Pillar of Yita

In the trials of the Dragon’s Nest, the first seven levels were guarded by Golem Guards, with each level’s guardians stronger than the last.

However, on the third level, these rigid statues were not much of a threat. Fang Hong quietly assessed his own strength and realized he could easily take down the golems on this level, not to mention the Silver Weslan.

Sure enough, under Sophie’s leadership, the people of Silver Weslan easily defeated the guardians of the Teleportation Gate. However, they ran into some trouble when entering the gate, as someone accidentally triggered a trap left by the Jiefulite Red Cloak Team, sending a burst of explosive light from the darkness that caused a moment of chaos.

Four deeply scheming individuals watched the entire process from behind a shadow wall.

Parker was still relieved that someone else had triggered the mine for them. However, Fang Hong was deeply impressed by Silver Weslan’s Shield Master, who, in the split second of the explosion, had opened a silver shield, enveloping everyone within it, potentially saving many from being downed.

He turned around, just in time to see Tainaric with a heavy gaze, looking in the same direction. ”Did you notice that too?” he couldn’t help but ask.

Tainaric nodded.

Fang Hong said, ”If we get into a conflict with the people from Silver Weslan later, someone needs to restrain that Shield Master immediately.”

Both men looked towards the teenager beside them.

Xiangzi flipped up his high collar, shadows swirling below the shadow wall, leaving only a pair of heterochromatic eyes visible, his voice sounding as if it came from the depths of an abyss: ”Intuitive Dodge, Shield Trigger, if he crosses hands with me, he is already dead.”

Fang Hong was so annoyed he nearly threw a Sicape chop at him.

”Can you start speaking normally, speak human?”

”...” Xiangzi felt he couldn’t stay in this team much longer, the temporary captain didn’t respect him at all. It was very different back in the Storm when everyone was tolerant and wouldn’t question his style of doing things—actually, they wouldn’t question anything at all.

As if he didn’t exist.

But as an emotionless assassin, he rather enjoyed that feeling.

Fourth floor, Labyrinth—

As for which part of the Black Holy City this layer originally belonged to, it is now untraceable. This area was rumored to have been most thoroughly destroyed in an earthquake, and the Giant Dragon Toragotos had remade it with magical power, turning it into the vast labyrinth people see today.

This level had no lord; whether one could go to the next level and find the right Teleportation Gate was somewhat up to luck. Strength didn’t play a big role here, rather, facial expressions did—of course, luck was also a part of strength.

However, Fang Hong soon realized his foolishness as he hadn’t noticed that the Papalars were scouting ahead. By the time he realized it, it was ominously too late.

Fang Hong, with a dark expression, pulled Parker back and rolled up his sleeve to look at it, the black mark was faint, but not completely faded.

”What now?” Parker was still shouting, ”What exactly is this thing, I’ve wanted to ask for a long time.”

”Good stuff,” Fang Hong confidently answered.

Tainaric, somewhat surprisingly, glanced at the Papalarian.

”Tainaric, do you know what this is?” Being a Nightingale, Parker keenly noticed the latter’s gaze.

But the Lizardman Prince ignored him coldly.

”Alright,” the Papalarian quickly corrected himself: ”Your Highness Lizardman Prince, I know you definitely know what this is.”

Tainaric then turned around and succinctly replied, ”A curse.”

”A curse!” Parker went pale, repeating loudly, ”A curse? It’s not going to kill me, right? Becoming progressively weaker until I turn into a pile of white bones, I get it, Papalarian, death.”

”It’s not that serious,” Tainaric replied, ”My human brother is not wrong, this is indeed a good thing. This is Tangka’s blessing, she presides over destiny, and destiny is about balance, what you lose will eventually come back.”

”In the Xinsas Era, people often used this blessing to avoid real misfortune. Of course, only the Ritualists knew the secret of how to use it.”

”Wait, wait, wait,” Parker exaggeratedly said, ”What destiny? What exactly is its effect again?”

”Simply put, it makes your luck very bad.”

”Luck becomes very bad!” Parker exclaimed loudly, ”Does it include gambling luck too?”

Tainaric nodded, ending the conversation.

The Papalarian was stunned for a moment, his eyes as black as beans showing the most incredible light, he screamed, ”Ah! Damn cheater Paladin! And Tianlan! Give me back my pocket money!”

Fang Hong, hearing this scream from afar, almost laughed out loud.

Because these days, the Big Cat People and Tianlan, with or without reason, always found excuses to play cards with Parker, and had already won a large sum of this little fatty’s pocket money. Of course, it didn’t take long for this money to become the fine tobacco in the Big Cat People’s pipes.

It was almost like robbery.

This made him doubt for a while if Reed was a fake Paladin, but it turned out that he still received Marlan’s shelter—apparently, this lady of righteousness and valor was very indulgent of her Paladin—or rather, as the Big Cat People said, Marlan was pursuing her own true justice.