Chapter 292 Refining the Backdoor, the True Name Will Be Revealed!
"Thump—thump—thump—"
The wolf knight paced beside Bai Zhou, his ruby-cast eyes scrutinizing the boy from head to toe, seemingly puzzled: "I smell a familiar yet strangely nauseating odor on you, and it's very strong."
"The last time you came, this smell wasn't there—"
(Please remember Taiwan Novel Network → 𝔱𝔴𝔨𝔞𝔫.𝔠𝔬𝔪 website, to read the fastest chapter updates)
"It seems you've gained extraordinary knowledge from that empire.
" Bai Zhou's eyes widened slightly: "I can't hide it from your eyes."
"Actually—" He carefully chose his words, considering that the upcoming trials might still require Troy's help, "I obtained a very special method of forging destiny, related to the adventurer's path."
"A very special method of forging destiny?"
The wolf knight statue's eyes flickered eerily, its mechanical voice low and deep: "Honorable heir, there is something I need to tell you."
"Back then, during the Hundred Cities War, everyone unearthed different inheritances from various pre-civilization ruins, resulting in unique methods of forging destiny."
"However, special doesn't necessarily mean powerful. Many of the Chosen Ones' bizarre and ingenious ideas ultimately became guinea pigs for experimenting on lower-ranking Chosen Ones."
"For example, we in Troy possess a scroll of inheritance that can help you forge the most supreme noble destiny," even infinitely close to the legendary King of a Thousand Chariots. "
Looking across the three hundred city-states, on the adventurer's path, few can rival Troy's method of forging destiny—"
The mechanical voice of the wolf knight statue seemed emotionless, yet subtly carried a hint of pride: "Even in the distant past, a prince from a faraway city-state, in order to obtain this method of forging destiny, did not hesitate to marry his princess to our city-state and even wage a costly war!"
Marry his princess?
Wage a war?
For Troy's method of forging destiny?
Listening to the wolf knight recount that ancient history, Bai Zhou's eyes blinked twice involuntarily.
That past seemed epic and dramatic, but Bai Zhou roughly understood the meaning hidden behind the words.
The wolf rider statue meant:
A unique method of forging destiny doesn't equate to strength.
He hoped Bai Zhou could understand this and not rush into forging destiny.
Mediocre methods of forging destiny were beneath the notice of the Wolf Knights and the Trojan civilization.
Well, logically speaking, perhaps that was indeed the case—
"But—"
the Wolf Knight shook his head again: "There's a despairing fact—"
"In the later stages, there were already nine volumes of similar inheritances, infinitely close to the legendary King of a Thousand Chariots, in that damned Rome!"
"Rome at that time already possessed the momentum to sweep across three hundred city-states, forcing other city-states to form alliances to resist it; the embryonic form of an empire had already taken shape."
"Even my Trojans, once considered the representative of the adventurer's path, must admit—"
The Wolf Knight statue, an artificial intelligence embodying the essence of Trojan civilization, uttered a heartfelt sigh that predecessors could never utter, countless years after that era's annihilation: "At least, in that era of civilization, the orthodox path of the adventurer was in that place."
66
In Rome, in the Seven Hills, in that empire! "
Nine volumes—" Bai Zhou's pupils contracted slightly.
"Yes, nine volumes, and each one is extremely unique, even capable of linking with each other to amplify their power."
"These nine volumes of inheritance were once controlled by the nine most powerful noble families in Rome. For some reason, the personal destiny forged by any of these inheritances is subtly superior to the highest personal destiny in Troy."
The wolf knight shook his head: "If we follow the usual procedure, forging one's personal destiny through Troy's destiny-forging method, even if one can be considered a genius within a certain range, at most—one would only become the next high priest."
"The tragedy of Troy will continue, with no possibility of reviving Trojan civilization or taking revenge on the empire for eternity—"
"That's why—" the wolf knight statue said again, "I had hoped that you could gain something in that empire."
"Me?"
Bai Zhou's expression immediately became quite interesting: "You mean, you actually hoped that I would steal the secret inheritance of those nine top noble families?"
He really thought highly of him.
He was just a bomb-wielding criminal roaming the small town of Tinghai, not the Grand Marshal of the thieves of the Hiro Empire.
