The Sea of Shattered Expanse, the Seven Stars Alliance.
Whoosh—
The tide ebbed and flowed, crashing against the steep cliffs by the sea.
Upon the cliffs, intricate and profound runes were etched. A mage's tower, exuding an aura of immense prestige and nobility at first glance, had stood here for one to two thousand years.
Time seemed eternal for this blue and white tower.
The tower, hundreds of meters tall, was divided into numerous sectors. Within its walls, one could enjoy a life more opulent than that of royalty and access research conditions at the absolute pinnacle of the Sea of Shattered Expanse.
This was the island lord's tower of the Third Star Island Lord of the Seven Stars Alliance.
On the top floor of the tower,
A refined middle-aged man, wearing a monocle and a dark blue robe, held a chess piece and slowly made a move.
"Checkmate."
"Oh dear, oh dear, I've lost again."
Across from him, a young woman who appeared to be only twenty or thirty years old emitted a voice that was more cheerful than disappointed. Her attire was equally noble, adorned with strings of star-gem-like ornaments on her wrists, neck, and clothing, which tinkled with a crisp sound as she leaned forward and covered her mouth with a light laugh.
Judging solely by her appearance, it would be difficult for an outsider to imagine that this was the island lord of the Second Star Island of the Seven Stars Alliance, the Controller of Radiant Stars, the Witness of Starry Storms, the Favored of the Stars, Island Lord ‘Yao Cheng · Lu Suo Mi Xi Ya’.
Unlike the Third Star Island Lord, who remained secluded, she often traveled through the nations of the Sea of Shattered Expanse in her avatars, and her true form would occasionally appear in the bustling cities of other star islands, leaving behind countless legendary tales.
Yet, few people connected the protagonists of these legends to the lofty and mysterious Second Star Island Lord… to the extent that, in the eyes of most Seven Stars Alliance members, the Second Star Island Lord was as much of a recluse as the Third Star Island Lord.
Mu Xing, the demigod who was truly a recluse, looked at Island Lord Yao Cheng before him, who looked much younger than him and, at first glance, like an innocent woman. He did not dare to underestimate her. This elder sister was half a circle older than him, but as a descendant of ancient gods, her lifespan was far longer than that of conventional demigods, and she had advanced to godhood earlier, hence her youthful appearance… If one truly treated her as an innocent woman, she would demonstrate what true innocence entailed.
"Perhaps we should stop playing chess."
Island Lord Mu Xing said.
Despite being the winner, he never felt much pleasure from victory.
He wanted to find an excuse to dismiss this woman who was disturbing his stargazing, but he had already used hundreds of excuses over the past thousand years and couldn't think of a new one immediately. Moreover, the cooldown period for old excuses had not yet passed, so they were temporarily unusable.
Suddenly, Mu Xing’s eyes lit up slightly, and he quickly restrained himself before Yao Cheng could glance at him, clearing his throat as if nothing had happened.
"Ahem, important information has arrived. I have received confirmed news that a trial ground of the Kandra Empire has appeared in the Great Domain of Yellowed Ruins, and the trial is about to commence."
"Oh?"
The Third Island Lord paused and continued, "With the opening of a trial ground, our Seven Stars Alliance must certainly participate. Without further ado, we should notify the other islands and summon the geniuses who are currently abroad to return."
He quickly issued the orders, and the responses from the various islands were similar.
Contest, we must contest!
When it came to eradicating the source of disaster, they would procrastinate if they could, as it was a calamity with little reward and much trouble. Trial grounds were the opposite; they held little danger but immense rewards, making even mythical beings envious.
After all, most mythical beings in the Seven Stars Alliance had passed through trial grounds.
They possessed only one!
To be precise, the four major overlord powers of the Sea of Shattered Expanse jointly possessed one trial ground, numbered 233. Apart from the direct descendants of these four overlord powers, the cultivators of subordinate super-oases and great oases were also permitted to enter the trial ground by paying a price. But for those outside this circle, the door was closed.
