Chapter 977: Their Respective Futures
The black aura turned into a massive vortex, resembling the ultimate day Yun Xi had witnessed in the world of the ancient dragons. It was the Dragon Roar Wave that heralded the end of the world.
In contrast, the sword light that split the heavens and the earth tore apart the entire world. The crystal spheres were almost unable to deduce such a battle, resulting in a momentary freeze.
In the end, Xia Jie looked at the fallen twelve Black Cavalry and the silent Black Dragon Emperor with an unbelieving gaze.
That figure, as if foreshadowing a future for him.
The one who emerged victorious was a member of the Starwings Knights, the young girl named Xiao Cao.
She was drenched in dragon blood, and with her mortal sword, she severed the head of the black dragon shadow. However, her expression was somewhat strange.
It wasn't the look of a winner, but rather a questioning gaze, as if asking, "What exactly is this thing?"
The dragon beneath her feet slowly began to disappear, transforming into dust-like particles, and the figure of the Black Dragon Emperor vanished from the crystal battlefield.
"I actually lost?" Xia Jie gazed with a vacant expression at the disappearing Black Dragon Emperor from the crystal battlefield.
This meant that Xiao Cao, from the Starwings Knights, had greater potential for the future than Xia Jie himself!
Before coming to the White Lotus Sword Domain, who would have known about the Starwings Knights? Wasn't it just a small group of girls that had been formed for only a few months?
Although many talented young female swordsmen emerged and gradually entered the attention of the noble families, they were still just a small and newly formed group!
The honorable Crown Prince of the Great Xia, the future Emperor, lost to such a newcomer!
This is outrageous!
There must be something wrong, surely!
"Now, do you understand the rules?"
The voice of the twin witches echoed once again on the eight floating islands. After five consecutive crystal ball duels, the eight teams participating in the second stage of the White Lotus Secret Treasure finally realized the key to this trial.
Intelligence!
Wishes!
Imagination!
Creativity!
If the first stage of the trial tested the "present," then the second stage tested the "future."
"And now, the test is over."
"The official battlefield begins."
"Only those who demonstrate the greatest potential are qualified to challenge the final level!"
The eight teams were connected by eight crystal balls at the same time.
Beams of radiant light soared into the sky, guided by the crystal ball, signaling the heroes who volunteered themselves to join the battle in the Crystal Ball Arena.
Instead of playing one game after another, they now engaged in multiple simultaneous matches, selecting the strongest participants through a series of rounds.
Similar to the Starry Chess Battle that Yun Xi once participated in, only those who won the most matches could prove their potential and qualify for this stage of the trial.
With the experience gained earlier, all the participants began to imagine the strongest future they desired, one that was closely related to their own "wishes."
For the majority of people, there was only one wish to enter the White Lotus Secret Treasure realm: to become a "stronger version of themselves."
In response to their summons, the incarnation of their most familiar and powerful desire emerged - the embodiment of their strongest selves.
"I wish... to transform my sword into a spirit!"
"I wish... to transform myself into a spirit!"
"Unite the sword and spirit, and forge my supreme Sky Sword!"
The princess of the Great Xia, Xia Ling, tightly grasped her Twin Dragon Sword and imitated her brother, Xia Jie, as she imagined and created the strongest version of herself.
Xia Jie created a future as the Black Dragon Emperor, so she also wanted to create her own future.
She imagined becoming the Sky Sword!
...
The Starwings Knights thought, "Interesting, so it's the power of wishes. The stronger the wish, the more powerful the vision of oneself becomes?"
"But it doesn't mean that we have to fight alone, right?"
Hua Yue smiled as she watched Xiao Cao fully immersed in the battles, unable to break free.
Her path was different from Xiao Cao's.
Xiao Cao had already chosen its path, excelling in fighting alone and not needing anyone to protect its back, even on the battlefield.
Charging forward, unstoppable, she relied solely on her own strength to conquer all supernatural beings.
And she chose the path of a "knight," because she preferred protecting important things together with everyone rather than fighting alone.
"Mei, and the Starwings Knights!"
"Let's fight together!"
The platinum rose blossomed.
............
"I don't understand complicated things, as long as I become stronger!"
"Yeah, and also, maybe I can be a little bit prettier... and a little bit taller..."
Instead of thinking about fighting, Ling Ling seemed to be considering some secrets that she couldn't tell children; it was about improving a beverage that Yun Xi really liked.
............
"The future, my future, is right here."
"This knight group won't be the same without me."
After thoughtful consideration, Mei Lan chose a future that was more suited for "books" than swords.
It's also time to make a choice.
"It felt like I could smell Daddy's scent." Mumu raised her little nose, looking left and right, with an excited expression on her face.
"Is this here, or is it there?"
"Those girls over there, aren't they Zaka and her friends..."
…………
Beams of light poured into the crystal ball, intertwining with the girls' thoughts.
Different wishes, different futures, different paths. The second stage of the White Lotus Secret Treasure is a test and a choice.
The future presented here may not necessarily come true one hundred percent, but it definitely hints at certain information.
Facing oneself with honesty allows one to unleash their own power.
Those who make a choice can see a future scenery that can truly be achieved.
However, not everyone is like this.
For example, there is one individual who is entangled in so much fate that their future has become as tangled as a ball of yarn played with by cats, like a child of the stars.
"This... What should I choose?" Yun Xi, with a confused look on his face, stared at the future scenery that appeared on the crystal ball. Most of the futures that others saw were extensions of their current selves.
Just like Xiao Cao of the Starwings Knights, her future was almost identical to her present.
And just like the Great Xia's prince, Xia Jie, his future was exactly how he imagined it.
But for Yun Xi, it was completely different.
Because right in front of him, there were dozens of paths extending out.
Each path led to a different future, a different possibility.
The problem was, Yun Xi could feel that each path led to a real future!
