Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
Chapter 776: The First Trial
Dusk settled as the Winter Festival celebration proceeded smoothly. Xi Wei and the others were able to attend as planned.
They were almost unable to make it. However, Ruo Yi accelerated time a thousandfold, allowing Xi Wei to enjoy himself to his heart’s content. He also finished absorbing the vast energy contained within the wine, and everything concluded gracefully. Xi Wei was satisfied, and Ruo Yi was even more so, as she hadn’t had a private moment with Xi Wei in a long time, and this time, she had indulged herself completely.
In the hall, Titan King Marralum’s expression was solemn, his earlier drunken demeanor completely gone. All the young Titans from the Tai An Vortex were present, standing in two solemn rows in the hall.
Xi Wei, with Ruo Yi and the others, sat beside the Titan King. In comparison, they looked like four mere bugs. Xi Wei found this oppressive aura inconsequential, but Connie, cradled in his arms, was shivering uncontrollably, wriggling restlessly. Bai Yao was slightly better but still appeared nervous due to the atmosphere in the hall. Ruo Yi, like Xi Wei, seemed utterly bored.
“Another year, another Winter Festival. I’m sure you are all prepared. You are the youngest Titans of my race, and many of you have undergone the hunting ritual hundreds of times, while newcomers have only experienced it a dozen times. I won’t waste words. I only hope you understand that hunting is a unique honor and romance for the Titan race. You will face countless dangers in the hunting ritual, challenging the raging thunder and crossing perilous peaks. Only by experiencing all this can you become qualified warriors upon reaching adulthood and have the right to enter Dragon Island to hunt dragons!”
“Roar—! Roar—! Roar—!”
The Titans in the hall raised their weapons and roared, their eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
After these pronouncements.
Marralum spoke to Xi Wei:
“King of Winter, Her Grace the Goddess has descended into her divine domain. The first trial of the Divine Son is to climb Thunder Peak with us. However, we cannot provide her with any assistance. Every step must be taken by herself. Reaching the summit of Thunder Peak will mark the completion of the first trial.”
Xi Wei was somewhat surprised.
He had originally thought the trial would commence after the Winter Festival. He hadn’t expected it to coincide with the Titan God Race’s activities. But climbing Thunder Peak alone shouldn’t be too difficult, should it?
…
Soon, Xi Wei paid the price for his assumption.
When he followed the Titan King to the starting point of Thunder Peak, an immeasurably vast power suppressed everyone. If Xi Wei hadn’t resisted with his divinity, his Qi would have been completely sealed, leaving only his physical strength. This meant climbing Thunder Peak could only rely on the most primitive physical constitution.
This was nothing to Xi Wei.
It was also nothing to Ruo Yi and Connie.
However, it posed a significant challenge to Bai Yao.
From Bai Yao’s panicked expression, it was clear that the strange power of her High Elf heritage had been completely suppressed.
“Master…”
Bai Yao looked at Xi Wei, confused and helpless.
Xi Wei nodded at Bai Yao and then pointed to the sky. Signaling that the trial had already begun, he indicated that the disappearance of her power was intentional by the Goddess.
“Everyone, climb with me!”
While Titans possessed formidable physical strength, this mountain, which sealed all powers, was a huge challenge even for newly born Titans. As everyone began to climb, two young Titans and Bai Yao soon fell behind.
Initially, Bai Yao could still keep pace with others. After all, her High Elf advancement would also enhance her physical strength. However, as time passed, she felt as if a basket of stones had suddenly been placed on her shoulders, and the stones within were growing heavier.
Xi Wei also felt it.
The gravity increased with altitude.
“This is the unique characteristic of Thunder Peak,” the Titan King, who was leading the way, answered the questions in Xi Wei and the others’ minds.
“The closer you get to the peak, the greater the gravity. When you reach the Eye of the Storm, the gravity will be one hundred times that of the surface. Without sufficiently strong physical strength, you cannot endure it. Therefore, Her Grace the Goddess only requires us to reach the summit, where the gravity is about seventy times that of the surface.”
Soon, the pressure from this gravity became clearly noticeable. Every step taken by the Titans in front left a half-meter deep imprint on the hard mountain rock.
Bai Yao, who had fallen to the rear, saw her complexion change. They were now halfway up the mountain, with the summit still a distant goal. Yet, with every step, her legs trembled, and moving became arduous. A surging pressure filled her entire body, and sweat dripped from her forehead down her cheeks, but she gritted her teeth and persevered.
She didn’t want to be replaced by a god. She wanted to stand alongside Xi Wei, and alongside all the maids in Winter Fort.
Connie was near Bai Yao, and she had deliberately slowed her pace to stay with her. In reality, as a Giant Dragon, even seventy times the gravity would only make movement difficult for Connie; she wouldn’t be able to fly, but she wouldn’t be injured or completely immobilized. At around thirty times gravity, it was insignificant. She was mainly afraid that Bai Yao wouldn’t be able to persevere.
“Bai Yao, don’t rush,” Connie said, glancing cautiously at the sky.
The Titan King had previously stated that no assistance could be provided to Bai Yao during the divine trial. She wanted to see if speaking would result in a warning. But the sky remained the same, overcast with thunder and lightning. No goddess suddenly appeared with a thunder god’s sword to strike her on the head.
“Bai Yao, Bai Yao, don’t grit your teeth and rush forward blindly. There’s a technique to climbing!” Connie moved in front of Bai Yao and demonstrated.
Bai Yao’s movements had become as slow as a snail. Her feet could barely lift, and she seemed to be wriggling forward. Her pretty face turned red, and tears mixed with sweat fell in large drops. She tried her best to look up at Connie, only to see Connie moving like a swimming fish, not directly confronting the pressure as she was.
“This pressure comes from divinity.”
Xi Wei’s voice echoed in Bai Yao’s mind.
Bai Yao looked up and saw Xi Wei and Ruo Yi on the rocks a few meters away, looking at her with concern.
“The Goddess’s divinity and yours are interconnected. Connie cannot absorb this divinity, so she chose to work with it, twisting her body with clever movements to climb forward. You can try absorbing this divinity and imitate Connie; it might be much easier.”
Hearing this, Bai Yao seemed to grasp a crucial piece of information. She concentrated, calming her mind, and began to carefully sense the pressure, much like sensing a divine artifact. Unlike the concentrated divinity of a divine artifact, the divinity hidden within this pressure was elusive.
However, she was no longer the person she used to be. In the year she had lived in Winter Fort, she had learned a lot from the other High Elves. In less than half an hour, she had found the hidden divinity. As she absorbed this divinity, the pressure on her body gradually lessened. She tried to take a step.
*Pat, pat—*
Sweat dripped. Her stiff, sore body seemed capable of movement again.