Even now, he hadn't fully explored that border town; the moment he stepped outside, he saw the demon's corpse nailed to the city gate—
in this situation, the thought of him stealing from those nine legendary top nobles
was like him single-handedly taking on the entire Fog City in the real world, or strapping himself with bombs and taunting the Tianjing Joint Investigation Bureau headquarters. He
'd be tied to a cross and burned to ashes!
He might even end up in the newspapers like Sister Li did, in the public eye—as a negative example.
We're all in the same boat, so why is this artificial intelligence acting like Fang Xiaoxia in an adult game, eagerly anticipating my defeat animation after being caught stealing?
"Of course not," the wolf knight statue shook its head. "I am merely a mere artificial intelligence, not some demon."
"How could the nine great families that once ruled alongside the King of Rome possibly remain undefeated?"
"Later, the Empire was established, and the King became an emperor with absolute authority. Naturally, the nine great families would clash with the emperor."
"At least, before Troy completely lost contact with the Empire, two of the nine great families had already perished, their lineages shattered and flowing into the secular world, giving rise to many smaller families and schools of thought." "
Since you have inherited Troy's destiny, perhaps you will stumble upon some clues about the legacy while traveling through the Empire."
"Furthermore,"
the wolf knight statue added, "even if you cannot obtain those lineages, acquiring sufficient knowledge of destiny forging from the Empire and combining it with my Trojan destiny-forging methods might allow you to glimpse—the hidden reason why Troy's personal destiny was always suppressed by the Empire."
"Many years from now, after a long period of development, the Empire might have made astonishing breakthroughs and popularized the art of fate forging."
This was the Wolf Knight Statue's thought beforehand.
Frankly, it made a lot of sense; it felt like a skilled cook in dire straits trying to force a few begged grains of rice into a thin porridge.
After all, Troy's method of fate forging was clearly inferior, and for the ambitious remnants of Troy, simply repeating this mediocrity was more unbearable than death. They
could only rack their brains to make trade-offs and compromises, becoming knowledge thieves and Frankenstein's monsters.
After all, at that time, neither the Wolf Knight Statue nor even Bai Zhou himself knew anything about the thorn crown hidden between Bai Zhou's fingers.
"However, these were all my previous considerations."
The wolf knight statue lowered its head and said in a deep voice, "I thought you would stay at the current stage for a long time, and still have time to try your luck in the Empire."
"But, since you have already come this far—"
the wolf knight statue began, speaking of something completely different from what Raven had said before: "The adventurer's path is different from other paths; ultimately, it requires a burst of energy and unwavering progress."
"Everything should fall into place naturally. If you force yourself to stay in one place and insist on something, you will lose your drive and ambition, which is not conducive to advancement in the path." A burst of energy
and unwavering progress?
Bai Zhou frowned slightly:
This was almost completely different from the concept Raven had mentioned before, that most extraordinary individuals in most paths would stay at the "quasi-Fate Forger" level for a long time! That
was close; he almost fell into the trap of habitual thinking!
"This is the principle of 'different paths are like different mountains'—"
Bai Zhou recalled a proverb he had read in "Black Cat's 8000 Questions."
Although most experiences are applicable between different paths, there will always be details and experiences that other paths cannot know.
If these details are not paid attention to, they can accumulate and form major defects in the product.
Fortunately, Bai Zhou has the entire Troy as his backing.
Raven only needs to teach him survival experience in reality. As for the adventurer's path, countless predecessors in Troy have used their entire lives to answer Bai Zhou's questions.
This is "inheritance".
"So, you can show me the method of forging destiny that you currently possess."
The wolf knight statue said, "If there is really nothing worth learning from, I will take out the most core and oldest method of forging destiny in Troy civilization and help you forge destiny—"
Although the artificial intelligence's tone was devoid of emotion, the helplessness in its words was almost overflowing.
Remnants, it's tough.
But—
"If, I say—"
Bai Zhou's eyes blinked twice.
"I came here for forging destiny, and I have already obtained the method of forging destiny that can forge the Thousand-Chariot King-level destiny of the adventurer's path—what about it?"
