555 Ruben and Lucia

When the thought was present on their mind, Alex took a deep breath, adjusting his state.

He was able to reach the 850th mark before using his fire. It was possible to walk through another fifty planks without using his flame, but if he seriously did that, he would most likely be exhausted before the real fight even started.

"How are you, Stina?" Alex asked the one who worried him the most.

'I am still fine… but I think I will release my Phoenix Wings not long after this. Seeing how the Joyful Union Sect and Blackwade thought we have a special Martial Art that can grow a beast part. I am sure unless I reveal what I needed, they would only think this is a Martial Art.' Stina sighed while sending a thought transmission.

Alex looked down, weighing the matter on his mind. What Stina said was true since he saw the indifferent reaction from the two sects concerning the beast parts. If Stina, Kyle, and Sherry just revealed a little bit, they would think it was a special Martial Art.

After pondering for a while, he nodded at her, allowing her to use it. 'Though I want you to make it look more like a Martial Art. Tell Kyle and Sherry too. Also, you need to quickly recall it before you give up since they thought you have used all of your Spiritual Energy and given up.'

'Understood.' Stina nodded before telling Kyle and Sherry.

Alex slowed down his pace because he thought about something. He was too fast, and even now, he started doubting if he could pass through the last a hundred planks without using his Pure Fire.

Sherry was confused by his action, but didn't ask him anything. Alex always thought of the consequences before doing something, so he must be thinking something. Although Sherry didn't like to think, she tried to come up for a reason. It could be said this was training for her to get better since she didn't want to be outdone in the brain too, and thought it was another charming point for Alex.

In the end, Even Song Yu and Song Jia caught up with them before entering the 900th planks.

"Why are you slowing down? I don't think this is your limit…" Song Yu asked.

Song Jia looked back at all the other comrades who already gave up and nodded. With Alex's brain, there was no way he actually wanted to act cool and didn't use his Element stubbornly.

"Just go ahead. Don't mind me," said Alex nonchalantly. The journey was really a treacherous one as he even had released his Twin Blade Domain to provide more protection.

Albeit, before either of them moved to the next one, the event finally moved forward.

"Look, the couple finally go down." One of them shouted, making the other forget about Alex for a second. For a couple like them to reach 900th planks, they were already unbelievable, let alone come from city lord families. Usually, this mark could only be crossed by a peerless Genius or a successor of first-rate influences.

The couple reached the 910th plank before sitting down on the plank as the energy began healing their injuries. There would be two peerless geniuses coming from the city lord families.

Though their focus quickly changed as both Alex's group and Song Yu's group had arrived at the last one hundred. They looked at the people like Ruben and Lucia as well as Grimes. Both of them were struggling to advance as they felt the burden was far harder than before.

Alex observed them with his Spirit Eyes. Another wave of energy attacked appeared, but this time it attacked one Spiritual Energy, draining them.

He looked at a woman from one of the first-rate influences called Supreme Element Sect. Alex wasn't focused on her appearance. Instead, he was observing how she manipulated her wind element.

Surprisingly, she created a torrential wind that somehow directed a portion of energy that was coming toward her away. Even so, she looked so beaten up as one of her hands was broken after reaching the 920th planks.

After spitting out blood, she bit her lips and looked up. "Kh… I can still go on."

The same as her, the Martial Tower also sent its representative who was a young male. Although he was barely a 1-Star Martial Emperor, it could be said he was the youngest out of the first-rate influences' successor.

Unfortunately, with all the effort he had been putting up, he slowly descended to the ground as his legs went limp. Even his eyes had lost its focus. After having walked for 930th planks, he finally went down and gave up.

"One down."

After seeing the first successor finally fall, the others started frowning as they were also the same as him and could only reach a few more planks.

"Patriarch, look. Our… Our Grimes has finally reached his limit." One of the elders pointed his finger while informing the patriarch.

His eyes rolled from Alex to Grimes, calculating how many planks he had passed.

"937th… It's good, but it seems�� even Grimes can't beat the record." He sighed in disappointment. Grimes was a genius that was hard to come by. He was a person equipped with both brain and talent. Unfortunately, it was still not enough to pass 943rd, which was supposed to be the highest record.

He swept to see who finally went down after this.

On the other hand, Alex finally stepped on the 901st planks after seeing Grimes fell. He went first before Song Yu because she was busy regaining her calm.

"!!" Alex took a deep breath as he felt the heaviness of the new attack and quickly made a few small Spatial Gates. Of course, he made it in the space within his clothes, hiding it from others.

The Spatial Gates sucked a portion of the energy. Alex adjusted his state first before turning back to the others and nodded.

The second one stepped forward was Sherry. Her mind jolted after sensing the pressure and quickly raised her fire to the maximum.

