CHAPTER 1778: CHAPTER 1778: ABYSSAL MARSH

The beast king in the later stages of the Middle Saint Realm did not possess the defensive divine abilities of the colossal statue or the Stone Men. Therefore, under Wyatt Barnes’ attack, which was akin to a full-force strike of a peak Martial Artist in the Middle Saint Realm, it was killed outright.

With the beast king’s death, the other savage beasts did not panic. Instead, they became even more frenzied.

In fact, the surrounding marshland began to churn again, and one by one, savage beasts shot out from the marshland. Although not as numerous as the previous wave, there were still hundreds of them.

The hundreds of savage beasts joining the beast army had their greatest strength at the early stages of the Middle Saint Realm.

Thus, no matter how strong the lineup of savage beasts grew, it posed no pressure on Wyatt Barnes.

They charged into Wyatt Barnes’ domain of ten thousand swords as if moths to a flame, regardless of life or death, seemingly for that moment of brilliance and heroism!

As time passed, Wyatt Barnes became somewhat numb.

Eventually, even though he knew these savage beasts were illusions formed within an "illusion formation" and turned to vapor upon death, Wyatt was still awestruck by their fearless courage.

Afterward, he ceased to act and allowed the domain of ten thousand swords to shred the invading savage beasts.

It wasn’t until the last savage beast fell that Wyatt Barnes finally relaxed.

But just as he let out a breath, a voice suddenly transmitted from all directions, clearly entering Wyatt Barnes’ ears:

"Little one, congratulations on passing the first trial of the ’Abyssal Marsh.’ Ahead, you will face eight more trials... I will be waiting for you at the final trial!"

This voice came from an old man, filled with endless age, drifting in, first leaving Wyatt Barnes in a daze, then filling him with excitement.

"Whether it was the ’Six Towers’ or that ’Six Halls Palace’ I previously traversed, there was never such a reminder... and that savage beast group’s attack just now was indeed the first trial of this divine ability relic! And this divine ability relic’s hidden place is named ’Abyssal Marsh’?"

After taking a deep breath, Wyatt Barnes gradually calmed his turbulent emotions.

He knew that although he had speculated before, he was not certain that the savage beast group’s attack was the first trial.

For if it was the first trial, it indicated that the divine ability recorded in this divine ability relic was extraordinary, at least stronger than the ’Six Harmonies Golden Body’ he had acquired, and stronger than the ’Rock Sky Wall’ Edward Chase obtained.

And now, through that voice, seemingly from all directions, he confirmed his thoughts.

"This divine ability relic must record an advanced divine ability!"

Originally, Wyatt Barnes thought that his ’Six Harmonies Golden Body’ was already considered an advanced divine ability, but now, in comparison, he realized it should only be an intermediate divine ability.

Everything fears comparison, and when compared, the differences are clear.

"Just now, that voice reminded me that there are still eight more trials? Where could the second trial be?"

Just as Wyatt Barnes was pondering this, his Divine Sense clearly sensed a disturbance in the void not far from his side.

When he shifted his gaze, he saw a crack forming out of nowhere in the turbulent void... Then, a thick, ancient door slowly emerged from the crack, appearing before Wyatt Barnes. The door opened, revealing a passage leading to an unknown destination.

"Passed the first test, opened the door... Indeed, like the three previous divine ability relics encountered. However, this divine ability relic’s first test was much harder."

Wyatt Barnes thought to himself.

"As for Edward Chase saying the first test here is on par with the first test of the ’Six Halls Palace’... It’s merely his misunderstanding! Perhaps he could never dream that those four savage beasts were just the prelude to the first test, and the true first test appeared only after those four beasts were killed."

Of course, Wyatt Barnes also knew that Edward Chase’s misconception arose from him and his companion being unable to deal with those four savage beasts.

Though fewer in number compared to the savage beasts of the first test of the ’Six Halls Palace,’ the four belonged to the same tribe, and their synergy made their combined strength not at all inferior to the five flying savage beasts at the Six Halls Palace’s entrance.

The latter seemed to attack together but were actually disjointed!

"Enter!"

With a thought, Wyatt Barnes moved and directly charged through the thick, ancient door.

What awaited him inside?

Wyatt Barnes was quite curious about this.

But he knew that the upcoming trials should not be simpler than the first one he just faced.

Walking through the door, darkness enveloped his sight until Wyatt Barnes enveloped himself with True Origin, emanating a radiant light like the sun. Only then did the dark space reveal its true face.

Here lay a deep path leading downward.

Wyatt Barnes stood at the top of the passageway, initially walking straight ahead. After traversing several hundred meters, a turn was required.

