NOVPUBLin Mo weaved between two Ironclad Sentinels as their claws missed him by inches before reappearing thirty meters away.
He tried to line them up again to minimize the number of shots. Unfortunately, they're quicker now. It would be impossible to cover them all with just one bullet.
"If one's not enough. Then two shots." His spiritual energy flowed into the weapon, the [Astral Warden's Grip] reducing the strain as the barrel's inscriptions ignited with starlight.
BANG!
A comet of starlight essence erupted from the muzzle, streaking toward the Sentinels. The three that had been caught within its scope and range had their metallic form shattered like brittle glass. Their upper half disintegrated into motes of fading energy while the lower half collapsed in a heap.
Lin Mo blew on the muzzle as he wryly smiled, "Still one-shot. These wave creatures still cannot withstand the gun's destructive power."
The remaining five still mindlessly charged at him, their pressure descending like a hammer to an indestructible anvil. Four of them jumped and coincidentally lined themselves up for him to take down and…
BANG!
Two had their upper body decimated while the remaining two had their right and left sides, respectively, blasted open.
They dropped on the ground right in front of him, dissipating into motes of light like dandelions in a summer field.
The remaining Ironclad Sentinel naturally still charged forward.
Lin Mo decided to test his own strength against it as he put away the gun.
Using his current comprehension of [Foundational Martial Technique], he pulled out a mortal-grade spear that he picked from the store.
It was still a decent weapon that was only a little short of becoming spirit-grade.
Taking the most basic stance, he braced himself as the Ironclad Sentinel closed in, its jagged claws glinting with malicious intent.
The spear, while unremarkable in appearance, felt solid in his grip. It has a balanced weight that Lin Mo had already gotten used to from training and yesterday's trip inside the Anchor.
Lin Mo's lips curled into a faint, testing smile. He wanted to gauge his own martial prowess without the crutch of the [Starshot Revolver]. To see if his training over the past days had forged him into something more than a merchant wielding divine artifacts and to check how much the gun was empowering him.
The lone sentinel lunged, its claw slashing downward in a brutal arc that almost tore through space.
Lin Mo's body moved instinctively as his spiritual energy flowed into his feet, creating afterimages as he dodged to the side. His now-enhanced movement technique was like wings strapped on his feet, letting him pivot midair.
As the claw smashed into the chamber floor, he thrust the spear forward amidst the flying debris, channeling a thread of spiritual energy into the strike.
The [Foundational Martial Technique] wasn't flashy but its simplicity allowed for flawless execution.
The spearhead pierced the Sentinel's flank, where its ironclad exterior seemed to be the thinnest.
A grating screech echoed as the tip scraped against the sentinel's metallic hide, drawing a shallow gash that oozed wisps of foreign energy.
"Did I really do that? Man… No wonder martial artists can get drunk in training. That feels… great." Lin Mo couldn't help but exclaim as his eyes locked onto the shattered side of the sentinel.
At the current floor, the foreign creatures were already starting at the early Foundation Establishment Stage in terms of strength and pressure. He should be totally outclassed by it. And yet, he managed to react.
"Still… compared to the gun…"
He shook those thoughts off as he narrowed his eyes, ready to follow up.
Enraged, the Sentinel whirled its other claw, swinging in a wide arc.
Despite being out of its range, the claw infused with the foreign energy extended a little bit, reaching Lin Mo.
He hurriedly ducked low as he steadied his grip while recalling the Basic Spear technique [Powerful Thrust]. Despite its bland name, the technique was one of the core moves in the [Foundational Martial Technique], emphasizing precision and force in a single, focused thrust.
Lin Mo's muscles tensed as he channeled another surge of spiritual energy into the spear, his mind honed by the [Everflowing Serenity Sutra].
The Sentinel's claw slashed through the air above him, missing by a hair's breadth but the foreign energy trailing its attack grazed his shoulder, tearing through his convenience store uniform.
He ignored the pain and discomfort as his focus locked on the Sentinel's exposed body.
