The deeper Blake descended into the Hive, the more chaotic the void became. The air was no longer a gas; it was a viscous, swirling sea of necrotic intent that sought to corrode the very soul of anyone who dared to tread within. Yet, Blake Harrison walked through this space with a calm that bordered on the divine. His 2nd-layer Vital Essence had become so refined that it acted as an impenetrable domain, causing the surrounding rot to turn into nothingness the moment it touched his aura.
In front of him, the path widened into a subterranean plaza carved from black obsidian. Standing guard were eight "Iron-Blood Sentinels," ancient warriors whose physical strength had long ago reached the pinnacle of the 6th Layer. Their eyes glowed with a hateful crimson light, and they held halberds that shimmered with an astonishing destructive power.
Faced with the collective pressure of eight peak-level experts, Blake's expression remained completely unconcerned. He didn't even draw his scythe. He simply continued to walk, his footsteps echoing through the silent plaza like the tolling of a funeral bell.
"A mere 2nd-layer ant dares to intrude upon the Core?" the lead Sentinel roared, his voice causing the void to tremble. "You should consider yourself honored to be turned into ash by our formation!"
The eight Sentinels moved in a very short period of time. They executed a "Blood-Iron Array," their auras merging to create a giant, spectral halberd that descended from the sky. This attack was incredibly powerful, threatening to smash Blake's body into a pulp and destroy the obsidian floor itself.
Blake looked at the descending mountain of energy with a sarcastic expression. Just as the spectral halberd was about to land, he struck out with a single palm print.
This palm print was indescribable. It contained the purity of his Void-Refined essence and the sheer weight of his Martial Intent. The moment the palm print collided with the array, a terrifying rumbling sound erupted, and a wave of destructive power spread through the void.
Under the effect of Blake's destructive palm, the eight Sentinels trembled violently. The force was simply too strong; it shattered all their stony muscles and iron bones in an instant. The "Blood-Iron Array" was neutralized as easily as cutting melons and vegetables, and the eight peak-level husks were sent flying, killing them instantly upon landing!
Upon witnessing this horrifying scene, the lesser husks lurking in the shadows trembled involuntarily. Their gazes toward Blake revealed intense disbelief. It seems no one expected that a youth of his level would possess such terrifying, crushing strength.
"How is this possible?" a voice hissed from the darkness.
From the far end of the plaza, three figures emerged. They did not look like the other husks. They were elegant, dressed in the tattered but recognizable robes of high-tier sect elders from a century ago. These were the "Shadow-White Wraiths," entities who had achieved a position equivalent to the 7th Layer—the Master Realm.
A cold glint flashed in the eyes of the lead Wraith. As he spoke, he suddenly stepped towards Blake's location and quickly landed in front of him. A terrifying ghostly aura emanated from his body, and countless ghostly figures appeared in the void, frantically devouring the space where Blake stood.
"You have talent, boy," the Wraith said, his voice a chilling rasp. "But before the Shadow-White Palace, you are nothing but dust."
The Wraith joined forces with these vengeful spirits to unleash an attack. His strike was an extremely terrifying ghost claw; the power contained in its trajectory was beyond description. It arrived in front of Blake's body in a short time, completely enveloping him and giving him no chance to dodge.
Many hidden eyes from the Hive's depths were fixed on this location, eager to know how a 2nd-layer warrior would handle an attack from a 7th-layer level expert.
Blake Harrison remained unconcerned. Just as the ghostly claw was about to land, the crowd of spectating husks saw Blake unleash another punch. The power contained in this punch was so formidable that it caused the space itself to become chaotic.
The next moment, everyone present heard a terrifying, resounding tremor. Under Blake's fist strike, the vengeful spirits and the ghost claw were shattered and destroyed in a short time, turning into nothingness.
However, the destructive power contained in Blake's strike did not stop there. It quickly descended upon the body of the Shadow-White Wraith. This caused the 7th-layer level expert to let out a scream, his spectral body blasted away, his face turning ashen as the destructive power stripped away his necrotic life. He was dead before he hit the ground!
"How terrifying! Blake's strength is truly beyond comprehension!" Malachi's voice echoed from the entrance of the plaza, his face filled with shock. He had been following Blake for two weeks, witnessing his evolution, but this was a level of dominance he had never dreamed of.
