Chapter 263: Heavenly Curtain Canyon
One was a powerful control ability, and the other was a lethal strike capable of slaying demigods.
Of course, there was one more thing: the energy capacity to unleash both the control and the killing move simultaneously.
Sterl's plan was to—
Wait a few days to continue leveling up and enhance the Rain Curtain Sword. Based on its second form, the Ten Thousand Swords Technique showed that this skill would be even better suited for group attacks after being upgraded.
At the same time, to progress with the Flowing Water Law, he needed to grind a wave of blood force.
Lastly, he would focus on fully elevating his third-class status, boosting his arcane skills, and trying his luck with Dimensional Traveler...
After these multiple power upgrades, it would be the moment for Sterl to strike back.
Huh? You say he should be doing something right now?
Just keep leveling up—that's all he needed to do.
The demigods were threatening the members of the Twilight Guild, but what did that have to do with someone like him, who merely wanted to enjoy a buff? Would it affect his ability to grab that buff?
So, he actively edited a private message: "You two stay in my estate; it's protected by the Hall of Valor, and no demigods can breach it."
"And the others, if they have their own places, should try not to go out."
"I have other matters to attend to right now; I'll deal with those demigod guilds later."
Sterl remained calm because those demigods probably wouldn't expect that in just a little over half a month, or at least in a month or two, his power would swell to a terrifying degree. By that time, the situation would be completely reversed.
And in such a short time, he believed that his guild members shouldn't be so quick to run away...
…
After finishing his thoughts, Sterl quickly flew to the task hall, searching rapidly by a massive silver screen.
[Explore Heavenly Curtain Canyon and map it out.]
[Description: This special area of the Hall of Valor undergoes significant geographical changes due to the instability of spatial laws. We regularly hire players to explore and map Heavenly Curtain Canyon.]
[Reward: 5000 regular contribution points.]
…
[Collect Sunset Sword Grass]
[Reward: 1000 regular contribution points for each blade of grass collected, based on quantity.]
…
[Kill the Hurricane Disaster]
…
[Eliminate the rebellious fairy group.]
…
There were quite a few tasks related to Heavenly Curtain Canyon.
After deliberating for a long time, Sterl finally found one that rewarded Valor Contribution Points.
[Collect Heavenly Curtain Cores]
[Description: In Heavenly Curtain Canyon, remnants of materials used to forge the Hall of Valor still exist. Some energy substances come into contact with these remnants, successfully transforming into life forms. Defeat them to recover Heavenly Curtain Cores.]
[Reward: 1000 Valor Contribution Points for each Heavenly Curtain Core collected.]
Without hesitation, Sterl selected this task, accepting it under the name "David," with his third-class strength and Glorious identity level.
However, just as he finished selecting the task in the void, someone unexpectedly bumped into him from the side.
Although Sterl reacted quickly and dodged out of the way, he ended up colliding with two individuals who appeared behind him.
Sterl was irked, but as long as it didn't affect his interests, he was quite reasonable and even prepared to turn around and apologize.
But he noticed that the two were giving him some strange looks.
The person who had nearly bumped into him just now spoke in a menacing tone, "Hey kid, are you blind when you walk?"
Huh? Sterl was momentarily taken aback.
"Pay up! You almost damaged my gear. That's 3000 contribution points, or else don't even think about doing your tasks."
"We'll stick to you like glue."
"Although the Hall of Valor forbids internal fighting, if you accidentally attract a bunch of monsters or a boss in the wild and get yourself killed, we'll just have to mourn for you."
It took Sterl a moment to realize…
"You guys are extorting me?"
"Yes, we are. What about it?"
"Either fork over the contribution points, or you're done!"
"If you don't believe us, go ask around about our Divas Brotherhood's reputation."
"Which newcomer in the Hall of Valor would dare ignore us?"
As they spoke, the group menacingly advanced, wearing smiles that didn't reach their eyes.
"But rest assured, once you pay the protection fee, you'll be under our Brotherhood's protection. If anything comes up in the future, we've got your back."
"What Brotherhood?"
"I've never heard of it."
Sterl scoffed. Using Star Insight, he took a look and realized that these guys were all just third-class players. Although as members of the Hall of Valor, they should be stronger than average third-class players outside, they were still…
To put it bluntly, they were nothing but ants!
Any regular member from the Twilight Guild could easily crush them.
Suddenly, Sterl frowned slightly, considering a few possibilities.
Could it be a backlash from Fortune?
Sterl then spoke up, "How about a duel?"
