The Result of the Trial

Ye Chen pulled out his blood-stained short sword, released Xiaowalus, and staggered back a few steps before collapsing onto the ground involuntarily.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"

After confirming that the final prey had been thoroughly dealt with, the taut strings of Ye Chen's heart finally began to loosen.

This also made him fully experience the strange, putrid stench in his mouth, causing him to immediately bow his head and cough, even retching uncontrollably.

Due to his savage biting of Xiaowalus's flesh just moments ago, Ye Chen had inevitably swallowed quite a bit of Abyss Matter into his esophagus.

Beyond the profound sense of nausea, the writhing sludge attacked Ye Chen's body directly, intensifying the agony within his mind.

"Ugh."

While vomiting wretchedly, the youth focused his remaining mental energy, commanding his Auling Power to wash through every corner of his body to timely purify and incinerate these remnants of the abyss.

After struggling on the ground in this state for quite some time, Ye Chen's complexion finally began to improve.

He wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth and shakily climbed up from the ground.

Then, the youth saw a world spinning in dizzying circles.

Clutching his forehead tightly, he took stiff steps toward the corpse of the personal guard he had disguised himself as—the one covered in the Gold-Patterned Black Cloak—and reached out to grab the cloak with great difficulty.

Finally, Ye Chen turned to look at the Xiaowalu Mansion behind him.

Every area of this mansion had now been completely swallowed by the fire; flames surged and heatwaves billowed. It was clearly impossible for Ye Chen to return to the study on the second floor to retrieve his long sword.

Forget it, time to go.

Ye Chen sighed inwardly, using his trembling, powerless right hand to support his nearly crippled left arm, and walked step by step out of the gates of Xiaowalu Manor, heading toward the exit of Frost White City.

The streets of the city were crowded with countless figures; they were all the residents of Frost White City who had been forcibly driven out of the city by Xiaowalus just moments ago.

With the death of Xiaowalus, the mental hypnosis cast upon the residents and guards was lifted. Although most did not understand the situation before them, their instincts called them home, resulting in the streets becoming packed with a sea of people.

Among them were many residents of Frost White City in a hurry, brushing shoulders with a youth draped in a black cloak and covered in blood.

However, due to the chaotic scene, no one noticed the abnormality of this youth.

"Huff. Huff."

Watching the endless, noisy crowd, Ye Chen breathed weakly while dragging his feet toward the gates of Frost White City.

Just a little longer. Just a little longer, and that will be enough.

He gritted his teeth, forcing his heavy eyelids open and bracing his fractured ribs, slowly, laboriously, and with great difficulty, moving against the flow of people to shorten the distance to the city gate.

The agonizing torment lasted for one minute, five minutes, ten minutes, and finally, thirty minutes.

When Ye Chen walked outside the gates of Frost White City and collapsed into the snow to the side, truly exhausted, the old horse Heiqi had already sensed his approach. Ignoring the stable manager's obstruction, it leaped over the fence and rushed to Ye Chen's side.

"Heiqi."

Ye Chen half-opened one eye, looking at the familiar horse hooves stopped before him. He reached out involuntarily, trying to push himself up from the ground, but ultimately collapsed, his consciousness plunging into darkness.

"Whinny."

The old horse lowered its head to gaze at the unconscious youth, let out a low, meaningful snort, and then grabbed Ye Chen's collar with its teeth, easily tossing him onto its back.

Afterward, Heiqi carried Ye Chen, galloping toward the distant snow-capped mountains, embarking on the journey home.

The youth opened his eyes.

The very first moment he regained consciousness, his heart skipped a beat with unease.

"Huh!?"

Ye Chen let out a cry of surprise, then sat up abruptly from the bench, looking at the surrounding scenery.

The spacious and cold hall, the dilapidated and crude walls, the Broken Statue standing under the shining light, and the middle-aged man sitting beside him, eyes closed in meditation, silent.

This is... the Prayer Hall of the Old Church.

Ye Chen stared at the scene before him, the confusion on his face beginning to dissipate step by step.

Was I brought back by Heiqi?

He whispered to himself, then looked at the palm of his left hand; the bandage was gone, and the deep wound that had pierced the palm bone was gone as well.

Not only that, but the state of Ye Chen's body was now such that only his shirt and pant legs were tattered; no scars or bloodstains could be found on his skin, and his previously fractured ribs and arm bones had all recovered.

It was as if the brutal battle from before had been nothing more than a dream.

As he was now, he was unscathed, as good as new.

Ye Chen was speechless for a moment, then realized this was the result of his teacher's work.

After Heiqi had delivered him back to the Old Church, Lyle must have healed all the injuries on Ye Chen's body, leaving not a single trace behind.

Then, the youth's open palm involuntarily clenched into a fist.

A feeling called unwillingness surged into Ye Chen's heart, causing him to bite his lip hard.

Ye Chen had originally thought that he would triumph in this final trial just as he had in the previous two, perfectly meeting Lyle's expectations. Yet, in the end, he couldn't help but pass out and still had to trouble his teacher to lend a hand.

Now that things had come to this, how could he have the face to say to Lyle, "Teacher, I have completed the hunt"?

It was only a tiny bit away, after all!

Ye Chen bit his lip, his left hand clenching until it creaked; he was clearly filled with extreme regret, resenting why his body and mind could not have been just a little bit stronger.

However, Lyle, who was sitting beside him, slowly opened his eyes at this moment and looked toward Ye Chen, immediately discerning his thoughts before speaking in a calm tone.

"Even if you returned in such a sorry state, there is no need to make that expression, because regardless of everything else, you have already hunted down every target within Xiaowalu Mansion that had any connection to the Abyss."

"This third trial still counts as a pass for you."

"Well done, Ye Chen."

Hearing his teacher's assessment, the youth looked up, stunned.

Then, Ye Chen caught sight of the slight upturn at the corners of Lyle's mouth.

In the seventeen years prior to this, Ye Chen had never seen this expression on the man.

Lyle had always maintained a cold, icy demeanor toward Ye Chen, yet at this very moment, this man, who was filled with so many mysteries, was actually smiling at him—and it was a smile that came from the heart, one of deep gratification.

"."

Ye Chen stared back at Lyle, unable to speak for a moment, but his heart, which had previously been filled with regret and resentment, was now overturned by a thick sense of warmth and emotion, making Ye Chen feel extremely comforted and immensely proud.

"Thank you, teacher, I have completed the hunt."

The youth touched his slightly stinging nose, then smiled knowingly as he proudly reported the results of his journey to his teacher.