Following Sherry, Kyle also entered after releasing his fire, so he didn't have much reaction.

The worst-case was Stina. She couldn't endure this presence anymore and raised her hand before enveloping her body in flame. Then her flame slowly turned into a pair of wings before she revealed her Phoenix Wings to everyone.

"This…" The patriarch of the Fire God Clan narrowed his eyes. He had gotten the information about this from his spies that the Spirit Nest was practicing a strength technique that could boost strength. This was the technique that allowed them to defeat the Joyful Union Sect.

He quickly observed this technique to see what this technique was with his own eyes.

After revealing her phoenix wings, Stina's aura became stable again, albeit Kyle came to her with a worried expression. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine. I should have no problem with another forty planks, but I don't know if I can beat the record. Let us see." Stina assured him with a relaxed tone, not wanting him to be worried.

After looking at her for a few seconds, Kyle nodded and turned around.

They started walking again. Alex was planning to take this opportunity to complete the trial before anyone waking up. After all, there were only Ruben, Lucia, Song Yu, and Song Jia left in this trial. None of them had Fire Element, so it should pose no problem if he revealed his Pure Fire in front of them.

While he was at it, he observed Ruben and Lucia, who were already beaten up.

"Can you still go on?" Ruben looked at his fiancee.

"Yeah." Lucia nodded as she wiped the blood on her mouth, albeit the blood that her clean face was covered with blood again when she stepped on the next plank.

*Spat*

She spat a mouthful of blood, sticking on the plank and her clothes.

Although he could even barely move, Ruben turned around and looked at Lucia.

"Don't give up. You said earlier that you want to challenge yourself. You can't go down now." Ruben kneeled on the ground, placing her hand on his shoulder before gradually rising from his feet.

The process was filled with pain. Even so, Ruben still put his strong front just for her.

He enveloped her with his Spiritual Energy, doubling the pressure on him. "We are still on 933rd… Just a bit more to reach 935th then to 940th."

"Ru… Ruben… why are you doing this? You have been like this from the beginning… You are blessed with overwhelming talents and could practically do anything I learn… You don't need to torture yourself by carrying me." Lucia bit her lips. "I have been watching you from the start, and your talent might even take you to the record if not surpassing it…"

Ruben only smiled in front of her confession while carrying her. He recalled a certain scene of a girl still practicing in the rain, in the scorching sun, or even the cold winter. Despite having a harsh environment, the girl still focused on what to do.

He closed her eyes for a second before saying, "It's because I met a girl. Despite having so much talent, the girl didn't give up or was satisfied with it. Instead, she trained harder than anyone else… At that time, I was charmed by her unique passion and started practicing harder.

"You have been watching me, but I am also the same… I have seen something in you that you might not even see in yourself. People might think that you could succeed because of your talent, but I know that you succeed because of your hard work… There is no way that I let that girl behind."

"You…" Lucia's regret slowly turned into sadness. Even so, there was a movement on her heart as she smiled while saying in a low voice, "... fool."

As soon as she said those two words, she released the hand on his shoulder before using the momentum to slip away.

"Lucia…" Ruben was startled.

"I am rooting for you… Dear." Lucia quickly gave up, not wanting to hold Ruben back.

"You…" It might be the first time that Lucia ever called him with that. They had recognized each other but had yet to move to the next step. His words broke the gate that held her back from recognizing her feelings toward him. Ruben bit her lips, watching the girl he loved gave up on the 935th planks. He took a deep breath as he looked forward and continued with a determination.

Alex thought that the people here only married because of their family circumstances. However, Ruben and Lucia proved otherwise. Although he didn't know them well, he held respect for them.

Unfortunately, he could only focus on them for a few seconds before he noticed that Kyle opened his wings too while Sherry also released her fox ears and tail a few planks later.

Alex also started feeling the pressure, so he was preparing to open his Pure Fire.

"Sherry, are you alright?" Alex asked as they entered the 930th planks and found a trace of exhaustion on Sherry's energy.

"I am fine, Master. This is not as extreme as your or Elder Sister's Anna training." Sherry smiled.

"It's good then." Alex nodded before glancing on the phoenix couple. T

"Stina, are you alright?" Kyle looked at her.

Stina was exhausted. One of her hands was broken because of the pressure, so it was normal for Kyle to worry.

Alex took a deep breath before stepping on the next plank. He looked like Ruben, who was walking practically like a zombie. Ruben stretched his hand to the front as he walked forward. His mouth kept muttering "Lucia" as a motivation.

Meanwhile, Song Yu and Song Jia decreased their pace even further as they wanted to observe Alex's limit.

Alex clicked his tongue before revealing his Pure Fire.

"Pure Fi-" However, when he was about to activate his Pure Fire, he sensed another thing coming from his body.

This sensation came with a great surge of strength. "This?"

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