Back in the trial tower, William was being assaulted by thousands of white lights. His Earth Barrier had shattered for the fifth time, and his Absorption Arrays had broken long ago.
He had just reached floor 90, but things weren't looking good. His Forcefield was covered in small spiderweb cracks and wouldn't last much longer, leaving William with only his Hard Skin Talent to defend with the moment it broke on the 91st floor.
Just before the first white light hit his body, the Tribulation Transcendence Protective Amulet activated, shielding him from a group of white lights that battered the veil of Spirit Qi like raindrops during a stormy night.
The Amulet only lasted until the 94th floor before exhausting all of its energy, lasting around three hours. His Forcefield had repaired slightly, but it barely lasted another two floors before once again shattering like glass.
William's eyes became fierce as he slashed with his sword to defend against the white lights. His Swords Talent was only D Rank, but it was more than enough for him to execute many swift strikes that clashed with four white lights at random.
This action wasn't made with pure skill, rather luck. The white lights were much too fast for him to react normally, but there were so many that even swinging at random should have some effect.
The white lights that William slashed dissipated into thin air, reducing the number of white lights targeting him by four. As he continued to slash with his sword, a torrent of white lights targeted his back and arms, making William grit his teeth as he endured the pain.
Was I supposed to destroy these things with physical attacks the entire time? William had tried using Magic against the lights, but they were seemingly invincible, so he decided to save his Mana. Who would've known that this trial of resistance was also a test of swordsmanship?
His sword only struck a single white light on the next pass, but a victory was a victory. His Hard Skin seemed to be keeping up with the damage of the current strength of the white lights and each injury was healing at a rapid pace with the help of his natural regeneration.
There was one problem, however.
Each floor took an entire hour to complete, meaning William had been awake for over two days straight, battling from floor 51 to 96 with the white lights.
This was way too much for a normal human!
He tried to find another miraculous item within the Cultivator's Space Rings, but there wasn't anything useful this time. There was no choice but to continue enduring the attacks and hope that he survived until the end.
-Your Regeneration Talent has triggered a side effect: +1 Age
William fought to keep his eyes open as a System Message appeared in his vision, but it was too blurry, and he couldn't read it. He realized he wouldn't make it, so he gave a last order to Atticus to remain safe and not to reveal itself.
Don't worry little buddy. This is a trial; I won't die for real. He consoled the rat snake in his mind as a slight smile crept on his face. This would be his first time experiencing death, even if he would be asleep for most of it.
He sat down while the more blood splattered on the platform, his head lulling despite the constant pain of being attacked by tiny white lights that somewhat reminded William of fireflies. A pool of blood was forming at his feet, pouring over one side of the platform and dripping on the floors below.
His eyelids hovered for a few seconds, before his body slumped to the floor and his eyes closed. The white lights continued to pelt the back of his unconscious body as the platform reached floor 98.
-Your Regeneration Talent has triggered a side effect: +1 Age
-Your Regeneration Talent has triggered a side effect: +1 Age
-Your Regeneration Talent has triggered a side effect: +1 Age
-Your Regeneration Talent has triggered a side effect: +1 Age
-Your Regeneration Talent has triggered a side effect: +1 Age
...