The ancient voice continued to echo in the mind of every soldier: "You forty soldiers, based on the strength you displayed in the first two layers... in this third layer, only fifteen of you will survive!"

"The fifteen who survive will enter the fourth layer and receive numerous benefits."

"Before surviving the crisis of the third layer, entering the warship is forbidden. Otherwise, you will be counted as a failure, annihilated and perish."

The words of the ancient voice startled Luo Feng.

There were only fifteen slots for survival?

...

Instantly, many of the forty soldiers were filled with worry. Every single one who managed to reach the third layer was extraordinary, yet the majority would still have to die! Apart from a select few like Luo Feng, the other soldiers dared not claim they could certainly survive.

"Boom!"

"Boom!" Suddenly, two explosions rocked the area.

Huge branches spread out, the long boughs radiating a dazzling golden light, whipping repeatedly against one of the tribal soldiers. This pitiful soldier, whose strength was already less than one percent of his peak, was struck and instantly annihilated into nothingness.

"What!"

"It killed a soldier."

The other survivors watched in shock.

Luo Feng also turned his gaze. The one who had just attacked was the plant-life soldier. One of the bright flowers on that plant-life soldier let out a sneer: "Wu Qilou said only fifteen can live, but he didn't forbid us from fighting. Every one less opponent means a better chance for us. Hahahaha, die."

It must be noted that most soldiers were severely injured after enduring the torment of the second layer's 'miniature world.' Even the weakest possessed less than one-thousandth of their peak strength.

"Flee!"

"Watch out!"

"Go!"

Those soldiers who considered themselves severely wounded scattered in all directions, trying to maintain distance from the stronger ones.

However, the ten-billion-kilometer radius illuminated by the Divine Eye in the high sky was utterly inescapable. No matter how they fled, they were confined within this boundary... For a time, the area under the Divine Eye’s light field descended into chaos.

Luo Feng stood still, ignoring the surrounding turmoil. Not a single soldier dared to confront him. Even the most arrogant plant-life soldier kept clear of Luo Feng.

"Rumble~~~~" The massive Divine Eye in the sky suddenly brightened.

Streams of golden light spread downwards.

"Ah!"

"This is..."

Some soldiers who were still fighting immediately felt their souls (life imprints) being impacted. Many temporarily ceased their struggles, prioritizing cautious resistance. No one knew what danger the third layer held... If the danger was truly terrifying, distracting themselves with combat would surely lead to death.

In this brief moment, three of the forty soldiers perished. They were all soldiers who had been near death from injuries sustained in the second layer, and the recent pressure had killed them outright, leaving only their armor, mechanical treasures, and weapons behind to be plundered.

"Fortunately, this Galaxy hasn't moved," Xu Zhong glanced at Luo Feng from afar, then looked up towards the Divine Eye above.

Numerous soldiers all raised their heads to look at the Divine Eye.

...

The Divine Eye released endless golden light, enveloping everything below. The powerful will impact was something all soldiers could withstand, for now.

"What exactly is the danger in this third layer?"

"Is it just this Divine Eye?"

"The second layer only started with secret pattern diagrams, and later Rock Giants and the like appeared. Perhaps this third layer will also unleash some bizarre danger." Unease churned in the hearts of the soldiers. Some were even vibrating as they flew, unwilling to touch the ground, fearing something might suddenly erupt from the grassland.

The boundless golden light illuminated the grassland, shining upon every soldier.

The power was gradually increasing.

"The will impact is growing stronger!"

"Could the third layer of Wu Qilou be a test of willpower?" Every soldier resisted, unwilling to surrender easily. After all, they knew this third layer was the last one involving mortal danger; starting from the fourth layer, it would only bring rewards and benefits. Who wouldn't fight for it?

Luo Feng endured the will impact, sighing inwardly. No wonder the heavily injured soldiers received no healing—it was a test of willpower. Even if the physical body suffered damage, greatly affecting combat power, the impact on willpower was minimal.

"The will impact is slowly increasing!" Luo Feng turned his head towards the distance, towards Xu Zhong, who had taken the form of a 'Ke Bird'. "This small amount of will impact has no effect on me at all! While the impact is still weak, I must eliminate him now!"

Whoosh!

Luo Feng’s speed immediately soared, flying directly towards the distant Xu Zhong.

Xu Zhong was resisting the will impact while cautiously observing his surroundings. Although he possessed the excellent escape ability of the 'Ke Bird,' its frontal combat and slaying power in the second layer of Wu Qilou were far weaker. Consequently, he was severely injured in the second layer. Even after recovering during the waiting period before entering the third layer, he had only regained about 50% of his physical body, retaining only one-tenth of his former strength! He naturally had to be extremely vigilant.

"Hmm?" Xu Zhong instantly spotted a streak of light flying toward him from the distance.

"Galaxy!" Xu Zhong cried out in alarm.

He feared no one more than this Galaxy.

Swoosh!

Xu Zhong transformed into a large white bird, flying at high speed while transmitting his voice urgently: "Galaxy, Galaxy, we are all from the Eastern Army; why must you pursue me so relentlessly?"

"If I don't kill you, who will!" Luo Feng transmitted back coldly.

Xu Zhong felt a bitter pang in his heart.

It was back at the very beginning of the first layer of Wu Qilou that he had suddenly attacked Luo Feng, saying then, 'You are a new recruit, if I don't kill you, who will?' Now, the situation had completely reversed.

