My skills have mutated again!

Chapter 348 A Perilous Land, A Situation of Mutual Killing!

It's understandable that there are dangers at every turn in the Qingjue Maze.

Strictly speaking, this is not the place where the Qingjue Sword God inherited his legacy, but rather his former lair and research site.

—The security of the headquarters and research sites must be maximized.

Xia Lin looked up and around.

The place where everyone was at this moment was a jade platform floating in the void. The jade platform was not small, it was a regular square, and its length and width were several thousand meters.

The surrounding area was filled with void rifts, indicating that the Pure Absolute Treasury was located in a dimensional space.

Given the strength of everyone present, they were not afraid of any void rifts. However, void rifts might cause spatial transfer phenomena, resulting in those who enter the void rifts being teleported to unknown places.

This was undoubtedly an unacceptable outcome for everyone, each with their own ulterior motives.

"Our actions are limited, and there's only one way forward."

King Sen spoke slowly, and everyone looked ahead.

Ahead, a jade bridge, ten meters wide and several kilometers long, connects this place with another jade platform.

Red lanterns hung on both sides of the bridge, and it was also covered with many prohibitions. No one knew what kind of wonder or danger this bridge held.

Because of the formation, the group could not see the scene on the next jade platform, nor did they know what awaited them ahead.

A voice rang out from the crowd.

It was a young and pleasant female voice.

"The array is extremely powerful; it not only has the effect of absorbing energy but also has the effect of preventing air movement."

The speaker was named Mei Yuqing. She was quite pretty, but it was just a disguise; her identity and strength were unknown.

After saying that, Mei Yuqing continued, explaining the effects of each array pattern and the possible functions of the integrated array—she seemed to be a master of array formations.

After Mei Yuqing finished speaking, the others briefly expressed their own opinions.

Finally, the Forest King summarized: "In general, being in the Qingjue Maze, we are constantly affected by the Energy Draining Array."

This is different from the "door-opening attack" that Zhang Chu encountered; that was far more intense.

This is just a slow, temporary negative suppression effect with little practical impact.

Xia Lin felt his mental energy slowly decreasing at a rate of 10 points per second.

The problem is not big.

"This means that we need to decipher the secret as soon as possible and find what Qingjue left behind, otherwise things will change if we delay."

What Senwang said makes sense.

This place is indeed somewhat ominous.

"Apart from that, the road is simple."

"After all, this place only gave us one road to take..."

Senwang pointed to the white jade bridge in front of him, and after speaking, he thought for a moment and then cupped his hands to the others.

"Since Brother Zhang Chu has already averted the danger, I will now go ahead to clear the way for you all in this second challenge!"

Zhang Chu's face darkened, but he couldn't say anything else, nor did he dare to argue any further.

The remaining seven people exchanged glances and quickly nodded.

"King Sen's noble righteousness!"

……

lofty ideals.

It turns out that King Sen somehow obtained some information about the secret Qingjue Treasury and was aware of the two traps mentioned earlier!

And this bridge is the second barrier of this secluded and pure place, the Bridge of Inner Demons!
I lifted my leg and stepped onto the bridge.

The red lanterns on both sides of the bridge immediately shone, falling on the Forest King and slowly seeping into his body!
As a result, feeling agitated and plagued by inner demons, the Forest King's eyes turned red, his face turned from white to green, his lips turned outward and his teeth protruded, revealing the form of a demon with a green face and fangs.

But soon, as the light of the skill on the Forest King flashed, the red light was expelled from his body, which brought the Forest King back to normal.

He strode across the bridge without incident.

Only after reaching the other side of the bridge did the Forest King turn around and look at the crowd.

"This bridge can trigger inner demons, fellow cultivators, please be careful."

So far, Senwang's every move and word has not shown any malice.

On the contrary, he is very open and even very loyal.

But the greatest malice is not a mouthful of lies, but only telling half the story.

At this moment, Senwang deliberately did not mention the strength of the Heart Demon Bridge.

The power of this bridge to awaken inner demons is ridiculously high!

It seemed that Senwang crossed the bridge with ease, but that was only because he was highly skilled, knew the situation, and had made thorough preparations beforehand!
No one else could possibly have the skills of the Forest King.

Standing at the bridgehead, Senwang's gaze was deep and unfathomable, yet he harbored a sliver of expectation in his heart.

Hiding your true intentions, huh?

If you can hide after walking across the Bridge of Inner Demons, then I, Sen Shuhan, have to give you a thumbs up!

……

There are many different theories about inner demons, but one thing is certain.

This thing is very bad at disguise.

When faced with inner demons, one's true nature is easily exposed, leading to the active tearing away of pre-set pretenses.

The others present, of course, understood this principle.

Seeing that the King of Forest had already crossed the bridge and was waiting for everyone, everyone remained calm, but no one made a move first.

