This villain is too popular.

Chapter 449 The Trial Ends [4000 words]

[Landing point on the beach outside Changsheng Island]

The salty sea breeze carried fine sand, which lashed against the tactical boots worn down by the dust.

He supported Isabel, whose face was still pale, with Liu Ma limping behind him.

The poison had just subsided, but now it was already getting restless, tearing at its collar which was torn by vines while muttering complaints.

He was clearly very dissatisfied with this trial.

"Everyone, it seems you've all experienced a significant change."

Just as everyone arrived at the beach landing point in front of the ship, a familiar voice came from the ship anchored in the shallow water.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw the otter keeper squatting on the bow of the ship's deck.

Its round body was wrapped in its signature suit, and it was playing with a golden bell in its paws. Its tail gently patted the deck behind it, splashing up tiny droplets of water.

Unlike when they first landed, when there were over a hundred people, this time the number of students returning to the landing point is less than forty.

Among the crowd, Isabel's hair was still stained with gunpowder ash from the top of the pyramid, Mi Yao's game console had a crack in its casing, and even Vivian's android arm had several obvious scratches.

With the exception of a very few, every one of the survivors was wounded.

It's clear how difficult their seven-day trip to Changsheng Island was.

At the same time, the cruelty of this trial was still fresh in the minds of Chen Kong and the others, and their emotions and the atmosphere were visibly heavy.

After all, in their view, this trial was not a trial at all, but a blatant murder.

Many people who were stronger and smarter than them all 'died' in this trial.

Although many of these people were people that Chen Kong and the others didn't know very well.

Seeing their fellow trainees die in an unfamiliar, occupied zone, a wave of sorrow inevitably washed over them, making their chests feel heavy.

"This isn't a trial, it's a death sentence."

Liu Ma spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva; the wound exposed after the gold discoloration faded was still throbbing faintly.

"Those who were swallowed by the vines when they first landed, and those who were killed by that bastard old man, were all living people."

His voice wasn't loud, but it quieted down the students around him.

In a daze, Chen Kong recalled the blond boy who always loved to share his energy bars when they first landed. He was dragged into the jungle during the first wave of attacks on the landing point, and his cries for help didn't even have time to be finished.

"What, are you mourning those who were eliminated and lost?"

The otter keeper suddenly floated down from the bow of the boat and came to stand in front of everyone.

Its voice carried a distinct mockery, and its small eyes swept across the crowd as if it were examining a pile of broken parts.

That look undoubtedly ignited Liu Ma's anger.

"loser?"

Hearing the otter keeper's sarcastic tone, Liu Ma, who already had a bad temper, finally lost it.

He suddenly rushed forward two steps to the otter keeper, looking down at him with his chest heaving violently.

"You dumped us into a monster-infested, overrunning zone, watching us get hunted down like lab rats, and now you dare call us losers?"

Although he knew very well that he was no match for a Cataclysmic-level administrator, the thought of the students' eyes before they died, and the despair of almost having his star energy drained by the vines, made him lose all reason with the rage in his heart.

Upon hearing this, the otter keeper raised his head with a half-smile, patted the dust off his paws, and his eyes became even more mocking.

"Oh? You want to attack me?"

"Or do you think you can beat me with your meager skills?"

Although its expression and tone were very amiable, its small, round body unexpectedly carried a sense of oppression, making Liu Ma instantly feel as if he were being stared at by some ferocious beast, sending chills down his spine.

But the anger in his heart, and some inexplicable worry, still made him overcome his 'fear' of the otter keeper, clench his fists, and slowly raise his thick arm.

He didn't want to go through a trial like this again.

He had to convey his dissatisfaction to the otter keeper and the managers behind him, letting them know that he was not some lab rat to be played with.

Before his fist could land, a hand grabbed his wrist.

"idiot."

Liu Ma turned his head and found that the one who stopped him was Mi Yao, who had fought alongside him not long ago.

Mi Yao had heavy dark circles under his eyes, and the intense battles he had been through had left his eyes bloodshot.