"Thousand-Chariot King—" The wolf knight seemed not to react at first, but after about two seconds, the rubies in his eyes suddenly shone brightly red.
"Buzz! Buzz buzz buzz!"
The pressure emanating from the wolf knight statue erupted for a moment, and in that instant, Bai Zhou felt as if he were at the bottom of the deep sea, unable to breathe, and the all-pervasive pressure made his bones creak.
Fortunately, this pressure vanished in an instant. As it disappeared, Bai Zhou heard the echo from the wolf knight statue, amplified in tone: "King of a Thousand Chariots?!"
On this day, Bai Zhou learned for the first time that—
stone could have expressions, and artificial intelligence could produce intense emotional fluctuations.
"King of a Thousand Chariots? King of a Thousand Chariots? King of a Thousand Chariots—"
The wolf knight statue stood still, its intense red light shimmering, muttering something under its breath.
"Data error—error processing—"
Whether it was Bai Zhou's imagination or not, he vaguely saw that the usually unfathomable wolf knight statue—
seemed to be emitting smoke from its head.
These simple four words caused incredible chaos in the vast database of the artificial intelligence. At this moment, it was impossible to determine how much information was being processed simultaneously by the artificial intelligence built into the wolf knight statue.
"You—you dragged the Roman emperor from his golden throne?"
the wolf knight statue asked. "You declared yourself emperor in the Seven Hills?"
"Troy can be restored?"
Bai Zhou didn't understand; he thought the wolf knight statue was starting to talk nonsense.
This discovery made sweat bead on Bai Zhou's forehead.
His future depended on Troy, and this AI was the only one in Troy that could talk to him—had he broken it?
It was practically smoking—
"If you're not lying—"
Fortunately, the wolf knight statue quickly recovered and began to seriously verify the truth of the matter with Bai Zhou.
Bai Zhou read the beginning of the life-forging method to the wolf knight statue. The profound knowledge and almost crazy speculation contained in it made the wolf knight statue exclaim in disbelief, and almost immediately confirm the origin of this life-forging method.
"King of a Thousand Chariots!"
The surprise came too suddenly, and the wolf knight statue crashed for a while again.
"Truly the King of a Thousand Chariots!"
"How did you do that? This must be a closely guarded secret of Roman emperors and their candidates!"
"If the Trojan civilization hadn't already tested you, I would have watched you embark on the adventurer's path innocently, becoming a chosen one—"
The wolf knight statue muttered, then couldn't help but ask, "Is there anything else I need to do? This method of forging destiny—seems exceptionally difficult!"
Hearing this, Bai Zhou's eyes brightened: "In fact, that's exactly why I came here."
"Because the first of the seven trials is called [Bloodstained Battle, Hundred Battles to Reign Supreme!]"
"As the name suggests, it's the most intense, dangerous, frequent, and extreme battle."
At this moment, Bai Zhou inexplicably recalled the battlefield ruins at the foot of Sky City, and then said, "Besides the wars about chosen ones that I've never seen before, I think—"
"The only thing that can meet these conditions is probably that."
Bai Zhou said, "The place I went to, the place that helped me comprehend the fighting spirit—"
"That arena full of ruins and rubble!"
"The arena?" The wolf knight statue seemed to recall something. "You mean, the King of Fighters!"
"That's it!"
Bai Zhou nodded.
In the ancient Trojan civilization, the arena trials were held once every ten years, selecting those destined to comprehend the will of battle from across the entire civilization. It was the true battleground to determine the most valiant adventurers.
Ultimately, the victor standing in the arena would receive the title of [King of Fighters]!
This competition generally consisted of two steps. The first step was to defeat all competitors—those noble individuals of extraordinary birth who had all comprehended the will of battle.
But Bai Zhou no longer needed to go through this step.
Because he was currently the only living person in the Trojan civilization. He had
been interviewed and guaranteed entry.
As for the second step—
that was Bai Zhou's purpose for this trip.
To accept the test of the stone platform, to fight and battle against the heroic spirits of the former Kings of Fighters, to gain their approval through countless bloody battles, and then to become king!
Undoubtedly, this could be a "trial" to meet the requirements of the Life Forging.
The first trial!
