The trial grounds were located within the domed structure guarded by the Luminous Beacon.
At first glance, the building resembled an ordinary stadium, but it contained a world within. As powerhouses from various realms cautiously stepped through the golden gates, a vast expanse unfolded before them.
Mountains hundreds of meters high stood amidst swirling clouds. These peaks had been meticulously shaped, maintaining equal distances between them, with identical heights, sizes, and forms. The flora planted upon them was also uniform.
The mountain bodies were not rugged, but rather smooth and even, resembling colossal, inverted frustums more than traditional peaks.
Buildings of a unique white style stood in tiered rows along the inner slopes of the mountains.
From a platform at the summit, a semi-transparent staircase of light extended downwards, reaching the black platform at the base, encircled by sixteen mountains.
In the center of the vast circular platform, a pure white sword was thrust into the ground, point first.
Fang You and his companions appeared on this black platform. Looking up, they saw towering, majestic mountains. Gazing downwards, they saw ethereal white clouds. If their sight could pierce the mist, they could glimpse a tranquil lake – or perhaps a sea – beneath. Around them, further beyond the mountains, a boundless fog obscured their view.
The world beyond the gates was hundreds of times vaster than what they had initially perceived.
"This is a secret realm! And quite a high-level one at that!"
"The Candela Empire certainly goes all out."
A myth declared.
The younger generation and mortal powerhouses, led by their respective myths, fell into a stupor upon entering, nearly causing a bottleneck at the entrance.
Yet, it wasn't just the juniors; many myths had never witnessed such a vast and magnificent secret realm.
Fang You's true body was not present; he remained on Blue Star, guarding against unforeseen events. However, he had possessed the Xiao Huan and manifested there in his stead. He too, was secretly observing his surroundings, contemplating whether he could glean some experience in secret realm construction.
Suddenly,
before the pure white, solitary, downward-thrust sword in the empty expanse, countless particles of light converged like a tide, rapidly outlining a tall figure clad in a white Candela-style military uniform, wearing a white round cap. A golden flower was pinned to her chest, its petals gently swaying in the breeze.
The tall woman's gaze fell upon the assembled powerhouses from various realms. After a moment of silence, she spoke:
"Welcome to Trial Ground 404. I am your trial official. You may address me as '404' or 'Ruo'. This trial period will last for three months. The next session will commence in ten years."
"Do you have any questions now?"
...
There were far too many questions!
What was a trial official? Hadn't the Candela Empire been annihilated? Were there still Candela citizens alive in this era?
"You are a Candela, one of the Radiant people?!"
Trial Official Ruo crossed her arms, unwilling to answer such a rudimentary question.
Fang You knew that this trial official indeed held the identity of a Candela citizen. From some records, he had learned that the trial officials' duties were to ensure the normal operation of the trial grounds and to evaluate the trial participants. They were not truly human, perhaps artificial intelligence, perhaps sentient artifacts, or some form of artificial, incomplete life.
Only in this way could they endure the passage of long ages and re-emerge with the ruins. Not only at the trial grounds, but also in some advanced Candela ruins, one could encounter such operational spirits.
And they were indeed radiant citizens. During the Candela Empire era, regardless of whether they were artificial beings, as long as they possessed emotions and reason, they were Candela people in the broader sense.
In the narrow sense, however, Candela citizens who flowed with the radiant bloodline might truly be extinct.
The four overlord factions likely knew more about these secrets, but they clearly had no intention of sharing them.
However, Xi Guang, a demigod from the Gu Yue Dynasty, after a moment of silence, stepped forward and asked:
"Miss Ruo, what exactly happened to the Candela Empire back then? We had asked Mr. 233, but he was unaware."
Trial Official Ruo was silent again for a while, but this time, it wasn't out of impatience. It seemed she was reminiscing, filled with a deep sense of sorrow and antiquity.
"That kid 233, it's normal he doesn't know, because... I don't know either."
The myths: "..."
Having said this, the trial official paused again for a moment. Her gaze swept over everyone present, and she slowly shook her head.
"I can guess that the great empire collapsed after I fell into slumber. This signifies that the plan failed, but... since humans are still alive, it means it wasn't a complete failure."
