A Card In Hand

Chapter 30: Is This Hobby of Yours Actually an Illness?

Li Ao remained calm.

The demonic reaction test was designed for summoners who had contracted with demonic beings antagonistic to the human factions, a response that would only occur if some kind of mutation had happened to their bodies.

Some summoners lacked talent.

Or were overly eager for quick success.

In their pursuit of power and to achieve certain goals in the shortest time, they would resort to evil rituals for corrupt summonings.

Such summoners, after contracting with summoned demonic beings and accepting the powers or war beasts bestowed upon them, would quickly become powerful.

However, their bodies often underwent noticeable mutations, their tainted bloodlines irreversibly leaning towards the demonic.

Hence, during the demonic reaction test prepared by the human factions, these corrupt summoners could not hide their true nature.

Those newbies without guilt did not resist this test.

But some turned to look at Li Ao.

Hoping to see something revealing on his face.

Li Ao casually nibbled on a snow cake, appearing indifferent, which internally disappointed many.

“Really, no issues?”

Fuxi clenched a fistful of sweat in his palm.

If his little cousin tested positive, the entire Iron Clan Family would be in trouble.

Thinking deeper about it.

Fuxi himself found it a bit suspicious.

Li Ao had been very weak before, but suddenly became so powerful, even defeating Prince Jinxi.

It didn’t seem like the result of regular training but more like he had contracted with a demonic being, which made him suddenly strong.

If it wasn’t a demonic contract, how could he know to draw on his own luck?

That didn’t seem like a talent that could arise from human bloodlines!

Oh my!

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed…

“Boss, to contract with a demonic being, you need to sacrifice at least ten people. The more people you sacrifice and the stronger those people are, the stronger the demonic being you summon and the better the benefits. Do you think someone like me could sacrifice ten people? Where would I get ten people to sacrifice?”

Li Ao sighed.

“I’m sorry, Li Ao, I didn’t mean to doubt you, I’m just a bit panicky!”

Fuxi exhaled a deep sigh of relief, but then something seemed off: “Wait a minute, where did you learn that contracting with demons requires the sacrifice of ten people?”

“Just now, when I passed by the inner hall of the Trial Temple, wasn’t it on the mural there?”

Li Ao lazily replied.

“Really?”

Fuxi was stunned.

“You can go check it out when you go back, get to know more about it.”

Li Ao finally finished his pancake and gently dusted off his hands.

“I’d rather not, going there out of the blue might lead to misunderstandings.”

Fuxi was a bit afraid. What if someone saw him and misunderstood?

“There are a few succubi on it, not properly dressed and twisting their bodies in strange poses!”

Li Ao suddenly added.

“Such evil demonic beings that try to corrupt humans, I must remember them with a judgmental eye and never give them even a sliver of an opportunity to take advantage!”

Fuxi, upon hearing this, slapped his chest, determined that all demonic beings must be punished!

Soon.

It was Li Ao’s turn to be tested.

Supervisor Chang Chi asked him to stand in the middle of a formation emitting white light.

He then handed him a crystal that faintly glowed golden.

Supervisor Dou Guang was on high alert nearby.

Should Li Ao show any reaction.

He would be taken down immediately.

Li Ao channeled a bit of Source Energy into the golden crystal, which immediately triggered the formation on the ground.

The formation rose up, countless feather-like light spots touched Li Ao, some penetrating his body, others passing right through.

The entire process was uneventful; the light spots did not change color, nor did the feather-like formations deform.

“Is it done?”

Li Ao intentionally stayed in the formation a bit longer.

“Let’s go!”

Supervisor Chang Chi waved his hand with a hint of disappointment.

“Move faster, come on, don’t waste time.”

Supervisor Dou Guang, dissatisfied with Fuxi’s sluggish examination process, didn’t wait for Fuxi to stabilize in the formation, and as soon as he saw the formation rise without anomaly, immediately rushed Fuxi out.

Fuxi was thoroughly displeased.

“Why is it that when I try to prove myself, you all act so carelessly?”

“It’s clearly targeted at Li Ao! Your way of doing things is really ugly!”

