On the vast and boundless great plains, the battles of myths and demigods erupted successively.
In an instant, the plains collapsed piece by piece. Some turned into lava seas, others formed vast oceans. The clear sky also changed its colors, filled with torrents of various energies, obscuring the sight of the myths.
Hundreds of myths and over thirty demigods fighting in the same region, such a scene was rarely seen even in tens of thousands of years.
"Even in the empire's most glorious period, there couldn't have been such a spectacle."
The elder with squinted eyes sighed.
Their Seven Awakening Myths of the Kandela Empire naturally numbered far more than a few hundred, but it was rare to gather them all at once. Even during large-scale myth-level trials, at most, it was a canyon battle of 5 vs. 5.
Their original trial plan included '5 vs. 5' as an option.
This could test the trial participants' individual strength, team awareness, leadership, strategy, and other qualities.
However, the trial plan provided by Master Chi Tianzhu's teacher was much simpler and more brutal.
It was simply: free-for-all.
But would the trial really be that simple?
The elder raised his eyebrows and discovered the hidden meaning. "On the surface, this free-for-all has no rule restrictions, but this is precisely what highlights a person's combat competence."
"Besides personal strength, this free-for-all mode also tests a person's eyesight, to find prey suitable for them to attack, and avoid stronger hunters... this is the implicit assessment criterion for this trial... the second."
"The third point is combat awareness, whether to fight, to hide, to maneuver, or to cooperate, all within a single thought."
This was in line with their own ideas.
The elder also noticed a crucial point.
The distribution of the trial participants followed a pattern, continuously strengthening from west to east. The weakest myths were delivered to the westernmost end of the battlefield, while the mere twenty to thirty demigods were located on the eastern side, separated by a distance from the myth battlefield.
However, the separation was merely spatial. Both myths and demigods were within the same trial ground.
That is to say, demigods could cast aside their peers and charge into the myth pool to fish, which was also a choice.
"Then..." The elder glanced at Fang You without a sound, "What is the intention behind this arrangement?"
He could, of course, ask directly.
But as trial officials, especially the three highest-ranking ones, Yuan, Wei, and Lan, they all had their pride. As dignified trial officials, could they not see through a trial's inner workings? This was their professional domain!
The elder stared at the trial ground screen and saw various demigods making different choices, and suddenly he understood.
"Temperament."
"Ability."
If a dignified demigod were to lower himself to kill myths, would such a temperament qualify him to lead humanity?
If a demigod entered the myth battlefield and still couldn't defeat a group of myths, then both his temperament and ability would be insufficient.
...
Myth battlefield, eastern side.
A demigod manifestation, reaching to the heavens and earth, stood tall. It extended a palm that could seemingly envelop the entire world and smashed down with a roar.
"Hahaha, come again, you're just tickling me!"
Inside the ten-thousand-meter-tall manifestation, a middle-aged demigod in ornate robes looked at the burly man with a bare chest, who seemed unfazed even by his full-force attack, his face turning ashen.
"These trial participants are mostly myths with only one divinity, but this doesn't mean they are weak, only that they are too young."
"And now, they have an opportunity. The most outstanding one or two among them might have kill counts that could catch up to demigods."
Initially, they felt that the one who proposed such a simple and brutal trial method was not entirely appropriate, but unexpectedly, there were so many subtleties hidden within this simple trial.
Wait, could there be subtleties they hadn't figured out?
Upon closer inspection, there really were!
Lan's gaze fell upon one of the battlefields. There, over a dozen human myths were besieging a reincarnated ancient god, already gaining the upper hand.
Was this unfair? Perhaps.
But the reincarnated ancient god, from the moment he entered the trial grounds, carried himself with the arrogance of an ancient god, clearly distinguishing himself from humans. At this moment, being ambushed could only be considered within reason.
Moreover,
"So that's how it is."
"Half of these myths come from the hegemonic forces of the Broken Sea, and the other half originate from human forces closely connected to the four overlords... this is the basis for their close cooperation."
"This not only demonstrates the ability of the leading myth but also highlights another crucial element..."
When you're out in the world, you need connections!
Otherwise, no matter how outstanding a myth or demigod is, without the support of a vast network of influence, how could they fully realize the true value of the Kandela legacy?
This individual had even considered this.
Lan, the trial official, glanced at the white-robed youth, secretly astonished: As expected of Master Chi Tianzhu's teacher.
...
As expected of me, a simple arrangement unleashed the full value of the Tower of Combat.
Fang You watched, a smile appearing on his face.
He had indeed made a tiny bit of manipulation, aiming for more 'evenly matched' battles. This way, the trial participants could drop more concept light clusters.
He had also deliberately spread out his own strong subordinates.
Not to avoid infighting, but because too much infighting made it difficult to drop concept light clusters.
Plan successful.
He hoped that this trial would be able to completely extract the value of these powerhouses.
"Since there are no flaws in the trial rules, then I should also enter. After all, I am one of the trial participants... Don't worry, I've left a clone here, and you can contact the clone directly if anything comes up."
The three trial officials: "???"
They looked at the white-robed youth standing beside Master Chi Tianzhu, then at the trial participants in their chaotic battle, large question marks appearing above their foreheads.
Are you... being a little too casual?
Or, wait, could there be another detail in this trial that we haven't discovered?
The three trial officials fell into contemplation again.
...
Although their thoughts were flying like snowflakes, the trial officials like 'Yuan' were extremely professional. They could multitask, their gaze firmly fixed on each trial participant.
