Chen Tian was walking back toward the villa, thinking about what the Nation Protector had just said.
"Xing Tian, you want Chen Tian to enter the War God Trial Camp as a Battle King-level martial artist. I can approve this application! But..." The Nation Protector paused. "First, you have to make Chen Tian demonstrate that he qualifies to enter the War God Trial Camp!"
Xing Tian was puzzled. "Nation Protector, isn't what Chen Tian has displayed already enough?"
The Nation Protector shook his head, denying Xing Tian's assumption.
"For him—or for all of you—it is indeed enough. But do you think the people inside will share your view?"
Xing Tian froze for a moment. What the Nation Protector said was indeed true. Although Chen Tian had already displayed unprecedented potential, it was still far from enough to convince the other War Gods.
"Then what should we do?" Xing Tian asked as he looked at the Nation Protector. He truly could not bear to see Chen Tian continue wasting time like this. The Wilderness Area was frequently thrown into turmoil, and no one could guarantee that the beasts would not unleash a terrifying Beast Tide one day. If no one could stop it then, humanity's history would once again face the crisis of extinction.
The Nation Protector did not answer Xing Tian immediately. He paced back and forth, lost in deep thought.
"How about this, Xing Tian?" the Nation Protector said. "I'll unlock Chen Tian's access and let him enter the War God Trial Tower. I'll also issue a notice on the bulletin board so that every martial artist can see the news that Chen Tian is about to enter the War God Trial Camp. When that happens, countless martial artists will surely challenge him in the Fighting Arena."
Xing Tian's eyes lit up. He understood the Nation Protector's intention. "You plan to have Chen Tian make a name for himself in these two places, allowing him to enter the War God Trial Camp smoothly without making others think he got in through the back door."
"Exactly." The Nation Protector nodded.
"Beep, beep—"
A message had arrived on the communicator. Chen Tian tapped it open and, sure enough, the pinned message was about him entering the War God Trial Camp.
"The Nation Protector works fast. He got everything done in an instant," Chen Tian said.
When Chen Tian returned to the villa, no one was inside. Xiao Ren's family was all outside, busy with their own affairs.
Chen Tian went straight upstairs and returned to his room. A helmet identical to the one in the trial room sat on the desk. He had had someone deliver it not long ago.
"Come on. Let's go take a look at the Fighting Arena and the War God Trial Tower."
He put on the helmet, and with a "whoosh," he arrived in the virtual lobby.
The virtual lobby was packed with people. Many were discussing various matters, and when Chen Tian listened closely, he discovered that they were all talking about his entry into the War God Trial Camp.
Some were puzzled about how Chen Tian could get in, some were envious, and others were cursing that Chen Tian was not qualified.
"Good grief. The Nation Protector's move pulled more than a million points of hatred onto me." Chen Tian was left speechless.
Before long, someone spotted Chen Tian, and numerous gazes turned his way. Realizing that things were taking a bad turn, Chen Tian immediately tapped the screen and entered the War God Trial Tower. Although fighting was impossible in the virtual space, he still wanted to get away from this troublesome place. Anyone would feel uncomfortable being watched by a crowd of people.
Unlike the other challenge training grounds in the virtual space, where one entered the challenge stages directly, the War God Trial Tower stood on a vast grassland, with the tower itself rising ahead.
"The treatment of a War God really is different. Even the trial tower used for training in the virtual space has such an impressive style." Chen Tian walked forward, looking around and sighing with envy.
When he reached the tower, the gate opened automatically. The moment Chen Tian stepped inside, a block of information appeared.
Name: Chen Tian
Age: 21 Height: 175 Weight: 130 Martial Artist Level: Advanced Battle King Proficient Weapons: Saber, Halberd
Chen Tian glanced at the information. There was nothing worth dwelling on, so he continued until he reached the center of the tower.
"Bang!"
The gate he had entered through closed and then vanished without a trace.
Whoosh! A figure suddenly appeared. It was a man in red armor, his entire body covered in armor so that his face could not be seen.
"I am the guardian of the first floor of the War God Trial Tower."
Chen Tian suddenly understood. He had thought the guardian was a True Person.
"Fighting the guardian? This should be interesting." The corners of Chen Tian's lips lifted into a faint smile.
"Chen Tian, the conditions for clearing the trial tower are simple: defeat the guardian on each floor. Now, choose the weapon you are best at."
Rows of weapons appeared. Chen Tian searched among them for a halberd, but he could not find an option matching his own weapon, so he had no choice but to select a long saber.
Seeing that Chen Tian had chosen his weapon, the guardian said, "The War God Trial Tower has no time limit and no surrender. There is only one possible outcome here: life or death!"
