As Shi Feng stepped into the coverage of the twelve pillars of light atop the divine altar, the pillars ceased their assault, allowing the barely surviving Shi Feng to let out a sigh of relief.
He had charged to the treasure chest with less than 10% of his HP remaining. A few more rounds of attacks and he would have certainly died under the bombardment of those pillars.
However, thanks to his Blade Dance skill, he had been able to cover the final twenty yards. Without it, he never would have made it.
The swords manipulated by Blade Dance could unleash 80% of a player's base attributes, while also carrying the weapon's own properties. The power far exceeded that of the Abyssal Phantoms from the Nine-Headed Dragon Slash. Combined with the dual Burst, he had achieved strength approaching the Legendary tier, which was the only reason he could withstand the pillars' attacks.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to take a single step into the twenty-yard range and would have been obliterated by the pillars instantly.
"So this counts as passing the trial. But what on earth is inside this treasure chest to warrant such a test? Even Domain-realm monsters would likely die under these pillars' attacks." Shi Feng glanced up at the twelve pillars of light still hovering above his head, his heart still racing.
For a player trial, this difficulty far exceeded the Epic tier. He couldn't imagine any player in his previous life passing such a trial at level seventy or eighty.
Reaching the entry-level of the Realm of Reason wasn't even enough — he had needed three swords simultaneously on defense just to barely make it through.
After recovering for a moment, Shi Feng carefully approached the treasure chest crafted from Seven Star Crystal and clicked on it, selecting to open the chest.
A progress bar appeared before his eyes and the chest began to open slowly.
The instant the chest unlocked, the twelve pillars of light hovering above Shi Feng's head dissipated in an instant, transforming into twelve streams of radiance that flowed into the chest. A terrifying pressure then erupted outward.
The pressure spread like a tidal wave. Shi Feng himself was pinned in place, unable to move a single inch against it. It was only after the pressure gradually weakened that he could barely move his body again.
Once the radiance faded, the contents of the treasure chest were revealed before Shi Feng's eyes.
Inside the chest lay three items: a Rubik's cube crafted from Seven Star Crystals, a orb flickering with flames, and a crystal shimmering with purple light.
"No wonder the trial was so difficult — the rewards are this generous!"
Seeing the three items, everything clicked into place in Shi Feng's mind. He could barely contain his excitement, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. Especially at the flame-flickering orb and the dazzling crystal.
The Rubik's cube made from Seven Star Crystals was the key to unlocking Thunder Axe City — the quest item he needed. And the flame-flickering orb was the kind of item that any superpower would fight to the death over.
Because this orb was none other than a Tier 3 Strange Fire — the Meteoric Earthfire. It was a treasure that could dramatically increase the success rate of crafting for both Blacksmiths and Alchemists.
For Shi Feng himself, it was even more crucial — it was the key to mastering the Soul Fire.
A Tier 3 Strange Fire was extraordinarily rare across the entire Divine Realm. A single kingdom might not even contain one Tier 3 Strange Fire. Its value far surpassed Epic-tier items and was in no way inferior to fragments of Legendary items.
He had previously obtained only one Tier 3 Strange Fire by sheer luck — the Thunder Purple Fire — which had greatly enhanced his control over Soul Fire and significantly slowed the corrosion of the Soul Chains. If he absorbed another Tier 3 Strange Fire, he might be able to fully master Soul Fire and no longer need to worry about the Soul Chains' corrosion.
Of course, a Tier 3 Strange Fire could also be used to feed the Fire Spirit. However, for the Fire Spirit at its current stage, a single Tier 3 Strange Fire wouldn't bring about a fundamental upgrade. Advancing from Tier 3 to Tier 4 was an enormous leap. By his estimate, it would take at least two Tier 3 Strange Fires to accomplish that — or a massive quantity of Tier 1 and Tier 2 Strange Fires.
Rather than using it to boost the Fire Spirit's combat level, it would be better to first eliminate the sword hanging over his head.