Global Coming: Farming with my sister-in-law in the end times

Chapter 738 triggers a side quest, starting a challenge! (5400)

The mercenaries exclaimed in astonishment, "To use such a peerless divine weapon as a wager, that's insane!"

Cao Xing was also intrigued after hearing about the 'legendary weapon'.

His gaze swept over the black sword in Kai Lan's hand, and he indeed sensed a fluctuation of divine power.

"Interesting...you actually have a legendary weapon."

"However, as far as I know, legendary weapons are bound to the soul of the user, and no one else can use them unless the user dies."

"If I win, how will you give me the weapon?"

"You can't win!" Kai Lan said decisively, her tone full of confidence.

"However, if you can really win, I have my own way to break the soul bond."

He paused, then his tone suddenly turned icy: "But if you lose, I will take Talia back to the Kingdom of the Northwind."

"At the same time, I will also have a life-or-death battle with your Holy Light Sage!"

"Do you dare to accept?"

[Side quest successfully triggered: Kailan's Bet]

[Mission Requirement: Rank above Kai Lan in the Ancient Arena Stele]

[Quest Reward: Legendary Weapon 'Whispers of the Night - Soul Eater' *1]

[Note: If the mission fails, you may hand over Talia and Isabel at your own discretion, but this will lower your reputation and there is a chance you will be attacked by the Northwind Kingdom Alliance.]

……

Upon seeing the system notification, Cao Xing pondered for a moment.

He had never challenged this ancient arena before, so he was indeed unsure of his chances.

However... as long as you defeat Kai Lan, you can obtain a legendary weapon, and it's a sword!
Cao Xing didn't want to give up this opportunity.

After all, there are many powerful swordsmen in his territory, and everyone is waiting to change their weapons.

Moreover, even if I really lose, I can refuse to hand over the person, and this guy can't do anything about it.

In the end, all you'll lose is a little reputation points.

He simply ignored the prospect of being attacked by the North Wind Kingdom Alliance.

Thinking of this, Cao Xing chuckled and said, "Alright, since you want to gamble, I accept your bet."

Upon hearing Cao Xing's agreement, Kai Lan's lips curled into a smile once again.

"Then it's a deal!"

He raised his head, his gaze passing through Cao Xing and looking at the female warrior behind him.

"Ms. Talia, I'll go in first to begin the trial."

"Watch how I defeat this otherworldly lord and personally bring you back to the Kingdom of Northwind!"

Before Talia could respond, Kailan produced a pale blue Soul Crystal in his hand.

With a 'crack', the crystal was crushed in his hand.

The next moment, the alchemical runes on the walls of the arena ahead burst forth with a dazzling blue light!

A beam of light enveloped Kai Lan, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from his spot.

He has already begun the 'Trial of the Strong'.

Only Cao Xing and his group remained on the field, along with the Iron Rose Mercenary Group standing nearby.

Talia Iron Rose stepped out from behind Cao Xing.

Her eyes, hidden beneath her red hair, held an apology: "I'm sorry, Lord Cao Xing, for dragging you into my affairs again."

Hearing this, Cao Xing chuckled and said, "It's alright. If it weren't for you, where would I find someone so eager to give me a legendary weapon?"

He toyed with a crystallized soul between his fingers: "I couldn't ask for such a good thing."

Talia was somewhat taken aback, because Cao Xing's words implied that he had already won.
Cao Xing didn't offer any further explanation. Instead, he turned around, looked at the crowd behind him, and said, "Did everyone hear that? I made a bet with this so-called Prince of the North Wind."

"Although this is a bet between him and me, we all need to give it our all and not let this guy surpass us!"

The crowd solemnly replied, "Yes, sir!"

Sarah said with a serious look, "We will show this person what a true strongman is."

"Very good." Cao Xing nodded in satisfaction: "Now, let's all begin the challenge."

With a casual wave of his hand, everyone except for Big White and Little Blue appeared in their hands with a light blue transparent crystal.

Having seen Kailan's demonstration, they knew how to use this crystal.

"Click—click!"

With a series of cracking sounds, beams of blue light enveloped the group and then disappeared from the spot.

Cao Xing himself also took out a [Soul Crystal].

At the same time, a system prompt appeared.

[Use Soul Crystal *1 to enter the Ancient Arena?]

(Warning! Although you will not actually die after failing a challenge in the arena, you will be in a state of physical weakness for a period of time.)
(Physical Weakness: All attributes decrease by 30% for 12 hours.)
……

Cao Xing's eyes showed a thoughtful expression: "Is the physical body weak? And it lasts for 12 hours, this side effect is still a bit serious."

