Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Echo Plane.
Su Cheng: "Do I make you feel at ease?"
She had heard sweet confessions before, but for some reason, this sentence, which seemed to be interpreted in many ways, was more touching.
Kai nodded slowly, "Yes."
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly turned his head to look.
Su Cheng was still waiting for the next words with great anticipation, but upon seeing this, she couldn't help but curl her lips and looked to the side following his gaze.
She didn't know what was happening. She stared blankly for five or six seconds before she noticed a group of people approaching from afar.
They flew swiftly across the dark sky, then paused in mid-air, seemingly surveying the canyon littered with wreckage and ruins.
A moment later, those people saw the two people on the ground.
Su Cheng also saw the face of one of them clearly.
Su Cheng: “?”
The silver-haired boy looked at her in shock, "Su Cheng?!"
Su Cheng never expected to see Xiao Lan here.
The others looked surprised as well.
They were obviously all members of Silver Wing, and each one was a rare master, brimming with fighting spirit or overflowing with magic power, looking very imposing from afar.
Someone recognized her, and his expression suddenly became complicated, with fear appearing in his eyes.
Some people didn't know who she was and showed a bit of hostility on their faces. When they wanted to speak, they were stopped by their companions.
Xiao Lan jumped from the air without hesitation and stopped just before landing, maintaining a distance of half a meter from the ground, without touching the rocks covered with black moss.
Su Cheng immediately realized that this thing was very poisonous.
Xiao Lan greeted her and then looked at Kai, "...We meet again."
Kai obviously had no interest in him and just nodded politely.
Xiao Lan didn't question why they were still hugging each other - it was not easy to cast magic in this place, and Su Cheng's fighting spirit was obviously not strong enough to keep him floating in the air for a long time.
Xiao Lan: "Where are you going next? Do you want to come with us?"
The Silver Wing mercenaries all had subtle expressions, as if they wanted to refute him, but in the end no one spoke, just feeling a little helpless.
Su Cheng observed this scene and asked, "What is your plan?"
"I'm here to find something," Xiao Lan answered without hesitation, "some bones. They're very special. I can tell them apart when I sense them."
Su Cheng raised his head, "...Captain, what are we here for?"
Kai lifted her up, changing her position from lying to sitting on his arms, so that she could at least face Xiao Lan.
Su Cheng sat on the strong and muscular forearm, feeling the hardness of the leather protective gear and the sharp edges of the stitches pressing against the tailbone.
The piece of leather had been heated by his body temperature.
Kai: "We are just here to see the scenery. If you want to go with Mr. Xiao Lan, I don't mind-"
The mercenaries in the air were whispering to each other, apparently trying to guess the situation and relationships below.
Su Cheng shook his head, "I don't want to."
Xiao Lan was stunned for a moment, and a hint of disappointment appeared in his beautiful and cold blue eyes.
He did not hide his emotions, and those emotions were vivid and pure, without accusations or complaints, just simple sadness and loss.
Su Cheng coughed lightly, "It's not that I don't want to go with you, I just don't like traveling with a bunch of strangers. After all, I'm a person who speaks harshly, has a bad personality, is narrow-minded, and kills people at the slightest provocation—"
Almost all the mercenaries in the distance heard it.
To them, this is a naked threat.
Anyone who makes her unhappy will definitely not end up well.
Those who didn't know her identity before briefly thought about killing her to prevent the secret from being leaked.
At this time, everyone's face turned pale.
Their companions all told them the identity of this God-favored One.
——Even though her own strength may not be as good as theirs, just because she is the one favored by the God of Law, if they want to kill someone, she can beat them into a pulp.
"No!" Xiao Lan said immediately, "You're not like that! If someone thinks that way, that's their problem. Besides, I can make them all go back!"
He turned around and raised his voice, "You all go, just leave the way you came, the exit should still be there!"
Silver Wing’s people: “…………”
"Sir," one of them said, "this is the order of the commander. We cannot disobey."
Xiao Lan puffed up his face slightly, revealing a hint of annoyance.
"Don't be embarrassed," Su Cheng said hurriedly, "Since you are a member of Silver Wing, you should obey the orders of the leader. We are mercenaries-"
She heard a muffled laugh in her ear.
Su Cheng turned his head.
The black-haired man couldn't help laughing and gave her a teasing look. His two sharp vertical pupils also slightly expanded into arcs, and he looked in a good mood.
Su Cheng: “…”
She suddenly remembered that their relationship was that of a group leader and a member.
Su Cheng frowned, "Is it funny? Don't I always listen to you? When have I ever refused to do something when you asked me to do it?"
Kai nodded immediately, "Yeah, yeah, that's right, you always listen to me."
Su Cheng: “…………”
His response was straightforward and clever, which made it even more bizarre when combined with what he said.
Xiao Lan's eyes moved between the two of them, looking a little curious and a little confused.
The silver-haired boy seemed to want to say something, but in the end he just pursed his lips and said, "Captain, well, he's my father, so it should be a little different."
