The Zhelan Gold Saber

Hermes deliberately lagged dozens of meters behind, then followed the others toward the Metal Life.

Although the "Skeleton Man," Saba, disgusted him to no end, he had no choice but to follow.

He couldn't very well give up on the assessment.

If he did, he might end up facing even more insidious schemes.

He might as well settle things in one go.

The three split into two groups and flew toward the Metal Life. A white-haired middle-aged man stood at the entrance to its passageway.

His gaze was sharp as he scrutinized every expert arriving to take the Demon Assessment.

A faint, gentle energy seemed to linger around the old man.

"Is this the Light Element? I didn't expect there to be so many deities of the Light Element in Hell."

As Hermes passed the old man, he could clearly sense the holy, radiant aura surrounding him.

His cultivation wasn't low!

Strength varied, but the aura of one's soul never lied.

Someone with a powerful soul naturally couldn't be weak in other respects.

"Are you here to take the Demon Assessment as well?" the white-haired man asked in a calm, gentle voice.

It was pleasant to listen to.

"Yes."

Hermes replied.

At the same time, he showed the old man the Demon Emblem in his hand.

The white-haired man nodded slightly.

He gestured for Hermes to enter.

The Metal Life's interior was spacious and bright, with a broad corridor dividing it into two sections.

The front cabin was small, taking up only about a fifth of the entire Metal Life.

But there were few employees from the Demon Castle, so it seemed spacious instead.

As soon as Hermes stepped through the cabin door, he heard an employee call out:

"Those taking the Demon Assessment, please proceed to the rear cabin."

Employees hurried back and forth along the corridor, directing the many examinees toward the rear. Hermes followed the flow and entered.

His movements were smooth and effortless.

Many deities taking the assessment had already gathered in the rear cabin.

Anyone daring to take the Demon Assessment could certainly be considered an expert.

They stood or sat, their expressions varied, and the atmosphere was somewhat tense.

"There are so many people!"

Saba couldn't help exclaiming. His gaze roamed over the crowd as if searching for someone.

Conrad stood quietly beside him, his sharp eyes warily surveying everything around them.

"Hm? There~!"

Saba spotted Hermes, and his dark pupils narrowed.

"Come on, let's go take a look!"

Saba made his way against the crowd toward the corner where Hermes stood.

At the same time, a group of Black Armored People, each wearing a Demon Medal on their chest, suddenly approached.

When Saba saw them, he stopped short of heading toward Hermes.

His expression changed.

He had spotted a familiar figure—Salif.

"Salif," Saba muttered.

Salif cultivated the Scorching Fire Element Law, yet his name seemed to carry a chill that sent an inexplicable shiver through Saba.

At least, that was how it felt to Saba.

"Damn it, why is Salif here too? What exactly is this Demon Mission?"

Saba's fear of Salif came naturally.

Someone as scheming and cold-hearted as him instinctively feared a strong-willed expert like Salif.

Of course, strength was the main factor.

Saba didn't dare act out in front of Salif mainly because Salif was powerful enough to back up his confidence.

"Silence!"

When the rear cabin of the Metal Life was nearly full, the white-haired man who cultivated the Light Law appeared.

"A thousand people are taking the Demon Assessment this time. I'm sure you all understand that the assessment is extremely dangerous, with a very high death rate..."

This was a routine speech. Hermes and most of the other examinees didn't take it to heart.

They were all waiting for the important details.

"The assessment will take place at Zhelan Fort, seventy million li from Yilan City."

"At the Metal Life's normal flying speed, the journey will take about two and a half months."

The white-haired man's voice rang out.

Suddenly, the rear cabin of the large Metal Life fell silent.

After a long moment, everyone seemed to finally react.

The cabin erupted in discussion.

"That far?"

"It'll take two and a half months even by Metal Life. If we have to go on our own, won't it take years?"

"About that."

"The person piloting the Metal Life will definitely be a High God, and the Demon Castle's Metal Life won't be of poor quality. If we go ourselves, it really might take years."

The white-haired man watched the examinees discuss the news with a smile. Once they gradually quieted down, he continued:

"I should clarify one thing: Demon Missions are tasks freely posted within the Demon Castle. They aren't deliberately created by the Demon Castle."

"Our only responsibility is to select a suitable One-star Mission for you to complete."

"So this Demon Assessment involves a compound mission, but that has nothing to do with you!"

After the white-haired man finished speaking, the blue-haired beauty standing behind him stepped forward.

"Brittany, please explain the details."

Brittany took a step forward and spoke in a clear voice:

"The mission location is Zhelan Fort. Deep in the distant Zhelan Desert stands an ancient castle called Zhelan Fort.

"The master of Zhelan Fort is terrifyingly powerful, but you won't have to fight him. Besides the master, the castle is home to a group of savage Sand Bandits. They wield Zhelan Gold Sabers personally forged for them by the master of Zhelan Fort."

"Your mission is to kill at least one Sand Bandit. Remember to bring back the Zhelan Gold Saber they were carrying after you kill them."

"Only then can you prove that you completed the mission."

"You may keep the Sand Bandits' wealth for yourselves."

"That's all."

Brittany smiled and stepped back.

"Boom!"

The rear cabin of the Metal Life erupted into a clamor.

"Silence!"

The white-haired man's voice rang out.

"If you have any questions, ask them quickly. Although this flight will take more than two months, I won't be available to answer your questions at all times."

Everyone gradually quieted down.

Hermes had no intention of asking anything, but someone was already impatient.

"Sir, does every Sand Bandit have a Zhelan Gold Saber?" asked a three-meter-tall, burly man wearing a Bull Horn Helmet, his face covered in black fuzz.

"According to the Demon Castle's intelligence, every Sand Bandit in Zhelan Fort does indeed have a Zhelan Gold Saber.

"Even if they aren't carrying it, it should be in their Space Ring. That possibility is extremely unlikely, though, because the Zhelan Gold Saber is the Sand Bandits' trademark.

"But nothing is ever certain. If the Sand Bandit you kill doesn't have a Zhelan Gold Saber, you'll just have to accept your bad luck."

"Remember, the Demon Castle only recognizes the Zhelan Gold Saber, not the person."

His words were firm and decisive.

There was no room for negotiation!

The horn-helmeted man sat down, the worry on his face undiminished. If anything, he looked even more troubled.

"Sir, what should we do if we run into the master of Zhelan Fort?" a woman in green armor asked.

That was a good question, and even Hermes was concerned about it.

His Golden Mountain True Body was incredibly tough, second only to a Sovereign Artifact.

And after unexpectedly obtaining the Silver Moon, his sea of consciousness had long been protected by a silver canopy.

This made Hermes fearless of Soul Attacks from ordinary experts.