While chaos and panic ensued within the main crowd of geniuses, Atlas and Artemia continued using their spectacular teamwork to plow through the beast horde.
Originally, Atlas didn't even expect them to make it through a hundred beasts before their stamina and energy were depleted, but he was dead wrong.
With [Intrinsic Foresight] activated, he could pinpoint every single Core Formation Realm beast in the horde. It was only due to this that he was put off by their number.
When it came to actually fighting the horde, coming across a Core Formation Realm beast was actually much rarer. Even though he and Artemia had already surpassed the 100 mark in their kills, they'd only fought four beasts who could match them in strength.
'I see. This is not an impossible trial, nor is it a trial of strength. It is a trial of battle instinct and judgement. If one submits to the sheer number of beasts or attempts to show off by using too much power, one would have no chance of succeeding. However, if one exercises caution and moves with precision, this trial is not as difficult as it seems.'
His deduction was accurate. In the first place, asking a group of young geniuses without proper battle experience, geniuses who had only recently entered the Tower's true form, to complete such a daunting task was impractical.
Even if the legacy contained in this tomb was magnificent, its greatness wouldn't hold any stock if it was impossible to obtain.
And considering the way only young geniuses were able to make it to the third trial, with all the Sage Realm beings trapped in lesser levels, it was clear that the tomb's owner always intended to pick a genius who was still in the process of blossoming to inherit their legacy.
After all, entering the Sage Realms meant coming in contact with the Heavenly Dao. Until one reached this point and started fortifying their inner world, containing a Dao within their body was impossible; it would only lead to implosion.
If one wanted to take a disciple to inherit their methods, this was the perfect period to do so. Their dantians were far more malleable to change than they would be in later realms.
Atlas was different from the rest. Even if his body wasn't much greater than an average peak Core Formation Realm genius, his soul was one that'd lived two lives. He was already accustomed to handling the Dao.
At his peak, he had tens of thousands of Dao Marks imprinted on his inner world and soul. Even after his soul was washed in the cycle of Samsara, he was able to maintain a portion of this comprehension.
Essentially, Atlas' current flame abilities came from a residual spark of the Dao rather than an actual usage of it. If he wanted to perform feats surpassing basic skills like the ones he'd used so far, he'd face the same consequences as others.
Kraaa!
The pained roar of a beast emanated through the surroundings, attracting the gazes of those who heard it. Atlas pulled his fist out of the beast's skull and flicked the blood off his hand indifferently.
'Our contribution is much higher than those youths, yet, there are still so many beasts to defeat. At this rate, we will not leave this trial until we have fought for many days and nights without rest.'
Fatigue wasn't just a symptom of the physical body. Regardless of the power gap between a Qi Seed and Core Formation Realm cultivator, a large number of Qi Seed cultivators could still easily take down one in the next realm as long as they faced some losses.
And the beasts in this tide faced more than just a few losses. Even with a third of their numbers cut down, they rushed forward without hesitation or fear.
'Large scale attacks…I have a few. Though, I do not know how practical they will be.'
Atlas glanced over at Artemia. While he trusted her to an extent, he didn't trust her enough to be unconscious in her presence, let alone in a situation where they weren't alone.
His hand reached up and touched his mask. If she took it off…
[Flame Wheel]
The burning wheel zipped through the crowd of beasts and killed over ten of them. Atlas didn't stop moving even after this, joining Artemia and controlling the crowd so she could effectively kill the surrounding beasts without worrying about her safety.
'Aria is a product of this era. If she witnesses my appearance, it will not cause a problem. Sylvanus on the other hand…while I cannot understand where this sinking feeling originates from, I have learned through the years to trust my instinct. A cultivator's instinct is not a simple matter of feeling, after all.'
A cultivator's instinct was based on their perception, and a cultivator's perception was based on their soul. Though he couldn't make use of it, Atlas' most powerful facet was his soul.
If he didn't trust his instinct, who could he trust?
Amidst his hesitation, Atlas continued slaying beasts at a rapid pace. With him and Artemia expertly cooperating, their internal energy was utilized at a stable rate.
Even if he didn't act, he knew the two of them would still pass the trial.
The only thing he had to consider was the others present with them.
'If we exit alone, the societies will place their attention on us. I have just entered the Tower. It would not be wise to attract too much attention.'
With a sigh, he came to a decision.
And that decision…was to remain passive.
At least for now, he wouldn't reveal his power to others.
It simply wasn't worth it.
He didn't enter the Mysterious Tomb to lose its legacy to someone else.
When he exited the tomb, the societies would still place a target on his back due to the treasures he obtained.
A Behemoth's tomb was just too rare. As they were extremely xenophobic creatures, they rarely left their legacies so easily accessible.
If he was going to oppose the societies either way, what was the point of trying to avert their gazes?
When he thought about it, Atlas realized that it would likely be best if these geniuses died. In that way, there would be fewer people alive who knew his appearance and strength.
But before he considered what to do after he exited the tomb, he first had to act skillfully to receive the legacy itself.
Atlas' eyes hardened. Those Darkstar chain-sickles appeared in his hands, soon being coated in a layer of flaming red spiritual energy.
Xiu!
They flew through the air wildly. While Atlas didn't have much control over the weapons, at the moment, he didn't need it.
In a situation where he was one facing many, and where he was stronger than a majority of his opponents, the wild ferocity that his chain-sickles currently held was perfect.
His body twirled like a dancer's. His steps were graceful and methodical, his every movement causing the chains to whip back and forth, heightening the momentum of the sickles at their ends.
From crowd control, he switched to offense.
He couldn't allow Artemia to have all the fun now, could he?
Noticing this switch, Artemia grinned. She'd had her fun, and now it seemed it was Atlas' turn to do the same.
But when it came to crowd control…
'Ahh, this guy…doesn't he know that I'm only good for killing?' She complained inwardly.
Atlas was versatile and adaptable, an advantage he gained through millennia of battle. Artemia had only recently matured, and while she'd been trained to fight since young, she didn't have enough practical combat experience to act outside of her comfort zone.
"There is no need to support me," Atlas suddenly said.
"Did you not wish to compete? Let us do that now."
Artemia's eyes widened for a second before a wild grin spread on her face.
Right, since when was that bastard someone who needed help?
Without a single shred of hesitation, she jumped back into battle.
With her fists thirsting for blood and her qi excited by the constant combat, she was more than ready to battle for hours to come.