The audience gasped at the beauty of his heaven like divine creation on earth. However, the mentator broke that moment of admiration.
"The Floating Islands, once thought to be the heavenly respite of souls, where man would wander eternally in eternal bliss and fort… this is where the next trial will happen. Something strange might strike the viewer as they see this scene of beauty. If this is heaven's likeness, where is man?" the mentator guided the audience to the next part as they all seemed uneasy with his statement.
"Amidst the breathtaking beauty of the Floating Islands, there lies a palpable sense of unease, like a shadow lurking just beyond the edges of perception… I believe Eccentric Long had once stepped foot in the Floating Islands."
"I'm not going to lie, I still have shivers from the time I spent there. And frankly speaking, I still wonder why this isn't considered a forbidden zone to this day," he said.
"It is because of the time of respite," Xiao Du said, "The Floating Islands are safe only during a period of time… but once the darkness settles, it is a nightmarish land."
"Indeed, the darkness, above the Floating Islands is a gigantic floating piece of land, that es and goes, dropping a shade above the islands for several hours.
During that period of time, the serene Floating Island would pletely transform, and it is then and there, where our contestants will be tried and trialed!" the mentator shouted as he displayed Shen Bao's screen and how he took a step into the garden.
***
"…"
A pretty sight. One might think.
The beauty of this place is really indescribable, flowers and spiritual herbs and energy like nothing before. Blooming trees and birds of all kinds nestled among them. Beast and prey moved alongside each other not caring one bit of the presence of one another.
Though I was standing inside another pentagonal platform, I received a message saying that I could freely go and explore the area.
I took a step forward and was wary of my surrounding, because only a fool will think that this place is safe.
To be pletely honest, it's far too safe for a trial and that's enough to make one worry and wary.
The grass itself underneath me is not something that should be growing during this season, nor should some of the fruits on the trees. The types of birds are all different from what you can find in a specific biome.
Something is awfully strange about this place.
I approached the closest tree to me and began inspecting it. It was a peach tree. It was already blossoming however the weather and temperature was pletely off. It was slightly colder than it should be for the tree to blossom, however, the smell of peach blossom was wafting and strong.
Not only that, some of the branches was actually carrying fruits. Fully grown and ripe fruits. Which was not only strange but pletely unnatural.
Peach, especially one that isn't taken care of usually harbors an absurd amount of diseases, it's not something that can naturally grow without it being either ridden with maggots or have flies all around it.
Yet this one, was growing all too healthily and without any disturbance, not only this tree but many other trees were all too healthy, too healthy for it to be natural, but too natural for it to have been cared for.
I was about to take a peach and inspect it, but noticed that there was not a single peach missing from the tree.
With the many animals around, especially squirrels, and random dears here and there, not a single peach tree was missing one of its fruit.
So I withdrew my hands and used my divine sense to check up on the tree.
I was immediately met with a mind-boggling sight.
Something was actually growing inside the tree, it looked like a form of dark slime that had taken over the tree itself and had spread all over its branches. Giving the fruit the nutrition, it needs and protecting it from pests.
It spread from inside the tree, to its branches and all the way to its roots. Like a parasitic creature that was holed up inside. But that wasn't the only thing, in fact, everything that my divine sense touched had been inflicted and infected with this thing.
The birds, and the animals, the fruits and the flowers, everything was bound to this creature.
I backed away as I realized that I was on top of a massive trap.
What are they planning on doing to us in this trial?
Whatever it is, this thing is making sure that nothing consumes another, no bird eats any seeds, and no dear eats any grass and no wolf eat any dear. They're all harmlessly moving about not doing what they should naturally be doing.
I returned back to the platform and sat down, thinking hard of what the trial up ahead will be holding for us. And so far, I was not liking it or enjoying it one bit…
***
"What a great self control," said the mentator, a smile on his face.
"I did the mistake of taking one of the fruits," Eccentric Long said, a grim look on his face.
"Indeed, this whole island is a massive trap, that will destroy anyone who dares break its most holy of rules, do not kill!" he said.
"Indeed, killing anything there will immediately make the whole island hunt you down, however, it won't happen now, one will be marked and will be taken out during the darkness…" the mentator said.
"I'm quite eager to see what sort of trial will be ongoing here," Xiao Du said.
"Well, of course, the trial will be something that will make this whole thing blow out of proportion," he said.
"You don't mean…" Eccentric Long took a long pause, after now he probably realized what's about to happen to the contestants.
"Indeed! The trial is nothing else but a hunt, but not any hunt, a hunt during the dark. Where not only is one not allowed to kill, but they're also not allowed to speak or make a sound! NOW LET US SHOW YOU THE NEXT CHALLENGE!"
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