Chapter 77: Second Test

Just as Lei Kedun and Tu Ba Ge were about to move forward to reap heads, a bright yellow light descended from the sky, enveloping all those poker soldiers inside it.

Then Lei Kedun saw the wounds on those poker soldiers healing visibly fast. Lei Kedun's mouth twitched; after fighting for a long time to cripple the opponents, they were healed instantly by a collective treatment.

"They have temporarily gained the effects of Immunity to Fear and the Holy Covenant," Mr. Huang's voice echoed faintly in Lei Kedun's ears.

Lei Kedun felt speechless, as if he had been directly targeted. Immunity to Fear plus the Holy Covenant was exactly a counter to the tactics he and Tu Ba Ge had just used.

Lei Kedun was about to make a snarky comment when he suddenly felt his own spirituality recovering at an extreme speed.

"Hm? Can we also recover our state?" Lei Kedun wondered internally.

"Boss, my strength seems to have recovered!" Tu Ba Ge said in amazement.

"Hm, I've recovered too. Let's fall back a bit; those poker men have been strengthened," Lei Kedun nodded.

Hearing that the opponents were strengthened, Tu Ba Ge quickly retreated a long distance. Lei Kedun also stepped back while beginning to mimic the ability of the Wind‑afflicted.

The moment the bright yellow healing light faded, several thin wind blades shot out from in front of Lei Kedun. The wind blades sliced the bodies of the forward poker soldiers, leaving many cracks of varying depth.

The Holy Covenant briefly boosted those poker soldiers' strength and agility; although Lei Kedun's wind blades were unexpected, they did not inflict fatal wounds.

"Boss, it seems a few of those poker men are missing," Tu Ba Ge said from behind, a bit puzzled.

"Hm, the huge fireball just now probably blew a few poker men to death before the later treatment could reach them," Lei Kedun also noticed.

"Should we keep blasting them like just now?" Tu Ba Ge asked immediately.

"Wait a moment and sustain the Holy Covenant effect on them; otherwise we can't keep them stationary for long," Lei Kedun shook his head.

However, a blessing bestowed by an angel would not be short‑lived. Lei Kedun began to contemplate a new plan.

"It's really uncomfortable; most of the knowledge Mr. Huang gave me is from the Omniscient Omnipotent Five Paths, yet these two blessings have directly nullified more than half," Lei Kedun muttered internally.

"Skillfully applying knowledge to break out of adversity is also wisdom! If you want to extend the exam time a bit, just perform well!" Mr. Huang's voice rang directly in Lei Kedun's mind.

"Ugh," Lei Kedun was speechless for a moment; an angel actually threatened him with an exam.

"Slowly," Lei Kedun uttered a demonic word full of filthy, depraved meaning.

All the poker soldiers within a seven‑ or eight‑meter radius froze instantly, becoming stagnant.

Standing not far behind Lei Kedun, Tu Ba Ge stretched a paw to cover his long ears, which he couldn't actually cover; the sound his boss had just made was so unpleasant it made his rabbit fur feel like it would explode.

"Fall," another demonic word laden with filthy depravity, caused the surrounding poker soldiers' bodies to be coated with a slightly viscous black liquid that continuously corroded them.

Three pale‑blue fireballs emitting a strong sulfur smell surged straight at the three poker soldiers nearest to Lei Kedun. They exploded on contact, wounding the three heavily, and the splashed flames stained nearby poker soldiers, also inflicting poison.

"Charge forward and melee them apart," Lei Kedun said, turning to Tu Ba Ge behind him.

Then a dense black mist spread behind Lei Kedun, forming a pair of illusory bat wings, while an extra segment bearing mysterious symbols and patterns sprouted from his right fingernail.

Lei Kedun consecutively employed two dark spells wielded by vampires: Dark Wings, which boost the user's speed and grant brief flight, and Corrosive Claws, which are extremely sharp and possess strong corrosive power.

Lei Kedun's figure became almost a afterimage, and in an instant he closed in on the three poker soldiers badly injured by the sulfur fireballs, clawing each one away.

Relying on the speed boost and brief flight from the Dark Wings, Lei Kedun constantly darted among the poker soldiers, clawing at any opportunity. He didn't aim for massive damage, only to let them suffer corrosion and be continuously weakened.

Seeing the poker soldiers scattered by his boss, Tu Ba Ge was no longer timid and kicked forward. The Cultivator's boost in strength was already great, and Tu Ba Ge's sprint speed was even comparable to Lei Kedun's under the Dark Wings.

The wind‑calling technique created a tailwind, increasing speed, and both claws bore a burning effect; Tu Ba Ge then charged straight at a poker soldier. The soldier and he were flung backward together, and the agile plump rabbit twisted his body in midair to adjust his landing posture.

