Chapter 294 "The Next One" (6.8k)
Chapter 294 "The Next One" (6.8k)
A fiery red floor, a fiery red world, a vast and complete underground circular arena, bronze pillars, and armored skeletons.
"Clang—"
Under Bai Zhou's gaze, a withered skeleton slowly rose from one of the bronze pillars.
As the bones rustled, the skeleton's classical armor began to glow, and as the rust faded, the skeleton's eyes gradually shone with an ominous crimson light.
With a "clang," the skeleton drew an unbelievably thick broadsword and descended from the sky.
The instant the skeleton fell, the entire arena seemed to come alive. A gust of wind suddenly swept through the massive arena, carrying the smell of sweat and rust, and the bloodstains on the ground slowly became damp.
A spear pointed diagonally; the armored skeleton issued a silent challenge to Bai Zhou. "
Seven .
Bai Zhou held his sword horizontally in front of him, taking a deep breath.
An invisible connection with his fellow chosen ones surged forth.
The burgeoning fighting spirit he had gleaned from the ruins of the arena, honed repeatedly in subsequent battles, now roared from his chest like a caged beast suddenly released back into the jungle that nurtured him.
"Woo—
," a muffled horn seemed to sound in the vast, circular arena.
"Come!"
Bai Zhou raised his chin, sword in hand, to meet the attack.
There were no traps, no schemes; only adventurers fighting each other, the most primal form of gladiator combat.
—Fist to fist!
The broadsword, thick as a door, revealed the extraordinary strength of the attacker just by the swing. Dragged along the dry, skeletal ground, sparks flew as it charged toward Bai Zhou!
The speed of that sprint was completely inconsistent with its decaying form; in just a breath, it covered a distance of two or three thousand meters between the two, accompanied by a piercing sonic boom.
A fierce wind rushed towards them as the broadsword, trailing a gray-white afterimage, slashed diagonally down from above Bai Zhou's head, carrying the most savage and brutal violence!
"Clang!!!"
Bai Zhou raised his saber to parry, sparks flying as the immense recoil made his hand ache.
But in the next instant, Bai Zhou swiftly sidestepped, like an eel leaping, the blade gliding smoothly across the broadsword.
The red and white blade, as if waiting, left a deep mark on the broadsword.
At the same time, Bai Zhou, kneeling and slashing, deftly passed under the skeleton's ribs, slashing back at its spine.
"Clang!"
The skeleton reacted incredibly quickly, immediately releasing its sword and twisting its wrist. The broadsword in its hand felt like a weightless stick; before it could even turn, the broadsword was positioned at an unbelievable angle behind it, blocking Bai Zhou's blade.
"Crack!"
At that moment, clouds of energy swirled around the red and white broadsword, rising and falling, shattering the gleaming white blade to pieces!
"How could this be—" Bai Zhou's eyes widened.
The skeleton probably hadn't expected Bai Zhou to have this move either; the crimson light in its eyes flickered clearly.
However, even though the broadsword was cleaved in two, the split-second buffer was enough for the skeleton to react.
With a clang, the broken broadsword fell to the ground, and the skeleton performed three quick somersaults, dodging the saber blade that nearly grazed its cheek, and appeared a distance away, four meters from Bai Zhou.
The skeleton's arm groped behind its back, then pulled out a dark dagger.
Then, the skeleton stopped moving.
"..."
It clicked its head, its crimson eyes flashing, staring intently at the ridiculously sharp red and white saber in Bai Zhou's hand.
The meaning was quite clear.
Bai Zhou coughed lightly, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the massive sword at his feet, clearly an extraordinary weapon, yet so easily broken in two.
This kind of heavy, door-like weapon looked very sturdy.
The reason it was so fragile was only one thing—
the saber in Bai Zhou's hand was too sharp!
Even extraordinary weapons break at the slightest touch—something the old sabers couldn't do.
At that moment, Bai Zhou suddenly remembered that one of the requirements for becoming the King of Battle was—
"To fight against the spirits of past Kings of Battle and gain their recognition."
Having tested the sharpness of his upgraded saber, a satisfied Bai Zhou smiled sheepishly at the armored skeleton and sheathed the saber back into his trench coat sleeve.
"Sizzle!"
In his Fallen Saint Physician form, Bai Zhou's hands once again transformed into black and white swords.