Even though Mi Yao looked exhausted, he still forced himself to be sarcastic and sarcastic towards him.

It's clear they don't have high hopes for what he wants to do next.

There's no other reason than the vast difference in strength between Liu Ma and the otter keeper.

Even Liu Ma was aware of this.

He also understood that his actions this time would not change much.

But when they thought about the horrific scene when they first landed on the island, and what happened to them afterwards...

Liu Ma, still with a gloomy face, said, "Does being treated like a guinea pig, having our lives played with at will, and choosing to obey without taking it seriously, mean we're not idiots?"

Faced with Liu Ma's questioning, Mi Yao narrowed his eyes slightly and said sarcastically, "That's why I said that you lower-level stars are all idiots. Why can't you use your brains before you take action?"

Why don't you check what's going on on deck first?

Upon hearing this, Liu Ma was taken aback at first, and then immediately looked in the direction he was pointing.

The once empty deck was now packed with people.

Many figures wearing familiar tactical uniforms moved around.

Among these people, some were bandaging their companions' wounds, some were leaning against the railing drinking water, and one blond boy was waving an energy bar with a dazzlingly bright smile.

"That's Mark?"

"Isn't he dead?"

Liu Ma's voice was trembling.

The blond boy who was dragged away by vines in his memory was now munching on an energy bar, and the holes in his tactical uniform were exactly the same as in his memory.

"What else could it be? Of course, it's that they didn't die at all."

Before Liu Ma could react, Vivian's voice came from the side. She pushed up her glasses, which had slipped down to the tip of her nose, and her android pupils flashed with the blue light of analyzing data.

She had long suspected that there was something wrong with this trial.

Simply put, the level of danger is far too high.

Although these people are already among the best of the younger generation in the Star Envoy Association.

But they were still too young and lacked sufficient time for training.

Simply abandoning them in a dangerous, occupied zone has absolutely nothing to do with any so-called trial.

Therefore, Vivian also wondered if her death on the Island of Immortality might not have been a real death.

But a person only has one life, and although Vivian was 50% sure, she still didn't dare to take the risk.

It now seems that her guess was completely correct.

The core of Changsheng Island is 'equivalent exchange', and the so-called 'death' is most likely being teleported back to the ship by the laws.

This was likely a 'deal' that Libra had made with the Star Envoy Association long ago. As for who the two parties were and why Libra agreed to the deal, Vivian had no idea. After witnessing all this, even a reckless man like Liu Ma finally understood.

No, so it turns out this really was a trial!
Thinking of this, Liu Ma slowly loosened his fist, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.

He recalled his near-assertiveness towards the administrator, and his ears turned bright red. All he could do was scratch his head and chuckle sheepishly.

"What, you're not going to hit me anymore?"

Looking at Liu Ma's embarrassed expression, the otter keeper's voice was tinged with amusement.

"It's good that this young man has spirit, but he must not let anger cloud his judgment, otherwise he might misunderstand a good person."

The otter keeper emphasized the words "good person," clearly mocking Liu Ma.

This time, Liu Ma didn't say a word when the otter keeper teased him.

Take it!

Seeing this, the otter keeper shook his head helplessly.

Although Liu Ma has good talent, his temperament is still quite bad.

Especially compared to someone who is also a child of the stars, the difference is enormous.

Thinking of this, Otter Guan Yuan's gaze immediately swept past Liu Ma and finally settled on Tian Dao behind the crowd.

The next second, its previously nonchalant gaze instantly turned serious, as if it had seen something extremely exaggerated.

The silver-haired youth was standing right in front of him, but the star energy fluctuations emanating from him were like a bottomless lake, making it impossible to fathom their depths.

Thinking of this, the otter keeper's heart skipped a beat.

Before setting off, the Grand Master specifically instructed that we should pay close attention to the growth of the Heavenly Dao, but the Heavenly Dao has now exceeded our expectations.

Although it didn't know exactly what the Heavenly Dao had gone through in this trial, there was no doubt that the monster had become stronger.

I'm really curious what level he's reached now. He must be close to 'natural disaster', right?
The otter keeper gave Tiandao a deep look, then suppressed his urge to ask questions and smiled at everyone.

