It didn't take long for all one thousand participants in the Fiend Assessment to disembark from the Metal Lifeform and gather in an open area outside.
"Everyone, we know you want to pass the Fiend Assessment." A voice suddenly boomed through the minds of all one thousand people, including Luo Ya.
"We're different from you. Our mission is even more dangerous than yours, so don't do anything foolish or unnecessary!" A Highgod Fiend from the Lion-man Race stood near Aliquin, his gaze sweeping over the other examinees like lightning.
From Luo Ya's assessment, the Lion-man powerhouse had probably already reached Five-Star Fiend strength.
But even among Five-Star Fiends, different abilities and Laws of cultivation could counter one another.
Even if someone truly had the strength of a Five-Star Fiend, that didn't mean they would necessarily pass the promotion assessment.
The Lion-man Highgod continued transmitting through divine sense. "We're heading to the Shadow Swamp. All one thousand of you, follow behind us."
At once, more than twenty Fiends led by Aliquin rose into the air and flew toward the Shadow Swamp.
The thousand examinees soared after them. Luo Ya and the other two naturally joined the group and followed.
"Milia, don't let your guard down when the fighting starts. And Morti, stay by my side and just focus on protecting yourself." The only reason Luo Ya had brought Morti to the Fiend Assessment was to get him a Fiend Medal.
Afterward, he would have Morti refine a Highgod Godhead. That would make it much easier for them to travel in the future.
"Morti understands." The white-haired Morti knew his own limitations.
Even as a Midgod, he had become one by refining a Godhead, so he was bound to be weaker than those who had become gods independently.
At first glance, the Shadow Swamp looked like a vast, pitch-black lake, nearly ten miles across. But its inner reaches were actually made up of a strange substance resembling sludge.
In this unusual environment, even the vision of god-level experts was severely limited. They could only probe their surroundings by releasing God's Domain or divine sense.
"We're here."
The more than twenty Fiends and one thousand Midgods stood at the edge of the Shadow Swamp.
"World of Devouring!"
A powerful, chilling surge of Dark Divine Power erupted from Aliquin, who was completely shrouded in a black robe.
At once, a vortex of twisting darkness spread rapidly outward from Aliquin. The trees and flowers on the ground, even the sunlight, were swallowed by the dark vortex around him. With even the sunlight devoured, the inside of the swirling vortex was utterly black.
Its range continued to expand.
Aliquin stood at the vortex's center.
The Midgods were horrified. "What kind of ability is this?"
"Some kind of shadow-space technique? This place is practically half his home ground." As soon as he had arrived at the Shadow Swamp, Luo Ya had sensed the Dark Elements within it, which were active to the extreme. A powerhouse who cultivated the Laws of Darkness would be in their element fighting here.
"It looks like his target this time is also a powerhouse who cultivates the Laws of Darkness. This should be interesting..." A battle between two Six-Star Fiends was worth watching, especially when both cultivated the Laws of Darkness.
"Everyone, stay behind Lord Aliquin!" The Lion-headed Highgod looked pleased. With Aliquin clearing the way, it would be much easier for them to enter the swamp.
"Move!"
The twenty-odd Fiends led by Aliquin rose into the air almost simultaneously and plunged into the Shadow Swamp. The Midgods hurried after them.
The swamp's inky darkness was unnerving even to look at. Having a powerful expert clear the way gave them a lot more confidence.
"Swish, swish, swish!" Aliquin maintained the dark vortex around all one thousand people, forcibly carving a path through the swamp.
Beyond the vortex was complete darkness. They could just barely make out a vast, disgusting landscape that resembled sludge.
"What a hellhole! This is insane!" Suddenly plunged into such an environment, most of the examinees felt deeply uncomfortable. Only those like Luo Ya, who cultivated the Laws of Darkness, were unaffected.
"Hiss, hiss!" But before they could complain for long, trouble found them!
From an all-seeing vantage point, one would have seen a towering phantom at the edge of the swamp, as vast as a mountain.
The enormous phantom was a giant dark creature resembling a spider. It was spitting out layer upon layer of strange webbing. The strands blended into the swamp, and at some point had already formed a net.
In just a few breaths, a web had completely enveloped the area around the dark vortex.
"What's going on?" Several Highgod Fiends beside Aliquin immediately changed expression. They couldn't even use divine sense to probe outside; they could only get a faint sense of what lay beyond by releasing God's Domain.
As for their eyesight? They were completely blind!
Ordinary darkness alone couldn't make gods "unable to see," but the innate ability of the Shadow Swamp's master could make them lose their sight completely.
"This thing's perception is incredible. Did it notice me the moment I entered?" Aliquin frowned, realizing that this "Natlan" wouldn't be easy to deal with.
"Since it's found us, we'll go straight for the target!" With that, Aliquin shrank the dark vortex until it covered only the twenty-odd Highgod Fiends, then abruptly sped up.
As soon as Aliquin and the other Highgods left, the Midgods were still at a loss. Then the hunt began!
In the darkness, where no one could see, hunters concealed within the shadows raised their blades against them!
"Pfft!" The sound of a blade stabbing into flesh rang out.
"You bastard! How dare you ambush me!"
In the swamp, the energy fluctuations of battle erupted all around them!
Those who were strong and quick to react mostly survived the first wave of attacks. Those who reacted more slowly were gravely wounded or killed on the spot!
"Shadow Guards? Guardians who slip into the shadows? That's a pretty apt name." As Luo Ya muttered to himself, a Shadow Guard in a black robe swung a gray dagger above the three of them.
"Whoosh!"
Though the Shadow Guard moved quickly, its movements still created the slightest disturbance, which the golden-haired girl keenly noticed.
"Windshadow—Thrust!" The golden-haired girl's slender green sword flashed like a streak of light and struck the Shadow Guard squarely in the head!
The terrifying force of the blow made the Shadow Guard's body shudder.
The strike was as fast as lightning!
In the blink of an eye, Milia's sword vibrated four times in succession. Its powerful blows pierced straight through the enemy's head, and a dark Godhead fell to the ground.
"Milia, your eyes?" Luo Ya wasn't particularly surprised that she had reacted in time to kill the Shadow Guard. Milia had always possessed excellent combat instincts.
What surprised him was that her eyes were no longer their usual bright silver. They had turned a dazzling dark gold!
Especially in the surrounding darkness, her two dark-golden eyes seemed to radiate a strange light, as if they could see through the phantoms lurking in the shadows!
The update's a bit late today.
Before you continue