Chapter 142: The Brutal Trial

The strength of the Blood Sea monsters is not high; their attacks can be easily shattered, and the Blood Sea monsters also seem to lack ranged attacks, merely swarming forward at the people of the Trial.

"Everyone, let's join forces!" Yang Tiancheng shouted, trying to combine everyone's strength against this Trial.

Having come this far, they somewhat understand the true meaning of this Trial, and naturally their resolve becomes a united wall.

With hardly any words, the group reached consensus.

"Mu Yi, you take command!"

Yang Tiancheng shouted, then lunged forward; golden flames burned on his weapon, instantly sweeping a wide blank area ahead.

"Me??" Mu Yi was full of question marks; at a time like this, it couldn't possibly be his turn to command.

"Your score is the highest, so naturally you take it!" Kong Ruxing's voice reached Mu Yi's ears.

"Moreover, your style is so similar to his, you should be able to help us hold out longer!"

Mu Yi, after all, has commanded small battles; upon taking the command, he steadily began expanding his defensive strategy.

"This time you really gave me a big trouble!" Chen Xiang glanced at Sun Yi, then swung his axe forward.

"Those who can summon deities, step forward, prepare in advance, and be ready to take over their defense at any moment!"

Thus most immortals still have an urgent need for this, since Guan Yu serves as a model, having forcefully risen to the Emperor level through the power of incense offerings; even if it's just an emperor's floor tile, it's still an emperor.

But thinking that the several divine fragment spirits he had summoned earlier using the whole dynasty's incense offerings were all cut down like vegetables by Mu Yi with his Shura, he felt that this praise sounded somewhat mocking.

Just as for the deities of the internet, the power of belief is indispensable, and for the Heavenly Court's immortals, incense offerings are also indispensable.

And the novelist Hunsu has no taboos; as long as you dare give me permission and power, I can promote you.

In the end, it's the novelist, who gathers folk legends and discussions as an innate advantage, securing for them this soaring opportunity.

Regarding Mu Yi's request, the disciples were not surprised; they immediately laid out all the spells they were about to prepare and their specialties.

"Then I shall not decline!" Mu Yi, having weathered many storms, though a bit caught off guard, said so and naturally accepted the command.

"Everyone, please briefly describe your strengths so I can make arrangements!"

Moonlight: stamina recovery effect increased by 200%, energy recovery speed increased by 200%.

They all understood the importance of coordination, so no one grew restless.

Although promotional methods are usually Subjugate Demons and Suppress Monsters and the like, this thing is undeniably useful.

The novelist's cultivation method has essentially become spreading stories, gathering incense offerings, performing meritorious deeds, and their combat style has turned into swaying people.

"Those who need time to prepare large-scale lethal spells should gather in the inner circle; those skilled in close combat should take the outer circle, first find their battlefield positions!"

"Understood!"

"Please the Lord of the Bright Moon Palace, lend the Moonlight for a use!"

Originally the novelist, though forming his own school, was regarded as unsavory, hence the saying 'Nine Streams, Ten Schools'.

For top-tier masters like the Three Purities and Four Sovereigns, incense offerings have little practical meaning and barely boost their strength, but for beings below the Emperor level of the Heavenly Court, this is a fast track to power.

There were many close-combat specialists; under Mu Yi's order, after forming a broad circular formation, they repelled the endless blood-red tide to the outside, instantly creating a huge space for those in the inner circle.

Moreover, coordination in war is the specialty of a Military Strategist, so the commander naturally is a Military Family Descendant; with Yang Tiancheng voluntarily yielding authority, Mu Yi is naturally the best choice.

Several of the novelist's disciples stepped forward; this is exactly what they excel at.

Accompanying Sun Yi's proclamation, a figure appeared amid the blood-red world.

Mu Yi briefly recalled; he remembered that while watching tribal clashes, he had noticed several marvelous tactics, but to be safe he still gathered intelligence to avoid mishaps.

Where there is demand, there is market, and the novelist has well occupied this niche.

Looking across the whole Jiuzhou, they are countable existences, still very tempting to most immortals.

"Impressive!" Mu Yi exclaimed, this novel way the novelist summons deities is unheard of.

Sun Yi gave Mu Yi a glance; he knew Mu Yi was praising him.

Although a heap of incense offerings were obtained and strength surged, sometimes one still faces situations that must be tackled head-on.