"Again!"
The blades crossed and rubbed together, sparks flying, and Bai Zhou and the armored skeleton clashed once more.
Towering bronze pillars, like cages binding trapped beasts, stood atop them, their armored skeletons silently watching the battle.
This was a clash between a new adventurer and a veteran hero; the daggers and blades clashed with a crisp, metallic sound, the wind whipping across the ground, leaving scratches, the surging battle intent almost tangible.
As he fought, Bai Zhou inwardly sighed.
Strong!
Very strong!
This strength was difficult to describe, after all, everyone was in a state of divine enlightenment, everyone was a unified entity of mind, spirit, and will, everyone was a destined adventurer.
These skeletons may have been extremely powerful in life, but in this arena, their strength was no more than that of a level 6 titled warrior.
Bai Zhou had thought he was practically invincible at this stage, and in fact, in terms of spirituality alone, Bai Zhou's spirituality, both in quantity and quality, was clearly far superior to his opponent's.
After all, without a physical body and soul, his opponent was merely a skeleton lacking the four elements of body, mind, qi, and essence, possessing only a suppressed level 6 will and spirit, and a lifetime of combat experience!
In the same swing of the sword, in the same battle, Bai Zhou's commotion and the damage to the surrounding environment were clearly far superior.
In this life-or-death struggle, the opponent displayed astonishing proficiency. His moves were extremely simple, devoid of any frills, yet he managed to hold his own against Bai Zhou.
This was the true value of the former [King of Fighters]!
In terms of combat skill alone, he was clearly more than twice as skilled as Bai Zhou.
His fighting techniques, honed through countless arena trials and life-or-death battles on the battlefields of extraordinary individuals, along with the still-preserved insight and experience of a high-level extraordinary individual, were all completely foreign to Bai Zhou.
Furthermore, his every move seemed devoid of any technique; his various variations were incredibly agile, almost like a beast's instinct for battle!
The fight began!
His twin blades danced in afterimages, as if reversing the tides of war; his daggers moved nimbly like butterflies flitting among flowers. The two unleashed deadly techniques from time to time, followed by clashes of swords and daggers, the clanging of blades and sparks flying. Their movements intertwined, dazzling the eye.
"Whoosh—
"
Seeing the stalemate, the undead opened its divine domain.
With several "humming" sounds, the pitch-black domain, carrying a strange pulling force field, suddenly expanded in all directions.
But the skeleton didn't know that this action added a crucial weight to its already fragile balance of power.
"Well done!" With a low shout, Bai Zhou also opened his divine domain.
The next instant.
"Rumble—
"
As if a divine kingdom had descended, massive bricks and stones descended layer by layer, and a corner of the imperial city slowly unfolded, turning from illusion to reality. Water lilies opened, making the air viscous, and the sun and moon shone brightly in the sky, unleashing destructive rays of light.
The pitch-black domain that blocked its way, carrying a strange pulling force field, didn't even have time to display any divine power. Like a burst bubble, it vanished in an instant, leaving only a sliver of dark light to escape, which was then suppressed and dissipated by the pressure descending from the imperial city.
Standing before the massive corner of the imperial city, bathed in the light of the sun and moon like a veil, Bai Zhou's upright figure exuded an intense and majestic aura.
This was the divine domain of the chosen one, the place where the rivers flowed and the sunlight shone, and the imperial city of the Roman emperors. All enemies standing against Bai Zhou would be suppressed by his fighting spirit, swayed by his determination, and terrified by his killing intent!
"?"
At this moment, the entire arena seemed to fall silent. The exhilarating horn sounds overhead suddenly ceased, and the skeletons seated atop the bronze pillars simultaneously poked out their inquiring heads.
Even the fighting skeleton wielding a dagger before Bai Zhou, facing his unfurled divine domain—the crimson light flickering in its eyes seemed to clear considerably.
"Second round," Bai Zhou called out, his figure vanishing from the spot.
In the viscous air, the skeletons moved slowly, while Bai Zhou's twin blades moved so fast they left afterimages.
Without activating his Divine Intent Domain, the skeleton, with its superior combat skills and honed fighting instincts, could have fought Bai Zhou to a standstill for a short time. But
after activating the Divine Intent Domain, the battle completely shifted to one side. Blades shattered the armor's defenses, and the skeleton, barely holding on, cracked its bones. The outcome was no longer in doubt.
