With Huxian and friends breaking through, their pace quickened greatly. The waters around them grew dark and murky as the four summoned an imitation domain suffused with Demon-Subduing Intent. They glowed like beacons in the transcendent ocean that drew the violet mists toward them from every corner.
Cha Ming and Gong Shuren were forced to constantly stab and slash at those that snuck through their defenses, but they didn’t mind the light exercise, as Huxian and his friends did the heavy lifting.
Finally, they were only ten miles away from the golden gates. Cha Ming swept out with his sky-scorching halberd and hacked through an illusory eel and swam forward, plunging his bare fist into another one’s neck and snatching its demonic core, causing it to disappear.
Just as he was about to continue forward, Gon Shuren stopped him.
Well, we got here, Cha Ming said as he held his hand out to the golden gates. It took us a month, but isn’t that how much time it usually takes?
Gong Shuren shook her head. The trial has been incredibly difficult thus far, but the final push to the gateway is always on another level entirely. I’m dreading what we’ll have to face. What will it be? Thousands upon thousands of half-step transcendents?
What will be, will be, Cha Ming said. We can only try.
Hack. Slash. Stab. Hack. Slash. Stab.
They closed the distance to the portal in a day, and the waves of illusory demons intensified as they approached. One wave came every minute instead of every hour now, so when they managed to fight one off, another was there to meet them. They began sustaining wounds that wouldn’t heal in time, and everyone’s energy stores began to plummet. But they pushed on.
Finally, after one final messy battle that took Cha Ming’s right foot, the fighting ended. No more waves came to reinforce the one they’d just defeated. Instead, the clock simply ticked. Cha Ming looked around uncertainly at the pure gold gate surrounded by darkness. Even Huxian and the others were a little apprehensive.
Is this it? Huxian said. Won’t there be more of them?
I don’t know, Gong Shuren said. I just don’t know. We can make a run for it and enter the portal, but I’m scared, Cha Ming. I’m scared of that darkness. There’s something dreadful there; I feel it in my bones.
Should we split up? Huxian asked. He was scared too, which was unusual given his fearless disposition.
Gong Shuren shook her head. We don’t know what’s inside that darkness.
I’ll send a clone up, Huxian said. A small black-and-white fox split out from his main body and swam toward the golden gates. It yipped underwater as though taunting the darkness to attack it. Then, seeing it not respond, it darted toward the gate. When it was only a hundred feet away, a giant black cable whipped out of the darkness and smashed down on it, reducing it to a puff of black-and-white smoke that vanished in the transcendent ocean.
YOU DARE TEST THIS GUARDIAN WITH AN APPARITION? a voice said from all around them. ARE YOU NOT WORRIED YOU’LL INCUR MY WRATH?
Strong, too strong, Huxian said. He shivered under the voice’s pressure.
Might sir be the overseer of the Trial of Adventure, the Dreamweaver Kraken? Gong Shuren said toward the darkness. Four violet eyes appeared from within the shadows. The massive eyes blinked as they looked over their small group. Might I ask if you’ve been angered by our many participants? If so, I apologize.
HA! the Dreamweaver Kraken said. HA-HA-HA. IF IT WERE ONLY NUMBERS, THIS ONE WOULDN’T INCREASE THE DIFFICULTY OF THE TRIAL TO THIS EXTENT. NO, THE DIFFICULTY IS A PUNISHMENT FOR YOUR BREACH OF THE RULES.
Gong Shuren looked around uncertainly. Esteemed Guardian, might we know the breach you speak of? I, a descendant of the Sea God, have come with those bearing my champion mark. It is through my champion’s good fortune that his bonded companion gained the champion mark, along with its bonded friends. This seemed like permission to bring them all in.
IT WAS, the Kraken said.
Then why? Gong Shuren asked.
THE RULES STATE THAT ONE LESSER TRANSCENDENT WEAPON AND ONE TRANSCENDENT ARMOR PER PARTICIPANT MAY BE BROUGHT IN TO FACILITATE THE SURVIVAL OF THE COMPETITORS, the Kraken said. It sent a tentacle forth from the darkness. The giant appendage traveled toward their group with inhuman speed. Before any of them could react, the tentacle stopped right before Cha Ming’s body. IT IS THIS ONE WHO HAS FLOUTED THE RULES. SOUL-BOUND TREASURES ARE EXCEEDINGLY POWERFUL, AND HE HAS NOT ONE, BUT TWO OF THEM. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, HIS COMPANION IS A GODBEAST.
There were no rules against soul-bound weapons, and no instructions on Godbeasts, Gong Shuren protested.
CHAMPIONS ARE MEANT TO MAKE UP FOR DEFICIENCIES IN EXPERIENCE OR SKILLS, the Kraken said. BUT WITH ALL HIS ADVANTAGES, ARE THE SEA GOD TRIALS EVEN MEANINGFUL? DO THEY ACCOMPLISH THEIR AIM OF SELECTING THE MOST OUSTANDING TALENTS FROM EACH GENERATION? NO! THEREFORE, I HAVE TAKEN IT UPON MYSELF TO PUSH YOU ALL TO YOUR LIMITS. I FOLLOW THE SPIRIT OF THE RULES, NOT THEIR CHEAP MORTAL WRITINGS. IF YOU CAN’T AT LEAST EXCEED THIS NEW STANDARD WITH YOUR POWERFUL HELPERS, I CAN ONLY SHAKE MY HEAD IN DISAPPOINTMENT.
Unfortunate. That was the only word that could describe the situation. If Cha Ming had known this rule, he would have refused the Sea God Emperor’s request. He bowed to Gong Shuren in apology. But Gong Shuren wasn’t looking at him. She was frowning at the Kraken.
This rule was never explicitly stated, Gong Shuren said.
IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS, the Kraken replied.
But it wasn’t, Gong Shuren insisted. Now, instead of ensuring that the most capable descendant is chosen, you’re eliminating the most promising one.
Silence.
I demand to know what level of strength you’ll use to guard this gate,
