Chapter 641 - 348: Abyss Realm Chain Reaction

"That’s right," Sun replied. "However, we can no longer use the Bronze Sect’s method of fighting with virtual projections. They must engage in physical combat, presenting themselves entirely before the wisp of spirituality we’ve entrusted."

Naturally, a virtual projection couldn’t earn its acknowledgment. The Ancient Kings weren’t surprised by this.

The Profound Celestial Ancient King pondered, "Calculating the time, the preliminary selection should be over by the time we return. There should be around a hundred people. Whether in terms of Talent or strength, they are the absolute best among their peers. Someone worthy of acknowledgment is bound to emerge from them.

"If no one among them succeeds, we’ll summon past participants of the Peak Star Conference and test them one by one."

The Zhenwu Ancient King swept his gaze across the group, suddenly suggesting, "Why not skip the preliminary selection and start the main trials now? By the time we return, the strongest batch should have already been decided."

"No," Sun rejected the idea. "I need to emphasize this again—being the strongest doesn’t necessarily mean they will be acknowledged.

"You all should be somewhat familiar with the eccentricities of this spirituality. It is best to let it watch the entire process."

"Watch the entire process?" the Zhenwu Ancient King said in dissatisfaction. "That’s too slow. Based on past experience, going back and forth with the matches, rests, and advancements will take nearly half a year."

For Tier Seven Melting Holy Professions, battles at this level were rarely decided in just a move or two.

Some fights could last for days or even over a week, coming down to a sheer contest of resilience and willpower.

"Zhenwu, you are far too impatient," the Profound Celestial Ancient King said unhurriedly.

The Zhenwu Ancient King sneered coldly, "Every moment of delay brings another variable. Aren’t you all extremely wary of the Abyss Realm? Why aren’t you in a hurry now?"

"Rushing won’t help. We can’t neglect one problem just to solve another," the Profound Celestial Ancient King shook his head.

The Zhenwu Ancient King said coldly, "Then just eliminate all the Star Amber Levels right away. They can’t earn the acknowledgment anyway."

"No," the Bronze Ancient King shook his head. "The interests of countless factions across the Dust Star Sea are tied to the Peak Star Conference, not to mention the numerous underground betting rings. If we eliminate all Star Amber Levels with a single word, it will cause chaos."

"Who would dare rebel?" the Zhenwu Ancient King demanded sharply.

"Just because they don’t dare rebel against us doesn’t mean there won’t be chaos," the Bronze Ancient King replied calmly.

"Zhenwu is right. The original plan simply takes too long," the Hanhai Emperor pondered, before adding, "However, eliminating all the Star Ambers isn’t an option either."

The Zhenwu Ancient King’s eyes turned cold. "Hanhai, this isn’t your Royal Court. Stop showing off your political balancing acts. If you have a solution, speak up."

The Hanhai Emperor’s expression stiffened briefly before he spoke in an indifferent tone, "It’s nothing more than devising a new tournament format that accommodates all aspects. We still have two or three months before we return. That is plenty of time."

...

"The trial intensity of these scattered palaces is already quite high. The palaces on the towers will likely be even more difficult. If there are difficulty spikes at the third, sixth, and ninth floors, it surely can’t be as simple as purifying Fog Ashes."

Su Chen tucked away the potion in his hand; he certainly wasn’t going to drink it here.

"But then again," he murmured, "Fog Ashes might be a terribly thorny issue here in the Dust Star Sea, but perhaps they are nothing more than a minor inconvenience over in the Abyss Realm."

His harvest this time had been quite perfect. He had more or less figured out a few things, but the most important gain was obtaining the Fire-igniting Ash. From now on, he essentially wouldn’t need to consume Divine Blood every time he entered. He had also acquired the Celestial Star Potion, which was a pleasant surprise.

As for the other palaces, he would try them again after advancing to Tier Seven. Su Chen was already thinking about leaving, but there was one last thing to do before heading out.

He circled back and arrived in front of the Prison King once again.

"Sir," the Prison King said respectfully the moment he saw him. "Congratulations on gaining the acknowledgment of the Three Dragons. It truly boggles my mind."

Su Chen had no interest in his flattery. His voice was flat. "I’m leaving now."

The facial features manifested by the Prison King instantly froze and faintly dissipated. He hurriedly asked, "Could you take me out with you?"

His voice trembled. His Spirit Body couldn’t receive any replenishment here, and without the shelter of a physical body, the erosion he suffered was vastly magnified.

