Chapter 371: Test of Character?

Chapter 371: Chapter 371: Test of Character?

Chapter 371: Test of Character?

"It would be our honor," Rhain replied politely..

Fridleif, the Crystalveil Tribe Chieftain’s face broke into a wide, relieved smile. He immediately turned and gestured grandly toward the heart of the valley.

"Excellent! Then you must allow us to show you the hospitality of the Crystalveil Tribe! Come! Come inside!"

He clapped his hands sharply. "Prepare the feast for our benefactors."

In an instant, the entire hidden valley burst into motion.

Tribesmen and women who had been staring with wary curiosity now cheered loudly, rushing in all directions to prepare.

Within half an hour, the central hall had been transformed.

The Crystalveil Tribe spared no expense in welcoming their saviors.

Long tables carved from spirit wood were filled with steaming dishes — roasted meat from unknown beasts, fragrant spirit fruits, and jars of clear, shimmering wine that refracted the crystal light.

Although the group’s essence was entirely sealed by the laws of the realm, rendering the spiritual properties of the food useless to their cultivation, the rich flavors and the sheer warmth of the hospitality provided a much-needed respite from the brutal slaughter of the previous trials.

Fridleif sat at the head of the table, with Anya seated obediently at his right. Rhain, Lyra, Karsten and the three mercenaries were given the seats of highest honor directly opposite him, treated with reverence.

"Please, eat and drink to your fill!" Fridleif laughed heartily, raising his wine cup high. "Had you not been there today, my daughter and several of our women and children would have been taken by those Bone Skull dogs. This feast is nothing compared to the debt we owe you!"

Lyra, Karsten and the mercenaries did not stand on ceremony.

Even Rhain ate quietly, his movements calm and graceful, though his dark grey eyes never stopped observing every detail of the hall, the tribespeople, and Fridleif himself.

After the first round of wine had been poured and the atmosphere had grown warm, Rhain set his cup down gently.

"Chief," Rhain spoke, "Forgive my directness. My companions and I were... displaced. We have little understanding of where we are. Could you tell us about the geography of this region? What lies beyond this valley?"

Fridleif let out a heavy sigh, setting his own cup down.

"I suspected as much, considering you did not even know of the Bone Skull Tribe," Fridleif began, his expression turning solemn. "We are currently situated deep within the Howling Dust Canyons. It is a completely barren wasteland that stretches thousands of miles in every direction."

He continued with a hint of pride.

"This valley is one of the very few habitable sanctuaries. It is thanks to an ancient formation left by our ancestors that this place still holds spiritual energy and life. Outside... there is only death."

"And the nearest civilized settlement?" Rhain asked.

"It’s way far from here," Fridleif replied, "If you wish to leave this desolate region, the nearest civilized town is located at least three thousand miles away."

Rhain’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.

Three thousand miles.

He rapidly calculated in his mind.

With his essence entirely sealed by the laws of this trial world, he could not fly, could not use movement techniques, and could not even reinforce his body with essence.

Relying purely on his peak Core Formation physical body — which was far stronger than an ordinary cultivator’s even without essence — it would still require at least a month of non-stop, day-and-night walking to cross that distance.

For Lyra, Karsten and the mercenaries, whose physical bodies were far weaker, it would take even longer. And that was assuming they had food, water, and did not get lost in the endless canyons.

In short, without external flying means, leaving this region was practically impossible in a short time.

They were trapped here.

’So the trial space intends for us to stay,’ Rhain thought to himself.

There was no explicit time limit given for this third trial, but embarking on a month-long trek across a barren wasteland simply to find civilization seemed highly inefficient.

Lyra and Karsten exchanged a glance, clearly having come to the same conclusion. Their expressions stiffened.

Fridleif noticed their silence and misinterpreted it as worry. He quickly tried to reassure them.

"You need not worry, honored guests! Although the outside is dangerous, inside this valley you are completely safe! Our warriors patrol the entrance day and night. No beast or enemy can find us easily!"

But as he said this, his own hearty expression darkened, and the light in his eyes dimmed. He stared into his wine cup, his large hand clenching it tightly.

"...At least, that was true until recently," he muttered.

Lyra leaned forward slightly, "Why, is something wrong?"

Fridleif let out a long sigh.

"It is the Bone Skull Tribe," he said, his voice dropping to a grim tone that silenced the nearby tables. "Those evil bastards have always oppressed us. They raid our hunting parties, steal our resources, and capture our people. For decades we have endured it, because they were slightly stronger than us. But we could still defend this valley and survive."

Anya lowered her head, her small fists clenched on the table, tears threatening to form again.

"But in the past few weeks," Fridleif continued, his face contorted with hatred and fear, "their attacks have escalated drastically. They have begun to attack our patrols. Just yesterday they discovered one of our secret gathering teams. If you had not intervened today, Anya and the others would have been taken to their camp. Their scouts are becoming more and more brazen."

Rhain sipped his wine calmly. "A sudden escalation usually has a reason," he said evenly. "Did something change within the Bone Skull Tribe?"

Fridleif looked up at Rhain, his eyes filled with a deep dread.

"You are perceptive, benefactor," he whispered. "Yes. Something did change. We only learned of it a few days ago from a dying scout who managed to escape their evil hands."