"But... as long as we don't fail, that's fine."

With that in mind, he clicked "OK" directly.

The next moment, a blue beam of light fell.

Cao Xing's vision went black, and he vanished from the spot.

"Captain, what do we do now? Should we continue the trial?" The middle-aged man in the Iron Rose Mercenary Group asked cautiously.

Another young mercenary whispered, "Captain, should we retreat first? While they're all still undergoing trials, let's leave the ruins..."

"If Lord Cao Xing loses, that Prince Beifeng will definitely take you away..."

Talia's fingers, gripping the sword hilt tightly, turned white, as if she were also going through a strong internal struggle.

After hesitating for a moment, he suddenly gritted his teeth and said, "I'm not leaving. I also want to undergo the Trial of the Strong!"

She raised her head, her gaze becoming incredibly resolute: "Even if we manage to escape today, he will continue to harass us."

“We can’t hide forever, nor can we always run into Lord Cao Xing to help us out.”

"In this world, the only way to establish yourself is through your own efforts!"

With that, Talia crushed the soul crystal in her hand without hesitation, and her figure gradually dissipated in the light...

After everyone entered the ancient arena, an explosive piece of news spread like wildfire throughout the ruins.

Kai Lan, the genius prince of the Northern Wind Kingdom, made an earth-shattering bet with a lord from another world to see who could rank higher on the stone tablet in the ancient arena.

The stakes were a legendary weapon and the fate of the powerful hero, Talia Iron Rose.

Such explosive news spread like wildfire!
"Gods above! Using a legendary weapon as a wager? That's insane!"

"Let's go, let's go to the ancient arena! We can't miss this amazing show!"

"Count me in, let's all go together!"

In an instant, the entire ruins erupted in excitement.

The mercenaries who were exploring the second route immediately turned back to the first route.

Adventurers searching for treasure on the outskirts also put down what they were doing and rushed towards the inner city.

Even many survivors have heard about this.

They all looked puzzled and asked, "What? The bet between Boss Cao Xing and Prince Beifeng? Isn't this just giving him weapons?"

"Yeah... Who is the North Wind Prince? Is he as powerful as the Blood Legion?"

"I really want to go and join in the fun, but Boss Cao Xing warned us not to step into the inner city lightly. Let's listen to him."

For these survivors, they had never even heard of the North Wind Prince or the West Wind Prince.

All they knew was that Cao Xing had never lost a game since the game's launch.

...

...

It's unclear how much time has passed since Cao Xing was teleported away by that blue beam of light.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a dark space.

The surroundings were empty, pitch black, and even the sound of breathing was swallowed up by the darkness.

"Huh? Wasn't it said that a trial would begin after entering?"

"What's going on in this pitch black place?"

Cao Xing muttered to himself, his voice filled with doubt.

Just then, a string of system information appeared before my eyes.

Challenger, you have entered the ancient arena. The Trial of the Strong will begin for you.

[Generating opponents based on the challenger's strength...]

[Challenger's magical energy fluctuations detected; identified as a frost mage, legendary level...]

[Opponent successfully generated. The first round of trials will begin in 10 seconds...]

【9...】

【8...】

……

A look of realization dawned on Cao Xing's eyes: "So that's how it started."

"Just as Mr. Qinong said, each round of trials only gives us 10 seconds to catch our breath."

"It seems that if we want to challenge higher levels, we need to work together to allocate our skills and fighting styles."

"You can't use up all your skills on the first floor, otherwise you won't have time to recover in the later floors and you'll be killed by your opponent."

Unlike other professions, mages are powerful because of their various spells.

A mage who cannot cast spells is like a toothless tiger, left to be slaughtered.

Although Cao Xing has [Eternal Power] + [Ice Spirit Soul], and his minor skills are in a state of no cooldown, he cannot bombard the enemy with his skills indiscriminately.

After all, these spells also require mental energy.

Just as he was pondering these things, the countdown had reached its final two seconds.

[Countdown: 2 second...]

[1 seconds...]

【The challenge begins! 】

At the same time, a glimmer of light appeared in front of Cao Xing.

The next moment, the boundless darkness around them receded rapidly like a tide.

A huge place, similar to the ancient Roman Colosseum, appeared before him.

At the center is a circular amphitheater with a diameter of over one kilometer.

