129: Chapter 129 Hello, hello, and how are you?

Upon hearing Gu Changming's words, translucent notification boxes simultaneously appeared before the Eclipse Clan Trial Takers.

The content displayed: they had completed the final trial and it was time to receive their rewards.

After reading the content, they glanced at each other and stepped forward slowly.

When they reached a position about ten meters from Gu Changming, they lined up in front of him according to their respective contributions and rankings in the final stage.

Gu Changming stood with his eyes lowered, his face expressionless as he watched them.

Then, he nodded slightly, signaling them to come forward.

Following the rule of reverse order, the tenth-ranked Trial Taker was the first to step out.

That was an exceptionally tall and burly Eclipse Clan male; his four eyes blinked nervously as he stopped a pace away from Gu Changming.

As the other party approached, Gu Changming also received a prompt from his panel.

Almost simultaneously, Gu Changming's palm felt heavy as a white light flashed, and an object appeared out of thin air in his hand.

As the white light dissipated, a physical object was revealed.

It was an ancient-looking pocket watch, entirely a dull silver color, with intricate patterns engraved on the cover that gave it a high-quality feel.

Gu Changming's heart stirred slightly.

The moment he got the item, he focused his gaze on it, wanting to check the specific attributes of this prop.

But as his gaze fell, his vision was empty, and no information was displayed.

Helpless, Gu Changming could only pull back his thoughts, knowing this was likely an obstruction from the Assessment mechanism to prevent them from seeing the specific details of the rewards others received.

Gu Changming looked up at the Eclipse Clan member standing before him.

The other party was also looking at him, forcing a smile onto his face, his four eyes a mix of anticipation and apprehension.

Gu Changming didn't say much, simply handing over the pocket watch.

At the same time, following the previous settings, he recited the lines provided by the panel:

"Time has recorded every swing of your sword and engraved your glory at this moment."

"Take it; this is the reward for your courage."

The Eclipse Clan member took the pocket watch and was about to turn and leave when he saw Gu Changming extend his right hand toward him again.

He froze for a moment, all four eyes blinking simultaneously, then he reacted and hurriedly extended his empty hand as well.

Gu Changming shook his hand, then let go and said plainly, "Go on."

"Next."

Immediately, the next Eclipse Clan member stepped forward.

The reward was an earring set with a dark crystal. Gu Changming handed it over and likewise extended his hand.

The other party hesitated for a split second before also reaching out to shake his hand.

"Hello."

"Hello."

"Hello."

"..."

The process was a simple repetition. The ninth, the eighth... Gu Changming shook hands with every Eclipse Clan member who stepped forward.

Not until the third-place finisher received their reward and stepped down did Gu Changming's gaze shift slightly toward the back of the line.

Now, only Aila and Luo An were left to receive their rewards.

Gu Changming's gaze moved back and forth between the two; it seemed that these two would most likely receive the most bountiful rewards.

Under Gu Changming's gaze, Aila moved, stepping out from the line to stand before him.

A second later, a white light appeared in Gu Changming's hand, and a heavy book manifested.

The book's cover was made of some sort of dark leather; there was no title, only some winding silver patterns that flowed slightly under the dim light.

Gu Changming glanced at it; it was another item whose attributes were invisible.

Then, just as before, he handed the book over.

Aila took it with both hands, and after glancing at the Grimoire, a hint of excitement appeared on her face.

But that excitement was quickly hidden. She then looked up at Gu Changming, nodded formally, and then, following the example of those before her, hesitantly extended her right hand.

Although she didn't know what kind of ritual this was, she would just follow along...

Looking at her extended hand, the corner of Gu Changming's mouth curled up almost imperceptibly.

He also reached out, but instead of shaking her hand, he raised his own and gave her head a light pat.

Aila's expression turned to one of bewilderment, her four eyes widening slightly as she failed to process what had just happened.

Seeing her reaction, Gu Changming found it strangely amusing and then waved his hand.

"Go on."

Aila blinked, eventually swallowing her myriad of doubts.

She bowed slightly, clutching the Grimoire as she turned and walked off the stage.

As she was walking down, Luo An stepped out from the line.

Their gazes briefly met in mid-air.

Aila's eyes instantly turned cold, as if coated in a layer of ice.

Luo An didn't care; instead, a faint, ambiguous curve played on his lips, as if in provocation.

No matter what, he was the first-place winner of this trial. Once they returned, he would be the only one to receive more resource allocation. No matter what Aila did, she couldn't possibly do anything to him.

Aila looked away and walked off quickly with her book.

Luo An ignored her as well, taking a few steps to stand before Gu Changming, the anticipation in his eyes nearly overflowing.

"Hello, esteemed Guide," he initiated.

"Hello to you, too."

The smile on Gu Changming's face was more evident than before, and his voice seemed a bit gentler.

The Eclipse Clan Trial Takers below the stage watched, and they couldn't help but mutter to themselves.

As expected, the higher the ranking, the better the treatment.

Seeing this, the look in Luo An's eyes became even more fervent.

Meanwhile, in Gu Changming's hand, the white light appeared once more.

Luo An immediately looked on with excitement, but this time the object seemed very small, completely obscured by the other's fingers, making it impossible to see exactly what it was.

But this didn't dampen Luo An's anticipation; he held his breath, his gaze returning to Gu Changming's eyes.

The moment the reward appeared, Gu Changming also looked down, glancing at his palm.

A ring.

The material seemed to be some kind of silver-white metal, with an extremely simple design, lacking any patterns or gemstone embellishments—it was so plain it was almost unremarkable.

Its attributes were still invisible.

However, as the reward for first place, it certainly wouldn't be poor.

Gu Changming looked up again at Luo An.

The other party still had a face full of excitement, his four eyes sparkling.

Gu Changming cleared his throat and began to recite the lines exclusive to the first-place winner:

"Among the competitors who shine like a multitude of stars, you are the most dazzling one."

"Congratulations!，Chief of this trial."

Hearing Gu Changming's words, Luo An could hardly suppress his excitement.

As the voice faded, he immediately took the initiative to extend his hand, palm up, ready to receive his exclusive reward.

However, his hand hung in the air for several seconds, yet Gu Changming made no move.

Gu Changming looked at him quietly, the smile still on his face, but his gaze was somewhat subtle.

Luo An was stunned, his four eyes focusing on Gu Changming's face in confusion. After a moment, he spoke hesitantly:

"Guide... where is my reward?"

Gu Changming blinked, his smile deepening.

He didn't answer Luo An's question; instead, his gaze drifted lightly away, landing on the edge of his vision.

There, a gray, inconspicuous button was floating quietly.

[Invasion: Activatable (Remaining time: 10 seconds)]

Ten seconds.

What can one do in ten seconds?