Glancing at the glaring "0" next to his gold balance, Ye Tianxie left Yuan Que’s shop with a heavy heart. This time, he had truly gone all in, spending every last coin. It was a do-or-die moment—he had only one chance to clear the Abyss-level trial. If all his preparations still weren’t enough, then passing it in the future would be even less likely.
Back in front of the village chief, the old man nodded and spoke in a gentle tone, “Your expression tells me that you’ve made some preparations. So, brave young one, are you ready? I will send you to a terrifying place—a trial so dangerous that even I wouldn’t dare step foot in it. This is a cruel test. Once you are sent there, you cannot leave unless you either die or complete the trial. If you attempt to forcibly log out, you will suffer a penalty equivalent to death… Are you truly ready?”
Ye Tianxie thought for a moment before suddenly saying, “Wait… Chief, give me one more minute.”
The village chief chuckled and nodded, “No problem. Being fully prepared is the right choice. Go ahead, I’ll be here waiting.”
Ye Tianxie logged out on the spot and returned to the real world. Standing up from the sofa, he rushed into his bedroom and approached the Godslayer gaming pod he had once used. Carefully, he detached the Life Support System from the machine.
With the rapid advancement of virtual gaming, the emergence of Life Support Systems became inevitable—allowing players to remain online 24/7. Over time, these devices had become smaller and more convenient, while their functionality had only improved. The current Life Support System was a compact, shoebox-sized device with two long straps attached. Ye Tianxie secured the straps around his wrists and logged back into Destiny.
When a player's body experienced hunger, the Life Support System would automatically provide nutrient fluid. Despite its small size, a single full charge could sustain a person for an entire month without logging out. While it was fully capable of maintaining bodily functions without adverse effects, world-renowned experts had repeatedly warned: The Life Support System cannot replace real food. Long-term reliance can still lead to a decline in physical functions, and a lack of physical activity will result in nerve and muscle deterioration. Thus, players are strongly advised to manage their gaming time and maintain a proper diet.
Back in the game, Ye Tianxie appeared before the village chief once more and politely said, “I’m back. You can send me now.”
“One last reminder—once you enter, you cannot leave unless you die or complete the trial. If you attempt to log out forcibly, you will suffer the same penalty as death… Are you absolutely sure you’re ready?” The village chief asked seriously.
Ye Tianxie nodded. “Yes, I’m ready.”
“Heh… Good. I hope you’ll show me a miracle beyond belief… Now, go!”
A strange talisman appeared in the village chief’s hand, and as he chanted softly, the talisman glowed with a pure white light. The world before Ye Tianxie’s eyes instantly blurred. When his vision cleared, he was already in another world.
It was a serene valley, with a gentle breeze carrying the fragrance of flowers and the sounds of chirping birds. The fresh air was intoxicating, and Ye Tianxie took a moment to savor it before refocusing and scanning his surroundings.
Behind him, just a dozen meters away, stood a towering mountain wall, sealing off any possibility of retreat. In front of him was another mountain wall, only a dozen meters high, with a clearly marked door-shaped engraving upon it. Above the engraving, four crooked characters were inscribed:
Trial Gate!
Ye Tianxie took a deep breath and stood still, cautiously sensing his surroundings. Only after confirming that nothing seemed out of the ordinary did he proceed toward the Trial Gate. He had always been a cautious person—perhaps even excessively so. This trait had long since become second nature to him. Even though there appeared to be no immediate danger here, and the trial itself should logically begin beyond the gate, he remained on high alert. After all, assumptions are often wrong, and surprises are usually fatal.
Standing before the stone door, he reached out his hand. The moment his palm touched the gate, a deep rumbling sound echoed as the massive stone door slowly opened, revealing a new world beyond. Ye Tianxie hesitated for a brief moment before stepping inside.
Rumble…
The moment he entered, the stone gate behind him suddenly shut tight.
This was an Abyss-level trial. And he was alone.
Setting foot in this land was no different from stepping into a chasm of despair, devoid of light and hope.
The ground was still lush with green, but the air had become eerily cold. Ye Tianxie summoned his Destiny Hour and moved forward. Not far ahead, another identical stone gate stood—but before it were twelve swaying plants…
Frenzied Man-Eating Flowers!
