"Is this an illusion?!" Raphael climbed up from the ruins, his gaze fixed on Xu Lang with shock and suspicion.

"It's blade technique," Xu Lang corrected.

"Hah, trying to fool me?" Raphael sneered coldly. "Spirit attribute is suppressed to the extreme in this space. What you used should be a body-type illusion technique, right? That's truly rare!"

Xu Lang drew his long blade again.

"Wait wait wait wait wait!" Raphael hastily retreated, shouting, "That one didn't count! Let me recover a bit, and we'll start over."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over his arms, which were almost completely severed.

At this moment, he still couldn't believe it in his heart!

He had actually been defeated just like that, as if in a dream!

Weren't we fighting back and forth evenly last time?

"Fine," Xu Lang nodded. "I also happen to have some things to ask you."

"Go ahead, but I'm not sure if you'll be able to hear some of the information," Raphael nodded.

"It's fine, as long as you're willing to answer."

Raphael nodded in agreement.

"Are you the Mad King's guard?" Xu Lang asked directly.

"You actually figured it out!"

"There were quite a few clues..." Xu Lang stared at Raphael with his Nightmare Eye, his tone slow and deliberate.

Mad King Trial, imperial guard, Blood Empire...

Next, Raphael began responding to Xu Lang's questions. Although the sound was erased by the Dorm Survival Game, Xu Lang could see it with his eyes.

The Nightmare Eye was bypassing the dormitory building's mechanisms, exploiting a bug to obtain key information in advance!

Listening to Raphael's account, the corners of Xu Lang's mouth gradually lifted.

Through Raphael's words, he glimpsed a broader and more magnificent world.

The Blood Empire was once the most powerful nation on the Blood Ancestor Continent. How powerful was this country?

Slaying dragons, confronting ghostly deities, decisive battles in the void, all nations submitting in awe!

During the reign of the last king, the Mad King, they even imprisoned an Astral God!

The Mad King coveted the god's power, went mad during the god-ascension ritual, causing the entire nation's destruction.

That was the general information. More specific details, Raphael couldn't remember very clearly either.

For example, the Mad King's true name.

Raphael actually had no memory of such key information at all.

"You say, did the Mad King succeed in ascending in the end?" Xu Lang asked.

"I don't know," Raphael shook his head. "I think he succeeded. That Majesty was the strongest ruler of our Blood Empire."

Xu Lang nodded, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade.

He couldn't extract more information. It was time to send Raphael on his way.

By now, Raphael had mostly recovered. His skeletal hand gripped the long blade, its tip aimed at the center of Xu Lang's brow.

His body sank lower, but the position the blade tip pointed at remained unchanged!

The next instant, he lunged forward!

Alarm bells rang wildly in Xu Lang's heart. He instantly drew his blade.

*Crackle-crackle-crackle~~~*

Two shockwaves collided mid-air!

Xu Lang narrowed his eyes. Innate True Qi erupted along his blade edge, creating a stalemate!

At the moment their force fields were locked, Xu Lang displayed terrifying, monstrous wrist strength!

His wrist exerted force, pressing downward!

Raphael's force field completely collapsed. His sternum shattered, and he was sent flying backward.

"Truly a monster!"

"You've won."

"I really wish I could fight you when I had a physical body. If you participated in the Master Tournament, you'd definitely win the championship, right?!"

Raphael cackled with strange laughter. Before, he looked at Xu Lang with appreciation. Now, there was a hint of fear.

What on earth is going on with this person?

Completely beyond the norm!

A reincarnated god would be no more than this.

Xu Lang sheathed his blade. A line of scarlet chains shot out from the front, instantly wrapping around Raphael.

"What are you doing? You've already won!" Raphael was puzzled and also somewhat panicked. "I don't play that butt-stabbing stuff, and I'm already a skeleton!"

Doing what?

Of course, extracting every last drop of value!

A qualified Shepherd doesn't waste the blood, flesh, skin, hair, bones, or organs of the livestock.

Although Raphael was a skeleton, there was still something that could be squeezed out.

Xu Lang looked at the Herding Chains on Raphael, pondering internally.

"I'm using the Scarlet Herding Chains more and more fluidly."

Though unwilling to admit it, his talent for developing the Scarlet Shepherd was truly maxed out.

Afterward, he felt a bit of a sigh.

The difficulty of the Mad King Trial was really somewhat low.

He hadn't even manifested his Rakshasa True Form yet, and Raphael was already being trampled like this.

The Scarlet Herding Chains retracted, bringing back a crystal that made Xu Lang's eyes light up.

...

To be safe, Xu Lang performed a second simulation.

In this simulation, he defeated Raphael in less than ten moves.

...

Xu Lang began the true trial.

This time, while draining Raphael dry, he also took his black blade.

Failing the Mad King Trial meant death, which indicated this space had a certain degree of reality. So, plundering the opponent was also reasonable.

This further led him to a thought.

If Raphael killed him, would his player identity be plundered?

"It's actually still this," Xu Lang stared at the crystal in his hand, quite intrigued.

[Blood Empire Master Tournament Image Crystal]

[Type: Item]

[Level: 30]

[Rarity: Excellent]

[Effect: Participate in the 108th Blood Empire Master Tournament in the form of an illusion realm]

[Introduction: I should be second place—Raphael]

This was the first time Xu Lang had seen a level 30 item.

The level was so high, and the rarity wasn't low either. It definitely wasn't as simple as it appeared on the surface. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Xu Lang didn't underestimate this item. He decided to try using it after selecting his attribute talents.

In the deep, abyss-like dark space, five clusters of scarlet flames floated, emanating the most primal motive force of life.

Two of these flame clusters directly rushed into his body.

[You have obtained the Constitution talents "Principle of Force" and "Heart of Reverse Entropy"]

[Principle of Force: Constitution increased by 50 points. Normal attacks can exert 100% of your strength. Physical endurance is infinitely enhanced, maintaining peak condition until the moment before death]

[Heart of Reverse Entropy: Actively shatter your heart to revert your body's state to what it was 3 minutes ago. Cooldown time: 30 seconds]

"So damn awesome! Mad King Trial, I love you!" Xu Lang felt the surging vitality within his body, feeling like he could punch through the void before him with one fist.

He lowered his head, clenching his fist, feeling that a single finger could exert the full strength of his entire body. Five fingers would be five times the strength of his entire body.

This feeling was absolutely incredible!

He raised his head, looking at the other three scarlet flames symbolizing attribute talents.

[Ultimate Liberation: Burn the fire of life, unleash all life potential, burn everything to ashes, ceasing only upon death]

[King's Aura: Charm increased by 100%. Increases the imposing aura that makes living beings submit. Effectiveness of aura-type skills increased by 100%]

[Overlord: Kicking technique strength increased by 30%. Fist technique strength increased by 30%. Body strength increased by 30% (covers abnormal resistance, endurance, explosive power)]