Chapter 189: Completion... Fight! Scheming!
"Be prepared. I think something is about to happen."
After Kranos and Aurora arrived, Kathryn informed everyone.
Kranos wasn't too surprised. He had already experienced this in his previous life, so he could tell exactly what was about to happen.
Truly, there was a need to be cautious.
However, since he had been able to handle it back then, it wouldn't be a problem in this life.
Just as the surroundings became slightly tense due to Kathryn's words, the mysterious will of the trial spoke up, drawing the attention of everyone to no particular direction.
"The obtainment of the relic is completed. Congratulations on obtaining all nine relics."
Upon hearing the words of the mysterious will of the trial, everyone was shocked. After all, if they counted clearly, only eight relics had been revealed so far.
"Isn't it supposed to be eight?" one of the cultivators in the crowd questioned coldly.
Feeling that some kind of trickery was going on, he couldn't take it lying down.
The mysterious voice didn't respond to him. Instead, it directed its next words to those who had obtained the relics.
"Those holding the relics should step forward. If you don't, there will be no chance to move to the true inheritance ground."
At these words, everywhere fell silent. The crowd of onlookers stared at their surroundings, waiting to see who the ones with all nine relics were.
At that moment, inside the mysterious space, Luka turned to look at Kathryn with a raised brow.
"Isn't it time we head out yet?" he asked curiously, staring at the mysterious woman.
Kathryn simply shook her head, then thought for a moment before speaking lightly.
"Let's wait a bit before leaving for the outside world. When it's time, I'll tell you."
At the same time, her eyes flashed with deep thought. "I wonder who the ones who got the relics are."
Apart from being cautious of the cultivators outside, another reason she decided to wait until the others revealed themselves was to see who had obtained the relics this time around.
Without hiding it, from within the crowd, a God Realm cultivator calmly walked out. As one of the strongest present, he didn't have to fear anything.
Meanwhile, from within the shadows, a figure rapidly moved, lunging from one shadow to another.
Using his movement technique, Desmond quickly reached the location of the crowd.
Behind him, ten God Realm cultivators from the Scarlet Moon Organization followed silently, causing a wave of panic and fear to spread through the surroundings.
Seeing the monstrous shadow, many cultivators subconsciously took a step back.
"What kind of creature is that? How could it have obtained a relic?" all the cultivators were puzzled. Previously, during the trial, they hadn't noticed any shadow monster at all.
"You don't understand. Those ten cultivators behind him possess the darkness element. It was pretty easy for him to obtain the relic," someone explained.
Those who had been present when Desmond took the relic quickly explained to those asking.
Desmond didn't spare them a glance, only walking toward the group of God Realm cultivators.
Just then, from within the crowd, an unremarkable young man stepped forward.
This young man was just at the God Incarnate Realm, and his aura felt slightly weak.
Seeing him, many widened their eyes slightly. There was no one like him among those who had obtained the relics earlier.
They stared in surprise as the unremarkable young man slowly walked toward the group of cultivators gathered ahead.
Meanwhile, the God Realm cultivator who had obtained the fifth relic also walked out from the crowd. However, everyone's attention was already focused on the previous cultivator.
"Is he the one?" many of them wondered. After all, it was clear that this young man hadn't been among those who had obtained relics earlier. Because of this, many felt a subtle shift in their emotions.
Staring at the young man, most of them were shocked.
"When did he obtain the relic? I thought every relic radiated a unique aura. How was he able to mask it?" This question troubled many of the cultivators present.
They could hardly accept the fact that someone in the God Incarnate Realm—just like them—had obtained a relic while they hadn't.
Seeing that the crowd of people had already gathered, Kathryn turned to Kranos and the others, then spoke lightly.
"It's time. Let's move out." She knew that any further delay would risk being considered forfeiters. She needed the artifacts within the inheritance ground to repair the starship, after all. And besides, there were other important relics hidden within.