- Frenzied Man-Eating Flower: Level 10, One-Star Elite
- HP: 1000
- Description: A terrifying mutated man-eating flower corrupted by berserk demonic energy. Though unable to move, any living creature that approaches it will be violently devoured.
- Skill:
- Lethal Devour: Opens its monstrous jaws to bite a single target, dealing 70 base damage with a 3% chance of instant devour (resulting in immediate death).
A one-star elite… And there were twelve of them right from the first trial?
Moreover, these twelve Man-Eating Flowers were among the strongest of their rank. With their 70 base attack, Ye Tianxie’s 18 defense and 470 HP (boosted by his Life Ring) wouldn’t last long against their bites. But what made them truly terrifying was their 3% chance of instant devour—if triggered, it meant instant death.
Even worse, the layout of these flowers was disgustingly strategic. They weren’t spread out, nor arranged in rows or columns. Instead, they formed a perfect semicircle, ensuring that no matter which one Ye Tianxie approached, he would be immediately surrounded and attacked by the others.
Stolen novel; please report.
Ironically, their inability to move—a trait that should have been their greatest weakness—was now a maddening advantage. Even the usual strategy of luring enemies out one by one was completely impossible.
The difficulty of Abyss-level trials truly lived up to its name.
Ye Tianxie studied the formation carefully before suddenly smirking. A twisted grin formed at the corner of his lips.
He loved challenges. He loved thrills. But even more than that—he loved thrilling challenges.
Looking at the formation before him—something that even a full party of twelve players would struggle to overcome—he could almost hear the blood in his veins boiling with excitement.
The monsters in a trial were never fixed. Especially in high-difficulty trials, they adapted based on the challenger.
For instance, in this hopeless Abyss-level trial, if Ye Tianxie had been a ranged class, the trial would never have spawned immobile plants. Instead, it would have been high-speed creatures designed to prevent a ranged player from maintaining distance.
But Ye Tianxie had no class, and his stats leaned toward melee combat.
That meant… his trial was designed to be the worst possible match-up for him.
A battlefield where he couldn’t pick them off one by one. A formation that forced him into an all-out fight. A group of enemies that he couldn’t avoid nor outrun.
This was Abyss-level difficulty.
Ye Tianxie observed for a moment, and a strange smile suddenly curved at the corner of his mouth. He enjoyed challenges, loved excitement, and was even more passionate about thrilling challenges. Looking at the carnivorous plant formation in front of him, which even a team of twelve had trouble overcoming, he could almost hear the sound of his blood boiling.
The trial monsters weren’t always the same, especially in high-difficulty trials, where the monsters adapted to the individual trial-taker… For example, in a trial of despair at the abyss level, if Ye Tianxie had a ranged profession, the monsters would not be the stationary carnivorous plants but highly mobile creatures capable of closing the distance quickly, preventing a ranged profession from escaping. Ye Tianxie didn’t have a profession, but his attributes clearly favored melee combat. Therefore, what awaited him was the toughest trial—the carnivorous plant formation, a kind of monster layout that couldn’t be broken down one by one.
Each raging carnivorous plant was nearly the height of a person, with a large red bud hanging from the greenish vine, swaying irregularly. But with close observation, one could vaguely see two rows of fine teeth reflecting a faint cold light from within the bud. The twelve raging carnivorous plants were densely arranged in a semi-circle with a diameter of nearly four meters, their giant red buds colliding with each other as they swayed.
Ye Tianxie thought for a moment and walked straight forward. Each plant was no more than two meters tall, meaning its attack range couldn’t exceed two meters. And the way they were arranged…
Ye Tianxie suddenly paused, a hint of disdain appearing at the corner of his mouth. His steps quickened, and the carnivorous plants detected the presence of life, with each huge bud that hadn’t yet bloomed turning to face him.
If he attacked from the left or right, the plants were packed too closely together. As he attacked the nearest one, others would inevitably strike him as well. Additionally, as he got closer, the timing of their attacks would vary slightly, attacking one after the other… But what if he stood right at the center of these plants? Ye Tianxie’s gaze became focused as he searched for the most suitable position—a point equidistant from all twelve plants, the center of the semi-circle formation!
