Apotheosis

Zen had met many people like Adler, and chose to ignore them instead of letting their negativity affect his choices during challenges like this.

Approximately eight disciples were participating in this round of the challenge. The challenge wasn't like other competitions though. Here, they needed each other to overcome all the obstacles that were in their way. If they had tried to fight their way individually, no one would pass this round. Everyone knew the situation very well. So, without hesitation, they united together, except Adler and his company who remained behind.

They continued to encounter terrifying, unusual creatures as they made their way from pillar to pillar. Every time they encountered a creature, they instantly formed a circle and eliminated it from all directions.

It went without saying that every disciple there was the strongest and the best one selected from their sect. A common disciple without any remarkable strength would never be able to make it this far. Even the two Iridescence Sect female disciples had extraordinary speed and flexibility, making it possible for them to avoid being attacked by the creatures while eliminating them swiftly. So united, all the disciples marched to the next high platform without much difficulty.

'This is the right way to do it. Those two from the Brumous Sect were idiots. It was crazy for me to think of them as teammates at first, ' Zen thought as he rushed along. In reality, none of them thought of one another as a teammate. They knew they had come together only to stay safe. It wouldn't be a surprise to any of them when the final competition started and the current truce ended with them drawing swords against each other.

"Look! Over there! What the hell is that?" one of the disciples yelled behind Zen, and rousing him from his thoughts.

Stopping immediately, Zen turned around to see what it was. His sharp eyes looked to where the disciple pointed. Not far in the distance, a stream of fluid lava rolled up, and sped towards them. Something gigantic was headed at them under the waves of lava.

The group shrank back at the sight as they won

ve believed it.

As surprised as they were by the mobula's indescribably hard tail, if they stood there, as though numb, the group would face inescapable disaster from this intelligent monster. As the disciples stood there transfixed, watching the man's second cut fail, the mobula had gotten close enough to attack him with its tail.

Needless to say, it would mean certain death if the mobula were to drag him down into the burning lava that would incinerate his flesh from his body.

While the other disciples stood there dumbstruck, Zen sensed the extreme danger and composed himself. Without hesitating, he pulled his Streamer Sword out and jumped high in the air as he raised his sword. The cold metal gleamed blindingly. As he came back down to the ground, he brought the Steamer Sword down, silently and swiftly onto the mobula tail in front of him.

Zen's blow struck nerve endings in the tail, leaving the evil fire mobula screeching in pain.

The mobula let out an ear-piercing shriek, and its long body twisted as it dived under the lava.

A piece of tail, once attached to the mobula, hung in the air for a moment before it crashed down onto the stone pillar.

It wasn't until then that the disciple being attacked realized that Zen had saved his life. He would be dead if not for Zen. Not knowing how to express his gratitude, the disciple just stared at Zen awestruck and full of gratitude.