Chapter 132 – Lord Mu Has Already Gone Super Ghost

At another entrance to the Hero Arena.

A ‘new lord’ who had been in this world for two years and seven months gazed at the announcement floating above the glowing gate, secretly astonished. “As expected of a top-tier second-generation heir. To reach the Conceptual level in such a short time.”

“Hah, it’s just special training from childhood. I could do that too if given the chance.”

Another lord, also with over two years of experience, spoke with a hint of jealousy before continuing, “Now even rookie lords are contemplating Concepts. We can’t afford to fall behind. Remember, we were both prodigies who made the Golden Ranking back in our day!”

Though the Golden Ranking back then held far less prestige than the current one.

Lord trials were held every six months, while the Hero Festival occurred only once every three years. This meant the ‘newest lords’ entering the Secret Realm for the festival could have been in the Eternal World for over two years already.

Their accumulated experience was naturally more substantial.

Even though the festival recruitment didn’t focus on combat prowess, it was obvious whether a hero would choose a well-established territory or one still in the pioneering phase without even basic facilities like restrooms.

Similarly, the lord’s personal charisma and abilities carried significant weight.

Heroes like the Flowing Cloud Swordsman, who appreciated ‘superb technique’ and ‘exceptional combat prowess’, were not uncommon.

This was precisely why lords like the Bamboo Sword Territory Lord and the Stone Tyrant Territory Lord were willing to pay enormous costs for Training Ground access.

Otherwise, even as ‘frontline-charging type lords’, they wouldn’t spend so lavishly on themselves.

It wasn’t worth it.

Even achieving Conceptual level and greatly enhancing combat power couldn’t compare to recruiting more troop types or acquiring rare advanced troops through costly means.

Advanced troops could crush everything even with mediocre techniques.

Moreover, while exceptional individuals among common troops might be one in ten thousand or one in a thousand, advanced troops were one in ten or even universally outstanding.

With inherently superior base attributes, Advanced skills, and overwhelming techniques compared to common troops—even lords—the advantage was clear.

And heroes typically originated from advanced troop backgrounds.

Securing a hero, especially an Advanced one, made any cost worthwhile!

“Time to go in!”

Exchanging determined glances, the two lords confidently stepped through the glowing gate.

…

「Prompt: Your hero Dolai has entered the ‘Hero Arena’ and is currently undergoing trials and training.」

Dolai’s figure vanished into the light gate.

The Undead General could also project his consciousness similarly—as long as Dolai remained connected to the structure.

“I should go train too.”

Mu Yuan sighed slightly as he watched.

He was just a rookie who had never even killed a chicken before. Dealing with southern cockroaches required his full effort, taking over a dozen rounds to finally squash them.

Combat wasn’t easy—knowing what to do in theory was one thing, but executing with hands and feet was another matter entirely.

Having recently tested his capabilities at the Training Ground, the budding lord Mu had some self-awareness.

But,

everyone had to take that first step.

Wasn’t enhancing his combat ability and shedding his weakling status exactly what he wanted?

“Time to face it.”

Taking a deep breath, he strode forward and stepped into the brilliantly white light gate.

Damn!The fragrance of grass and the scent of soil permeated the air. This was no arena battlefield, but a vast, boundless grassland.

Grey-furred giant wolves emerged from the horizon, howling as they charged forward.

Mu Yuan could clearly see the ferocious fangs of the giant wolves, with shreds of meat stuck between their teeth. A faint, nauseating stench carried by the wind assaulted his senses.

At the same time, a vague prompt entered his mind:

—The enemy’s rank is the same as his own. Defeat the monsters and clear the stage to gain higher ‘training bonuses.’

In short, he needed to cast aside all distractions and focus solely on the fight.

Mu Yuan loaded the ‘Rakshasa Template,’ and in an instant, a brownish-red spear materialized in his hands. He thrust it fiercely at the charging giant wolf, and warm, foul-smelling blood splattered across his face.

It was somewhat sickening.

He could have loaded the Dolai Template and blasted the giant wolves from a distance.

He could have loaded the Lu Six Template, encased in iron armor, completely unharmed even if blood splattered everywhere.

But Mu Yuan still chose the Rakshasa Template, which offered no armor at all.

A true warrior should fight drenched in blood!

After all, he had ‘grown accustomed’ to corpses. Tasting the blood only caused mild discomfort, and he swiftly moved around, dispatching the pack of giant wolves one by one.

The giant wolves weren’t strong.

They were only ordinary three-star tier, and at the same rank, there was a qualitative gap in strength and speed compared to him.

Yet, he still struggled a bit with the kills—his mindset wasn’t fully adapted yet.

“Continue.”

He didn’t even need to say it. As soon as the last giant wolf fell, the environment around him subtly shifted.

The vast, boundless grassland transformed into a forest of towering trees. Dozens of meters high, the dense canopy blotted out the sky, allowing only scattered strands of sunlight to filter through, casting mottled shadows on the leaf-strewn forest floor.

Before him, several figures appeared.

Goblin Warriors.

Were the enemies in the second stage already this strong?

He raised his spear and charged forward. The brown spear whistled through the air as he wielded it, single-handedly suppressing several powerful green-skinned warriors.

So formidable!

Not only that, but with each swing, his spear technique grew more refined—from novice to proficient, to advanced proficiency, all in a matter of moments.

