"Max, stand near the base of the tower and you will be teleported inside," Grand Elder Waller instructed in a steady voice that carried across the trial grounds.
Max nodded without hesitation. The murmurs of the disciples faded into the background as he stepped forward, his focus sharpening. The Combat Legion Tower lood above him, its ancient surface etched with faint patterns that seed to shift subtly when observed too closely. The aura it emitted was not chaotic or violent. It was disciplined and orderly, like an army awaiting command.
As Max approached the base, he could feel a faint resonance between his aura and the structure before him. The ground beneath his feet vibrated lightly, and the carved runes embedded within the tower's foundation began to glow with a muted crimson light.
He ca to a stop directly before the entrance.
For a brief mont, nothing happened.
Then a beam of light descended from above and enveloped his entire body. The world around him blurred instantly, and the sound of the outside plaza vanished as if swallowed by silence. Spatial energy wrapped around him, firm yet controlled, and in the next instant his surroundings shifted completely.
When his vision cleared, Max found himself standing within a vast red chamber.
The room was circular and spacious, its walls constructed from a smooth crimson stone that reflected a faint glow. The air felt dense, not oppressive like the Path to Eternal Flas, but filled with restrained energy. There were no visible doors, no opponents waiting, no platforms or obstacles. It was entirely empty.
Max remained still, his eyes scanning every corner of the chamber.
There was no sign of anything to fight.
Just as he was about to extend his spiritual sense further, a calm and emotionless voice echoed throughout the room.
"Choose a weapon."
The words resonated evenly from all directions, leaving no trace of origin.
Almost imdiately, the space before him rippled, and dozens of weapons materialized in midair. Swords of varying lengths and designs floated upright. Spears glead with cold tallic sheen. Halberds, axes, bows, daggers, and even heavy hamrs appeared, each radiating a uniform but refined aura. None of them seed extraordinary at first glance, yet none were ordinary either. They were balanced, precise, and clearly crafted for combat trials.
Max narrowed his eyes slightly as he examined them.
Instinctively, he attempted to summon his own sword from his dinsional space. He extended his will inward, reaching toward the familiar presence of his weapon.
Nothing happened.
He tried again, focusing more carefully this ti, but the connection felt muted, as though sothing had severed the bridge between his consciousness and his stored items.
"I see," Max muttered quietly. "The runes placed here are restricting the use of any storage type artifacts."
Although his dinsional storage was not a conventional artifact but rather an ability intertwined with spatial laws, it was still bound to the sa foundational principles. The Combat Legion Tower clearly imposed a restriction that nullified all forms of external storage access. Every participant would begin under identical conditions, relying solely on what the tower provided.
Understanding this, Max did not waste ti dwelling on it.
His gaze returned to the array of floating weapons before him.
He moved closer, observing the craftsmanship and balance of each blade. So swords were slender and elegant, built for speed and precision. Others were broader, designed for heavy strikes and defensive stability. He lifted one with a asured grip and felt its weight settle naturally into his hand.
The sword humd faintly, acknowledging his hold.
Max swung it lightly through the air, testing its responsiveness. The balance was excellent, the edge keen, and the structure sturdy enough to endure repeated clashes.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
If the tower wished to test his combat ability fairly, then a sword would suffice.
He chose the blade decisively.
The remaining weapons vanished instantly, dissolving into particles of light that rged back into the chamber's crimson glow. The sword in his hand remained solid and steady, its presence now acknowledged by the tower.
The red chamber dissolved without warning, its crimson walls fading into streaks of light that scattered into nothingness. The ground beneath Max's feet shifted subtly, and in the blink of an eye the enclosed space was replaced by an open expanse stretching endlessly in every direction.
He now stood in what appeared to be a vast desert.
Golden sand extended to the horizon, rising and falling in gentle dunes beneath a sky washed in pale light. The air was dry, and a faint heat shimr distorted the distance. There were no structures, no vegetation, no visible boundaries. The silence of the desert was absolute, amplifying the smallest movent.
Max adjusted his grip on the sword and allowed his senses to expand outward cautiously.
Whish.
A ripple ford in the air several ters away, and a shadowy figure materialized out of thin air. The figure was humanoid in shape, entirely pitch black as though carved from condensed darkness. Its features were indistinct, yet its outline was sharp and well defined. In its hand was a sword nearly identical in length to Max's chosen blade.
Max's eyes sharpened imdiately.
"Strength of the First Level of the Rebirth Realm," he murmured inwardly as he gauged the aura emanating from the figure.
The assessnt had barely ford in his mind when the shadowy opponent vanished from its original position.
In the next instant, it appeared directly before him, its movents swift and precise. The blade in its hand ignited with red flas that surged violently along its edge. Without hesitation, it brought the sword down toward Max in a decisive overhead strike.
The attack was direct, powerful, and efficient.
Max did not move his sword to block.
Instead, he released the full pressure of his Third Level Rebirth Realm aura.
The difference in cultivation erupted outward like an invisible shockwave. The desert sand around him scattered violently as his energy expanded in all directions. Before the flaming blade could descend fully, the shadowy figure was struck by the overwhelming force of his aura.
It was blasted backward through the air, its body destabilizing midflight.
The red flas on its sword flickered and dimd as cracks of light appeared across its pitch black form. Before it even touched the sand, its entire body disintegrated into countless red particles that scattered into the wind and vanished completely.
Silence returned to the desert as though nothing had occurred.
"First floor cleared. Second is loading."
The emotionless voice echoed across the expanse once more.
The desert scene began to distort, the dunes dissolving into streaks of light similar to the earlier red chamber. The sand beneath his feet faded away, replaced by a smooth stone surface.
When the transformation ended, Max found himself standing in the center of a massive arena.
The arena was circular and enclosed by towering stone walls that rose high into the sky. The ground was firm and level, marked faintly with battle scars as though countless clashes had taken place here before. The air felt heavier than the desert, filled with a steady and focused combat aura.
Max exhaled slowly, his posture relaxed yet alert.
Soon, two ripples ford in the space ahead of him.
From each ripple erged a shadowy figure identical in appearance to the first, their forms solidifying simultaneously. Both held swords that glead faintly under the arena's light, and both radiated the aura of the First Level of the Rebirth Realm.
This ti, there would be no single opponent.
The second battle was about to begin.
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