Jiang Lin didn't answer; he simply raised his right hand, and the Eight Extremities Holy Sword appeared in his grasp.
At the same time, golden holy light, deep blue ice soul power, and a wisp of dark red blood energy intertwined upon the blade.
Three powers, three origins, achieving a delicate balance on the sword's body.
He was showing his trump card.
Beyond what he had just displayed, he possessed even more powerful killing moves.
“If you aren't going to make a move, then I'm leaving.”
Jiang Lin turned, and with a flash of his figure, he sped toward the depths of the rift valley.
Neither the “Holy Son” nor the “Soul Devourer” pursued him.
The former simply stood in place, his dark red robes fluttering in the wind.
The latter slowly descended, landing at the edge of the rift, his gaze through the mask's eye sockets fixed on the direction where Jiang Lin had vanished.
Deep within the rift, the darkness was as thick as ink.
Jiang Lin leaped between the steep rock walls several times before landing steadily on the valley floor.
Beneath his feet were smooth black stone slabs, with dark red, lava-like liquid flowing through the cracks, emitting a scorching heat.
Ahead stood a massive circular altar.
The altar was over fifty meters in diameter, constructed from countless black rocks. Its surface was densely covered in runes that flowed with dark red light, writhing like living things.
At the very top of the altar, a fist-sized dark red crystal was suspended.
The dark red light inside the crystal throbbed like a heart, and each pulse sent a slight tremor through the surrounding air.
Jiang Lin walked to the edge of the altar and looked up at the crystal.
He could feel an incredibly vast amount of energy contained within it—far more powerful than any Demon Lord Seed he had absorbed before.
“What... is this?”
He raised his hand, and just as he was about to touch it, a warning sign flared in his mind.
Through the perception of Phantom Step · Shadow Wind, he felt an aura approaching from behind.
It wasn't fast, but it was exceptionally steady, with every footstep landing perfectly on the beat of his own heart.
Jiang Lin turned around.
The “Holy Son” stood about thirty meters behind him, his dark red robes fluttering in the wind, his face still hidden beneath the hood.
“Do you know what that is?”
The “Holy Son” spoke. His voice was unexpectedly young, even carrying a hint of gentleness.
“The core of the Abyss Corridor, the ‘Demon Lord's Heart.’ The seeds of all participants will eventually gather here. Whoever can devour it will complete the trial and receive the Demon God’s Blessing.”
Jiang Lin once again condensed the Eight Extremities Holy Sword, a terrifying aura radiating from his body.
“Then are you going to fight me for it?”
“Actually, you don't need to be in such a rush.
“I have participated in the Demon Lord Trial three times, but I have never absorbed it in the end.”
The Holy Son’s voice was calm.
Jiang Lin’s brow furrowed slightly.
Participating in the Demon Lord Trial three times and still being alive to stand here was a testament to his strength.
“Then why haven't you absorbed it?”
“Because I don't want to.”
The Holy Son walked forward a few steps, stopping about fifteen meters from Jiang Lin.
He raised his hand and slowly pulled back his hood.
Jiang Lin finally saw his face.
He was a young man, seemingly in his early twenties, with delicate features and pale skin. His eyes were dark brown, reflecting the dark red light of the altar.
There was a thin, long scar beneath his left eye, stretching from the corner to his cheekbone, adding a touch of sharpness to his otherwise gentle face.
“My name is Ethan,” he said. “I was once an apostle of god as well.”
Jiang Lin didn't respond, simply watching him quietly.
Ethan continued:
“Later, I discovered that the path of an apostle of god ends in becoming a puppet of the deities. I didn't want to be a puppet, so I defected.”
“So you joined the secret cult?”
“The secret cult? No.” Ethan shook his head. “I merely borrow their power. The secret cult, the demon gods, the temple... they are all just tools. A truly powerful person shouldn't be bound by any faction.”
He raised his right hand, palm up.
A wisp of dark red light emerged in his palm, containing a thick aura of pollution—identical to the evil god Jiang Lin had seen on Planet Teluofuto.
“This is the power of an evil god,” Ethan said. “It's more bizarre and dangerous than the power of the deities. But as long as you master certain techniques, you can control it.”
Jiang Lin stared at the wisp of dark red light and remained silent for a moment.
“Why are you telling me all this? What do you want?”
“Cooperation.”
Ethan withdrew the light and looked directly at Jiang Lin.
“The final stage of the Demon Lord Trial requires two people to activate the altar simultaneously. One person cannot do it alone. I’ve participated three times, and each time I failed because I couldn't find a suitable partner.”