"Trial Ground No. 404…" Island Lord Yao Cheng tapped her chin with her fingertip. "How many trial grounds did the Kandra Empire build back then? It seems not many have appeared in this era, though Kandra ruins are quite common."
She shook her head. There were many legends about the Kandra circulating in the world, but genuine information concerning the secrets of this empire was extremely scarce.
How strong was the Kandra Empire at its peak?
And why did this fearsome empire suddenly perish, leaving not even a trace of its bloodline? Was it truly related to evil gods?
They had no idea.
The only thing they knew was that the Kandra Empire's territory was vast, far exceeding that of the current super-oases. It seemed that this ancient empire did not possess oases but lands of radiance stretching for tens of thousands of miles.
Yet, such a vast territory vanished overnight, which made it even more intriguing.
Perhaps from this trial ground No. 404, they could glean some fragmented information.
Of course, historical secrets were secondary; what truly mattered were the rewards for passing the trial grounds. The content of the trials was unknown, but…
"It is rumored that Emperor Guanghui valued geniuses, thus he created various trial grounds,"
The Third Island Lord adjusted his monocle. "And the Kandra Empire's criteria for judging genius were only two: doing what others cannot, and… age!"
With these standards, the two island lords began to select talent.
Those titled Six-Awakenings who were not weak in combat but were advanced in age were to be disregarded. Such individuals were unsuitable for trial grounds and might not even be able to enter. It would be better to choose a few children who were merely at the non-human level.
The Seven Stars Alliance was a prosperous entity, with numerous younger generations renowned as geniuses among those below godhood. It was not difficult to select a group to test the waters.
As for those above godhood?
There was little talk of genius among those above godhood, as there were only a few mythical beings. However, in the era of the Kandra Empire, there seemed to be many mythical beings, and the criteria for the trial grounds followed Kandra standards, not current ones.
"The Kandra Empire might have been powerful, but the mythical beings of our Seven Stars Alliance are not weak, and…"
Demigod Mu Xing thought that their Seven Stars Alliance truly had geniuses.
Extremely young, and their combat power already surpassed that of veteran mythical beings – mythical geniuses!
The Twin Stars!
These two juniors, born with the blessing of the 'Lord of Stars', were now only in their thirties or forties? At most fifty, both were young children. At their age and with their strength, they were perfectly suited for trial grounds!
This trial ground No. 404 seemed tailor-made for them.
Island Lord Yao Cheng also thought of the Twin Stars. "It seems that this time, with the opening of the trial ground, our Seven Stars Alliance will take the lead."
…
The Ancient Moon Dynasty,
Madam Gong looked at the young girl before her, who bore an eight-tenths resemblance to her but was much younger and more tender, with a benevolent smile.
"Li'er, after years of arduous cultivation, it is time for you to emerge and showcase your talent to the entire Sea of Shattered Expanse. Your mother is proud of you."
The young mythical being adopted a serious expression.
She had divine blood flowing through her since birth, a child of gods born under the glory of heaven and earth. She would win glory and resources for the Ancient Moon Dynasty!
Looking at her daughter, on whom infinite hope had been placed since birth and who had received the full resources of the dynasty, Madam Gong smiled.
After Gong Li's combat system reached perfection, the dynasty already had plans to build momentum for her. After all, mythical beings also needed prestige, and dynasties needed fame.
And now, in Madam Gong's opinion…
This trial ground No. 404 seemed tailor-made for them.
…
The Crimson Lotus Empire,
Mythical being Eisvers gazed at the erupting volcano before him and the sturdy, bare-chested figure emerging from the lava flow, exclaiming excitedly, "Big Brother! You're out of seclusion?!"
The person before him had a bare chest inscribed with fiery red patterns, vaguely outlining the shape of a crimson lotus capable of burning everything. Those who gazed upon it felt waves of heat and an intense burning sensation on their skin.
This was the demigod seed of the Crimson Lotus Empire, Mythical Being Fu Ka Ni Si, the Pure World Crimson Lotus.
