Chapter 76
As soon as he pressed the center, the arena was sealed in a fiery barrier except the seating area to prevent any help from outside. Suddenly, a voice sounded from the skies of the arena.
"Welcome challenger to the Phoenix Ground First Trial. You are required to successfully pa.s.sed all the trials to obtain the inheritance of the phoenix. The first trial is for you to defeat the Purgatory Flame Demon to pa.s.sed the first trial. May fortune be with you."
Yun Che kept a relax face and continue to stand on the arena. Without showing any sign of remorse, he thinks "Oh, that's it. This should be easy enough."
All of a sudden, tremor shocks the whole arena where he is standing right now. Slowly, flames started to rise and immediately form a fiery figure in the center of the arena. The fiery figure slowly formed into a shape of a demon from Yun Che's memories. From what he read for the system, the trial uses the challengers' memories as basis to form their opponents in the trial.
As for this one, it slowly forms into demon bigger than himself. The demon has a red large, solid and fiery body. Burn marks covered its body like scales and has a long spiky tail. He didn't forget on the arms and legs which had spikes around them as well. Finally, the head of the demon slowly forms to big horns resembles a bull and three smaller horns on top of its forehead. Similar horn spikes also started to form from the back of its head and its back.
"ROOOARRR" The demon roared at the air provoking anyone who stood on its way.
Kon with a terrified expression, hid behind Jasmine's leg and said "Oi..oi.. Is Yuuki going to be all right?"
Jasmine looked at Yun Che with a serious expression and said "That demon might look intimidating. But its strength doesn't pose enough threat to him. Besides, if he couldn't pa.s.s this one. I'll kill him."
"Man, where did he found this scary nee-chan?" Kon, still afraid of her said in his mind.
"*whistle Oh come on, a big demon from the start? You could pick a lesser demon for this trial." Yun Che sighs as he looked at the demon. The spirit seems to look at a demon template from his memories and materialized it into the real world. The thing is, the spirit picked somewhere from his previous world. Probably from an anime or a game.
[Ding…. Pa.s.s the first phoenix trial. Defeat the Level 50 Purgatory Flame Demon]
[Difficulty: Hard]
Yun Che draw Zangetsu and immediately hack and slash the demon apart. The demon's strength was merely at the peak of Spirit Profound Realm. The demon's speed was lacking and its strength wasn't that much but it has a lot of HP reserves. Since the demon use fire based attacks on him, he didn't feel any damage at all and just dismissed them. He just use his Broken Shadow Flash around the demon and slice its HP bit by bit until…..
He shouted "Getsuga Tenshou!!!" and a blue crescent wave came out from his blade and slashed the demon apart before it could react.
Both halves of the demon fell apart before slowly disappearing into thin air. Since this is a trial, no experience points are gained from the system.
[Ding…. Pa.s.s the first phoenix trial complete.]
He swings Zangetsu behind his head. "Hmph, looks like the test was relatively easy."
With the notification, a phoenix mark suddenly appeared on the center of the stage. Yun Che stored Zangetsu on his back and the voice sounded in the air.
"You have pa.s.sed the first trial. Touch the sacred mark on the center to begin the second test."
However, Yun Che didn't move but stay rooted on the spot looking at the floating phoenix crest on the center.
Jasmine felt odd and shouted at him. "What are waiting for?"
With serious expression, he said "This isn't right. The test was too easy."
"What do you mean?"
He took a deep breath and said "From the system a.n.a.lysis, the trial allows the challenger to pa.s.s as long as they were able to complete the test. However, most challengers are given basic rewards like bloodline and cultivation arts if they pa.s.sed."
"So what are you trying to say?"
"I am saying that, the trial was looking for a true successor of the phoenix's inheritance. Anyone can pa.s.s but not anyone can obtain the complete inheritance." Yun Che replied Jasmine's questions. The trial is like a game back on his original world. Anyone can pa.s.s the mission the game requires but it took a while for them to notice if there's any hidden objectives. So, he's trying to locate the hidden objectives the trial wants him to pa.s.s if he aims to be the true successor.
