Two Chapters are being released together, there’s another one above.
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The Hero Trial is an incredibly long and arduous undertaking.
Not long ago, even Dragon Spike, one of those super first-class masters, took over a month to complete the Hero Trial successfully. And that was under the circumstance of using the Hero’s Command to reduce the difficulty of the trial.
If it were at normal difficulty, only those at the top-level Holy Domain rank might have a chance of completing the Hero Trial.
The Hero Trial is rely a pathway; the true purpose is to acquire a special kind of nature’s spiritual energy. Only when this energy has been absorbed into the body can one truly be called a hero.
This special energy is also vividly referred to as Heroic Aura.
In ancient tis, becoming a hero was comparatively easier, as one could instinctively absorb Heroic Aura. In the Heroes’ Prison, there were many heroic figures at Level 100 and slightly above. During that era, the Oskan Royal Academy had not yet appeared, and people could beco heroes without undergoing the Hero Trial—it was far simpler than it is now.
But as nature’s spiritual energy in The Second World grew increasingly sparse, acquiring Heroic Aura beca increasingly difficult. Nowadays, those below Demigod level can scarcely absorb Heroic Aura.
Fortunately, the Oskan Royal Academy has devised a solution. During the Near Ancient Period, they developed a thod for preserving Heroic Aura. Demigod-level powerhouses could absorb Heroic Aura on behalf of others, temporarily storing it for distribution.
Anyone wishing to acquire Heroic Aura must undergo the Hero Trial set up by the academy. Once the trial is completed, the stored Heroic Aura is distributed accordingly.
...
When Huang Yi arrived at the Hero Hall, it was already noon.
The Hero Hall is specifically designated for conducting Hero Trials, and only a handful of individuals across The Second World are eligible to undertake these trials. The place should be entirely desolate, with hardly anyone present.
Yet after arriving, Huang Yi saw soone there.
This individual was shrouded in an entirely black robe, with a black hood covering their head and concealing their eyes, revealing only a portion of their jaw. The overall impression exuded an air of deep mystery.
Huang Yi’s treasure-sniffing ability perceived that this person possessed four pieces of Epic Equipnt, while the remaining items were Legendary!
Without doubt, this was a super-first master—at least, it wasn’t soone of a lesser caliber, as no one at a lower rank had equipnt of such high quality. However, it was apparent that the person had not yet learned internal refinent techniques to conceal their equipnt, allowing their gear to remain visible upon detection.
Currently, there are only 25 publicly known super-first masters in the world, with an average of one master erging for every four hundred million people.
Of course, there are bound to be so hidden super-first masters who have yet to surface, akin to Sharp Sword during the second annual ceremony.
As for the identity of the enigmatic figure before him, Huang Yi couldn’t recall which super-first master this might be—it was likely they were disguised. Judging by their presence in the Hero Hall, it was clear they had co for the Hero Trial.
At that mont, the black-robed individual was following an instructor up the stairs to the second floor, soon vanishing around the corner.
"Hello, are you here for the Hero Trial?" At this ti, an instructor noticed Huang Yi’s arrival and promptly ca forward to greet him.
Huang Yi nodded and produced his purple school badge, saying, "I am God of Slaughter. I’m here to take the Hero Trial."
Becoming a hero requires one to bear a bestowed na. Revealing his bestowed na was a way for Huang Yi to verify his identity.
"You’re God of Slaughter?" The instructor paused montarily, then took hold of the badge, closed their eyes to sense it attentively. Soon, they reopened their eyes and stared at Huang Yi, saying, "Indeed, you’re God of Slaughter! You’re the first Heaven-Sent Man to receive a bestowed na, and now you finally co to undertake the Hero Trial. However, you’ve arrived rather late—three other individuals have already co here for the trial recently. So of them have made significant progress and are close to success."
"Who are the three individuals?" Huang Yi asked directly. It was obvious the black-robed person was among them, but that ant there were two others as well.
"That’s classified information. Once they complete the trial, you’ll naturally find out. But if they succeed, your chances of failure will likely increase," the instructor said with a shake of their head, declining to reveal the specifics.
Huang Yi blinked in surprise and asked in puzzlent, "Why would their success increase my likelihood of failure? Is there any definite correlation here?"
"Because there’s only enough Heroic Aura left for three portions, and since three individuals have already undertaken the Hero Trial, including you, that makes four contenders vying for three portions of Heroic Aura. The later one achieves success, the lower their chance of acquiring Heroic Aura," the instructor shrugged, adopting an air of helplessness.
"So does that an The Second World can only produce three more heroes? And that no additional heroes can ever arise in the future?" Huang Yi asked in astonishnt.