The guardian spoke coldly.
"You are merely an Advanced Battle King, while even the lowest level in the trial tower is an Elementary War God. If you wish to give up, you can choose to leave now. Once it begins, there will be no way back."
Chen Tian felt that the guardian was being far too long-winded. He waved his hand. "I don't need a way back. Besides, Guardian, you can't defeat me. Let's begin."
"Arrogant!"
The instant he finished speaking—
The guardian charged straight at him at astonishing speed, wielding an identical long saber and cleaving it toward Chen Tian. Chen Tian remained calm. With a light tap of his foot, he retreated half a step and nimbly dodged the guardian's slash.
His strike had failed, so the guardian pulled back. Chen Tian had just used an agile footwork technique to evade his attack with ease.
"Oh? Your movement technique is quite interesting."
Before he could finish speaking, Chen Tian launched an attack. Holding the long saber, he shot forward like lightning. The blade scraped along the ground before cleaving upward, sending sparks flying.
The guardian retreated explosively. The force behind that saber was tremendous, and he sensed that he could not withstand it head-on.
The guardian flashed to the side, then let out a furious shout and raised his energy to its limit. His speed climbed to a degree that was simply astonishing.
Whoosh—
Swish—
The long saber tore through the air with a series of hissing sounds. Chen Tian remained calm in the face of danger. His powerful body shook, and his right hand swung the saber around in a slash! Clang!!!
The long sabers collided, bursting into violent sparks. A massive wave of energy exploded outward, and under the impact, the combat space itself showed faint signs of cracking.
"Boom!"
The guardian was blasted backward by Chen Tian's strength, his eyes filled with shock. He had never imagined that Chen Tian was merely an Advanced Battle King, yet possessed such terrifying power.
"Chen Tian, your strength is formidable. Looking back through history, at this stage, those capable of matching you could be counted on one hand. Even across the entire Martial Artist World today, you would be an exceedingly rare existence."
"Guardian, praising me like that doesn't seem to follow the rules, does it?" Chen Tian replied, increasing his speed and clashing with the guardian once more.
Outside, everyone already knew that Chen Tian had entered the War God Trial Tower. Unfortunately, they did not have the authority to watch his actual progress through the trials.
However, those at the Advanced War God level and above were qualified to watch, while the upper echelons could observe Chen Tian in real time.
The video of his trial had already been sent by the virtual space to the hands of various high-ranking figures, attracting considerable attention. Some people had even changed their opinion of Chen Tian.
Top experts cultivating in different places, including the first and second-ranked figures of Ten Thousand Stars, received news of Chen Tian's progress through the trials at that moment.
In an unknown place, Long Ye watched Chen Tian's video and smiled faintly. "The variable outside the chessboard has arrived."
Inside the combat space, Chen Tian and the guardian had already exchanged more than a hundred blows. The more he fought, the more exhilarated he became. He had never experienced such a thoroughly satisfying battle. Whenever he went to the Wilderness Area to carry out missions, he always ended them with a single move. It was not that he did not want to fight—it was that his strength had long since surpassed everyone else's.
"Awesome! Guardian, give me a little more!" Chen Tian shouted excitedly.
The guardian continued battling and clashing with Chen Tian. Gradually, without even realizing it, he was being firmly suppressed by Chen Tian.
Chen Tian knew perfectly well that if he was merely trying to clear the trial, he could defeat the guardian with one move. But he wanted to fight. Although a battle of this level was completely useless to him, it still put him at ease.
"Haah!!!"
The guardian unleashed his strength. Crimson currents of electricity spilled across his long saber as he stared at Chen Tian. "This is my strongest attack. If you can't withstand it, you will fail the trial!"
"Come on." Chen Tian did not waste words and beckoned the guardian forward.
At that moment—
The guardian charged at Chen Tian, carrying a surge of tremendous energy! In the War God Trial Tower, aside from his entire body being virtual and weapons being impossible to bring in, everything else was restored to reality with one-hundred-percent accuracy. Chen Tian had sensed the difference long ago, and his Mental Power could also be used normally without restriction.
Facing the guardian's strongest attack, Chen Tian smiled calmly. It was not that the guardian was too weak—it was that he was too strong! The instant the guardian's saber was about to pierce Chen Tian's forehead, Chen Tian vanished from where he stood, and an even more powerful force came from his lower abdomen. The guardian was still in the midst of his charge and could not withdraw in time to defend.
"Rumble!!!"
Chen Tian released only the slightest trace of energy, yet he instantly annihilated the guardian.
"First floor of the War God Trial Tower cleared."
"Points Reward: 100,000"
"Enter the next floor: Enter; Exit."
Before you continue