Chapter 383: Ultimate Temptation

Chapter 383: Chapter 383: Ultimate Temptation

Chapter 383: Ultimate Temptation

The blinding white light finally dissipated.

Rhain’s consciousness gradually returned to his surroundings.

When his vision cleared, the gorge and the hidden valley of the Howling Dust Canyons were completely gone.

In their place, a familiar warm breeze brushed against his face, carrying the intoxicating fragrance of thousands of rare spiritual herbs.

They were back in the serene and beautiful garden, surrounded by lush greenery and a clear azure sky.

Karsten and the surviving mercenaries collapsed onto the soft grass, staring openly into space with vacant gazes, as if they had just woken up from a nightmare.

"We... we actually survived?" Karsten whispered subconsciously, his scarred face twitching in disbelief.

Swoosh—!

The space above the crystal-clear pond gently rippled.

The translucent figure of the old man slowly materialized in the air.

His ancient, fathomless eyes swept over the group, and a look of satisfaction graced his withered features.

"Congratulations," the voice of the remnant soul echoed directly in their minds. "You have successfully completed the third trial."

Hearing this, Karsten hastily scrambled to his feet with hopeful look. "Senior! Does this mean... does this mean we have completed all the trials? Are we finally free to leave?!"

The old man slowly nodded. "Indeed. You are not only free to leave this realm, but you have also earned the right to inherit my legacy."

"HAHAHA! We lived! We are going to be rich!"

"However," the old man’s voice suddenly turned solemn, instantly silencing the cheering mercenaries. "My inheritance can only be obtained by one person."

Only one person?

The atmosphere in the beautiful garden instantly cooled.

After all the hell they had went through—the falling meteors, the thousand Domain Master beasts, the moral puzzle, only one of them could reap the reward?

Karsten and the other mercenaries exchanged glances, their initial fervor gradually fading, eventually replaced by bitterness and dejection.

Karsten took a deep breath, stepped forward, and gave a bitter smile: "So be it... We brothers know our own limitations best. Along the way, we’ve been nothing more than burdens and porters. If it weren’t for Lord Rhain and Miss Lyra, we would have long since become food for those monsters. We will never lay a finger on this legacy, nor do we have the right to do so."

The other mercenaries nodded in agreement and retreated dejectedly to the back.

At this moment, only Rhain and Lyra remained.

A complex expression flickered across Lyra’s stunning face.

She turned her gaze slightly, her crimson eyes fixed on the ever-calm youth beside her.

She let out a quiet exhale.

"Give it to Rhain," Lyra stated, looking up at the old man.

Rhain glanced at her, slightly surprised.

"I will have to admit it," Lyra spoke, "If it weren’t for Rhain, I would have died countless times in these trials. Reaching this point is almost entirely due to him. This legacy belongs to him alone."

The old man smiled benevolently, turning his deep eyes to Rhain.

"It seems your companions are in complete agreement, young man," the old man slowly spoke, "Since they have all willingly relinquished their inheritance, then young man, this fortune belongs to you..."

"I refuse."

Before the old man could finish speaking, Rhain’s voice were like a sharp blade, instantly cutting off his words.

At this moment, everyone was stunned into silence.

The old man’s brow twitched violently, and a look of extreme astonishment flashed in his eyes.

Rhain looked at the old man in mid-air, his words resolute and unwavering: "In these three trials, I certainly had a significant role, but it was not my effort alone. Lyra, Karsten, and his brothers also risked their lives! Without their repeated acts of self-sacrifice, without their assistance and restraint, even with my abilities, I would never have been able to safely overcome those perilous situations!"

A cold arrogant light flashed in the depths of his eyes: "I am not a saint, Senior. But I am not a hypocrite either. We survived this realm because we fought as a single unit. To ask me now to erase all their sacrifices and monopolize this fortune all for myself, it goes entirely against my bottom line."

Karsten and the mercenaries were utterly dumbfounded. To reject the inheritance of a supreme expert beyond the Monarch Realm?

For a moment, everyone just stared at the dark robed youth.

And then...

"BWAHAHAHAHA!"

The old man threw his head back and burst into a booming laughter that shook the whole spatial realm.

The laughter was so full of boundless joy and profound relief that it completely shattered the oppressive tension in the air.

"Senior?" Karsten stammered, utterly bewildered.

"Brilliant! Truly brilliant!" the old man laughed. He looked down at the group with an expression of admiration.

"I have traversed a lifetime and have seen far too many so-called brothers and devoted lovers turn on each other for the sake of profit! If you had killed each other for this inheritance just now, I would have personally crushed you all! But you have not disappointed me!"

The old man’s voice echoed with a melancholic pride.

"Power corrupts the heart. Greed shatters alliances. That was the true final test."

The old man smiled warmly at Rhain.

"The Fourth Hidden Trial. A test against the ultimate temptation. And all of you... you have passed it flawlessly."

Lyra, Karsten, and the mercenaries stood completely paralyzed.

A hidden fourth trial?!

If any of them had drawn their weapons to fight for the inheritance, they would have died!

RUMBLE—!!!

Before they could even process the revelation, the serene garden around them began to tremble violently.

The clear azure sky, the crystal pond, the vibrant spiritual herbs—the entire beautiful illusion shattered like a mirror.

In its place, a massive, ancient structure materialized from the space.

It was a colossal, magnificent palace seemingly made from glowing celestial gold.

The palace radiated an oppressive, ancient aura that made their souls feel a sense of reverence.

CREAAAK—!!!

The colossal, hundred-foot-tall gates of the palace slowly parted, revealing a vast corridor within.

The old man’s came from deep inside the palace.

"The trials are over. The rewards await you all," the old man’s voice drifted from inside the hall.

"Karsten, take your men and go into the main hall first." The old man ordered. "Rhain, Lyra, you two wait outside the hall."

Karsten and the others, who were suddenly called out, shuddered.

Although they still felt a sense of awe and tension, they gritted their teeth and stepped into the depths of the majestic palace.

BANG!

The massive doors slammed shut behind them, completely isolating them from the outside.

Rhain and Lyra remained outside the hall.

Lyra turned her head slightly and exchanged a bewildered look with Rhain.

"What do you think is in there?" Lyra muttered, her arms crossed tightly beneath her chest.

"We will find out soon enough," Rhain replied placidly.

The two waited quietly.

About half an hour later, the heavy doors open once more.

Karsten and the mercenaries walked out.

However, the expressions on their faces at this moment were extremely interesting—a strange look that looked half terrified and half filled with ecstatic joy, as if they had seen some earth-shattering divine object inside.

"What happened inside?" Lyra stepped forward immediately, her curiosity peaking. "What did he give you?"

Karsten opened his mouth, his eyes wide and dazed, but before a single word could leave his lips—

"Rhain. Lyra."

The ancient voice of the old man boomed from the glowing depths of the palace once more.

"Enter."

Rhain and Lyra looked at each other.

With a firm nod, they walked forward, side-by-side, stepping across the threshold of the palace.

The moment Rhain’s boots touched the polished white jade floor of the inner halls...

[Ding!]

The familiar mechanical sound of the system rang out clearly in his mind.

[Hidden Location Sign-In Node detected: Palace of the Ancient Saint.]

[Would you like to sign in?]