Chapter 361: Silent Collaboration

After passing the Shadow Sect's trials, Xu Yang and Wushuang's greatest gain was not anything else, but rather the dozen or so loyal followers they had acquired.

The Shadow Sect's rules were exceptionally strict. After several trials, Xu Yang and Wushuang were completely reassured because, once these eleven individuals committed to following them, they could even refuse orders from Lord Eleven.

"Have you considered establishing a similar organization in the Divine Kingdom?" Xu Yang asked. "I must say, the Shadow Sect is definitely a significant factor in the Flame Kingdom's military strength. Their intelligence-gathering capabilities are astonishing, far superior to your own imperial guards."

Wushuang smiled confidently. "The foundation of the Divine Kingdom is faith, reverence for light, and adherence to the Heavenly Dao," she replied. "Powers that can only exist in the shadows, like this one, are meaningless in the face of absolute light."

Xu Yang shook his head helplessly, but he did not deny Wushuang's words and even largely agreed with her perspective.

Indeed, light and darkness are inherently two extremes and can never truly merge.

A few days later, the Shadow Sect's internal martial arts competition officially began. The chosen location was a place very familiar to Xu Yang and Wushuang: Misty Lake!

The ice surface completely sealed the lake water, and this smooth, tough layer of ice was the sole battlefield for the Shadow Sect's powerhouses in this competition.

Inside the tower by the lake, the mysterious masked woman appeared again.

This woman, named Black Rose, was the second-in-command of the entire Shadow Sect. Although not the absolute ruler, any Shadow Sect disciple had to unconditionally obey her orders and arrangements wherever she appeared.

"Madam, the five hundred participating disciples have assembled. Please give your instructions."

"Then let's begin at once."

"Understood!"

A bell chimed, and the first round of the competition began.

All five hundred Shadow Sect powerhouses took their positions on the ice surface. They were forbidden from using any external force and had to prevent their bodies from falling beneath the ice for the duration of one incense stick.

Little did they know that this trial was designed to test the internal cultivation foundations of the Shadow Sect disciples.

Being powerful enough to control the temperature emitted by one's own body was the highest realm a top-tier covert agent sought to achieve.

Black Rose announced, "Listen, this competition is to select ten of the most capable Kings of Covert Agents, who will lead an elite division of the Flame Kingdom to infiltrate the Divine Kingdom's territory. The mission is critical, and naturally requires you to possess matching strength. Without sufficient strength, you would only harm yourselves and others. Do not overexert yourselves. Even if you fail, simply give up. I will not impose any punishment."

Upon hearing Black Rose's words, many Shadow Sect participants with slightly weaker abilities began to relax.

Immediately after, one powerhouse after another fell into the ice abyss, instantly disappearing from sight.

Originally, everyone thought they would remain deep beneath the lake surface, awaiting reappearance.

But when feedback emerged from the first group of powerhouses who had sunk, large quantities of blood-red color stained the surrounding ice. Only then did those still on the ice surface realize that the claim of "no punishment" was merely a cruel jest from Black Rose!

"Madam! This..."

The archer guard beside her looked at Black Rose with some confusion, clearly unaware of the setup beneath.

"Hmph," Black Rose scoffed. "I said there would be no punishment, and they actually dared to relax. My Shadow Sect has no use for such trash. To tell you the truth, beneath this lake are countless poisons and fierce lake beasts. Once you fall beneath the ice, there is no escape from death! You still have half an incense stick's time. Good luck."

As soon as Black Rose's words were spoken, Xu Yang and Wushuang couldn't help but inwardly regard her with higher esteem.

Although such a selection method was incredibly cruel, her words ensured that only top-tier powerhouses with truly excellent qualities would remain.

Only truly powerful individuals who wouldn't falter at critical moments could join the Flame Kingdom's latest war plans.

With Black Rose's psychological deterrence, if their minds became tense, the temperature beneath their feet would rise more rapidly and uncontrollably. Half an incense stick's time was more than enough for the ice beneath their feet to melt.

In fact, only true powerhouses with unwavering minds could survive this seemingly insignificant first round.

In the blink of an eye, three-tenths of the five hundred Shadow Sect powerhouses had already been swallowed by the waters of Misty Lake, leaving over three hundred individuals who persevered until the end.

"For the second round," Black Rose announced, "contestants will form groups of thirty for a free-for-all brawl on the ice. The five strongest from each group will advance. Those who are thrown off the lake surface will be eliminated, but without punishment."

These individuals, having gone through the psychological trial of the first round, were considered to have passed the basic assessment stage. Even if they couldn't become leaders, they were still qualified to participate in battle. Therefore, from the second round onwards, the death elimination system ended, and the selection began to focus on assessing individual strength within the group.

Xu Yang and Wushuang were not placed in the same group, allowing them to fight with great enjoyment. Without revealing their true identities, they could be said to have outshone all others with their skills.

As their superiors, the thirty heads of the Shadow Sect's thirty elite divisions were not required to participate. Lord Eleven also remained on the shore, constantly observing Xu Yang and Wushuang's performance, which greatly pleased him.

With the conclusion of the second round, only fifty of the strongest individuals remained, advancing to the final third round, which was the true elimination stage.

"Just now," Black Rose announced, "I ordered Arrow Wolf to bury ten secret missions in the jungle behind you. This third round of trials requires each of you to find a mission based on your own abilities and complete it within three days. Upon successful completion, you will earn a spot as a commander in the reserve army, becoming a true core member of my Flame Kingdom. You may form your own groups or act alone. You can use any means you wish in this jungle. In short, I only want to see the results."

"Understood!"

"Act immediately!"

The fifty top powerhouses gradually disappeared into the jungle, beginning their search.

Xu Yang and Wushuang were not in a hurry to act. Instead, they stealthily moved in the quietest direction.

"I think this is an excellent opportunity for us to infiltrate the organization!" Wushuang transmitted her voice to Xu Yang.

"How so?"

"I have a way to pinpoint the exact locations of these ten missions," Wushuang explained. "I can assist you in your search. What you need to do is find these clues before anyone else and choose two missions that are most useful to us right now to begin with."

Xu Yang looked at Wushuang with no small amount of shock, but he quickly recalled the astonishing feat this girl had performed earlier in Prince Ying's mansion in the Ice and Snow Divine Dynasty.

The perfect fusion of powerful faith energy and angelic power allowed her to possess some ability to manipulate time, enabling her to, to a certain extent, replicate the traces left by the archer in the jungle.

In this way, Xu Yang and Wushuang could quickly ascertain the exact hiding places of these missions.

"All right, you command, and I'll search," Xu Yang agreed. "But you must be careful!"

"Don't worry!"