Damned Healer-Chapter 564: The Difference
Darian moved, and everyone started advancing through the channel with him. As for the other Spiritual Guardians, they were probably the first to arrive and were already ahead.
Actually, Darian wasn't even sure if all of them came to this same universe. It wouldn't be strange if half had gone to the other one, since their mission was only to get the final prize of the Convention.
Darian only had one strong indication that the Wube family might be in the same universe, because Galteus slipped up and said they talked a lot about him.
Why would regular Spiritual Guardians, even from the enemy alliance, be talking about him? This mission had nothing to do with him, and the conflict hadn't escalated into a war where everyone needed to kill him.
Most likely, the Wube family went to the powerful races to ask for help and cause trouble for him. The others probably wouldn't care that much about him.
Back to the crossing. As soon as they took their first steps upward, an intense power started pressing down on them. However…
The moment Darian and the other Spiritual Guardians activated the power of the ring, that pressure seemed to disperse really easily, meaning nothing at all.
Darian was surprised at first. But when he felt the time-space power around them, he noticed there was an immortal will guiding that force.
The power of the Spiritual Guardians' ring was something abnormal, something that wasn't supposed to exist, created by Heaven's Will. So the ring's power seemed to be the most efficient type of energy to deal with that, nullifying a big part of that immortal will.
No wonder the Spiritual Guardians were sent to this Convention. Most likely, in the other stages, they'd all have a big advantage over the natives.
As they walked, Darian could easily feel all the energies and powers around.
'Dan, what is it? What's wrong?' Niara asked mentally, feeling Darian suddenly grow very serious. If he sensed something wrong, it probably meant something important was about to happen.
Darian sighed. 'Not sure. Something seems to be changing really fast.'
He kept leading the way, but he was moving at a slower pace than the other two races. Because of that, they passed them quickly, making his army the last one climbing the channel.
That ramp felt endless, and the pressure increased with every step, making the climb harder and harder.
Even the strongest and most experienced natives were forced to slow down after reaching the halfway point, and there was still a long road ahead.
But the Spiritual Guardians didn't feel any signs of fatigue. This only made it clearer why they hadn't met the others: they were probably the first ones, and their crossing had likely been fast and easy as well.
After almost an hour, Darian and the others kept climbing without any issues. But as the pressure grew, many natives in the other armies started getting exhausted and were forced to slow down a lot.
Some Rainbow Cranes were panting and sweaty. But the Golems were still in great condition, since their Earth Heart was also a power from Heaven's Will, helping them withstand the pressure better with its energy.
As they kept climbing, suddenly…
They all saw someone from the Twilight Owls' army cough up blood. It was a human with average strength, but way too competitive to slow down. As a result, he'd pushed himself past his limit.
The moment he coughed blood, Darian's expression changed. He saw the blood mysteriously vanish as soon as it touched the ground, like it had been absorbed by some power.
Darian looked upward. Then he felt the life energy of the blood condensing and flying toward somewhere far away.
'Could it be…' Darian grew serious, forming a terrifying theory in his mind. That feeling of uneasiness only grew stronger.
Ahead, someone nearby gently advised the human: "Are you alright? If you're not able to continue, take a rest. Don't push yourself too hard."
Everyone in front was supposed to act as a shield for the Twilight Owls. But it wouldn't be a big issue if someone fell behind. After that, he'd have to climb alone. But most likely, he wouldn't endure and would be forced to return, abandoning the Convention. Still, it was better than dying for nothing.
For those humanoids, this was a rare chance to search for some treasures on the battlefield. Even if they found something really good and had to hand it over, they'd still get decent compensation. The two races couldn't act too shamelessly, stealing from them, because they had a reputation to protect.
"I can't die or fall back just in this crossing. I'm definitely going to push my potential here!" The man gritted his teeth and kept forcing himself with everything he had.
Niara and Alear scoffed. That wasn't how someone's potential was explored — not in such a reckless and stupid way.
After taking a deep breath, the man suddenly pushed himself forward, advancing several steps at once. However…
*BOOM!*
Suddenly, the man's body exploded, turning into a mist of blood that was absorbed by invisible energy. This made everyone freeze in place, completely terrified. That person simply vanished!
