Chapter 821 – Crucible’s Central Area

“Black Flame still lost.”

“Sure enough, the gap in combat standards is too significant to bridge.”

“Even so, Black Flame is incredibly strong. Had he participated in any of the past championships, he would have definitely been number one.”

Many spectators were in awe of Ink Crystal’s power when they saw the match’s conclusion. At the same time, they couldn’t help but sympathize with Shi Feng. After all, with the strength Shi Feng possessed, he shouldn’t have any trouble winning the Continental Championship under normal circumstances.

In fact, besides the Verdant Rainbow Party that Shi Feng led, the Divine Fist Party and the Star Maiden Party could have similarly become the champions in any of the Continental Championship’s past seasons. Unfortunately, an unreasonably strong monster named Ink Crystal appeared this season.

…

“Dammit! We were so close to winning the championship!” Death Wind felt unresigned as he watched Ink Crystal walk out of the ring.

“Second place isn’t a bad result,” Verdant Rainbow said. Unlike Death Wind, she felt happy and content with their final placement. “We have already exceeded our original goal of entering the top four to enter the Crucible’s central area.”

Hearing this, Death Wind no longer dared to speak any further. If not for his wager with Shi Feng, he would have left the Continental Championship with a huge win. However, after losing a Divine Artifact, he wasn’t sure if he could leave with a net positive.

Amidst the two’s conversation, Gentle Snow, Fervent Samsara, and Heavy Abyss remained silent. Apart from feeling joyful at winning second place in the Continental Championship, they also felt they had broadened their horizons.

…

A Mortal God! That will be my goal from now on! Extreme Feather decided, her eyes brimming with fighting spirit as she watched Ink Crystal step out of the ring.

Besides Extreme Feather, many other players began to regard Ink Crystal as their strongest opponent. This included even those who failed to make it into the main event.

“The sixth-floor standard! I will eventually reach it! Then, I’ll lead the Order of Twelve’s Party to become number one!” Frost Raven said as she focused on Ink Crystal.

“Your chance will come,” Azure Dragon said in encouragement. “By the time we return and complete the Seven Luminaries Alliance’s commission to garrison Shadowring Town, the Great Commander should be done with matters on his side. When the next Continental Championship comes around, you could be a match for Ink Crystal already.”

Azure Dragon’s words immediately earned him the ridicule and disdain of many players around him. However, Azure Dragon paid them no heed.

Although Frost Raven was much older than Ink Crystal, she carried the hopes of the Order of Twelve’s many commanders and Great Commander. This was because Frost Raven had only been in contact with God’s Domain for an incredibly short time. More specifically, she had started her journey in God’s Domain less than a year ago.

Yet, in less than a year, Frost Raven ascended to the fifth-floor standard. Her talent for combat was unprecedented, and it definitely wasn’t beneath Ink Crystal’s. All she lacked were time and opportunities.

…

Amidst the spectators’ discussions, the mighty being hovering above the ring spoke.

“The Continental Championship is officially over. All parties who failed to pass the preliminaries will be teleported back to where they came from, while parties that made it into the main event will remain to receive their rewards. The top four parties will also be qualified to enter the Crucible’s central area. I wish you all a good harvest.”

As soon as the mighty being finished speaking, the parties that failed to make it into the top 32 were teleported out of the Crucible of the Ancients, while the top 32 parties were teleported to the starting plaza.

…

Crucible of the Ancients:

“This place again?” When Gentle Snow saw her surroundings, she realized they had been teleported back to the starting plaza.

“Mhm. Whenever the championship ends, parties that made it past the preliminaries will be teleported back here,” Verdant Rainbow explained. “Then, members of these parties can freely choose a stele or statue to challenge.”

While Verdant Rainbow spoke, veteran participants of the Continental Championship had already scattered like startled birds and frenziedly charged at the 10,000-meter-tall steles and statues. Only first-time participants and members of the top four parties stood in place.

“What are these people doing?” Extreme Feather wondered as she watched the strange situation unfold around her.

Knowing this was Extreme Feather’s first time participating in the Continental Championship, Garuda patiently explained, “There might be plenty of steles and statues here, but each can only give out their Legacies once. So long as a stele or statue becomes occupied, nobody else can inherit its Legacy.”

At Garuda’s explanation, realization immediately dawned on Gentle Snow and the other first-time participants.

There were indeed many steles and statues in the plaza. However, only 99 housed Legacies left behind by Primordial God-ranked existences, which meant that not everyone could get the chance to inherit a Primordial God-ranked Legacy. After all, 32 parties had participated in the main event. Even if the top four parties were excluded, there were still 168 players who needed to choose their reward from this plaza.

“Our time is limited. Let’s head for the central area quickly.” After glancing at Chalk Splendor and the other players competing for the Primordial God-ranked Legacies, Shi Feng quickly led his party to the Crucible’s central area.

Shi Feng had learned about some of the Crucible’s rules in his previous life. Although he didn’t know what exactly was awaiting them in the central area, he knew that players could only spend a limited amount of time there. Once they exceeded their time limit, they would be forcibly teleported away.

In exchange for this time limit, though, the central area’s steles and statues did not limit the number of players who could learn from them. Players who entered the central area could also repeatedly challenge their chosen Legacy until they successfully learned it or ran out of time. They couldn’t make any changes once they made their choice.

Two hours later, Shi Feng and the others arrived at the Crucible of the Ancients’ central area. The steles and statues in the central area were starkly different from those in the starting plaza. Even the shortest ones here reached 20,000 meters in height. Steles and statues measuring up to 60,000 meters could also be seen sporadically, each radiating a Divine Might stronger than that of Ancient Gods. The average Tier 6 player would find themselves petrified in the presence of such Divine Might.

When Shi Feng and the others entered the central area, the voice of another mighty being entered their ears. However, unlike the mighty being who presided over the championship, the current one did not sound like an old man. Instead, the current mighty being sounded like a young and friendly girl.

“Congratulations on making it to the central area, little ones! You still have two days and six hours remaining. You may use this time to challenge any one Legacy here once. If you fail, you will be teleported away from the Crucible. Additionally, as you all have entered the top four this time, every person will receive an admission ticket for the next season.”

The mighty being’s words immediately astounded Garuda and those who had entered the central area in the past.

“Challenge any one Legacy once?”

Shi Feng and Verdant Rainbow, who had received prior information on the central area, were similarly stunned. Shi Feng, in particular, couldn’t help but doubt his hearing. After all, this situation completely differed from what he had learned in his previous life.

…