Meanwhile, at the Nantianmen in the Divine Realm.
The originally mist-shrouded, solemn Nantianmen had now turned into something resembling a mortal market, packed with gods and immortals from all directions.
“Hurry, hurry, hurry! Su Fu entered a high-level dungeon this time, with a large capacity. We should be able to get our turn!”
“Speed it up, don’t miss out again! If we’re late, we won’t make it!”
“You said it! The last time, the Primordial Desolation immortals stole the lead. This time, no matter what, we can’t fall behind!”
A group of gods rushed about frantically, riding clouds and mists, quickly passing through Nantianmen.
“Lord Wenqu Star! What divine power are you planning to bestow this time?”
“[Turning Poetry into Blades, Manifesting Words]! What about you?”
“Sending money! Last time I gave the Universal Merchant Alliance, this time I’m planning to pair it with “Zhen Cai Jin Bao”!”
“What?! Zhao Gongming! Why are you here again?!”
“Who would want your money-grubbing skill? Let me, Yue Lao, send “Marriage Threads of Fate” — now that’s a real necessity!”
Just as they were talking, they suddenly saw a few familiar divine lights flash by in front of them. It was none other than several fellow cultivators they were on good terms with.
“Hey? Did you just come back?”
“Don’t even mention it!” Shunfeng Er said helplessly, “Rushed as fast as I could, but still missed the window!”
“What? Late again?” The gods were shocked. “That’s impossible, right? Didn’t the dungeon just open? How could it already be too late? Who’s that fast?”
“Who else could it be?” Shunfeng Er sighed. “The ones who had already bestowed divine techniques on that girl before!”
“They’d already met Su Fu, so this time they knew the ropes. Skipped the summoning step, stuffed all the good stuff in!”
“No wonder!”
“Using their familiarity to steal a march!”
“They’ve already given once, and now they’re taking our spots again!”
“Shameless! Absolutely shameless!”
Hearing this, the gods were all indignant.
“Don’t let me find out who it is!”
The Qianli Yan beside Shunfeng Er added, “I know.”
“First was the Buddhist Dharma Master Xuanzang, leading his disciples.”
“Also Yuanfeng Laozu, the Ancient God Gonggong, Nezha Third Prince, and Erlang Zhenjun!”
“Good heavens!”
“Yuanfeng doesn’t play fair! Didn’t he just send a divine power last time?!”
“Not only that, but also the human sage Confucius, Martial Saint Guan Yu…”
The gods listened with envy. “Wait! If you count them, that’s ten already, right?”
“Is there any room left for us?”
“Hurry! Squeeze forward and see! Maybe there’s still a chance!”
“No need to run.” Martial Saint Guan Yu, stroking his long beard with narrowed phoenix eyes, walked over with a hint of pride and satisfaction.
“Fellow comrades, no need to crowd.”
“The blessing quota for this dungeon is full. I, Guan Yu, unworthy as I am, happen to be the last.”
Gods:
“ “
“What do you mean, it’s full again?!”
“Wasn’t this dungeon supposed to be high-level?!”
Just then, the Sage of Literature Confucius stepped forward, cupping his hands toward the gods.
“Everyone, no need to rush.”
“I observed inside just now. This dungeon has enormous potential, far beyond ordinary dungeons.”
“The current quota is not its upper limit. It’s simply locked due to some mechanism within the dungeon.”
“Locked state?”
“Precisely.” Confucius smiled. “As young friend Su Fu continues to advance through the trial, the dungeon space will naturally unlock more of its potential.”
“My estimation is that it can accommodate at least two more waves, or even three, of blessings.”
“So, all of you need only wait a little while. Once young friend Su Fu makes some progress inside, the next opportunity should arrive soon.”
Gods:
“ “
So we still have to wait?!
—
Meanwhile, in-dungeon chat channel.
[Announcement:- Su Fu has obtained Confucius’s new divine power (Spring and Autumn Brushwork · Sacred Words)!]
[Announcement:- Su Fu has obtained Guan Yu’s new divine artifact (Martial Saint · Green Dragon Crescent Blade)!]
The channel fell into dead silence.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
[Image: A passerby gets kicked hard.jpg]
[This is too much! Is this the value of being the darling of fortune?!]
[Watching this makes me grimace in envy… I wish I could take her place!]
[Already blackened. Do not disturb.]
Only after that terrifying chain of announcements finally ended, and after a long pause, did everyone tentatively send new messages:
[That’s it? Really? You’re not lying to me?]
[Rejoice! Finally over! Heaven has no eyes!]
[It’s nothing, just ten gifts… (already crying in the bathroom)]
[One more and I’d lose my mind!]
[A single person can’t… at least shouldn’t… be this ridiculous, right?]
[Finally stopped. I’ve never seen anything like this.]
