From Now On, I Call the Shots on Mist Island!

A novice trial map could produce only one SSS-tier-rated trial taker per generation!

By default, every trial taker who received an SSS-tier rating could obtain preliminary control rights over the novice map!

These preliminary control rights allowed the SSS-tier-rated trial taker to learn all information about the entire map, including its terrain, monster types, detailed monster data...

The human race had invested heavily in this area. The metal wristbands distributed to everyone when Xu Kun and the others first entered the Haotian Pagoda were used to record the process data of every trial map, preparing for the next generation of trial takers!

Therefore, the human race paid close attention to every generation that produced an SSS-tier trial taker!

Each one meant that all the information on a map could be deciphered. With a certain amount of logical analysis, this could greatly improve the chances of future trial takers clearing that map!

But that was all. The authority held by SSS-rated trial takers extended no further than that. They could not alter anything that happened on their map. Just like Ling Feng, who could only watch helplessly as the love of his life died at the hands of the Corrosive Poison Termite Emperor!

But the control rights over Mist Island that Xu Kun received as an SSSS-tier rating reward were far more impressive!

Within the rules of the Haotian Pagoda, he could freely alter a trial taker's journey...

For example, changing the terrain?

Or casually swapping in same-level monsters from different races to welcome certain trial takers~

Or perhaps...

"Hehehe, each monster zone can only contain two hundred monsters of the same level, and monsters cannot be deployed across levels. Those are rules of the Haotian Pagoda and can't be changed. All I can do is alter the terrain a little and assign troublesome monsters based on the trial takers' performance..."

"But why do I need to make things so troublesome?"

"Let me give you a little taste of sweetness first!"

Xu Kun snapped his fingers. Very soon, he deployed bosses of every level from the idle monster groups on Mist Island, preparing a huge gift for the trial takers of every race!

For certain non-human trial takers who were still getting lovey-dovey with Level 1 mobs, what awaited them next would be the ultra-premium treatment of facing one boss at every level!

"If they can still clear it like this, that'll prove they're pretty strong!"

"But what about this?"

Xu Kun casually pointed again. This time, he directly used both his control rights over Mist Island and his authority over the Corrosive Poison Termite Race, creating terrain near the temple ruins that was most suitable for Corrosive Poison Termites!

Then, he had the Corrosive Poison Termites arrange their troops, ensuring that every trial taker who reached this place would be met with poisonous marsh attacks unleashed by the termites' combined effort!

After all that, the trial takers of every race currently on Mist Island could be said to be walking into killing intent at every step. If they could still clear the trial like this, Xu Kun would truly have to admire those races!

However, judging by the situation, even the fastest trial takers had only barely fought their way into the Level 5 monster zone. The successive waves of monsters of every level, led by bosses, would surely follow Xu Kun's arrangements and do everything in their power to kill these trial takers of every race!

After finishing all this, Xu Kun discovered that trial takers of various races who had been teetering on the edge of life and death began to fall almost immediately!

Seeing this, Xu Kun let out a "Hehehehe" laugh!

"From now on, I, Xu Kun, call the shots in this little patch of Mist Island! I'll let you live if I want you to live, and die if I want you to die! If you're not human, don't even dream of clearing the trial!"

If the hundreds of non-human trial takers currently undergoing the Mist Island trial knew about Xu Kun's shameless antics, they would probably be so furious that they'd vomit three liters of blood!

Just as Xu Kun was busily enjoying himself, a prompt suddenly sounded beside his ear.

Ding! Due to special circumstances, the final boss of the Mist Island trial has fallen. Mist Island ownership now belongs to trial taker "Kun." Trial taker "Kun," please select one of the following options to place a new trial boss!

Option One: The Haotian Pagoda will generate a new SS-tier, First Realm Level 0 boss. Race and abilities unrestricted!

Option Two: Based on the original trial boss Heart of Despair Feng's template, create a new trial boss. The boss will possess 80% of the original Heart of Despair Feng's attributes, retain the corresponding class, talent, and skills, and have its emotions and equipment stripped away!

Trial taker "Kun" has brief command authority over the newly created boss. Please make your selection!

"What is there to hesitate over? I choose to create a new trial boss based on Ling Feng's template!"