Zhang Chu snorted coldly and strode forward to cross the bridge.

He definitely doesn't care.

Having been ambushed, his true identity has been largely exposed, and it wouldn't have been difficult for Sen Wang to find out his background anyway.

At this moment, Zhang Chu had just stepped onto the Bridge of Inner Demons when he voluntarily shed his disguise—transforming from an ordinary young man into just another ordinary young man…

other people:"……"

Fine.

Zhang Chu's purpose is simple and clear, and it seems that he really doesn't need to do much pretense.

Just as Zhang Chu stepped onto the bridge, Gong Chen bowed to the others who had not yet stepped onto the bridge.

"Then I will go too."

After saying that, he also walked onto the bridge.

Just then, Zhang Chu screamed again, his face pale as he knelt on one knee, his eyes rolling back as if recalling the most terrifying thing in his life.

This scene also sent chills down the spines of others.

Fortunately, under normal circumstances, the direct lethality of inner demons is not high.

Zhang Chu suppressed his fear and trembled as he moved forward until he reached the end of the bridge. At that moment, his inner demons vanished, and Zhang Chu, panting heavily, knelt down beside the Forest King. It took him a while to stand up from the ground.

Meanwhile, Gong Chen had already completed half of the journey, and judging from his performance, he was not as incompetent as Zhang Chu.

Only after Zhang Chu and Gong Chen successfully crossed the bridge did the three on the other side turn their attention back to the six on this side.

King Sen smiled and said, "Please hurry, time is of the essence."

After he finished speaking, Zhang Chu, his face pale, muttered, "You have no choice but to leave. Don't forget, we haven't found a way out yet."

Zhang Chu's words did point out a fact.

As it stands, it seems that the Pure Absolute Treasure has no other exit except for actively venturing into the void storm.

……

"What's there to be afraid of!"

With a roar, the giant Leviathan strode onto the bridge, fearless.

The rest of the group thought for a moment and followed suit.

Xia Lin mingled in the crowd, neither standing out nor falling behind.

I wasn't in a hurry or panic.

Xia Lin had never experienced the feeling of inner demons before; ignorance is bliss, after all.

His method of disguise was a bizarre and grotesque mask, a prop rather than his own ability, so he was naturally not afraid of being exposed by encountering his inner demons.

The moment Xia Lin's feet finally touched the Bridge of Inner Demons.

The anticipated attack of inner demons did not occur.

The system notification from the Ash Zone that rang in his ears startled Xia Lin, who then burst into laughter inwardly!

[You have encountered the debuff: Inner Demon Tribulation (Racial Foundation Level).]

[Inner Demon Tribulation (Racial Foundation Level Debuff): With this debuff active, your mind will be twisted and inner demons will flourish!]

[Unstable mutation activated!]

[Your inner demon debuff has mutated to: Telepathy!]

[Telepathy (SS-rank buff): With this buff, you can vaguely sense what others are thinking! The level of sensitivity depends on the difference in strength between the two parties!]

It has to be an unstable mutation!

Xia Lin never expected that the way the Heart Demon Bridge works is by applying a debuff to those who cross it!

And this was exactly what Xia Lin wanted!

Controlling the bizarre and eerie appearance, Xia Lin feigned a pale face and the appearance of being plagued by inner demons. At this moment, Xia Lin's senses were fully activated!

Thus, the newly acquired buff: telepathy takes effect.

The buff level is too low, and everyone present is quite strong, so theoretically, telepathy should not have any effect.

But the amazing thing is that Xia Lin doesn't suffer from the Heart Demon Tribulation debuff, but others do!

With this debuff applied, there's a risk of developing a split personality, so how can one have the mind to hide their inner thoughts?
Then three unclear noises rose from the hearts of the other five people walking on the bridge and reached Xia Lin's ears.

Leviathan: "I'm not afraid of inner demons, the giants are fearless! It's just that the current situation is confusing... I don't know what the Forest King is thinking. Has the danger mentioned in the main quest actually fallen on the Forest King?"

Xia Lin's eyes flashed; this person was a Ash Walker!
Yanjie: "Aliwanga Broshroud~~~"

A muddled, ambiguous voice rang out from Yan Jie's mind, even causing Xia Lin's face to twitch involuntarily. He could sense malice and corruption in Yan Jie's voice.

This malice wasn't directed at Xia Lin, but at everyone present!

Xia Lin simply ignored Yan Jie's meaningless thoughts, but she did have some guesses about the man's background.

The third voice rang out; it was the voice of the old woman from the tree.

Her voice was remarkably clear, far clearer than Leviathan's.

In Xia Lin's assessment, this old tree was also the weakest among everyone present.

"The higher-ups have ordered me to ruin Sen Shuhan's good plans... but they didn't tell me what Sen Shuhan was going to do, so I, this old woman, have to find out for myself... Sigh, I don't even know if this Qingjue Maze is Sen Shuhan's good plan."

