NOVPUBWithin the remaining duration of the sticker seal, Lin Mo's plan to whittle down the Fallen Artists one by one while maintaining his summons as many as possible in the field proved to be effective.
After taking down the first wave, the second wave came out with 11 Fallen Martial Artists (Armed). Instead of energy weapons, their preferred weapons protruded from their hands. It was kind of grotesque but their martial arts remained eerily expert-level.
Against them, his summons started falling one by one. He had to buy time by running around the chamber and then sacrificing the remaining Level 1, 2 and 3 Units to summon a Level 4 Unit [Celestial Manticore].
"I understand now. This floor is my limit. Without relying on the gun, it's impossible to climb higher than this."
The Celestial Duel System was definitely useful in abating the pressure, but even that cannot quickly cope against the waves of enemies before every Floor Guardian.
It would've been manageable if it stayed from five to six per wave. But their number was also increasing, and on top of that, their strength was becoming stronger. It's like they're designed to weed out the ordinary cultivators on the lower floors and only those with exceptional talent could continue climbing higher until they clear all ten floors.
"My prodigious assistant must've been having a great time climbing. She can freely unleash her abilities without worrying about the eyes that will land on her." He smilingly shook his head as he imagined Liu Xiaoyu easily taking down the same opponents he was facing in her challenge.
After once again gaining a distance, the [Celestial Manticore] roared as its lion-like body rippled with dense spiritual energy while its scorpion tail was threateningly ready to lash out.
The Level 4 Unit towered over the remaining Fallen Martial Artists. Its ferocious crimson eyes locked onto the armed adversaries, who adjusted their stances with unsettling uniformity. Their grotesque weaponized limbs, swords, spears, and axes melded into their hands, emanating the sharpness of the foreign energy they were wielding.
He'd whittled down their numbers to six but their armed forms remained more formidable than the first wave. In his estimate, each of their strikes carried the weight of a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator. Without the [Starshot Revolver], he had to carefully direct his summons or he'd be forced to go on the defensive.
"Alright, big guy, you're the only one I can count at the moment. Don't disappear on me." Lin Mo muttered despite knowing the manticore lacked the intelligence to understand him. It could only follow his orders or move on its own with the default directive of taking down his enemies.
"Now!"
The [Celestial Manticore] lunged, its massive paws slamming into the chamber floor, sending tremors through the ground.
A Fallen Martial Artist wielding a fused axe sidestepped the tremor before slashing down the manticore's flank.
The beast's tail whipped around, its venomous barb intercepting the attack with a resounding clang. Sparks of foreign energy and spiritual energy erupted and the martial artist staggered back, its arm cracked but still functional. Likewise, the scorpion tail of the manticore had pretty much been hacked away. But since it's not a physical entity, it mended on its own by supplying more spiritual energy to it.
Meanwhile, Lin Mo seized the opening created by his summon.
He disappeared from his position, leaving behind afterimages, as he closed the distance to a spear-wielding Fallen Martial Artist that had strayed too far from its comrades.
Performing another [Powerful Thrust] to its flank, the spiritual energy-coated tip drove into the creature's back, piercing through its chest.
It could only turn its head before its mask shattered, revealing a faceless features before dissipating into motes of light.
"Five left," Lin Mo panted as he retreated from another Fallen Martial Artist's sword-arm.
It grazed his newly-repaired crystalline shell, instantly leaving spiderweb cracks across its surface.
The [Celestial Manticore] roared again as its tail lashed out in a wide arc that forced two Fallen Martial Artists to leap back. Its claws then raked through a third, a claw-wielding one, tearing through its torso. The creature collapsed, but not before its energy claws scored a hit across the manticore's hide, dimming its aura. The summon's fiery presence flickered, a sign it wouldn't last much longer against this onslaught.
Lin Mo couldn't help but be proud of it. He wasn't expecting it to take down one of them. All he wanted it to do was to occupy their attention.
Lin Mo glanced down at the [Celestial Duel Gear]. The cooldown for the next card was still a few seconds away.
Nevertheless, he still had the two Spell Cards waiting to be played.
Before the Celestial Manticore crumbled, Lin Mo aimed to bring down the number of martial artists from four to two.
