This assassin is upright

Chapter 443 Opening the Door to the Third Stage
"strangeness…"

Looking at the faded crimson patterns in his hand, Yu Zhun frowned deeply.

"I haven't even finished paying back this guy's money, and he's already canceled all my previous debts?"

“The appearance of the Crimson Demon Lord this time is indeed unusual,” Yu Zhu couldn’t help but say.

She was beside Yu Zhun during the previous negotiations between Yu Zhun and the Crimson Demon Lord, as well as during the scene shown in the mirror, but she did not speak or interfere with the two of them.

Now that the Crimson Demon Lord has left, Yu Zhu could no longer contain himself. "The Crimson Demon Lord just mentioned your path."

"Now that the strongest being in the Fifth Divine District has fallen, Yu Zhun, have you sensed any unusual changes?"

"Let me see."

Yu Zhun slowly closed his eyes, carefully sensing all his power. Just like before, his power had not condensed into something like a primordial entity, and was still bound by all the rules of the [Divine Revelation World].

But Yu Zhun could also sense a slight difference within himself.

It was as if something was lurking hidden, like an unhatched egg, waiting for the moment it would hatch and make a name for itself.

Upon opening his eyes again, Yu Zhun told Yu Zhu how he felt.

After listening, Yu Zhu looked thoughtful.

"According to what the Crimson Demon Lord just said, your scheming against the Fifth Divine District is to pave your own path."

"At the moment the Fifth Divine District was destroyed... wait!" Yu Zhu suddenly realized, "I know why!"

"Although the strongest being of the Fifth Divine District is dead, the Fifth Divine District has not been truly destroyed, which is why you cannot sense any changes."

"Perhaps your path will be revealed once the Fifth Divine District is destroyed!"

"Wait until the Fifth Divine District is destroyed..." Yu Zhun frowned, a thoughtful expression on his face.

The symbol of a server's demise is replication.

When a world is replicated, even if there is still a sliver of hope, it is practically nonexistent. Over the years, very few replicas have been able to reverse the replication process.

As a region with gods, the only condition for the Fifth God Region to enter the dungeon-like stage is...

All the local third-tier powerhouses are dead!
The previous battle showed that there were nearly a thousand third-tier powerhouses in the Fifth Divine District. At the end of that battle, these nearly a thousand third-tier powerhouses scattered like birds and beasts, fleeing for their lives in different directions.

It won't be easy to wipe out all these escaped third-tier powerhouses in one fell swoop, but as long as even one of them is alive, the Fifth Divine District still has a chance.

Thinking of this, Yu Zhun frowned.

Having survived this ordeal, he has become the number one enemy of all the third-tier powerhouses in the Fifth Divine District. Will these desperados come after Blue Star?
The thought had barely crossed my mind when a death knell suddenly tolled.

Upon hearing the death knell, Yu Zhun's body jolted violently, and an expression of disbelief appeared in his eyes.

This is the death knell for the world! It's a harbinger of the world becoming a copycat!
This time, the one that triggered the death knell was none other than the Fifth Divine District!

"How could it be so fast?" Yu Zhu exclaimed in surprise. "I thought it would take months or even years!"

"It is indeed a bit too fast." Yu Zhun couldn't help but nod.

It was as if someone had woven a net in advance, just waiting for those remaining guys from the Fifth Divine District to take the bait.

Who could possibly know his plans and make such arrangements in advance?

His gaze swept over the back of his right hand, where the markings had disappeared, and a thought surged into Yu Zhun's mind as he recalled the profound words spoken by the Crimson Demon Lord as he departed.

Opelli, that guy…

This time, I really owe them a huge favor.

The tolling of the death knell ended at this moment, and a strange power suddenly burst forth from Yu Zhun's body. That power was like the first tender sprout of a seed that had long been dormant underground, quietly breaking through the soil. It was so tender, yet powerful enough to easily suppress all of Yu Zhun's past power.

Yu Zhun's pupils instantly became as clear as a lake. He gazed quietly ahead, seeing the myriad lights of Blue Star through the walls of his home, and through the world's appearance, he instantly saw the powerful and vibrant world origin brewing within Blue Star.

It is so vast and intense, yet so warm, like a gentle mother.

As if responding to Yu Zhun's gaze, the origin of the Blue Star responded, and a wisp of power imperceptible to others instantly flew towards Yu Zhun, eventually connecting with his heart.

At the same time, a faint thought echoed in Yu Zhun's mind.

"Protection...destruction...remain in one heart..."