"However, I remember you said that to open the arena, it seems that a sacrifice is needed in exchange for a large amount of spiritual energy—"
Bai Zhou frowned, recalling the words the wolf knight statue had spoken earlier.
"What's so difficult about that?"
the wolf knight statue retorted, uttering words that made Bai Zhou's expression freeze: "The sacrifice, didn't you already bring it?"
"What?"
Immediately afterward, the wolf knight statue waved its hand, a serious and fierce light igniting between its ruby eyes, and it uttered a low shout: "Come out!"
The next instant.
Before Bai Zhou could react, the red and white saber he carried with him, honed to a gleaming shine by a whetstone and transformed into a scalpel, suddenly emitted a long cry.
A pitch-black, indescribable ghostly shadow, drawn by some invisible suction force, was slowly "pulled" out from the depths of the red and white saber!
"AAAA—!"
An indescribable, shrill scream suddenly exploded in the center of the temple.
"This is—?"
Looking at the saber in his hand and the eerie ghostly figure before him, Bai Zhou was first stunned, then a chill ran down his spine. He felt a mixture of relief and unsurprised expectation: "It's the 'backdoor' left on the demon cells by the Blood Cult's Holy Son and his gang!"
"This is their method of controlling sloth!"
Although Bai Zhou hadn't dared to absorb the demon cells into his body, they remained hidden deep within his saber, lurking like a landmine!
The dark, slothful, indistinct, and terrifying ghostly figure clung to the saber's blade like an octopus, then was irresistibly pulled away.
Then, the wolf knight statue coldly snorted, reaching out a large hand to grab it—and
instantly refined it!
At this moment, as if cleansed of impurities and pollution, the red and white saber, relieved of its burden, emitted a long, resounding cry. The red and white light flowing over it resembled an endless stream, seemingly becoming much clearer.
Suddenly, the "sloth" component in Bai Zhou's [Fallen Saint Physician] form sensed something, and was momentarily drawn by the saber, as if about to undergo a transformation.
Connected with the saber's will, Bai Zhou received a message from it—a joyful cry, a celebratory announcement of the successful gestation of something indescribable.
The demon cells had been digested.
The "quasi" in Quasi-Spirit Name Treasure could finally be removed—the monster, both the King of Lust and the Spirit Name Treasure, was finally about to be born in this world!
The time for advancement had arrived—
Spirit Name Treasure, the Spirit Name was about to emerge!
Famous family conflict: Meghan Markle blamed family members
Chapter 293 Spirit Name "Wait a minute," the trial begins!
Demons have true names, and Spirit Name Treasures also have spirit names.
The key to spirit names lies in the "name."
Just as a human's name is their proof of existence in this world, a mystical identity card, the spirit name of a Spirit Name Treasure is also its anchor point in destiny, signifying its true birth.
Normally, Spirit Name Treasures appear ordinary, but after releasing their spirit names, they unleash their true form and fully unleash their power.
Deputy Director Liu's inability to develop the Thunderous Sky Bow and the Gem Witch's slow exploration of the Explosive Wand are both because the spirit names of Spirit Name Treasures symbolize their weapon spirits, possessing intelligence and being unruly, proud by nature and difficult to tame.
But Bai Zhou, who personally brought the saber from the battlefield ruins and upgraded it step by step to its current state, not only has no trouble taming weapon spirits, but on the contrary—
he has the right to name the Spirit Name Treasures.
"Buzz—"
Sensing the yearning emanating from the saber in his hand, Bai Zhou felt a certain premonition, knowing that the other party was "asking for a title."
Asking for a "spiritual name."
"Let's call it—"
Looking intently at the red and white saber in his hand, Bai Zhou pondered, then his eyes suddenly lit up: "Wait!"
"You'll be called 'Wait'!"
From now on—the saber's name is "Wait"!
Shouting it will release the spiritual name.
Imagine, in the nick of time during a fierce battle, Bai Zhou suddenly shouts "Wait," causing his opponent to abruptly stop, wanting to see what profound arguments Bai Zhou would have in his death throes.
However, a magical treasure with a spiritual name responds to the call, flying out from Bai Zhou's sleeve with lightning speed, fiercely attacking his opponent—
this is perfectly in line with Bai Zhou's usual style.