It was as if he were a peerless genius, breaking through with every battle, advancing by leaps and bounds in the heat of combat.

But in reality, it was merely the effect of the Hero Arena.

When Mu Yuan trained diligently in the training ground, his progress in techniques was far slower than this. Here, he could cast everything aside and fight with his most unrestrained demeanor, as if blessed by divine aid.

If the training ground was a rare-grade structure, then this Hero Arena was at least an epic-grade, if not legendary-grade, structure.

Three hours of grinding time was far too short!

“Pfft—”

Behind him, light and shadow suddenly rippled, and a pitch-black blade stabbed out abruptly. Lord Mu, who had all his focus on the Goblin Warriors, was pierced clean through.

The blade entered from his back, piercing through the thin armor and emerging from his chest.

When Mu Yuan looked down, he clearly saw the tip of the short blade, still dripping with blood.

He was stunned.

He wasn’t dead yet, but it felt as if the strength in his body was being drained by something, and an intense pain radiated from his chest.

The pain grew sharper and sharper!

It hurt so much!The ambusher twisted and rotated the dagger before pulling it out with a wet, tearing sound, splattering a spray of crimson blood.

Mu Yuan knelt on one knee, his spear clattering to the ground before dissipating into mist.

His pupils contracted sharply, the last image reflected in them being the shadow of the Goblin Warrior’s descending greatsword.

…

“Damn it!”

Mu Yuan grabbed a handful of grass, his heart pounding wildly. He clutched the armor over his chest so tightly that the veins on the back of his hand bulged.

Even now, it felt as if a blade remained lodged inside, twisting and turning.

It hurt!

Though it was merely an aftereffect of the illusion, the experience of death moments ago felt utterly real.

Mu Yuan—who even needed anesthesia for minor surgeries—found it nearly unbearable.

The arena was formidable indeed, but the pain was equally excruciating!

Yet,

there was no time for lamentation or recovery. The familiar Goblin Warrior reappeared in his field of vision.

Mu Yuan’s heart tightened instantly. He raised his hand, about to load the Lu Six Template.

He paused mid-motion.

Biting his lip, he clenched his fist and resolutely loaded the unarmored Rakshasa Template instead.

“Bring it on!”

…

196 seconds later, Mu Yuan still fell to the ambusher, the Shadow Assassin.

“Four Goblin Warriors and two Shadow Assassins—that must be all the enemies in this stage.”

His stats far surpassed theirs.

His skills weren’t lacking either.

But he was inexperienced and mentally unprepared.

Mu Yuan stopped focusing on refining his techniques and instead began learning the most fundamental skill… fighting by instinct!

The third time,

after 223 seconds of intense combat, Mu Yuan eliminated all enemies at the cost of wounds to both his sides.

By the end, he was drenched in blood, every movement sending sharp pains through his nerves. Yet he gritted his teeth and thrust out spear after spear, each strike blazing with light.

“I’ve mastered the art of combat, hahahaha—!”

…

Stage Three,

Death;

Death;

Death;

Death;

In just a few hundred seconds, Lord Mu died four times.

This stage had only one opponent, but it was a tough one.

—「Minotaur Chieftain (Outstanding One-Star)」

It was a three- to four-meter-tall monstrosity, its dark red body encased in thick black armor. Dense mane covered its form, and it wielded a several-meter-long greataxe that could cleave mountains and shatter stones with each swing, shaking the earth with its force.

Charge!

The Minotaur Chieftain’s massive body surged forward, leaving a trail of black and red afterimages.

Incredibly fast! Lord Mu, having transformed into mist, barely dodged—only for the greataxe to come cleaving down.

Transforming into mist couldn’t neutralize energy-infused attacks… Mu Yuan had no choice but to materialize, thrusting his spear repeatedly. The spear tip struck the side of the greataxe, deflecting the overwhelming force sideways.

But the next moment, as the Minotaur Chieftain stomped the ground, the earth shook violently. Rocks and debris flew into the air, transforming into countless bullet-like projectiles.

He turned to mist again, only to be pierced through by the Minotaur Chieftain’s fist.

Lord Mu died yet again on the battlefield.

“Damn it! How am I supposed to fight this Minotaur Chieftain?!”

“Loading the Lu Six Template would only get me killed faster. Using the Dolai Template for long-range bombardment might have a decent chance, but…”

He refused to believe it.

Today, he would rely solely on his spear and see it through to the end! The searing pain of repeated deaths suddenly felt less unbearable.

Amid the scattered rocks, Mu Yuan reappeared, spear in hand, and charged forward.

…

Half an hour later,

「Prompt: You have defeated the Stage Three Guardian ‘Minotaur Chieftain’ and advanced to Stage Four.」”Notice: You have gained higher training benefits.”

“Notice: Due to your outstanding performance, you have received an additional 2 hours of usage time.”

…

Around the same time,

“Gurgle~!”

“Gurgle—!”

“Smack—”

Dolai, flying in mid-air, once again turned into Dolai paste.

Dolai: “o(╥﹏╥)o”

Winning didn’t lead to a feast, and losing just meant taking pain for nothing—what kind of Dao is this, wuwuwu!

…

While Mu Yuan and Dolai were constantly getting beaten up (crossed out), constantly honing themselves, the Undead General finally returned to the territory and logged into the Hero Arena through consciousness.

He stepped inside.

(End of Chapter)