Chapter 1135: Path of Divine Revelation Ends

A few days later, in Duke’s room, six divine fragments were placed in six sealing boxes of various colors.

Fiery red, earthy yellow, blue-white, azure, pale gold, and inky black, lined up in the firelight of the fireplace, they lay there quietly like six stars fallen from different skies.

These divine fragments were all highly condensed forms of rules, enough to aid Duke in his practice for a long time, greatly accelerating his rule practice speed.

After the auction concluded, Morning Star Manor reverted to calm for a few days.

Elf attendants began to clean the Starlight Hall, and occasionally wizards met in the garden, without the initial tension.

Leon frequently dragged Edmond to the courtyard to practice swordplay, while Vera spent her days in her room digesting the bottle of Ancient Vine Marrow. Duke rarely went out and mostly devoted his time to studying the newly acquired divine fragments.

The last night was still a grand ceremonial banquet.

Noah arrived at the head seat before everyone else. When the guests gradually took their seats, he had the musicians stop the music.

The candlelight flickered gently, casting long shadows of everyone present.

He still wore that old gray robe, sitting upright as if awaiting a question whose answer was already known.

“The main process of the fourth layer has been concluded. I am here today to tell you the last thing you can do before leaving here,” Noah spoke evenly, “The fifth layer is open to any of you. But let me clarify, the fifth layer has no treasures, only one duel after another. It is a pure Gladiatorial Arena. The person who stands on the final stage will receive the only special reward; other participants will get nothing.”

He paused here, letting everyone’s reactions slowly ferment in the quiet.

Leon instinctively sat up straight, Edmond seemed to be calculating something, while Duke merely lifted his eyelids.

He noticed that many people’s breaths paused for half a beat, especially the five demigod-level individuals, whose eyes each contained a gleam. Valentine nearly had the word participate etched on his face.

“If you do not wish to participate, you can stay in the manor and await the conclusion of the trial, or you can choose to end your Path of Divine Revelation directly. I must remind you, once you choose to leave the Path of Divine Revelation, there is no going back,” Noah’s gaze swept across the room, “And after all this ends, the Wizard Council will grant corresponding trial rewards based on your final rankings.”

The long table was silent except for the occasional soft crackle of candle blooms. Some scattered wizards were already whispering, and soon Valentine, Jonathan, Rodrick, Annabelle, and Helena, who had only recently emerged from her room, all expressed their desire to enter the fifth layer.

The demigod-level individuals had no reason not to go; the fifth layer, for them, was the real battleground deciding their standing among peers.

And individuals like Jonathan and Valentine, who were proud-hearted, were impatiently eager to prove something through this one-on-one duel.

On Duke’s side, several exchanged their thoughts.

Morris said nothing, only shaking his head slightly; he had no interest in the Gladiatorial Arena, or in exposing his combat style under the watchful eyes of others.

Duke too hardly hesitated, merely finishing his fruit wine calmly, “We won’t go.”

He glanced at Vera, who nodded in agreement.

Leon seemed eager but Edmond restrained his arm, “You can’t beat any of those five, you’ll likely be badly injured and end up with nothing.”

Others also advised him, and Leon eventually reclined back in his chair, muttering.

Duke said nothing further, his gaze sweeping over the demigod-level individuals.

He was acutely aware that his victory over a demigod-level demon on the third layer depended on the environment, ambush, and the Six-Color Divine Light determining the outcome in one move.

In an open, unobscured Gladiatorial Arena, his odds were far lower.

No point risking so much for one special reward when the six divine fragments lay in the sealing boxes in his room, not yet warmed up.

What he needed most now was time to digest the things he had already acquired.

As expected, out of seventy-two people on the fourth layer, only those five demigod-level mages chose to proceed to the fifth layer for the final battle.

It was a sunny day when they were transported back to the Central Islands. Silver-blue light from the high tower dome illuminated the spacious Teleportation Hall brightly.

Duke was the first to step out of the array. He took half a second to adjust to the light, noticing many people standing in the hall, mostly participants who hadn’t registered for the fifth layer and who returned earlier than him, gathered in small groups at the door, conversing softly.

Someone’s gaze instinctively flickered towards Duke, before quickly shifting away.

The name that had pressed down an entire ranking on the Path of Divine Revelation seemed to still linger behind him, refusing to disperse.

“We’ll be leaving now,” Leon stood at the entrance of the Teleportation Hall, seemingly relieved but also somewhat reluctant. He had already swapped out his silver-white armor for a sharp deep-gray casual outfit, yet his shoulders remained tense as if ready for battle at any moment, “The Abyss Demon’s core is no simple matter, I need to promptly consult with the elders of the clan.”

Speaking, he took the black sealing box he’d acquired from the auction out of his pocket, knocking the box lid with his knuckles, producing two deep echoes.

Even through layers of restrictions, the core fragments sealed inside seemed eager to permeate the air with a scorching dark aura.