"The one who strikes the bell...remembers...the direction of home..."

"Yu Zhun? Yu Zhun?!" Yu Zhu's anxious voice rang out from beside Yu Zhun, who then slowly came back to his senses.

"What just happened?" Yu Zhu couldn't help but ask, "For a split second, I suddenly couldn't sense your presence!"

The black cat and the golden ring beside Yu Zhu nodded at the same time. Even though they had already advanced to the fourth stage of divine transformation and reached the general level, they had both experienced a moment of disorientation just now, as if some force had blocked their senses.

"I don't know either." Yu Zhun said subconsciously, while extending one hand and clenching his fist against his chest.

Although he didn't understand what what had just happened meant, one thing was clear: "If I'm not mistaken..."

"Senior Zhu and the others should be on their way."
-
"Tuk-tuk-tuk-"

After a knock on the door, Zhu Xiuming pushed it open and entered Yu Zhun's home, followed closely by eight other supreme experts.

"Yu Zhun, what just happened..." Zhu Xiuming began to ask something, but after sensing the aura surging around Yu Zhun, his expression gradually relaxed. "I see."

He laughed easily, "Now I can finally relax."

"The strongest being on Earth is no longer me."

The strongest is not simply the most powerful person, but rather a world's unique favor towards its own strongest.

Prior to this, Zhu Xiuming had always been the strongest person on Blue Star.

As the strongest being, he is qualified to access the World God and Demon Medals obtained by all players on Earth, and can see the rewards and benefits of all players' strategies through the backend.

But just now, Zhu Xiuming suddenly discovered that his permissions had been removed.

The loss of the supreme power of the strongest is a major event, and the only person Zhu Xiuming can think of who might replace his power is Yu Zhun.

That's why he came over to find out what was going on as soon as possible.

Now, having witnessed firsthand Yu Zhun's sudden and extraordinary surge of power, Zhu Xiuming's suspicions have been confirmed.

The other powerful figures also rushed over after hearing about this.

"I'm sorry, Senior Zhu, I..." Yu Zhun opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but was interrupted by Zhu Xiuming raising his hand.

"Do you think I really want to be this supreme expert?" Zhu Xiuming said with a smile. "It's something I have no choice but to do."

"Back then, in order for Blue Star to survive under the mechanisms of the God and Demon Palace, someone had to step up. Even if it was a difficult and dangerous dungeon, we had to grit our teeth and go for it." Zhu Xiuming sighed slightly as he said this.

"Thinking about it carefully, more than a hundred years have passed."

Advanced players, due to their enhanced physical abilities, can have lifespans several times longer than ordinary people. If they use certain special items or methods, they can even live for a thousand years.

As for experts at the third level, their lifespan is measured in tens of thousands. Although Zhu Xiuming always appeared as a middle-aged man, he was already over 150 years old.

For over a century, he has shouldered the identity of the strongest, seeking a way out for the future of Blue Star every day. Before Yu Zhun appeared, the difficulties he faced were unimaginable.

Now, he can finally completely shed this responsibility.

"The future of Blue Star is in your hands." Zhu Xiuming patted Yu Zhun on the shoulder and said with a smile, "When do you plan to advance to the third stage?"

"If I'm not mistaken, you've found your way."

"Let's wait until Senior Zhu's path is perfected," Yu Zhun thought for a moment and said. "Having more than two local third-tier graduates would be safer."

Once a local third-tier traitor emerges, the world's second line of defense will disappear, and it will no longer be permitted to hire foreign third-tier traitors for protection.

If all the native third-tier characters die, the world will be directly duplicated.

Although Yu Zhun was confident about his future, the entire world was involved, so he had no choice but to treat it with utmost care.

"Then it should be soon." Zhu Xiuming smiled upon hearing this. "Referring to the Demonic Descent Battle Formation and Heavenly Demon Battle Formation that you brought back, I have greatly optimized my own path, combining summoned units with the formation."

"Judging by the time, it should be completely perfected in a few days." Zhu Xiuming paused slightly at this point, "No player on Blue Star has ever experienced the third job advancement trial. Although we can inquire and learn about it from other servers, there are still considerable risks involved."

"I'm the senior, you can't take it from me."

"I'll go scout ahead for you on the third-stage trial."

At this point, Zhu Xiuming straightened his face, trying his best to adopt the stern demeanor of a senior.

Yu Zhun felt a slight warmth in his heart.

Although he was well aware that Zhu Xiuming's exploration might not be of much reference value to him, because his third job advancement might be quite unique.