On the other side, the poker soldier knocked away had two charred marks on his chest; before he could land, an exaggerated giant sword made of crimson magma and pale blue flame sliced him in half.

Lei Kedun, bearing the Dark Wings, appeared here, brandishing a magma sword forged by mimicking demonic power in one hand, while the other hand manifested a pale‑blue fireball exuding a strong sulfur scent.

The sulfur fireball in his hand was forced to disperse before he could throw it, and simultaneously the magma sword in his other hand and the Dark Wings behind him were also dispelled.

"It's done; the test effect has been achieved," Mr. Huang's voice sounded.

The poker soldiers around, either fallen or struggling, gradually became transparent until they vanished.

Lei Kedun shrugged; that unparalleled mowing feeling earlier was somewhat addictive.

"You seem to have discovered a new use for this ring?" Mr. Huang's figure materialized, looking curiously at the clearly still‑intrigued Lei Kedun.

"Yes, by leveraging this ring I can directly lever the power of the spiritual realm, reducing my own spiritual consumption to a very low level," Lei Kedun nodded, explaining why he had become a ruthless spell‑casting machine.

"Hm, what else?" Mr. Huang nodded and continued.

"I also gained an ability akin to mysterious reincarnation, not drawing power from the occult knowledge I possess, but from the widely circulated stories I partake in or create," Lei Kedun explained carefully.

He added, "It must be an event that brings sufficient impact, or a story that can trigger personal resonance; otherwise the effect is greatly diminished."

"It's somewhat like a civilization's offshoot; perhaps it doesn't draw power from the story itself but from feedback from those who know the story, thereby extracting power," Mr. Huang mused, then quickly analyzed.

"Getting feedback from those who know the story is a bit like role‑playing, receiving feedback to digest a demonic elixir," Lei Kedun quickly realized.

"You're quick to react! That may be the inspiration drawn from role‑playing, leading to a special ability to adjust and change," Mr. Huang praised.

"Huh? Isn't this a civilization's offshoot? Could it not be an authority's ability?" Lei Kedun was surprised by Mr. Huang's words.

"Authority is just authority; its use varies by individual. For example, A Meng, who has almost perfected the authority of deception, and also Zheng Qi, whose authority is refined thanks to Luo Sai Er," Mr. Huang boldly used true gods as examples to explain the use of authority to Lei Kedun.

Lei Kedun thought Mr. Huang might be in charge of a Level‑0 sealed object with hidden effects, or he could simulate the corresponding hidden abilities; otherwise, a bite of A Meng and a bite of Zheng Qi seemed rather bold.

Nevertheless, Mr. Huang's explanation was simple and clear, and Lei Kedun could roughly guess the source and function of this ring's ability.

It should be an application by the knowledge wilderness of the civilization authority one wields, perhaps also a means to counter Zheng Qi. The Perfecter represents the knowledge and civilization of the real side.

"You seem to have thought of something," Mr. Huang said gently, looking at Lei Kedun.

"Hm, I can roughly understand what this ring is," Lei Kedun nodded in reply.

"It relies heavily on the spiritual realm; the optimal use would be to establish a suitable base in the spiritual realm, then leave the ring's core with sufficient permissions there. By exploiting the spiritual realm's complete overlap yet non‑interference with the real world, its influence could spread worldwide," Mr. Huang suggested.

He added, "This also strengthens the connection between the ring projected onto an individual and the spiritual realm, while blocking most informational contamination from the spiritual realm, allowing ordinary, non‑exceptional people to endure and use it."

Lei Kedun pondered for a moment and had to admit that Mr. Huang's method was the best solution he could think of so far.

"But how do we establish a base in the spiritual realm? And I don't even know where the ring's core is!" Lei Kedun said helplessly.

The method is good, but I can't accomplish it myself either.

Lei Kedun doesn't know whether the ring has a core, but even if it does, it's in the knowledge wilderness, still sealed on the Western Continent.

"Isn't the ring's core right on you? As for a spiritual‑realm base, I can't do it either; only angels of the Hermit and Perfecter paths could bear such a massive information flow," Mr. Huang replied.

The answer left Lei Kedun a bit bewildered; the ring can't be the core only while he meditates, can it? Where is it when he isn't meditating? And angels of the Perfecter and Hermit paths—are they even accessible to him?

"You still have one other choice." Mr. Huang, seeing Laketon's complex, silent expression, spoke up again.

"What choice?" Laketon asked curiously.

"Pray to my Lord." Mr. Huang gave his answer.

Laketon was speechless; this figure's rank was even less something he could summon on his own, and now that it also involved the authority of civilization over the Wastes of Knowledge, Laketon was even more afraid to let other true gods intervene lightly.

(End of this chapter)