“So you want me to cooperate with you?”
“Exactly.” Ethan nodded. “In return, I can tell you how to use the powers of an apostle of god and a Demon Lord Seed simultaneously without being discovered by the deities.”
Jiang Lin remained silent.
What Ethan said could be the truth, or it could be a trap.
But one thing was certain: the final stage of the Demon Lord Trial did indeed require two people to activate the altar.
The altar had two rune indentations, symmetrically placed, clearly designed for two people.
“Fine,” Jiang Lin nodded. “I agree.”
The corners of Ethan's mouth curled slightly into a smile.
“A wise choice.”
The two walked to the top of the altar, each standing before one of the rune indentations.
“Inject your magic essence simultaneously,” Ethan said. “Not too much, just a little will do. Once the runes are activated, the altar will operate automatically.”
Jiang Lin nodded, raised his right hand, and pressed his palm into the indentation.
A wisp of holy light magic essence surged from his palm, sinking into the groove.
Ethan injected his magic essence at the same time.
Both indentations lit up simultaneously, and dark red light poured from them, rapidly spreading along the patterns on the altar's surface.
The entire altar began to tremble.
The dark red liquid flowing through the cracks of the stone slabs began to boil, bubbles rising from the depths and bursting to release a pungent scent of sulfur.
At the top of the altar, the suspended dark red crystal began to rotate slowly.
The rotation grew faster and faster, and the dark red light within it grew brighter.
When the rotation reached its limit, the crystal suddenly shattered!
Dark red light poured out like a tidal wave, submerging the entire altar.
Jiang Lin felt an indescribable surge of vast energy enter his body, rushing through his meridians like a collapsing dam.
He let out a muffled groan, gritting his teeth to steady himself as he pushed his breathing technique to the limit, guiding the energy toward the Demon Lord Seed at his heart.
The seed throbbed frantically, the dark red light exploding in intensity as its volume expanded at a visible rate.
From the size of an infant’s head to an adult's fist, and then to the size of two fists...
When the light finally dissipated, Jiang Lin opened his eyes and looked down at his chest.
There, a fist-sized dark red crystal was suspended quietly. Its surface was densely covered in runes, and dark red light inside it throbbed like a heart.
The Demon Lord Seed had undergone a qualitative change.
At the same time, he felt that his previously unbreakable bottleneck now had a slight crack.
It seemed he could now break through to the 4th-rank directly, without relying on the power of the deities.
Of course, this would still require time to accumulate.
But one thing was certain: he now had the possibility of breaking through completely independent of the deities.
Simultaneously, a system prompt appeared before his eyes:
【Phase Quest: Demon Lord Trial (Completed)】
【Reward: Demon Lord Status, Access to the Abyss of Slaughter】
Jiang Lin took a deep breath, feeling the new power surging within him.
Demon Lord Status... Abyss of Slaughter...
Those were matters for the future.
He looked up at Ethan.
The latter was standing on the other side of the altar, also with his eyes closed, dark red light swirling around him.
A moment later, he opened his eyes, a flash of satisfaction in his dark brown gaze.
“Success.”
He walked over to Jiang Lin and extended his hand.
“Pleasure working with you.”
Jiang Lin looked at the extended hand but didn't take it.
“Now, tell me how you use two powers simultaneously.”
Ethan withdrew his hand and smiled.
“It's very simple. You've already done it.”
Jiang Lin frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“The Demon Lord Seed in your body has completed its qualitative change, upgrading from a common seed to a ‘Demon Lord Status.’”
Ethan explained.
“With a Demon Lord Status, you are no longer a common Demon God Believer; you are now qualified to be a Demon Lord candidate.
“Furthermore, the apostle park within you will become ‘quiet’ due to the suppression from the Demon Lord Status.
“As long as you don't actively activate it, the deities won't notice you.”
He paused before continuing:
“In other words, you can now freely switch between two identities. When you need holy light power, activate the apostle park. When you need demon lord power, activate the Demon Lord Status. The two will not interfere with each other, nor will they be discovered by the other side.”
Jiang Lin didn't reply, as his apostle park had already been restricted to his sub-status, so he wasn't worried about being discovered.
“What about the power of the evil god? How do you manage to master three powers at once?”
“That's something you don't need to know.”
Ethan didn't answer, instead continuing:
“You shouldn't be bound by any faction. Freedom is what's most important.”
He turned and walked toward the edge of the altar.
