Martial Arts Overlord-Chapter 559 - 557: Heaven Gate Road Opens!

"The assessment is about to begin!"

As the distant bell rang, the bustling Mysterious Rock Square gradually fell silent.

WHOOSH!

Under the fervent gazes of the crowd, a middle-aged steward from Sky Mountain, riding a streak of light, descended from the sky and landed above the announcement board of Mysterious Rock Square.

A master of the Spiritual Rotation Realm...

Luo Feng watched the middle-aged steward, a flicker in his eyes.

"Cough, cough..."

The middle-aged steward cleared his throat and announced, "Everyone, today marks the start of this year’s assessment for the Twelve Golden Palaces. The Heaven Gate Road will be opened shortly. Now, let me announce the rewards for successfully navigating the Heaven Gate Road."

"There are rewards for the assessment!"

The middle-aged steward’s voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached the ears of every student.

Upon hearing the word ’rewards’, many students’ eyes lit up with excitement.

"My elder brother is a Disciple of Jade Hall. He told me that in every round of the assessment, those who excel will receive valuable rewards, including Secret Manuals, elixirs, Spirit Weapons..."

A student from Red Maple Lead licked his lips and said.

At his words, a fervent light gleamed in the eyes of the surrounding crowd.

Listening to these conversations, a hint of interest also appeared in Luo Feng’s eyes.

The rewards from the Twelve Golden Palaces are likely to be quite good.

BUZZ!

The middle-aged steward pressed his hand down. An invisible pressure descended, and the chattering crowd instantly fell silent.

"The first person to clear the Heaven Gate Road will receive a Grade Five Spirit Pill, the Rotary Solidification Pill. The top ten will each receive one hundred Grade Two Yuan Stones and a mid-level Grade Four Spirit Pill, the Qingyuan Pill. The top one hundred will each receive one thousand Grade One Yuan Stones and a top-level Yellow Grade Martial Arts Secret Manual."

The middle-aged steward announced all the rewards in one breath. Hearing this, all the students in the square stared wide-eyed.

"Heavens, did I hear that correctly? The first prize is actually a Rotary Solidification Pill! That’s a Spirit Pill that offers immense benefits even to Martial Artists of the Spiritual Rotation Realm! When our academy’s Dean managed to acquire one, he treated it like a priceless treasure!"

"As expected of the Twelve Golden Palaces, they truly are generous!"

"I must rank among the top ten! If I could obtain a Qingyuan Pill and Grade Two Yuan Stones, my cultivation would definitely advance further!"

"Hmph, my name, Chen Kui of the Double-headed Python, will definitely be among the top ten!"

Upon hearing the middle-aged steward’s words, the eyes of all the students from the four great territories turned red with fervent desire, including even those young experts who already had some renown.

"That Rotary Solidification Pill is mine!"

From the direction of Long Wind School, Wei Kuang crossed his arms and declared confidently.

Rotary Solidification Pill...

Luo Feng’s eyes lit up. A major reason he had managed to break through to the second level of the Spiritual Rotation Realm was this very Rotary Solidification Pill.

Furthermore, the Rotary Solidification Pill could help Martial Artists condense their Four Spirit Rotations. For Martial Artists in the Meridian Wheel Realm, possessing a Rotary Solidification Pill would greatly increase their chances of breaking through to the Spiritual Rotation Realm.

Turning his head, Luo Feng looked at Bing Ruolan and asked softly, "Ruolan, do you want this Rotary Solidification Pill?"

"Me?"

Bing Ruolan’s beautiful eyes blinked, her white teeth gently nibbling her red lip.

When she heard that the first-place reward was a Rotary Solidification Pill, Bing Ruolan’s heart had indeed skipped a beat.

She was already at the half-step Spiritual Rotation Realm. With a Rotary Solidification Pill, she could step into the Spiritual Rotation Realm within days, thereby narrowing the gap between herself and Luo Feng.

However, deep down, she knew that obtaining the Rotary Solidification Pill, especially against the formidable young talents from the Six Southern Domains, was mere wishful thinking.

