The King of Curses

Chapter 354 Phantom
Zhao Chengxu recognized the young man the moment he saw him.

—Is this the person?
If the outcome weren't potentially dangerous, he would have wanted to complain to her face.

Even if you really want to disguise yourself, you should at least disguise yourself as someone who isn't too conspicuous, right? For example, a spellcaster with lower strength, how can you just pretend to be an ordinary person? Wouldn't that make you even more conspicuous among a bunch of spellcasters?

However, it seems that the two top-tier curse masters from the Kalachakra Society didn't notice it at all.

...Yes, he sighed inwardly.

The country is vast and rich in resources, with a large population. The number of curse masters has already expanded to the point that they can be considered an "important class" even in terms of sheer size. After they awaken their abilities, most of them choose to stay in their respective social circles.

In general, a Grade A curse master is already a big shot, and the people they need to pay attention to are usually those who already know about it.

Above that, there are "Special Grade Curse Masters"... Although they had all heard of them before, in their eyes, they were either far away or their own superiors. If they could just go out and carry out a mission, they would find it unbelievable.

If he hadn't suffered such a serious injury, it would have been hard to make that connection.

"Mr. Zhao, what's wrong?"

"……fine."

Zhao Chengxu lowered his head, no longer meeting the person's gaze. Only out of the corner of his eye did he see the other person's judgment, the slender figure who had been clinging to his arm.

This girl, who looks to be in high school, seems somewhat suspicious.

While one's rank can be concealed, most high-ranking spellcasters possess outstanding qualities, making them exceptional individuals. Tall young men may fit this standard, but female high school students clearly fit it even better.

However, he found it hard to imagine a high-ranking Special Grade Curse Master clinging to a man's arm like a little bird, so he quickly dismissed the guess.

"Shall we continue forward now?"

Ban Han had no idea what this guy was up to with his exaggerated reactions, but there were plenty of eccentric curse masters out there, so this guy wouldn't be any different. Time was of the essence, so he simply ignored him and made the arrangements.

"...let's go."

Zhao Chengxu snapped out of his daze and smiled sheepishly.

……

After crossing the dried-up lake and bypassing the giant monster's corpse that resembled a small mountain, they finally arrived at the long tunnel.

The total length is estimated to be around five kilometers, with the ancient bronze gate standing like a mountain peak at the end.

As with the previous test, out of caution, the curse master team did not proceed further near the entrance of the passageway and began to consider countermeasures.

The bronze statues are hundreds of meters tall. A human standing at their feet would look like a tiny ant looking up at a human, straining to lift its head to see the whole thing.

In the real world, this one statue would be the centerpiece of a tourist attraction; but on both sides of this passageway, there are more than a hundred statues standing.

"Truly magnificent, it is indeed a dwelling place for immortals."

In the Kalachakra community, someone casually tossed out a handful of golden beans. The talisman in his hand spontaneously combusted without wind. The beans that rolled on the ground seemed to absorb water, grow, swell, and rise, transforming into dozens of golden-armored warriors the size of people, lined up in a row, ready to go.

"Go in in batches."

Under the command of the spellcaster, the golden-armored warriors entered the passageway, only to be shattered by a giant bronze sword that fell from the sky.

Because the sword was so enormous, when held by a statue hundreds of meters tall, it looked more like a ship being smashed on the sea, with violent air currents overflowing in all directions and a deep crack appearing in the ground.

Afterwards, the bronze statue, as if nothing had happened, raised the sword back.

Upon seeing this scene, the spellcasters exchanged bewildered glances.

"Mr. Ban, do you have a solution?"

"Don't look at me. You know my abilities. I'm fine as a support, but I'm not good enough for the front lines."

"Sigh, I'm not good at fighting big things either."

If it were a top-tier curse master from the Earth Immortal faction in the guild, there might still be a way, but for now, we can only give up the option of a direct breakthrough.

"The level is far inferior to that lake demon from before. Since it's the same trial, the difficulty shouldn't be increased too drastically..."

Ban Han thought.

"There should be a way to stop them, or find an alternative route, since the destination is right there at that door."

As he spoke, he looked at Zhao Chengxu.

"Mr. Zhao, do you have a solution?"

After a moment of silence, the young man replied:
“I can use ‘Mist and Smoke’ to take you there. As you may have guessed, my ability is very good at concealing perception, which may allow me to avoid the sight of these bronze statues.”

"Oh! That's great, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Bringing others along would deplete my vital energy..."

"Then let's do it in batches, we're not in a hurry."

……

Zhao Chengxu neither explicitly agreed nor refused.

He himself doesn't have the kind heart to help a dozen complete strangers pass the trial. That's not even doing a good deed. Going out of his way to help his competitors is just foolishly asking for trouble.

The question is, what exactly is the idea behind that top-tier curse master who concealed his identity within the Kalachakra faction?
He didn't seem to have any intention of helping, but when he tried to sneak away, he was stopped silently as if in a joke.

So, what should he do to avoid angering the other party?
……

Zhao Chengxu arrived at a deserted place and activated "Mist and Smoke," intending to try to pass through the tunnel himself first.

With a somber expression, he transformed into a wisp of white smoke and drifted lightly into the azure sky, swiftly passing over the bronze statues. This feeling of being powerless was truly unbearable.

No response was triggered.

Zhao Chengxu began to carefully and gradually reduce the efficiency of the spell.

He can exert his full power when he is alone and manipulating smoke; however, if he wants to take others with him, he needs to consider the energy expenditure, so he needs to test the most balanced mode.

However, what happened next took an unexpected turn...

"what?"

