"We can't save them right now," Rowan analyzed calmly. "If we rush in, we'll only end up infected as well. First, we need to understand how this influence works. Then we can figure out how to deal with it."
The two of them retreated to the edge of the hall, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the battlefield.
From there, they could observe the entire situation with relative safety.
Rowan began carefully analyzing everything he had witnessed.
First, everyone who entered the central area of the hall became infected without exception.
Second, the infection appeared to spread through some form of contact. Direct physical contact or collisions between Law Forces could both result in transmission.
Finally, those who became infected completely lost their reason, leaving behind nothing but their most primitive instinct to kill.
"Have you discovered anything?" Silvermoon asked.
"I suspect this hall has been designed with a special Law Field," Rowan explained his theory. "This Law Field can amplify the negative emotions buried within a person's heart, especially anger and hatred."
"Then why haven't we been affected?" Silvermoon asked in confusion.
"Perhaps because we haven't entered the core area of the Law Field," Rowan replied. "Or perhaps our willpower is strong enough to resist its influence."
That was indeed possible.
With their true strength, both of them possessed extremely strong resistance against various Law attacks. Ordinary illusions and mental influences were unlikely to affect them.
"Then what do we do now?" Silvermoon asked.
Rowan thought for a moment.
"We have two choices. First, we find the control core of this Law Field and figure out how to shut it down. Second, we wait for the effects of the Law Field to fade naturally."
"Waiting could take a very long time," Silvermoon analyzed. "And we don't even know whether the effect will eventually disappear on its own."
"Then we can only choose the first option," Rowan decided. "We need to find the control core."
The two of them began moving along the edge of the hall, searching for anything that might be connected to the control mechanism.
The walls were covered in countless complicated runes.
Each rune emitted a faint glow, clearly forming part of an enormous Law construction.
"The arrangement of these runes is very systematic," Silvermoon observed as she studied the walls. "It feels like some kind of enormous formation."
"If this entire hall is one giant formation, then the control core should be..." Rowan's gaze shifted toward the center of the hall. "In the place where the battle is the most intense."
Indeed.
Based on the principles behind the formation, the control core would normally be located at its geometric center.
And at that moment, that exact location was where the battle was raging most fiercely.
"That makes things difficult," Silvermoon said with a bitter smile. "How are we supposed to approach the control core without being infected?"
"I have an idea," Rowan said as he began forming a plan. "We can use long-range attacks and destroy the control core from the edge of the battlefield."
"But how do we determine its exact location?" Silvermoon asked.
Rowan carefully observed the battle taking place in the center of the hall, searching for any clues.
Soon, he noticed something strange.
Whenever the infected warriors attacked, they would unconsciously avoid a specific area on the floor.
"Look over there," Rowan said, pointing toward a location in the center of the battlefield. "That circular pattern. Everyone is avoiding it, either intentionally or unconsciously."
Silvermoon followed his gaze.
Sure enough, she spotted the strange pattern.
It was a complex circular rune, clearly different from the other runes around it. More importantly, it emitted a much stronger energy fluctuation.
"That should be the control core," Silvermoon agreed.
"Now the question is how to destroy it."
Rowan began evaluating their possible attack methods.
"That location is at least a hundred meters away, and the area around it is filled with crazed warriors."
"We can use Law attacks," Silvermoon suggested. "We can concentrate our strength and bombard the rune from a distance."
"But we have to be careful not to expose our true strength," Rowan reminded her. "There may not be anyone rational observing us right now, but we still need to regroup with the other teams later."
Indeed.
If they displayed strength beyond the sixth level of the Stellar Rank, it would raise unnecessary suspicion.
They needed to find a way to destroy the control core while maintaining their disguise.
"Then we'll attack using the standard of a sixth-level Stellar Rank warrior," Silvermoon understood his concern. "If we attack several times, we should still be able to achieve the same result."
The two of them began preparing their attacks.
Rowan condensed Wind Law Force, forming a razor-sharp blade of wind.
Silvermoon gathered Water Law Force, preparing a high-pressure water attack.
"Three, two, one... attack!"
At Rowan's command, both Law attacks shot toward the control rune at the center of the hall.
The wind blade and the high-pressure water stream struck their target accurately, leaving clear marks across the surface of the rune.
Unfortunately, the attacks failed to cause any real damage.