The area was surrounded by dozens of tiered seating areas, but none of the stone seats were occupied.

Cao Xing stood in the center of the field and looked around.

After a moment, he frowned slightly: "Strange...didn't they say the competition had started?"

Where is my opponent?

Apart from Cao Xing, there was no other figure in the entire arena.

There wasn't even a heartbeat.

At that moment, Cao Xing suddenly realized something.

According to Qinon, the arena will generate specific opponents based on the challenger's class.

As a mage, his opponent is likely to be an assassin!
In other words, Cao Xing's opponent has already appeared, but is lurking in the shadows, ready to launch a fatal attack at any time.

"interesting……"

Cao Xing's lips curled up slightly: "Is the intensity going up in the first round?"

He stood seemingly casually in place, but in reality, he had already gripped his staff tightly, and frost magic flowed within his body. Centered on him, the ground within a dozen meters was covered with a thick layer of white frost.

The temperature in the entire Colosseum seemed to have dropped by more than ten degrees.

Just then, Cao Xing felt a whooshing sound that almost tore through the air from the back of his head!
A shadow silently appeared, wielding a dagger and suddenly attacked him!
Fast! Extremely fast!

The speed at which this strike was delivered was even comparable to Sarah's speed at the hero level!
However, Cao Xing remained unmoved.

The next moment, the dagger struck his head with a 'crack' sound.

A faint golden shield appeared, neutralizing the attack.

[Ding! You have been attacked by the Nightmare Assassin. The 'Holy Shield' effect has been triggered, granting you immunity to this damage...]

……

Upon seeing the notification, a smile appeared on Cao Xing's face.

The assassin, having failed in his sneak attack, also emerged from stealth mode.

It was a tall, thin figure shrouded in shadow, holding a dark blue, poisoned dagger in each hand.

The tall, thin figure gave Cao Xing a deep look, his cold pupils gleaming with a chilling light, revealing no trace of human emotion.

The next moment, a dark aura surged from his body, and his figure became elusive.

Seeing this, Cao Xing raised an eyebrow: "Trying to leave?"

He raised his pitcher and tapped the baton repeatedly.

More than a dozen ice walls, each four meters thick, suddenly rose from the ground with a whoosh, completely surrounding the enemy!

However, the assassin's eyes remained cold and indifferent.

He raised his two daggers, which gleamed coldly, and began to hack and slash at the ice wall with madness!
"Bang! Crack!"

Ice crystals and fragments flew everywhere!

He had just broken a gap in the ice wall and was about to crawl out.

And at this moment——

Six [Reinforced Ice Spikes], each as thick as an arm, shot out from Cao Xing's side, instantly reaching the assassin and blocking all of his evasive angles.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

A series of sharp, penetrating sounds rang out as the ice spikes pierced the assassin's abdomen, heart, and brow without any resistance.

-3752453! (Weakness Critical Hit)

[-4524552! (Vital penetration)]

[-2625439! (Through)]

……

When six consecutive damage numbers exceeding three million appeared.

Before the assassin's blood could even splatter, he was frozen into a cold corpse...

[Successfully defeated the trial creature: Nightmare Assassin lv90 (Tier 10 Overlord-level creature), gained 7.6 million experience points (Pale Guidance + Savior Star)]

[You have received the trial reward: Blood of the Strong*3]

...

...

The entire battle, from start to finish, lasted less than ten seconds.

Although a level 10 Dominator-level assassin appeared in the first round, Cao Xing's strength was not enough to pose any threat.

Cao Xing put away his staff, thinking to himself, "However, this is just an appetizer."

"The trials to come will definitely be more difficult."

The other subordinates who were also undergoing trials easily defeated their opponents.

Valkyrie Malenina, wielding the Bloodthirsty Sword, shattered the tower shield of a heavily armored knight with three strikes.

Sarah's opponent was a tank, but with her terrifying burst of power, the tank was still killed in two seconds.

Even master-level powerhouses like the Star Kingdom swordsman Xiao and the priestess Fashi Naz swiftly and decisively defeated their enemies.

At the same time, the scene in front of Cao Xing disappeared, and he was once again in that dark space.

A message appeared before me.

[Continue with the Trial of the Strong: The Second Round of Challenge. You have 5 seconds to decide.]

【5...】

【4...】

Seeing the countdown above, Cao Xing didn't hesitate at all and clicked "OK".

"Yes."

[Opponents are being generated based on the challenger's strength. Please prepare yourself...]

[Countdown: 10...]

