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墨書 Inktalez
The outside world found it difficult to know the state of the battle between Bu and Lava King Vanava, but many assumed that this proud and formidable young man had already fallen.
As time slowly passed, more battles were fiercely unfolding in the Trial Grounds, with all Trialists exerting their utmost effort to compete for resources, plundering treasures from others to improve their rankings.
The trio of Reynold, Mu Yan, and Arno began to stand out in the ongoing battles. Although their strength was not among the top tier of this year's newcomers, when united, they could maintain a position within the top twenty. As long as they did not encounter a powerful opponent like Reuben, who had reached Intermediate Level 4, they held an absolute advantage.
Initially, over three hundred participants entered the trials, but now the number had dwindled by half. The remaining Trialists were all skilled fighters, each possessing remarkable abilities and strong minds. A woman named Cynthia ranked first with a score of 10 points, far exceeding the second-place Trialist by over two hundred points.
At this moment, Bu's ranking had dropped to fifteenth place and he was soon to be caught up by the sixteenth Trialist.
This was only the second round, and half of the time had just passed; the intensity of competition was unimaginable.
At that moment, the entire expanse of the Trial Grounds suddenly trembled violently. This tremor was so brief that it felt almost illusory. After a moment of surprise, most Trialists paid little attention to it. Only a small number felt a shadow of doubt arise in their hearts, their minds racing with various thoughts yet unable to grasp the situation.
No one could have guessed that this sudden tremor in the Trial Grounds was related to Bu. It occurred at the very moment he painstakingly seized a Radiant Gold from Lava King Vanava's chest.
This tremor was not caused by Lava King's roar; long before Bu entered Lava King's territory in Flame Mountain, this area had been shrouded by the mysterious Crane-Haired Man's powerful barrier.
The tremor originated from a spatial disturbance throughout the Trial Grounds, triggered by a finger pointed from afar by the Crane-Haired Man across an endless void.
As this finger descended, Bu, who had just obtained the Radiant Gold, was about to evade Lava King's furious attack when suddenly the space shook. His body froze in place as Lava King's released Destruction energy also came to a halt; everything around them seemed to be suspended.
The stillness in space did not mean time itself had stopped; rather, everything appeared trapped in a vacuum state. Time continued to flow, but all matter existing within that time was rendered absolutely motionless.
Bu's eyes widened in shock; his mind remained active while his body could not move at all. It wasn't just him—Lava King was equally astonished. With intelligence comparable to that of an ordinary human, Lava King could imagine how powerful an entity must be to cause such instant stillness; it was a terrifying existence capable of annihilating it with a single strike.
"The Lord of Holy Light is the Lord of Holy Light," Lava King Vanava roared inwardly. It felt fear; if not for this spatial stillness, its flames of Magma would have likely extinguished entirely out of fright.
"Vanava," a calm voice suddenly echoed in this frozen space. The voice seemed to come from a distant realm, having been washed through endless ages before reaching their ears—imbued with both nostalgia and supreme authority.
"Withdraw," came the command as soon as the voice fell. At that moment, Lava King Vanava's massive body trembled violently and regained its ability to move.
“Vanava obeys the will of the Lord of Holy Light!” The usually brutal and arrogant Lava King Vanava was now as obedient as a dog, not daring to look at the figure before him. His body suddenly shrank and transformed into a Magma Sea of Fire, instantly disappearing, only to reappear as a conical mountain of flames.
“Fellow, come here, let’s talk.” As the Lava King departed, the voice echoed again. The figure felt a gaze upon him and soon realized that the entire world before him suddenly blurred. When he could see clearly again, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar place.
It was within a palace, seemingly in some space on the top floor. Everything around appeared vague and dim, whether due to the lighting or some other reason. Before him sat a figure in meditation, shrouded in mist, making it impossible to discern any specific features.
Bu Shuang displayed caution, retreating two steps discreetly before suddenly bowing with his hand on his chest, sincerely saying, “I do not know why you have brought me here, senior. I assure you I will speak without reservation.”
“Not arrogant, not impatient, not haughty, not humble, not surprised, not chaotic—good,” the person in the mist said, their gaze fixed on Bu Shuang, seemingly quite appreciative. The mist around them gradually dissipated, revealing their figure covered in Silver Rune.
