Who left their last words here?

Chapter 103 The Assessment Begins! Dancing with Wolves! (Two-in-One)

"The burning passion of the Roman royal family..."

Touching the rough texture on his chest, Bai Zhou pondered suspiciously:

"Golden beans are actually this kind of thing?"

The riddle lies within its surface.

To fulfill the last words of the wolf rider statue, the key clearly lies in the blood of Rome.

Originally, Bai Zhou was still wondering where he could find such a thing after seeing the statue's last words.

But at this moment.

The golden beads on his chest, visible only to Bai Zhou, hummed in response to Bai Zhou's thoughts.

It's like saying, "I can do it, I'll do it!"

This left Bai Zhou both confused and enlightened.

Yes... the Crown of Thorns is Queen Irina's crown.

—Irene Irina, wasn't she the Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire?
This incident is also recorded in "8000 Questions about Black Cat".

Although she spun cotton, worked on a spinning wheel, and eventually starved to death... it doesn't diminish the fact that she was once a great emperor of Rome.

It was through "Black Cat's 8000 Questions" that Bai Zhou realized for the first time that he had been having a miscommunication with the crow.

The Jurassic Period, not the Jurassic Period!
The Golden Pass leads to the Jurassic period, where there are no reptiles that make ritual handprints with their claws.

It's not that humanity's primitive era didn't exist, but rather that it was a...

This is probably a civilization era highly associated with "Rome"!

"Slay Rome, slay Rome"—if it's not Rome that's being slain, could it be Romeo from a fairy tale?
As a mysterious crown left behind by Irina, the crimson blood droplets dripping from it might just be Irina's own blood.
"..."

Try?

Thinking it over, Bai Zhou picked out a golden bean from the many golden beans in his bosom, held it in his palm, and pondered how to use it.

“Pilgrim, you can take your time to consider this matter.”

Seeing that Bai Zhou did not respond immediately, the wolf knight statue thought that Bai Zhou was hesitating.

Amidst the grand hymns, the wolf rider statue proclaimed:

Please make your final choice carefully.

"Once you make a decision, you will not have the chance to go back on your word."

Upon hearing this, Bai Zhou shook his head.

He gave his final answer:
"The trials of an adventurer are not trials if they are not adventurous enough."

"Since this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, there's no reason to leave empty-handed after entering a treasure mountain."

"So, please tell me..."

How can I participate in the entrance examination for the temple?

Caution is an essential quality for any adventurer.

But greed is the very essence of what makes an adventurer an adventurer.

Coincidentally, the moment Bai Zhou's voice fell...

The hymn overhead seemed to have reached its climax.

The climax of the song echoed from all directions, with a cheerful rhythm, but the more you listened, the sadder you felt.

"Rumble..."

A series of explosions suddenly came from the air.

Following the sound, Bai Zhou looked up and immediately felt a chill run down his spine.

The monster that was singing, named "Great Sacrifice," seemed to stretch its head.

This finally allowed Bai Zhou to see its entirety, except for its hands and eyes.

red!
The first impression upon entering the room is a deep, rich red!
A solitary red! A red as foul as blood!

The scarlet, ugly face had completely died, leaving only two dull, rolling eyes and fresh red flesh, which had turned into countless fleshy buds wriggling in the wind.

Above her head was a blood-red halo, blasphemous and evil; a single glance at it made one feel as if they were seeing mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Her back was unusually straight, yet somewhat unnaturally hunched, as if she were carrying some invisible weight.

Below her neck, large patches of skin had a translucent, swollen texture, and beneath this swollen skin, one could vaguely see something eerie green and purple.

They flowed and swelled slowly within them, like a viscous liquid.

"Puff! Puff!"

Occasionally, the swollen parts would twitch, as if the greenish-purple liquid was about to burst.

But then, a few strands of red light flowed down from the blood ring on the monster's head, binding back the liquid that was about to burst.

...It was like a breeding ground for disaster.

Above the endless ruins, inhuman monsters seemed to be gestating something extremely terrifying and ominous, only they were sealed and bound.

"What exactly is it...?"

Bai Zhou's voice was dry, giving reason to suspect that the destruction of this civilization was related to it.

His gaze followed downwards, and he saw...

The monster's lower body was even more grotesque than the upper body of the cradle of calamity, resembling a war machine, so ugly that it was impossible to look at it directly.

Bai Zhou suddenly thought of beetles or turtles, because their entire lower body is made up of this kind of "shell".

Twisted, charred metal tangled together, dotted with green and purple crystals, until finally all the metal became inextricably linked with the monster's flesh and blood.

Disgusting.

After just a cursory glance, Bai Zhou's brain seemed to stop working, silently invaded by a cold red color.

"Red, red, red, red, red!"

"Crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy!"

"So cold! So cold! So cold!"