However, the once-declining novelist, after contacting the Heavenly Court, immediately rose, becoming comparable to the Legalist, Mohist, and other schools.

On the other side, another novelist disciple also completed his deity-summoning ritual, and a large bundle of Moonlight descended from the sky.

【You have gained the buff "Moonlight"】

This also leads many small towns and villages in Jiuzhou to worship obscure immortals, and they can also preserve stories about Subjugate Demons and Suppress Monsters.

Other schools also worship the Heavenly Court's deities to varying degrees, just as Wudang venerates the True Warrior Emperor and Kunlun venerates the Queen Mother of the West; Daoist sects have more immortals, but most are also renowned.

Mu Yi compiled the intelligence for a moment, already forming a cooperation draft in his mind; since this is a Trial, they should maximize everyone's specialties.

The great axe swept across, hundreds of blood-red monsters fell instantly; even though limited by Sun Yi himself and the power of incense offerings, Chen Xiang's combat strength was overwhelming.

Though he watched the sky filled with blood, he knew this was a murky mess, but since he was now bound to the novelist, he had almost become one of the novelist's resident immortals.

"Please Mount Hua's Xuanhua Axe, break the formation and meet the enemy!"

On this battlefield, they were almost invincible; under the great axe's sweep, the blood-red monsters fell piece by piece.

Everyone present nodded; they had all witnessed Mu Yi's Blood Sea Shura, and now the trial presented by Bai Qi was almost cut from the same mold as Mu Yi.

Mu Yi felt the Moonlight power in his body, quite amazed; the last time he saw such a domineering buff was when the gods bestowed blessings.

Hmm... but how to put it, Mu Yi seems to have gained a deeper understanding of the novelist.

Mount Hua's Chen Xiang, Guanghan's Chang'e... splitting mountains to save mother, Chang'e flying to the moon...

Just don't know which deities the novelist leader can summon—those famous in mythic tales and widely spread... Pangu creating the heavens? Nüwa mending the sky? Kuafu chasing the sun? Houyi shooting down the suns?

The remaining novelist disciples also each summoned a few immortals Mu Yi had never heard of; the only one he vaguely recognized was only by the prefix of the name—the Thunder Division Commander.

According to Mu Yi's current knowledge of Jiuzhou, those registered with the Heavenly Court are essentially deities, even Chen Xiang; those registered with the Thunder Division are likewise deities.

However, Mu Yi's memory of the Thunder Division only includes Lei Gong, Dian Mu, and Grand Master Wen Zhong; beyond that he truly has little recollection.

Deities also vary in strength, but even the weakest are still deities; for Mu Yi and his peers, even a fragment of a deity is a being worthy of reverence.

Undoubtedly, once these deity fragments joined the battlefield, the situation reversed instantly.

The blood-red tide was instantly pushed back.

Watching the unnamed thunder deity general wave his hand and unleash myriad thunderbolts, shattering the blood-red monsters in a splendid spectacle, Mu Yi couldn't help but glance at the several laid-back, godlike novelists—this kind of shaking-people ability is truly useful.

In an instant, the Frenzy combat power of several divine spirits' avatars resolved Mu Yi and the others' perilous situation.

However, nobody relaxed; they silently prepared their own things, knowing this was only the beginning.

"Hehehe, summoning a deity?"

Bai Qi wore a cold smile; if they had come in their true forms, he might have had to weigh them, but unfortunately they were only wisps of avatars, and yet they thought they could resist him—pure fantasy.

The leading figures of the Hundred Schools also hold part-time posts in the Heavenly Court and the Underworld; they too are divine spirits, and powerful ones at that.

Bai Qi holds a post not only as an envoy in the Water Department but also serves under the Supreme Emperor of the Mystic Heaven, Marshal Zhao of the Mystic Altar, the Great Emperor of Fengdu, and other deities.

"Time to enter the next round! But before that, a few of you, step out first!"

Bai Qi murmured as he drew the sword at his waist, then made a light slash.

The faces of the several divine spirits who had been slaughtering wildly changed instantly, but before they could resist, a bloody light engulfed them, and their forms vanished in an instant.

Bai Qi acknowledged that the novelists' power was indeed useful, and he tacitly allowed the trial participants to pass the first round via this method.

As the trial was passed, everyone's wrist points increased by 1, while the few novelists who summoned deities gained 3 points, a reward for them.