The rune merely dimmed slightly before quickly returning to its original brightness.
"Its defensive power is stronger than we expected," Silvermoon analyzed. "It looks like we need greater attack power."
"Then we'll try again," Rowan decided. "Continuous attacks should eventually produce a cumulative effect."
For the next ten minutes, the two of them launched a continuous barrage of long-range attacks against the control rune.
Every attack caused the rune to dim slightly.
However, none of them were able to cause any fundamental damage.
Worse still, the battle in the center of the hall was becoming increasingly violent.
Several warriors had already suffered serious injuries during the savage battle.
If no one stopped them soon, someone would likely die.
"We need to increase the power of our attacks," Silvermoon said anxiously. "If this continues, Amy and the others will be in real danger."
Rowan was equally worried about the safety of his companions.
However, he knew that recklessly revealing his true strength could create even greater problems.
Just as he was hesitating, the situation on the battlefield suddenly changed.
Amy was struck by a warrior from the Flame Battle Group.
Blood flowed from her chest.
The injury was not immediately fatal, but if she continued fighting, she could very well bleed to death.
"We can't wait any longer," Rowan decided. "Even if we have to reveal some of our strength, we have to save them."
But just as Rowan was preparing to launch a stronger attack, an unfamiliar voice suddenly came from the opposite side of the hall.
"How interesting. It seems someone has discovered the secret of the Rage Formation."
Rowan and Silvermoon immediately turned around.
A mysterious figure wearing a black robe had appeared at the entrance of the hall.
The person's aura was extraordinarily powerful.
It was far stronger than that of any warrior present.
"Who are you?" Rowan asked cautiously.
"I am the guardian of this place," the mysterious figure replied. "I am also the controller of this Rage Formation. Warriors capable of resisting the formation's influence are extremely rare. The two of you are qualified to undergo the true trial."
Hearing this explanation, Rowan and Silvermoon immediately understood.
This so-called Rage Formation had not been activated by accident.
It was a trial deliberately created by the Storm King.
Only those capable of resisting the influence of anger and hatred were qualified to continue exploring deeper into the temple.
"What about our companions?" Silvermoon asked worriedly.
"They have already failed the trial," the guardian replied coldly. "However, I can remove the formation's influence and restore their sanity. As the price, they will be transported out of the temple and will never be allowed to enter again."
It was a difficult choice.
Saving their companions meant giving up the opportunity to continue exploring.
But abandoning them would go against Rowan's principles.
In the end, Rowan made his decision.
"Dispel the formation. Saving lives comes first."
The guardian nodded.
With a wave of his hand, the effects of the Rage Formation were immediately removed.
In an instant, all the warriors who had been fighting like madmen stopped.
The red glow in their eyes gradually faded.
Reason slowly returned to their gazes.
"I... What did I just do?"
Amy stared at the weapon in her hand and the blood covering the ground around her.
She could hardly believe what had just happened.
But there was no time for explanations.
The guardian did exactly as promised.
The teleportation formation was activated immediately, transporting every failed trial participant out of the temple.
The hall instantly became empty.
Only Rowan, Silvermoon, and the mysterious guardian remained.
"Now, the true trial has only just begun," the guardian said.
"Are you ready?"
The moment the guardian's voice faded, the entire hall began undergoing a dramatic transformation.
The solid stone walls gradually became transparent.
Then, they disappeared completely.
The ground beneath their feet began to dissolve as well, as if some invisible force were breaking it apart.
Rowan and Silvermoon suddenly found themselves floating in a completely unfamiliar space.
This was no longer an underground structure.
It was an endless starry sky.
Countless stars shimmered around them.
The Milky Way stretched across the heavens like a luminous ribbon.
The magnificence of the entire universe unfolded before their eyes.
"This is... a virtual space?" Silvermoon stared at the surroundings in shock. "Or is this some kind of application of Space Law?"
"It should be a higher-level Law construction," Rowan replied, equally stunned by the spectacular scene. "To create a starry sky this realistic, the Storm King's strength truly is unfathomable."
The guardian's voice echoed through the starry sky, as if it had come from the depths of the universe itself.
"Welcome to the Starry Sky Trial Grounds."
"During his lifetime, the Storm King Severus was not most proud of his ability to control storms across the seas."