"Galaxy, as long as you don't kill me, I am willing to offer a mechanical flow treasure as an apology," Xu Zhong transmitted anxiously.

"Hmph," Luo Feng responded only with a cold snort.

In navigating Wu Qilou, Luo Feng was actually reluctant to engage in mass slaughter. It was just that Xu Zhong was the type he despised most—one who acted overly friendly and fraternal to your face, only to stab you in the back when you weren't looking. Just like when Luo Feng was still a nobody navigating the Demon Sound Mountain, he had suffered a deadly sneak attack from his supposed comrade, Mo Luo.

Ever since then, Luo Feng held an extreme aversion to that kind of person.

Xu Zhong?

He must be killed!

...

Luo Feng pursued, and Xu Zhong fled.

Xu Zhong, in his white bird form, though possessing only one-tenth of his original strength, was still faster than Luo Feng in flight speed.

"Burn!" Luo Feng willed it, activating the first volume of 'Severance'—the Golden Claw Divine Luo Feng’s speed immediately soared... It must be remembered that Luo Feng already excelled in flight acceleration due to his 'Shi Wu Wings.' Although he hadn't brought them into the Jin World, he had diligently studied them over the past 8 million epochs.

He had studied the Shi Wu Wings themselves, and he had studied numerous secret techniques.

The movement technique 'Flowing Gold' incorporated acceleration.

"Whoosh!"

Luo Feng's speed continued to surge.

"Galaxy, Galaxy." Xu Zhong looked back, panicking. "Tell me, what will it take for you to let me go?"

"When you die, you will naturally be let go," Luo Feng transmitted coldly.

The two were one in front and one behind, moving at terrifying speeds. Even the light domain covered by the Divine Eye was only ten billion kilometers across. At their current speed, they could traverse the entire light domain in less than a second. Thus, Xu Zhong flew along an arc, desperately navigating the turns...

"Hmm?" Luo Feng had been chasing for half a minute and still hadn't caught up.

Perhaps it was the proximity of death that made Xu Zhong fight with everything he had. Or perhaps the 'Ke Bird' truly specialized in aerial maneuvers.

"If I unleash the second level of Severance, I could capture you instantly," Luo Feng shook his head internally. In Nine Smoke Marsh, he dared to use the second level of 'Severance' because it was outside the jurisdiction of the army. But here in 'Wu Qilou,' it was obvious that every move he made was being monitored, so he naturally dared not use the second level of 'Severance.'

"Let's see how long you can last," Luo Feng continued the pursuit, forcing Xu Zhong to remain tense without a moment's rest.

Xu Zhong felt profound misery, resentment, and regret.

Time flowed onward.

The golden light emitted by the Divine Eye in the sky, carrying the will impact, continued to intensify. From a level everyone could easily withstand at the beginning, it had now reached a point where some soldiers were struggling immensely.

"This will impact has reached the limit of a Law Master!"

Some soldiers groaned in agony. Though they were elites, in terms of willpower, only the majority had broken through bottlenecks to reach the willpower level of a True God. A smaller portion lagged behind.

"Kill."

"Kill."

While enduring the impact of the will, soldiers were still engaging in lethal combat. Especially those who believed their 'willpower' was insufficient were fighting desperately.

"Kill one, and there is one less opponent. Once only fifteen remain, it will be over."

"Kill."

The world descended into gloom.

The more than thirty remaining soldiers turned into streaks of light, flying at high speed, occasionally crossing paths. In this desperate struggle, they also had to resist the 'will impact.' A moment of distraction could prove fatal. Some soldiers who were slow to evade or weaker began to gradually perish, and the number of soldiers started to decrease.

As the will impact from the Divine Eye above intensified, the soldiers became terrified. Previously, they were fighting each other, and the Divine Eye's impact was a minor threat.

But now—

The will impact began to exceed the limits of some soldiers' endurance.

"No!"

"No!"

As the will impact surpassed the limit for Law Masters, Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Nine soldiers, who were dodging and fighting at high speed, suddenly trembled violently, instantly falling into a state of unconsciousness and mental collapse, clearly unable to bear the will impact. And the Divine Eye above instantly shot out nine dazzling purple beams of light!

Swish! Swish! Swish!...

The nine purple beams instantly struck the nine unconscious, falling soldiers, causing those nine soldiers to be directly annihilated, leaving behind only their armor, mechanical treasures, and so on.

"Oh!" Luo Feng, who was flying at super-speed while chasing Xu Zhong, happened to whistle past. With a wave of his hand, he collected the treasures left behind by one of the soldiers.

"Quite a few treasures."

Luo Feng glanced around. "This third layer of Wu Qilou is actually a great opportunity to obtain large amounts of treasure. If I miss this chance, I don't know when I'll encounter it again." Every soldier was a small treasure trove; almost every soldier possessed at least two mechanical flow treasures, after all, they had all endured the first and second layers to get here.

"Ah!" Xu Zhong, who had been fleeing desperately in the distance, cried out, "I must escape, I must escape! Ah, this will impact is too strong, I can’t hold on much longer."

Buzz~~~

The Divine Eye illuminated the grassland, shining upon every soldier. The will impact contained within the golden light, though slow, was constantly increasing... If you couldn't bear it, you died! Only fifteen would live!