Within the Eternal Throne, all the big shots present could see the situation unfolding within the Twelfth Trial.
They were all shocked that Shi Feng had managed to command a Magic Artifact.
"What an astonishing little fellow. Not even a Tier-1 Swordsman, yet he can master a Magic Artifact, and has even unleashed it to such a degree."
"A master of a Magic Artifact, a dominator of Strange Fire, and his own control has clearly reached the introductory level with some accomplishment. Truly a pleasant surprise one after another."
"Exactly. Magic Artifact and Strange Fire aside, achieving this level of personal control is something many Tier-3 class holders can't manage. It seems the sixth round of the trial shouldn't be a problem. With such great potential, if he had come a bit later, he might have even passed the seventh round. What a pity."
The introductory level of control the NPC big shots referred to merely meant being able to unleash 50% of one's own combat power. These NPCs had no idea that Shi Feng was a peak Tier-3 Sword King in his previous life, capable of utilizing 80% of his combat strength. If not for physical limitations preventing his brain's potential from being fully developed, along with equipment issues, Shi Feng would have long been a Tier-4 Sword Emperor.
"But there's nothing to be done about it. Who could have expected the Abyss to be broken so quickly?"
"Regretting it won't help. Let's old geezers get ready, otherwise our old bones will be broken from exhaustion."
The big shots on the Silver Throne all acknowledged Shi Feng's potential, but none held hope for him passing the seventh round of the trial, as no one had passed it in over a thousand years.
Within the Twelfth Trial, the sixth round Shi Feng entered was a magma cavern, somewhat similar to the Flame God Cavern. However, the fire elements here were purer and denser. Boiling magma gurgled and flowed around Shi Feng. The ground's temperature was enough to roast a person alive. If not for Shi Feng's 20 fire resistance, which granted immunity to such temperatures, an ordinary player would be half-dead before even starting to fight.
Just as Shi Feng hadn't finished surveying the terrain, a massive serpent, over twenty meters long and entirely covered in flames, emerged from the magma.
Inferno Serpent, Special Elite, Level 20, Health 150,000.
Even if Shi Feng didn't know how powerful this Inferno Serpent was, he knew for certain it must possess extremely high resistance to fire-based attacks.
"I'll use you to test out my new weapon."
Shi Feng smiled faintly, drawing the Abyssal and Purgatory Shadow from his waist. He didn't charge straight in—that was something only a brute would do. Experts first understood their opponents and planned before acting. So Shi Feng stood still, quietly observing the Inferno Serpent's every movement, familiarizing himself with its patterns.
But the Inferno Serpent wasn't stupid. Clearly far stronger than Shi Feng and possessing abundant health, it would never give him time to study it. Its massive maw opened, and fireballs shot towards Shi Feng.
Shi Feng's feet moved, instantly leaving an afterimage as he easily dodged the fireballs.
However, the Inferno Serpent didn't relent, continuously spitting fireballs to bombard Shi Feng.
Three to five at once wasn't enough, so it launched ten, then twenty, densely packed.
This attack mode not only dealt damage but also kept the enemy at bay. An ordinary player would likely be blown to bits by a dozen fireballs in the first encounter. But Shi Feng was different. Instead of retreating, he advanced, showing no signs of distress. Instead, he moved as if dancing amidst the flames, relaxed and almost playful.
But when Shi Feng got within twenty yards of the Inferno Serpent, advancing purely by dodging was no longer feasible.
"Got a good feel for the timing. Now let's see what this new weapon can do," Shi Feng thought with a smile, watching the serpent constantly belching fireballs.
Shi Feng activated the Ice Blue Demonic Flame. Deep blue flames enveloped his entire body, and a silent step put him directly behind the serpent's giant head.
His first sword strike landed, inflicting 372 points of damage.
"So much defense!" Shi Feng stared in disbelief at the damage dealt.
The Abyssal itself had an attack power of 302. With his own strength factored in, his attack power exceeded 700. Moreover, he had activated the Ice Blue Demonic Flame mode, boosting his damage by 20%. Yet he only dealt 372 points. Its defense was astonishingly high, comparable to that of a high-defense Boss monster.
If he hadn't upgraded the Abyssal to level 20, and if he wasn't wielding the top-tier Dark Gold single-handed sword Purgatory Shadow, Shi Feng would be lucky to deal 150 points of damage.
Shi Feng was very glad now that he hadn't rushed into the sixth round of the trial. Otherwise, his chance of victory would have been less than twenty percent.
But this thought lasted only an instant; Shi Feng's attack never stopped.
One Whirlwind Slash, three arcs of cyan lightning plunged into the flames, piercing the Inferno Serpent's fiery body and dealing -554, -1528, and -1125 points of damage. The damage was significantly higher than before, and it also applied a damage amplification effect lasting 20 seconds.
Immediately after, another slash exploded for nearly two thousand points of damage.
By the time Shi Feng landed, he had unleashed several more sword strikes. The Abyssal had a 40% critical hit rate, so criticals were landing constantly. Over seven thousand points of health vanished instantly, but against 150,000 total health, he would need to land twenty more such combos to finish off the Inferno Serpent.
Originally, Shi Feng felt pretty good—even without using the Black Emperor, he had a good chance of killing the Inferno Serpent. However, he quickly discovered the serpent's health regeneration speed was terrifyingly fast, recovering 500 health per second. That equaled the damage of one of his normal swings, meaning it could fully heal in less than twenty seconds.
Moreover, the now-alerted Inferno Serpent's tail was already lashing towards him.
Shi Feng hastily used Parry, blocking the tail's sweep. He took no damage but was forced back three steps, his hands slightly numb. Its destructive power surpassed even that of a Chimera, and it was faster too. He could only manage to parry, unable to even dodge.
However, the Parry skill had a 30-second cooldown. Even at level seven, it still required 21 seconds of cooldown.
Additionally, Shi Feng had an attack-and-survival skill, Sword Control Return to Heaven. Although it was only level six, its cooldown was 2 minutes. It could block four melee attacks and eight ranged attacks without suffering knockback effects, making it far more useful than Parry.
Seeing over a dozen fireballs flying towards him, Shi Feng leaped into the air, dodging them. Immediately, the serpent's tail swept in again, whistling like a gale.
Shi Feng didn't back down. He unleashed his level seven Flaming Thunder Burst to meet the attack.
Flames erupted in all directions as the serpent's tail was knocked back, taking over four hundred points of damage. Shi Feng himself crashed heavily onto the ground, shattering the rock beneath him and sinking three inches in, while over seven hundred points of damage popped up above his head. In a direct confrontation, Shi Feng was always at a slight disadvantage. However, in the entire Divine Realm right now, Shi Feng was likely the only player who dared to trade blows with such a Special Elite and only come off slightly worse.