[If I recall, didn’t Su Fu previously receive the right to choose any of the Dragon Clan’s twelve divine powers? (weak voice)]
[So that means this batch hasn’t even reached twelve yet. That’s not impressive.]
[How is that the same?! This time she got them all at once!]
[The above comment makes it sound like Su Fu is picking out cabbage at a market… (sighs softly)]
[Disparity. The disparity of life. In this moment, it’s vividly displayed.]
Just as everyone was still buzzing about Su Fu’s heaven-defying start, filled with envy and jealousy, someone finally interrupted.
[Ahem, everyone, let’s stop discussing Su Fu for now. Let’s talk about ourselves.]
[What exactly is going on? I was just eating when suddenly the Inheritor reminded me that I meet the standard for the Human Spark. Then before I knew it, I was teleported to this strange place!]
[The person above doesn’t know yet? Su Fu activated the Genesis Academy’s legendary dungeon — the Torch Dungeon.]
[I get it! This is co-op mode, right? So they brought all of us in too? Look at the channel name. It says so!]
[What does that mean? That we… have to participate in this Torch Trial together with Su Fu?]
[That should be it! Everyone here must have passed some kind of screening, judged to meet the requirements for Spark Inheritance!]
[Wow! Now I feel like I’ve suddenly swelled up! So I’m a chosen one too!]
[Three hundred and sixty-five people in total… meaning we were selected from all of humanity?]
[Doesn’t that mean I too have the potential to become a savior?!]
[The person above has absolutely no chance!]
[Why not? Even though Su Fu was the one who activated the dungeon, I still got selected!]
[Everyone, don’t belittle yourselves to boost others’ confidence!]
[Weren’t there many people who didn’t accept this earlier? Now that we’re all in, let’s put our money where our mouth is! Let’s see who’s the real top one!]
[That’s right! Let’s compete with Su Fu this time and see who’s stronger!]
[Wow! Now I feel like all my blood is burning!]
[Let’s do it! What’s there to fear!]
[The ultimate winner will surely be Lady Rose of our Guardian Organization!]
[Stop bragging about the Guardian Organization, okay?! The Spark Inheritance requires both protection and pioneering!]
[When it comes to pioneering, it’s definitely General Victor of our Expeditionary Force!]
[I disagree. The Torch Trial must place extremely high demands on the participants’ knowledge reserves and wisdom.]
[Therefore, Lady Bai Ya, Chief Scholar of our Ministry of Education, is the rightful choice!]
[Pfft, what use is knowledge when you encounter an Anomaly you can’t understand? You still rely on Dr. Zero from our Anomaly Management Bureau!]
[Doctor requests to join the battle!]
[Freedom above all! Boss Fengzi Luke is the strongest!]
[…I’m tired of seeing these old faces every day. Is there any point in arguing?]
[I think the new generation replaces the old. I support this year’s new students: @Elvira @Huangfu Yun @Xiao Jin @Wangshu Li…]
The named new students:
Caught off guard.
[Wait! It’s starting! We’re about to choose the map!]
Instantly, the channel prohibited speaking.
Everyone’s vision suddenly displayed a huge map selection interface.
Su Fu looked at the map options before her, her expression turning somewhat subtle.
‘This can’t be right, can it?’
Before her were three options:
The first map: [Foggy Orphan City].
In the image, it was a city shrouded in thick gray-black fog. Tall chimneys belched black smoke, steam and ash intertwined, and lurking in the streets and alleys were nameless shadows.
The second map: [Winter Is Coming].
It was a freezing, snow-covered land. The wind howled, and in the distance, a castle seemed to flicker in and out of sight through the blizzard, making one think of an unending winter.
The last was [Great Wall Vigil].
Beacon fires and wolf smoke, iron horses and frozen rivers, the towering Great Wall winds to the horizon, and beyond the wall, enemies like a black tide surge forward.
Below the three maps, a line of small text displays:
[Current Unlockable Count: 1/3]
[Please select your current map!]
‘Huh?’
‘She wants me to clear these dungeons?’
‘I can only choose one right now… what about after that?’
‘Is she really expecting me to clear all three dungeons?’
‘Foggy Orphan City, plus Winter Is Coming, plus Great Wall Vigil… a direct triple whammy of human civilization, huh?’
‘Heavens above!’
‘Wait… this is a co-op dungeon.’
‘That means everyone needs to work together to clear all three?’
‘But there are only three hundred sixty-five people in total!’
‘Tsk, isn’t the difficulty maxed out just like that?!’
Just from the names of the three maps, you could tell how hard they were.
Especially the last one, [Great Wall Vigil] . It was almost certain to be the most difficult of the three.
“Sigh.”
She let out a sigh, her expression somewhat grave.
‘At this rate, I can only choose [Great Wall Vigil]. Even if it’s the hardest, there’s no other choice.’
