Chapter 2715: Chapter 2716: The First Trial
Seeing Angelâs "feigned confusion," The Sage Sovereign couldnât be bothered to say anything more and simply waved his hand: "Forget it, forget it. Whatever secrets you want to hide, I wonât meddle. Anyway, the contract was successfully signed. As long as you adhere to it, nothing else matters."
The Sage Sovereignâs "generous" stance only made Angel more puzzled.
Not just Angel, the others also didnât understand what The Sage Sovereign meant.
--- Could it be that Angelâs true form is unpresentable? Covered up completely?
What The Sage Sovereign referred to could either be the literal true form or a metaphor for the true nature of oneâs personality. The latter they might understand, but the former would indeed be a perplexing statement.
Everyone had seen Angelâs true form. To say itâs unpresentable would be incorrect. As for whether Angel was hiding his true form, theyâre not blind. An apprentice might not see through a Shapeshifting Technique, but an Official Wizard could, especially with the Black Earl present, as he could easily identify whether Angelâs appearance was real or fake.
Everyone harbored doubts but couldnât speak on Angelâs behalf, so they remained silent.
Angel, on the other hand, had countless little bubbles of doubt rising in his mind. He really wanted to ask for clarification, but he worried if The Sage Sovereignâs vision might have something to do with a certain someone.
While Angel was struggling with whether to ask, The Sage Sovereign moved on to the next topic: "The contract is sealed. You can choose to have me fulfill it now, or at any other time."
The part of the contract related to The Sage Sovereign naturally pertained to the rewards and feedback after its formation. By "fulfilling it," The Sage Sovereign meant revealing some matters about past experiments and the truth about the snake-wrapped cone.
Angel thought for a moment and said, "Letâs wait till weâre at The Sage Sovereignâs abode to discuss further."
The Sage Sovereign was just about to respond when he paused for a couple of seconds, then smiled slightly: "Even if you asked me to speak now, it might be too late."
Angel: "Huh?"
The Sage Sovereign turned his head, his gaze precisely piercing through the Luxury Nightmare Realm, toward the direction of the Hanging Jail Stairway.
"Because your first trial has arrived."
The first trial? Upon hearing this, everyoneâs expressions immediately became serious. This trial was entirely different from the bonus test previously given by The Sage Sovereign.
The earlier test from The Sage Sovereign, though mandatory, did not intend for them to risk their lives.
It was merely an excuse to probe their information under the guise of a test.
But this time, The Sage Sovereignâs mention of a trial undoubtedly represented an interception initiated by "her." If unsuccessful, it would lead to annihilation.
Therefore, they had to treat it seriously.
"I wonder what this so-called trial entails?" the Black Earl inquired.
They had previously deduced that You Nuâs trial was certainly not here but at the crossroads before reaching the Hall of Wisdom. Therefore, this trial must be unrelated to You Nu.
Their hope was for You Nuâs three children to deliver the trial because The Sage Sovereign could control their actions and even make them assist Angel in discerning You Nuâs constraints within the Magical Energy Array.
But if it wasnât those three, extra caution was necessary for this trial.
The Sage Sovereign didnât immediately reply but instead closed his eyes as if sensing something.
After about a minute, he opened his eyes and returned to reality. But before The Sage Sovereign could speak, they heard a voice in their ears.
"Noahâs descendants, leave now, and you may be intact. But if you insist on pressing forward, you will understand the meaning of... despair."
The voice was female, delivering a threat with an indifferent tone.
Everyone exchanged glances, finally turning to look at Angel. Since they were in Angelâs Luxury Nightmare Realm, it was challenging to discern the voiceâs origin, so they could only rely on Angel.
However, Angel put his right index finger to his lips in a "hush" gesture.
Soon, the female voice resonated again, this time not directed at the "outsider."
"Sage Sovereign, you should know that arrogance is the original sin."
The Sage Sovereign responded with a light smile: "I am neither arrogant nor treacherous. You should see more clearly than I."
"Hmph, abandon your unfounded desire to pry; the Qingkong Poetry Room has nothing you seek."
This time, the Sage Sovereign remained silent.
As the female voice ceased, it gradually faded into... ripples.
Literal ripples.
"Her voice came from the surface of the fountain outside," Angel paused: "Now that the ripples on the water have vanished, she must have left."
"The water surface?" Dox recalled the pitch-black, foul-smelling water in the fountain outside, furrowing his brows: "She doesnât seem to mind her location in the slightest."
"Even if itâs sewage, the surface can still be called a mirror... Was it her?" the Black Earl said, turning to The Sage Sovereign.
The Sage Sovereign squinted with a smile: "Congratulations, you guessed right. But, no rewards."
"Did she suddenly appear to declare war this time?" Dox asked.
The Sage Sovereign: "You can take it as a declaration of war, or perhaps the prelude to the trial about to commence. However, her appearance this time was more about issuing a warning to me."
"As you heard earlier, she has discovered my connection with you. Fortunately, she hasnât realized how far our collaboration has progressed."
After saying this, The Sage Sovereign shifted his gaze from Angel, who was directly opposite, to the Black Earl and others.