Ding! Selection successful. Creation will now begin!

After the prompt sounded, an illusory human figure on the original throne gradually solidified.

Very soon, the new boss was born. He held an ordinary longsword, and his face was identical to Ling Feng's, though his aura was colder. The moment he opened his eyes, he stepped down from the throne and knelt before Xu Kun on one knee.

Xu Kun hurriedly used the Myriad Races Bestiary to inspect this new boss!

Gale Sword Soul Feng (Shadow)

Rank: SS-tier

Talent: SS-tier Child of the Wind

Level: First Realm Level 0

Attributes: ...

His panel attributes had been reduced by 20%, and his original human identity had been stripped away. Although he no longer had the Cheng Ying Sword, 80% of the Cheng Ying Sword's attributes were still added to his panel attributes!

His level, class, talent, and skills had not been adjusted in any way.

For a moment, Ling Feng seemed to still be that same Ling Feng!

"Senior..." Xu Kun's voice caught, but he still let out a long sigh. The person before him seemed to still be that person, but he was no longer the Ling Feng who had flesh, blood, and thoughts!

It was merely a trial boss created by the Haotian Pagoda using its own energy. Nothing more!

Though not as terrifying as the original Ling Feng, this newly created trial boss would no longer have any thoughts of its own like Ling Feng had. All it could do was annihilate every invading enemy here!

With 80% of Ling Feng's full attributes, along with a whole host of terrifying skills, Xu Kun found it hard to imagine anyone truly achieving an SSS-tier rating on Mist Island from now on!

And as the controller of Mist Island, the Haotian Pagoda had also given Xu Kun the authority to issue one command!

Xu Kun quickly issued an order for this newly created boss, exercising the maximum authority allowed by the rules!

From now on, when dealing with human trial takers, go as easy on them as possible. Even if you are defeated, you must not take a human trial taker's life!

As for trial takers of other races, there was only one word for them: "Beat them hard! Use every method you have and kill them for me!"

Ling Feng (Shadow) knelt and nodded. "As you command!"

Then, like a mechanical puppet, he rose with his sword in hand and stood motionless as a block of wood. Only when a trial taker set foot here would he make any move!

Ignoring the newly born boss standing there stupidly, Xu Kun had already gone through the rewards Haotian Pagoda had given him for his SSSS-rank trial. All that remained was a golden booklet.

Several large characters were inscribed upon it in bold, sweeping strokes: Haotian Pagoda Floor 0 Access Certificate!

Xu Kun was no stranger to the term Haotian Pagoda Floor 0!

It was the final topic covered in high school knowledge, an advanced topic useful only to novice trial takers confident that they could complete the novice trial with an SSS-rank evaluation!

Back then, Xu Kun had not been interested in this topic at all. Hao Jian had insisted on dragging him along to learn about it properly, forcing him to study this "useless" advanced topic!

Haotian Pagoda Floor 0 had another name: the Myriad Races Trading Ground!

It was a place distinct from the first floor of Haotian Pagoda, where the novice trial began, and from every floor thereafter. There were no monsters on this floor, and the abilities, skills, and attributes of every race were useless here. In other words, no fighting could take place here!

No one knew who had first set foot in this place. At the beginning, no race paid it any heed, until more and more trial takers began receiving SSS-rank evaluations during the novice trial stage!

And races that had obtained Haotian Pagoda Floor 0 Access Certificates by completing certain events in the later floors of Haotian Pagoda began to appear as well!

As more and more members of different races poured into Haotian Pagoda Floor 0, the myriad races began turning their attention toward this otherwise empty floor!

Using the spatial backpacks Haotian Pagoda bestowed upon every race, the myriad races began bringing resources into Haotian Pagoda Floor 0 and developing it!

After several centuries of construction, Haotian Pagoda Floor 0 had completely changed. From its original emptiness, it had gradually become a clearly divided, orderly marketplace!

Here, the myriad races were able to communicate peacefully for the first time. They also brought the things they obtained from Haotian Pagoda into the marketplace. What began as barter had evolved into all manner of flourishing trade!

There was a saying: On Haotian Pagoda Floor 0, there were only things you could not afford, never things you could not buy. Everything here had a clearly marked price!