Yun Che sat down on the floor without doing anything. Usually challengers just went and touch the mark without thinking. He just waited. After waiting for fifteen minutes, a notification suddenly pops in front of him.
{Ding… Hidden Objective triggered: Stay on the first trial without triggering the phoenix mark.]
He slowly stood up and said "I knew it. Every trial was a set up." Before he could think more, the spirit of the phoenix spoke in air once more.
"Oh, it seems you are worthy to inherit the phoenix's inheritance. You are the first challenger ever to set foot in this place after a thousand years. Even if I forbid those who had the bloodline to challenge this trial but I didn't know someone was willing to challenge this for them."
He shouted in the air. "Hold on, I have some questions before we get started."
"I have some too." Jasmine shouted at the seating area as well.
"I have no need to answer your questions. However, if you managed to obtain all three crystal fragment from the trials. I will answer any questions you have at the end." With the declaration, the voice slowly fades and the arena was back to the way it was.
With that, the phoenix mark on the center crumbled to dust. Yun Che was about to ask and the system popped another notification.
[Ding….. Defeat the Level 60 Purgatory Flame Demons.]
"Wait…. Demons?" In a blink of an eye, flames started swirling all over the arena and the same demon was slowly waking up and faced Yun Che once more. But this time, there were clones of it. Not one but ten demons at the peak of Earth Profound Realm stood by looking at him at the arena.
Jasmine and Kon's eyes were widen when they saw ten house sized demons standing in front of Yun Che.
He slowly relax himself and said "System, what is the difficulty of this mode?"
[Ding… Difficulty: Suicidal]
"Wait… What is this? Dark Souls?" Yun Che withdraw Zangetsu once more and faced these demons. These demons have the same strength as the current him but he still several leagues above them. However, he still need to be wary of their HP since these things a lot of HP even though they were weak.
With hopeful eyes, he asked the system."System, anymore hidden objectives?"
[Ding… Survive]
"Oh that's useful." Yun Che swings Zangetsu behind his head and face all ten demons at the same time. He wants
Jasmine recognized that pointing pose and asked him "Are you going to use it?"
"Yeah, like the system said. There's no requirement to not use a weapon. Let me have fun for a while." He immediately charged his spirit force to his sword and his eyes started to glow.
Kon look at Yun Che's behavior before asking Jasmine "What is he going to use?"
"You'll see."
Yun Che points Zangetsu to the demons and shouted the ultimate phrase once more.
"BANKAI!!!!" Bright lights covering his body completely and s.h.i.+nes all over the arena. Since he was already used to the transformation. It only took a matter of seconds before he fully emerges from the bathing light.
His black outfit waved itself in the air as he holds the small black blade in his hand. "Tensa Zangetsu"
Jasmine forms a smile on her face and said "No matter how many times I've looked at it. I am still impressed."
Kon widen his eyes and looked at him. "So cool."
With overflowing power, he stood by the ten demons without any sense of fear. He admits this test is a hard for someone normal. Even the real him have lots of trouble in the trial. In the end, he can easily ace this trial even without Bankai.
"You know, ever since I unlocked it. I never actually had the chance to use it." With that, he put his right hand on his face. All of a sudden, black flames started forming in the air and manifest itself on his face.
When the flames fully manifest on his face, the flames slowly formed into a white mask covering his whole face. Yun Che's hollow mask has the appearance of what could best be described as a white menacing skull. Originally it had only three red stripes on the left side which have since increased in number after his mastery over his eye covered and half covered mode. The stripes change in thickness after he mastered the full covered mode and eventually covers almost the entirety of the mask's left half. His eyes changes from black to yellow with black pupils just like his previous modes. In this mode, Yun Che can't use his sharingan as the two powers would collide with one another.
As he changes into his hollow form, his voice will alter into Hoyuu's voice without the actual Hoyuu controlling him. "Now this is more like it."
"So this is the full form of the mask?"
"Yeah, I had to beat Hoyuu fifty times before I mastered this mask. While Retsu only took a battle. Lucky girl." In an instant, he flashed step to the surrounding demons and started to hack and slash them. Since his strength increased to the sixth level of the third stage of the Emperor Profound Realm. Those demons had no chance of beating him. It's a little overkill to use the mask in the trial but no rules say he can't use them.
