Alone and Infinite.

Chapter 600, First in the Fourth Tier!

Li Xia stared into thought as he read Shen Guang's words on the communicator.

Apple's message?

Modifying Apple's information is considered permission?

If we understand it this way, then changing things that were originally set up, such as the rules set by the Temple of Light, is considered having authority.

Part Three: I think I understand.

[Divine Light: Yes, that's a permission, it can only be applied to a single object, while the ability to control the whole is called authority.]

Li Xia silently noted these things down, but both the authority and power were still somewhat distant from him at the moment.

In contrast, he had something else he was more concerned about and wanted to ask.

[Part 3: Brother Guang, I found something in the World of Seeking Light]

[Divine Light: Needless to say, it's probably the guild raising bugs to produce Dawn, right?]

The surface of the communicator suddenly flickered, even emitting a faint glow.

[Shenguang: I used a special encryption. What I'm about to say is just for your information. The rest of the reserve officers are aware of it, but it's enough for you to know it yourself.]

Li Xia became serious. He sat up straight, ready to read the following content carefully.

[Divine Light: The Temple of Light is not in good condition. In the past, the Temple of Light and other temples fought extremely fierce battles.]

The original 12 acting officers suffered heavy casualties, with eight dying and the remaining four also critically injured. The eight reserve acting officers were then promoted to acting officers.

But they took advantage of the waning of light to quietly erode its authority.

In a sense, we, as reserve officers, are absolute enemies, and there is no chance for reconciliation between us.

The current chaos within the hall, including the rampant activities of the guilds, is all due to the eight acting de facto officials eroding authority.

[Divine Light: And those so-called incarnations currently popular in the hall are just the arms of those eight. These false incarnations are merely empty shells. If there is no way to strengthen them, they will eventually become a constraint.]

Fearing the emergence of apostles capable of challenging them, the eight apostles simply used this method to seal off the growth potential of 99% of their apostles.

People like Xiaolong and Xiaohuo were no longer low-rank when they entered the reserve agent ranks, and they also had their own adventures that strengthened their avatars. So I didn't mention the Tree of Origin. It would only cause more trouble. You are the first low-rank person to join this sequence of reserve agents.

If possible, it's best to avoid some detours.

Li Xia frowned, finally voicing the question that had been buried deep in her heart:
[Part Three: But wouldn't doing this weaken the competitiveness of the hall of fame and be detrimental to its long-term development?]

[Divine Light: They don't care; all they care about is their own existence.]

[Part 3: So, why did they do this?]

[Divine Light: For Eternal Existence]

Li Xia turned off her contacts, lay back on the sofa, and carefully considered what Shen Guang had just said.

He had already guessed that it was a false incarnation, but he never expected that its existence was actually to lock down the apostles' potential. This move was indeed ruthless; with the apostles being dealt with like this, they had almost no future.

No wonder even when hunting down a powerful figure capable of slaying an ancient god, he almost failed when breaking through to the ninth rank.

It can only be said that the Great Dao is fifty, the Heavenly Dao is forty-nine, and humanity escapes to one.

No matter how many methods those eight used, someone would eventually be able to break through all the restrictions and become the one who escaped.

And
He looked at his contacts.

The main reason Shenguang told him all this was because the reserve agent group was facing the same pressure, namely the eight agents pressing down on them.

It is precisely because of this that the atmosphere during the reserve duty period appears very harmonious.

If there really is a vacancy, then those who are ranked lower would be eager to kill those who are ranked higher.

Most importantly, it was the last sentence left by the divine light.

Why are those agents who have already reached the highest point in the void doing this?
It is for eternal existence.

Can even agents face death?
Immortality is a beautiful fantasy in the real world, but in the temple, achieving immortality is probably not that difficult.

Li Xia thought quietly for a while, then got up and left again.

Upon reaching the relatively quiet fourth-level street, Li Xia was momentarily at a loss for what to do.

I originally planned to absorb some Destiny Fuel in this world, but I didn't expect that the insects don't produce it at all, and the pigment is pitifully scarce.

It's not nearly enough for printing. The White King should have been able to generate a lot of fuel, but he turned into an Apostle of the Void Abyss.

The three little ones are still in contact regarding equipment, with the primary goal being to sell Dawn, as the companies they've approached are taking on hefty commission rates.