It could be said that all kinds of supplies, equipment, skill books, class-change certificates, and other items produced within Haotian Pagoda had corresponding prices on Haotian Pagoda Floor 0. You could sell or shop here boldly and without worry!

It was the last pure land among the myriad races!

And the human race, being a race that loved researching and figuring things out, naturally took great pleasure in developing the human marketplace district on Haotian Pagoda Floor 0!

The human race did not rank highly in the Myriad Races Sequence, but on Haotian Pagoda Floor 0, humans had a huge population base, extensive reach, and seasoned business skills. They had leapt into becoming one of the most popular races in interspecies trade!

The human race's ever-innovating trading models were also widely praised by the myriad races, earning humans the title of the race best at doing business!

For example, holiday celebration events and group-buying discounts like Bargain Blade had harvested wave after wave of profits from the myriad races. Humans sucked their blood dry, then made them thank the human race for its generous discount policies~

"Haha, talk about getting a pillow just when I'm sleepy. This pass really came at the perfect time!"

Xu Kun held the golden booklet and laughed loudly.

He had gained quite a lot during the novice trial, enough to satisfy his desire to make a fortune. But he had been worrying over how to sell so many of his items!

For one thing, the lowest-grade items he possessed were E-rank. According to the usual logic of novice trials producing F-rank materials, Xu Kun was troubled by how he could explain acquiring so many distinctly identifiable E-rank materials!

This concerned Heavenly Blessing: Child of Fortune. Xu Kun believed that a man might be innocent, but possessing a treasure made him guilty. This could not be exposed, not even to his own race!

After all, there were bad people among the masses too. Xu Kun did not want to become someone else's money-making tool in the future!

What if someone became jealous and set their sights on him?

And aside from those most ordinary materials, the drops from the Minotaur Chieftain, Corrosive Poison Termite Emperor, Eternal Stone Statue, and Ling Feng were even harder to deal with!

If he sold them in a human base city, he would inevitably attract attention!

But now that he had the qualification to enter the Myriad Races Trading Ground, Xu Kun no longer had to worry. No one could do anything to him there, his true identity would not be exposed, and he could safely deal with the huge pile of items in his backpack!

With that in mind, Xu Kun checked through Ling Feng's large pile of drops without any psychological burden!

Out of habit, he looked at the spirit stone drops first!

Three palm-sized spirit stones that glimmered with seven-colored light immediately caught Xu Kun's attention!

SSS-Rank Spirit Stone ×3

Description: Spirit stones representing the supreme power of Haotian Pagoda, containing incomparably immense power!

Xu Kun's breathing caught. SSS-Rank Spirit Stones—these legendary divine objects had actually dropped for him during the novice trial stage!

The value of spirit stones at this level had already surpassed Xu Kun's imagination. There was simply no way to judge their worth.

If their value were measured in Human Race Currency... that would be an insult to them!

"Put these away first. I can't take something like this out casually!"

Xu Kun nervously scanned his surroundings, looking exactly like a rat that had just stolen something!

Ling Feng's drops were generous. Apart from the three SSS-Rank Spirit Stones, there were spirit stones of other ranks as well!

SS-Rank Spirit Stone ×3

Description: Second only to SSS-Rank Spirit Stones, the power contained within is beyond estimation!

S-Rank Spirit Stone ×5

Description: ...

3 SSS-tier, 3 SS-tier, and 5 S-tier!

Even with maxed-out Luck and the bonus from Heavenly Blessing: Child of Fortune, such a haul of Spirit Stones left Xu Kun dizzy with delight!

After putting away the other Spirit Stones, Xu Kun held a glittering golden S-Tier Spirit Stone and murmured, "Just this one should be enough to ensure Mom and I never have to worry about money for the rest of our lives, right?"

Ling Feng had been generous with his drops, but Xu Kun also knew that opportunities like this were rare and impossible to seek out. He would probably never get another chance like this again!

"Whew... I'll test the waters first in a bit!" Xu Kun flipped his palm, letting the Spirit Stone slip into his backpack, then took out another item.

It looked like a scroll, but it was different from a Class Advancement Certificate, making Xu Kun extremely curious.

He opened its information panel.

Skill Enhancement Scroll

Tier: ...