As countless eyes watched.
One step, two steps, three steps...
As he climbed higher, Li Wen’s rank rose slowly but surely: Fourth... Third!
When he finally stepped past the 119,600th step.
His name flashed on the overall leaderboard. It had fiercely surpassed the contestant originally ranked just behind Ling Xuzi, leaping up to—
Second place!
The cheers from the Alka Empire reached a fever pitch.
In the Virtual Cosmos, the Alka District channel was completely flooded with a barrage of comments reading, "Second place!"
Standing on the 119,601st step, Li Wen let out a quiet sigh of relief.
’I’m second now. The objective is complete.’
On the steps ahead, the power of solitude emanated a chill that made his very soul tremble.
He could feel it clearly. If he forced himself to keep climbing, he would have to mobilize even more Primordial Spirit Power to resist the ever-intensifying erosion.
He might even lose control and cross the threshold where his Eternal Heart would be passively triggered.
The risk would increase sharply, while the reward was merely the difference between second place and first place in a single event.
Since he couldn’t challenge Ling Xuzi’s overall rank anyway, the difference was negligible.
’This is enough,’ Li Wen thought.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the endless steps to look at the ethereal summit, his eyes perfectly calm.
Then, he did something that none of the spectators expected.
He slowly retracted the foot he was about to move forward, his body relaxed, and he gave up resisting.
Almost instantly, the dense power of solitude submerged him like a tide.
A white light enveloped him.
Stairway of Solitude trial. The last climber, Li Wen of the Alka Empire. Final result: Second place!
Steps climbed: 119,601!
When the white light dissipated and Li Wen’s figure appeared on the starting platform, the entire finals arena fell into a brief, absolute silence.
Then—
BOOM!!!
The Alka Empire’s spectator area erupted in a fanatical cheer powerful enough to tear apart a Star River!
The sound wave was like a tangible shockwave, sweeping across the entire circular stands.
"Second!! Li Wen is second!!"
"Second place on the Stairway of Solitude too! My god! The Alka Empire is about to produce a true dragon!"
"Li Wen! Invincible!!"
Countless Alka contestants and spectators, in their excitement, hugged and jumped with each other.
This was the supreme glory of the entire Alka Empire!
Barton looked at Li Wen, who had appeared beside him, his eyes now filled with admiration.
The spectator areas for high-level empires like the Celestial Vault Divine Country, however, were deathly silent. Many of them couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
Shock, and even a thread of indescribable awe, intertwined in their hearts.
...
「Inside the central building.」
Beside Chen, a bald Immortal clapped his hands and laughed heartily, saying to Chen,
"Old Chen, congratulations! Alka has really found a treasure this time!"
Hearing this, a smile tugged at the corners of Chen’s mouth as he turned his gaze to the bald Immortal:
"You flatter me. Your country’s Seras is also exceptionally talented. He ranked in the top thirty in the Enlightenment Tower and even broke into the top fifty on the Stairway of Solitude. His future achievements are limitless."
Chen’s words seemed to open the floodgates, and the other Immortals beside him began to chime in, heaping praise upon Li Wen.
"To be able to contend with Ling Xuzi on the Stairway of Solitude until the very end... such willpower and temperament are truly rare."
"What’s even rarer is that composure and self-awareness. He’s not arrogant or rash; he knows when to push and when to yield. This child is destined for greatness."
"The Alka Empire has been quiet for many years. It seems this time, because of him, they will finally be able to hold their heads high..."
The Immortals chattered back and forth, the atmosphere growing quite lively.
Just as the Immortals were exchanging praises.
The grand and majestic announcement once again resounded from the center of the arena:
"The second trial, ’The Stairway of Solitude,’ is now over!"
"The third trial, ’The Killing Fields,’ will begin immediately!"
Before the voice had even faded, millions of beams of white light precisely enveloped the millions of talented contestants in the arena.
The light flashed and was gone. When one looked again, the originally crowded arena was now completely empty.
All the contestants had been instantly teleported to different, separate spaces.
Li Wen felt the scene before his eyes change in an instant. His feet were now on a hard, cold, black metal floor.
He was in a huge, circular space resembling an ancient Roman colosseum.
Surrounding him were walls that soared into the clouds, and the sky was a simulated, dark-red firmament.
A faint scent, a mixture of blood and rust, permeated the air.
"The Killing Fields are now open." The cold, mechanical voice of the rules echoed directly in Li Wen’s mind.
"The trial is divided into seven layers. Within each layer, you must kill all spawned enemies to advance to the next. Time limit per layer: one day. Countdown commencing: Ten, nine, eight..."
The rules were simple and clear.
With a slight flicker of his thoughts, a silver longsword, rippling with the flow of time, appeared in his hand.
At the same time, a transparent suit of armor, thin as a cicada’s wing and composed of fine temporal runes, covered his entire body.
This was the most suitable configuration for him to leverage his advantage in the Time Law.
"Three, two, one! The trial begins!"
The moment the countdown hit zero, countless blinding white lights suddenly flared up in every corner of the vast Killing Fields.
The light faded, and enemies of all shapes and sizes, each exuding a ferocious aura, instantly filled the entire space.
Roaring Demon Beasts, cold Mechanical Race warriors, and a dense swarm of Low Tier Insect Race members.
There were even a few Elemental Life Forms emanating chaotic energy...
The races were numerous and bizarre, but there were no humanoid enemies to be seen.
’Alien races from the Outer Battlefield...’ The thought surfaced naturally as Li Wen’s divine sense swept over the entire Killing Fields like a tidal wave, taking in the form of every enemy.