"Time to change tactics," Lin Mo activated [Blazing Surge], igniting his Celestial Field with a wave of fiery inferno.
The manticore's flames flared anew as it aimed to go out with a bang. The sudden burst caught the Fallen Martial Artists off guard, and the manticore's claws tore through another one, pushing it towards Lin Mo's spear.
Three left. Lin Mo held his breath as he dodged a sword-arm's slash, the [Crystal Shell Technique] shattering completely under the blow.
He used the impact to pivot his foot, changing direction to yet again use [Powerful Thrust] against the sword-wielder.
The Fallen Martial Artist tried to parry but the spear tip pierced through its sword-arm and continued to bore a hole into its chest.
At the same time as it shattered, the Celestial Manticore let out its final roar as the remaining enemies finally took it down.
Lin Mo exhaled sharply as he watched the two remaining Fallen Martial Artists instantly change their target to him.
Their glowing masks seemingly drew more foreign energy as they switched their stances.
The one with an axe-arm and didn't wait for him to gather his breath. Before he knew it, it executed a martial technique, closing their distance as its axe crashed down on him like a meteor.
Lin Mo could only raise his spear to block it. The spear's body instantly got chipped as the blade sank deep, threatening to cut through it.
Understanding that, he let go of the spear by giving it a final push before rolling sideways. A moment later, another spear appeared in his hand.
Naturally, he leveraged his position as a Shopkeeper and packed more than one mortal-grade spear from the weapon rack. After all, one would never know when their weapons would break.
And now, it has proven to be a wise decision.
Without him supporting that other spear anymore the axe continued on its downward trajectory, crashing into the chamber floor. And because it was too sudden, the axe-wielder had little time to react to him.
"Go and distract that one for me!" Right on time, the new card was drawn and deployed. A Level 1 [Fierce Sparrow] materialized and flew to the remaining Fallen Martial Artist.
The [Wizened Old Sage]'s effect had long disappeared but his mind was still on overdrive. It couldn't relax yet. With that, he could almost see the arcs of the axe-wielder's possible counterattacks.
He lunged at it, aiming his spear for another thrust, his movement technique propelling him like a catapult. However, before he could close the gap between them, Lin Mo forced himself down, his boots skidding across the floor as he stayed low and slid towards the axe-wielder, whose swing curved upwards, ready to receive him from mid-air.
"My gamble paid off." Lin Mo smirked as he readied his spear, piercing through the Fallen Martial Artist from below, the [Powerful Thrust] aimed directly between its legs. 𝓃𝓸𝓋𝓅𝓾𝒷.𝒸ℴ𝓂
The momentum of his slide didn't stop there, but thanks to the shattered chamber floor, a protruded part killed his speed.
His back hit it, and he groaned painfully. But despite that, he watched in satisfaction as he watched the impaled Fallen Martial Artist crumbled into motes of light.
One more.
"I guess I still have to use this, huh?" As he turned his head to the [Fiery Sparrow] that was already hacked into four pieces by the remaining Fallen Martial Artist, a Premium Card Talisman appeared from his hand.
It's the most popular destructive talisman on his store shelves. The [Windstrike Talisman].
BOOM!
[Dimension Essence Earned: 1100]
[Total Dimension Essence: 7530]
[Timer: 19:09]
"Finally, the Floor Guardian." Lin Mo weakly muttered as he forced himself to stand up.
With a few seconds of respite, he munched on a [Vitality Restoration Pill] that was molded into a strawberry candy but without its accompanying sweet and sour taste. It's bitter enough that he had to open a can of Heavenly Dew Soda to cleanse his palate. He noted to write that down on his next submission of feedback and suggestions to the divine beings. A strawberry candy should taste like a strawberry!
Lin Mo steadied his breathing as he let the effect of the pill work its wonder in his body. Since there's a cooldown with the reactivation of the Awakened Celestial Duelist mode, His Celestial Field remained active as the gear continued to recycle the foreign energy primed for the next summon. He can only hope that the next card will be another Unit Card.
Fifteen seconds later, the Tower panel flickered, updating with an ominous chime.
[Floor Guardian: Fallen Martial Hero]
[Objective: Defeat the Floor Guardian or Survive for thirty minutes]
[Timer: 18:54]