"Big Brother, this trial ground No. 404 emerging is definitely prepared for you. I wish you great fame!"
The bare-chested man nodded, the flames erupting from his pupils reflecting the sky in crimson.
…
The Great Maze City,
Mythical being Nie Rui Yi, a venerable, yawned. "A major event like a trial ground emerging! However, our Great Maze City doesn't have many geniuses, and we can't compete with the other three families."
"...It doesn't seem to matter much. Trial grounds apparently have no participant limits; as long as one can pass the trials, they will receive generous rewards. Moreover, the rewards for this type of timed trial ground are said to be even more abundant than those of the 'always-open' type like No. 233? I'm quite looking forward to it, *hu*."
"Eh? Vice City Lord?"
A man with broad shoulders, whose armor featured two dark cannon ports at the shoulders, strode over.
This was a top figure in the Great Maze City, the Lord of Kirke, the dependent of the Destroyer of Light, the Crusher of the Endless Darkness, the Lord of Destruction.
He lowered his head, looking at Nie Rui Yi, who only reached his waist, and laughed heartily, then mysteriously added,
"In the past, the Great Maze City was merely a placeholder among the four overlords of the Sea of Shattered Expanse. But this time… we happen to have our own genius."
"Just you wait, this trial journey will be the stage for the Great Maze City to display its strength."
"Trial Ground No. 404 appearing at this time is simply as if it was carefully prepared for us."
"Hahahaha—"
…
…
With the emergence of this trial ground, a mysterious voice spread far and wide, so the number of cultivators who learned of this news far exceeded that of the emergence of Trial Ground No. 233.
Even powers with some influence in the Sea of Shattered Expanse heard the news. Great oases found it difficult to travel to outer regions, so they found ways to hitch rides on the airships of super-powers, sending one or two geniuses aboard.
The Fiery Earth Core, the Eternal Frozen Soil… one great domain after another became excited.
What did the emergence of a trial ground signify? Those with insight knew it meant soaring to new heights. As long as they could pass the trials and bring back Kandra Empire technology and secret treasures! Even if they couldn't pass, they didn't need to worry about their personal safety. Kandra trial grounds were notoriously safe, with no situations that endangered the trial-takers.
There was no need to hesitate.
Especially since the trial ground was about to open and its duration was unknown… all powers were anxious, quickly selecting people and knocking on the doors of their ancestors' secluded training grounds, departing immediately for the Great Domain of Yellowed Ruins.
The Falling Star Great Domain was not within the range of the mysterious voice's broadcast. However, as the Burning Flame Market already gathered many merchants and mercenaries from the Sea of Shattered Expanse, the news of the trial ground's emergence spread soon after and was quickly learned by the oases of the Falling Star Great Domain.
Oasis after oasis became busy.
The two mythical beings of Falling Star City were somewhat conflicted.
There were unknown minions of evil gods lurking around their doorstep, causing them immense worry. Yet, the allure of the trial ground ruins was too great to ignore.
They were caught in a dilemma. At this very moment, life was difficult for them.
"By the way, what about the Burning Flame Chamber of Commerce's choice?"
"Grandfather, it seems the mythical beings of Burning Flame have all… have all gone."
"???"
How dared they! Did they not care about their homeland anymore?
Wait, could it be that the Burning Flame Chamber of Commerce had used the excuse of the trial ground's emergence to move their entire household and leave the dangerous Falling Star Great Domain?
"Dean Rose and the First Tower Master also seem to be heading to the trial ground, we…"
After much deliberation, the two mythical beings of the Falling Star Great Domain felt they still had to go!
After all, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If they could obtain some treasures or technologies that would significantly enhance their strength, wouldn't they have more confidence in dealing with the evil god minions wandering within their domain?
Go early and return early, do not linger too long!
Having made up their minds, they planned for one to stay behind and one to go to the trial ground.
But when he thought of the three to four mythical beings from the Burning Flame Chamber of Commerce accompanying them, and then considered that he would be crossing the inter-domain lands alone, Bo Lai Ze Meng felt a pang of sadness.
