Chapter 1014: Kaifumu's Death, The Trial Illusion

Very quickly, the Sword of Artistry, which appeared like a black void yet radiated a deep red light, was drawn by an Elf Mage named "Istima Galanuode," and the future Cormanthor Kingdom welcomed its Spellcaster leader.

Of course, there is no need to mention the Elf Mages who failed the trial during this period; they all had their connection to the Magic Net severed by the Sword of Artistry, unable to recover for at least twenty years.

After cheering for the future Spellcaster leader, the trial for the Sword of Ruling finally began, and Xia Duo's heart gradually tightened as the old Mage made an announcement—

"Kaifumu Yilisheer!"

Xia Duo's mind went blank for a moment; could the so-called grand trend of history truly be unchangeable?

No, his experiences in the 【Projection Plane: Arcane Empire】 told him that history in a Projection Plane does not evolve entirely according to the trajectory of the Main Plane, and it might even deviate to who knows where!

Perhaps it was because his time entering the Projection Plane was too short, and he had stayed in the Elf Court the whole time, making it difficult to trigger more chain reactions.

Thinking of this, Xia Duo could not help but heave a long sigh, then quickly adjusted his mindset to quietly observe Kaifumu's performance on the hexagonal silver platform.

History has its inevitabilities and its accidents; Kaifumu of the Main Plane could pass the trial, but the one in the Projection Plane might not. Until the final moment, Xia Duo still held a glimmer of hope.

As Kaifumu reached his hand into the golden ball of light representing the Sword of Ruling, a layer of faint golden light began to spread up from his arm until it covered his entire body, looking divine from a distance.

Such a scene had not appeared in the trial ceremonies of the previous two divine swords, which left the observing Elves feeling puzzled. Could the first trial-taker be the future Crown King of Cormanthor?

Consequently, some Elves began to whisper and inquire about Kaifumu's identity, even artificially deifying some of his actions and decisions.

Of course, there were also Elves who questioned Kaifumu's background, believing that the citizens of Jielunsita could not accept the rule of a Uvilon Remnant.

Xia Duo saw all of this in his eyes, and among the many Elves present, if there was anyone who was most concerned and expectant about whether Kaifumu could ultimately pass the trial and become the Crown King of Cormanthor, it was none other than Sailin.

The trial of the Sword of Artistry earlier had no deaths, but the trial of the Sword of War did, and in more than one instance; among the dead were many whose status and background far exceeded the Sun Wing Family.

Sailin was very worried about her brother's safety; if Kaifumu could pass the trial, then her brother would not need to take the risk!

Xia Duo could feel Sailin's nervousness and her reliance on him from the way she held his arm, but he was not Laierben after all.

Regarding this, he tried his best to look after her emotions, but only on the premise that it did not affect his own plans.

……

Soon, the sound of lightning and thunder began to emanate from the golden ball of light on the hexagonal silver platform. This sound grew louder, and as the sound rose, Kaifumu slowly withdrew his right hand.

At this moment, all the Elves held their breath, and Xia Duo was no exception. Although he had confidence that he could surpass Kaifumu, the Sword of Ruling only "admitted" the first one to "score 60 points," turning a blind eye to those who followed with "60+" or even "100 points."

Is this what they call "divine power cannot surpass the number of heaven"?

Seeing this, Xia Duo was finally prepared to accept reality. Regardless, a trip to a projection was never a loss; it just seemed he would earn a little less now.

And just when all the Elves, including Xia Duo, thought Kaifumu was about to succeed, Kaifumu suddenly let go of his hand on the silver platform, his face showing terror, and he turned to run toward the position where he had been observing.

But the change happened in an instant; the golden light that had originally enveloped Kaifumu quickly transformed into a mass of green fire, swallowing him whole.

By the time the fire disappeared, Kaifumu, along with his clothing, armor, and weapons, had all vanished, leaving not a single trace behind.

It was as if this Elf had never been to the silver platform at all!

And the golden ball of light, quietly floating above the platform, remained as it was, waiting for the arrival of the next trial-taker.

……

"What happened? Did he succeed?"

"He's dead, dead and gone completely!"

"How could this happen?"

The observing Elves immediately began to discuss it in hushed tones. A flash of astonishment crossed Xia Duo's eyes; sometimes fate loves to play jokes like this. He had been ready to accept reality, but he had not expected a sudden turn of events.

Kaifumu had actually failed!

What exactly was this trial? Could it be that Kaifumu's experiences differed too much from the Main Plane, causing him to fail the trial?

However, Xia Duo had no time to ponder too much, because the old Mage had already called his name—

Laier Akalama!

Xia Duo was about to step forward, but Sailin held onto his arm tightly, refusing to let him go. That tear-streaked gaze would make even a heart of stone feel a hint of pity.

Just as Xia Duo was about to harden his heart and pull her away, Paliyasi stepped out in time. With just a light pinch on Sailin's arm, Sailin involuntarily let go of her hands and became silent.

Xia Duo naturally saw that Paliyasi had used Magic, but this was exactly what he wanted. He then gave the other party and Sailin a reassuring look before walking forward.

……

The hexagonal silver platform was only a few inches high; if it were not for the intense Magic Aura it constantly radiated, it would look more like a floor specifically laid for this trial ceremony.

Walking onto the platform and stepping on the solid surface, the touch—completely different from the soft grass outside—made Xia Duo feel exceptionally comforted in his heart.

At this moment, he completely cast aside all distracting thoughts, fully immersing himself in the identity of "Laier Akalama," and stepped forward to the center of the platform.

Looking at the golden ball of light, which was almost exactly the same as in his dream last night, Xia Duo suddenly had a feeling of destiny, and then he firmly reached his right hand toward the ball of light.

Everything that happened afterward was completely different from the dream.

In the dream, he had directly drawn the Sword of Ruling, which looked like stone on the outside and radiated golden light, but here, the moment Xia Duo's right hand touched the golden ball of light, he discovered that the surrounding scene had changed.

He was sitting upright on a throne inside a magnificent hall, and below the throne stood more than a dozen figures with blurred faces in an orderly fashion.

Judging by their attire, they should all be superiors in Elf society, but at this moment, in front of Xia Duo, these superiors were bowing respectfully to him one by one.

Such a scene made Xia Duo feel quite novel. Could this be the truth of the trial? A virtual illusion? Or a life simulation?

As his question arose, a Gold Elf with an extraordinary bearing under the throne stepped out first and said to Xia Duo: "King, Se'erduo and several other plantations have had reduced yields this year; how should we respond?"