Challenge Nile River Arena (I)
"'Morning Star' Fleet, prepare to activate the dark matter annihilation device."
"Received. System calibration complete."
"The countdown starts—"
“3——”
“2——”
“1——”
An unparalleled energy suddenly erupted and headed towards the desert dark beast.
The dark matter turbulence released by the annihilation device, carrying with it an all-consuming destructive force, seemed to have absorbed all the light in the universe.
However, just when everyone thought the target was about to be completely wiped out, something unexpected happened.
The planet disappeared.
It wasn't shattered, nor was it pierced through. Instead, it completely and without warning evaporated from the universe, as if it had never existed. And that dark matter energy lost its target and slammed directly into the core of the galaxy where the planet was located—the star.
In an instant, the star trembled violently, its light expanding wildly. Seconds later, the once massive star rapidly collapsed under the erosion of dark matter, ultimately annihilating silently into the universe. The balance of the entire galaxy collapsed in an instant, planetary orbits became disrupted, and celestial bodies scattered like headless flies, as darkness swallowed everything.
Inside the fleet's command room, deathly silence enveloped everyone. Everyone stared with wide eyes, unable to believe what had just happened.
"...The target has been confirmed to have disappeared." Finally, a mechanically synthesized voice sounded in the silence, breaking it.
"...Retreat." The commander's voice was low and suppressed.
This "accident" was eventually strictly sealed by the military and became the most unspeakable secret in the dusty archives.
——
Lin Bai sat quietly at the desk, tapping his fingers on the table, his eyes fixed on a picture on the Star Network.
Before the competition, the organizers released a schematic diagram of the course. It showed a long, narrow river running through the desert, forming a triangular oasis where it merged into the ocean. She peered at it intently, rapidly analyzing the possible terrain advantages and survival strategies.
Having experienced the desert exam, she believed she had some adaptability to similar environments, but every competition presented a different challenge. If she wasn't fully prepared, she could be easily overwhelmed by unexpected changes.
In order to find more information, Lin Bai browsed the Star Network, trying to find relevant clues about previous competitions. At this moment, a hot search news came into his sight -
The Strongest Freshman! Gu Jin, the Gu family's rare talent, takes first place in the standings in the first competition!
Lin Bai glanced at the familiar name, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. That calm and tenacious young man was indeed very powerful.
However, she did not click in to take a closer look, but quickly withdrew her thoughts.
Time flies and the day of the competition soon arrives.
Lin Bai stood in front of the teleporter, her heart restless. She stared at her grandmother's chat window on the laptop. She typed a few words into the input box, then deleted them, and finally fell silent.
An uneasy premonition quietly spread in her heart, but the competition was approaching and she couldn't leave no matter what. She could only suppress the anxiety in her heart.
The light suddenly dimmed.
A brief feeling of weightlessness came over me, and then my vision suddenly became clear.
Lin Bai found himself standing at the foot of a huge triangular pyramidal building, surrounded by endless sand dunes, scorching sun, and suffocatingly dry air.
She looked up and was startled.
It turned out to be a pyramid.
Lin Bai took a deep breath, quickly calming her inner surprise. She glanced around, seeing nothing but endless desert, no trace of a single building. The sun blazed, the sand billowed, and only this massive pyramid stood quietly between heaven and earth, exuding an ancient and mysterious majesty.
"Pyramids... Could it be that the theme of this competition is ancient Egypt?" She frowned slightly and thought to herself.
Suddenly, a sudden voice sounded in her ears, and a light blue light curtain appeared in front of her eyes.
The second round of the challenge has officially begun. All contestants are requested to explore the unknown ruins as quickly as possible and find the "God's Gift."
Lin Bai stared at the information on the screen, his eyes moving slightly.
"'God's gift'?" she murmured softly, feeling a faint sense of unease rising in her heart.
At this moment, a low roar came from the bottom of the silent pyramid.
She quickly looked up and saw a small, pitch-black door slowly opening at the base of the pyramid. Ancient stones rubbed against each other, shedding layers of fine dust, revealing a passage leading to unknown depths. And further out, deep in the desert, a large, indistinct figure loomed, as if silently watching over them.
Lin Bai didn't hesitate at all, and almost subconsciously stepped forward, heading straight towards the ancient and heavy stone door.
As a precaution, she casually lit a piece of paper and gently tossed it through the door. The flames danced, illuminating a small patch of darkness. The paper continued to burn peacefully behind the door, unextinguished or otherwise altered. Lin Bai nodded slightly, confirming there was no immediate danger before stepping through.
As she entered, the temperature around her seemed to plummet several degrees, and the air was filled with a long-forgotten smell. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, and with the help of her modified night vision, she could quickly see the scene inside.
Before her was a narrow, low corridor, its walls smooth as mirrors, gleaming with the deep luster of obsidian. Lin Bai walked slowly forward, her fingers lightly touching the walls, feeling their icy coldness. As she moved, ancient murals gradually emerged from the walls, their intricate and mysterious patterns silently telling a long-lost story.
She glanced at the murals, and a trace of doubt flashed through her mind. Relics of Earth culture could be found in every corner of the Federation, whether it was the architectural style, language, or even the decorations on the starships, but the Earth's mythology seemed to have been deliberately erased and no one knew about it.
