Ba Ye sighed lightly, "Indeed, reaching level 30 has given me an unexpectedly massive boost. After all, level 30 only inherits the Ability User's own strength. In the past, I always thought, no matter how hard one trained their personal power, how strong could it really be? But after inheriting it, I realized this guy's own strength is formidable. Now, I have to admit, my overall power is more reliant on my personal strength than my Devil Fruit abilities."
Yang Luo interjected at this point, "So, my speculation might hold water. Better safe than sorry. If my assumption is wrong, it's fine—once levels get higher, Ye Yu won't be a threat anymore. But what if it's true? From early to late stages, we'd just keep falling further behind without hope?"
At this, Ba Ye and Wang Jue wavered. Though they still believed the Devil Fruit's potential was greater, they considered that missing one Mystic Realm wasn't a big deal. Moreover, they'd still fight for a while in the first stage and earn some rewards, albeit fewer.
Thus, the two made their decision.
"Alright, we'll follow your lead."
"After all, among the three of us, you're still the strongest."
Yang Luo nodded. "Good. Let's prepare to enter. Remember, don't let your injuries get too severe, and don't expend too much energy. Only minor injuries and slight exhaustion are allowed. Because Ye Yu is too strong now—even if we pass the first stage, he might withstand our combined full-power strike if we're too drained. Also, when the time comes, unleash your personal strength at full force. Both of you, don't use your Devil Fruit abilities. That way, even if he survives, he won't be able to guess who we are."
Wang Jue agreed. "Good plan. You're clever, thinking ahead. If Ye Yu somehow survives and doesn't know who we are, he won't be able to hinder our progress during his peak. Right now, the four top Chosen Ones—Jin Mo and the others—aren't opposing Ye Yu, so they're developing better than us. But because they provoked Ye Yu, their progress has slowed considerably."
Ba Ye said confidently, "But the chances of him surviving are extremely slim. Also, I hope the first stage is very difficult—preferably the hardest of the three. That way, given Ye Yu's nature, he'll exhaust himself to pass it. The worse his condition afterward, the better our chances of finishing him off."
Yang Luo nodded. "Mm. Let's enter and see what this first stage is like."
...
Having made their decision, the three stepped through the wooden doors. To an outsider, it would have been shocking—the light emanating from their doors was a deep violet-black, with more black than purple.
This signified that all three possessed strength at the absolute pinnacle.
Meanwhile, Ye Yu prepared to enter.
A message resounded: For the first stage's three doors, if one person passes, the other two teammates can proceed to the next stages. However, rewards will be calculated based on individual performance.
Feng Yi was relieved. He had initially worried that failing the first stage would hold Ye Yu back, but since they could continue even without passing, it was fine. Still, he remained resolute, determined to pass if possible.
Ye Yu stepped through the wooden door, and the scene shifted to a desolate wasteland dotted with rocky outcrops.
As soon as they entered, the first stage began. Everyone stood ready, not daring to let their guard down.
Then, the objective appeared, leaving all participants stunned and bewildered.
"Huh? This simple?"
"It's still impressive, but not as hard as I imagined."
"It can't be this easy, right?"
...
At this moment, Ye Yu was also taken aback.
"Hmm?"
Before him, sand and stones surged and coalesced, forming ten armored Rock Stone Generals wielding great blades. They appeared vividly lifelike, each brimming with vigor, their power fluctuations not weak at all.
Ye Yu sensed that each of these ten was level 35. Their levels were far inferior to the previous Giant's. That Giant had been so strong because it belonged to a top-tier Exotic Beast race with combat power surpassing its level. These Rock Stone Generals were only level 35—higher but not excessively so, especially for Ye Yu. Level 35 didn't even count as a level advantage to him.
Moreover, these Rock Stone Generals weren't top-tier Exotic Beasts either, meaning they didn't possess combat power beyond their level. Their strength was firmly at the standard for level 35.
This was why Ye Yu found it surprising, but he felt in his heart that it couldn't be this simple.
Meanwhile, the others, who were around level 20, faced Rock Stone Generals at approximately level 23—also ten in number.
This was why everyone was caught off guard.
"It seems the first trial is the easiest."
"Fine, then let's clear the first trial and claim its rewards."
"After all, this is a more difficult purple-black secret manual, so the third trial will definitely be the hardest."
...
Most people thought this way and began fighting. But those with ordinary strength—those who had contracted average Devil Fruits or were unremarkable Non-Ability Users—chose to give up.
Because dealing with ten Rock Stone Generals slightly above one's own level required at least genius-level talent. These weren't opponents that small fries like them could handle. One might be worth a try, but ten? Forget it.
Immediately, many withdrew.
At this point, Ye Yu drew the Black Blade Night from his back, not underestimating the situation.
Boom! Boom! Boom!...
The ten Rock Stone Generals moved, charging forward rapidly. The thunderous stomps shook the ground, causing continuous tremors.
The Rock Stone Generals weren't particularly agile.
As the ten closed in, they leaped into the air, their long blades slashing downward with sharpness and formidable force. For a genius, this would be quite troublesome, but their opponent was Ye Yu.
The Black Blade Night swept horizontally above, unleashing an emerald-green Slash. Instantly, crisp cracking sounds rang out continuously.
Rumble...
The shattering noise echoed as the ten Rock Stone Generals were bisected at the waist, collapsing into ten piles of rubble.
Crack! Crack! Crack!...
Yet, each pile of rubble began reforming, even splitting into more fragments. From each pile, two Rock Stone Generals emerged—twenty in total. Their size and power were identical to the previous ten.
Ye Yu sighed inwardly, "As expected, it's not as simple as it seems."
The twenty Rock Stone Generals scattered, surrounding and surging toward him. Ye Yu swung the Black Blade Night in a circular Slash, shattering them once more.
This time, he put more force into it, intending to reduce them to nothingness. But again, they crumbled into rubble before splitting and reforming. In the blink of an eye, forty Rock Stone Generals appeared.
Ye Yu frowned slightly. Another doubling.
Just how many could they multiply into?
By now, even more people withdrew, including geniuses.
"They can actually split apart."
"It's manageable at first, but they quickly become overwhelming."
"Forty already? No way. Even as a genius, continuing would be too dangerous. I'm done—dealing with these is enough."
"Forty should be the last wave, right? After all, they're forty beings four levels higher than me. It's already extremely difficult—this must be the final wave. I'll hold on a little longer. Even if I'm severely injured and exhausted, I must clear this wave. The rewards for fully completing the first trial will surely be far greater than quitting now."
...
Some chose to withdraw, while others resolved to persevere.
But soon, even the geniuses gave up. Even the Chosen Ones wavered, shaken to their core.
Because after defeating the forty, eighty appeared.
"No way, it's this hard?"
"Eighty of them? Impossible to fight."
"I'm no match. I'm out."
"As expected of the more challenging Violet-Black Secret Realm—this difficult right from the start? I'm outta here."
...
At this moment, Yang Luo wasn't displeased. On the contrary, he was quite pleased.
"Not sure how many waves there are, but the harder the better. If Ye Yu manages to clear it, he'll be more severely injured and drained—all the better for us."
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