His body halted, then he jumped, landing perfectly on the calculated spot. The moment his toes touched the ground, twelve cold winds surrounded him, and twelve wide bloodthirsty mouths, with twelve sets of dripping teeth, lunged at him simultaneously.
Ye Tianxie was calm and unperturbed. This was exactly what he wanted to see. His toes pushed slightly, causing his body to shift backward by less than ten centimeters. The twelve sets of massive teeth almost merged in front of him, but they perfectly missed his clothes.
The twelve buds began to retract, and in that instant, Ye Tianxie moved forward half a step, extending his arm. The "Moment of Fate" in his hand carved a pitch-black arc.
-172, -168, -169, -166…
The length of Ye Tianxie’s arm, combined with the reach of "Moment of Fate," created an attack range of nearly two meters. From his current position, the black arc passed through all twelve raging carnivorous plants, and twelve red damage numbers appeared almost simultaneously, forming a chain… Before they even dissipated, another small circle of damage numbers appeared as "Moment of Fate" swung a reverse arc, attacking all twelve plants again… With the distribution of the plants and the attack range of "Moment of Fate," any slight shift forward or backward would have caused Ye Tianxie to miss hitting them all at once.
When the second attack landed, Ye Tianxie swiftly retreated a small step, and twelve gusts of cold wind collided with his chest. The one point, the point that made all twelve carnivorous plants attack simultaneously. As long as he stood on this point, they would all attack at once, retract afterward, and given the synchronized movements of these raging plants, Ye Tianxie essentially only had to dodge one plant’s attack.
But if the point shifted even slightly to the left or right, the effect would change entirely. Ye Tianxie would face the attacks of some plants simultaneously and others one after another, making it incredibly difficult to dodge or counterattack.
In just one encounter, Ye Tianxie remained unharmed, while over a third of the life of all twelve raging carnivorous plants was depleted. With "Moment of Fate" in hand, and all his attribute points invested in strength during level-ups, Ye Tianxie’s attack power had reached a strength of 200, at least twice that of a typical player of the same level.
The plants’ attacks were fast, but their frequency was relatively slow. The time it took for one attack was enough for Ye Tianxie to make two attacks. His inhuman reflexes allowed him to dodge the simultaneous attacks effortlessly, then quickly counterattack. If the twelve plants launched chaotic, unpredictable attacks, he might struggle to avoid them, but against these perfectly synchronized movements, he felt no pressure at all.
Slash!
At the third encounter, a blow from "Moment of Fate" engulfed all the raging carnivorous plants. Two plants were killed in a critical hit, and another black arc swept across, finishing off the remaining ten. They all collapsed to the ground, becoming lifeless, withered plants.
"Is that all?" Ye Tianxie sneered, then flipped through the remains of the plants, tossing a yellow-glowing bronze item and two steel items into his backpack. Though the carnivorous plants were strong, as a one-star mini-boss, their loot drop rate was far better than that of ordinary monsters. After collecting coins, potions, and other spoils, Ye Tianxie crouched down and cast his frequently used gathering skill on the plants’ corpses.
" Ding… No items available for gathering from the violent carnivorous plants."
Ye Tianxie stood up, stepped over the corpses, and walked forward, standing before a stone door. He placed his hand on it. The first trial had been a breeze for him—only a few seconds had passed, and he was unharmed… but that ease was only relative to him. Regardless of his precise positioning, distance calculation, or incredible reflexes and confidence, how many could achieve the same? Standing at the most perfect spot to make all twelve plants attack at once was undoubtedly the best strategy, but if his reaction had been even slightly slower, the result would have been inevitable—being killed instantly!
Behind the stone door, the ground no longer had the eerie green hue but instead presented a dark, oppressive atmosphere, the air noticeably colder and gloomier.
Before him stood more carnivorous plants—same number, same appearance, same distribution—but their color was different…
Dark Carnivorous Flower: Level 10, Two-Star Elite
Health: 1700
The Dark Carnivorous Flower is a mutated form of the raging carnivorous flower, having absorbed an excessive amount of magical energy. Its nature has become even more vicious. While tearing into its target, it releases a terrifying toxin.
Skill: Deadly Devour
The flower opens its razor-sharp teeth to bite a single target, dealing 100 points of base damage and inflicting a 100% chance of poisoning. The poisoned target loses 15 health per second and has a 4% chance of being completely devoured.