Bu Shuang kept observing this mysterious person’s every move. When the mist finally cleared away and he saw the figure clearly, his pupils constricted sharply. Although he quickly masked his reaction, it was evident that his heart was stirred.
“The Silver Rune covers their entire body; just one glance gives me a sense of spatial distortion. There is an aura similar to that of a Spatial Teleportation Array. Though there is a connection between the two, they are fundamentally different. Who is this person? What is their purpose in bringing me here?”
His inner turmoil surged like turbulent waves, but on the surface, Bu Shuang forced himself to remain calm and waited for the mysterious Crane-Haired Man to speak.
“I want you to do something for me!” The Crane-Haired Man seemed quite pleased with Bu Shuang’s composure. Despite it being somewhat forced, it brought a slight smile to his face. However, this smile made the Silver Rune on his skin twist in an unsettling and eerie manner.
“You want me to do something?” Bu Shuang felt a stir within him; while he sighed in relief, he also tensed up again and cautiously replied, “Senior, what task do you wish for me to undertake? As long as I am capable of accomplishing it, I will not disappoint your expectations!”
Given the current situation and facing such a formidable Fellow, whose strength was unknown to him, Bu Shuang did not even consider refusing; he had no choice but to brace himself.
“Very well!” The Crane-Haired Man smiled wider and continued: “In this trial of the Path of Holy Light, consider yourself dead—dead within the trial. I will give you some time to handle personal matters; you may meet your friends. However, afterward I will seal all memories of your existence from those who see you so that they cannot reveal that you are still alive.
The task I have for you is perilous; it would not normally be forced upon you. But now that a thousand years have passed…”
At this point, the Crane-Haired Man sighed softly, his eyes dimming as he gazed at Bu Shuang. “What unresolved matters do you have? Speak them out; if I can help you fulfill them, I will do so—as long as you complete what I have assigned to you. This is something you cannot evade!”
“Nine deaths and one life cannot be avoided?” Bu Shuang froze for a moment. After a while, anger appeared on his face. He could usually conceal his emotions well; however, being coerced like this was something he could never accept. Regardless of how powerful the other party was, treating his life as a mere game and using him as a pawn was unacceptable to him.
"Fury can shatter a person's sanity. If I were you, I would choose to remain calm and think about how to resolve the crisis, how to survive. Surviving brings hope and the chance to regain one's dignity and freedom."
The Crane-Haired Man seemed to have anticipated that Bu would be unable to contain his anger, would feel furious and unwilling to accept the situation. This was only natural, and he had already prepared his words of persuasion. At this moment, his gaze was intense, fixed on Bu, with a determination in his eyes that left no room for doubt—something Bu could not resist and could only agree to.
Bu let out a breath. He did not roar or curse. Since arriving in the Fran Continent, he had come to deeply understand the meaning of survival of the fittest.
Freedom and ease—if one is not strong enough, one should not cling to a pitiful sense of pride while seeking freedom; that would only invite ridicule and trample one's dignity.
"Since what you ask of me is a matter of life and death, it seems there is still some hope. I cannot refuse, so I will agree. However, I have many concerns. I fear that you may not be able to help me resolve them all. If I become burdened by these worries and cannot focus on what you have entrusted to me, leading to mistakes that result in my death, then your task will be difficult."
Bu had never been one to willingly suffer losses. No matter who he faced—even someone as powerful as the Crane-Haired Man—he could not resist directly but could use the other party's earlier words to provoke him. In doing so, he felt he had regained a bit of face, maintaining his dignity despite being unable to fight back due to his inferior strength.
The Crane-Haired Man was momentarily speechless, then slowly smiled and nodded. "What concerns do you have? Share them with me. In this Fran Continent, aside from reviving the dead or turning the earth upside down, there is nothing I find particularly difficult."
"Alright, since you are so capable, I will open my heart and share my concerns with you. Let's see if you can help me achieve my wishes!"
Seeing the Crane-Haired Man's confidence stirred Bu's competitive spirit. With a smile, he thought about several matters he had always found troublesome. Suddenly, he felt that this deal was not too bad—aside from being dangerous and somewhat passive, it wasn't such a loss after all.
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