Su Cheng: “???” She had heard of the leader of the Silver Wing Mercenary Group a long time ago. It was said that this person was also a tenth-level warrior, and his whereabouts were secretive and he rarely appeared in public.
It is said that he had a good relationship with the imperial family, or rather, a very close relationship with the emperor himself.
Therefore, we can also receive many private commissions.
Because of Leo III's trust, the Silver Wing Mercenary Group has a high status in the empire. Not only does the Mercenary Guild give them face, but they can also make a living in any way.
There wasn't much description of Xiao Lan in the original novel—at least she hadn't seen much of it, so she didn't remember any mention of his parents.
Maybe it was written in the skipped chapter?
Su Cheng: "...That's indeed different, but if you are on a mission, you should still treat him as the leader rather than your father, right?"
Xiao Lan sighed helplessly, as if he didn't know how to explain, "I understand what you mean, you are right, but things are not entirely like this -"
The boy looked a little annoyed and a little embarrassed.
He seemed embarrassed to mention his father in front of his sweetheart, as if he was still a child who had not grown up.
Su Cheng didn't know whether to understand it this way, "It's okay, aren't we still in the same school? Although I haven't seen you much before..."
She paused, "Let's talk about this when we get back? Maybe we can spar together?"
"I didn't go to class much," Xiao Lan nodded, with a hint of reluctance in his eyes, "Okay, then we'll go first."
The members of Silver Wing breathed a sigh of relief.
They were obviously afraid that Xiao Lan would not cooperate, and they were also afraid of being held accountable by the team leader.
Su Cheng watched as the visible tension and fear on their faces quickly faded away.
The group quickly went away.
Su Cheng: "Well, they came from a different direction than us, so they shouldn't have come from the same rift?"
"Um."
"So where are we going next?" Su Cheng leaned over slightly and reached out to press the man's shoulder armor. "You're definitely not bringing me here to see the scenery."
Kai smiled. "You didn't reject him because you were against getting along with strangers."
"Well," Su Cheng tilted his head, "I think you still have something to do, so let's just go it over with just the two of us."
Kai turned his head to look at her, "...Indeed, I want to take you to a place."
Before he finished speaking, he heard the sound of wind.
In a flash, they passed through the wreckage of the palace and quickly entered the depths of the ruins. The surroundings became increasingly darker, and thick black and gray fog filled the air.
"Do you feel anything unusual?"
"No." Su Cheng immediately shook his head, "And..."
She even felt a little comfortable, or rather, the fighting spirit in her body was flowing more smoothly.
As they continued to go deeper, thick dark fog surged like waves, covering the vast ruins layer by layer.
Not to mention the sky, even things three meters away are almost invisible.
The air around also became heavy, and a kind of burning smell spread in the fog, pressing heavily on people's chests and burning in their nostrils and lungs.
——This feeling should have been very uncomfortable, but the fighting spirit in her body surged and flowed smoothly through her meridians.
Not only did she not have difficulty breathing, but she felt her body was light and full of strength, as if she could punch through the world.
"...What is this place?"
"This is the Lightless Ruins."
"ah?"
Is this too literally dull?
Su Cheng thought with a frown on his face, "So are we still here to look for dragon bones?"
"No."
They walked forward for a while, and the fog around them gradually dissipated, allowing her to see the surrounding environment clearly.
The two were walking on a downward spiral staircase paved with black jade. As they got lower, the air around them became increasingly icy and biting.
But the burning smell still lingered, mixed with the smell of ore and corruption.
This underground passage is quite wide, and can accommodate more than ten people walking side by side. The dome is as high as four or five stories.
Su Cheng looked up for a moment, then looked down again. The bricks and stones were still covered with black moss, and mucus was overflowing from the cracks.
They continued to descend and soon walked into the dark fog again. The thick fog surged heavily and swallowed up all the light.
Su Cheng: "Can you use a flame technique?"
Kai: "Can you sense the element of fire?"
Su Cheng: "...No. That's why I'm asking you."
He sighed, "You can't sense it because you don't have it. If you extract the fire elemental spirit from your body, it will soon be torn apart by the power here, so try another method."
The mist was cold and sticky, with a grainy, ash-like texture that clung to skin and clothes.
The same feeling came again.
Su Cheng felt a sense of excitement as his fighting spirit was strengthened, and a voice seemed to ring out from the bottom of his heart -
There were roars of the dying, devout prayers, screams of fear, and some vague whispers and laughter that were full of malice and temptation.
These fragments of sound echoed and intertwined, turning into the remnants of countless thoughts and pouring into the mind.
She controlled the surging fighting spirit in her body, tried to strengthen her vision, and then slowly saw a blurry outline.
At the end of the road stands a huge arch-shaped building.
It is about forty to fifty meters high and is carved from a single piece of obsidian, with no seams to be found.
The base is a circular platform with a diameter of 100 meters, as smooth as a mirror, and engraved with dense runes. Those runes are interconnected and radiate outward from the center.