What did this mean?
The demigods and myths from the four overlord factions hid a flicker of astonishment in the depths of their eyes. It seemed this 'Ruo' trial official knew far more than Trial Official 233.
Xi Guang demigod, suppressing his urgency, carefully continued to ask.
Trial Official Ruo snorted, "With your frail forms, if those indescribable evil gods were to awaken from their slumber, humanity would have long been extinct. How could anyone be here in the trial grounds?"
The myths from various factions were choked.
They were frail? They were mythical beings! They possessed earth-shattering power with every movement, capable of destroying cities with a single blow.
But Miss Ruo, the trial official, held authority over this place and possessed unknown power... the myths dared not retort.
Moreover, compared to this insignificant contempt, they cared more about what Trial Official Ruo had said.
Evil gods, were slumbering?
'But if the indescribable evil gods are still slumbering, what were the battles and forms of the evil gods I witnessed?'
Fang You pondered.
He was, after all, 'a formidable individual who had gazed upon evil gods'. But upon reflection, his understanding of evil gods was too superficial. Were the scenes in Xitina's memories truly the evil gods themselves?
But what about the war between the Red Moon and the Endless Night factions not long ago?
"Miss Ruo, may I ask... what plan are you referring to?" Xi Guang demigod asked again.
But this time, Trial Official Ruo did not reveal the secrets everyone yearned for.
"A plan is a plan. This trial official is only responsible for answering questions related to the trial. As for other matters, I have no comment."
It was unclear whether Ruo herself didn't want to answer, or was restricted from doing so.
The myths had no way of knowing.
Seeing that no more information could be gleaned from the trial official, Xi Guang demigod felt somewhat disappointed. Many myths from various realms did not care much about these historical secrets. For them, these hidden past events were like listening to stories; the present trial was what deserved their attention.
Seeing that Xi Guang demigod had stopped asking, some myths stepped forward to inquire about the trial questions and specifications that concerned the majority of people.
Trial Official Ruo turned and pointed into the distance, where several circles of varying sizes were faintly visible etched on the ground.
"The trials in Venue 404 are divided into two tiers: Mythical and below Mythical."
"Anyone meeting the rank requirements can undertake the trial in the Mythical realm, but younger myths will receive a higher scoring coefficient and rewards."
"There are no rank restrictions for trials below the Mythical realm, as long as the age is... under 30."
As soon as she finished speaking, many awakened individuals on the spacious platform were momentarily stunned, then erupted in an uproar.
"What, under 30?"
"Are you kidding me? What can a mere child under 30 do?"
"Miss Trial Official, look at me. Although I'm seventy-nine this year, I'm still young and strong. I'm a powerhouse below the Mythical realm. You're requiring under 30... where are the powerhouses under 30!"
"Exactly, exactly! These trial rules are too unrealistic!"
Among the various factions present, there were indeed younger descendants, but they were brought along by their elders to gain experience. The true core participants of the trial, as the leaders of each faction had always believed, were six-awakened powerhouses and titled six-awakened.
Now, these powerhouses, on whom so much hope was placed, were directly barred from entry.
They knew that the Candela Empire's trials might be harsh, but to be this harsh, were they joking?
They hoped that under deliberation, the trial official might show some leniency, but all they received was Trial Official Ruo's disdainful and disappointed gaze.
"This era is too disappointing."
"Our Candela Empire's trials were about selecting and cultivating geniuses. Are you still considering yourselves youngsters when you're practically ancient? We suggest you go home and farm. Don't waste resources."
The myths from the four overlord factions were silent at this moment. Although they were also somewhat surprised, they did not display any dissatisfaction.
Seeing this, the flames in the hearts of the other myths and six-awakened powerhouses were instantly extinguished.
They dared not truly cause a disturbance; after all, their own oases could find excellent juniors under 30. Now that their juniors could still participate in the trial and perhaps even gain some rewards, it was better than losing all qualifications.
Trial Official Ruo snorted and said,
"At our 404 Trial Ground, we test individual combat skills. For trials below the Mythical realm, there are two types of enemies to choose from: instructor puppets produced by our Candela Empire, and sinister beings."