He even wished he could equip this saber with a super-powerful flashlight with 100,000 lumens, adding a dazzling special effect at the moment of its strike.
"Rumble!"
The moment it was named, the blade emitted a long, joyful, and affectionate cry.
Immediately afterward, the bottleneck of the "quasi-spiritual name treasure" collapsed with a roar, and the red and white saber quickly began its final transformation.
This transformation was extremely violent and turbulent, and the blade once again turned into hundreds of fragments, swirling around the white boat, with mysterious light flowing within them.
At this moment, Bai Zhou could even clearly feel that the saber in his hand was no longer an inanimate object; it was breathing, beating, and rhythmically pulsating in a strange way.
This rhythm transcended words, whispering to Bai Zhou through a means that transcended metal and flesh. In the overwhelming murmurs, like secret incantations, the three characteristics of [sharpness], [killing], and [sloth] emerged one by one in every inch and corner of the blade's pattern.
Hundreds of fragments slowly coalesced, the blade was reforged, and the originally mottled red and white colors on the blade gradually became clear, as if the scorching sunset and the white clouds of dawn were intertwined and swirling, the clouds swirling beautifully, condensing into a winding golden line at the center of the blade's spine.
With a "crack"—the
hundreds of cracks on the blade suddenly sealed tightly, and no cracks were visible anymore.
However, the disappearance of the cracks did not mean that the saber had lost its "thousand-blade" characteristic; it simply meant that the blade moved at will, gathering and dispersing like clouds.
On the blade, only red and white clouds swirled, the blade existing between solid and illusory clouds, a breathtakingly beautiful scene. Yet, upon closer inspection, one could discover that these clouds were filled with a dense, terrifying sharpness!
Beautiful! Dangerous! Sharp!
Bai Zhou's spirits lifted: "It's done!"
The blade rang out, its aura spreading, flickering the candlelight in the temple.
Thus, "Wait," had completely completed its advancement.
Unbeknownst to anyone, the world lost an insignificant quasi-spiritual treasure, and gained a true spiritual treasure, powerful enough to protect a minor sect for a hundred years.
Not only that, the world also gained a king of lust—a monster named "Sloth"!
"Buzz—"
With the blade's ringing, Bai Zhou held the blade level before his eyes, the red and white light illuminating his face.
He could feel the spirit within the blade eager to unleash its earth-shattering power, waiting for Bai Zhou to call out its name, like a caged beast slumbering underground for a thousand years, yearning to hear a horn from the heavens.
However, Bai Zhou didn't dare call out "Wait" yet.
He had a particularly clear feeling, just like when he used the saber, which was still a quasi-spiritual treasure, and only unleashed less than 10% of its power—
if he were to unleash the spirit of "Wait," all the spiritual energy within him would be completely drained!
At that time, "Wait" seems to exhibit a unique ability derived from indolence, tearing everything apart with terrifying sharpness!
If he had nothing else to do, Bai Zhou wouldn't mind trying it out to see what this saber had evolved.
But he was about to go to the arena for his trial and needed to be in top condition to enter, so he had no time to test the blade—
however, while he couldn't unleash the ultimate spirit name, Bai Zhou could satisfy the saber's desire.
"Wait" was yearning.
Yearning for killing, but more precisely, yearning for a trial worthy of its new identity.
And Bai Zhou's first trial was about to begin.
Bai Zhou didn't plan to unleash the saber's true name for the time being, but only unleashing a few percent of its power, enjoying the original sharpness of the spirit name treasure in a low-consumption form, would be a great advantage for Bai Zhou at the moment!
Being able to freely control the degree of release and its energy consumption—only Bai Zhou, the one who participated in the entire process of forging the saber, could enjoy this privilege.
Otherwise, even the most skilled life-forging masters use spirit-named treasures to unleash their killing moves. Why would they use such treasures for everyday use?
Like the games Fang Xiaoxia played, the divine weapons were used to unleash ultimate attacks; no one could use them for basic attacks.
—Bai Zhou could.
Kill!