Even hiding within the shadows, the environment eroded him every second of every day. Just waiting for the moment of death was pure torture.

The Prison King prided himself on his resolute will, but after being tormented here for nearly a year, he was on the verge of a breakdown.

"I can’t verify the truth of your words," Su Chen shook his head. "Tell me your name and identity. After I get out, I’ll verify it. If there are no issues, I’ll take you out the next time I come in."

"My identity and faction..." The Prison King was stunned, subconsciously feeling a hint of resistance.

He suspected that this person was not a Professional from the Dust Star Sea, but rather from the Outer Realm—perhaps even a Professional from the Abyss Realm.

He didn’t know if exposing information about the Dust Star Sea would bring about some disaster. Although this was a matter of life and death, his years of cultivation under the Royal Court still made him hesitate.

"Still hesitating even now? This Prison King’s will is quite resilient," Su Chen thought, immediately guessing what the man was conflicted about.

During their earlier exchanges, he had noticed that the Prison King never once mentioned his origins or anything related to the Dust Star Sea.

He only spoke of "friends" and coming here to "explore." It wasn’t hard to deduce that he was trying to conceal the existence of the Dust Star Sea.

By asking this, Su Chen was leveraging his persona as an "unknown powerhouse" to pin down the other party’s identity, which would make it easier to extract more information later.

He was quite curious about the many secrets of the Royal Court—such as their research into Divine Dawn and True Radiance, as well as the Abyss Realm.

He was also eager to know if a top-tier faction like the Royal Court even knew about the Abyss Realm.

The Prison King was the perfect medium for inquiry. He should be able to squeeze plenty of information out of him.

However, it wasn’t a good idea to blurt out his identity directly. Doing so might cause the Prison King to form certain suspicions or suddenly awaken a determination to fight to the bitter end.

It would be best if the other party completely accepted his fate and cooperated willingly.

"Since you aren’t willing to talk, then think it over carefully," Su Chen said. He hadn’t expected the Prison King to immediately bow in submission without hesitation when fundamental interests were involved anyway. He had plenty of time.

"I will likely return in the near future. I hope by then, you will have thought things through."

The Prison King opened his mouth but stopped himself. In the end, he simply watched the other party leave, his heart filled with mixed feelings. It seemed this person had already realized something.

Should he really become a traitor to the Dust Star Sea?

...

After the "unknown powerhouse" left, he went straight to the edge of the Flame Fire. Beyond the invisible barrier were churning currents of fire.

Su Chen murmured inwardly, "After I go out from here, will I return to the Nether Realm or the outer starry sky? It’ll be fine if it’s the Nether Realm, but if it’s the outer starry sky, that’ll be troublesome."

If he was caught by the Ancient Kings, he would probably never have his freedom again. Thinking of this, he took out the Fire-igniting Ash he had stowed away and gripped it tightly.

He made up his mind—if he went out and discovered it was the outer starry sky, he would turn back immediately.

Taking a deep breath, he reached out and passed through the invisible barrier. The moment his hand touched the churning Flame Fire outside, a terrifying suction force erupted from it.

It suddenly yanked his entire body inside, hurling him violently outward.

At the same time, without the energy supply from the inner space of the Flame Fire, the Residual Fire covering his body began the Absorption of the power from the Fire-igniting Ash in his hand.

"This..." Noticing this, a chill couldn’t help but run through Su Chen’s heart.

"Not only does coming in require Divine Blood as fuel, but going out also consumes Divine Blood. If I didn’t have this Fire-igniting Ash and recklessly came out, I’d very likely be burned to death by this Flame Fire."

This was a massive trap. Thank goodness he had obtained the Fire-igniting Ash.

Although the danger had dissolved into nothingness, it still sounded an alarm for Su Chen.

Even though the current situation was highly favorable, this was still the Sun Flame. There could be massive traps hidden anywhere, capable of easily getting him killed.

"I still need to be more careful," he thought.

He didn’t know how long passed before he burst out of the Flame Fire. He immediately observed his surroundings. The boundless pale-gray earth below made him sigh in relief.

The Flame Fire’s descent was extremely fast. Su Chen hastily put away the Fire-igniting Ash. Without the power supply from the Fire-igniting Ash, the system’s Residual Fire rapidly weakened, and his perception of the real world gradually returned.

The next instant, the world spun around him. Su Chen abruptly opened his eyes within the Nether Tower, a wave of scorching heat rolling away from him.