Problems needed to be pondered, but their core duty of observing trial participants and scoring them could not be neglected.
They evaluated them one by one, occasionally exchanging comments, and gradually revealed looks of surprise.
Lan spoke, "I must take back what I said earlier. Although the number of trial participants in this batch is not large, and most of them are quite mediocre, there are still quite a few good seedlings among them."
Wei chimed in, "Indeed, they are much stronger than we anticipated."
He switched to a screen.
On it, a burly bald mage in a cassock was wielding a nine-ringed staff, continuously beating three myths before him, projecting an invincible aura of one person surrounding three.
Wei then marked this trial participant.
Brave and skilled, this trial participant would not have been weak even during the Kandela period.
"Master Mingdeng is good, just a bit too aggressive in his fighting style."
Trial official Wei glanced sideways.
So, this trial participant was in the same faction as Master Chi Tianzhu, no wonder.
With Master Chi Tianzhu's guidance and the presence of this mysterious adult, such performance was not surprising.
Trial official Lan spoke, "Look at this. This trial participant is even stronger. Her realm is clearly very low, yet she single-handedly suppressed over ten genius myths."
Within the trial grounds, various disasters such as lava, tsunamis, and collapsing heavens and earth were unfolding, but only this area was lush with trees.
In the verdant sea of trees, a woman with three thousand strands of black hair like a waterfall sat before a colossal, sky-piercing tree. Around her, amidst the sea of trees, trial participants who intruded into this area were entangled by vines and dragged down into the abyss.
"This trial participant's combat strategy is very steady. She can retreat calmly even when facing a strong enemy. Most importantly, this sea of trees is too powerful; even a demigod wouldn't be able to defeat her quickly."
This trial participant was even more outstanding.
If she were young enough, she might have been the most outstanding person of this session.
"The fruit cultivated by Sister Liu is very delicious."
Chi Yan was a little greedy.
Trial official Lan glanced sideways.
Was this a matter of deliciousness? Wait, speaking of which, was this trial participant also...
"Speaking of being able to rival demigods with a myth's body, there are indeed some in this session,"
Trial official Yuan said.
He brought up the combat footage of Xing Jinglei and Yi Luoxi.
"Either one of these two could fight a demigod to a draw." And not a weak demigod.
"And they seem to know each other, possibly from the same faction."
This was a plus point in their eyes.
Chi Yan thought for a moment and said, "It seems to be Xing Jinglei and Yi Luoxi."
"Yes." Mentor Fang nodded.
Trial official Yuan glanced sideways.
"?"
Are these two also your... generals from this adult's faction?
The trial participants who stood out early on were all related to this adult.
However, the outstanding trial participants in this session were not limited to these few. He discovered several more, a dozen or so, individuals with unimaginable cross-level combat abilities, true prodigies.
"I can't quite see through this trial participant. Her killing moves are likely some kind of illusion ability."
"Oh, you mean Qianqiu."
Wei: "..."
"This trial participant is a spiritual entity of illusion, but she is much stronger than the other one. Not just in combat skills, but their application of spatial power is worlds apart."
"Oh, Xiao Huan's progress is quite fast."
Lan: "..."
"This trial participant possesses extremely formidable combat intent. The more she fights, the stronger she becomes, as if forging an invincible path, completely suppressing other demigods."
"It's Xidina. An environment where she can freely find opponents and continuously battle is exactly what she dreams of."
Yuan: "..."
Something seems off here!
So, the trial participants who performed outstandingly in this assessment were all from your... from your adult's faction.
This is perfectly reasonable... except for the fact that it's not!!! ∑(ﾟДﾟノ)ノ.
Human factions in this era were already very fragmented, with limited power, resources, and technology. Moreover, these outstanding seedlings they had noticed were in different regions from the very beginning, so they would never have thought of them belonging to the same faction.
Wait,
So that's how it is.
This adult, despite being the manipulator of the trial grounds, had separated his own geniuses. The adult was avoiding suspicion, and more importantly, upholding fairness and justice.
Even when the adult entered the trial grounds, he only picked on a few minor demigods, while in comparison...
Some high-ranking demigods were too disappointing.
...
The trial officials observed from various perspectives, seeing very clearly, but the myth and demigod powerhouses within the trial grounds could only experience peril and excitement.
No one dared to claim invincibility, no one dared to claim to be undefeated.
Even the top-tier demigod powerhouses had to tread carefully on this battlefield.
The arrogant reincarnated ancient gods showed some respect towards the human geniuses, and some reincarnated ancient gods were defeated by humans of the same level in one-on-one battles.
"Possessing the law of power at the mere myth realm, you cannot be human. Who is this ancient god returning?"
"I have always been human, and just an ordinary Fire Keeper in the organization."
The young man lifted his hood, no longer looking back, and his figure disappeared into particles of light.
He moved on to his next target.
Some trial participants rejoiced, while others were dejected.
A few hours later, the first round of trials was announced to be over.
However, whether they were still in the arena or had been eliminated, regardless of their kill counts... any trial participant had the chance to participate in the second round.
Upon hearing this news, many trial participants breathed a sigh of relief.
This meant they still had a chance.
Everything was possible.
Mentor Fang looked at the mountains of concept light clusters accumulated at the top of the Tower of Combat, showing a satisfied smile like an old farmer.
He still thought with a hint of dissatisfaction, "If even stronger beings could fight within the tower, it would be even more wonderful."