Excessive ferocity due to caution

Qin family.

Nestled among the mountains, a magnificent palace stands majestically.

The palace was tall and spacious, with dragon-coiled pillars soaring into the sky like Mount Buzhou, their height unknown.

The murals are painted with bold and unrestrained strokes, like dragons and snakes.

Inside a palace, in a small pond surrounded by artificial hills, Qin Zheng was feeding fish.

In the pond, there were fish he had caught from Old Yan's place.

Not long after the feeding, a handsome young boy appeared outside the palace. His delicate face showed a resilience and composure that his peers did not possess.

He came up behind Qin Zheng, looking at him with great respect.

"Brother Zheng."

The boy's voice still carried a hint of immaturity.

Qin Zheng turned around, his face bearing his usual warm, spring-like smile.

"Brother Bai, how are your studies at the high school in the capital city going lately?"

Qin Bai replied:

"Everything is fine, Brother Zheng."

"What do you need me for?"

Qin Zheng affectionately patted his head and said gently:

"How are your preparations for the Infernal Trial coming along?"

The boy's voice trembled slightly:

"Ready."

"Qin Bai is always willing to sacrifice for his family."

Qin Zheng smiled.

"Brother Bai, there's no need to be so nervous. The Trial of No Return isn't as dangerous as you think."

"You are a genius that our family has only seen once in a thousand years. You broke through to the Quasi-Great Ferocious Realm at the age of twelve. Your future is limitless. The future of the Qin family depends on you to revitalize it..."

"If you do as I told you before, your chances of survival are very high."

"Also...didn't you keep saying you wanted a learning goal?"

"This time, I've found one for you."

The boy raised his proud face:

"In this world, only Brother Zheng is worthy of my learning!"

Qin Zheng pinched Qin Bai's bouncy little face and said softly:

"Brother Bai, you are a genius that the Qin family has never seen in a thousand years. It is normal for you to be proud and arrogant, but that is not good. You should know that there are always people better than you and there is always something beyond your understanding."

"After we enter the Infernal Trial, I will arrange for you to follow him."

Qin Bai frowned uncomfortably, but still obediently agreed.

As Qin Zheng said, he had some youthful impetuosity.

Among the younger generation, he respects no one except Qin Zheng.

"Brother Zheng, what's that person's name?"

"Zhao Yi".

The boy froze, then stammered:

"Yes, is it the one who killed Li...?"

Qin Zheng put his index finger to his lips and smiled:

"This person is much more capable than your brother; you should learn from him."

Qin Bai hummed in agreement.

...

Li family.

"The family's bounty has been updated; a new 'Heavenly' bounty has been added, with a reward of a golden-level cultivation technique!"

"What?! The reward is so generous... Oh, it's Zhao Yi who killed Young Master Li. Oh, then it's alright."

"I've heard that the bounty is quite high, and it's not just within the Li family anymore; it's already been shared with many of their affiliated forces!"

"Ha, daring to kill someone from my Li family, aren't you courting death?"

"We want to show these arrogant and ignorant fools what a real mountain is, and what a vast ocean truly is!"

...

Abandoned city.

Xu Shengzhi wolfed down his food at the Tianwang Hotel, devouring a whole table of delicious dishes.

He choked on his food, so he picked up the expensive red wine beside him and gulped down a few mouthfuls.

He paused, then suddenly asked the waiter beside him:

Do you have iced cola?

The waiter said:

"I'm sorry, Mr. Xu, Tianwang Hotel does not have such inexpensive drinks."

Xu Shengzhi:

"Could you go buy me a bottle?"

The waiter glanced at Zhao Yi and left the hotel with Zhao Yi's consent.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Master..."

Xu Shengzhi took out a toothpick and began to pick his teeth.

"Master, I have investigated the matter of the Infernal Trial thoroughly."

"In the unknown depths of the Immortal Path, there lies a borderland known as the Abyss."

"That is the most mysterious place in the chaotic world besides the Holy Mountain."

"The Trial of No Return will open once every special period of time. Once it opens, it will isolate and seal the Great Evil and everything above it."

"The people of the Fifth Federation in the capital discovered this, so they built a passage to teleport people into the Abyss at the right time. This way, people outside could search for treasures or other opportunities while parts of the Abyss were sealed..."

At this point, Xu Shengzhi took out a lot of printed materials and handed them to Zhao Yi.

"Master, look..."

"Someone once brought out many precious things from the Abyss, such as this Pear Phoenix Robe and this Black-Robed Dragon Blade, both of which are magical treasures crafted by the Sovereign!"

"These things are incredibly valuable, even by the standards of the entire entertainment company!"

Zhao Yi carefully examined the documents, stroked his chin, and asked:

"Are there many types of curses within the Infernal Trials?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Shengzhi scratched his head and said:

"Yes."

"Besides the vicious competition, murder, and robbery among the participants, the trial itself is also fraught with curses."

"These curses are similar to the ones you encountered at Twilight Manor, Master."

"It is usually caused by one or more cursed items that were not completely sealed."

"Once the curse is broken, the cursed item will temporarily lose its power, and the trial participants will regain their power. This is the best time to vie for the cursed item!"

"It's worth mentioning... all the cursed items are of red quality!"

Zhao Yi licked his lips.

"That sounds...great."

"Won't a curse created by a cursed item drag many people into it?"

Xu Shengzhi nodded, his eyes brimming with enthusiasm:

"Yes, Master, if you can obtain more than two cursed items, that would be a huge profit!"

Zhao lit a cigarette and asked:

"If I kill someone during the Infernal Trial, will they be resurrected?"

Xu Shengzhi shook his head:

"No, but Master, with your abilities, I think you should be able to bring out three cursed items a month..."

Zhao raised an eyebrow, slightly excited, and said:

"With a month's time, given my abilities, I should be able to kill quite a few people..."

Xu Shengzhi stared at Zhao Yi, leaning back slightly.

Damn it.

You were solely focused on killing people, weren't you?

Are they no longer trying to hide it at all?

Cursed items are red items!

Pay attention!

PS: Two updates today.

The Inexhaustible Trial will begin tomorrow.

The Endless Trial is a combination of several smaller instances.

It will be quite long overall.

It's roughly similar to a Greater Rift.

There will be a few rather novel horror stories. (Maybe.)

Goodnight, my darlings!