"..."

Hearing the other person's singing will not hurt you.

However, seeing the other party's full appearance caused considerable mental distress to Bai Zhou.

Fortunately, Bai Zhou was prepared for this and immediately activated the [Soothing] skill within the Sea of ​​Ignorance...

But in the next instant.

"Buzz!"

Inside the temple, something vibrated and made a clear, ringing sound.

As if a flock of sheep had encountered a wolf, the "ominous red" that had stained the white boat immediately scattered in all directions.

Bai Zhou looked closely and discovered that it was the broken lance in the wolf rider's hand that was making the sound.

"call……"

Letting out a long breath, Bai Zhou, still shaken, pondered what this hideous monster was trying to do, clinging to the top of the temple.

It seemed to want to come in but didn't, instead lurking and spying on everything inside the temple with ill intent.

Is there something in the temple that it both covets and fears?

Or is it actually a ferocious creature sealed and kept by the temple?
In adventure stories, you can always see ferocious beasts guarding treasures.

These monsters are usually incredibly powerful, but the rewards for defeating them are enough for adventurers to clear the game up to the final boss.

"The pilgrim has made the choice to undergo the temple's entrance examination."

The cold, mechanical voice seemed to be reporting to no one in particular.

"Then... the assessment begins."

After he finished speaking, Bai Zhou held his breath and focused his mind, but there was no change in his surroundings.

"..."

The songs of the "Great Sacrifice" still lingered all around, but there were no teleportation beams as imagined, nor did walls, cages, or hungry beasts descend from the sky.

"But what will the assessment cover?"

Bai Zhou stared intently at the wolf knight statue and asked a question.

And this is the answer to the White Boat question.

"Pa-ta-!"

Suddenly, I heard the crisp sound of a stone falling.

Then came a tremendous roar.

As many pebbles fell to the ground, the wolf knight statue, which had been kneeling, slowly stood up under Bai Zhou's slightly bewildered and dazed gaze.

Its tall and majestic body, about three meters high, casts a long shadow on the ground.

It was still a cold, mechanical voice, but it spoke much more fluently than before, as if the assessment had unlocked a higher level of intelligence:

"I admire your courage, but your abilities still need to be tested."

"The entrance examination consists of two stages."

"This is the location for the first stage of the assessment."

"—It's also the easiest level."

talking.

The broken lance slammed across the chest of the stone wolf rider with a "whoosh".

Even though the spearhead was only half intact and uneven, it exuded a sharpness that was more terrifying than any complete and extraordinary weapon!
It stated:
"A battle between equals."

"The test is to survive my gun!"

Bai Zhou: "?"

The moment the wolf rider finished speaking.

"Buzz!"

The gunshot rang out again.

Without warning or announcement, the sound of the stone boots crushing the ground exploded out.

The moment the black stone tiles on the ground cracked, a dark afterimage swept through the air, and a broken lance tore through the air, flying in with a shrill whistle.

"Clang!"

Bai Zhou drew his sword to parry.

The purplish-gold blade slashed upwards fiercely, colliding violently with the shattered seam of the spear.

Sparks flew everywhere, then exploded, instantly illuminating their faces.

But Bai Zhou's expression immediately changed as he felt a continuous surge of 27 layers of force coming from the opponent's spear.

The force also rose accordingly, overwhelming everything as if the sky were collapsing!
This is……

"The Nine Basic Cuts!"

Bai Zhou let out a soft cry.

This all-too-familiar feeling clearly indicates that the opponent also used the first three moves of the "Basic Nine Cuts"!

Because Bai Zhou uses a knife, what he saw in the mural on the wall was the "Nine Basic Cuts".

But in the eyes of others, the same mural pattern might become "The Nine Basic Fists," "The Nine Basic Swords," "The Nine Basic Spears," and so on...

However, compared to Bai Zhou, the opponent was far more skilled, concealing his true strength and launching a surprise attack on Bai Zhou, who had no way to avoid it once the attack began!
With his right side still numb, Bai Zhou gritted his teeth and, while parrying with his knife in his right hand, pulled out a short stick with his left hand, as if wielding a knife.

The wind howled, and the aura of swords wafted everywhere!
It's also the "Basic Nine Cuts"!
"boom!!"

After a loud bang, the white boat was sent flying sideways, barely managing to regain its footing.

In contrast, the wolf rider statue, with its heavy body, only took two steps back.

A battle between equals?
Is this really a battle between equals?

Bai Zhou gritted his teeth.

He had been thinking that, as a chosen one, he had almost never encountered an opponent of his level.

But now Bai Zhou realizes that it wasn't that he was too strong, but that his opponent was too weak...

The statue of the wolf rider is, of course, also a chosen one!
Bai Zhou relies on the "Basic Nine Cuts" as his trump card, but his opponent also knows it.

