Saint Emperor Devourer of Heaven

A knight?

Jun Wuxie was taken aback; the guardian of the ultimate trial was somewhat different from what he had expected.

This knight didn't seem like an evolution of order, but more like a being of flesh and blood.

However, he could clearly sense a rich power of order flowing within the knight's body.

"What realm is he in?"

He carefully scrutinized the knight with his Primordial True Eyes, but after repeated observation, he still couldn't determine it.

The knight gave him a very strange feeling; his realm and the intensity of his talent growth seemed to fluctuate vaguely, sometimes resembling the Middle Heavenly Realm, sometimes the Greater Heavenly Realm, drifting uncertainly.

But one thing was certain.

The knight guarding the ultimate trial was very strong, giving him a deep sense of crisis.

He noticed that beneath the knight's feet, at the position where his steed stood, there was an array diagram. The warhorse stood inside the array diagram.

Besides that array diagram, there were four identical array diagrams to its left and right, arranged horizontally at a constant distance, but those array diagrams didn't have knights on them.

He stared at the knight, pondering for a moment, then turned his head to look left and right.

Across the distant sky, his Primordial True Eyes could see the other paths of trials.

He saw the Dragon Maiden and the young supreme from the Ancient Gold Mine, currently passing the forty-eighth trial.

The number of guardians they faced wasn't too many, clearly indicating that they had chosen a very low difficulty, rushing to reach the ultimate trial as quickly as possible.

Similarly, he saw the people of the Four Supreme Dominators, currently at the forty-seventh trial, having chosen the most ordinary mode.

However, those people couldn't see him until they reached the ultimate trial.

"Choosing such a difficulty, they will soon arrive before the ultimate trial. I must keep the initiative in my own hands and not let them ruin it..."

Jun Wuxie pondered this, then spoke to the air: "Order Manager, I have a question I would like to ask."

"Jun Wuxie, what is your question? As long as it doesn't violate the rules, I can answer it for you."

The voice of order echoed in the air.

"It shouldn't be a violation of the rules; it's just a very ordinary question." He pointed to the ultimate trial ahead and said, "Is this trial the same as the previous ones? After activating the trial guardian, if one retreats from the platform, will the guardian no longer pursue?"

"Correct. Under normal circumstances, that is the rule. However, if the guardian's overall damage resistance drops below half, it will no longer be possible to avoid pursuit in this way. Also, while the guardian's damage resistance remains above half, if the challenger retreats from the challenge platform, the guardian's damage resistance will gradually recover over time."

"So, you mean that if the damage resistance drops below fifty percent, every trial path will become a battlefield?"

"Yes, but the pursuit range is limited to the ultimate trial area. Once the ultimate trial is activated, the barrier connecting the forty-ninth trial to the ultimate trial will be completely sealed, and challengers will not be able to return to the forty-ninth trial platform."

"What does that mean? If I activate the ultimate trial now, others will be blocked at the forty-ninth trial and will no longer be able to reach the ultimate trial?"

"They can choose for themselves. When the ultimate trial is activated, the trial guardians on each path will disappear. At that time, they will have the opportunity to choose, either to be directly guided to the ultimate trial or to choose to watch from the forty-ninth trial platform."

Jun Wuxie: ...

He was somewhat speechless. Wouldn't the time he gained be wasted?

He was even thinking of using that time to cultivate more.

The Order Manager added, "The ultimate trial is a public trial. Once the difficulty mode is selected, it is shared by all trial paths."

"So, if I choose the Despair Mode, then everyone else who wants to challenge the ultimate trial can only participate in the Despair Mode that I chose, and they cannot choose a difficulty to challenge on their own, is that right?"

This was roughly the same as what he had guessed earlier. He had such concerns, fearing that once someone selected a difficulty mode, everyone would be locked into that difficulty mode.

He would definitely choose the Despair Mode, so he absolutely couldn't let others choose first. If someone chose another difficulty, then it would be impossible for him to obtain the resources that could only be dropped in the Despair Mode.