"That's good. If I, this old woman, can find something to hold over Sen Shuhan, then I can ask the upper sect to intervene... If Sen Shuhan can be the Ghost King, why can't I, this old woman, be the one?"

They are weak in strength but have great ambitions.

There are plenty of people like that, so Xia Lin isn't surprised.

Judging from her inner thoughts, Granny Tree seemed to have the means to summon external aid at any time. It was unclear what kind of sect this "upper sect" she mentioned was. Xia Lin, however, couldn't hear the inner thoughts of the other two.

They have ways to block Xia Lin's telepathic abilities.

One of them was named Belial, a handsome blond-haired, blue-eyed man with Western features.

The other person was Mei Yuqing, a master of array formations, with a sweet appearance.

His gaze swept over everyone present.

Xia Lin narrowed down Luo Zhidao's identity to three people.

Gong Chen, Beria, Mei Yuqing.

However, Xia Lin could not determine exactly who it was.

……

"You all proved to be reliable. Just as I expected, the mere Heart Demon Bridge will not cause you much trouble."

At the end of the bridge, King Sen bowed and addressed the others.

The group had already crossed the bridge, their faces showing varying expressions and covered in cold sweat. Although they were not in any immediate danger, they all looked to have been thoroughly tormented by the Bridge of Inner Demons.

Xia Lin gasped for breath and sighed inwardly.

Unfortunately, after reaching the end of the bridge, the inner demon tribulation debuff disappeared, along with Xia Lin's telepathic buff.

They didn't glean much information from the others, but they focused on the three individuals as the imposters of Luo Zhidao.

It's a decent gain, not too big, not too small.

Once everyone had recovered, King Sen turned his head and looked at the second jade platform behind him.

As he took a step forward and arrived at the second jade platform, the array mist that had enveloped the platform slowly dissipated, revealing a scene exactly the same as before.

For a moment, everyone felt as if they were standing still or experiencing a time loop.

However, upon closer inspection, one can find obvious differences between the two jade platforms.

"The array of lights is different."

"Strange, although the formation here is not stronger than before, its style is clearly different..."

Mei Yuqing couldn't quite put her finger on the difference, and the others could only remain cautious. Sen Wang led the way, standing at the very front, a cold smile slowly creeping onto his lips that no one could detect.

The significance of bringing people into this place lies in this third challenge!

Only with the blood and soul of the strong can a path be forged to the deeper reaches of the Pure Absolute Treasure!

Before anyone could react, an even thicker fog suddenly appeared, sweeping in from all directions.

In an instant, the space folded and wrinkled, and the eight people present, except for the Forest King, disappeared in an instant, and it was unknown where they were transferred!
Only the Forest King stood there, motionless.

As the surrounding mist slowly dissipated, a chilling laugh echoed across the entire jade platform.

"The third stage: the mutual killing arena."

"It is also the key to completely activating the secret treasure!"

……

Let's review the first three levels of the Qingjue Maze.

The first challenge is the Energy Absorption Array. You either need to find a scapegoat or provide high-energy materials—such as a huge amount of immortal jade.

King Sen was prepared for this, and even without Zhang Chu's recklessness, this hurdle would not have been difficult for him.

The second challenge, the Bridge of Inner Demons, eliminates the weak and leaves only the strong.

This third level, the mutual killing arena, was not left by the Sword God of Qingjue, but was arranged by the Forest King!
"Qingjue has been dead for far too long."

"The entire secret realm's energy is almost exhausted, and the path to the next level has also closed itself off due to insufficient energy."

It's impossible to verify what the original third level looked like, or what dangers it contained...

Because over a long period of time, even the strongest restrictions will eventually become ineffective.

Therefore, in order to open up the path ahead, the Forest King made drastic changes to the formation here—he already knew some information about the Qingjue Maze and had even explored the outer area of ​​the Qingjue Maze!

Thus, the battleground between the Forest Kings was born!

The Mutual Kill Arena, as the name suggests, is a place where two people are paired up, and one dies while the other survives.

With the blood and soul of the strong, and the resentment and unwillingness before death, combined with the power of the Forest King, one can violently break through the path to the next part of the secret treasure.

Looking back at the seven people who were attracted this time.

Grandma Tree.

Zhang Chu.

Leviathan.

Boundary sea.

Yanjie.

Beria.

The rainy season is sunny.

The reason why the Forest King needs these people is because his methods require the lives of top-tier level 10 or even level 11 experts as a catalyst!
Among his subordinates, only Gong Chen has recently broken through to level eleven. Where would he get more level eleven subordinates?

Even if such a thing were possible, King Sen wouldn't want to waste his subordinates on things like making sacrifices.

The plan was thus conceived and successfully implemented.

He turned his head and looked behind him.

