Death… And Me

Chapter 3356  First Challenge

Rean approached the amphora with Herbert by his side, as well as his clan members. Zantieʼs group obviously didnʼt stay far, paying close attention to their movements and ready to take action at any instant. Finally, Rean reached the amphora and extended his hand. This was the moment that Zantie and the others were blocked by the amphoraʼs barrier. Yet, the moment Rean got there, the amphoraʼs barrier reacted in a different way.

The white mist coming out of the top immediately rushed to Rean, covering his entire body in a split second. Before anyone could do anything, Rean disappeared, leaving no trace behind.

”This...” Herbert was taken aback, and then he looked at Zantie with an angry expression. ”You knew it was going to happen, right?”

Zantie was just as surprised as Herbert, though. ”Like hell I did! There is truly a barrier surrounding this amphora. We tried to touch it, but it was all meaningless. Look!” Zantie quickly approached and tried to touch it again.

*Bzzzz!*

Sure enough, Zantieʼs hand was immediately expelled back, not being able to touch the amphora at all. ”See?! Now that I proved I wasnʼt lying, what about you? Werenʼt you the one who knew it was going to happen? It looks too much of a coincidence that your group member was taken away during your first interaction.”

”Hmph!” Herbert snorted. ”If I knew it would have happened, I would have selected someone else instead of one of my best Formations Masters.”

Of course, Herbert wasnʼt telling the truth. Seeing Rean disappear confirmed that the records found in his clan were real. The test really had a cultivation limit, and anyone above it couldnʼt take it. What Herbert didnʼt know was that this amphora would make the tested person disappear.

Roan ignored all that, closing his eyes and watching Reanʼs memories through their connection. Rean had indeed disappeared, but he wasnʼt so far that they couldnʼt share their memories if they allowed the other to do it.

In another space, Rean was brought to a big room filled with a high amount of White Fog. ʼHum... is this the test?ʼ Rean wondered. ʼRoan, how are things outside?ʼ

ʼHerbert and Zantie are arguing whether the other knew something or not, just as planned,ʼ Roan answered. ʼHe didnʼt seem to know you would disappear, though.ʼ

ʼItʼs fine,ʼ Rean didnʼt mind. ʼSince we can still communicate, that means we are within our Soul Connection Range. I was probably teleported to another room or the space inside the amphora is actually spatial manipulated. Regardless, I can leave at any time if I simply enter the Dimensional Realm.ʼ

Rean began to walk into that room, which didnʼt seem to have anything other than white fog, making it very hard to see ahead. Divine Sense, as it had been until now, still didnʼt work.

”Hum?” Rean narrowed his eyes, and in the next moment, he stepped to the side. *Zin!*

Right where he had been a moment ago, something slashed through the fog, opening a gap in the white and before the area was covered again.

Rean might not be able to use his Divine Sense, but he could still spread his Light Element. He had to do it in a very thin manner, which would help to warn him if anything got close. The range of this ability was just a few meters, but these few meters just saved him from being hit by that slash earlier.

”Whoʼs there?!” Rean shouted, but no answer came out.

*Zin!*              

Then, from a completely different position, another slash came at Rean, which he once again dodged. It was also cutting his Light Element on the way so Rean could tell where it came from.

*Zush!*

Immediately, Rean began to run in the direction the slash came from. Yet, to his confusion, another slash cut through the White Mist, forcing him to dodge once again. Itʼs just that it came from a completely different direction.

[Rean, I think it is a slaughtering Formation,] Sister Orb told him from the Dimensional Realm.

ʼA formation? Then hack into it!ʼ Rean answered, dodging once again.

[I canʼt.] Too bad Sister Orb wasnʼt in a position to fulfill that request. [This white fog is also affecting the systemʼs senses. I canʼt find the core of the formation, let alone hack into it. You will have to find the core on your own.]

ʼNo wonder Herbert said that it was fate that allowed him to find me,ʼ Rean sighed and began to run around while dodging the attacks, which increased in number nonstop. ʼAny other Void Tempering Realm expert would have been killed a long time ago. Well, he was only talking about my formations ability, not my combat prowess.ʼ

*Bang!*

Rean stomped the ground and once again moved to dodge one of the attacks. However, that stomp wasnʼt because he tried to move too fast. Instead, it was a way for him to locate the core of the formation. *Bang, bang, bang...*

*Zin, zin, zin...*

Rean stopped the ground right, left and center. Itʼs just that he didnʼt seem to be able to find the core.

*Brang!*

Finally, he stomped on a certain location in that area, and the sound changed a little bit. ʼAs I thought...ʼ

Bringing his Black Star out, Rean dodged a few more attacks while gathering his power.

ʼDeath Style, Stellar Pierer!ʼ

Aiming directly at the location he stomped before, a ray of Bright Red Light pierced through the ground, striking something a few meters below it. Not long after, the various slashes coming at Rean seemed to lose their power and their aim. Rean leisurely waited in that place, putting his sword back in the Dimensional Realm.

*Crack, crack, crack...*

The spatial space around Rean then began to crack like a shell, falling apart at a fast pace. Rean didnʼt have the time to see it breaking down, though. Before he could try anything, the White Mist appeared again, and Rean was sent away just like it happened before. Yet, not before a message reached Reanʼs mind.

ʼFirst Challenge Complete.ʼ