"Correct."

The Order Manager gave a definite answer.

"I understand."

Jun Wuxie nodded, turned around, and returned to the forty-ninth trial platform.

Yue Chenyu was still inside and hadn't come out yet. He wasn't in a hurry, so he waited quietly outside the magic array, taking the opportunity to refine the holy source and cultivate.

Based on the situation when he left the Limit Breaking Secret Realm, Yue Chenyu should be able to advance to the Fourth Level of the Eternal Legend very soon. The time definitely wouldn't be too long, and he wouldn't have to wait too long.

After about half a day, Yue Chenyu walked out of the Limit Breaking Secret Realm.

She had finally broken through and had now advanced to the Fourth Level of the Eternal Legend, her strength greatly improved.

"Let's go, let's activate the ultimate trial first."

He put away the magic array, the secret realm evolved inside dissipated, the magic array quickly shrank, and finally turned into a speck of light, disappearing into his palm.

"Activate the ultimate trial now? Shouldn't we wait until we break through our realms?"

Yue Chenyu followed Jun Wuxie onto the steps leading to the ultimate trial, feeling puzzled in her heart.

"Activate the ultimate trial first and then break through our realms. This trial is a public trial and not a trial exclusively enjoyed by each trial path..."

Jun Wuxie informed her of the situation, and Yue Chenyu understood why he was so anxious. He was afraid that someone would preemptively choose another difficulty mode and activate the trial.

Soon, they arrived at the small platform in front of the ultimate trial.

Yue Chenyu stopped, while Jun Wuxie continued forward, stepping onto the ultimate trial challenge platform.

"Welcome Jun Wuxie and Yue Chenyu to the ultimate trial. Please select the challenge mode below."

The voice of the Order Manager rang out, and at the same time, the light of order flashed, condensing the difficulty mode options in the air.

At the same time, the voice of order echoed above every trial path.

"Warning! Warning!"

Everyone looked up at the sky, wondering why the voice of order suddenly issued a warning.

"Warning! Jun Wuxie and Yue Chenyu have arrived at the ultimate trial challenge platform and are about to select the ultimate trial difficulty mode!"

Immediately, the Dragon Maiden and the three young supremes of the Ancient Gold Mine revealed expressions of astonishment.

That Jun Wuxie was going to activate the ultimate trial so quickly!

Didn't he need to spend time breaking through his realm?

Did he already have enough confidence to pass the trial?

"Damn it! That Jun guy didn't spend time cultivating before the ultimate trial, and he's actually going to start the challenge directly?"

The faces of the people from the Four Supreme Dominators were unsightly, and the fire of jealousy in their hearts had already burned to the extreme.

Then, they sneered: "That's good too. Let him fight with the ultimate guardian first. When his energy is exhausted, we can take the opportunity to attack and kill him more easily, right?"

"Well said, we'll sit back and watch the tigers fight, reaping the benefits of the fisherman. Let him fight to the death, hahaha!"

...

"Warning! Jun Wuxie and Yue Chenyu have activated the Despair Mode difficulty of the ultimate trial! All trials before the ultimate trial on all trial paths have stopped! The difficulty of the ultimate trial is shared, and it is a public challenge trial. Once activated, all those who attempt to challenge can only participate in the challenge of the Despair Mode!"

As the voice of order fell, those who were passing the trials suddenly found that the targets in front of them had disappeared, scattering into a rain of orderly light.

"I XX!"

After a brief daze, the people from the Four Supreme Dominators immediately burst into curses.

"That damned guy chose the Despair Mode. This is forcibly binding us. How can we pass?"

"Order Manager, this is unfair. How can someone force their will upon us?"

"We are all here to pass the trials. Why should he be allowed to choose the difficulty for us?"

"We protest. We want to choose the difficulty ourselves!"

...

They were so angry that they almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.

The Despair Mode of the ultimate trial?

