206: Chapter 206 Testing

Many people present had heard of this name.

There are many superhuman organizations officially presented by the Eastern Kingdom, but the most notorious one in relic contention, infiltration and hunting, and border shadow wars is the Shenfeng Bureau.

They do not care about being upright like the Temple, nor do they value rules like the academic faction.

What they excel at most is lurking and sneak attacks.

Gu Yunting cursed, "Damn it, Ji Wuchen actually guessed it right."

Han Xiao looked up and spat out a mouthful of blood, "These Eastern Kingdom bastards only know how to reap what others have sown all day long."

Above the cliff, a Middle-aged Man wearing a dark blue hunting robe walked out slowly.

He did not wear heavy armor, nor did he cover his face like the others; he only had one long and one short sword hanging at his waist, his left hand tucked into his sleeve, and his right hand resting lightly on the sword hilt.

His aura was not flamboyant, and could even be called restrained.

But the moment he appeared, Lin Mo's eyes truly turned cold.

Dangerous.

This person was even more dangerous than the Adjudicator from just now.

It was not the oppression of pure power, but a cold, dangerous feeling, like a venomous snake coiled in the shadows, watching its prey.

That Middle-aged Man stood on the cliff, his gaze sweeping across the scene, finally landing on the dark gold Dragon Pearl in the center of the stone platform, a flash of barely concealed heat in his eyes.

Then, he slowly looked at Lin Mo.

"To be able to force the Adjudicator of the West Federation Temple to this point, in this generation of the Eastern Continent, you can be considered someone."

His voice was not loud, but it was very clear.

It carried a strange sense of calm.

It was as if he were stating a fact, not offering praise.

"It is just a pity that the person who reaches the end is not necessarily the one who stood at the front first."

Han Xiao exploded upon hearing this, raising his sword to curse back, but his chest injury caused his face to turn pale, so he could only grit his teeth and curse in a low voice, "Who the hell are you putting on an act for."

Lin Mo looked at the other party, his tone flat, "You want to pick up the leftovers?"

The Middle-aged Man smiled slightly.

"The relic Opportunity is meant for those capable of obtaining it."

"As for who makes the first move or who bleeds first, it is not important."

Gu Yunting was almost so angry he laughed, "Damn it, to be able to say such a thing so shamelessly."

Ji Wuchen's expression, however, grew increasingly dark.

Since the Shenfeng Bureau dared to show their faces at this time, it meant they definitely did not just stumble in by accident.

They had most likely been watching from the periphery for a long time.

In other words—from the moment Lin Mo began fighting with the Adjudicator, this group had likely already been lurking.

Waiting for both sides to be mostly exhausted, waiting for the dragon skeletons will to appear, waiting for the true core Opportunity to be exposed. Then, swallow it all in one bite.

Just then, rapid and heavy footsteps suddenly sounded from the other side of the canyon.

An aura more magnificent and overbearing than the Shenfeng Bureau quickly approached from the other end.

Everyone instinctively turned to look.

They saw that at the entrance of the rift valley on the other side, rocks were being crushed, and a group of people was rapidly approaching.

The person at the very front wore silver-gold light armor, with highly recognizable classical reliefs on the shoulder and chest plates, his blonde hair lifted by the wind, and dust and bloodstains from the battles he had fought along the way still remaining on his face.

But even so, it could not hide that innate sharpness and pride.

Augustus. He had finally arrived.

And behind him followed seven or eight powerful young experts, who had clearly also forced their way through the periphery to reach here.

Gu Yunting's eyelid twitched, "This guy finally arrived."

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, his hand gripping his sword tightening involuntarily.

Above the cliff, the Middle-aged Man from the Shenfeng Bureau also turned his head, for the first time truly shifting his gaze away from the Dragon Pearl.

Augustus ignored the others.

After landing, he swept his gaze across the scene, and grasped the situation fairly well.

The Adjudicator was heavily injured, and the remnants of the Temple were in a sorry state.

Everyone on the Eastern Continent side was injured, but Lin Mo was still standing, and he was the closest to the Dragon Pearl.

There was an ambush by the Eastern Kingdom's Shenfeng Bureau on the cliff, clearly also aiming for the core Legacy.

Plus those dark gold Dragon pupils still suspended in the abyss...

The complexity of the situation far exceeded his estimates when he arrived.

Then, his gaze fixed on Lin Mo.

Augustus was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke.

"It seems I have indeed missed quite a few things."

There was no joking in his voice. Only a genuine gravity.

Because he could tell that Lin Mo had just experienced a fierce battle.

If he had been any later, the Dragon Pearl might have already fallen into Lin Mo's hands.

The Middle-aged Man from the Shenfeng Bureau said indifferently, "Arriving early is not as good as arriving at the right time. At least for now, it is not too late."

Augustus then turned to look at him, his brows furrowing imperceptibly.

"Shenfeng Bureau?"

The Middle-aged Man nodded slightly.