Utterly heartbroken _(:з」∠)_ .
…
To the even greater heartbreak of a certain Falling Star mythical being: this time, the Burning Flame Chamber of Commerce was not just accompanied by three or four mythical beings, but a full six.
Dean Rose and the First Tower Master also wanted to hitch a ride.
Of course, their identities as official members of the Spark organization were kept secret – low profile was the key when the organizational strength was insufficient. However, the Sword Flower City and the Black Stone Alliance had close cooperation with the Burning Flame Chamber of Commerce, so the three parties formed a team to cross the inter-domain lands together, which was perfectly reasonable.
Not only the Sword Flower City and the two allied forces, but also the Scorching Flame Great Oasis, the Surging Wave City-state, and even the White Tower sought to travel with the Chamber of Commerce, with some powers offering substantial travel fees.
Bai Yan Si, who was in charge, did not accept all of them, only accepting the young geniuses from some closely related factions and recommending other factions to affiliated top mercenary groups under the Mission Guild, achieving a triple win.
At this time, various powers were in full swing preparing for this expedition.
In a training ground equipped with Spark machinery in the Black Stone Alliance.
Yi Yue Lu Xi sat on a stone slab, her face alternately flushed, pale, and contorted in pain. After a long while, her eyes opened, revealing a lingering golden divine radiance.
Simultaneously, a ethereal and dreamlike moonlit scene appeared around her, suffused with unfathomable power.
"I… I have advanced to godhood!"
"Advanced in one go! And…"
She extended her hands, and in a moment, she drew strands of bright moonlight from the ethereal and dreamlike scenery around her. The moonlight transformed into an exquisite and sacred longbow in her hands.
"It seems I've suddenly learned many new skills. Is this also a gift from my mentor?"
Looking at the silver mark in her hand, Yi Yue Lu Xi was lost in confusion.
…
On Blue Star, Fang, a certain individual, finally managed to get out of bed after several days of lying down. He was looking through some documents related to the trial grounds.
"The Kandra Empire's technology is far ahead of the current era. Many of the foundations and technologies of current oases are related to the Kandra Empire; this shows the immense value of this empire's ruins."
"Not to mention, trial grounds are the most precious type among Kandra ruins."
Their Blue Star had also unearthed ruins related to Kandra. The damaged White Shark-class airship discovered by the former White Eagle Federation was an example.
After much thought…
To be precise, after thinking for a second, Fang decided that everyone would go and hitch a ride to this trial ground. Limited intelligence indicated that the more people there were, the greater the chance of bringing back treasures and technical data from the trial ground.
"Furthermore, at the trial ground, we might learn more about evil gods, and… perhaps even uncover the process of the Kandra Empire's god-slaying war."
He could roughly guess that the Kandra Empire perished in a god-slaying war. After all, the Kandra Empire manufactured 18 god-slaying weapons not for display, but to clearly declare their intent to battle evil gods.
However, there was still too little information, and history was shrouded in darkness.
The water in this world was too deep; he needed to uncover more secrets.
"As for the safety of the Burning Flame Chamber of Commerce and Spark Oasis…"
It was not a major problem.
Although all their mythical beings had rushed to the trial ground, Fang had left several of his divine thought avatars at the oasis.
While his divine thought avatars might not reach the mythical rank, with their profound control and peak skills, a single avatar could contend with a weak mythical being, which was not an issue.
Moreover, didn't they still have Little Huan? Little Huan could always shuttle back at any time.
Even more so, after acquiring the crimson treasure 'Dimensional Palace', they could enter the palace, and Little Huan could bring them back with a single click.
However, the Burning Flame Chamber of Commerce needed to maintain a semblance of normalcy, hence the need to personally traverse the inter-domain lands.
As for their 'Spark,' they could enter as a mysterious organization at the time. Therefore, there was no need to rush; when Xing Jing Lei and the others arrived in the Great Domain of Yellowed Ruins, he would summon An Jian You, Hei Dao, and the others, and teleport there using the Dimensional Palace, saving the tedious travel time.