"Those who wish to undergo the trial, step onto the circular platform over there. Hurry up. Or do you not even have the courage to face the trial? Of course, those without the strength should not come up and embarrass yourselves."
...
"I'll do it!"
After a brief silence, a brown-haired young man stepped forward, his face filled with indignation.
He was the grandson of the leader of a major oasis. At a young age, he was already a non-human powerhouse with four awakenings, and not someone who merely possessed awakening levels without practical combat experience. He had slain countless sinister beings and could easily defeat them when facing peers.
He admitted that the awakened individuals of the Candela era might be stronger than them, but the people of their era were by no means weak!
Let him defend the dignity of their era!
The brown-haired young man stepped onto the designated circular platform. Immediately, green lights illuminated the edge of the platform, indicating his age was within the acceptable range, indeed under 30.
The next moment, with a flash of brilliant light, the brown-haired young man on the circular platform vanished, reappearing hundreds of meters away within a combat arena enclosed by a large white circle.
A white light curtain rose from the ground circle, enveloping the entire combat arena.
Then, opposite the brown-haired young man, hundreds of meters away, black mist materialized out of thin air. From within the black mist, a humanoid sinister being with a grotesque grin slowly emerged.
"It's a Laughing Puppet!"
These rare types of sinister beings were not that rare; at least, most people present could identify it at a glance: it was a four-star sinister being, the Laughing Puppet.
The brown-haired young man exuded confidence: he had dealt with such Laughing Puppets several times and was very experienced.
...
"It's not four-star."
An Jian You muttered.
The vast majority of Laughing Puppets were four-star. Even if some mutated and reached five or six stars, there was no visual difference.
But An Jian You was too familiar with sinister beings. She could see dozens of them with her eyes closed. With her Netherworld Eyes, she could discern the subtle differences between two similar sinister beings, let alone the fact that one of her main sinister beings was a Laughing Puppet. She had personally nurtured this puppet from four-star to seven-star and was intimately familiar with it.
As expected, the next moment,
the Laughing Puppet unleashed a speed beyond imagination. Its hands moved in rapid succession, piercing the air with whistling sounds, forcing the brown-haired young man to constantly dodge, barely surviving.
After just over ten seconds, the brown-haired young man's chest was pierced. As the Laughing Puppet's sharp fingers were about to pierce his eyes, time froze.
The Laughing Puppet vanished like an illusion. The brown-haired young man, clutching his profusely bleeding chest, was teleported out of the combat arena. His pupils had shrunk to pinpricks, and he was gasping for breath, trembling uncontrollably.
Even though healing light descended from the air, his injuries quickly healed, and blood stopped dripping within moments, he still trembled.
Experiencing a brush with death was naturally not a pleasant sensation.
However, what the onlookers were more concerned about was the Laughing Puppet.
"Five-star, it's definitely a five-star Laughing Puppet!"
"These rare sinister beings are inherently more troublesome than ordinary ones, let alone a hidden five-star one! The first round is already this difficult?!"
The brown-haired young man's swift defeat was partly due to his carelessness and being caught off guard. But under normal circumstances, he would not have the strength to contend with a five-star sinister being with his non-human body of four awakenings.
The trial enemies were too strong!
Limiting it to under 30 years old was one thing, but it was also hellish difficulty. How could anyone pass this?
...
Those below 30 years old in the non-human realm were absolute prodigies in major oases, likely to hold one of the top positions in their oases in the future.
Meidisha, in the past, only had the hope of advancing to the non-human realm before the age of 30, and was still quite far from this brown-haired young man.
When Yi Yue Luxi entered the Commander realm of five awakenings in her twenties, she was hailed as having the potential for myth. Even if this was mere politeness among major oases, it indicated the rarity of young powerhouses.
However, not everyone present was from the major oases; more challengers came from various super factions.
Soon, at the signal of their high-ranking officials, successive young elites stepped forward to probe and understand the trial content. Some also attempted the second mode – facing the Candela Empire's instructor puppets, but they were defeated even more miserably.