Moreover, the wolf riders have mastered it so well that it's almost like an instinct!
Not only that.

The spiritual energy emanating from the other party was extremely similar to that of the [Adventurer], yet inexplicably incompatible. The moment that power entered Bai Zhou's body, it possessed both the aggressiveness of raging fire and a bizarre corrosive quality.

It took Bai Zhou several times more spiritual energy than the other party to barely extinguish even a wisp of spiritual essence!

"Through what means?!"

This is something that seems to originate from the same source as [adventurer]—

But it's definitely not the power of the adventurer!

More insane, more chaotic, and more...

Depravity!

"what?"

Bai Zhou was puzzled.

But before Bai Zhou could think any further, the brief standoff ended and the wolf riders attacked again.

It brandished its lance, like a knight charging on horseback.

"clang!"

A tremendous force emanated from the blade, causing Bai Zhou's arm to go numb.

The knight's lance snapped shut, instantly transforming from a thrust into a sweep, striking like a steel whip across the waist.

Sweeping through armies, causing them to flee in terror!
The whistling wind made Bai Zhou's scalp tingle. He dared not take the blow head-on, so he spun around to dodge it, and at the same time, he thrust his blade forward to slash at the wolf knight's arm holding the spear.

However, the wolf rider seemed to have anticipated this, and even had the strength to defend, then flicked the tip of his spear.

Bai Zhou's strength had diminished with age, but his opponent seemed to have inexhaustible energy, regaining the upper hand and dominating the game.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The wolf rider remained silent, his attacks flowing like a continuous tide or like dense clouds on the horizon.

The angle of attack is nowhere to be found, making it impossible to defend against and leaving no room to breathe!
Each time the gun was delivered, it was inevitably to Bai Zhou's most vulnerable angle. With the cunning and madness of a wild wolf, it would seize the opening and tear it apart.

Just when Bai Zhou finally figured out how to deal with his opponent, the opponent had already changed tactics, always taking the initiative and remaining unpredictable.

Even if both sides are using the same set of "Basic Nine Cuts"...

However, in the hands of the other party, this secret technique that Bai Zhou had just learned had a completely different performance!

A broken knight's lance, in his hand, was like a viper spitting its tongue, pointing, stabbing, picking, and flicking.

But in the blink of an eye, the gun came down like a heavy hammer, smashing and sweeping across the room.

The powerful force was overwhelming, yet there was still more energy waiting for Bai Zhou!

In the hands of the opponent, the "Basic Nine Cuts" have more than just 9 moves, or even more than 81 or 243 moves.
They have as many moves as you want, and they can change moves at will. Every move is a stroke of genius that is most suitable for the current situation!
Ever-changing, infinitely variable!
This application of secret techniques has completely surpassed Bai Zhou's understanding.

"Awesome! So awesome!"

The more they fought, the more horrified Bai Zhou became.

But then he had a sudden, vague realization.

The enemy's lance was not meant to kill him.

Rather... a form of guidance?
The wolf rider is teaching him how to fight!

"Then..."

"as you wish."

With his mind focused and free from distractions, Bai Zhou's movements seemed to quicken.

He is making progress; he is growing!
Not only has his mastery of the "Nine Basic Cuts" improved significantly, but his proficiency has also made a great leap forward.

Amidst the opponent's almost frenzied and relentless attacks, Bai Zhou finally learned...

He learned to give up thinking.

Abandon the brain's useless thinking about moves, and gradually hand over the control of the battlefield to the "instinct" of combat.

It is not that people control the secret techniques, nor that the secret techniques control people.

— Instead, let the learned skills "come into action on their own".

...This level of progress was almost as inspiring to Bai Zhou as his first battle against the swollen giant!

In the end, Bai Zhou simply closed his eyes.

Eyes are useless because they can't see the opponent's next move's prelude; they only absorb too much useless information, making oneself tense.

Thinking is useless, because the opponent's next move will change much faster than the "solution" you think you can come up with.

But when Bai Zhou closed his eyes, he eliminated all distractions.

Despite being constantly on the defensive, he seemed to transform into a battle-hardened weapon, increasingly able to withstand the opponent's relentless onslaught.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Surrounded by the solemn grand hymns of the "Great Sacrifice".

Two figures fought fiercely amidst the songs sung under the moonlight.

The only audience was the monster that was singing, its eyes darting around curiously as it peered into the room.

Their figures rose and fell, the wind whistling through them.

Both men fell silent, the only sound the clanging of weapons against each other like a torrential downpour.

Bai Zhou's expression remained calm throughout.

All the attack trajectories were as if an invisible "net" was being stirred, and Bai Zhou sensed the movement.

This is……

The Chosen One's Use of the "Mind's Eye"!

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

The frequency of the blades clashing with the gun blades increased.

