Chapter 158: Trial by Blood: A Shattering Breakthrough

Father! I cleared Floor 18!

Wobbling and pale, Zhang Yang shouted excitedly. Amid heavy blood loss, he felt his mind start to blur.

Perhaps he had only just regained his senses, or perhaps something else was amiss.

Zhang Meng, who had been waiting, dashed over to his side. Seeing Zhang Yang pushed to his limit, his eyes flashed with a mix of concern and compassion.

Meanwhile, several Third-Stage fighters already on standby rushed over with restorative items to immediately treat Zhang Yang’s injuries.

Wrapped in a sudden warmth as his wounds began healing swiftly, Zhang Yang instinctively grabbed Zhang Meng’s arm, his excitement bubbling over:

“Father, I did it!”

“Floor 18! Am I the first!?”

Even in his haze, Zhang Yang couldn’t help but blurt out his greatest worry. Yet the heavy atmosphere around him sparked a deep unease.

Why does everyone look so strange? Why is no one praising me!?

What are they staring at!?

I cleared Floor 18! This is the most outstanding performance in the Huaxia Battle Zone in years!

Noticing all eyes silently fixed on the information panel in Yang Guoping’s hand, Zhang Yang suddenly seemed to realize something and glanced around in panic.

All the trial participants were out now. He saw Wang Kai and the Second-Stage fighters who had entered with him.

But… Yenir was nowhere to be seen! Among everyone, it was Yenir he most wanted to outshine!

The next moment, Zhang Meng looked at his son with a complicated expression. He could tell Zhang Yang had exhausted every effort. A Floor 18 achievement would have caused quite a stir in the Capital, earning praise from high-ranking officials.

But the problem was…

Zhang Meng hesitated, his tone bitter. He wasn’t sure whether to reveal the news, fearing it would crush Zhang Yang’s confidence.

In truth, they had only just recovered from their initial shock, still struggling to steady their emotions.

Seeing the uncertain look in his son’s eyes, after a moment of hesitation, he finally chose to speak.

Some truths simply cannot be hidden.

“Yenir…”

“He’s already reached Floor 19…”

“He broke through to Floor 19 just three seconds before you backed out…”

“What!?”

“Ugh!”

In utter shock, Zhang Yang stiffened as if struck by fear. Even his freshly healed wounds burst open in an instant.

He clutched Zhang Meng’s arm tightly, his eyes wide with disbelief, as if he refused to accept the reality.

“Impossible!?”

“How could he possibly reach Floor 19 so quickly!?”

“I don’t believe it! Did you all misread?”

In a cry filled with panic, Zhang Yang repeatedly demanded answers. He had barely managed Floor 18 with everything he had; Yenir, with no bonus from his Willpower, had no reason to pull off this feat.

But as onlookers exchanged glances filled with awe and pity, Zhang Yang suddenly froze, nearly dropping his battle axe.

Their stares seemed to confirm that it was all true.

By the swirling vortex, Yang Guoping spoke gravely:

“Yenir—Floor 19. We’ve verified it.”

“In fact, he’s the sole contender left in the entire Strength Trial.”

“Since Floor 15, his pace has been nearly one floor per minute.”

As his words fell, everyone’s expressions shifted from amazement to an indescribable shock.

Yes, Yenir is accelerating. One floor per minute means he’s replicating Zhang Yang’s strategy for the first ten floors.

Mutants were dispatched the moment they appeared! Only by such a tactic could he have surged to Floor 19 so quickly.

But the problem is that this method only works against lower-level mutants on the early floors!

Using the same strategy now, the difficulty Yenir faces compared to Zhang Yang’s is worlds apart—it’s an entirely different league.

“To think he can swiftly handle Second-Stage mutants…”

“It’s hard to imagine what level of combat skill and strength this demands…”

Many of the Third-Stage fighters, puzzled, stared into the vortex, too exhausted to further speculate. Some even wished they could jump into the trial to witness Yenir’s astonishing battle firsthand.

“He’s first, no doubt about it…”

“I don’t know why, but I’m actually a bit scared…”

“Yenir isn’t about to break into the global top ten, right? Has he been holding back all this time?”

In hushed discussions, no one paid attention to the distraught Zhang Yang. At that moment, these early trial participants had become mere background figures.

At another time, they might have expressed some wonder.

“Maybe…”

“Starting at Floor 20, he could easily break into the global top ten. But I remember, in the entire Huaxia Battle Zone, only Lord Hua’an and one of the Four Commanders, General Sun Weiguo, have done so. Their feats once shook the entire zone, and both were pure Strength-type fighters…”

“Floor 20 seems over the top. Floor 19 should suffice.”

“The difficulty after Floor 20 is just outrageous…”

“True… Floor 19 is already challenging enough. If Yenir pushes on to Floor 20, even we Strength types won’t have a chance…”

In murmurs, although many doubted Yenir could truly reach Floor 20—it sounded almost unbelievable—the Floor 19 performance was still exceptional. Even if he withdrew now, praise would come unabated.

Meanwhile, listening to everyone’s chatter, Zhang Yang felt as if struck by a bolt of lightning; his mind went completely blank.

Remembering all the sacrifices and effort he made to advance early and outdo Yenir, it all now seemed like a cruel joke.

“Why…”

“Why… did I lose!? Why is he stronger than me!?”

“I’m a Strength type! I have an SS-level talent!”

In the midst of overwhelming defeat, Zhang Yang looked helplessly to his father, unable to accept this reality.

A deep sigh enveloped him.

Zhang Meng silently gripped his hand and shook his head in resignation.

Fearing that Zhang Yang’s confidence might collapse completely, he forced a smile and tried to console him:

“Yang’er, your fundamentals need work. This trial was just too rushed.”

“Don’t ever doubt your potential. You might not fall behind Yenir—Floor 19 is well within your reach, and the road to Third-Stage is long.”

“A temporary setback isn’t a failure, and you’re far from one.”

With no other choice, Zhang Meng’s words aimed to rekindle his son’s fighting spirit.

After all, as a Dual-Type Awakener, Zhang Yang had another trial waiting soon.

But just as Zhang Yang managed a faint, forced smile, Yang Guoping suddenly widened his eyes near the vortex and instinctively looked up at the assembled crowd, as if witnessing something incredible.

Every piece of news about Yenir had captured everyone’s attention. It was as if they all suddenly understood, exchanging knowing glances.

Sure enough.

Yang Guoping drew a deep breath, his eyes sparkling with excitement:

“Yenir!”

“Floor 20!!!”

“He broke through to Floor 20! The system just flashed the update!”

“Whoa!? Floor 20!?”

The crowd erupted in shocked exclamations, drawing a collective gasp. Unheeding, Zhang Yang—still under treatment—staggered as his battle axe crashed heavily to the ground.

For the proud prodigy that he was, Zhang Yang could hardly bear such a blow.