The Dawn, which has a market value of 4.8 million Hall Points, was only offered 3 million by the major guilds, as if it were pre-arranged.

Aowu is unwilling to do this kind of business, so he is actively selling Dawn through black market dealers, but this kind of high-end Dawn is not something that can be found in a short time.

As for skills...
Li Xia felt that his skills were relatively stable at the moment, and his level was either completely above average or sufficient.

Throwing all your silver coins into it will only have a mediocre effect on skill improvement.

Instead, it would be better to keep it and wait for the "Map of Mountains and Rivers".

How about the training ground?
The thought of the training ground made Li Xia shake his head. He really didn't want to go at the moment. The battles with the shadows and clones in the Seeking Light World had used up almost everything he had learned, as if he had trained for a very, very long time.

He glanced at his skill panel and suddenly noticed something strange.

[Mastery of Skill] LV6 (Consumer Skill)
[Skill Type: Skill-based Passive Ability]

效果1：在战斗时提升80%-120%发力上限，60%-100%闪避。

Effect 2: During combat, there is a 90% chance to trigger a special effect, increasing the damage dealt by 80%-100%.
Force Defense Penetration +1, Force Injury +1
Effect 3: Consumes True Qi to create realistic afterimages, confusing enemies.
Ming: Depending on the length of the charging time, it unleashes a slash with varying power and speed.

[Introduction: Only in the most barren land can the most beautiful flower of skill bloom. Now this flower has exquisite green leaves, has sprouted buds, and shows signs of blooming.]

Has the skill's ultimate breakthrough reached LV6?
When did this happen?
Li Xia tried to recall carefully, but still ended up completely confused and went to check the records.

Ok?
When fighting a clone?
After reaching LV5 in the skill mastery stage, the leveling speed becomes very slow. Even with Time-Space Coins, it only adds a maximum of a dozen or so proficiency points at a time. Li Xia even considered leaving it for now, or waiting until the Mountain and River Map became usable before practicing it.

Unexpectedly, creating a clone actually broke through the skill level.

However, upon closer examination...
That battle must have been fought by one's own consciousness or soul. Because it wasn't a physical entity, the flow of time inside was extremely fast, and the battle with the clone was like a unique teaching experience.

He reviewed everything he had acquired and learned so far, and this seemed to be more effective than practicing alone.

Indeed, this discovery improved his mood, and he even happily decided to head to the arena.

He wanted to try the original incarnation.

You have entered the Arena (Tier 4)

Consecutive wins: 18

[Current Ranking: 926] [The Executioner's overall combat strength has fluctuated significantly; currently undergoing reassessment.]

[Under evaluation]

[Dear Acting Reserve Officer, based on estimates, your overall combat strength is approximately 1st in Tier 4]

[Executioner, your ranking is too far below your current combat power. Would you like to skip to a different match?]

Li Xia decisively clicked "no." He just wanted to try out his Origin Avatar; he wasn't aiming for a higher ranking.

For him, the passionate clash with the clone still felt like it happened just an hour or two ago.

I have absolutely no interest or energy to go head-to-head with the top ten fourth-tier players again.

[Looking for competitors with similar rankings]

Match successful, preparing for battle!

[Venue is being randomly selected]

[Battle begins!]

The scenery before him gradually dimmed. Li Xia took a deep breath, and with some anticipation, he stretched his limbs slightly, wondering what kind of surprises his transformation would bring him in actual combat.

Just as Li Xia was looking forward to it, he had no idea how much psychological impact he was having on the other side.

Having just received encouragement and support from family and friends in the preparation room, the young warrior, clad in claw knives and gauntlets, had turned into a statue, staring dumbfounded at the prompt in front of him.

[Note that our opponent in this match is ranked number one in the fourth tier of overall combat strength assessment.]

[Note: Due to the large gap in skill level in this match, a small number of points will be deducted upon defeat.]

He glanced at himself suspiciously, then looked at the prompt again.

No, where did I get this?

I got first place in Tier 4, really?
Okay, even if he's not a true fourth-tier top ten chief, it's just an assessment of overall combat strength.

However, the Hall of Light's overall combat strength assessment is frighteningly accurate. Apart from some abnormally high estimates that are inaccurate, most of them are quite accurate.

For example, he himself can fight back and forth with opponents whose combat strength is similar to his own, sometimes winning and sometimes losing.