And in the arch above, there was a surging gray-black mist.
The thick fog contracted and expanded like a living thing breathing, as if pulled by an invisible force.
There are also several runes carved into the arch, but they are independent of each other and are all some distance apart.
"This is the gate of trial."
Kai looked up at the gate. "It connects to a special echo plane created by the ancient dragons. The ancient dragons poured their power into the trial gate, and many young dragons received this gift through the trials."
"What is the Echo Plane?"
"...When you enter, your experience will be based on the memories and cognition of someone. This so-called someone could be the user or the creator of the plane."
"So what kind is this?"
"User. It will sense everything about you, absorbing your memories and emotions. Your fears, your dreams, your regrets will all be deconstructed, then reassembled and extended to create things that have never happened in your memory. However, these possibilities all stem from the worries or longings deep in your heart—"
Kai paused as he spoke, "Everyone's situation is different."
Su Cheng nodded slowly, "You said that the dragon clan goes through trials to gain strength. I'm not a dragon clan, can I do that too?"
"You have my fighting spirit, it has become one with you, so this door shouldn't reject you. Of course, I'm not sure if it can still be used..."
Kai walked forward and stood in front of the door, putting the girl in his arms down.
The platform is not polluted.
Su Cheng could still feel the cold when she landed, seeping into the soles of her feet through her shoes. She couldn't help but tiptoe slightly.
Her little movement was not obvious, but the people around her still saw it.
He leaned over silently and picked her up again, "...I'm sorry."
Su Cheng was about to say it was okay when he caught a glimpse of a golden light out of the corner of his eye.
A rune on the archway suddenly flickered.
Kai raised an eyebrow slightly, "A trial of courage. Well, this one is a bit troublesome. It's bound to get you into trouble."
"...Are there any trials that aren't difficult situations?"
"Of course, the Trial of Will is not like that. You may enjoy a lot of wonderful things, but most people can't pass it and come out with nothing."
He explained in a low voice, "This isn't a game like humans play, with cruel rules and exchanging lives for power. Thousands of dragons have participated, and no one has ever died."
"So now I can only choose the Trial of Courage? So, what kind of dilemma is this?"
"Yes, it seems the other methods aren't working." He thought for a moment. "The Trial Gate has its own will. It might simulate an environment or event that frightens you. More precisely, it's something it understands you fear. So, if it guesses wrong, you'll be much more relaxed."
"...I understand. It can read some of my memories, but it can't fully interpret my thoughts?"
Su Cheng pondered and said, "Otherwise there wouldn't be any deviation. You should know what I'm afraid of, right?"
She is not so afraid of having her memory read now.
Because she had come into contact with gods many times - those guys could read people's memories as easily as turning the pages of a book, but they didn't seem to get any information about the "original" from her.
Therefore, this part of the content may not be reviewed.
Kai nodded slightly. "Besides, once the trial begins, you will think that everything that happens is real."
"Are you saying I'll forget this conversation we're having, that I'll lose part of my memory? Or will it flow seamlessly into our current scene?"
"It's possible. The trick is to make you unable to realize it's fake."
"I understand." Su Cheng took a deep breath, "Have you ever experienced this kind of test?"
Kai seemed to laugh, "No, I... don't need this."
"Okay, let's get started."
"Um."
He stood in the middle of the platform, whispered a spell, and blood from his fingertips dripped onto the platform.
As the blood drops continued to fall, the mysterious runes were lit up one after another, spreading from the center to the outside in circles, and the golden light was like ripples.
The runes on the archway also became brighter and brighter.
Then suddenly there was a burst of light that could swallow the sky and the earth!
Su Cheng was stabbed so hard that he could hardly open his eyes.
“…”
He watched the girl's slender figure sway, then she slowly sat down on the ground, lowered her head as if she had fallen asleep.
The trial has begun.
Kai sat beside her and waited quietly for her to wake up.
After a while, there were barely perceptible footsteps behind him.
The figure of the silver-haired boy emerged from the black fog, with surprise in his blue eyes.
He looked at them in surprise, then looked at the door. "You let her participate in the trial?"
Kai ignored him.
"I'm sorry," Xiao Lan lowered his head slightly, "I want to convey my father's greetings to you."
The man with black hair and golden eyes still sat there, not even looking up.
"His exact words were, 'Look at what's become of that damn thing now. I salute it and hope it's sealed up again soon.'"
Xiao Lan narrated calmly, but his eyes were still somewhat embarrassed. "Also, he wants to know who did it."
Kai finally looked at him, "What's the point? A loser like your father couldn't even handle one of them. Sorry, just telling the truth."
Xiao Lan's face was devoid of anger. "Since that's your assessment, then I believe it, but I still ask you to give me an answer, even though we already have some guesses about it."
Kai was silent for a moment. "The two men who defeated me once introduced themselves as Ian Grommel and Aelin Hammerfeld."
Xiao Lan nodded slowly. "They have more names now, but people are more accustomed to calling them the God of Light and the God of Darkness, right?"
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