The Innkeeper
chapter-1252

Everyone in the Trial of Eternity felt a change take place. Just as they had felt a jolt when the first tribulation was triggered, they now felt the zone calm down. It was as if all the excess energy within the zone had been sucked dry. More importantly, the chaotic laws within this place, which were causing the environment here to become so dangerous, suddenly became docile and inactive.

At that moment, many realized that whatever the problem was within this zone, it had been temporarily halted. The underlying issue which was causing this place to be so dangerous was still a mystery, and likely still existed. But at least for a while, the dangers it posed were gone.

That also meant that there would be a wave of treasure hunters approaching this place, hoping to take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Giselle walked out of the building where she sat, and looked out into the distance. She hadn't gained much, and it wasn't worth it to stay here any longer. She would have to change her plans, but that meant getting out of here first.

For some reason, she felt like Lex might have a way to exit this place. She really hoped he did, because she herself did not, and she did not want to waste a year here if it didn't bring her any benefits.

She was aware that if she had a high enough privilege level at the Midnight Inn, she could use it to teleport elsewhere, but she had already used that and needed to wait a total of ten years before she could use it again.

What she didn't know was that for such services, the flow of time that mattered was the Inn's, and it had already been more than ten years at the Inn since she used it.

Giselle took flight under the scarlet light of the lava sea that was now hovering in the sky. She was not the only one paying attention to Lex, though she was the only approaching him. Countless other immortals had sensed the change in the zone, and knew that it had to do something with that maniac undergoing a lightning tribulation here, so they all watched. A very deep, very ancient will - the very one that recognised which ancient beasts Lex was fighting - also watched patiently.

Lex had his sword drawn, and was focusing all his strength and energy into his sword. His tenet was almost entirely exhausted, so manipulating any laws through it was impossible. He would need to rely on the ability of his eye, which used formations and arrays to manipulate laws. It need not be said that his own, immense physical strength would also play a part in it.

But just because of how immensely powerful the two lightning beasts seemed, he entered his Berserk state.

Much like his Flow state, which allowed him to make the best decisions and react without the slightest delay, and his Overdrive state in which his speed of thought increased manifold, his Berserk state allowed him to exert more physical strength than he normally could.

He clicked his teeth and produced golden sparks, which coated Naraka in the flames of his Golden Inferno, and honed his sword intent.

The two lightning beasts, with their wings spread, also gathered their energy, absorbing everything that this zone could offer them. This clash promised to be genuinely dangerous, yet Lex did not feel any pressure. Instead, he felt like he was standing in darkness, on a path all alone.

In front of him was the whole universe, and behind him there was no retreat. He was on the path of supremacy, where failure could easily lead to death, and so the universe was responding by challenging him appropriately. Let alone succeed, weaklings did not even deserve to stand on this path.

Lex did not know if the universe was actually going out of its way to make things tougher for him, but that's how it felt. That's how it had always felt.

The Midnight Inn had been a great boon, but the reason he got this far was because of himself. A million times he had been a hair's width away from death, and each time he had succeeded. This time would be no different.

The lightning beasts sensed that Lex had entered his peak state, and giving him any more time to hone himself would only make him stronger, so they waited no longer.

The twin beasts roared, the strength of their bellows causing a ripple in space, and they leaped down, as if pushing against the clouds would increase their speed.

Lex, in turn, did not move at all. He stayed ready, his sword in hand, his gaze locked on the enemy. He would move only once, when the beasts were in the perfect range to strike, and end this with a single strike.

There was no fear in his eyes, even though his body was covered in real scars from weaker lightning strikes. There was only immense, intense focus. Time and time again, Lex repeated a mantra in his mind.

"No more tribulations, no more tribulations," he said to himself, determined to use just enough strength to avoid triggering another tribulation.

The beasts came close, and Lex moved.

A single, deep beat traveled through space, as if his heart beat had been enough to cause space to shake in fright. Despite his immense apprehension about triggering another tribulation, Lex felt like he should use a little more strength. So, for the first time, he gripped Naraka not with one hand, but with two.

As if that single change had determined the entire outcome, Lex relaxed, and swung his sword with ease.

There was no clash, no contest between titans and titanic forces. A single sword slash cut through the two lightning beasts like they were air, and then through the black clouds up above.

Lex narrowed his eyes as he felt like, for a split second, he had cut through not just the tribulation clouds, but to an entirely different space altogether. But when he focused once more, there was nothing there.