Chapter 372 Passing the Trial

Shiva, seated high above, did not seem in a hurry to annihilate everyone in the Dark Night all at once. Instead, every few seconds, he would casually flick a few individuals into the mouth of the colossal beast. Screams continued to echo in the ears of the Dark Night members. The short, stout middle-aged man beside Shiva also spoke, urging, "Believe in our Lord, and not only will you immediately advance to the Golden realm, but upon death, you shall enter our Lord's divine kingdom, realizing the wish for eternal life." Everyone, including Mu Ziping, wore expressions of deep conflict. On one side was the threat of death, and on the other, the temptation of immediate advancement to Golden realm. "Why not just believe in Shiva? As long as I successfully advance to the Golden realm, the heavens will be mine to roam. I can stand proudly above all, living a life far superior to others. Why lose my life in vain for this?" "No, I was born a member of the Qin An King's Mansion, and I shall die a ghost of the Qin An King. I will never switch my allegiance!" "Shiva only asks us to believe in him. Perhaps we don't need to oppose the Qin An King. Why not surrender?" "The first ironclad rule of the Dark Night is never to betray. Those who violate it will be pursued to the ends of the earth and never forgiven!" "Shiva is a deity. Even if the Qin An King is powerful, can he compare to a deity? Besides, only by surviving can we talk about the future." "Unwavering loyalty, forever protecting the Qin An King's Mansion is my lifelong creed. I will never betray the belief in my heart!" "My loved ones are still in the City of Hope. I cannot die now." "It is precisely because I want to protect my loved ones that I cannot betray." Within their hearts, the choice between life and death waged a constant battle. The screams of their companions continued to reach their ears. Yet, their resolve never to betray only grew stronger. From beginning to end, save for the very first person who spoke, not a single remaining member of the Dark Night begged for mercy. As the last person, Mu Ziping, was thrown into the mouth of the colossal beast, the surroundings suddenly shifted, returning them to the county town. Mu Ziping and the others, who had appeared to die, now stood alive on the street. "I'm not dead, how did I come back to life?" "Where is Shiva? The colossal beast? And that palace?" "Are we ghosts now?" "Ah, why are you pinching me?" "You can feel pain? It's not a dream." Everyone used various methods to verify if they were dreaming or if they were truly still alive. "Very good, all of you are very good." Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed from behind them. Mu Ziping and the others turned to see their King, who had arrived behind them at some unknown time. Qin Shilei directly dispelled their doubts, "The illusion just now was created by me, an illusion to test you. Congratulations, you have all passed the test." Someone questioned, "Then were the few who died at the beginning also fake?" Qin Shilei smiled, "Fake." Another asked, "And the one who advanced to the Golden realm, was that also fake?" Qin Shilei nodded, "Mm, all illusions." Mu Ziping also asked, "Then were Tyler and that Golden realm archer who appeared at the beginning also fake?" Qin Shilei shook his head, "They were both real. I have already killed that archer." "It felt so real. I clearly felt like I was bitten in half by the colossal beast." "Our King is too amazing, to have put all of us into an illusion." "If our King can put all of us into an illusion, he could probably kill us with a flick of his wrist." The crowd began to whisper amongst themselves. However, in their hearts, they were all grateful that they had not chosen to believe in Shiva, otherwise, they would surely be genuine corpses by now. Qin Shilei scanned everyone and said with a smile, "I am very satisfied with your performance. For this, all of you will receive a reward of Enlightenment Tea." Everyone's faces lit up with ecstatic joy, and they shouted loudly. "Long live our King!" "Thank you, our King, for your generous reward!" "We swear to defend the Qin An King's Mansion to the death. If we violate this, may lightning strike us!" "We live as members of the Qin An King's Mansion, and we die as souls of the Qin An King's Mansion!" Finally, everyone echoed the last declaration of loyalty in unison. Using Enlightenment Tea to help all members of the Dark Night reach the Golden realm was a goal Qin Shilei had set when he first established the Dark Night. Only by advancing to the Golden realm would they be truly useful. The purpose of bringing them on this expedition was not to have them assist significantly, but rather to test their loyalty. Not a single one of these individuals failed the test, which came as a pleasant surprise to Qin Shilei. Yet, it was also within his expectations. Since the establishment of the Dark Night, Qin Shilei had not only invited experts to provide ideological education but also frequently used his Vajra Eyes of Illusory Destruction to implant the belief of loyalty to the Qin An King's Mansion deep within their hearts. It was akin to hypnosis, deeply engraving this belief into the very depths of their souls. "Mu Ziping, report the casualties." Qin Shilei raised his hand to silence everyone's chatter. Mu Ziping had his subordinates conduct a brief count and then reported, "Thirty-seven lightly injured, fifteen seriously injured, and seventeen deceased. The injured have already been administered healing potions and are out of life-threatening danger." These casualties were caused by the Giant Eagle team and that archer. Qin Shilei then inquired about the whereabouts of Shen Feixue and the others. Seeing that the two had not returned for a long time, he personally went to the other side of the mountain to investigate. He found traces of fighting in the small town mentioned by Mu Ziping but did not find any sign of the three. Qin Shilei then used the Nameless Mask to infiltrate Tyler's army to inquire. He learned that Tyler had also not returned. He speculated that Shen Feixue and the other might be pursuing Tyler. He had no choice but to return to Mu Ziping and the others. "All hands, carry the injured and the bodies of your comrades back to Aya City." With a command, everyone mounted their Swift Wind Eagles and flew back towards Aya City. Half an hour later, everyone had returned to Aya City. Qin Shilei produced three hundred and one pieces of Enlightenment Tea and bestowed them upon the three hundred and one Dark Night members, who were already at the peak of the Silver realm. "You will immediately brew and drink this tea, and attempt to break through to the Golden realm. The rest will guard you from the side. Once your cultivation is sufficient, I will bestow Enlightenment Tea upon you." The remaining over a hundred people could only suppress their envy and vigilantly guard the entire City Lord's Mansion, allowing their companions to focus on breaking through to the Golden realm with peace of mind. Watching Mu Ziping and the others enter a state of enlightenment, Qin Shilei's brow furrowed. He murmured in a low voice, "Why haven't Shen Feixue and He Kaige returned yet? Could they really not defeat a mere one-star Golden realm 'A-San'?" Qin Shilei thought for a moment, took out a Thousand-Mile Voice Transmission Talisman, and called out to Shen Feixue. When the talisman connected, a burst of Indian dialect came from the other side. "Haha, is that the Qin An King on the other side?" Qin Shilei's heart sank. He replied calmly, "It is indeed this King. Are you Tyler? Are those two still alive?" Tyler laughed, "They are alive. If you want their lives, you need to bring fifty pieces of Enlightenment Tea to Sura Town. You are to come alone. If you don't arrive within an hour, you can wait to collect their corpses." The other party immediately hung up the talisman after speaking.