"It was his understanding and mastery of cosmic storms."
As the guardian explained, the distant starry sky began to change.
The calm expanse of the universe suddenly began to fill with visible energy currents.
These streams of energy appeared in countless colors, brilliant and dazzling like an aurora.
Yet the power contained within them was enough to make anyone feel a chill.
"The Cosmic Storm is about to begin," the guardian continued.
"This is the ultimate Law mystery that the Storm King studied throughout his life."
"Only those capable of enduring until the very end within the Cosmic Storm will be qualified to receive his inheritance."
"The Cosmic Storm?" Silvermoon asked nervously. "What exactly does the trial involve?"
"You will find out soon enough."
The guardian's voice gradually became indistinct.
"Remember, this is not merely a test of strength."
"It is also a trial of willpower and comprehension."
"The inheritance of the Storm King belongs only to those who truly understand the essence of the storm."
Before the guardian's voice had completely faded, the energy currents in the distance suddenly intensified.
The previously gentle starlight became violent.
Countless energy beams intertwined across the void, forming an enormous vortex of energy.
The scale of the vortex was beyond imagination.
Its diameter was at least tens of thousands of kilometers, and the energy contained within it was powerful enough to destroy an entire galaxy.
Even more terrifyingly, the vortex continued to expand.
Destructive energy fluctuations spread outward in every direction.
"Is this the Cosmic Storm?"
Rowan stared solemnly at the distant vortex of energy.
"It is far more terrifying than I imagined."
Indeed.
The power of the Cosmic Storm far surpassed that of an ordinary natural storm.
It contained not only Wind Law, but also Space Law, Time Law, and even certain higher-level Law mysteries.
A storm of this level was something even a Domain Lord would not dare casually enter.
"How are we supposed to deal with this?" Silvermoon asked.
As the energy pressure grew stronger, she began to feel the strain.
"Observe first," Rowan analyzed calmly.
"Since this is an inheritance trial, there must be a way to pass it. The key is understanding the true purpose behind the trial created by the Storm King."
As the Cosmic Storm drew closer, the two of them began to experience unprecedented pressure.
It was not merely a physical impact from the energy.
There was also an immense pressure on the spiritual level.
It felt as if the weight of the entire universe had been placed upon their shoulders.
"Should we resist or adapt?" Silvermoon began considering their options.
"If this is a trial about understanding storms, then simply resisting may not be the correct answer."
"I've been thinking about the same thing," Rowan nodded. "What is the true essence of a storm? Destruction? Or something else?"
The Cosmic Storm continued expanding.
Its outer edge had already reached the vicinity of the two of them.
When the storm's energy fluctuations touched their bodies, a strange sensation suddenly rose within their minds.
This was not a simple energy impact.
It was some kind of deeper Law resonance.
"I can feel it," Silvermoon suddenly said. "This storm isn't attacking us."
She paused.
"It is testing us."
"That's right."
Rowan had reached the same conclusion.
"It is testing how deeply we understand the Laws of the storm."
As their understanding deepened, the two of them began trying to resonate with the Cosmic Storm to a certain degree.
They were neither resisting it nor completely surrendering to it.
Instead, they sought a delicate balance between the two.
Silvermoon was the first to begin.
She closed her eyes and immersed her consciousness into the storm, attempting to comprehend the mysteries of the Laws within it.
At first, she sensed the tremendous power contained within the storm.
She also felt the incredibly complex structure of the Laws.
"It's so complicated," Silvermoon said with a frown.
"This storm contains at least a dozen different Laws, and the interactions between them are incredibly intricate."
Indeed.
The complexity of the Cosmic Storm was far beyond the understanding of ordinary people.
Wind Law was merely one of its foundations.
More important were Space Law, Time Law, and even certain higher-level Laws that Rowan himself could not completely understand.
As the trial continued, the intensity of the storm gradually increased.
The energy fluctuations became increasingly violent.
The interactions between the Laws grew more and more complex.
This change placed extremely high demands on the trial participants' comprehension and willpower.
-------------------------------
Already hooked? Tell me what reeled you in leave a review, spark the fire with a comment, and if we hit every 250 Power Stones, a bonus chapter drops!
The evolution's just begun. Dive deeper into Unbound Evolution and stay leagues ahead!
[email protected]/_tey
Change @ to a.