Rise of The Demon General Chapter 786 786. To Survive the Trial

Amon knitted his brow. Battling a single Lower Primordial Beast was already an immense struggle. The Primeval Scortaur he previously faced was considered one of the weaker variants of such creatures. He had already found it challenging to defeat that beast, and that was with Xou Liang providing support. How could he possibly contend with another beast of comparable strength when he also had to contend with additional spirit beasts? This situation was tantamount to a death sentence.

He contemplated deploying his puppet army to create a diversion and stage an escape. However, he concluded that such a plan would be futile. If he were in an open area or within a structure above ground, that strategy might have held some potential. Yet, he found himself underground, ensconced within the enemy's very stronghold. Every exit from this location was a labyrinthine maze. Furthermore, the Hyanid nest was encircled by Cryanids, who possessed even greater numbers. He harbored grave doubts about his ability to slip past them all undetected.

While Amon was engrossed in devising an escape route, Xlasstazh interjected, "Although I stated you must confront them simultaneously, it does not necessarily mean you must fight them all at the exact same moment."

"Are you implying…"

"The Worthiness Trial is a free-for-all engagement," Xlasstazh elucidated. "Eight individuals will enter the proving ground. Only one will emerge victorious. You and the Hyanid participant will engage in a contest to demonstrate your worthiness. The survivor will be granted their freedom. In your specific instance, it is a test to prove that you merit our cooperation."

'The one who survives…,' Amon mused. Initially, he had assumed the Hyanid entering the match was the one in command of the beasts. Upon learning it was a free-for-all, he realized the Hyanid was in an identical predicament. The Hyanid was likely a condemned individual facing judgment, and this trial served as the council's method of determining that judgment.

Amon directed his gaze toward Xlasstazh. He harbored a suspicion that the inclusion of the Hyanid in the trial was the elder's initiative. He recognized that he might be able to leverage this fact within the trial. Not all hope was extinguished.

Ublaith rose from his seat and declared, "You are prohibited from utilizing your battle puppets during the trial."

As the others turned their attention to him, he offered an explanation. "I have observed his battle puppets. He possesses the ability to store and summon them at will, suggesting he has some grasp of spatial laws."

His statement elicited a wave of murmurs among the assembled individuals.

One of the elders voiced his skepticism, stating, "This must be an error. It is inconceivable for someone of his comparatively low cultivation level to comprehend a cultivation law. Only an individual who has ventured into the Devil Realm would have even a remote possibility of comprehending such a law."

Ublaith responded by producing a series of clicking sounds. The other elders reciprocated with similar sounds, continuing their discussion in their native tongue.

Amon let out an internal sigh. 'What a shame,' he thought. He had previously encountered mentions of cultivation laws, yet neither the texts he perused nor the individuals he consulted offered a concrete understanding of their nature. They, much like himself, had only heard the term without grasping its true meaning. Perhaps he would seek clarification from Xlasstazh once this trial had concluded.

After a brief interval, Xlasstazh announced, "The trial participant is forbidden from receiving aid from battle puppets."

"What about a tamed beast?" Amon inquired.

Xlasstazh consulted Ublaith, who replied, "No. This trial is solely your responsibility. You must fight alone."

Amon sighed. He presented his dagger and asked, "You are not going to declare that I am also forbidden from using weapons, are you?"

Xlasstazh once again turned to Ublaith. This time, Ublaith did not offer an immediate response. He engaged in a discussion with the other elders in their own language.

"Weapons are permitted, but no tools or talismans," Ublaith finally stated.

"Very well. When is this trial scheduled to commence?" Amon inquired.

"Now," Xlasstazh replied. He activated a mechanism, and the imposing wall before Amon slid open, revealing a long corridor.

Xlasstazh descended and gestured for Amon to follow him into the corridor, with the other Hyanids bringing up the rear.

Proceeding through the corridor, they emerged into a vast cavern.

"Welcome to the proving ground," Xlasstazh announced to Amon.

The cavern featured a substantial opening in its ceiling. Amon could discern the mists swirling beyond that opening, indicating a path leading to the exterior.

"Do not entertain the notion of escaping through that aperture," Xlasstazh cautioned. "You will fail to pass through it. Such an attempt would only diminish any residual goodwill your peers hold for you. If you pursue that exit, you can forget about securing our cooperation."

Amon surveyed the area surrounding the opening in the ceiling. He observed intricate runes and a faint luminescence emanating from the aperture, indicating the presence of a protective barrier designed to prevent ingress or egress.

Beyond the ceiling opening, the most striking feature of the cavern was a colossal pit that dominated eighty percent of the space. The pit plunged to significant depths, yet sufficient light permeated the area, allowing clear visibility of its contents. The pit's floor was not level; it was characterized by undulating terrain, interspersed with several rocky outcrops. Numerous fragmented weapons were scattered throughout. Some lay directly on the ground, while others were lodged in the pit's walls and embedded within the rock pillars.