Zhao Chengxu had already reduced the power of "Mist Locks the Smoke and Silk" to its lowest level. His outline was faintly visible, and he was surrounded by a light mist. Even ordinary people might not be able to hide from him, yet the bronze statues still did not react at all.

He boldly landed on one of the statues' shoulders, but still failed to elicit any reaction.

Zhao Chengxu's heart stirred slightly.

The statues aren't blind; that was confirmed not long ago. So perhaps their apparent indifference isn't due to their own abilities, but rather... his identity.

The phantom in his dream had already told him that Zhao Chengxu was a descendant of immortals, and therefore qualified to rule the Heavenly Palace. Perhaps, to the statues, they were already members of the Heavenly Palace who had passed the trials, and thus wouldn't trigger hostility?

That being the case...

Zhao Chengxu immediately realized that this was an opportunity he could take advantage of.

However, there are risks involved in tampering with the spell, as a top-tier curse master might still be watching him.

He took a deep breath.

I am not lacking in courage, and I hate being controlled by others, Zhao Chengxu convinced himself.

The Heavenly Palace is within reach; the chance to turn things around is just around the corner.

He agreed with the people of the Wheel of Time to reach the finish line and then return, so there shouldn't be any problems with the first half; the second half, however, will depend on his skill.

……

One minute later, Zhao Chengxu arrived in front of the bronze gate.

He should have turned around at this point. But Zhao Chengxu didn't rush to leave; instead, he reached out and touched the surface of the door.

Those who pass the test can open this door, and if they can enter the Heavenly Palace in one breath...

Just as he was pondering this, a familiar voice suddenly rang in his ears.

"You're finally here."

Zhao Chengxu immediately recognized it as the phantom he had seen in his dream.

"It's you. Why didn't you show up before?"

"This is the starting point for entering the Heavenly Palace. If you don't touch this door, I won't be able to detect your presence at all."

The phantom replied calmly.

Zhao Chengxu felt slightly relieved. This statement was in line with his prediction, and he was finally able to make contact with the Heavenly Palace.

"You wasted too much time on the road."

Strangely, the phantom's tone was different from what he had heard in the dream; it seemed... somewhat anxious.

Zhao Chengxu didn't seem to mind and calmly replied:
"I've done my best. And don't rush, I have other companions to bring over."

"...Do you want to share the glory with others?"

The phantom's voice rose, whether from surprise or anger, it was hard to tell.

"Did I misjudge him? How could someone who is to inherit the throne of the Heavenly Emperor not have a bit of the domineering spirit and ambition of a tyrant?"

"I have difficulties."

After understanding the other party's attitude, Zhao Chengxu then revealed the truth:

"There is a top-level curse master hidden in the team. If I can't get rid of him, I have no other choice."

"Special Grade...?"

Zhao Chengxu recalled that the phantom had mentioned before that it was trapped in this heavenly palace and lacked understanding of things in the human world (the real world).

So he immediately told the other party everything he knew about the top-level spellcaster.

In short, it was a monster that was far too extraordinary compared to "Grade A".

To be honest, Zhao Chengxu initially didn't believe the rumors, doubting whether there was truly a world of difference between "Special Grade" and "Grade A." If the news was true, the gap was even greater than the gap between him and ordinary people, and it was hard to imagine that a fragile human society could accommodate multiple humanoid natural disasters.

Only after he truly experienced the helplessness of feeling as if he had transformed into an infant in swaddling clothes did he realize that everything he had been told was true.

"Do you have any idea?"

If it's an ancient relic from a bygone era, it might have a way to deal with the strongest modern humans...

After a moment of silence, the other party replied:
"Right now, I am just a remnant soul, unable to fight against humans."

Zhao Chengxu felt slightly disappointed upon hearing this. But then, he heard the other party make a new suggestion:
"How about this, I'll give you one last push so you can enter the Heavenly Palace alone as soon as possible. The condition is that I need to borrow your body."

"Can you win?"

"It can hold out for a moment. I'll return it to you when I return to the Heavenly Palace."

"Illusion replied."

"Once you become the master of this space, you can throw all the uninvited guests out."

If the person Phantom was trading with was Cen Dongsheng, the man would definitely be on guard immediately—after all, he had just suffered a loss from this not long ago.

Lending your body to a stranger is the most dangerous thing you can do, and you shouldn't even agree verbally.

But Cho Seung-wook lacked this understanding.

In his eyes, the phantom needed his help, and its words did not seem hypocritical; it was on his side.

With a formidable enemy at hand, he has no way out but to escape the mysterious top-tier curse master.

The young man hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded.

He didn't even need to speak; the moment the thought of "agreement" flashed through his mind, the change had already quietly begun.

A chill began to spread from the fingertips where Zhao Chengxu touched the door, quickly engulfing his entire body.

His body was now out of control; from his limbs and facial features to his internal organs, he seemed to have become a different person, with only his eyeballs still able to move slightly.

Before the fear and panic in his heart could even surface, Zhao Chengxu's pupils dilated rapidly, and he lost consciousness.

*
All of this was observed by the two people watching from a distance.

It wasn't that they were too late to stop it, nor that they were unaware of it; the siblings' target from the very beginning was not any of the curse masters, but rather the being hiding within the Heavenly Palace.

Yi Qingyan let go of her brother's arm and stopped clinging to him.

"Are they finally going to confront us?"

Cen Dongsheng's manipulation of spiritual senses is only effective on those below the Special Level. If the owner of this ancient ruins had reached a similar level, it would be impossible for him not to have noticed the arrival of the brother and sister.

The girl raised her hand and flicked it slightly towards the door, giving the first greeting to the gradually awakening aura.

(End of this chapter)