficult for those in the Rong Dao realm to defeat these phantom bodies, it still requires some effort."
"Furthermore, the continuous progression through the previous ten levels must be putting some pressure on Junior Brother Li Xuan. But I believe Junior Brother Li Xuan won't waste much time," Xie Yushan said with a smile, his eyes filled with conviction.
"Let's watch and see," Yue Mingchi nodded slowly. Li Xuan was already confronting the guardian of the eleventh level. The outcome would be known immediately.
Boom!
Inside Purgatory Hall, Li Xuan looked at the phantom body before him and threw out the same punch. This time, Li Xuan used sixty percent of his pure physical strength. With a single punch, the phantom body once again dissolved into nothingness.
"Still one punch!"
Witnessing Li Xuan's actions, even figures like Yue Mingchi and Fu Yaojin couldn't help but widen their eyes.
"I told you so, how could Junior Brother Li Xuan waste much time at this eleventh level? As far as I know, Junior Brother Li Xuan's physical body strength far surpasses ours. This outcome is entirely within expectations," Xie Yushan chuckled.
Yue Mingchi and the others nodded with wry smiles, "It seems we've underestimated him."
"It's already the eighteenth level!"
As time passed, Li Xuan continuously cleared levels with a single punch. Although there were no flashy displays, it still delivered a shocking impact to everyone.
Now that Li Xuan had consecutively entered the eighteenth level, everyone's perception of his physical strength had risen again. The ability to instantly defeat Purgatory guardians with a single punch was rarely seen. Li Xuan's physical strength was something even the disciples of Hong Shangfeng envied greatly.
"Let's see how he fares in the nineteenth level for now. It's impossible he'll pass it with just one punch, right?"
Chu Kuangtian naturally heard the high praise for Li Xuan from everyone. While he didn't feel jealous, he did feel a sense of competitiveness.
Among the ten Xuan Sect Holy Sons, Chu Kuangtian was the only one who took three minutes to finish the nineteenth level. This was more than a minute faster than Yue Mingchi and the others.
Although Li Xuan had defeated the phantom bodies with one punch in the first eighteen levels, the phantom body condensed in the nineteenth level was not a simple entity.
Yue Mingchi and the others fell silent.
Li Xuan's previous actions had already caused them to misjudge him. By now, they didn't know how much time Li Xuan would take to clear the nineteenth level. If they spoke incorrectly again, it would be embarrassing.
Furthermore, Yue Mingchi and the others were well aware that they had indeed spent more time than Chu Kuangtian on the nineteenth level. Li Xuan's performance might even surpass theirs. Whether he could surpass Chu Kuangtian, only time would tell.
"It's starting!"
As they saw Li Xuan's figure reappear on the projection screen, Yue Mingchi and the others all focused their gazes. Although they hadn't voiced their opinions earlier, a hint of competitive spirit flickered in everyone's eyes.
"The nineteenth level, huh." Looking at the phantom body that appeared before him, Li Xuan did not attack immediately this time. Before the trial, Hu Dequan had informed Li Xuan that only by reaching the twentieth level would one be bestowed the title of Holy Son.
The nineteenth level had already caused many Xuan Sect disciples to suffer defeat. Although Li Xuan had previously ended the encounters with a single punch, Li Xuan felt a hint of caution upon the appearance of the nineteenth level guardian.
In addition, Li Xuan noticed that the phantom body of the nineteenth level was not as weak as those before. The aura emanating from this phantom body alone was enough to prove its strength was at the advanced stage of the Rong Dao realm.
Moreover, within this space, the phantom body could freely manipulate the spiritual energy of heaven and earth as an offensive tool.
Also, starting from the nineteenth level, each phantom body guardian could simulate the attack routes of the challenger. In other words, they had a certain advantage from the outset.
Li Xuan's thoughts raced, and with a flick of his mind, he unleashed his Transcendent realm physical strength. Then, his figure charged straight towards the phantom body, throwing out the same punch.
As Li Xuan moved, the phantom body floating in mid-air, with human-like consciousness, opened its eyes. Spiritual light flashed in its eyes, and then, just like Li Xuan, it punched out towards Li Xuan.
Bang!
The powerful forces collided, instantly erupting with an astonishing sound.
With a deafening roar, Li Xuan's figure was stopped in its tracks. On the other hand, the guardian phantom body was sent flying a hundred meters away by Li Xuan's punch. Even the spiritual light on its body began to dissipate.
"This... this is cleared?" Chu Kuangtian's expression was one of shock as he watched the guardian phantom body of the nineteenth level dissipate. From start to finish, it had only taken less than a minute. Even compared to Chu Kuangtian's own attempt, this was two minutes faster.
Yue Mingchi and the others nodded with wry smiles, "It seems our Xuan Sect's eleventh Holy Son has appeared."