Recalling Un Lao's tales of an ancient battleground, Amon pondered if this proving ground was indeed that legendary place.

However, he also considered the possibility that the scattered, broken weapons were merely remnants left by previous participants who had failed their trials. While these discarded weapons lent an unusual air to the pit, the true spectacle lay at its center. What initially appeared to be a small pond filled with water of a pitch-black hue, upon closer inspection, revealed itself not to be water at all, but a swirling vortex of dark energy.

"What is that?" Amon inquired, gesturing towards the dark expanse.

"...That is a ley node," Xlasstazh responded, his voice steady.

Amon recalled reading about ley nodes in texts from this lower realm. These were locations where ley lines converged. Unlike the ley node that birthed the Spring of Life, these nodes formed from the convergence of ley lines possessing similar elements, solidifying into a concentrated mass of elemental energy. In this instance, it was clearly the dark element.

"All recorded ley nodes have a diameter of less than one meter. This one appears to be over ten meters wide. Isn't that extraordinarily large?" Amon questioned.

"In truth, we cannot be entirely certain it is a ley node. That black pool was present when we first inhabited this area. We genuinely do not know its nature. Just be extremely cautious not to fall into it. It will pull you in, and no one has ever returned," Xlasstazh warned.

'A black hole, perhaps...', Amon mused internally.

"Descend into the pit," Ublaith commanded.

Amon obeyed, leaping into the pit, finding himself floating downwards. As he descended, he observed arcane words glowing along the pit's interior walls. A hidden barrier materialized above the pit, preventing any egress. Simultaneously, another protective barrier enveloped the pit's walls, rendering them impervious to destruction.

While descending, Amon spotted several caves at the bottom of the pit's walls, each covered by a trellis. The moment his feet touched the ground, the trellises on some of the caves began to retract, and sounds of movement emanated from within.

Figures emerged from these opened caverns, all of them grotesque abominations.

Xlasstazh had mentioned his adversaries would be altered beasts, a statement Amon now confirmed as true. None of the creatures entering the arena possessed a natural form.

One creature sported an insectoid head with bulbous eyes, attached to a furry, ape-like torso. Its left limb was a cluster of writhing tentacles, while its right appendage terminated in a savage beast's claw.

Another beast presented a lower body of four formidable, elongated legs, allowing it to balance its primary mass like a spider. These legs, encased in hard, segmented carapaces, ended in sharp points. Its upper torso resembled a peculiar snail's body, shielded by a shell on its sides, and it lacked any arms.

A third monstrosity bore the body of a colossal frog, topped with a flower that served as its head. Within the bloom, a maw filled with razor-sharp teeth was visible. Lacking legs, its frog-like torso propelled itself forward using numerous thick tentacles emerging from beneath its body.

The fourth creature possessed a physique akin to a massive canine, yet its head was devoid of any discernible features – no eyes, nose, or mouth. Sprouting from its back were dozens of snakes, which writhed and hissed as they surveyed their surroundings.

The fifth abomination also had the torso of an ape, but its arms were replaced by enormous scythes. Its lower body was that of a gargantuan serpent, culminating in a wasp's stinger at its tail. Its head was that of a vulture, complete with a cruel, sharp beak.

The sixth entity was a colossal humanoid. Its form was encrusted with rock-like plating. Amon's cultivation sense was hampered, preventing him from gauging the beast's power, but its imposing appearance suggested it was a Lower Primordial beast, seemingly unaltered.

As Amon surveyed the assembled beasts, his primary objective remained locating the Hyanid. Once he spotted his target, he immediately propelled himself towards it.

His path to the Hyanid required him to bypass two altered beasts. As he approached, the frog-like creature with the flower head launched itself at him. Having anticipated the assault, Amon easily evaded the attack. The beast demonstrated surprising agility, its multitude of tentacles enabling swift adjustments to its trajectory. It relentlessly pursued Amon.

With the flower-headed beast in close pursuit, Amon advanced directly towards the other altered creature, the one with the insectoid head. This beast then raised its tentacled left arm, aiming it at the approaching Amon.

Sensing imminent danger, Amon executed an evasive maneuver using the Invisible Sky Steps. A high-pressure stream of liquid erupted from the beast's tentacled arm, narrowly missing Amon and striking the pursuing flower-headed beast behind him. The flower-headed beast let out a roar of agony, momentarily forgetting Amon as it turned its aggression towards the insect-headed beast.Amon offered a wide grin. In a chaotic free-for-all, the wisest tactic was to allow rivals to wear each other down while preserving one's own strength. An alternative method for securing an advantage involved forging a temporary pact with fellow contenders. This was precisely Amon's intention, and he suspected it was the very reason Xlasstazh included a Hyanid in this challenging trial. This strategic approach would be his key to enduring the ordeal.