"Are you game?"
"To the death!"
"Sure."
"Since you recognize our goodwill, we're going to teach you a lesson."
"Your head will make a great trophy to establish our authority!"
The three players, who called themselves part of the Brotherhood, grinned wickedly and readily accepted the challenge.
Nearby, a group of other third-class players frowned, clearly also having been extorted before.
But these people only frowned and watched, "When did the Divas Brotherhood get so bold?"
"They're willing to accept a death match?"
"I've never seen that player who initiated the challenge before. The Divas Brotherhood should have done their homework; how dare they?"
"Don't they fear that this third-class player might have some hidden tricks and kill them?"
…
Confusion and disbelief filled the minds of the onlooking players.
Not just any third-class player could enter the Hall of Valor; they shouldn't assume that a 3-on-1 matchup would give them an advantage.
In fact, when the platform symbolizing the duel rose, the three members of the Brotherhood still exuded confidence, their eyes glinting with brutality.
As a result, the onlookers began to feel uncertain.
"Do the members of the Divas Brotherhood really have some hidden tricks?"
"That kid must have been caught by them; they want to make an example out of him."
"These bastards must have had some lucky break to become stronger; it's just ridiculous!"
…
However, before the spectators could shift from confusion to pity for Sterl, it was already over!
Sterl calmly walked off the platform and headed straight toward the teleportation array leading to Heavenly Curtain Canyon.
Meanwhile, the three members of the Divas Brotherhood lay sprawled on the ground, dead.
The cause of death? Countless blades had pierced them from the inside!
The onlooking players were struck with horror as they watched the departing figure, their expressions transforming into sheer fear and astonishment!
Because…
It wasn't just that the blades had pierced from within; more importantly, there was no trace of the skills hitting the three Brotherhood members, nor any energy fluctuations.
There were no reactions typical of blades piercing flesh.
It was as if their own blood had transformed into blades, stabbing them through!
So…
What kind of power did the person who just fought possess? The skills he unleashed were beyond legendary abilities; could he possibly be a demigod who enjoyed playing the fool?
"Whoa! That's terrifying."
"If there are demigods like that in the Hall of Valor, anyone who offends him is done for."
"In the future, we definitely need to be careful when taking on tasks; we can't afford to offend anyone, or we won't even know how we died!"
…
The players murmured to themselves.
Unbeknownst to Sterl, he had left behind a legendary status in the Hall of Valor, almost like an urban myth.
Never provoke others recklessly in the meeting room!
Because there was one or even several demigods with extremely twisted minds who deliberately acted weak, if you offended him, he would invite you to a death match...
And then, you'd be done for!
...
When Sterl arrived at a grassy area through the teleportation array, he indeed felt the Fortune being placed upon him again. However, if the last time was just one portion of Fortune, this time it felt like two.
"So, that means..."
"Because my strength is only second-class, the world has to expend more Fortune to summon stronger enemies to deal with me?"
Sterl paused for a moment, letting his mind wander.
However, he was quite excited about this because he could completely handle stronger foes!
For instance, if legendary beings or demigods came to trouble him, how much Fortune would he earn then?
The thought of a cheat-like boost was almost within reach!
Sterl couldn't help but anticipate when the next Fortune backlash would come. "Don't spare me; I can take it!"
After indulging in his thoughts for a while, he decided to focus on doing tasks and leveling up. After all, a bunch of demigods were eyeing his guild like hawks.
At that moment—
A warm, comfortable breeze blew in from the front. Sterl looked ahead and saw many small yellow flowers on the lawn being scattered by the wind, their petals gently floating in the air.
It was like a dazzling, golden rain.
Ahead was a canyon shrouded in dark tones, with steep terrain and clouds swirling around, instantly giving off a sense of uncanny danger.
That was the remnants of the Hall of Valor—Heavenly Curtain Canyon.
One side was a warm and bright world, while the other seemed like a descent into hell.
This formed a striking visual contrast.
...
Sterl slowly stepped forward, each footfall on the grass making a rustling sound.
Soon, he passed through the eerie clouds outside the Tianmu Canyon and felt a sudden spinning sensation.
"What is this... the entire spatial coordinates are chaotic, yet there's an order within the chaos, transporting everyone to the same entrance?"
Even in this confusing state, Sterl managed to maintain a calm analysis.
This was the Array Master's grasp of space, and at the same time, his understanding of spatial Law had increased slightly.
Before long, he felt the soft touch underfoot again, which turned out to be a patch of damp earth.