He flash step around them and hacked the demons until each of them had ten percent left in the HP bar. He stood on the side charging his sword once more.
"It's been a while I used that move. Why don't you take this on for size?" He slowly charges his sword and….
"GETSUGA" He swings his sword upwards and formed an arc of giant black with red lining energy slowly formed.
"TENSHOU!!!!" He swings his sword horizontally and another arc was formed and clashed with his earlier arc. The two arc merged into an 'X' shaped arc before slowly decimating all the ten demons he just chipped and create a large explosion. If it weren't for the barrier, half of the arena would be gone.
He looked at the damage it caused and sighs to himself. "d.a.m.n, this move is too powerful. At this rate, I can't use them in tournaments in the future unless I can minimized its damage."
With the ten demons gone. Yun Che undo his mask and breathe a breath of relief as a notification pops in front of him.
[Ding…. Congratulation host for surviving the horde of Purgatory Flame Demons.]
"You don't say."
[Ding…. Host has gained 'Fragment of the Phoenix Soul Crystal.] With the notification, a dark red crystal fragment slowly floats in front of him.
He slowly tapped the crystal and a notification pops in front of him.
[Ding…
Name: Fragment of the Phoenix Soul Crystal.
Description: Given to the most outstanding challenger of the trial. The crystal must be completed to ensure the challengers path to becoming a successor is paved.]
The crystal looked like chipped crystal from a complete version of it. This means that he must collect all three fragments of the crystal to complete the fragment.
With the crystal given to him, the first trial's barrier slowly undo itself and another voice sounded in the air.
"Congratulation challenger for completing the first trial. The crystal fragment given to you just now are the fragment required to complete the full Phoenix Soul Crystal. The second challenge will begin as soon as you tapped the center of the arena."
Yun Che immediately sat down and Jasmine appeared next to him with Kon.
Kon stood by him with his usual smug pose. "Wow, you defeated all those ten demons. Kon-sama is impressed."
Yun Che rolled his eyes and said "Yeah, Kon-sama my a.s.s. Try getting pa.s.sed this test with an ordinary mortal's strength. You'll be vaporized in an instant."
"Still, If you were a Narcent Profound Realm cultivator, there's no way for you to pa.s.s this hidden trial." Jasmine said while looking at the damage he caused.
Scratching his cheek and looking sideways, he said "Yeah, sort of." He remembered the original series where the real Yun Che challenged the trial. To him, that version of Yun Che faced even easier challenge compare to him. Even if it was overkill but it's still hard for ordinary cultivators to pa.s.sed.
After resting for a while, he restores his strength back to full power using the mana potion in the blue vial. Since pills are useless to him, he just created those things for Cang Yue and Little Fairy as well as those spirit girls of him.
Yun Che decided to keep his bankai form intact to face the second challenge. If the second challenge require speed, then it'll be perfect. He tapped the center to begin the second challenge.
"The second challenge will test the challengers speed and reflexes. It did not require any defeating but the challenger must endure the 'Arrow of the Phoenix'."
All of a sudden, tremor covers the arena and the area except the center started to crumble beneath the floor. Jasmine and Kon jumped towards the seating area once more before the barrier started to cover the whole arena. He can see the floor slowly fell into the sea of fire below him. Some of the floor still floats in the air as if they looked like jumping platforms from the center.
He looked at the trial zone and started to think." d.a.m.n, the previous Yun Che didn't faced this before."
[Ding…. The second trial has begun. Avoid all arrows came from the floating fire spirits.]
Once again, he asked the system. "System, any hidden objectives?"
[Ding… Survive.]
Yun Che sighs again. "Really?"
[Ding… Without getting hit.]
He smacked his hand on his forehead. "Yeah, really helpful."
Fire started to shoot from the sea of fire below and slowly forms into a bird shaped from fire. It didn't form only one but a lot of fiery birds in the air. Yun Che slowly combine the word 'speed, reflex and arrow' and his danger senses is tingling. "This isn't good." The birds flew around the arena as fast as the eye can see. Then….