This result seemed utterly unreasonable.
But objectively speaking, Bai Zhou activating his Divine Intent Domain was expected to produce such an effect against someone of the same level.
A superior Divine Intent Domain should naturally crush!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Blade light flashed, one hand wielding a black blade, the other a white, left black, right white. On the left was "Moonlight Ember Oath of Victory Slash," on the right, "Thousand Blade Vortex Slash."
One side was a blazing red moon, the other a thousand swirling eddies. The former was powerful and unstoppable, the latter twisting and controlling, causing smoke to billow from the skeleton's body.
Even its bones were blasted black.
"Cough—cough cough—"
It was hard to understand how a skeleton without vocal cords could make a sound, but the skeleton, blasted away by a single blow, coughed a few times and fell to the ground as if trying to speak.
Could a dead man be beaten into speaking?
Bai Zhou raised an eyebrow.
Could she really pull off a miracle with sheer force?
"Good secret technique—good command—good fighting spirit—"
The skeleton's voice was intermittent, its finger bones slowly loosening, and the dagger clattered to the ground.
A warrior would never willingly drop his weapon unless—
"Crack! Crack! Crack—"
Bones fell to the ground, shattering the moment they hit the ground, turning into a pile of broken bones.
"Only such challengers are qualified—to face the opponents behind them—"
The skeleton's voice gradually dissipated in mid-air.
Then, with a "clink," a brass token fell to the ground.
Bai Zhou let out a long breath, his chest heaving, digesting and savoring the afterglow of this battle.
He had to admit, he had benefited immensely.
As an adventurer who could absorb knowledge and skills simply by fighting others, Bai Zhou's first encounter with a fellow chosen one—a skeleton far inferior to himself in both physical and spiritual aspects, relying solely on combat instinct and sheer willpower—
was like a mirror reflecting his own experience. He quickly realized that his previously smug combat techniques still had much room for improvement.
When could he do better? Where could minor modifications have given him an advantage? What incredible angles and variations in his opponent's attacks were worth learning from?
His first encounter with the mysterious world was witnessing the "sponge-like ancient god" trapped in glass before the sky collapsed. As a result, when Bai Zhou himself entered the mysterious world, he absorbed all the nourishment like a sponge.
"But—"
This skeleton, as the former King of Battle, was it a bit too weak as the test for Bai Zhou to obtain the title of King of Battle?
Although Bai Zhou had thoroughly enjoyed the previous battle, pushing his [Fallen Saint Physician] form to its limits—his twin swords nearly smoking from the clash, and his divine domain unleashed without restraint—the intensity of the fight far surpassed his previous battle against the five titled warriors.
However—
this Bai Zhou was not the same Bai Zhou who fought those five titled warriors.
He was stronger!
He hadn't even used "Wait," hadn't used the secret word "Floating on the Sea of Ignorance," and hadn't used his innate secret technique.
He either concealed his abilities completely or fought to the fullest.
The current situation, with the subtle feeling that he had just begun to gain momentum before his opponent had already self-destructed and become a dead fish,
left Bai Zhou in a limbo.
Most importantly—
Under the gaze of fate, the first trial required to forge one's destiny is [Bloodstained Battle, Hundred Battles to Reign Supreme].
Blinking twice, Bai Zhou looked down at his clothes, which weren't particularly bloodstained, just riddled with holes and scratches.
Hmm, the hem was slightly dirty.
As an accessory to his [Fallen Saint Physician] form, these clothes were actually part of Bai Zhou's "flesh and blood," a spiritual manifestation. The pain was accompanied by a tingling, numb sensation; the spiritual energy attached itself, transforming into new clothing that slowly healed.
"Just like that—becoming the King of Battle?"
In the quiet arena, Bai Zhou moved with a "click," bending down to pick up the token from the ground.
"..."
"Clatter—"
The bones that had turned to gray powder on the ground rose in the wind, returning to the bronze pillar, slowly reforming into the shape of a sleeping skull.
Still recyclable.
Bai Zhou muttered to himself.
At the same time, a cold message was transmitted from within the token, a mechanical voice echoing in his ears.
[Obtained, one Battle Token.]
[Collect 107 Battle Tokens to obtain the title of King of Battle.] [
Progress: 1/107]
Upon hearing this, Bai Zhou blinked twice, as if savoring the moment.