The saber couldn't wait to follow Bai Zhou and wreak havoc, showing off its completely different self before Bai Zhou, displaying its unparalleled sharpness. "A good saber."
The wolf knight statue was silent for a moment, looking at the saber in Bai Zhou's hand, and said, "Wait—" "
This name initially surprised, but upon reflection, it's just right."
The wolf knight statue analyzed seriously, "This saber contains the meaning of indolence, perfectly matching the word 'wait,' and its killing intent is excessive, its sharpness overwhelming; it needs 'wait' to temper its initial edge."
"Is that so?" Bai Zhou looked at the red and white saber in his hand, which seemed to be echoing his words, his expression strange.
"Actually, I hadn't thought of it that way—"
"However," the wolf knight statue continued, its ruby eyes gleaming, "who dares to scheme against the heir of my Trojan civilization!"
"That's a long story, but it's just right that you took this—this thing out."
Bai Zhou blinked twice, his gaze falling on the mysterious ghost struggling and howling in the wolf knight statue's hand: "It can give them a little surprise!"
The ghost was terrifying, its form blasphemous, carrying an extraordinary and chilling nature that made Bai Zhou shudder.
One could imagine that if it suddenly attacked, even if this thing wasn't inside Bai Zhou's body, it would be quite troublesome and difficult to deal with.
It seems that this is the confidence of the Blood Worship Cult's Holy Son and the Medical Association, the time bomb they use to control the Seven Sins.
With this, they dare to boldly cultivate the Seven Sins, without fear that the Seven Sins would be too strong and rebel against them.
However—
now, at a time when no one knows, this thing has been exposed.
And they want to use it for multiple purposes, making use of it as a sacrifice to open the arena!
"Containing some extraordinary qualities from the 'Decadent,' it's of high quality and a great tonic,"
the wolf knight statue said in a deep voice. "Use this as the sacrifice to open the arena trial."
The moment the words fell, the wolf knight statue raised its right arm, its five fingers clenched, pinning the struggling, pitch-black ghostly shadow in mid-air.
"Ah—!!!!"
The shrill scream seemed to be mixed with a curse of pain and resentment.
Within the invisible barrier, the deformed ghostly shadow writhed wildly, as if it were made of countless charred blood vessels intertwined, each ending in a large, bloodshot eye, completely unlike a human.
When those resentful, greedy eyes darted around, trying to aim one of them at the white boat—
"Pfft!"
The wolf knight statue clenched its hand, and the ghostly shadow exploded on the spot, its eyes splattering corrosive liquid all over the ground with a hissing sound.
"The remnants of the fallen—daring to defile the Temple of the Sun?"
The statue's voice remained mechanical, yet carried a suffocating, superior majesty.
"Boom!"
The crushed ghostly figures, manipulated by the wolf knight statue, transformed into viscous black liquid streaks in mid-air, only to crumble again with a final grasp, reverting to surging spiritual energy.
This spiritual energy was too abundant and too vast, suddenly transforming into a raging storm. Bai Zhou's trench coat fluttered wildly as the spiritual wind swept across the entire temple.
The next moment, layers of candlelight suddenly illuminated the altar in the center of the temple, as if receiving a suitable offering.
"Rumble—"
A golden pillar of light descended from the sky, enveloping Bai Zhou.
"Honorable heir, Bai Zhou."
Amidst the resounding echo of the pillar of light, the wolf knight statue spoke in a deep voice: "I look forward to witnessing your triumphant return as the King of Fighters."
"I will be here, awaiting your triumphant return."
Hearing this, Bai Zhou nodded slowly.
Then, the slender, tall figure of the young man vanished into the pillar of light with a "whoosh."
In the empty center of the temple, only the wolf knight statue remained, standing there thoughtfully.
"This sword, and the sword from the arena—"
A low murmur arose, the rubies in the wolf knight statue's eyes flashing frequently, as if deducing something: "For the sake of the heir, is it possible for the two swords to be fused?"
The golden light of the pillar of light before him gradually dissipated.
Bai Zhou opened his eyes, the smells of rust, sweat, decaying wood, and dust assaulting his senses.
The sapling of battle intent brewing within him surged forth, returning to its birthplace, resonating with the almost omnipresent, intense, ancient battle intent of this place.
