High above the skies of Blue Star, a massive floating island remained hidden within the thick clouds, concealed from the eyes of ordinary people.
At the center of the island stood an incomparably majestic and resplendent palace. In its presence, all so-called "miracles of humanity" paled in comparison.
This was the headquarters of the Divine Revelation Hall. Over eighty years ago, when several of humanity's Strongest joined forces to establish the Divine Revelation Hall—ending the chaotic era and laying the foundation for the order that persisted to this day—this island had already stood high in the heavens, an existence transcending the mundane world.
It governed the order of the Divine Revelation World and Blue Star, belonging to no single faction, patrolling humanity's territories like a guardian deity.
Inside the palace, a man with shoulder-length white hair and a long robe walked down the corridor, carrying a document folder. Everyone who passed by stopped to bow, addressing him as "Vice Hall Master" with deep reverence in their eyes.
Faced with these greetings, the man merely gave a slight nod.
He walked with commanding strides and soon entered a side hall within the palace.
This side hall belonged to him. At this moment, however, a young girl was climbing a ladder inside, rummaging through a tall bookshelf in search of something.
Seeing this, the man did not get angry. Instead, a smile touched his face. "Yu, what are you doing?"
"Ah!" Startled, the girl slipped and fell straight off the ladder. However, she did not hit the ground. The man, who had appeared beside her at some point, caught her effortlessly.
"Grandpa, why didn't you make a sound when you came in?" Regaining her footing, the girl pouted and complained.
The man was momentarily speechless. A smile appeared on his unusually youthful face. "You snuck into my hall, turned my things upside down, and now you have the nerve to point fingers at me?"
"Hmph!" The girl grumbled. "Grandpa, I just turned eighteen. I've earned the qualification to enter the Divine Revelation World."
"Yes, I know," the man nodded calmly.
"I chose the Mage as my Initial Profession and drew the S-rank talent, Arcane Requiem!"
"Yes, I know that too." The man nodded again, casually adding, "It's excellent, though still a bit lacking compared to your grandpa back in the day."
The girl couldn't help but grit her teeth.
She thought, "How annoying! Who tears down their own granddaughter like this?"
Her talent was one of the most suitable S-rank talents for a Mage. Out in the real world, it would be enough to make her a widely envied genius.
But compared to her grandfather, she still had a long way to go.
After all, he was one of Blue Star's nine Strongest, Vice Hall Master of the Divine Revelation Hall, possessor of the SSS-rank talent Arcane Deconstruction, a Level 76 Divine Revelation player—the Burning Fire Calamity, Ji Ruoxu.
Seeing that her grandfather wasn't taking the bait, Ji Xiaoyu swiftly changed her approach. She hugged Ji Ruoxu's arm and shook it vigorously. "Grandpa, how exactly do you get the hidden purple title in the Newbie Area?"
"You silly girl." Ji Ruoxu shook his head, exasperated. "It's just a purple title. Once you leave the Newbie Area, there will be plenty of ways to obtain better ones. Why are you so fixated on this one?"
"I don't care, I'm a completionist!" Ji Xiaoyu puff out her chest. "I want to collect every title that exists!"
"But you are destined not to collect this one." Ji Ruoxu spread his hands. "Yu, I'm keeping this from you for your own safety."
"If you don't tell me, I'll just go around trying everything blindly. Wouldn't that be even more dangerous?"
Ji Ruoxu fell silent.
Thinking about it carefully, she had a point.
"Fine," Ji Ruoxu said, shaking his head slightly. "Soloing the three major bosses in the Newbie Area grants you a hidden item: the Nether Trial Invitation. By using it to enter the Nether Trial and meeting certain requirements, you can obtain that hidden purple title."
"So that's how it is." Ji Xiaoyu's face lit up with realization. After pondering it for a moment, she relaxed. "That doesn't sound too hard!
"Once I hit Level 10, I can get three pieces of Master Level Equipment. Paired with the damage boost from Arcane Requiem, soloing them will be a piece of cake."
"I believe you can do it too," Ji Ruoxu chuckled. "But you've forgotten one thing.
"When you solo a boss, the experience you gain cannot be shared with anyone else. Each boss gives 2,000 experience points.
"If you solo them at Level 10, will you even be able to stay in the Newbie Area?"
"That..." Ji Xiaoyu froze in surprise. "Then, if I have to solo them before Level 10..."
"Exactly. You'll have to solo the bosses while wearing Level 5 Blue Equipment." Seeing his granddaughter's bewildered expression, Ji Ruoxu delivered another critical hit.
"And even if you manage that, obtaining the title isn't guaranteed.
"As I just said, soloing the three major bosses only gets you the invitation. The Nether Trial Invitation can only be used in the Newbie Area; it expires once you leave.
"In other words, a player entering the Nether Trial cannot exceed Level 10.
"The Nether Trial is conducted floor by floor. Even the opponents on the first floor are far stronger than the three major bosses in the Newbie Area.
"You can only obtain the hidden title by clearing the eleventh floor."
Ji Xiaoyu's face darkened. They were both purple titles, so why was this one vastly more difficult than the others?
Seeming to notice her confusion, Ji Ruoxu sighed softly. "The purple title, Nether Apostle, is actually just the most Basic title in the Nether Trial.
"The Nether Trial has more than eleven floors.
"It's just that the vast majority of people can't make it any deeper."
Ji Xiaoyu was visibly moved. Throughout the entire history of the Alliance, only a few dozen people had ever obtained the Nether Apostle title, yet that was nowhere near the limit of the Nether Trial?
"Grandpa, has anyone ever obtained a better title?"
"Of course, but not me," Ji Ruoxu smiled mysteriously.
Seeing that smile, Ji Xiaoyu knew that no matter how much she pressed him, her grandfather wouldn't say another word on the matter.
"Then why aren't the conditions for getting this title made public?" Ji Xiaoyu asked in confusion. "If more people tried, wouldn't there be a higher chance of someone going further in the Nether Trial?"
"It's kept secret to preserve more of our seeds," Ji Ruoxu said, shaking his head. "You only get one chance to enter the Divine Revelation World. The elimination rate in the Newbie Area is already extremely high as it is.
"Besides, players capable of earning the Nether Trial Invitation don't need us to tell them." He shrugged. "Such individuals are destined to obtain the invitation on their own."
Ji Xiaoyu walked out of the side hall, somewhat dazed. Ji Ruoxu watched his granddaughter leave before opening the document folder he had brought with him.
Inside was a stack of player rosters. Every name on it belonged to a player who had recently entered the Divine Revelation World and achieved astonishing combat records.
Ji Ruoxu flipped through them casually, his gaze landing on one specific page.
"Yu Zhun, Assassin, solo killed the Boss Blazing Fire Demon Rhinoceros at Level 7."
"An Assassin..." Ji Ruoxu murmured thoughtfully.
"Could an Assassin be the owner of Open and Aboveboard?"