Not that she was biased, but anyone who wasn’t Chinese had almost no chance of clearing this dungeon…
“First Emperor, you have to protect me…” she murmured under her breath, then unhesitatingly selected Great Wall Vigil.
As she made her choice, the Exam System’s prompt sounded again:
[You have confirmed your choice: Great Wall Vigil dungeon.]
[Loading map…]
[Map loaded.]
[Please do your best to clear it!]
Meanwhile, at the Creator’s White Tower.
The sacred artifact [Void Weaving Needle] in Augustus’s hand suddenly emitted a faint hum. At the tip of the needle, a slight fluctuation of spatial energy slowly rippled outward.
The smell.
Half.”
“It worked!” Augustus exclaimed with a delighted expression. “Great! Now we can finally go in!”
“Su Fu being able to activate the Ember Invitation only proves she’s worth our recruitment.”
“This time, we’re sure to succeed!”
Laiyin raised an eyebrow.
“…You’re pretty confident.”
“Of course!” Augustus declared proudly. “Right now, only we can use the [Void Weaving Needle] to enter the dungeon she’s in.”
“No other irrelevant people will disturb us. Our success rate has increased dramatically!”
“Let’s go!”
He activated the [Void Weaving Needle] . Space instantly twisted, and a strong sense of vertigo assaulted them.
The next second, Laiyin found the scene before him abruptly shifting.
Around them were towering, oppressive brick buildings. Narrow streets were shrouded in thick coal smoke and fog. The air was filled with a pungent, strange smell.
In the distance came the dull roar of steam engines, along with the faint sound of a child crying.
“This is…” Laiyin stared at the scene before him, momentarily stunned. “What kind of weird dungeon is this?”
He turned to look at Augustus, only to find that the man who had been so full of vigor moments ago was now leaning weakly against the wall, breathing heavily.
Laiyin was startled and said with concern, “Are you about to die or something?”
Augustus: “…”
He shook his head with difficulty, his voice hoarse: “The [Void Weaving Needle] consumes a huge amount of Divine Power. It’s drained most of mine.”
Laiyin breathed a sigh of relief.
He’d thought the air here was toxic and Augustus had been caught off guard.
“Tsk, you really went all out.”
He was genuinely surprised. These believers really were fanatical.
Augustus pulled out an extremely weak smile. “Everything… everything is worth it.”
“Now, we just need… to find the only Ember Trial candidate, Su Fu, as quickly as possible, and then…”
Before he could finish, a few examinees suddenly appeared at a street corner not far away, looking around in confusion.
“So this is the Foggy Orphan City dungeon?”
“The air quality here is terrible. Are we supposed to experience life here or something?”
“And find some orphans to complete the mission, I guess?”
Augustus: “…”
Laiyin: “…”
“Just… us?”
Great Wall Vigil Map.
Su Fu opened her eyes and saw an extremely sparsely furnished adobe house.
The room was small, with only a hard plank bed made of rough wooden boards. The earthen walls were mottled, and the wooden beams were crude.
For a moment, she felt a little dazed, as if she had returned to Su Er’ya’s home in Chao Ge.
Then, a sobbing sound suddenly rang in her ears, like the howl of wind blowing across a city wall.
Soon, the System’s voice interrupted her thoughts:
[Map: Great Wall Vigil, login complete.]
[You have automatically obtained the following initial identity:]
[Name: Su Changying]
[Identity: Yanmen Commandery, Great Wall Garrison Army]
[Background: Your family has guarded the Great Wall for generations, resisting anomaly invasions. You enlisted three months ago and are still getting familiar with military life.]
[Character Relationships: Squad leader Meng Erya, comrade Li Shitou…]
[Expertise: Slightly versed in medicine (family tradition), passable archery (acquired after enlistment)]
[Starting Items: Standard horizontal saber (worn), coarse linen uniform (for warmth), one water pouch, three days’ rations, one basic wound medicine.]
Su Fu looked down at her own rough palms and the worn saber hilt, then let out a light breath.
‘So it really is the Great Wall Garrison Army.’
The System continued its prompts:
[Current Era Background: An anomalous tide is invading on a massive scale, the frontier is ablaze with war. This is an age of life and death for civilization.]
[Please earnestly roleplay your current identity and treat everything as real. Act with caution.]
[Additionally, due to the special nature of this Ember Trial, you can revive an unlimited number of times within the dungeon.]
[Current revival count: 0.]
[Main Objective: Repair the Great Wall.]
[Specific Task: Repair three hundred li of damaged wall on the eastern section of Yanmen Pass. Coordinates…]
[Repair Progress: 0%]
Su Fu: ‘…’
‘Repair the damaged wall?’
‘Wait, is it guarding the Great Wall or repairing the Great Wall?’