"————How many?"
Before Bai Zhou could react, the bronze pillars slowly descended, and the slumbering skeletons disappeared underground along with them.
The next instant, the ground beneath his feet began to tremble.
Pieces of rubble torn apart by the previous battle leaped across the ground, as if something was awakening from the depths of the arena.
"Thump!"
A withered arm suddenly burst from the ground.
Immediately afterward, more arms emerged from the ground—one, ten, hundreds—the heroic skeletons that had just disappeared underground now had new appearances, crawling out of the ground together.
If the skeletons in the previous battle were armored skeletons, then the skeletons now were at least mummies, with a thin, thin layer of withered flesh covering their bodies.
—Bai Zhou also saw the skeleton that had just "left," wearing familiar armor, standing unassumingly at the edge of the crowd, empty-handed.
Even with a layer of "dried flesh" covering its body, Bai Zhou could recognize this old adversary at a glance, and at the same time, he noticed that with the growth of this layer of flesh, its aura had increased significantly! The heroic
spirits of Troy, thus, crawled out from their millennia-long slumber, each wielding a variety of weapons: short swords, spears, battle axes, chain maces, bows and arrows, shields, and even specially made gauntlets.
An astonishing aura intertwined, almost suffocating, as the empty and terrifying eye sockets of the armored corpses stared at Bai Zhou, then they all took a step forward in unison, with a "boom" as they strode away.
"?"
Bai Zhou's pupils shrank sharply.
"No—"
Me? Fight a hundred of them?
[These warriors, all of whom had earned the title of King of Fighters in their lifetimes, had their remains collected and placed here as a memorial to their honor.]
At this moment, the voice of the wolf knight statue, seemingly from nowhere, entered Bai Zhou's ears:
[Facing the trial participants, their strength was suppressed to the level of a 6th-level titled warrior.]
[However, they are ultimately just remains; their bodies and souls are gone, their essence, spirit, and vital energy all severely incomplete. Only their surging fighting spirit and their battle instincts honed through countless trials remain in their skeletons, unable to reflect the complete state they were in when they earned the title of King of Fighters.]
[Furthermore, they lack the weapons and secret treasures that accompanied them.]
[In this state, they are far from comparable to their peak condition.] "
So, what you just saw was merely an appetizer. The real challenge for the King of Fighters lies in a bloody battle against all the heroic spirits of past generations—"
At this point, the wolf knight statue's voice paused slightly, uttering words that relieved Bai Zhou, whose heart had been in his throat:
"Of course, we won't all rush in at once—"
"Instead, we'll fight in groups of three, coordinating seamlessly and wearing them down in
turn." "Therefore, the difficulty of each generation of King of Fighters will be significantly higher than the previous one."
"After a long and arduous journey, the sealed arena reopens, facing all the Kings of Fighters from the Trojan civilization of the past—" "
Bai Zhou, the challenge you face is the most difficult, and the most prestigious."
"Of course, in the end, the reward you will receive will far surpass theirs."
"—Will you back down, Bai Zhou?"
the wolf knight statue said slowly:
"Or will you continue fighting!"
Upon
hearing this, Bai Zhou was first stunned, then fell silent.
For some reason, under the immense pressure of that overwhelming aura, Bai Zhou, who should have felt suffocated or terrified, instead felt his fighting spirit surge even more fiercely.
The spiritual energy within him, meticulously arranged according to the principles of Buddhist forging, now resonated with excitement. The feeling of being watched by fate told Bai Zhou that this was the "trial" he needed! "
Then—"
Bai Zhou didn't need the Ganlang Knight statue to provide an answer, because his unwavering and fearless figure was the best answer. His soaring fighting spirit flowed from his body, almost materializing and distorting the surrounding air.
Unlike his usual cautiousness, Bai Zhou at this moment seemed to possess a touch of the fiery brilliance of the white sun within him!
"Three people per group—"
Looking at the dense crowd, Bai Zhou narrowed his eyes.
Three Chosen Ones whose peak abilities were not yet fully developed, fighting against a challenger in his peak condition—
very shabby.
With a "whoosh!"
the black and white swords returned to his hands, and a red and white saber named "Wait" appeared in Bai Zhou's palm.
"Now, it's truly a public