"Shenfeng Bureau, Chief of the Foreign Affairs Division, Gen Shinichi. I have long heard of Augustus's name."

Augustus looked at him, his tone devoid of any courtesy, "I usually only see your names on lists of corpses."

The atmosphere suddenly turned cold.

Several black-clad experts from the Shenfeng Bureau instantly placed their hands on their sword hilts, their eyes turning chillingly cold.

But Gen Shinichi just smiled, not angered.

"Young people are always prone to being too sharp. But that is normal. After all, what truly decides the ownership of the Dragon Pearl will not be mouths."

Augustus could not be bothered to waste any more words with him and stepped forward, his aura unfolding like a sword, actually forcing the loose rocks within a few yards ahead to be blasted away in a circle.

"Then let's speak with strength."

"Just as I wish."

After he took this step, the atmosphere in the arena fell into complete chaos.

The Shenfeng Bureau occupied the high ground on the cliff, but did not immediately enter the fray.

The remnants of the West Federation Temple stared fixedly at the Dragon Pearl, their eyes filled with unwillingness and resentment, but with the Adjudicator half-crippled, they were currently more like they were just holding on by a thread.

On the Eastern Continent side, Han Xiao, Gu Yunting, Ji Wuchen, and others, although heavily injured, still instinctively moved toward Lin Mo, standing on the same front line.

As for Lin Mo himself, he remained standing in front of the stone platform, quietly watching Augustus and Gen Shinichi on the cliff.

The situation was deadlocked for a moment.

Just then—the Dragon Pearl suspended above the abyss suddenly vibrated slightly.

Immediately after, the dark gold fire curtain surrounding the entire stone platform suddenly contracted.

One, two, three... a full nine ancient Dragon patterns spread out from the bottom of the stone platform, spreading rapidly along the altar floor as if they had come to life, enveloping everyone present.

The dragon skeletons will descended once again.

That vast, ancient, and condescending Spirit fluctuation echoed directly in everyone's minds.

[The peepers.] [The contenders.] [The latecomers.] [All may enter the game.]

As these thoughts fell, the space around the stone platform began to distort.

The Dragon Pearl, which had been quietly suspended in the center, slowly rose.

And around the altar, three new black Bone Platforms rose one after another.

One faced Lin Mo. One faced the cliff where the Shenfeng Bureau group was located. One faced the direction from which Augustus and his group arrived.

It was as if the ancient Dragon will did not care at all about who arrived first or last, nor did it care about what methods they had used.

It only gave everyone the same Opportunity. The final Opportunity.

Gen Shinichi's eyes narrowed slightly, and for the first time, he truly put away that composure.

Augustus narrowed his eyes, staring fixedly at the three risen Bone Platforms.

Ji Wuchen seemed to realize something and whispered, "It's not a direct scramble..."

Gu Yunting also reacted, "Is this thing asking us to enter the game by platform?"

The next moment, the dragon skeletons will gave the answer.

[Those who step onto the platform.] [Fight for your lives.] [The loser, retreats.] [The winner, takes the pearl.]

With just a few short thoughts, the temperature of the entire altar seemed to drop to freezing point instantly.

The rules were simple. Cruelly simple.

Whoever wants to fight for the Dragon Pearl, get on the platform. Once up there, fight with your life.

Those who lose have no qualification to continue fighting. And only the one who wins until the end can truly touch that Dragon Pearl.

Han Xiao's expression changed, "Damn it, this old Dragon really knows how to play."

Gu Yunting smiled bitterly, "It's not knowing how to play, it's that it doesn't treat us as people at all."

Lin Mo did not speak. He just looked at the Bone Platform that belonged to him in front of him, his eyes sinking little by little.

A deathmatch arena personally delineated by the ancient Dragon will—to obtain the Legacy, one must beat into submission, or kill, everyone qualified to enter the game, one by one.

On the cliff, Gen Shinichi suddenly chuckled softly. "Interesting. It seems that even sneak attacks are saved."

He waved his hand, and the dozen or so Shenfeng Bureau experts behind him dispersed simultaneously. Three of them even stepped forward half a step, their Spiritual Pressure rising at the same time, clearly showing that he was not the only one fighting for it, but that he had prepared backup candidates long ago.

Augustus also raised his hand, stopping those behind him who wanted to move first.

His gaze crossed the chaotic crowd and landed straight on Lin Mo. "Lin Mo."

For the first time in such a situation, he called out Lin Mo's name directly. "Can you still fight?"

Everyone's gaze fell on Lin Mo almost simultaneously.

Because this was indeed the biggest question at the moment.

Lin Mo had just severely crippled the Adjudicator and had also withstood the dragon remainss pressure; now, it seemed impossible for him to still be at his peak.

Yet, he was the closest to the Dragon Pearl, had the most killing intent, and was the most likely to be the first to step onto the Bone Platform.

Under the gaze of countless eyes, Lin Mo slowly raised his hand and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, "You guess."

The next second, Lin Mo exerted force under his feet, and his whole body shot directly toward the black Bone Platform in front!