At least, most people were familiar with the Laughing Puppet. Even if they hadn't seen one, they had read intelligence reports and knew how to deal with it. But the Candela Empire's instructor puppets were an entirely unknown domain, even to myths.
After several consecutive trial participants were defeated, a challenger of considerable weight finally stepped forward.
"This person seems to be the great-grandson of the venerable Twilight Hand of the Sunset Kingdom. He's only 28 or 29 this year? And he's already a six-awakened powerhouse. Truly, the waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves before it."
When the might of a six-awakened was displayed, and the Laughing Puppet was cleanly annihilated, many leaders of the major oases fell silent.
A young descendant possessed strength comparable to theirs. Was this the power of a super oasis? Some congratulated Twilight Hand, and Twilight Hand Duruk responded with a smile.
The feeling of taking the lead was truly pleasant.
He then looked at Trial Official Ruo, subtly indicating that they had passed the first round, and where were the rewards?
"Rewards? What are you thinking? Passing the first round still makes you mediocre. Mediocre people are not qualified to receive rewards. For trials below the Mythical realm, you must pass the third round to receive rewards. The first two rounds were just to avoid crushing the trial participants' confidence."
Your words are already crushing the trial participants' confidence!
The second round, the opponent was three Laughing Puppets. This Sunset Kingdom prodigy passed with minor injuries.
But when it came to the third round, facing a six-star Laughing Puppet, this prodigy, despite prolonged engagement, was defeated. He fell before the reward.
Trial Official Ruo shook her head in disappointment, "Weak, too weak. It's hard to imagine how you managed to survive in the cracks of the evil gods with such strength."
Some powerhouses turned ashen, cursed a few times, and were then ejected from the secret realm. This left more awakened individuals who wanted to curse but hadn't yet, with choked throats and flushed faces.
The myths from the four overlord factions remained calm and composed, but still, some could not stand it.
"People cannot be generalized. They are indeed trash, but I am different."
A young man with a slender figure walked directly onto the platform and stepped into the combat arena.
Without a word, he unleashed a sword strike.
The sword light was as brilliant as the stars, instantly killing the Laughing Puppet that had just emerged.
Next, for the second round, he also killed it instantly.
Third round, a six-star Laughing Puppet appeared. He also killed it instantly!
Seeing this, Trial Official Ruo's usually cold face softened considerably. She nodded faintly, "Passable. Choose one from these three treasures."
She waved her hand, and three luminous orbs appeared before her.
The first was a potion, an epic-grade physique enhancement potion that greatly increased physique with no side effects.
The second was also a potion, an epic-grade mental enhancement potion.
The third was still a potion, an epic-grade energy enhancement potion.
These rewards were indeed excellent; even a six-awakened individual would see immediate effects after consuming them.
Soon, this Seven Stars Alliance genius broke through the fourth round with unstoppable momentum. However, this time, it was not an instant kill, which finally made some furrowed brows realize something.
"I remember now, it's Xing Zhan Jian Ai Chen! A titled powerhouse! He once split an asteroid in two with a single sword strike, and a year ago, he defeated another titled six-awakened! It turns out he's so young, still under thirty... no wonder this Star-Slaying Sword has so few battle records."
"Compared to him, I feel like I've lived my decades for nothing!"
"I've lived my centuries for nothing!"
People chattered and looked up in admiration.
They also envied the rewards for passing the trials.
The reward for the fourth round was a crystal that could reduce pollution to a certain extent—a Luminous Crystal, seemingly a specialty of the Candela Empire, with strong purification power and very precious!
The reward for the fifth round was a Source Water!
The reward for the sixth round was also a Source Water!
The seventh round...
"Hoo~ Hoo~"
Looking at the five six-star sinister beings surrounding him, Xing Zhan Jian Ai Chen let out a slight gasp.
When the quantity reached a certain point, the difficulty increased exponentially. Ai Chen, risking injury, instantly killed the first six-star, then the second and third six-stars with injuries. However, by then, his injuries were quite severe, and he no longer had the power to kill instantly. Relying on maneuvering, he seized an opportunity and painstakingly killed the remaining two sinister beings, barely passing the seventh round.
"Is there... is there an eighth round?"
"If so, I would like to see it."