Fridleif’s voice trembled clearly.

"The leader of the Bone Skull... he has broken through. He was at the peak of Core Formation for ten years, stuck like me. But now... he has stepped into the Domain Master Realm."

Domain Master Realm!

Karsten and the mercenaries sucked in a cold breath. Even Lyra frowned.

In the outside world, they could still fight across realms with techniques and artifacts, but here, with their essence sealed, a Domain Master was an insurmountable mountain.

Fridleif slammed his fist onto the table, making the cups rattle.

"Because of this, those beasts are now marshaling all their warriors. Our scouts report they are gathering every able-bodied fighter from their scattered camps. This is no longer a simple raid. They are preparing for a final, all-out war. They intend to wipe out the Crystalveil Tribe completely, seize this valley, and take everything we have!"

A silence fell over the feasting hall.

Anya’s voice was small and shaking. "Father... will they really come?"

Fridleif closed his eyes in pain. "Within a few months at most. When their gathering is complete, they will come."

Rhain remained expressionless, slowly swirling the crystal wine in his cup.

After the feast, the mood was too heavy to continue. Fridleif apologized profusely for dampening the celebration and ordered Anya to escort the honored guests to rest.

Anya led them to a spacious guest courtyard on the eastern side of the valley, where three large, clean wooden houses had been prepared.

The rooms were elegantly furnished with soft beddings, glowing crystal lamps, and even a small hot spring that steamed gently in the night air.

"Please rest well, benefactors," Anya said with a respectful bow, her eyes worried but sincere. "If you need anything, just call for me. I will be nearby."

After she left and the courtyard door was closed, the group finally gathered inside Rhain and Lyra’s room.

Karsten shut the door carefully.

Once they were alone, the tension of being watched finally faded.

The mercenaries dropped their relaxed postures, turning their expectant gazes toward Rhain and Lyra.

"Lord Rhain, Lady Lyra," Karsten began nervously. "What do we do? Our essence is completely sealed."

Lyra sat on the edge of the bed, her brows tightly knitted. She repeated the words of the old man.

"Do whatever you deem right," she murmured. "That was his exact instruction before he threw us in. For this trial, there is no strict ultimatum or quota. We are completely free."

She crossed her arms beneath her chest, her beautiful face etched in deep thought.

"The First Trial was a test of our endurance and survival. The Second Trial was a brutal test of our combat strength and teamwork," Lyra deduced logically. "Therefore, this Third Trial must be a test of our character and morality!"

Karsten’s eyes widened. "A character trial?"

"Exactly," Lyra nodded firmly. "Why else would we be dropped directly next to an oppressed, righteous tribe right on the eve of their annihilation by an evil faction? That old man simply wants to test our hearts. He wants to see if we will abandon the weak to save our own skins, or if we will stay, defend the innocent, and defeat the evil oppressors!"

The mercenaries immediately lit up with eager agreement.

"Lady Lyra is absolutely right!" Karsten slapped his thigh. "A supreme expert beyond the Monarch Realm wouldn’t just pass his heaven-defying legacy to some heartless coward! He wants a righteous successor who upholds justice! If we protect this tribe and kill the Bone Skull leader, we pass the trial!"

Lyra found the logic perfect.

She turned her proud gaze toward Rhain, who was sitting casually on a wooden chair.

"What do you think, Rhain?" Lyra asked, fully expecting him to agree with her brilliant deduction.

Rhain remained completely silent.

He rested his chin on his knuckles, his dark grey eyes staring blankly at the flickering flame of the crystal lamp.

’Is it really that simple?’ he thought.

The trials had escalated in difficulty each time.

The First Trial had nearly pulverized them under a hundred Level 6 Domain Master meteors.

The Second Trial had forced them into a blood-soaked hell of a thousand Domain Master beasts. It nearly killed Lyra and wiped out their entire group.

This third trial sealed their essence completely, which at first seemed like a massive increase in difficulty. But... was it really?

Even with his essence sealed and unable to use his Domain or laws, his raw physical body was still at the peak of the Core Formation Realm, and his soul power at the level of true Domain Master could still be used.

With those two cards alone, he had complete confidence to defeat a standard, newly-advanced Domain Master.

It would not even be a difficult fight.

If the test was simply "defeat the evil Domain Master and save the good tribe," then where was the difficulty?

Where was the trap that a supreme expert would set for his successor? A test of character where the "righteous" choice also happened to be the easiest and most obvious path... it felt too shallow.

There had to be something else. Something hidden beneath this simple good-versus-evil facade.

But he had too little information. He could not deduce the hidden trap just yet. To voice his doubts now would only dampen their morale and make him seem paranoid and cold-blooded.

So Rhain kept his doubts to himself. He simply pushed off the chair and gave Lyra a calm nod.

"Your reasoning is plausible," Rhain said quietly, "But we cannot be sure of anything yet. The old man said to do whatever we deem right, that could mean many things. We should not rush to a conclusion."

He looked at each of them in turn with a solem gaze.

"For now, we will quietly observe the situation. Let’s see what this valley and this Bone Skull Tribe are truly like before we decide."

Lyra frowned slightly at his non-committal response, but she didn’t argue. His pragmatic caution had kept them alive this long.

"Fine," Lyra agreed, "We will wait and see."