"Alright everyone, let's get on the ship."

"After that, the association's safe zone creation team will come here and carry out a complete overhaul of this island."

"It won't be long before our new federation's territory has an additional place called 'New Immortal Island'."

"And each of you will leave your own indelible mark on this new island of immortality."

The otter keeper paused for a moment, then raised the small bell in his hand and rang it.

Jingle bell bell~
A gentle sea breeze carried the crisp sound of bells, which, along with the otter keeper's next words, reached everyone's ears.

"I hereby declare the Longevity Island Trial a complete success!"

On the returning ships

Chen Kong helped Isabel onto the deck, looked at Liu Ma who was playing around with Mark not far away, and smiled helplessly.

Mi Yao, on the other hand, returned to his lone wolf state, leaning against the railing and repairing his game console with repair fluid.

As the camera zooms out in the anime, Tendou, standing at the stern of the ship, soon appears in the eyes of the viewers.

The Heavenly Dao gazed at the ever-receding Longevity Island.

The setting sun cast a long shadow over him, and the Star Eclipse Heavenly Eye glowed faintly.

In the scene that only he could see, the phantom image representing the law of 'equivalent exchange' above the island was fading and eventually merging into the horizon.

"Heavenly Dao, what are you thinking?"

Jing Liuli's voice was tinged with laughter as she slammed a bottle of chilled juice against Tiandao's arm with a thud.

Others wouldn't easily do something so offensive.

But Jing Liuli is not afraid of these things.

After all, her relationship with the Heavenly Dao is undeniable!
She is second only to Caroline! (Liuli's self-proclaimed title)

As expected, Tiandao smiled and took the juice, then unscrewed the cap.

The sweet scent of oranges mingled with the sea breeze wafted into my nostrils, and the cool liquid slid down my throat, instantly dispelling the summer heat.

A moment later, Heaven calmly gave Jing Liuli her answer.

"It's nothing, I was just wondering how long these peaceful days can last."

"calm?"

Jing Liuli was taken aback at first, then tilted her head and recalled the 'thrilling' trial not long ago.

No matter how you look at it, this period of time has been anything but peaceful.

However, considering the strength of the Heavenly Dao, and his 'composure' and 'effortlessness' in this trial.

Perhaps for him, this experience was indeed quite peaceful.

Jing Liuli shook her head and then revealed her purpose in seeking out the Heavenly Dao.

"Alright, Tiandao, Caroline asked me to call you over. It seems she has something she wants to tell you."

"Ah."

Tiandao nodded, then turned and walked across the deck, eventually arriving at Caroline's room.

He pushed open the door and saw Caroline sitting by the window, her brows furrowed, as if deep in thought.

Upon seeing the arrival of the Heavenly Dao, she immediately raised her head.

A rare seriousness appeared in his dark green pupils.

"Heavenly Dao, are you sure you want to exchange the 'Miracle Stone' for me? You know, this thing should be quite useful to you, right?"

In response to Caroline's question, Tendou casually pulled over the chair next to her and sat down in a very relaxed manner.

“Caroline, this is something I can study, there’s no need to keep it in my hands all the time.”

"But."

Before Caroline could finish speaking, the Heavenly Dao interrupted her.

"No buts."

Caroline was taken aback, and then she saw that Tiandao rarely showed a serious expression.

I understand that he won't change his mind.

Thinking of this, Caroline fell silent instantly.

Because she felt that as a 'tool' of Heaven, she shouldn't be a burden to it.

Seeing her like this, Tiandao immediately guessed what she was thinking and joked, "Caroline, the Miracle Stone itself has compatibility."

"I had it before just to see if a calamity-level domain could only condense a single law, or if it was possible to integrate more laws into it."

"As for this question, I recently verified it and obtained the answer."

"Therefore, while it's useful for me to keep this thing, it's not as useful as you think."

"I've got the puzzle I wanted, and it's time for you to get yours too."

"After all, if I'm not mistaken, your time is probably running out, isn't it?"

(End of this chapter)