Chapter 2087: Challenge Platform

"Let’s challenge a few people and pick up some Bronze Marks," Max said with a faint smile as he looked over at Rakan, Rosaline, and Ervin.

He wasn’t particularly fond of the idea of spending time fighting in the arenas just to scrape together enough marks for the next trial, but he couldn’t deny that part of him was looking forward to it either.

The Second Shadow Trial waited beyond the enormous door at the far end of the monolith, and Max wanted to reach it as soon as he could.

He took a step toward the nearest cluster of arenas, but before he could get any farther, Rosaline called after him.

"Hold on."

Max stopped and glanced back.

Rosaline gave him a slightly odd look. "Do you even know how challenges work here?"

Max raised an eyebrow. "Can’t I just walk up to someone and challenge them?"

Rakan nearly laughed.

Ervin shook his head. "You can."

Max looked at him. "But?"

"There’s a more formal way to do it," Ervin said, "and most people use that instead."

He pointed toward the central part of the second monolith.

Only then did Max notice a large structure floating above several of the arenas. It looked like an enormous translucent board made of pale blue light, and hundreds of names were displayed across it.

Beside each name sat several pieces of information, including race, cultivation realm, the number of shadow trials completed, preferred wager, and current challenge status. Some names were marked as unavailable, while others glowed faintly to show that they were open for battle.

Max studied it for a moment. "The Challenge Platform?"

Ervin nodded. "That’s the one."

The four of them started walking toward it, and as they got closer, Max could make out more details on the floating board. Some challengers were only willing to wager fifty Bronze Marks, while others offered a hundred. A few of the more confident participants had listed wagers of two hundred or even more.

"If you want to earn Bronze Marks, you can register yourself on the Challenge Platform," Ervin explained as they walked.

Max glanced at him. "And then what happens?"

"Your information goes up on the list." Ervin gestured toward the board. "Your race, your cultivation level, how many shadows you’ve cleared, and how many Bronze Marks you’re willing to wager all get displayed."

Max looked at the names again. "So anyone can pick an opponent from there?"

"Yes." Ervin’s expression grew a bit more serious. "You can browse the list and challenge anyone whose status shows as available."

Max nodded slowly, since that sounded simple enough.

Then Ervin added, "There’s one important rule, though."

Max looked at him.

"The person being challenged can’t refuse."

Max stopped walking and turned to him again. "They can’t refuse at all?"

"No," Rosaline answered this time. "Once you register on the Challenge Platform, you’re agreeing to accept challenges."

Her gaze drifted to the floating list. "If someone picks your name and officially challenges you, you have to fight."

Max narrowed his eyes slightly. "And if the opponent turns out to be stronger?"

Ervin shrugged. "Then that’s your problem."

Rakan smiled. "Which is exactly why people think twice before putting their names up there."

"The platform doesn’t care whether the matchup is fair," Ervin added. "If you register, you’re accepting the risk."

Max looked back at the board, and now the whole system made more sense to him. A participant could always challenge someone face-to-face, but the other person could simply say no.

The Challenge Platform got rid of that problem. Once someone willingly put their name on the list, they couldn’t avoid a fight anymore. Anyone who met the platform’s requirements could pick them, and once the challenge went through, the battle had to happen.

Max’s interest rose immediately. "So if I put my name on the Challenge Platform, anyone can challenge me?"

"Yes."

"And I can’t turn them down?"

"Yes."

Max smiled faintly.

Ervin caught the expression and frowned. "You look far too pleased about that."

Max ignored him and turned back to the floating board.

This was actually convenient. He had no desire to wander around the monolith asking people whether they felt like fighting. If he registered himself, challengers would come to him instead, and if he preferred, he could simply pick someone off the list. Either way, earning the Bronze Marks he needed would go much faster.

"All right, choose your opponents wisely," Ervin said, and then his figure blurred and vanished.

"I’ve picked someone to fight too. See you later, Max." Rosaline smiled and disappeared as well.

"Let me find one for myself," Rakan said, already scanning the list.

Max watched them go before continuing toward the Challenge Platform.

The Second Shadow Trial required two hundred Bronze Marks, and he only had sixty-seven, which meant he needed at least another one hundred and thirty-three. Judging by the wagers displayed on the platform, though, it might not take many battles to get there.

Max studied the names on the Challenge Platform more carefully, and the longer he looked, the clearer a pattern became.

Most of the participants listed were at the 2nd or 3rd level of the Divine Lord Realm. There were a few at the 1st level, but they were clearly in the minority.

That told Max something important right away. Most geniuses didn’t rush into the Ten Shadows Trial the moment they reached the Divine Lord Realm. They waited instead.

Since only cultivators at the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level of the Divine Lord Realm were eligible, many newcomers clearly pushed their cultivation as high as they could before entering, and the reason was obvious. Someone at the 3rd level had a far better chance of performing well than someone at the 1st.

The trial might scale to the challenger’s overall strength and foundation, but cultivation still mattered, because higher cultivation meant more energy, stronger laws, greater endurance, and better control over techniques.

That was probably why so many geniuses treated the 3rd level of the Divine Lord Realm as the ideal moment to enter, since it gave them the strongest possible foundation without crossing the trial’s eligibility limit.