In Bai Zhou's mind, besides the wolf knight's movements, hundreds more little figures appeared.

Among them, the 243 patterns depict a small figure wielding a knife, which resembles a white boat.

There are also 243 patterns of little figures wielding guns, resembling wolf knights.

Then, hundreds of patterns began to dance simultaneously, gradually merging together.

The wolf rider figure merges into the white boat pattern.

In this process, Bai Zhou gradually went from being completely passive to being able to take the lead.

As Bai Zhou personally felt the ominous, ever-present glint of the wolf rider's spear, a profound and indescribable realization suddenly arose in his heart.

Let the "secret techniques" come into play.

The wolf rider is teaching Bai Zhou something...

It's hidden deep within the "Nine Basic Cuts"!
It's an enhancement of the first three moves of the "Basic Nine Cuts"!
...And this kind of sublimation is actually a rudimentary application of "fighting spirit"?
Bai Zhou couldn't be sure either, but this was the information coming from the 243 images in his mind.

but……

"Body, mind, energy, essence, intention, spirit."

"Intent" is clearly something that only Level 5 Extraordinary beings can access!

This is the fundamental reason why they are called "Advanced Extraordinary Beings".

Bai Zhou is only level 3!
However, the Wolf Knight taught Bai Zhou more than just that.

In the past, Bai Zhou always wielded his sword with all his might, making a great show of force.

Now, Bai Zhou learns from the wolf knights in battle, realizing that this makes it easy for the opponent to dodge and seize the opportunity to take the initiative.

He began to divide the same strike into two or three parts. The first part only had three layers of force, while the remaining power was hidden in the back.

In this way, the opponent will have no way to dodge.

A single slash is followed by a continuous barrage of attacks, but if you manage to catch it, you'll immediately discover that it conceals far more than meets the eye...

Like a sparrow caught in a net, or a tiny ant witnessing the collapse of the boundless world—

The terrifying feeling that the wolf rider initially gave Bai Zhou stemmed from this!
This is also the most suitable advanced application for a special secret technique like "Basic Nine Cuts"!
The hymns of the "Great Sacrifice" permeated every aspect of life.

The ethereal tone gradually rose, and the story in the ballad seemed to reach a new climax.

Meanwhile, Bai Zhou's blade was getting faster and faster.

finally--

A perilous encounter occurred, and sparks flew across Bai Zhou's cheek.

The wolf rider's broken spear stabbed back at the white boat at an extremely strange angle.

But Bai Zhou's figure was no longer in the same place.

He's in heaven—

The shadows cast on the ground carried a sense of oppression unlike anything seen before on the white boat.

Bai Zhou held a short stick upright in front of his chest with his left hand, and it caught fire.

A crimson crescent moon descended, and flickering flames followed closely behind the white boat.

[Moonlight Blade of Victory]!
But it's not over yet.

Twist your waist.

Turn around.

The purple-gold saber hidden behind him came one after another.

The purple-gold sword energy surged forth, stretching endlessly like a great river!
A white sun rises at the end of the long river.

The Nine Basic Cuts!
At this moment.

The sun and moon intertwine!

The white boat spins like a whirlwind, and the swords, sticks, sun, and moon also revolve eternally, forming a cycle by leveraging each other's strength.

The 27 layers of force in the saber are combined with the force in "Moonlight Oath of Victory".

—28 layers of force!
"Buzz!"

The pure white sunlight and the firelight of the moon illuminated the outline of the mask the wolf rider looked up at.

Its expression seemed to undergo a slight, almost imperceptible change, momentarily blankening.

People say that... people who want to win won't show any expression on their faces.

If you go all out, your expression might even show signs of strain.

ferocious!

Sure enough.

A white boat with a ferocious expression descended from the sky with its eyes tightly closed.

Like a god or a devil.

A stick and a knife, or rather—

Two knives came crashing down on his head.

The force was dense and continuous, and the follow-up force was even more unfathomable, as if the sky were collapsing and there was no way to escape.

The only option is to take it head-on.

But how do we force it?

Even a wolf rider statue of the same level...

It is absolutely impossible to block such a strike that could cause the sun and moon to fall simultaneously!
"The assessment should end now."

At this moment, Bai Zhou could even hear the echo of his heart pounding in his chest.

He closed his eyes tightly and gave a soft shout:
"cut!"

The blade flashed!
As the sun rises and the moon sets, figures intertwine.

Above them was the grand hymn of the "Great Sacrifice".

The melody of the songs that surrounded the temple gradually faded into a low trough.

Holding two swords crossed in his hands, Bai Zhou, kneeling on the ground, slowly opened his eyes.

And behind him...

"Boom!"

The tall "Wolf Knight" stood with his back to the white boat.

Finally, it slowly collapsed!

(End of this chapter)