Blake ignored the praise. He continued to lead his presence forward, each step causing the hearts of the remaining Wraiths to tremble.
The remaining two Wraiths exchanged glances, their eyes flashing with a mix of apprehension and fury. "Jack—no, Blake seems to be much stronger than we anticipated. Let's attack together and stop him!"
Upon hearing this, even the inanimate statues in the hall seemed to freeze. It was a humiliating admission; two peak-level masters had to join forces to stop a single 2nd-layer youth!
Blake's expression revealed a hint of mockery, seemingly unconcerned about their words. He continued walking forward calmly.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz..."
The two Wraiths quickly stepped towards Blake's location, their auras erupting and converging in the void. They together pressed down on Blake's body, carrying a power that was beyond description. Many of the lower-level husks were shaken; even though they were far apart, they could still feel the pressure generated by the two 7th-layer masters.
Blake, however, remained unconcerned. His expression remained unchanged, and an overwhelming aura of power erupted from his body. This aura was infused with the Void-Refined core. When it was released, everything in this space seemed to freeze. The auras released by the two Wraiths were all frozen in the void, unable to descend upon Blake's body.
This caused the two powerful figures to freeze in shock. They hadn't expected that even when joining forces, they still couldn't exert pressure on him.
One of the Wraiths seemed impatient and roared, his silver longsword flashing as he slashed a beam of light towards Blake's throat. This sword light was not only extremely fast but also incredibly powerful.
Blake remained unconcerned. Just as the sword light was about to descend, he had a sudden thought. A powerful sword aura surged around him—not from a weapon, but from his own Martial Intent. From the void, a cold light flashed out, its speed unbelievable.
Everyone present only felt a flash before their eyes before the cold light completely disappeared. The next moment, they heard a scream, and an arm—still clutching the silver sword—flew out.
The Wraith who attacked Blake involuntarily staggered backward, his other hand clutching the wound. He was utterly horrified. He had never expected a 2nd-layer "stray" to attack so quickly. Even though he had been extremely careful, he still couldn't figure out how Blake had made his move.
Blake looked at the powerful figure with a sarcastic smile. From another direction, the second Wraith launched an attack with a long spear. The spear flashed with a murderous light, thrusting directly toward Blake's chest. Wherever it went, space itself was pierced through.
However, Blake didn't need to dodge at all. Just as the attack was about to land, a cold glint flashed in his pupils. Driven by his will, the intent within his body unleashed a dazzling light in a frenzied attack. The power of that strike was equally formidable, and in a short time, it slashed a deep bloody gash across the throat of the spear-wielding Wraith!
A streak of grey blood shot out, and the Wraith looked at Blake with a face full of resentment. He seemed to never have dreamed that he would be killed by such an opponent in such an end.
Suddenly, the earth trembled violently. A final, massive figure stepped forward from the very center of the Hive Core. His cultivation had reached the peak of the 7th Layer, and his personal strength had already reached its absolute peak. He was tall, with muscles like forged iron, and he held a huge bronze hammer that contained extremely powerful physical attributes.
He casually took a step forward, and the entire Hive seemed to vibrate. He stood in front of Blake like a wall of inevitable death.
"You have caused much trouble, boy," the giant roared, slamming the bronze hammer down. The void trembled violently as the hammer struck, and terrifying hammer shadows rained down on Blake from all directions. Each shadow was powerful enough to smash a mountain into pulp.
Many of the surviving husks trembled as they watched. It must be said that this giant's strength was truly terrifying; even among peak 7th-layer experts, he was top-tier.
However, Blake Harrison remained calmly standing in place. Without any hesitation, he conjured a startled light in the void. This light was incredibly fast and appeared quite abruptly.
The speed was so fast that even the 7th-layer giant could not react before the cold light completely disappeared, vanishing into thin air as if it had never existed.
The next moment, the giant wielding the bronze hammer suddenly froze in place, a hint of fear showing on his ashen face. His attacks ceased completely. The countless hammer shadows vanished without a trace.
He subconsciously touched his throat, and a trickle of grey blood seeped out. His gaze toward Blake was filled with endless resentment. "Why... did you act so quickly?"