"Speaking of collaboration, I have now signed a contract with the elusive Angel, tentatively placing us on the same side," The Sage Sovereign continued: "What about you? Shouldnât you also make an agreement with me under the witness of the True Words Tome?"
Ordinary agreements rely on the honor between gentlemen, with adherence based on conscience. But since The Sage Sovereign mentioned the True Words Tome, the agreement was akin to a contract.
"We can discuss agreements later. Shouldnât we first talk about the trial?" Dox inquired.
The Sage Sovereign gently wagged his index finger: "Your trial wonât start immediately, even if the first trial is before you. Therefore, there is time. We can talk about the agreement first, then the trial."
The Sage Sovereign was evidently unwilling to discuss anything else without establishing an agreement.
The Black Earl asked in a solemn tone: "What kind of agreement?"
The Sage Sovereign: "Unlike Angel, all you need to do is write a sentence in the True Words Tome: âI will not, in any manner, explicitly or implicitly, externally disseminate the events occurring in Naraku City.â
This statement sounds similar to the third term in Angelâs previous contract. However, it is much more lenient than Angelâs, as The Sage Sovereign required Angel ânot to mention anything about what happens in Naraku City.â For the Black Earl and others, the requirement is ânot to externally disseminate events occurring in Naraku City.â
Mentioning is not allowed at all, while external dissemination allows for some freedom within a certain circle.
The definition of external dissemination also leaves ample room for ambiguity. The Black Earl could inform others in his clan, provided they sign a contract preventing further dissemination, effectively internalizing the information rather than externally disseminating it.
This choice of wording indicates that The Sage Sovereign is more wary of the Barbarian Cave than of Noahâs descendants or the Wandering Wizards.
Thinking carefully, it makes sense. The Barbarian Cave was a colossal entity a millennia ago and, despite its decline, it wasnât their fault but a reflection of the deterioration of the entire Southern Domain Wizard World.
Even in decline, the Barbarian Caveâs power could easily crush Naraku City.
The Sage Sovereign is concerned that the Barbarian Cave might set its sights on Naraku City, which would be a calamity for Naraku City, capable of its obliteration. Hence, he imposed stricter conditions on Angel because the Barbarian Cave is an "outsider."
Meanwhile, the Noah descendants, though substantial and one of the top Wizard Families, also hail from Naraku City. The place they seek is a legacy left by their Naraku predecessors, so they are not strictly "outsiders," although not considered their own either.
The Sage Sovereign doesnât expect the Noah descendants to ally with Naraku City for its revival, aiming to revive Naraku. But as non-outsiders, they shouldnât oppose Naraku City, either.
This is the reason behind imposing this agreement. While conditions are relaxed, theyâre not as lenient as one might imagine.
As for Dox and Kaier... Wandering Wizards, thereâs no need to pay attention to them.
After the Wise Sovereign finished speaking, he continued: "All you have to do is write down this agreement in the True Words Tome. When I reveal the situation of the legacy site to you, I can serve as a witness with the True Words Tome throughout."
Although the Wise Sovereign did not offer a direct reward like Angel, the feedback he proposed was quite useful as well.
Having the True Words Tome as a witness means that when the Wise Sovereign speaks of the situation of the legacy site, he cannot lie.
Although he could use ambiguous language to make it difficult for the True Words Tome to discern the truth, using vague language when one could express clearly would immediately make everyone aware that something was off.
Without the True Words Tome as a witness, it would be quite difficult to ascertain whether the Wise Sovereign is telling the truth. Unless someone dared to use the True Words Technique on the Wise Sovereign throughout... at least, none of them dared, not even the Black Earl.
Therefore, the Wise Sovereign himself proposed this form of return, which was definitely more beneficial than detrimental for them, or rather, for a Noah descendant like the Black Earl.
Knowing the true situation of the legacy site allows them to make better responses. If false information is given, they would only be harming themselves.
With this in mind, the Black Earl did not hesitate and was the first to express himself in the True Words Tome.
With the Black Earl setting an example, Vay naturally didnât dare to fall behind and immediately followed suit.
As for Dox and Kaier, there was actually no need for them to sign because it was beneficial for the Noah descendants, but not something that mattered to them.
Even understanding this, Dox and Kaier did not hesitate and expressed themselves in the True Words Tome as well.
In less than half a minute, there were four identical statements in the True Words Tome.
Itâs worth mentioning that when everyone made this agreement, a small accident occurred.
This accident came from Kaier.
The words in the True Words Tome were actually written with everyoneâs energy. When the energy is initially inscribed on the True Words Tome, the rules of operating the True Words Tome reveal the appearance of the energy source.
This is also to prevent cheating. For example, if someone secretly uses their elemental partnerâs energy to inscribe on the True Words Tome, the True Words Tome will show the appearance of an Elemental Creature instead of that personâs appearance. Thus, alerting others that this person has cheated.
These operating rules are very meaningful, and after years of refinement, the rules are also highly perfected, with some very detailed rules to identify those who cheat.