Seeing the unspoken words in Bing Ruolan’s expression, Luo Feng smiled faintly. "I understand. I’ll win first place."

Hearing this, Bing Ruolan hurriedly shook her head. "Luo Feng, don’t force yourself..."

The Twelve Golden Palaces’ assessment gathered all the young talents from the Six Southern Domains; it was no small matter. She worried Luo Feng might take unnecessary risks for the Rotary Solidification Pill.

"Silly girl, don’t worry. I know my limits."

Luo Feng reached out and gently tapped Bing Ruolan’s delicate nose, interrupting her.

Just then, the middle-aged steward’s resonant voice suddenly rang out.

"The Heaven Gate Road is open!"

As his words fell, a seven-colored beam of light suddenly erupted from beneath the announcement board, shooting towards the sky, seeming to connect heaven and earth.

"What’s happening?!"

Everyone was startled by this abrupt change.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM...

Before the stunned eyes of the crowd, the announcement board, nearly ten meters high and over a dozen meters wide, split down the middle. It revealed an immense gateway, beyond which lay pitch-black depths leading to an unknown destination.

"This is a Formation," Zi Yuan said.

Luo Feng nodded, gazing at the massive, dark gate before him, inwardly shaken. Truly a work of supernatural craftsmanship.

CLANG!

The colossal dark gate swung fully open with a resounding noise that shook everyone to their core.

"The Heaven Gate Road is now open. You may all enter. As long as you reach the mountain summit, you will have passed the assessment."

The middle-aged steward, treading on a streak of light, hovered before the dark gateway, pointing towards the cloud-piercing mountain peak behind it as he spoke.

"The assessment has begun. Let’s go in," Zi Yuan said.

"Yes!"

The surrounding Purple Sun School students answered in unison, stepping forward to enter the gateway.

WHOOSH!

"All of you, make way! Anyone who dares block the path of us from Chongyue School will die!"

A murderous aura permeated the air as dozens of figures shot towards the dark gateway at incredible speed.

These individuals wore sleek black uniforms emblazoned with a mountain-shaped insignia on the chest—they were students from Chongyue School of Black Cloud Domain.

"Ah!"

"I’ll move right away! Don’t attack— Ah!"

Several young talents who couldn’t dodge in time were sent flying by the Chongyue School students.

A nearby Sky Mountain steward glanced over, shook his head with a hint of pity, but did not intervene.

The Twelve Golden Palaces assessment was not just a test but also a trial. Only the strong could survive—this could be considered the first lesson for entering the Twelve Golden Palaces.

"These people are so arrogant! How can they injure others so casually?!" a young man wearing a sword gritted his teeth.

"Senior Brother Ouyang, keep your voice down!" his companion, looking nervous, quickly lowered his voice. "The people from Chongyue School are extremely protective of their own and vindictive, seeking revenge for the slightest offense. Moreover, among the top ten young experts, ’Black-faced Killer’ Xie Xuantong and ’Blood Rain Flying Flower’ Yi Wuxue are both from Chongyue School. If they heard you, it would mean significant trouble."

The sword-wielding young man frowned and huffed, "I just can’t stand it! Once I become a student of the Twelve Golden Palaces, I’ll definitely teach these people a lesson!"

Many present were deeply dissatisfied with Chongyue School’s actions, yet they dared not voice their anger.

"They’ve gotten ahead!" Zi Yuan frowned slightly, stomped her small foot, her pretty face filled with annoyance.

Luo Feng glanced at the deep, pitch-black gateway, shook his head, and smiled. "No need to rush. Being at the front isn’t necessarily a good thing."

"Why?" Zi Yuan blinked her bright eyes, clearly puzzled.

Only the first one hundred students to pass the assessment receive rewards. Getting ahead now means a better chance of securing one.

Luo Feng smiled but didn’t answer.

Just then, something unexpected suddenly occurred.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK...

As the Chongyue School students rushed towards the gateway, a bizarre scene unfolded.

The previously dark ground erupted in a blinding, blood-red glow as the very rocks twisted and rose, transforming into humanoid monsters that stood up one by one.