Xing Zhan Ai Chen painstakingly moved his body and said.
For geniuses, Trial Official Ruo offered preferential treatment. She nodded and said, "You may." She then snapped her fingers, and from the thick gray mist, a colossal shadow emerged, shaking the earth.
"Seven-star Annihilation-class sinister being, Eight-winged Evil Dragon! Holy crap, the enemy in the eighth round has been raised to such a level?!"
A titled six-awakened exclaimed.
Let alone monsters who could contend with myths with their mortal bodies, who were rare in the mortal world, even if there were some, they couldn't have cultivated to this level before the age of thirty!
Was this trial truly meant for anyone to pass?
Xing Zhan Ai Chen was also speechless. After retreating and receiving treatment, he still asked with some reluctance, "Is the eighth round the final round? Can anyone pass it?"
"Of course... it's far from the final round."
Trial Official Ruo said, "You're not bad. Passing the seventh round means you're a moderately talented genius even in the Candela Empire era. However, there were indeed geniuses in the empire who passed the eighth and ninth rounds. As for how many rounds this trial has in total... Heh, it doesn't hurt to tell you, there are 13 rounds in total."
"13... 13 rounds?"
Xing Zhan's pupils trembled. He swallowed with difficulty and said, "Could this number of rounds... could someone actually pass it?"
"When it was designed, it was conceived with the idea that no one would be able to complete it, hence the large number of rounds. However... there truly was one peerless talent who passed all the rounds."
Speaking of this, Trial Official Ruo's face even showed deep admiration. "That individual was the Ninth Pillar of the Empire, the Light of Void Splitting, Lord Chi Tian Zhu."
Ruo, the trial official, was unwilling to reveal more details.
But with the eighth round already so terrifying, what kind of person could pass the thirteenth round? Even myths could not imagine it. Such a person could probably easily tear apart a myth in the six-awakened stage!
How could there be such a terrifying person? Was the gap between them and the Candela Empire that immense?!
...
After Xing Zhan Ai Chen, there was a brief silence in the venue.
After all, it was too disheartening. Even a prodigy like Xing Zhan could only reach the eighth round, and the road ahead was vast and hopeless. Of course, more realistically, the vast majority of elites under 30 present were not confident they could pass the third round, let alone obtain the first reward.
Even among the Gu Yue Dynasty and the Red Lotus Empire, there were talents comparable to, or even slightly superior to, Xing Zhan, but so what? Even if they passed the rounds, they would at most be considered 'moderately talented'. Their spirits could not be lifted!
However, not everyone was disheartened. Yi Luoxi crossed her arms, held her head high, and swept her gaze over those around her with disdain.
"Weaklings!"
"As expected, it is up to this empress to save the glory of this era!"
Saying this, she flicked her wine-red hair, puffed out her chest, and strode forward, exuding confidence.
This chuunibyou-level declaration attracted many sideways glances, wondering who this little girl was to speak so boldly.
But some myths present recognized Yi Luoxi. Upon seeing her stride forward, they were stunned.
"Wait, this Empress Yi Luoxi... isn't she a myth?"
Although Yi Luoxi looked young, like a teenage girl who had not yet developed, she was a myth. No one thought she was only a teenager. It was just that she was indeed a prodigy, having advanced very early and possessing a youthful appearance that remained constant, making her look very young.
In reality, how could... how could it be?!
The wine-red-haired girl stepped onto the circular platform. Green lights illuminated the edge of the platform, indicating her age was compliant.
However, after a hum, Yi Luoxi was not teleported to the arena; she remained in place.
Many people were stunned.
Trial Official Ruo was also taken aback, a look of surprise appearing on her face for the first time.
"You... you are a myth?"
"Advancing to myth before thirty, I must admit, even in the Candela Empire, you would be a top-tier prodigy. However, the rules of this trial ground are..."
She was surprised, then showed a distressed expression.
In the distance, many myths who didn't know Yi Luoxi before rubbed their eyes and tugged at their ears. They looked at the small, young-looking girl standing on the circular platform with a displeased expression, and a look of uncontrollable shock gradually appeared in their eyes.
She was a myth?
At thirty years old, she was already a myth?!