The Hell Mode of the previous trials was already very perverted, let alone the Despair Mode of the ultimate trial. There was no way to challenge it.

"Protests are invalid. The rules of this Golden Scale Secret Realm are such. You are not as fast as others in passing the trials. You should find the reason in yourselves, not blame the rules for being unfair."

The voice of order replied faintly.

"We are not as fast as others in passing the trials? Order Manager, do you think we don't know? That Jun Wuxie is cheating. He must have used the trump card given by the Military Saint, otherwise how could he have done this?"

"As the Order Manager of the Secret Realm, you should maintain the minimum fairness, but you are letting that Jun cheat, and now you are letting him forcibly impose his will on all of us. What is the reason for this?"

...

The voice of order was silent for a moment, then said: "The difficulty of the ultimate trial is shared, and it is a public trial. This was set by the Lord of the Secret Realm and cannot be changed. As for your questioning Jun Wuxie's cheating, what do you want to do?"

The people from the Four Supreme Dominators were overjoyed, and the tone of the Order Manager seemed promising?

"His cheating is contempt for the principle of order and fairness in the Golden Scale Secret Realm and should be given a severe punishment, such as cutting off the realm he improved by cheating to obtain resources!"

"Although he used cheating methods to obtain a large number of illegitimate rewards, we don't want to punish him too cruelly. Cut off the realm he improved in this Golden Scale Secret Realm, beat him half to death, and imprison his military talisman so that he can no longer sacrifice his military talisman. That's it."

The people from the Four Supreme Dominators looked magnanimous.

The Order Manager said: "Is the seal on you cheaters? How should I punish you?"

Suddenly, the faces of the people from the Four Supreme Dominators changed instantly.

These Sealers hadn't displayed the strength of the Great Celestial Realm, always controlling their strongest power at the level of the Middle Celestial Realm's Great Perfection throughout their trials.

They thought the Order Manager hadn't seen through their disguise, but they didn't expect to have been discovered long ago.

"This… Order Manager, we're different. Although we have Great Celestial Realm experts, we've always sealed our cultivation and never displayed Great Celestial Realm strength, always fighting at the level of the Middle Celestial Realm!"

"Jun Wuxie's cheating method is different. He used the Military Saint's War Talisman. The Military Saint was a mythical-level invincible expert. Using the War Talisman to pass the trials is completely relying on external force. All the achievements are unrelated to his own strength. This behavior is extremely egregious!"

"There's no need to mention punishment. If you think he's cheating with the War Talisman, I can place an Order Seal on him to ensure he can no longer use it."

The Order's voice responded in this way.

The people from the Four Supreme Dominators pretended to be unwilling, but they sneered inwardly.

Without the War Talisman, what would Jun Wuxie use to fight them?

This time, killing Jun Wuxie was without any suspense. He was bound to die, and the resources gained from completing the Despair Mode difficulty would fall into their hands.

Thinking of this, they almost laughed out loud.

"All Challengers, you now have two choices. The first choice is to be directly guided to the Final Trial's gate to participate in the Final Trial challenge and competition; the second choice is to be guided to the forty-ninth level challenge platform to witness the final challenge as spectators. Please make your choice within one moment."

The Order's voice fell, and two options evolved from Order appeared in front of the Challengers on each trial path.

…

At the same time.

On the Final Trial's challenge platform, the formation diagram that originally had no knights lit up with dazzling light, like summoning arrays, each summoning a knight.

Having selected the difficulty mode, the knights' cultivation and talent growth intensity were no longer fluctuating.

Jun Wuxie used his Primordial True Eye to see their cultivation and talent growth intensity.

Late stage of the Great Celestial Realm, Triple Peak of the Ancient Legend!

A full nine knights, all with the same cultivation and growth intensity.

The corner of Jun Wuxie's eye twitched fiercely. The moment the knights revived, he retreated and left the challenge platform, returning to the small platform outside.

The revived nine knights, holding blood-light-flowing spears, glanced at him coldly, and then returned to silence, motionless like statues.