Lin Bai paused, carefully examining the mural. In it, a feathered deity stood between the vast expanse of heaven and earth, flanked by mythical beasts symbolizing authority. Opposite him, a blurry, distorted figure seemed swallowed by darkness, emanating a faint, eerie aura.
"Is this... a dark beast?" She murmured softly, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity rising in her heart, yet it was elusive.
Just as she was about to take a closer look, the ground suddenly shook slightly and a low humming sound came from deep in the corridor.
Lin Bai's eyes narrowed, and he quickly became alert, slowing down his pace.
The trembling sensation came from far away and became closer, as if some giant beast was slowly awakening in the deep passage. A low humming sound kept echoing in the narrow corridor, with a certain rhythm, like a sacrificial chant.
Lin Bai couldn't help but quicken his pace, moving deeper into the corridor. The murals on the walls grew increasingly intricate and elaborate. The previously motionless images seemed to slowly shift under the subtle light and shadow, as if the gods and monsters were quietly awakening, spying on the intruder.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, the corridor suddenly opened up and a magnificent hall appeared before her.
Several intricately carved stone pillars stood around the hall, each carved with mythical beasts of different forms, some roaring towards the sky, some curled up in deep sleep. In the center stood a towering altar, above which hovered a crystal stone emitting a faint blue light.
This is not a real pyramid. Lin Bai had already seen it. She had been to a pyramid in her previous life, and it looked nothing like this, including the murals.
The pyramids are just a smokescreen.
Lin Bai stopped thinking, his eyes attracted by the crystal.
"God's gift...is this it?"
She walked slowly forward, the air around her seeming to slow down as she approached. Just as she was about to step onto the altar, a deep, deep voice echoed throughout the space.
"Trialist, are you willing to bear the test of God's gift?"
Lin Bai said without hesitation: "Yes."
As soon as he finished speaking, the light around him suddenly flickered, the crystal on the altar rose into the air, the entire hall began to shake violently, and a vast and majestic divine power swept over!
In an instant, Lin Bai's eyes went dark, and when she came to her senses, she was already floating in a vast and boundless starry sky.
In the distance, a huge black shadow was slowly approaching, like some kind of existence beyond ordinary understanding, sweeping towards her with the power to devour the world.
Lin Bai held her breath and concentrated, her hands clenched subconsciously. She could feel an irresistible pressure coming towards her, as if the weight of the entire universe was pressing down on her, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
A dark shadow slowly took shape in the starry sky, its massive form shimmering with a profound radiance. It lacked a precise form, yet seemed to possess a myriad of transformations, each movement revealing a different aspect of the divine.
"Mortal, do you know what 'God's Gift' means?" A vast and ancient voice sounded in the starry sky, with unquestionable majesty.
Lin Bai raised his head, looked directly at the huge creature, and said in a deep voice: "Since it is a gift, it should be something that can be carried."
The shape of the black shadow suddenly changed, and a huge eye opened in the void, its eyes burning like stars, reflecting Lin Bai's figure.
"Bear? Do you have enough strength to bear the gift of God?" Its voice was low, with a hint of consideration.
The next second, a dark beast similar to the one on the mural suddenly appeared, and Lin Bai was ready to fight at any time.
"Seventy-two transformations are unrestrained, somersaulting clouds can travel thousands of miles without a trace, crushing the sky, daring to fight the nine heavens! Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, please descend into my world!"
In an instant, golden light flashed, and an unrivaled pressure spread out.
Immediately afterwards, a tall figure stepped out from the void, with golden eyes like apes, wearing golden chain mail, a red cloak, holding a golden hoop, and looking awe-inspiring.
"Hahaha!" The laughter shook all around, and the person who came was none other than the Monkey King Sun Wukong!
"Who is this monster that dares to cause trouble in front of me, Sun?" He swept his eyes and landed directly on the dark beast.
The dark beast was originally aggressive, but when it was swept by Sun Wukong's sharp gaze, it involuntarily took a few steps back, with a hint of fear in its low growl.
Lin Bai didn't expect that the Monkey King would show such a high level of self-awareness.
"Great Sage, I leave this guy to you!" Lin Bai did not dare to move and said decisively, then took a step back to leave the battlefield for the Great Sage.
"Hey, I'm itching to do something!" Sun Wukong grinned and suddenly jumped up. The golden cudgel spun rapidly in his hand. In an instant, golden light burst out, accompanied by a thunderous roar.
"Take this stick from me, Old Sun!"
The golden cudgel swept out, the air was torn apart, the wind howled, and it smashed towards the dark beast.
The dark beast screamed and tried to dodge, but what a divine weapon the golden hoop was! The shadow of the stick flew around, blocking all its escape routes in an instant and smashing it right in the face!
"Bang--!"
The space trembled, dust flew, and the dark beast fell down with a scream, its body twitching violently. It seemed that it did not expect that the stick would be so heavy that it directly caused its bones to burst.
Lin Bai witnessed this scene and his eyes moved slightly. The Monkey King Sun Wukong was really powerful.
However, at the moment the dark beast fell to the ground, another dark beast appeared.
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