But the next moment, within the blood-red world, heavy blood energy rose up, and Bai Qi began the second round of the trial.

This time, Bai Qi started to get serious.

Just one wave of the charge, and dozens were sent away.

"Terrifying!"

Mu Yi's mouth twitched; the enemies they faced were still those blood-red monsters, but this time their heads were covered with heavy blood-colored Cloud Energy, and the opponents had evolved into enemies capable of long-range attacks.

The intensity hadn't changed, but Mu Yi and the others' situation was almost instantly suppressed to the extreme.

The seals on Yang Tiancheng and the others have been lifted, meaning they can now exert the limit of Transcendent power.

Just looking at the aura of Yang Tiancheng and the others, they seemed no inferior to those divine spirits' avatars before, yet they could not unleash their full might as before.

The heavy Cloud Energy drove their power back down to the mundane once again.

Mu Yi could feel that this military formation's suppressive effect on his own strength was exceptional; the power he could now exert was almost only one-thirtieth of his peak.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Accompanied by an indistinct, muttering roar, Mu Yi and the others fell once again into absolute distress.

Whether Daoist talismans, Yin-Yang Five Phases formations, Mohist mechanisms, or Confucian literary aura—before the blood-colored Cloud Energy, they were utterly meaningless.

The blood-red flood instantly overwhelmed Mu Yi and the others; the Hundred Schools disciples who had intended to cooperate in resistance suffered heavy casualties within just a few breaths.

Mu Yi's face grew a little stiff; the opposing offensive was overwhelming, and they had no power to resist.

The enemy merely used a group of mortal-limit soldiers, a force that could be mustered in virtually any world, yet this very group slaughtered the Hundred Schools' prodigies.

Bai Qi used only the most basic Cloud Energy and command… if directing long-range units to focus fire counts as command.

As for Mu Yi's command? Everyone's dead—what's there to command?

He survived not because he was strong, but because his Six Paths barrier was too special.

After deploying the barrier, not even a wave of focused long-range fire could break it, and he relied on this to cling to life until the end.

When the blood-red monsters turned into bloodwater and flowed back into the blood sea, it signified that they had passed Bai Qi's second round of examination.

Mu Yi glanced around; few remained standing, basically everyone was wounded, and there was hardly anyone as intact as he was.

"Interesting! Interesting!"

Bai Qi looked at Mu Yi's barrier, his eyes flashing with insight, and he roughly understood why Sun Wu said Mu Yi was innovative.

Combining the Military Strategist's Elite Talent with the Six Paths cycle, this is indeed a novel initiative.

"Let me see your limit!" Bai Qi's eyes now held no one else, fixed entirely on Mu Yi.

In that instant, the heavy Cloud Energy condensed into several blood-colored hilted long swords that fell from the firmament.

Boom—

The tremendous boom reverberated throughout the blood-red heaven and earth, sweeping everyone except Mu Yi out of the arena.

Meanwhile, Mu Yi gazed at his barrier pierced by the blood-red long sword, falling into contemplation; it was still a rather simple method, simple enough for him to replicate.

In fact, he had just used the same method, relying on the power of Asura warriors to comprehensively erect a layer of defense.

Although it shattered at a touch, the point is, Mu Yi dares to assert that even if given an equal number of troops, he could not achieve the same degree.

"Do you know why the same Cloud Energy produces different effects in different hands?"

Bai Qi walked up to Mu Yi, stroking the Six Paths barrier revealed beside him, his face showing deep interest.

"Disciple is dull; please enlighten me, Lord Wu'an!"

"Your foundation is too weak!" Bai Qi didn't beat around the bush, but explained plainly.

"You should understand that the same weapon in different hands yields different power."

"And right now, you're like using a divine spear as a stick—your foundation is too weak!"

Although Bai Qi had heard from Sun Wu about Mu Yi's weak foundation, he truly hadn't imagined it could be this bad.

When Mu Yi summoned the Asura warriors to prop up his defense, Bai Qi still thought Mu Yi might give him some impressive performance.

The result almost made Bai Qi's waist slip; even if he took a seven-year-old from the Military Strategist, that child would do better than Mu Yi.

Mu Yi's so-called Cloud Energy is simply a crude blending of vital essence, used roughly; it looks decent but is actually just empty cotton—same shape, but the inside is completely cut off.