This kind of intense, evenly matched battle made him extremely fond of spending time in the arena.

He felt that he was improving here, and that he was growing rapidly in every battle!

but now.
What is this? Fried fish?

But isn't blasting fish just a way for those who can't catch fish to vent their anger on those weaker than themselves?
[Countdown complete, battle about to begin]

The light screen in front of Li Xia gradually disappeared, and he slowly walked out, without even taking his weapons.

He had already made up his mind to take a full combo of damage first.

Even if we lose, it doesn't matter. The important thing is to test how resilient our avatar is. With this experience, we can better plan our tactics based on our avatar in future battles.

Li Xia looked around the area; it was alright, not too big.

It must be a small river valley, covered in lush green grass, with a clear little lake in the middle. High mountain walls surround the area, and the sky above is exceptionally blue. Several unidentified birds perch on the treetops, preening their feathers with their beaks while curiously watching the scene.

In short, it's a terrain with no special features, but it doesn't offer any additional benefits to any party.

In the arena, the map you are randomly assigned to each time has a significant impact on the outcome of the match.

For example, a water mage might be randomly assigned to a water-filled area, a fire mage to the Lava Trial Grounds, and an extremely tanky warrior with damage reflection and DoT auras might be randomly assigned to the Octagon.
The opposite side is—

Li Xia's gaze fell on the opponent's gleaming claw blades. Hmm, melee combat.
That's good. If possible, it would be best to try all the different magic types, such as fire magic, water magic, lightning magic, earth magic, ice magic, archers, gunners, and swordsmen.

Li Xia walked slowly forward, his mind racing with thoughts. After walking for a while, he suddenly realized, "Why hasn't the other side attacked yet?"

Looking up, I saw that the claw-wielding warrior had already run more than a hundred meters away, crouching down as if on high alert.

Li Xia: ?
No, why is he hiding?
He beckoned to him, signaling him to come over quickly, but he didn't expect that this action would once again stir up a huge wave in the heart of the claw knife warrior.

Is this a provocation?

No...no! This is humiliating me!
A surge of intense anger and humiliation slowly rose in the heart of the claw-wielding warrior.

His eyes were slightly red as he stared at Li Xia. He straightened up, his teammate, with whom he had shared life and death, was watching him from the stands.

Do we really have to show them such an embarrassing side of ourselves?

Could it be that all the life-and-death struggles we've shared, all the battles we've fought together in the halls of power, were just a lie?

Does facing the number one team mean we have to be cowardly and act like mice?
Do I lack the courage to draw my sword against the strong?

Stand up! Stand up!
Even if you come in first, you must make your voice heard and not let your fear defeat you!
Just like facing the Rear Admiral in One Piece, enduring the fear and leaving him with scars, just like the perilous kill of the Special Jonin in Naruto.

Let the top player on the other side see your backbone!

Cheer up! Don't embarrass yourself!
"what!!!"

He roared, his eyes seemingly burning with flames, and flames actually ignited on his two claw blades. His teammates in the stands, who had been puzzled by his previous 'cowardice towards the lizard,' instantly became excited.

They stood up, pumping their fists wildly, encouraging their teammates with shouts and actions:

"Skaarl! Show them what you're made of!"

"Use your claws to slice through every enemy that stands in your way!"

"Completely insane!"

"Charge! Blazing Blades! Source of terror! Our sharpest weapon! Our most piercing blade!"

Li Xia, meanwhile, watched the claw-wielding warrior opposite him, though he didn't know what was burning, he had a feeling that the warrior was on fire.

He nodded with satisfaction, saying, "Just don't keep thinking about running away."

Unexpectedly, this action was once again seen as a provocation by Skaarl, but Skaarl, having regained his 'heart of the strong', did not back down at all.

Instead, he used this 'mockery' as fuel to move forward.

He crossed his claws in an 'X' shape in front of his chest, then suddenly flung them outwards, causing the flames to burn even more intensely.

Skaar lowered his body and slammed his feet into the ground, kicking up thick dust.

Its claws dragged across the ground, leaving three burning scratch marks on the hard surface.

Even the ground was left with burning footprints from his running, as he rushed over with a thunderous roar.

It looks unbeatable!
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1. Monthly pass 2. Recommendation vote

(End of this chapter)