At this moment, the King of the Forest's eyes were filled with ghostly energy, as if he had pierced through time and space and seen the eight people in the four mutual killing arenas.

"First, there's Grandma Tree."

"You deserve to die. Don't cause me any more trouble!"

Inside the first arena of mutual killing, Granny Tree was standing with Gong Chen.

The two looked around the space, and for a moment they couldn't figure out where they were or what the rules were.

Until the chilling ghostly energy condensed into a long sword and pierced through the tree granny's ghost core, Gong Chen revealed his killing intent amidst the tree granny's stunned expression!
Should an eleventh-level player fight a tenth-level player, or launch a surprise attack first...?

If Gong Chen can't win, Sen Wang thinks that it would be a reasonable and appropriate ending for him to die here as a sacrifice.

The ghostly energy began to fluctuate, but it was isolated by the carefully crafted killing ground and remained hidden from view.

In the first battleground, Granny Tree made a final struggle, but the outcome was clear.

Senwang withdrew his gaze and looked towards the second mutual killing arena.

The two inside were wary of each other; they were Zhang Chu and Beria.

Zhang Chu, as a victim of the first energy-draining array, had half of his attributes stolen.

Originally, this was a strongman who was only slightly weaker than King Sen, but now he is much weaker.

"Even so, dealing with an unknown person should be a piece of cake for you..."

This was the thought of the Forest King.

But just as Zhang Chu was beginning to understand the rules of the mutual killing arena, a powerful punch that tore through space swung viciously at Zhang Chu's head.

His brain shattered on the spot, and the headless Zhang Chu retreated.

His smashed head automatically glued back together, seemingly unharmed, but Zhang Chu was filled with astonishment.

"you……"

The man named Belial sneered.

"A 'one out of two' situation, I don't know if this is a common tactic of Qingjue Maze or if someone is stirring up trouble, but I like it!"

The golden flames instantly burst forth.

Belial's golden hair instantly boiled over, like burning golden flames!
He deliberately tore away his disguise, revealing his true self!
The appearance hasn't changed much, except for the clothes they're wearing!

It was a dark blue bodysuit with a red cloak hanging behind it, and a large S-shaped inscription engraved on its chest.

Zhang Chu was stunned, then horrified!

"Alien!"

Beria laughed heartily.

"I don't like the term 'extraordinary person,' but it doesn't really matter, does it..."

The term "Inhumans" is a collective term for many humanoid races.

In the Ash Zone system, the Inhumans and Humans are two separate concepts.

The person who appeared before Zhang Chu was someone Sen Wang had heard of.

Kark, the first incarnation of the modern Inhuman race.

Their race is a rare branch of the Inhumans: the Seyan Helium People!
Powered by sunlight, it naturally possesses the heart of what can be called the most advanced nuclear reactor!
The power brings a stronger physique and the racial talent of mastering the highest known four-stage transformation!

An unparalleled fighting race, possessing extraordinary attributes and racial talents that even those who break limits would envy.

Before Zhang Chu could speak again, Kak had already taken a step forward.

"Nuclear Explosion Solar Fist!"

……

"Alright, at least we've found the identity of the first Ash Walker."

Inside the second killing arena, watching Zhang Chu get brutally beaten by Kak, Senwang pursed his lips and muttered something like this.

The Inhumans, a minor race, have a stronger Sequence 1 Kark than the Inhumans Sequence 2.

Kark undoubtedly possesses power comparable to level eleven, but it depends on what level of level eleven he is.

In other words, he benefited from Zhang Chu's self-inflicted martial arts injury; otherwise, it would be debatable who would beat whom. In short, Kak's power was not enough for the Forest King to take seriously.

He turned his gaze toward the third mutual killing arena.

Inside, Mei Yuqing and Leviathan weren't in a hurry to fight; instead, they paced back and forth, seemingly studying something.

This scene made Senwang frown and feel puzzled.

However, before this doubt could fester, the third mutual killing arena suddenly went dark, breaking free from the Forest King's senses.

He could still sense that the third mutual killing arena still existed, and that Mei Yuqing and Leviathan were still trapped in it.

But what happened inside cannot be seen...

After thinking it over, King Sen was not in a hurry.

"The offerings are enough; two level 11s should be sufficient."

In terms of the offerings, Senwang doesn't expect Mei Yuqing and Leviathan to fight to the death; he has room for error.

"Even if that Mei Yuqing can break through my mutual killing field with her formation, it doesn't matter."

Just deny it outright. Anyway, you have no evidence to prove that this mutual killing arena is my doing or a tactic inherent to Qingjue Maze.

In short, minor changes are not a big deal.

Upon hearing this, King Sen turned to look at the fourth mutual killing arena.

The figures of Jiehai and Yanjie came into Senwang's view.

Along with it, there was a strange gurgling sound.

The sound came from Yanjie's abdomen.

(End of this chapter)