【9...】

...

...

Ten seconds later, the surrounding darkness was drawn back like a curtain.

Cao Xing stood once again in the middle of the arena.

However, opposite him, a blurry figure was slowly solidifying in the void.

Cao Xing's gaze instantly fell on his opponent, revealing an attribute panel.

[Dancing Night - Blade of the End]

[Level: 110 (Legendary Creature)]

[Potential: Dominator]

[Health: 2.35 million/2.35 million]

[Attack power: 1128525~1189344]

Armor: 41952~42662

[Skills: Legendary Dagger Mastery, Assassination Creed, Assassination Doctrine, Shadow Taboo, Eight Desolate Shadow Assassination]

[Command Skill: Shadow Guard Legion (Summons 4 level 105 Shadow Servants, inheriting 30% of the original's attributes, lasting 3 minutes)]

[Dominion Domain: Eternal Night Theater (Increases the range of all friendly Shadow skills by 200% within the domain; enemies gain 1 stack of 'Shadow Entanglement' for every meter they move)]

Legendary Combat Skill: Final Waltz (Consumes 20% of maximum health, giving the next 8 attacks a 30% chance to trigger an 'instant death' effect. The trigger probability may increase or decrease depending on the difference in strength between the two sides.)

Each kill restores 30% of lost health.

[Talent: Shadow Body]

……

After reviewing the legendary assassin's attributes, Cao Xing's eyes showed a thoughtful expression.

"In the first round of the trial, the opponents were creatures one level lower than us. In the second round, they've jumped to the same level?"

"And it's at the Dominator level with potential. This set of skills is truly monstrous."

He couldn't help but sigh at how extraordinary the difficulty of this trial for the strong was.

Even the strongest warriors cannot guarantee a high win rate when fighting opponents of the same level.

Moreover, it was an opponent who inherently had the upper hand over him.

At this moment, the legendary assassin did not rush to make a move after conjuring up his figure.

Instead, it seemed to possess intelligence, carefully examining Cao Xing.

After observing for a moment—

"call out!"

He suddenly threw a flying knife shrouded in black mist.

The throwing knife rapidly magnified in Cao Xing's pupils, and even the space itself cracked wherever the blade passed!
At the critical moment, a huge ice spike shot out!

"Ding!"

A metallic clang rang out, and the black mist throwing knife was deflected.

However, at that moment, a poisoned dagger was already pressed against Cao Xing's throat!

The burst speed of a legendary assassin is truly terrifying.

In a one-on-one situation, the mage has no chance of winning; he is simply a lamb to the slaughter!

However... Cao Xing is no ordinary mage.

The next moment, a burst of intense cold air erupted from his body!

Frost Shield Unleashed!

The assassin's body was instantly covered with a thick layer of white frost, drastically reducing his mobility!
His dagger had already struck out, breaking through Cao Xing's holy shield.

Immediately afterwards, Cao Xing pointed his staff.

"The Mark of Ice".

A chill rushed into the opponent's body, causing his speed to drop drastically once again.

The two skills combined have reduced its movement speed by 40%.

Cao Xing's three layers of holy shields were also completely shattered by the opponent.

At the same time, he had already finished chanting his spell, Iceberg Fall.

Three enormous ice blocks, each over 100 meters in diameter, had already formed and then plummeted down.

"Boom—Boom—!"

After a dull thud, the assassin was sent flying.

【-5824423! 】

【-5472302! 】

【-5482543! 】

The three attacks dealt a total of 1600 million damage, demonstrating Cao Xing's current attack power.

The assassin, suddenly struck by a severe blow, nimbly rolled on the ground and stood up.

The opponent was preparing to engage Cao Xing in close combat again.

However, with a tap of his staff.

A strong chill descended!

In an instant, the legendary assassin's figure was frozen into a human-shaped ice sculpture, standing in place.

You could still see his wide-open eyes through the ice.

Cao Xing nodded in satisfaction: "That's right, after becoming a legendary Frost Mage, his control abilities have also been greatly enhanced."

"Even legendary assassins can be briefly immobilized by me."

Next, it's naturally Cao Xing's turn to deal damage.

"Crash!"

The area-of-effect skill, Ice Arrow Rain, is activated, unleashing thousands of icy arrows like a torrential downpour.

At the same time, Cao Xing continued to unleash the [Enhanced Ice Cone Technique].

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

【-2852412! 】

【-2692442! 】

【-2892352! 】

【-3185443! 】

……

(End of this chapter)