Chapter 16: The Selection Begins!

Berserker!

The mere sound of these two words, as if imbued with a special kind of magic, made many of the brave turn pale. It was as if some invisible force was pushing them away from the great gate, or as though a dreadful beast lurked there, ready to threaten their very lives. Some, bewildered, whispered, "What is it? Who is Berserker? He sounds formidable."

"You don’t know that and still dare to venture out here?" one warrior, his fear giving way to boasting, replied, "In a certain year, only one person passed the selection. Do you know why?"

"No, why?"

"Because the hundreds who reached the third trial were all slain by a single man. That’s why only one succeeded in entering the Butterfly Academy..." He paused, then continued, "The name of that slayer is Berserker!"

"My heavens!" The listener was left dumbstruck.

Scenes like this unfolded everywhere. Soon, all fell silent, and the gazes directed at the bald man were filled with awe, envy, and jealousy.

"Hahaha..." The bald man stroked his singularly shaped head, laughing with pride and arrogance as he strode through the gate. "I’ve reached the pinnacle of champions. Once I enter the academy, I hope to break through. Butterfly Academy, ah, I look forward to it..."

As he and his followers disappeared within, Du Gu Farewell murmured, "So this is the one from that so-called Berserk clan?"

With a grave nod, another replied, "The elder brother he spoke of, Berserker, is the deadly slayer I mentioned before. This time, more of them are here. I only hope another star of carnage does not emerge."

"Big brother, I’m scared." The child’s wide eyes shimmered with tears, full of fear. Du Gu Farewell felt his little sister’s hand trembling in his grasp and quickly comforted her in a gentle tone, "Don’t be afraid, your brother is here. If he leaves us be, so much the better. But if he’s foolish enough to provoke us, I’ll humble him. And if he pushes too far, I’ll wipe him out."

A low gasp escaped Wolf, who bowed his head, thinking, "While I was speaking of the slayer, I forgot about this one before me. Judging by his tone, he may be a peerless menace himself..."

...

Passing through the gate, they saw a middle-aged man standing solemn and imposing among a group of disciples. Before him stood all those who had passed the verification. This was the Lord of Skylight City.

They found a place to stand and waited silently. Before long, the verification was complete, and more than a thousand brave souls had gathered, awaiting their orders.

The Lord of Skylight City surveyed them, his steps unhurried as he advanced. He spoke, "The selection is about to begin. Our city has ten spots. Those who distinguish themselves among you will enter the Butterfly Academy, receiving superior training and a future full of promise... Before that, let me briefly explain the process. Soon, I will open the assessment area. You must keep and protect the token in your possession; if you lose it, you are disqualified. But do not despair—there will be more chances in the future, and even in failure, participants will receive a reward for their courage, all by the Queen’s decree. Be grateful..."

"Within the stipulated time, those who keep their tokens and reach the second trial must quickly search for the hidden passes there. One pass, one qualification. If you hold onto it until the end, congratulations, you’ve passed... But passes are limited—only ten exist, hidden within the maze, and not all may be found. You must then strive to take them from others. If, in the end, fewer than ten passes exist, do your utmost to obtain at least one; those with passes will qualify."

"At the third trial, if fewer than ten remain, all will pass. If there are more, skill will decide. The final ten will be sent by our city to further their studies at the academy..."

"That is the gist. The rest, figure out for yourself. Try not to kill excessively during the selection, though it is not forbidden." The Lord of Skylight City fixed his gaze on the bald Berserker, then declared in a deep voice, "Now, I announce the selection begins!"

As his words fell, he strode confidently into an open space, drew something from his robe with reverence, gathered his strength, and crushed it with a sudden burst of power.

Bang!

A rainbow of colors burst from his hands, as if ten suns had descended at once—thousands of dazzling rays, radiant and awe-inspiring, emanating an aura that made heaven and earth bow. Within the glowing area, nothing else existed—supreme and unrivaled.

Swish, swish, swish—the light stretched outward like living things, enveloping all within sight. The radiant beams twisted and fell, intertwining, forming the outline of a hemisphere. At the instant illusion became reality, a portal of light appeared.

Inside the portal, all was chaos, nothing visible, everything shrouded in mist.

The Lord of Skylight City announced, "The Queen’s powers are boundless. The gate has opened—please, enter!"

"I’ll go!" Berserker shouted, charging in first, wild and untamed, his body strong as steel. His followers hurried behind, vanishing through the portal.

Go, go, go!

Hurry, hurry, hurry!

Bang, bang, bang!

Every champion dashed forward, eager to be among the first to enter.

The first trial required a long journey. Miss the window, and you would be eliminated. All must reach the maze within the allotted time.

"Let’s go too," Du Gu Farewell said, his long arms gently lifting his little sister onto his back, cradling the child, and following the flow with Wolf.

Buzz—

Suddenly, all hearing vanished, sight was lost, the world turned upside down, and their bodies floated weightless.

Whoosh—

After a few breaths, clarity returned. Du Gu Farewell exhaled deeply, adjusted his state, and surveyed his surroundings.

Before him, savage winds howled across an endless desert, dust swirling everywhere. Above, there was neither sun nor light; chaos reigned. Far on the horizon, a line of ancient buildings loomed, exuding an air of antiquity, silent witnesses to the passage of ages.

At his first breath, he sensed the taste of blood and iron in the air. It seemed many others were still fighting, struggling to cross the barriers of time and return.

"Good, things haven’t changed," Wolf said urgently, pointing, "See those buildings? That’s our destination—the maze of the second trial. To qualify, you must find the passes hidden inside. But right now, we must get there as quickly as possible. Arrive late, and you’ll only receive a consolation prize and lose your chance."

"What about the others?" Du Gu Farewell asked in confusion. Before entering the portal, over a thousand had gathered, yet now only the four of them remained, with no sign of the rest.

"They’ve all been scattered across various corners," Wolf explained as they strode forward. "It’s said this trial ground was created by the Butterfly Queen herself, based on her own royal domain, modeled after ancient god-demon arenas, vast beyond measure. If you want to see the others, head into the maze—you’re sure to meet them there."

"And what of the failures? How do they leave?"

"Once the time limit is up, those still outside the maze are teleported out—back to where we entered. Right now, the Lord of Skylight City must be waiting to hand out rewards."

"I see." Du Gu Farewell ran with steady breaths, but his heart was surging, his emotions turbulent. "Is this the power of a sovereign? With a mere thought, she creates a world. Though I see no native inhabitants or other beings, it is still enough to shake the heavens and terrify the gods, seizing the essence of creation itself—truly wondrous."

At this moment, he found his goal in cultivation—to become a sovereign!

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