Perfect~!
…
…
In the Great Domain of Yellowed Ruins, outside the trial ground, the white light curtain still enveloped the cluster of towering buildings, but the Sunset Kingdom's camp, once set up around it, was no longer visible. Over a month ago, Twilight Hand had regretfully ordered the removal of all obstructive facilities.
As for now,
He narrowed his eyes, scanning the numerous hidden locations in the distance, and couldn't help but be shocked. Although he was mythical, he had never seen such a large number of mythical beings gathered in one place. The temptation of the trial ground was too strong, too strong!
And around them were many super-powers he couldn't recognize.
Fortunately, some mythical beings were quite talkative, and their conversations were not very guarded. Twilight Hand listened attentively.
"The leader of the Seven Stars Alliance this time is the legendary Second Star Island Lord, but this elder has not appeared… *Achoo*!" Da Feng Novel Network
"Look, that's Chen Tian Xuan, the Radiant Sword Saint of the Ancient Moon Chen Clan! He is a very young mythical being, a genius among mythical beings. He will definitely be among the top contenders for this trial ground."
"Yun Ji, the Princess of Flowing Water from the Court of Quiet Nights, is also a very young mythical being. Unfortunately, I heard she hasn't been a mythical being for long, so her combat system probably isn't as complete and will be a step behind,"
Evaluated an old mythical being with extensive connections and broad vision.
He spotted a flying boat approaching from the sky and his eyes lit up, "It's the Burning Flame Chamber of Commerce, as expected, people from this chamber of commerce have also arrived… Oh wow, three mythical beings at once!"
"Burning Flame Chamber of Commerce?"
This name was clearly unknown in mythical circles.
The old mythical being smiled mysteriously, "Don't underestimate this chamber of commerce. There are rumors that it is an emerging power supported by a major figure. We'll set aside those matters for now. As for the three mythical beings of Burning Flame themselves, they are all very young mythical beings."
"Not only young, but the combat power of these three mythical beings is quite impressive, each stronger than the last. I bet they will shine brightly in the Kandra trials, and their fame might even overshadow the top mythical beings of the four overlords… after all, the trial criteria are related to age."
The young mythical being realized with a sudden enlightenment, and his eyes revealed fervent fighting spirit.
Suddenly, he saw a colossal object flying from a distance and landing a few kilometers away from the ruins. Soon after, a group of extraordinary men and women emerged from it.
"What faction is that? They look very powerful."
The knowledgeable old mythical being looked over, his eyes flashing with astonishment. "It's actually a Kandra Empire White Shark-class airship! But the emblem on the airship…"
He couldn't recognize it.
After all, he was not an encyclopedia, and he wouldn't recognize small factions from obscure corners. It was not impossible for small factions to acquire legendary Kandra airships.
The old mythical being thought so, but the next moment his body trembled. "One mythical being, two mythical beings, three mythical beings, four mythical beings…"
Most super-powers only had one or two mythical beings present.
Fewer mythical beings did not necessarily mean a weaker power. But more mythical beings definitely indicated an extremely strong power. Even the Burning Flame Chamber of Commerce, with all its young mythical beings, was not to be underestimated. Moreover, in his sight, there were… a full six mythical beings emanating divine aura from this faction!
"But the emblem of this faction, and these mythical beings… I don't recognize any of them!"
"Who in the world is this!"
Some people from the camps of the four overlord powers cast surprised glances.
But they were merely glances.
At present, the attention of the mythical beings was still focused on the trial ground ruins, counting down the remaining time.
Buzz—
A faint hum echoed through heaven and earth. The tips of the towering lighthouses once again erupted with brilliant radiance, and the white light curtain that had sealed the surroundings gradually dissipated. The central dome building also slowly opened a door emitting light, but its interior was indistinguishable.
"Welcome to Trial Ground No. 404. I am the Trial Officer, 'Ruo'."