Chapter 61: Because You Are Too Weak

After eliminating Shen Yuanguo and Horse-Face, the remaining survivors seemed to have lost their backbone. They hesitated for a fraction of a second before rushing toward the vortex like desperate, suicidal wild dogs.

However, how could the counterattack of wild dogs pose any threat to a cheetah? Holding his ice blade, Li Chenqiu wove through the curtains of rain, harvesting their lives with absolute ease.

Wails echoed endlessly across the battlefield, accompanied by the continuous shattering of ice crystals hitting the ground. In just a short moment, the bridge in front of the vortex was littered with a dense mass of corpses, leaving only two Awakeners struggling in despair.

"We are all Awakeners, why must you—"

Puchi!

A cold gleam flashed past, followed by a line of blood extending downward from the Awakener's glabella. The vitality in his eyes faded at an astonishing speed.

"One left."

Acting like a machine, Li Chenqiu's gaze instantly locked onto the final Awakener.

Sensing Li Chenqiu's gaze, the last Awakener was frightened out of his wits, enduring the stinging impact of the heavy raindrops as he sprinted toward the vortex.

"Almost there, almost there..." the Awakener muttered incessantly, his steps bringing him closer and closer to the vortex.

Swoosh!

At the critical moment, Li Chenqiu burst through the rain curtain and arrived beside the Awakener. Just as he raised his blade to strike, a pillar of water blasted toward his ice blade.

Bang!

The ice blade was shattered into pieces. Like a natural barrier, the column of water separated Li Chenqiu from the Awakener.

In the distance, Mirror Chenqiu hooked the corner of his mouth and slowly lowered his left hand.

Before the vortex, the final Awakener burst into frantic laughter: "Li Chenqiu, I survived!"

With that, he kicked off the ground and lunged forward, his upper body entering the vortex ahead of time while his legs remained stranded in the netherworld.

Just as everyone expected this Awakener to immediately rise and escape the netherworld, he froze.

Back in the bonfire plaza outside the vortex, the Awakener who had escaped the clutches of death stood like a fool, staring blankly ahead.

There, the three members of the Public Safety Administration and countless soldiers were quietly watching him.

It was only then that he realized a chilling truth: what was the use of running out? Wasn't he going to die anyway?

Having figured this out, and driven by a desire for revenge, he widened his eyes and shouted anxiously: "Li Chenqiu is Calamity Water! Li Chenqiu is Calamity Water—"

Before anyone could react, a hand reached out from the gateway, grabbed the Awakener's head like an eagle's talon, and crushed it with a loud bang, turning it into a mist of blood that filled the air.

Having done this, the hand quickly retracted into the gateway, as if it had never appeared at all.

"This..." Night You stared blankly at the headless corpse collapsed on the ground.

***

On the long bridge, Li Chenqiu withdrew his hand and stood silently in place. Seeing that no one else was walking out of the vortex, he turned around with a gloomy expression, his gaze fixing straight upon the numerous mirror doppelgangers.

"Why are you looking at us like that?" Mirror Chenqiu spread his hands, looking at Li Chenqiu with an innocent expression.

Li Chenqiu did not reply. With a single thought, he materialized a giant hammer forged from solid ice and held it vertically in front of his chest.

"What's wrong? Want to make a move directly?" Mirror Chenqiu wore a disdainful smile. "You cannot kill us."

"So?" Li Chenqiu's eyes were profound. "What are you trying to say?"

Seeing that Li Chenqiu seemed somewhat intimidated by him, Mirror Chenqiu smiled with satisfaction: "Our purpose for existing is to eliminate those fools who overestimate themselves and covet the Spirit Profound Artifact.

You are a true genius, so we will not kill you. As long as you complete our trial, you may cross the bridge."

"Oh?" Li Chenqiu let out a soft murmur. "Before answering your question, may I ask you one?"

Mirror Chenqiu raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Go ahead."

"I want to know, do you have physical sensations?" Li Chenqiu asked in a deep voice.

Mirror Chenqiu was slightly startled, then nodded with a puzzled expression.

Seeing this, Li Chenqiu smiled faintly, grabbed the hammer before him, and twisted his fingers slightly, spinning the giant hammer around like a pen.

"What are you trying to do?" Mirror Chenqiu narrowed his eyes, staring at Li Chenqiu vigilantly.

Li Chenqiu stepped forward slowly, his gaze sweeping continually across the mirror doppelgangers as he spoke: "It's good that you can feel pain. Otherwise, if I beat you up and you don't even scream, it always feels like something is missing."

"Beat me?" Mirror Chenqiu pointed at himself in astonishment, as if he had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. "Don't I know your strength? You couldn't even beat me in a one-on-one fight, and now you want to fight us all outnumbered?"

"Participating in the trial is for your own good, or did you honestly think you could walk the path of gods relying on your own pathetic strength?"

"Pure delusion."

Upon hearing this, the other mirror doppelgangers burst into loud laughter, looking at Li Chenqiu with utter contempt.

Li Chenqiu did not retort. Or rather, he preferred to use action to make them understand reality.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

A violent gale erupted from around Li Chenqiu, and his entire figure vanished from everyone's sight.

"Everyone back away!" Mirror Chenqiu shouted loudly to the others. Just as he attempted to retreat, a dark shadow appeared directly above his head.

Mirror Chenqiu's pupils constricted. With a thought, he transformed into a mist of water and vanished from the spot.

The instant he disappeared, Li Chenqiu's giant hammer crashed down from the sky, slamming into the bridge deck like a falling mountain with a deafening bang.

In an instant, dust surged outward from around the hammer's head like a tsunami, and spiderweb-like cracks radiated outward from beneath Li Chenqiu's feet.

The terrifying pressure forced the surrounding mirror doppelgangers to retreat step after step.

In the distance, Mirror Chenqiu, having reformed his physical body, stared in horror at Li Chenqiu's back.

Too fast. He was so fast that Mirror Chenqiu couldn't even react in time.

But why was this happening? Wasn't his strength supposed to be identical to this person's?

Amidst the swirling dust and smoke, Li Chenqiu pulled the giant hammer out of the deep crater and turned his head to look in the direction of Mirror Chenqiu: "You're quite fast, aren't you?"

Forcing down the shock in his heart, Mirror Chenqiu asked, "You... why are you so fast?"

"Because you are too weak."

With that, Li Chenqiu swung the hammer toward several mirror doppelgangers standing nearby.

Bang, bang, bang!

Accompanied by a series of explosive sounds, dozens of wisps of black smoke drifted out from beneath the hammer head, just like the master of the Palace of Doubt previously.

"Bastard!"

Mirror Chenqiu gave a cold shout, materialized his own giant ice hammer, and charged toward Li Chenqiu.

Clang!

The two giant hammers collided, and shards of white ice burst forth continuously from the point of impact.

Li Chenqiu gripped the hammer handle calmly and pressed downward with overwhelming force, while Mirror Chenqiu was forced down onto one knee, gritting his teeth in a desperate and difficult struggle.

Though their raw strength was identical, their application of that strength and their understanding of their abilities were worlds apart.

It was akin to a strongman fighting another strongman who had mastered advanced martial arts techniques; the outcome was obvious at a glance.

"What are you all watching for? Attack him!" Mirror Chenqiu roared, completely abandoning his composure.

Hearing this, the other mirror doppelgangers finally snapped out of their stupor and rushed toward Li Chenqiu.

"Hahaha, let's see how you block this!" Mirror Chenqiu wore a crazed smile.

Li Chenqiu glanced indifferently at his opponent and softly uttered, "Split."