Boom! The moment he landed on the Bone Platform, the entire platform suddenly lit up, and the dark gold Dragon patterns lit up in circles from around the platform surface.

A cold and ancient aura shot into the sky, as if officially acknowledging the first entrant.

Lin Mo stood on the platform, his back straight, covered in blood, yet still like a fierce weapon just pulled from blood and fire.

He slowly raised his head and looked at the other two Bone Platforms, his eyes cold.

The meaning could not be clearer—whoever wants to fight for the Dragon Pearl, come up.

As Lin Mo's voice fell, the entire altar seemed to go quiet for a moment.

The wind swept through the cliffs, kicking up bone fragments and dust, causing the dark gold Dragon patterns on the three black Bone Platforms to flicker.

Everyone knew that this was not the time for empty bravado.

Since Lin Mo had already stepped onto the platform first, from this point on, whoever went up would be engaging in a real life-and-death test.

Augustus did not move. He just stood where he was, his gaze sinking as he looked at Lin Mo on the Bone Platform, as if judging, and also as if waiting.

Waiting for the first person to eat the crab.

"Since Lin-kun is so impatient, then we of the Eastern Kingdom should not be impolite."

When Gen Shinichi spoke, his gaze did not leave Lin Mo. But his raised right hand had already lightly pointed behind him.

"Kazama. You go. Test his quality."

"Yes." A black shadow stepped out silently from the cliff top.

That person made almost no sound when he landed, like a leaf drifting into the Bone Platform area.

He was very young, at most twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, his figure lean and thin, wearing a tight-fitting black armor, with two short swords crossed behind his waist, and the secret emblem of the Shenfeng Bureau Foreign Affairs Division engraved on the forehead protector.

Unlike Gen Shinichi's hidden depths, this young man named Kazama exuded a very sharp coldness. Like a blade specifically used for assassination.

He raised his head and looked at Lin Mo on the platform, his mouth slowly curling into a mocking smile.

"I heard you just won a tough battle. But it looks like you can barely stand now."

Han Xiao cursed on the spot, "Are you fucking blind? If you have the guts, go up and try!"

Gu Yunting also sneered, "People from the Eastern Kingdom are all the same, giving themselves courage before making a move."

Kazama ignored them completely. In his eyes, there was only Lin Mo.

Because he knew that for this battle, what was more important for the Shenfeng Bureau was to test out how much of Lin Mo's strength remained, to test the rule limits of this Bone Platform, and to test the tolerance boundaries of the ancient Dragon will toward the entrants.

If he could conveniently cripple Lin Mo, the most dangerous competitor, in advance, that would naturally be best. If he couldn't, as long as he forced out enough trump cards, it would still be worth it.

Kazama licked the corner of his mouth, stomped his foot, and his whole body turned into a slender black shadow,plunder toward the Bone Platform belonging to the Shenfeng Bureau's side.

Boom. The moment he landed on the Bone Platform, the second Bone Platform also lit up.

Between the two Bone Platforms, the originally distorted space suddenly began to contract.

Hum—a dark gold light curtain rose from the center of the two platforms, like an ancient battle arena forcibly pulled open, enveloping both Lin Mo and Kazama within it.

Kazama moved his neck, making a faint cracking sound, then slowly drew the two swords from behind his waist.

The blades were extremely thin and slightly curved, the edges gleaming with a cold cyan eerie light under the dark gold firelight. They were poisoned.

Ji Wuchen's expression darkened, "That is the Eastern Kingdom's Green Scale Snake Venom, it enters the bone upon contact with blood!"

Han Xiao cursed even more fiercely, "Damn it, even in a probe they use poison, these bastards really don't treat us as human."

Gen Shinichi, however, had a calm expression, as if he didn't think there was anything wrong with this. In a relic deathmatch, there was no such thing as fairness.

On the platform, Kazama raised his two swords, the tips slightly lowered, his posture extremely low, like a black panther preparing to pounce.

"Come. Let me see if you are worth having Lord Gen move personally."

Lin Mo stood where he was, motionless. He didn't even set up a fighting stance. He just looked at the other party, his eyes calm to the point of being frightening.

This calmness instead caused a sense of discomfort to arise in Kazama's heart.

The next moment, he disappeared. His whole person was wiped from the Bone Platform, as if swallowed by the wind.

Gu Yunting's pupils shrank, "Hidden Step?"

Ji Wuchen shook his head, his voice low, "It's not pure stealth, it's movement technique combined with Spirit interference; he is disrupting Lin Mo's perception."

Almost at the same time he spoke—shhh! The air to Lin Mo's left suddenly split, and a blade light silently slashed toward his neck.

Fast. Fierce. And with absolutely no warning.

But Lin Mo didn't even turn his head; he just raised his left hand and closed his five fingers.

Clang! That cold cyan short sword was actually forcibly gripped in his palm!

The blade cut through skin and flesh, blood flowed down between his fingers, but the sword was like it had hacked into iron and stone, unable to advance even half an inch further.