Shooo
He s.h.i.+fts his head to the side avoiding the light pa.s.sed by him. Turns out, those birds shot fiery arrows at him.
"Dang it, this is way worse." More and more arrows were released and all of them aimed at him. With his speed, he flashed step into the jumping pads near the center preventing him from becoming a sitting duck. The challenge requires him to endure, it means he must not do anything to defend himself. All he can do now is jump and avoid.
Kon shouted nearby. "Can't you go any faster?"
"I am trying. The challenge said I need to endure. Wait, this is what the trial wants. It wanted me to endure." All of a sudden, his eyes widen at the revelation he just thought.
Jasmine sighs and said "You just said that."
"No, the game master always set a game where we need to follow its direction. Expect us to follow the rules. Basically, I follow what the trial wants. But, the only way to beat the trial is to think outside the box."
Jasmine seems to understood his attention. "So, you're saying…."
"It says that I have to endure but it doesn't say I can't shoot those things back." With a confident grin, He threw Tensa Zangetsu at the center platform and he manifests something familiar in his hand. He shaped his Spirit Force into a bow.
He finally condensed his Quincy bow after so long. "Man, it's been a while."
Kon looked at glowing bow curiously and said "What is that thing?"
"It's his Quincy bow." She said while smiling. She knew about the bow but Yun Che never told her about Quincies. She'll be sure to ask more about them.
"These things have been shooting at me for some time now. Its time I fight back." Pulling his bow, he manifests a powerful arrow compared to his usual arrows. If these things started to annoy him, it's not wrong to shoot it back. Charging his arrow while jumping avoiding the incoming fiery arrow was tough, especially with the conditions in hand. The arrow in his hand glowing and pulsing with the Evil G.o.d's power in it.
He aimed carefully at one of the flying birds and shout "Now, Lock On!! Moon Star Destruction Arrow!!!!" He released the charged arrow at one of the birds and…
BOOOM!!!!
The explosion was big enough to cause all the remaining fiery birds flew in disarray. When they are at it, he shot another arrow towards a different bird. In his Bankai form, his energy consumption in using his skills were halved. This way he could use his arrows countless of times without tiring him.
As he shot his arrows at them, he noticed the speed of the birds are getting slower each time he shot them down. He was right, those birds depend on each other to shoot at him. With the explosion he caused, all them were in disarray and buy him some time to charge another one.
One by one, the birds were shot down by the Moon Star Destruction Arrows. The last one flew with speed and shot him with an arrow.
Shoo
Clink!! The arrow it shot was intercepted by his own. He didn't waste much time and released the last charged arrow at it.
BOOM!!!!
"Man, That was awesome." Yun Che flashed step back to the middle and pulled Tensa Zangetsu back. He had to threw it to the middle to ensure he had complete control of his Quincy bow. The thing is Zanpakuto can't be placed in the inventory so he had to improvised. He stood in the middle with Tensa Zangetsu in his right hand and his bow in the other, making him look like a true warG.o.d.
[Ding… Congratulation in triggering the Hidden Objective: Shot down all ten fiery birds.]
"Haha, looks like scoring that accuracy score in those games really paid of huh?" He really used his past travels between worlds as training for this one. Shooting and intercepting arrows in mid-air was cake job.
[Ding…. Host has gained 'Fragment of the Phoenix Soul Crystal.]
"Two down, one to go." He grabbed the floating crystal fragment and stored it in his inventory.
The spirit's voice suddenly sounded in the air. "Very impressive. You completed the two trials with flying colors. To think that, you actually thinking outside the box. Let's see how you fare in the third and final trial. The downfall of all challengers in the past thousands of years. The trial will begin right now."
With the spirit's voice gone, the arena was restored in a blink of an eye.
" Wait, cut me some….." He didn't even finish his words before flames started manifest itself at the far edge of the arena. The flames was intense but slowly formed into a shape of a humanoid figure.
The figure of someone he knew.
Jasmine and Kon were curious at the figure but as for Yun Che....
With widen eyes, he said "This is....."