For example, the energy must originate from oneself, which is determined by the True Words Tomeâs pheromone identification as a standard. Also, the energy must not come from someone outside the coverage range of the True Words Tome. This prevents cases where twins can use each otherâs energy to cheat... Such specific rules make cheating nearly impossible.
But there are always those who canât resist trying to exploit loopholes.
And indeed, loopholes can be exploited.
However, these methods of exploiting loopholes generally require a certain amount of time to prepare. Therefore, the Wise Sovereign is not at all worried about people cheating.
But what he didnât know was... Angel, who signed the most stringent contract with him, actually cheated.
However, Angel himself wasnât sure if it counted as cheating, because the contract was indeed in his Mind Space. But the manifested appearance of the energy was that of the Nightmare Realm.
If cheating was successful, Angelâs constraint would be lighter. But if cheating was unsuccessful, Angel also didnât mind; the contract itself wasnât that stringent anyway.
And this time, the accident occurring with Kaier was also energy manifestation.
Unlike Angel, who previously showed the golden-haired figure of "Shava," after Kaier infused his energy into the True Words Tome, initially, there were no issues.
The figure manifested on the True Words Tome was indeed Kaierâs appearance. Moreover, it was a scene of Kaier doing academic research, and judging from the background, it was in Kaierâs home in the Sandworm Market.
At this moment, there werenât any issues, not even Dox, who was most familiar with Kaier, noticed anything wrong.
However, when Kaierâs image gradually faded, the Black Earl suddenly let out a "huh."
Everyone followed the direction the Black Earlâs "nostrils" were pointing and saw that behind Kaier, there was actually another figure. This wasnât a shadow; it was a real "person," but he was obscured by shadowy light, his features indiscernible.
However, his attire was remarkably similar to Kaierâs.
This figure appeared for an instant, then vanished as the image faded away.
Yet, everyone clearly saw this person.
Everyone gave Kaier a puzzled look, and Kaier himself appeared bewildered.
"I... I donât know, who is he??"
Kaierâs eyes carried a hint of horror, seeking help from the crowd.
Kaier was just an Apprentice, and his truth and lies were still easily distinguishable. He was speaking the truth at this moment; he indeed didnât know who the shadow was, and his fear was genuine.
Faced with Kaierâs plea, the crowd was also puzzled. They first looked at the Black Earl, who clearly indicated he didnât know, and then they turned to the Wise Sovereign.
The Wise Sovereign, true to his title, casually offered two possible scenarios.
However, these two scenarios were possibilities and not absolutes. The Wise Sovereign couldnât be sure which exact situation it was or whether there might be other possibilities.
The first scenario is the independent differentiation of personality. This is different from ordinary schizophrenia; this kind of personality differentiation operates independently without absolute coordination, belonging to the rare category of surface personality and inner personality.
Its hallmark is that Angel can, through the Door of Dreamsâ authority, pull either the surface or inner personality into the Wilderness of Dreams. If it were ordinary schizophrenia, being pulled into the Wilderness of Dreams would not result in two "people," still the same individual with split personality.
The dual personality created by Frost with the Dark Melody belongs to this kind of independent differentiation of personality.
However, the dual personality created by the Dark Melody must inevitably give birth to an evil personality, a collection of all negative traits.
In normal circumstances of independent personality differentiation, the surface and inner personalities may differ in temperament but donât necessarily appear as an evil personality.
The second scenario is the hosting of two souls within one body.
To be precise, itâs a body containing the primary soul and a deficient secondary soul. Basically, the secondary soul is soul residue.
To give a simple example.
Previously, in the Dusknightsâ Blade witcher organization of the Eternal Night Country, there was a famous wizard, nicknamed "Little Demon" Glarke.
Glarke once relied on his immense power to be lawless and wantonly reckless. But later, he fell into a big pit, stumbling into the Sleepless City under the dome.
Under the pursuit of countless Nightmare Realm monsters, Glarke ultimately perished.
However, it was said he died, yet he didnât completely die, because with Sandersâ help, Glarke possessed the body of a recently deceased human teenager.
Since then, Glarke changed his name to "Spiwey" and became Floraâs disciple. The "Little Demon" of Dusknightsâ Blade was no more, but the Barbarian Cave gained a gifted Apprentice.
Spiweyâs situation fits the example given by the Wise Sovereign.
If Spiwy were to infuse energy into the True Words Tome, the appearance would certainly be Spiwy himself, with a shadowy figure behind. And this shadowy figure would actually be the soul residue of the original owner of the boyâs body.
This kind of soul residue usually doesnât have an independent personality but might influence the primary soulâs character to some extent.
For instance, Spiwy is now significantly more restrained than before; his once wanton personality has become more reserved. This isnât because he is starting anew with his cultivation and wants to bide his time, but rather itâs more likely that the original soulâs residue is influencing his personality.
However, this influence isnât drastic and wonât alter the core of the primary personality. So, such situations basically do not require addressing.
Moreover, once Spiwy becomes an Official Wizard again, these soul residues will naturally be purged during the soulâs baptism.
In other words, if Kaier is in the second scenario, the Wise Sovereign suspects that there also exists a secondary soul residue in Kaierâs body.
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