Nine Star Hegemon Body Art (WN)

The elder donned gray robes that seemed weathered yet perfectly clean. Despite his snowy white beard and hair, his face was still rosy like a child, and his eyes had divine light flowing within them, as if those eyes could see through all laws of the six Daos. It felt as if no one could keep a secret in front of him.

Long Chen couldn’t discern the elder’s cultivation base, but he didn’t dare to underestimate him. Anyone who could appear here couldn’t possibly be ordinary.

“As long as we answer your question, we can pass through, right?” asked Long Chen.

The elder smiled and nodded. Meanwhile, Feng You and the others gazed at him with confusion. Another trial? They had never heard of such a thing at the end of the Nine Death Channel.

The sound of rumbling closed in from behind them and stopped. It seemed that the others wanted to charge in as well but were stopped by the elder. Feng You and the others tensed as they didn’t know what kind of question this elder would ask. What would happen if they couldn’t answer? Would they have come in vain?

Long Chen took out a golden lotus seed and held it out in his hand to the elder.

The elder’s expression changed when he saw that lotus seed. He couldn’t help but ask, “Where did you get this?!”

Realizing something, the elder was about to keep speaking when Long Chen quickly answered, “This is something junior found in the Heavenly Flame World. Alright, I’ve answered your question. Please open the way, many thanks!”

Feng You and the others’ jaws dropped. There was this method? They then looked at the elder.

The elder just stared at Long Chen, and a small smile gradually appeared on his face. He let out a sigh, “Sir really knows how to scheme! This old man has fallen for it.”

“Hehe, it’s nothing more than a little trick. I’m sure senior is laughing at me for it. However, the path of cultivation is filled with countless twists and turns, and everyone has their own path. I’m sure that you won’t mind me choosing this path!” said Long Chen with a smile.

When this elder appeared, Long Chen knew that he was an exceedingly powerful existence, but Long Chen didn’t feel any sense of pressure. In other words, this elder was not a threat.

According to Long Chen, this elder was the overseer of the laws here—the final trial.

If this elder was indeed the overseer, he wouldn’t be biased toward anyone, abiding by the established laws of this place. With this assumption, Long Chen bet on this little trick.

This was the golden lotus seed that Aunt Gong had given him. Its origins were mysterious, so Long Chen had hoped for this elder to ask what it was when he saw it. However, to his surprise, the elder instead asked about where he had gotten it. In other words, he knew what it was. This revelation startled Long Chen.

Up to this point, he had yet to encounter anyone who knew this seed’s origins. Hence, the fact that this elder not only recognized it but also posed a question about its source left Long Chen genuinely taken aback.

However, now wasn’t the time to ask about this question. He was in a rush to enter the Fantasy Spirit World.

The elder nodded. “Of course I do not mind. The first two factions to arrive here may proceed if they can answer my question. Following that, you may disclose your desires to me. As long as your wishes can be realized within the Void Spirit World, the Fantasy Spirit World, or the Esoteric Spirit World, I shall fulfill them for you.”

“There’s such a good thing?” Long Chen exclaimed, feeling pleasantly surprised.

Feng You and the others also shared in his joy. If it were up to them, they would definitely ask to be sent to the place with the most abundant treasures.

“Senior, before that, can you tell me what the fellow before me desired?” asked Long Chen.

“He is from the Netherworld’s god race and wanted to be sent to the immemorial Nethergod’s inheritance land. He is in the midst of the transportation and will soon arrive,” answered the elder directly.

“So, the only ones who can ask for their desires to be fulfilled are myself and him, is that right?” asked Long Chen.

“Correct. The top ten will be rewarded, but only the first and second will have their desires fulfilled. The later ones will have to answer questions as well and will be directed to treasure lands if they can answer. However, whether or not those treasures are suitable for them will be determined by their luck,” replied the elder.

Long Chen understood. After all, some treasures might be useless to certain people. It was much better to find a treasure that suited one’s needs.

Nevertheless, all the factions within the top ten would be sent to someplace good. In this case, the legend held true: the later one arrived, the less fortunate their circumstances might be.

“Alright, please state your desire!” said the elder.

Feng You and the others’ hearts clenched. They also wanted to know what Long Chen would ask for.

“My desire… is for you to bring back that fellow who came before us.”

“What?!” Feng You and the others were stunned, unable to believe their ears.

…

BOOM!

In a different world, the void exploded, revealing a white bone horse pulling a bronze chariot. As the horse stopped, a man in golden battle armor walked out of it. He cut an impressive figure, with a scarlet broadsword strapped to his back. Regrettably, his visage bore the marks of past scars.

Before him stretched a desolate wasteland, where many shattered structures lay in ruin. Among the broken fragments of weapons and buildings, one particular structure stood out, defying the ravages of time.

As his gaze fell upon the towering palace, the scarred man raised his head and unleashed a hearty laugh. The way his scars contorted with every laugh was rather frightening.

Two prominent scars marred his visage, carving a diagonal “X” across his face. One stretched from the left side of his forehead to the right corner of his mouth, while its counterpart mirrored the pattern, crossing from the right side of his forehead to the left corner of his mouth. These scars ran deep, almost exposing the bone beneath.

“Ming Cangyue, Leng Yueyan… we cannot live beneath the same heavens! I’ve already arrived at the immemorial Nethergod’s inheritance land. When I return to the Netherworld, I will make you two pay the price for disfiguring me!” That scarred man’s laughter suddenly changed into a ferocious roar dripping with bloodthirst.

Indeed, his deep-seated animosity toward Ming Cangyue and Leng Yueyan explained why this man felt such a strong dislike toward Long Chen although they had never met each other before.

The scarred man then went into his chariot again. With a wave of his hand, the bone horse started pulling the chariot straight toward that palace.

However, a vortex suddenly appeared in the sky, its suction force engulfing the bone horse and bronze chariot.

“What is this?!”

The scarred man was enraged. Countless runes illuminated the chariot, and the bone horse strained with all its might to break free from the vortex’s grasp.

Buzz.

However, he found that they couldn’t resist this vortex and were sucked inside along with the chariot.

As space twisted and turned, leaving him disoriented, he eventually came to a halt. By the time he stopped spinning, he saw a scene that stunned him: he was back at the Nine Death Channel. The gate stood and the elder were here as well, as if everything had just been a dream.

The only difference was that Long Chen was standing in front of him as well, looking at him disdainfully.

“You’re too late. Foolish child, you’re still immature. You want to compete with me? Tch, the goal isn’t to play with you but to play you to death.”

After saying that, Long Chen led the mixed beast race’s experts through the gate right in front of the scarred man.