These rock monsters stood four to five meters tall, their bodies formed entirely of black rock, with only two eyes emitting a sinister, blood-red glow—exuding an eerie and bloodthirsty aura.

"AH!"

"AH!"

Caught off guard, several Chongyue School students were struck by the rock giants, sent flying while spewing blood.

"It’s the Great Rock Yuan Spirit Array from the Purple Extreme Palace! Once this Formation is active, Martial Artists within it will feel their bodies become ten times heavier and will be attacked by rock puppets. These rock puppets possess astonishing defensive power and strength. Without the power of a seventh-level Meridian Wheel Realm Martial Artist, one is no match for them!"

Zi Hongyuan had been a student of the Purple Extreme Palace in his youth, so Zi Yuan was quite familiar with its Formations. She recognized the Great Rock Yuan Spirit Array before the dark gateway at a glance.

At the same time, she cast a slightly surprised glance at Luo Feng.

She was familiar with the Great Rock Yuan Spirit Array and hadn’t detected anything unusual earlier, yet Luo Feng had somehow sensed it.

The Great Rock Yuan Spirit Array... No wonder only Martial Artists at the seventh level of the Meridian Wheel Realm are eligible for this assessment.

Luo Feng nodded slightly, not overly surprised.

With his powerful Soul Power, he had long sensed that the Yuan Qi fluctuations in front of the dark gateway were different from the surrounding areas.

KRAKLE! KRAKLE...

Outside the dark gateway, rock puppets materialized continuously, surrounding the Chongyue School students and attacking them viciously.

The Chongyue School students wore bitter expressions.

Upon entering the Formation, they felt their bodies suddenly become incredibly heavy, preventing them from using their Qinggong effectively. Worse, the rock puppets were too numerous. In just a short while, several more Chongyue School students with weaker cultivation were struck, sent flying while coughing blood, thereby losing their qualification for the assessment.

At this moment, these Chongyue School students were filled with bitter regret. If they hadn’t arrogantly rushed ahead to show off, and had instead entered the Formation together with everyone else, they wouldn’t have landed in such a predicament.

Serves them right!

Regarding Chongyue School’s misfortune, no one in the crowd felt any sympathy; in fact, some even seemed to take pleasure in their plight.

"Wanluo School, follow me in!" Wan Feng bellowed, his figure creating a sonic boom as he shot forward, leading the Wanluo School students.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH...

Almost simultaneously, the young talents from the Six Southern Domains all executed their Qinggong techniques, surging into the dark gateway like a swarm of locusts.

"Luo Feng, let’s go in too," He Qin, the Heavenly Fragrant Woman, suggested to Luo Feng, seeing that most people had already entered.

"Alright. Everyone, try to stay together as much as possible. Don’t get separated," Luo Feng instructed, then sent a voice transmission to his elder brother Luo Xiao, "Brother, come to my side."

Luo Xiao, now also at the late seventh level of the Meridian Wheel Realm, shook his head. His gaze clearly indicated his intention to pass the assessment relying on his own strength.

Luo Feng knew his elder brother’s temperament well and could only smile helplessly, deciding not to insist.

The students from their two schools gathered and advanced towards the Great Rock Yuan Spirit Array.

"Hmph, Luo Feng, just hope you don’t run into me. Otherwise..." Watching Luo Feng’s departing figure, Wei Kuang’s eyes glinted with a savage light as he roared, "Let’s go!"

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!...

Dozens of students from Long Wind School charged into the great Formation.

The rock puppets possessed no intelligence, attacking anyone who approached. Within the vast Great Rock Yuan Spirit Array, no fewer than ten thousand such puppets swarmed, clashing fiercely with the young talents who had charged in.

Instantly, chaos erupted in the square before the dark gateway. Students were continuously struck, coughing up blood as they fell, while other rock puppets were simultaneously destroyed.

HUM!

As he stepped into the great Formation, Luo Feng felt his body plunge into a quagmire; every movement was ten times more difficult than usual.

This Formation is truly profound...