"The terrain of this passage keeps getting lower... Could it be leading me somewhere? Or perhaps the end of the passage is where the subsequent trials take place?"

With this thought, Wyatt Barnes quickened his pace.

What would the second trial entail?

He didn’t know.

Though the unknown is often the most terrifying, the thought that this divine ability relic likely holds an advanced divine ability invigorated Wyatt Barnes.

"Now, it’s probably about a hundred meters below ground?"

As time passed, Wyatt Barnes felt as if there was no end to the passage beneath him. Initially, it was fine, but after some time, impatience crept in, "Now, at least three hundred meters below ground... And still not at the end! How long is this passage?"

Although impatient, Wyatt Barnes did not give up and continued to delve deeper.

A day went by in the blink of an eye.

"I’ve delved over a thousand meters deep."

Two days went by.

"I’ve delved two thousand meters deep."

Three days went by.

"I’ve delved three thousand meters deep... Will it ever end?"

Three days later, Wyatt Barnes still hadn’t emerged from the passage beneath his feet. For the first time, he paused, no longer continuing, and stood there, gritting his teeth as he said, "I just don’t believe it!"

As soon as the words fell, Wyatt Barnes moved like a ghost, speeding up rapidly.

In just one day, he delved another ten thousand meters, yet he still hadn’t reached the end of the passage.

This passage seemed to have no end at all.

"I see."

Once again pausing, Wyatt Barnes was no longer impatient as before, but instead revealed a meaningful smile, "So, this is the second checkpoint... This illusion array is truly ingenious! If I hadn’t activated the ’Mysterious Eye’ half a day ago, it’d be really difficult to realize that I’ve been walking the same path over and over."

"What delving ten thousand meters... In reality, I’m only a thousand meters below the ground! The feeling of delving that deep is entirely due to the illusion array wreaking havoc in this passage!"

Because the features within the passage bore almost no significant differences, all the way down, Wyatt didn’t realize he was walking the same path repetitively.

However, when he activated the ’Mysterious Eye’ and grasped the details and features of the passage, he discovered he had been walking the same path repeatedly.

And the reason for this naturally was the illusion array!

"This illusion array should be the second checkpoint."

Taking a deep breath, Wyatt Barnes threw himself fully into the omnipresent illusion array before him.

To break this illusion array, he must find the ’Array Foundation’ of this array. Of course, finding the ’Array Eye’ would be best.

So, continuing down the passage, Wyatt Barnes unleashed his Divine Sense completely, probing everything around him without omission.

Meanwhile, he pressed himself against one side of the passage’s stone wall, releasing sun true elemental energy to blend into the wall. If anything were hidden within, his true elemental energy would vibrate and destroy it through the wall at the first moment it was discovered.

Of course, Wyatt’s ’Mysterious Eye’ wasn’t idle either.

The Mysterious Eye kept operating, continuously consuming spiritual power.

Once exhausted, he would stop, rest to recover, then continue once refreshed.

Thus, six to seven days passed.

Heaven rewards the diligent, and on the seventh day, Wyatt Barnes finally discovered the first ’Array Foundation’ of the hidden illusion array within the passage, promptly destroying it with sun true elemental energy.

If it were the ’Array Eye’, destroying it would naturally break the array as well.

However, if it were an Array Foundation, destroying just one might not break the array unless it’s particularly crucial.

This was exactly the situation Wyatt Barnes was facing now.

However, having found the first Array Foundation, Wyatt Barnes was encouraged and, within half a day, found and destroyed the second one.

This Array Foundation was significantly more crucial than the first.

Upon destruction, a ray of dawn light appeared at the distant end of the deep passage. Although far away, Wyatt Barnes noticed it, "Is that the exit?"

At this moment, Wyatt Barnes also realized that he had broken the illusion array.

"This kind of checkpoint... really wastes time."

Though the second checkpoint didn’t involve fighting, it cost Wyatt Barnes about ten days. If he had a choice, he would prefer to face the challenge like that in the first checkpoint.

The second checkpoint was mentally exhausting.

Following the dawn light, Wyatt Barnes walked out of the passage.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

...

And at the moment Wyatt Barnes stepped out of the passage, his heart trembled as a sense of threat enveloped his mind, prompting him to urgently mobilize his sun true elemental energy, transforming it into thousands of sword glows, forming the ’Tai Yan Sword Bell’ defense around his body.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

...

Almost as the Tai Yan Sword Bell formed, Wyatt Barnes was dazzled to find wave after wave of mysterious forces pouring down from above him menacingly.

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