A burning sensation flared up in Charles’s finger, as if a giant magnifying glass had focused light onto a single point.
Charles withdrew his finger and looked down, noticing that there was no visible change or any trace of burns on his finger, as if the searing pain he had just felt was nothing more than a fleeting illusion.
He tried again, this time much quicker.
In an instant, the intense burning sensation returned. It seemed that the faster he moved, the more intense the pain became.
Charles glanced around and saw that many of the talented individuals had already begun trying to pass through the light-band wall. Their faces were contorted in agony, and some were even shouting in pain:
“Dammit, this hurts like hell! Damn! Damn! Damn!”
“Who came up with this method? It’s pure torture!”
The shouts mostly came from the talented Beast Masters of the Haunted Marsh. Their strength was greater, and their Beast Master levels were higher, but it seemed they didn’t handle pain very well.
Charles took a closer look and saw that only a few of the talented Beast Masters from the Haunted Marsh could pass through quickly without changing expression. That same Flynn, who had been mocking and shouting outside earlier, looked pained but didn’t stop his steps and successfully passed through the light-band wall.
And then, he noticed Charles’s gaze. Flynn’s face, which had been twisted with pain, suddenly lifted high, filled with disdain and contempt.
Flynn even gave Charles the middle finger and arrogantly shouted, “Trash! You really can’t get through? That’ll be so boring for me!”
Charles’s face remained calm as he took a step forward.
Half of his body had already entered the light-band wall, but his expression didn’t change. It was as serene as the boundless ocean.
The next moment, Charles took another step forward, his movement as easy as if he were strolling. Without a hint of struggle, he passed effortlessly through the light-band wall.
Flynn, who had been watching Charles the entire time, suddenly widened his eyes and muttered in disbelief, “Impossible! I nearly died from the pain just now. Did Charles pass through without feeling any pain or pressure?”
It wasn’t just him. A few of the talented Beast Masters from the Haunted Marsh had their eyes light up. Without hesitation, they immediately accelerated and reached the same spot where Charles had stood earlier.
A talented level-six Beast Master charged forward but suddenly collapsed onto the ground.
Caught off guard, the immense pressure and pain caused him to lose his balance, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
This scene instantly caused those who wanted to follow to stop in their tracks.
“Damn, bro, are you okay?” someone asked the level-six Beast Master from the Haunted Marsh.
He received no answer, as the level-six Beast Master, now lying on the ground, was shaking. The longer he stayed there, the more pressure built up on him, and the more pain he endured.
The level-six Beast Master tried several times to stand up, but due to being unprepared and suddenly entering the light-band wall, he had already been injured from the unexpected pressure.
Reluctantly, the level-six Beast Master from the Haunted Marsh could only shout, “Help, help me!”
No one dared to help him, for the rules had been clear from the start: no one could interfere with or assist others, or else they would lose their qualifications.
A huge question arose in the minds of several other talented level-six Beast Masters present: Why was Charles completely fine just now?
Charles’s expression and actions had been unusually calm, as if he were simply taking a walk, with no visible pressure or pain.
Why did it change when it came to them?
Could it be that Charles had moved slowly, almost leisurely?
Someone took a deep breath, trying to imitate Charles’s actions. He slowly walked up to the light-band wall, lifted one foot, and stepped forward, half of his body entering the wall. In an instant, the cries of pain erupted once again.
Hearing the agonized cries from the Beast Masters of the Haunted Marsh, Everett, who was flying in the air, couldn’t help but clench his fists.
The two fools crying out were his students from the Ancient Academy!
Everett cursed under his breath, “Fools! Fools! Charles was just enduring the pain to pass through, and you all are so stupid, thinking there’s no pressure or pain in that light-band wall!”
“Alright, Charles, you’re despicable. Pretending like nothing happened and fooling my students from the Ancient Academy, you really deserve to die!”
Charles had no idea that Everett was once again holding a grudge against him. Even if he knew, he wouldn’t care. At worst, he would use the [Substitute Mask for the Ten-Person Council] to send Everett, that level-nine Beast Master, to seek out Cuny, the strongest Beast Master from the Ethereal Grove!
Having successfully passed through the light-band wall, Charles looked ahead. Not far away, the students from the Ancient Academy were gathering together.
The talented Beast Masters of the Haunted Marsh, once they had passed through the light-band wall and secured their spots, would look for a suitable place to wait for others from the same faction to gather.