"This is…!"
At that moment, finally, everyone also realized something was very wrong.
"How is this possible?! We're just in the crossing! This test was supposed to be something simple!" Screams of terror and disbelief echoed.
In the past, sometimes a few people would die. But that happened because they were hurt by their own stupidity and stubbornness. They couldn't endure, and only after they were already too weak would they try to retreat; since no one would come back to carry them away, some died because they didn't have enough strength to retreat far enough to ease the pressure.
But now… someone just violently exploded, without any chance of retreat or being saved.
"SHIT! I don't want to take part in this Convention!"
A person turned around and ran down. It was an elf with a twisted expression. The Twilight Owls didn't care at all; they even had amusement on their faces.
*BOOM!*
That elf also exploded shortly after getting a bit away from the army. It was like he had run into an invisible wall. When he touched it, he was turned into a grotesque mist of blood.
In that instant, countless weaker natives were shaken. Why was this Convention different from every previous one?
But the Twilight Owls and Three-Eyed Ravens were almost laughing. Of course, it was different. After all, why else would so many people from another universe be here this time?
Even that terrifying Wyvern had come. The two races were expecting something like this, so they were prepared for anything.
But these common natives received no preparation, no prior knowledge. Some didn't even know about the outsiders until shortly before entering the channel.
The truth was that they were just disposable things, and the other two races didn't care. Losing one or another weakling now was just entertainment for some of them.
The two armies started facing the same problem. Humanoids, demons, and native beasts were exploding nonstop. Casualties were happening among all the weaker ones.
"What's going on? When did the Convention become this cruel? Do the weak just have to die?!"
Suddenly, a very young-looking human woman screamed in despair as she supported another young human, tears in her eyes. He was extremely exhausted and would likely be the next to die.
But with that woman holding him up, he swallowed all his pain and fatigue, planting his foot firmly on the ground and moving forward slowly.
That made Alear feel a deep ache. Everyone in Darian's army, who was watching everything, felt the same. But… obviously, helping those people was impossible. No one would be crazy: they were the enemy army, and nothing good would come from that.
"Move faster, damn it!" Suddenly, Galteus shouted, forcing the demons and beasts at the front of his army to walk.
Because of fear, they were walking much more slowly, some almost stopping.
Darian narrowed his eyes. In the other army, it didn't take long for Caelu to do the same, growing impatient. The two leaders started pressuring their slaves to walk, completely indifferent to their deaths.
They kept moving forward.
After a bit more than ten minutes and a few more meters…
*BOOOM!*
Suddenly, everyone in the Three-Eyed Ravens' army stopped walking.
Darian scoffed, already expecting this outcome. The first Heavenly Beast had died. And it happened suddenly and miserably, just like any other native.
"What?!" Galteus was stunned — no one expected that.
The difficulty level of this crossing was actually becoming more terrifying than the training planet. Many, even among the Heavenly Beasts, couldn't endure it.
But the common natives, even being weaker, had a strong desire to live and survive; with others beside them trying to help and encourage them, that was making some difference.
It wasn't all about raw power; especially for cultivators, sometimes willpower changed the whole equation.
But the Twilight Owls and Three-Eyed Ravens…
*BOOM! BOOOM! BOOOOM!*
Quickly, in both armies, they started exploding at the same rate and speed as the natives. Maybe even a bit faster, because they were getting very scared, and their wills were ridiculously inferior.
Everyone in those two Heavenly Beast races was born with everything handed to them by their race. But the other natives had to fight for every tiny resource. They knew they had a chance of dying, and now that this chance was clear as day, even so, most kept moving forward, because they had to survive.
The Twilight Owls and Three-Eyed Ravens were terrified. As for the Rainbow Cranes…
At that moment, Galteus and Caelu turned around, looking at the army they had previously mocked.
Their eyes turned red with anger. Darian only looked back at them with complete disdain, but said nothing.
Everyone behind him was calm, keeping their pace without stopping. No one there looked desperate, and there was no trace of bloody or Yin death aura near them. That meant no one there had died so far.
"What's wrong, bastards? Finally seeing the difference between us? Why don't you laugh a little more?" Niara mocked, puffing out her chest.