The instructor nodded ambiguously and replied, "You could say so. But this depends on whether our academy’s Demigod powerhouses have any breakthroughs; if they manage to absorb more Heroic Aura during this ti, then more heroes can be created. But it’s exceedingly difficult to extract Heroic Aura from the world as it stands; even if so can still be collected, it’ll likely only produce a few more heroes. The Heroic Aura of The Second World is close to complete depletion. ’Heroes’ may soon beco an entity solely seen in historical records—a dying breed. If you wish to beco a hero, you’d best hurry! If you delay too long, it may beco impossible to claim that title."
"Alright, then let’s imdiately proceed with the Hero Trial!" Huang Yi felt a surge of urgency upon hearing these words. He hadn’t expected Heroic Aura to be so scarce, akin to an exhaustible resource. He needed to secure a spot on this final train—right now.
"Follow !" The instructor gestured, promptly leading Huang Yi upstairs to the second floor.
Shortly afterward, the instructor brought Huang Yi to a vast room on the west side of the second floor.
The room was barren, with only a large, peculiar magic circle etched into the floor. The intricate blue lines crisscrossed in a winding pattern, ultimately forming a complex geotric design. On this design were five key points, each containing a slot.
The instructor flicked their hand, producing five priceless Holy Crystal Stones, which they carefully embedded into the five slots on the floor!
"Crunch!" The mont the final Holy Crystal Stone was inserted, the entire magic circle lit up with blinding radiance, so dazzling it was impossible to keep one’s eyes open.
The instructor pointed at the magic circle on the ground and explained to Huang Yi, "This magic circle connects to a secret realm that constantly fluctuates—it’s unique for everyone. Each person encounters a distinct scenario, with no prior experience to draw upon. If you die during the trial, you’ll be deed to have failed and need to undertake a new trial with a different scenario. However, if you survive and exit the trial, you can attend lessons or pursue other activities. When you return, the scenario will remain unchanged. It’s important to note, though, that initiating the teleportation requires your own supply of Holy Crystal Stones—each activation consus five."
"Understood!" Huang Yi nodded. He had enough Holy Crystal Stones to afford repeated teleportations.
Taking a deep breath, he advanced forward and stepped into the glowing magic circle.
In the next instant, the light of the teleportation array flickered wildly, and Huang Yi felt a pulling force encroach upon him. The world spun uncontrollably, and everything around him blurred into obscurity.
When he finally stabilized, the sound of howling winds greeted his ears.
Opening his eyes, he saw an expanse of blood-red sky, with mournful crimson clouds drifting aloft like a scene from the twilight of the gods. The air carried an overwhelming sense of desolation. The sky bore a resemblance to that of the Desolate Demon Lands.
At this mont, he stood atop a barren mountain wilderness, with wild grass swaying gently in the bleak wind.
Below the mountain lay a massive battlefield, littered with countless corpses sprawled haphazardly. The ground was strewn with tattered banners, bloodstained blades, and broken weapons. Fires burned in scattered areas, sending plus of gray smoke mixed with the stench of blood wafting into the air.
The entire sight exuded the iron-blooded atmosphere of war, as though captured straight from an epic battlefield.
Huang Yi imdiately summoned Little Dragon, mounted it, and patted its neck, saying, "Little Dragon, let’s circle around and see if there’s anything noteworthy."
"Eeya Eeya!" Little Dragon growled in agreent, flapping its golden wings and carrying Huang Yi off the mountain and into the skies. Its recent upgrades had elevated it to Level 148.
Looking down from above, the battlefield appeared even more grandiose—boundless, stretching endlessly into the horizon.
Amid the chaos, it was evident that one side’s casualties significantly outweighed the other’s, indicating an imbalance in military strength. One faction had erged victorious, while the other suffered heavy losses.
The Hero Trial provided no instructions or hints—there were no clear starting points, objectives, or tasks. Everything had to be uncovered through personal exploration.
However, based on the nature of the battlefield, it was likely Huang Yi needed to assist one side in defeating the opposition.
If he supported the stronger faction, the mission might lack challenge and not resemble the difficulty befitting a Hero Trial.
He decided to lend his aid to the weaker side, helping them overturn their disadvantage and triumph in war, as this seed more in line with the trial’s intent.
Using the distribution and arrangent of the corpses on the battlefield as a guide, he deduced that the weaker faction had likely advanced from the west. Riding Little Dragon, he swiftly bolted toward the western direction like rapid lightning. (To be continued. If you like this story, please visit Starting Point (qidian) to cast recomndation tickets and monthly tickets; your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian to read.)
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