Ankle-deep layers of gravel, moss-covered cracks in the brickwork, crumbling high walls, a collapsed circular plaza, and countless layers of ancient marks—arrow wounds, fist imprints, and sword marks—
everything familiar came into Bai Zhou's view.
The ancient arena, where he had reunited, seemed to be saying to Bai Zhou,
"Welcome back."
Almost without thinking, Bai Zhou's gaze immediately locked onto the ancient, dark stone platform.
The ground was covered with ankle-deep gravel and large chunks of rubble, yet the area around this platform was remarkably clean.
On the towering, imposing platform, a sword and a blade stood crossed, seemingly overlooking the entire arena.
To the left was a deathly longsword, its blade appearing to be forged from the spine of some enormous creature, emitting a pungent, bloody stench that gave one the chilling illusion of being devoured at a glance.
To the right, a knight's greatsword, its blade shimmering with starlight and silver light, stood elegantly. Its slender blade seemed forged from celestial dust, with swirling stardust swirling around it like a nebula, a breathtaking sight.
One primal and ferocious, the other noble and elegant—their styles were diametrically opposed, yet they stood side-by-side on the arena's high platform, as if they had stood there for countless ages.
Just as Bai Zhou had experienced before, the moment his gaze fell upon them, a resounding "Clang!!!"
—like swords being drawn and metal clashing—exploded deep within Bai Zhou's mind.
An ancient will, omnipresent and emanating from every corner and crevice of the arena, rumbled through Bai Zhou's mind:
[Those who comprehend the will of battle are qualified to begin the arena's trials.]
[—The title of King of Battle is bestowed, and swords will be wielded upon them!]
A familiar feeling, a familiar voice.
Returning to the same place, reliving the past, but Bai Zhou is not the same Bai Zhou of before, and the experience is naturally different.
Back then, Bai Zhou, for the sake of caution, chose to retreat, avoiding the brunt of the attack.
But the current Bai Zhou—
why avoid it?
He's arrived just in time!
In a daze, Bai Zhou heard a voice from the wolf knight statue: "Once every ten years, the grand ceremony of Troy selecting the King of War from across all civilizations, after countless years—"
"Today, it is restarted, just for you alone!"
Amidst the rumbling roar, swords hummed in unison, and the stone platform seemed to expand and grow.
"Rumble—"
Beneath the towering stone platform, the ground began to collapse, and at the end of Bai Zhou's vision appeared a downward-reaching blue stone staircase. At the end of the staircase, countless torches burned brightly in the distance, their red light flickering, as if the ground had long been soaked in thick blood.
In a daze, Bai Zhou heard the cheers of the audience and the roars of the gladiators coming from there, as if the once prosperous Trojan civilization had never faded away.
Bai Zhou's heart skipped a beat, and a strange aura emanated from there, stirring up the fighting spirit in every corner of his body, making it boil and surge!
Then,
according to the knowledge of fate forging, Bai Zhou first performed some ritual preparations.
These rituals were not like the normal fate forging methods, praying for the mercy of heaven and earth—but rather like greeting someone.
"Buzz—"
Invisibly, he felt as if he was being watched by something.
It was—
the witness of destiny.
At this moment, Bai Zhou stepped onto the steps below the stone platform, leading to the fiery red world.
"Whoosh—"
It felt as if scorching magma was boiling around him, and as Bai Zhou descended the steps, the temperature around him rose accordingly.
The spirituality within his body, amidst the surging and boiling, quietly approached some mysterious arrangement.
—Strictly following the requirements of the first trial of the Destiny Forging Method, Bai Zhou prepared meticulously for everything from the "Witnessing Ceremony" to the "Spiritual Alignment."
Under the witness of destiny,
Bai Zhou arrived at the end of the stairs.
A fiery red world, scorching heat, in a vast arena.
On towering bronze pillars, skeletons clad in armor turned their heads with a "click-clack" sound
, casting their gazes in unison towards Bai Zhou at the entrance.
"Clang!" "
Wait!" In hand, the miniature scalpel transformed into a magnificent longsword, billowing with swirling clouds.
The sword hissed, its fighting spirit soaring.
The trial had begun.