“The trial is over. It's time to leave. I hope we have the chance to meet again.”
As his voice fell, his figure vanished into the dark red light.
Jiang Lin stood in place, looking in the direction Ethan had disappeared, remaining silent for a long time.
He turned and sped toward the upper reaches of the rift valley.
The sky of the Abyss Corridor remained an eternal dark purple.
But Jiang Lin could feel this space was collapsing.
The trial was over, and all survivors would be teleported out.
He stood at the edge of the rift, taking one last look at this battlefield where he had fought for many days.
Then, the teleportation light lit up, and his figure vanished into the air.
His vision distorted, and a sense of spatial vertigo washed over him.
When his vision cleared, Jiang Lin was standing at the edge of the Forgotten Swamp.
Gray-black mud, dark green puddles, and dense, tombstone-like withered trees.
Everything was exactly as it was when he entered.
But the difference was that he had now successfully become a Demon Lord candidate.
“Little Black.”
He called out softly.
A black shadow darted out from the withered trees.
“How did it go?”
Jiang Lin smiled slightly and said:
“Easy win.”
Meanwhile, on the other side.
This was the main entrance of the Abyss Corridor.
Every time the Demon Lord Trial opened, a large number of onlookers and those waiting would gather here.
There were scouts from major factions, relatives of participants, speculators looking for a piece of the pie, and idle people who were just there for the spectacle.
But today, the most eye-catching were the four figures standing at the edge of the rune array.
“Hahaha! In this trial, my Grom will definitely take first place!”
The speaker was a giant over four meters tall, covered in dark red scales, with horns atop his head that were as curved as a ram's and as thick as tree roots.
He was the Molten Demon Lord, Grom’s master.
“Grom? That idiot who only knows how to use brute force?”
Another Demon Lord scoffed.
He was thin, with grayish-white skin, sparse hair, and cloudy gray eyes. A faint black mist surrounded him.
The Shadow Demon Lord, Zephys’s master.
“In terms of frontal combat power, my Mordekaiser is the strongest.”
The third Demon Lord spoke, his voice as cold as ice.
He was covered in ice-blue scales and had a slender build. He was surrounded by a faint ice-blue mist, and even the air around him was frozen into fine ice crystals.
The Frostbone Demon Lord, Mordekaiser’s master.
“Stop arguing.”
The fourth Demon Lord finally spoke, his voice low and raspy with a metallic texture.
He was about two and a half meters tall, well-proportioned, and covered in dark red scales. His eyes were dark red with vertical pupils like a snake's, his gaze carrying a nearly cruel calm.
The Blood Pupil Demon Lord, Karthus’s master.
“Once the results are out, we’ll naturally know who is stronger.”
Just as he finished speaking, the runes on the archway suddenly lit up!
Dark red light poured out like a tide, submerging the entire archway.
Within the light, one figure after another was teleported out.
Some were covered in blood, some had withered auras, and some collapsed to the ground the moment they landed, gasping for breath.
But without exception, their faces all carried the relief of having survived a disaster.
The four Demon Lords stood up simultaneously, their gazes fixed on the archway.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
The light gradually dissipated, and the archway returned to tranquility.
But Grom did not come out.
Mordekaiser did not come out.
Karthus did not come out.
Zephys did not come out either.
“What's going on?!”
The Molten Demon Lord roared, scorching flames erupting from the gaps in his dark red scales, burning the surrounding air until it distorted.
“Where is my Grom?!”
The Shadow Demon Lord also frowned, a hint of unease flashing in his cloudy gray eyes.
The Blood Pupil Demon Lord didn't speak, simply staring at the archway, the light in his dark red eyes flickering unsteadily.
The Frostbone Demon Lord was also silent, but the ice-blue mist around him began to surge violently, freezing the ground into a thick layer of frost.
The other surrounding demons retreated one after another, fearing they would be caught in the wrath of four 9th-rank powerhouses.
“R-Report!”
A demon who had just been teleported from the archway came stumbling over, his face pale and his legs weak.
“Lords... Lord Grom and the others... they...”
“What happened to them?!”
The Molten Demon Lord grabbed the demon by the collar and lifted him into the air.
“Speak!”
“D-Dead...” The demon's voice was tearful. “Lord Grom and the others... they were all killed by a human...”
A deathly silence fell over the area.
“A human?”
The Blood Pupil Demon Lord narrowed his eyes, killing intent surging within his dark red gaze.
“How could a human possibly kill my Karthus?”
...
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