Blake didn't answer. He simply looked at the giant with a calm, sarcastic expression.
"Thump!"
The body of the peak 7th-layer giant fell straight down and turned into a corpse!
The sound of the giant hitting the ground sent a shiver down the spines of any remaining entities in the Hive. Not only was Blake's attack power incredibly strong, but his speed was also beyond their comprehension. Some didn't even know how they had died.
Blake continued to walk toward the center of the Hive, each step causing the hearts of the remaining watchers to tremble. Those powerful figures who were still hiding in the mists couldn't help but reveal a hint of apprehension. They were hesitant to attack him again.
Blake's pupils flashed with a cold light, carrying a hint of disdain.
At a certain moment, the remaining three "Hive Elders" exchanged glances and unleashed a surge of violent power, attempting a joint attack. Their combined aura was capable of destroying everything in this space.
Blake's eyes flashed. Facing the collective attack of three peak 7th-layer experts, he still did not back down. In an extremely short time, an astonishing domain power erupted from his body.
The attack instantly enveloped the bodies of the three Elders. Sensing the terrifying power of Blake's domain, their attacks were completely swallowed up. A terrifying cold light suddenly flashed within the domain, constantly tearing and shredding.
"No, we don't want to die..." one Elder screamed in despair. Under the destructive and annihilating effect of Blake's power, they felt the true threat of death.
The next moment, the hiss of shredding energy filled the air as the three peak-level experts were gradually crushed and swallowed up. They turned into puffs of grey mist and dissipated with the wind!
This scene froze the entire Iron-Gate Pass. No one expected that Blake would so easily neutralize the combined attacks of three peak masters and annihilate them.
After the bodies were swallowed, the remaining lesser husks were so terrified that they fled for their lives into the deepest crevices of the canyon. Blake, however, did not want to give them any chance. He was not a saint; these things had tried to kill him for three weeks.
"Heavenly Palm Print!" Blake shouted.
Several palm prints solidified in the void, each containing an extremely powerful destructive force, frantically striking down. The fleeing husks were horrified, but they couldn't dodge at all. The power of the prints was too strong, completely engulfing their bodies.
Amidst the terrifying vibrations, all the remaining husks in the plaza were killed!
The space returned to calm, the ground littered with grey shale and rusted iron. The air was thick with the stench of necrotic ash. Blake ignored everything else and began to walk toward the exit of the Hive, his mission complete.
Malachi stepped beside him, his face still reeling from the shock. "Blake... you have killed so many today. When word of this reaches the three top forces of the Azure Vault—the Shadow-White Sect, the Arcade Drake Sect, and the Numen Star Sect—they will not let this go. They will send powerful figures to suppress you."
Blake continued forward, his expression unchanged. "Let them send whoever they wish. In my eyes, they are no different from the husks in this pit."
As they emerged from the Iron-Gate Pass, the bruised violet sky of the canyon was replaced by the golden light of the Azure Vault. Blake had been gone for three weeks. He had entered as a "stray" with a solid foundation. He was returning as something else entirely.
His sensational actions in the Iron-Gate would soon spread to every corner of the Academy. Many would be shocked. They never dreamed that the youth who was sent on a suicide mission would return with such a powerful presence.
In the gathering place of the Shadow-White Sect at the Academy, a flustered disciple quickly approached a powerful figure named Guar. Guar was the most outstanding prodigy of the sect, having achieved the peak of the 7th Layer.
The disciple recounted the events of the Iron-Gate, leaving Guar somewhat shocked. "He survived? And he killed the Hive Elders?"
Guar spoke coldly, a dark light in his eyes. "He has come back just in time. I was regretting that I hadn't been the one to kill him in the entry trials. Now that he has returned, I will go and take his life personally."
But as Guar spoke, Blake was already stepping back onto the main floating islands of the Academy. Each step he took seemed to make the earth tremble, reverberating in the hearts of everyone who saw him. His expression remained unchanged, even as he felt the gazes of the three top forces beginning to converge on him.
The "Great Warrior" had returned. And the Academy would never be the same.
[System Final Mission Report: Iron-Gate Cleared.]
[Total Kills: 1,240.]
[Foundation: Solidified.]
[Current Status: Peak 2nd Layer Vital Essence (Unfathomable Combat Strength).]