Chapter 187: Rewards are Changing...
As Chu Xiu stood in the challenge arena, the system unexpectedly announced changes to the rewards. "Rewards are changing...," it repeated, with static interference muddling the voice. The mechanical announcements grew increasingly garbled, leading to a forced termination of the selection process.
Chu Xiu, taken aback by the malfunction, noticed the bunny girl's projection flickering—like a faulty hologram. "What's going on?" he muttered, half to himself. The bunny girl maintained her sweet smile, but her voice glitched as she repeated, "Unknown confusion, unknown confusion."
Suddenly, the system stabilized long enough to announce, "Congratulations, challenger, you will receive all rewards except the fourth item." Before Chu Xiu could react, a force yanked him backward, and he vanished from the ring, leaving the audience in stunned silence.
The spectators, unable to comprehend the rapid developments, buzzed with questions and theories. Meanwhile, demons among the crowd, recognizing the significance of Chu Xiu's swift mastery of the level, hurriedly convened to discuss their thwarted plans.
Elsewhere, Feng Yao observed the empty stage, her brow furrowed in concern.
Chu Xiu reappeared in a surreal landscape, standing amidst a vast sea of red flowers under a setting sun. This scene seemed hauntingly familiar, and a towering black stone tablet at the center caught his eye. Upon closer inspection, he found it inscribed with Chinese characters, sparking a cascade of realizations and memories.
The words read like a poignant lament about misdirection and suffering, ending with cryptic references to the "other shore." As Chu Xiu touched a dried drop of blood on the tablet, a surge of energy released a spectral ice crystal sword, resonating with Emperor Taisu's essence.
Recognizing the sword's significance, Chu Xiu recalled his sealed memories of fighting Emperor Taisu's incarnation. The sword shattered, leaving behind a message about the futility of certain paths. "The road is wrong, the road is hopeless," it declared, deepening the mystery.
As Chu Xiu pondered the implications, the reward distribution commenced. Despite the system's earlier malfunction, it now enhanced his physical strength, enveloping him in a warm, red mist drawn from the flowers. This energy didn't just fortify him—it transformed him at a fundamental level, making him feel as if his body had evolved from steel to diamond.
Amidst this transformation, Chu Xiu couldn't help but feel exhilarated, though the system's cheeky comments briefly snapped him out of his reverie. Ignoring the jibes, he focused on the profound changes within him and the enigmatic messages left by presumably another from his homeland, Emperor Taisu. The mystery of the stone tablet's words lingered in his mind, compelling him to question everything he knew about his journey and destiny in this world.