But this sentiment ultimately moved him.

"In that case, thank you very much, Senior Zhu."
-
"Om-"

A deep hum resounded throughout the entire Blue Star.

Everyone on Blue Star stopped what they were doing and looked up at the sky.

It was as if an invisible film was slowly melting away at that moment.

Although most people don't know what it is, they have a vague feeling that Earth has become different.

Inside the Hall of Divine Revelation, the assembled crowd also watched silently as the thin film in the sky dissolved.

"Squeak~" The shrunken golden ring perched on Yu Zhu's shoulder and gently tapped Yu Zhu's cheek with one of its tentacles.

“The Protector Contract on Jin Huan has been dissolved,” Yu Zhu said softly. “From now on, Blue Star no longer needs any Protectors.”

"Not bad." A voice sounded from behind her, and Zhu Xiuming slowly stepped out of the void, his eyes filled with excitement.

"From today onwards, Earth also has a divine zone!"

"Congratulations, Senior Zhu," Yu Zhun said with a smile. "It seems your third-stage trial went very smoothly."

"It wasn't exactly smooth sailing, but it was definitely simpler than I expected." Zhu Xiuming said with a touch of emotion. "Of course, this is largely due to the enhancement provided by the formation."

"Without combining the summoned units with the formation, given my previous situation, it would have been very difficult to pass this third-stage trial."

"Old Zhu, your aura doesn't seem like that of a god?" Tang Yulong scratched his head and leaned forward to look at him from left to right.

"How come it doesn't have any divine aura at all?"

"Of course not, because I chose the demonic system." Zhu Xiuming shook his head helplessly. "You all know the difference between the divine and demonic systems."

"Do you think I'm suited for a pantheon?"

Thinking of Zhu Xiuming's ability to summon his opponents to fight for him after killing them, everyone fell silent for a moment, and then shook their heads in unison.

Indeed, this ability is best suited to magic.

"Alright, let's get back to the main topic." Zhu Xiuming shook his head and turned his gaze back to Yu Zhun. "In the third-stage trial, there are only two paths to choose from: one is the divine path, and the other is the demonic path."

"Choosing different paths leads to different goals."

“Only by achieving the goal can you complete the third job advancement.” Zhu Xiuming paused slightly. “It sounds similar to the previous job advancements, but it’s not. Your path will play a crucial role in it.”

"You will no longer be limited to the class system of the [Divine Revelation World]. The power you can use in the trials will be greatly enhanced, and the dangers you will encounter will far exceed any previous dungeon raid."

At this point, Zhu Xiuming's expression turned serious.

"Yu Zhun, are you ready?"

"Ready?" Yu Zhun smiled slightly.

During the time Zhu Xiuming was undergoing the third-stage trial, he had already told Hermod and the others about his situation.

Unlike themselves, including Yu Zhu, the others were still a long way from the third job advancement and had not yet reached level 90.

Therefore, this time, Yu Zhun will not wait for them.

He will be the first to enter the new world of the third job advancement, experiencing the splendor that players of the Divine Revelation World cannot experience.

Of course, the others wouldn't stand still either.

They will catch up with Yu Zhun as quickly as possible and agree to stand side by side again at the summit.

“Now that we’re ready…” Zhu Xiuming took a deep breath.

"Then let's get started."

"I will not go to the Palace of Gods and Demons immediately. I will stay on Blue Star and wait for the moment you return."

Yu Zhun nodded emphatically, his gaze sweeping over the crowd of people who also wore expressions of blessing, finally lingering on Yu Zhu for a moment.

With a thought, a portal that only he could see slowly appeared. One side of the portal was pure and holy gold, while the other side was chaotic and evil black. The two colors intertwined and finally opened.

This is the Gate of Gods and Demons, unique to the Third Trial.

Without any hesitation, Yu Zhun stepped firmly into it.

The next instant, accompanied by a dizzying sensation, he found himself in a vast and chaotic space.

Please choose one of the following two career paths as your target career for this third job advancement trial. The trial objective and difficulty will vary depending on the target career, and cannot be changed after selection.

[God's Right Wing (Difficulty: ☆☆): Legend has it that the gods, out of compassion for the world, protected it with the wing closest to their heart, thus preventing all evil from invading and ensuring eternal peace and tranquility.]

Yu Zhun's eyes flickered slightly, and then he looked at the second option.

【Demon - The Abyss Bell Ringer (Difficulty: ☆☆☆☆☆☆)】

(End of this chapter)