With a sharp exhale, he took a few steps forward, guided by his [Crimson Flow Phantom Technique] and drove the spear forward, the spiritual energy-infused tip finding its mark. The [Powerful] punched through the gash he'd made earlier and sank deep into the Sentinel's body and pierced through, searching for its core.
A small explosion of foreign energy erupted from the wound, and the creature staggered. It tried to cover the hole in its body to prevent its energy from spilling out but to no avail.
With that, its furiously glowing eyes flared up as it let out a soundless roar.
Lin Mo yanked the spear free, leaping back with [Crimson Flow Phantom Steps] to avoid a desperate counterattack. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝔲𝔟.𝔠𝖔𝖒
The Sentinel's movements grew sluggish and its figure gradually cracked.
He wasn't expecting to pierce its core with just one technique but he seemed to be lucky. The tip of the spear poked into it, just enough for it to collapse on its own after drinking the spiritual energy he infused with it.
With a final shudder, the Ironclad Sentinel collapsed into a pile of dissipating energy, leaving the chamber silent save for the soft hum of the Tower's walls.
[Dimension Essence Earned: 640]
[Total Dimension Essence: 5320]
[Timer: 28:30]
Lin Mo twirled the spear before resting it against his shoulder, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.
"Let's see. It's passable, I guess?" He muttered as he glanced at the unremarkable spear. "But it's no [Starshot Revolver]. Still, that felt… real. Like I earned it. The long mental simulations I did paid off."
The thrill of the clean strike lingered in his veins, something the recoil of the revolver didn't truly give him.
He hadn't relied on divine artifacts or store-bought power—just his training, his technique, and a cheap spear. For a moment, he felt like a true cultivator, not just a merchant wielding borrowed strength.
Of course, seeing them becoming decimated by just a bullet was exhilarating in itself. But considering the gun was still a prototype and the divine beings were probably planning to release it as a store product, he couldn't truly claim it as his. Unless they're planning to upgrade it and hand it to him?
In any case, the reality of the Tower's escalating challenges sobered him. The Ironclad Sentinel was only the first wave. The Floor Guardian would be a different beast entirely.
He glanced at the Tower panel, which updated with the next wave.
[Current Wave: 9 Bladefury Sentinels]
[Timer: 28:30]
The walls shuddered, and nine new figures emerged. Their forms were more slender and seemingly more agile than the Ironclad Sentinels.
Bladefury Sentinels, as their name suggested, wielded long, serrated blades fused into their arms, each glinting with a malevolent edge as the foreign wrapped around it.
Their pressure matched the peak of the early Foundation Establishment Stage. Clearly stronger, faster, and more coordinated than their predecessors.
Lin Mo's grin faded into a focused smirk.
"Alright, I better not be complacent and continue with the test." He slid the spear back into his spatial bag and drew the [Starshot Revolver] once more.
The [Astral Warden's Grip] pulsed faintly, syncing with the revolver's enhanced jade crystal.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three.
The Bladefury Sentinels didn't charge mindlessly like the Ironclads. Instead, they fanned out as if they had already read what he was planning to do.
Their blade-arms weaved patterns in the air as they circled him, testing his reactions. They're planning to lynch him.
But would he let them do that?
As they finished coordinating their circle, Lin Mo pointed his gun at the one directly in front of him and…
BANG!
The single Bladefury Sentinel tried to dodge but the radiant spear of starlight burst covered all his escape route.
By the time the blinding light dissipated, only its outstretched blade-arm remained, dropping to the ground with a clink.
And while they were distracted, he ran in that direction.
His boots skidded across the floor as he broke free from the Bladefury Sentinels' encirclement, his movement technique leaving confusing afterimages in his wake. The remaining eight sentinels pivoted with eerie synchronicity, their blade-arms slashing through the air as they adjusted their formation to pursue him.
However, he didn't give them time to circle him again.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Three consecutive shots rang out and three blinding lights engulfed the majority of them.
As soon as his vision cleared up and he saw two out of eight sentinels were still standing, he put the gun in its holster and pulled out his spear again, ready to test his mettle against them one more time.
He had yet to notice it, but if Yu Qingyan or Liu Xiaoyu saw him drawing his spear like that, they'd both shake their heads at how gleeful he appeared.