Meanwhile, the Beast Masters from the Abyssal Depths instinctively gathered together, and after considering for a moment, Charles also began walking toward where the Beast Masters from the Abyssal Depths had gathered.
Unexpectedly, at that moment, someone from the Ancient Academy’s group spoke up:
“Any Beast Master associated with Charles will be treated as an enemy by the Ancient Academy and regarded with hostility!”
“Charles, I advise you not to be so selfish, using others as shields. Don’t drag other people down with you!”
Charles stopped in his tracks. He turned to look at the person speaking. It was none other than Flynn, who had challenged him to a fight outside earlier.
Charles couldn’t believe it—how petty and vengeful these Ancient Academy people were. No, it wasn’t that; it was their shamelessness and utter disregard for reason!
Their student wasn’t killed by Charles—it was William who had killed him. That incident had nothing to do with Charles.
Unable to find William, they decided to target him, right?
Charles studied the students from the Ancient Academy carefully, memorizing each face in his mind. He would find the right opportunity to give these people a surprising lesson.
At that moment, someone from the Abyssal Depths Beast Master group quietly muttered:
“Let’s go! We’re not afraid of the Ancient Academy!”
In the next instant, many of the Abyssal Depths Beast Masters stepped forward, leaving their original positions to walk toward Charles and gather around him.
Charles looked at the Abyssal Depths Beast Masters, nodded, and said:
“It’s alright, don’t worry about me. It’s just an Ancient Academy.”
Upon hearing Charles’s words, the Ancient Academy students immediately seethed with fury!
He didn’t even regard the Ancient Academy with any respect!
As time passed, the 300 spots were quickly filled.
Charles took a rough look and furrowed his brows. There weren’t many Beast Masters from the Abyssal Depths—only around sixty.
Meanwhile, over two hundred Beast Masters from the Haunted Marsh had entered.
Although Charles had roughly predicted this result, he hadn’t expected the gap between the Beast Masters of the Abyssal Depths and the Haunted Marsh to be so wide.
What surprised him even more was that he saw the large, bulky figure of the person who had disguised himself as William, blending in with the Abyssal Depths Beast Masters.
The person noticed Charles’s gaze and flashed him a smile.
Charles couldn’t quite make sense of it. Given Isolde’s strength, she should have been able to detect William’s disguise, right?
Could it be that Isolde had intentionally let William in, or had she simply not cared enough, letting him slip by due to oversight?
The situation had become clear now. Although the Beast Masters from the Haunted Marsh were divided by different factions, overall, they were fully aligned against the Beast Masters of the Abyssal Depths.
Moreover, the talented Beast Masters from the Ancient Academy showed no effort in hiding their disgust and hatred, often casting their eyes toward Charles.
Charles thought for a moment and then spoke to the nearby Abyssal Depths Beast Master:
“Be careful of the Beast Masters from the Haunted Marsh. Try not to wander off alone. Their first thought will certainly be to eliminate all the Abyssal Depths Beast Masters.”
The Abyssal Depths Beast Masters were no fools. They naturally understood that Charles was right. Once they managed to clear out all the Abyssal Depths Beast Masters, only then would the Beast Masters from the Haunted Marsh start internal competition.
Someone sighed helplessly and said, “We only have about sixty of us, while they have over two hundred. Sigh, it looks like we’re destined to gain nothing this time.”
Charles didn’t speak. He was deep in thought.
At that moment, the light-band wall outside disappeared, and Isolde’s figure appeared in the forest. Following her were several level-nine Beast Masters from the Haunted Marsh, as well as Flint, an eighth-level Beast Master from Celestial City.
Isolde addressed the Beast Masters on the ground: “Follow me. The entrance to the secret realm will open in half an hour, and you will be able to enter.”
“This exploration allows for combat among you, but there must be no fatalities. Otherwise, I will intervene and execute the killer!”
“You should understand what the consequences of that would be.”
In the next instant, a tremendous pressure emanated from Isolde’s body, as though the apocalypse was descending, threatening to collapse the entire sky. Everyone in the vicinity stopped breathing, unable to think under the threat of death.
Fortunately, Isolde’s pressure only lasted for a brief moment.
Even so, when the pressure dissipated, ninety-nine percent of the Beast Masters were gasping for air, greedily inhaling the fresh air.
No one dared to look up at Isolde. This was a sign of respect for a powerful being.
Charles glanced back at William, who was cowering in fear. Now, he understood. Isolde must have intentionally allowed William to enter.
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