Originally feeling a bit sorry for his own luck, now after the setup by Supervisors Chang Chi and Dou Guang, Fuxi was burning with anger.

He caught up to Li Ao and whispered in his ear, “Li Ao, from now on, use my luck and do your best to beat Prince Jinxi like a dog! It’s too much, they’ve gone too far. Are we, the descendants of the branch families, so easy to bully? We have our own talents too, they underestimate us too much! Go ahead and fight, if it comes to it, I’ll just stop going out for dates with beautiful ladies and stay at home to play. I refuse to believe that I’ll step in dog poop even staying indoors!”

“Big brother, that’s quite a sacrifice for you!” Li Ao was a bit surprised. Was he already prepared to date beautiful ladies at home?

“Who else is going to look out for you if not me, my little brother?” Fuxi said with a heroic slap on Li Ao’s shoulder.

Boom!

Rock fragments scattered.

Li Ao brushed it off calmly, but the new trainees nearby jumped in fright.

After exiting the spatial passage, what appeared before them was a peculiar small world.

The sky was a dull grey.

The ground.

It was a dark hue.

An assistant referee from the Trial Temple quickly took out a white card emitting a white light, infused it with Source Energy, and tossed it into the sky.

Suddenly, the entire small world lit up.

This wonderful small world wasn’t very large.

It was about three square kilometers in size.

The sky was semi-circular.

The ground was divided into two levels of different heights.

The top level featured an obsidian platform for new competitors, extremely hard, impervious to those with less than a thousand combat power.

The lower level served as a preparation area for the new trainees.

If they did not wish to face direct confrontation immediately, the trainees could summon in the preparation area before entering the platform to reduce their chances of attack.

The preparation area was large, enclosing a square kilometer obsidian platform.

Trainees who fell off the platform to the preparation area were considered defeated.

Above the preparation area, more than a dozen rocky floating islands hovered in the sky.

Newcomers willing to watch the battle from a higher vantage point could also climb to these rocky floating islands via the variously sized floating stone clusters in front of them, which allowed an overhead view of the entire battlefield.

Of course, those who knew how to fly found it much easier.

“Li Ao, shall we go watch the battle near Goddess Huo Mei?”

Fuxi saw Huo Mei fly up to a small island and immediately wanted to follow in the goddess’s footsteps.

“You go ahead, I expect Prince Jinxi can’t wait to challenge me, and I don’t feel like running around,” Li Ao didn’t want to bother moving back and forth.

“Are you sure it’s okay? Prince Jinxi’s war beast aside, he’s covered in treasures!”

“If I can’t beat him, I’ll automatically step down from the arena.”

“Don’t overdo it, little Li Ao. Honestly, you’re already very impressive. I sort of admire you…”

“Boss, you should admire yourself. Actually, all this is thanks to your unbeatable luck. Otherwise, do you think I could have taken down Prince Jinxi?”

“If you put it that way, I guess I am pretty amazing. It’s a pity I can’t use my own luck, which feels a bit wasted. Li Ao, don’t be rash and use up all my luck. Save some for me… Okay, okay, I know you’re under a lot of pressure, I’ll stop talking. I’ll fully support you from above. Li Ao, fight well! By the way, can I take the Stone Bear with me? It’s only a Black Iron level; it’d be sending it to its death otherwise. How about it stays down here with me? I promise to take good care of it!”

“Sure, it’s just a decoration anyway!”

While they were talking,

Prince Jinxi approached with a smile.

His body gleamed with treasures, a stark contrast to his earlier demoralized state, now radiant and spirited.

He couldn’t care less about Fuxi and walked straight up to Li Ao, a friendly and warm expression emerging on his face: “Li Ao, we meet again. I’ve been thinking about you these past few days! Once Supervisor Thunderous concludes his speech, let’s go up together and put on a great show of combat skills for everyone, shall we?”

Li Ao sighed. “Why must you force me to fight you? This hobby of yours is kind of a sickness, isn’t it?”

Prince Jinxi’s smile remained unchanged: “Confidence is a good thing, but sometimes it can turn into something very foolish. I’m sure you’ve heard this saying before, right?”