Kranos nodded at her, and with that, they both stood up and walked out of the mysterious space.
The moment they appeared, everyone's gaze snapped toward them.
Staring at the group that had single-handedly stolen four relics, many cultivators felt their lips twitch—especially when their eyes landed on Luka, who was grinning shamelessly.
Kathryn didn't look at the crowd. Instead, she was focused on the four who stood ahead of them.
They still didn't know that Kranos had taken one of the relics, hence the confusion.
Staring at the monstrous shadow, she was slightly startled.
"Where did that shadow come from?" she murmured. She didn't recall encountering any creature like that.
In this life too, Kathryn hadn't realized that Desmond was the shadow monster.
However, after connecting some dots, she quickly deduced the identity of the shadow. But upon reaching that conclusion, she was stunned.
"How is that possible? How did he become such a creature? And didn't I kill him back then?" A deep frown surfaced on her face as she stared at the monstrous form.
Desmond's transformation into a monstrous shadow hadn't been accounted for. She hadn't planned for this. It came as a complete shock to see him still present.
"In that case, nothing has changed." This thought alone made Kathryn glance at Desmond, now in the form of the shadow, with cold killing intent.
Turning her gaze away, she looked at the others gathered around her. She recognized only one of them, and this made her frown.
"How unremarkable..." she muttered. Glancing at the seemingly average young man, Kathryn was slightly startled. He looked exactly as she remembered, but something about him made her instincts scream. Her guard rose sharply.
Kranos also noticed the young man.
He had to admit, the young man was truly unremarkable.
He sighed, then immediately raised his guard.
To think this young man was actually a cultivator at the divine level.
Plotting to kill all the geniuses here and absorb their talents so he could transcend the divine world and step into that unfathomable realm.
Kranos was curious.
What lay beyond the divine world?
He hadn't even entered the divine world himself. He was still far from reaching that step, and yet here was someone at that very level, striving to go beyond it.
He had only explored the lower world and the immortal world so far.
The divine world was something else entirely.
So, what could possibly lie beyond it that even a divine-level cultivator so desperately sought?
Were cultivators forbidden from treading that path?
Kranos felt certain that there were ancient secrets involved.
He wanted to rush up to the man and ask—but he held back his impulsiveness.
Slowly, he would uncover the truth himself.
He took in his surroundings, and as he turned his gaze away from the unremarkable young man, it briefly landed on the Scarlet Moon Organization.
Meanwhile, the moment Kranos turned away, the unremarkable young man turned to glance at him—and frowned slightly.
He felt a chill run down his spine under the scrutiny of Kranos's gaze.
As though… something was about to happen.
'Did I not prepare enough?' he wondered, puzzled.
This was an instinct he had honed through countless battles and years of cultivation—it couldn't be wrong.
And so, he immediately went on full guard.
Aurora also glanced around, noticing that most people here were nearly identical to those from the previous timeline.
As though the mysterious voice had sensed that everyone holding relics had gathered, it resounded across the platform once more.
"For fairness, two chances will be given to everyone. With one of your chances, you have the next five minutes to take the relics from these nine. The other chance you have is to engage in a life-and-death battle with each other. The five remaining will be able to advance to the inheritance ground as well."
Hearing this declaration, everyone's expressions changed drastically. They stared at each other as though they could hardly believe what they'd heard.
"Is that true? Do we really have a second chance?" The cultivators present were filled with excitement, unable to suppress it.
Staring at Kranos and the other four including Aurora, who had taken five relics all for themselves, they could hardly control themselves.
Meanwhile, Luka and Kevin appeared surprised. Kranos feigned surprise too, and so did Aurora. However, if one looked closely at her, it was obvious that she was faking it.
Fortunately, no one was paying close attention.
"Damn, isn't this unfair? We obtained all those relics with our blood and sweat!" Luka cursed under his breath, causing Kranos's lips to twitch.
Luka was truly shameless.
He couldn't deny that fact.
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