Chapter 341 Chapter340-The First Trail, Tower of Storm
The Seashield provided John with the most steadfast protection.
Although the pale blue barrier appeared delicate, its resilience surpassed the fury of the tempests and thunder within the Tower of Storm.
After passing through the entrance of the Tower of Storm, John found himself in the first level.
Tempests and lightning swirled around him, storms raged, and lightning crackled incessantly.
This hostile environment greatly limited his vision.
Everywhere he looked, nothing was visible amid the dense elemental storm.
The gusts of wind inside the Tower of Storm, laden with intense storm elements, were so fierce it seemed they could blow one away at any moment.
Yet, John's footsteps remained steadfast as the Seashield kept all storms at bay.
As he circled the first level, he was surprised to find no passage leading to the second.
This was peculiar.
Typically, such towers would have staircases or similar structures.
Returning to his starting point, he furrowed his brow and began to inspect the area more closely.
The first level of the Tower of Storm seemed rather ordinary, with nothing but endless tempests and thunder to be seen.
Left with no other option, John opened the trial guidebook that the Pope of the Storm Church had given him.
This ancient-looking book chronicled the experiences of past participants of the Twelve Trials of the Hero.
According to its records, the Tower of Storm, being the first stage, was actually the least challenging.
To move from the first to the second level, one needed to locate the focal point of a teleportation circle.
Following the book's description, John cast his eyes on the ground ahead.
There, a seemingly inconspicuous black stone was embedded in the floor.
He sighed, chiding himself for not realizing sooner.
He should have guessed there was something amiss with that stone.
In such a harsh environment, where the ground had been polished smooth by wild winds and thunder, how could a single stone remain unaltered throughout the ages?
John strode forward, flipping his right hand, and a pale blue energy sword materialized in his grasp.
[Divine Blade (Divine Skill) (Level 7): This skill allows the wielder to manifest a weapon out of thin air, based on their mental strength. The weapon's attributes depend on the skill's level, the user's level, and their mental power. The initial attributes of the Divine Blade grant +800,000 damage points with a 25% critical hit rate.]
The Divine Blade was arguably John's most frequently used Divine Skill.
Even though the Twelve Trials of the Hero were proclaimed to be the highest-caliber, most challenging instance dungeons set by the Storm Church, John remained confident.
He believed that with just the Divine Blade, he could easily clear the trials.
As for the Divine Palace in his equipment slot, there was no need to even bring it out!
He approached the black stone and tapped it thrice with the tip of his blade.
A streak of electricity flashed beneath him, and in the blink of an eye, John's figure vanished from that space.
By the time John regained his senses, he found himself on the second level.
The second layer was a vast open space, its walls etched with ancient runes, exuding an aura of holiness and antiquity.
The storm elements here were just as dense, with tempests and thunder rolling tumultuously, seemingly intent on annihilating any life that dared to venture within.
John scanned his surroundings, eventually settling his gaze on a massive stone statue at the center of the clearing.
Modeled in the likeness of a formidable warrior, it donned a heavy set of armor, its features chiseled sharply.
Perhaps it was due to the sculptor's exceptional craftsmanship, but the statue appeared almost lifelike.
According to the trail guide, this statue served as the guardian of the second level.
To advance further, John would need to defeat it.
Taking measured steps, he approached the statue.
The moment he stepped into its shadow, the statue seemed to spring to life, lunging fiercely at him.
With a swift maneuver, John accelerated, nimbly sidestepping the statue's powerful charge.
In the same breath, he swung his Divine Blade, releasing a formidable wave of sword energy.
Cutting through the storm, the energy forced the statue back several paces before it could regain its stance.
Yet John wasn't done.
Channeling his inner strength, he swung the Divine Blade once more, sending out an even more terrifying blast of sword energy which struck the statue's chest.
This time, the statue couldn't withstand John's assault.
It shattered explosively, reduced to a mound of rubble.
John, his expression impassive, stepped forward and rummaged through the debris.
He soon extracted a black stone, strikingly similar to the one from the first level.
If John's suspicions were correct, this object was the energy core that animated the statue.
It also held the coordinates to the next level.
With a slight exertion of force, he crushed the stone, and his form faded from the second level.
Upon entering the third tier of the Tower of Storm, John found himself on a platform, again enveloped in storm elements.
He looked up, spotting a formidable Storm Guardian at the center.
This towering figure was wrapped in tempests and thunder, wielding a massive storm axe, its gaze as piercing as a wild gust.
John knew well that only by defeating this Storm Guardian could he successfully pass the third challenge and continue his trail journey.
Of course, "Storm Guardian" was the name recorded in the trail guide.
This entity wasn't a living being, but rather something akin to the Fire Elemental Sprite John had encountered on Sunset Mountain: an elemental creature.
In some respects, these entities were even more formidable than regular life forms.
Born solely for combat, they knew no fear and felt no exhaustion.
In this tempestuous realm, charged with lightning and thunder, the Storm Guardian was truly in its element, able to replenish its energy continually.
To defeat the Storm Guardian, John had to land a decisive blow, ensuring it had no moment to recover.
Holding the Divine Blade in a reverse grip, he darted forward, transforming into a ghostly streak of light, charging directly at the Storm Guardian.
The pale-blue blade in his hand moved like lightning, releasing radiant arcs of sword energy aimed at the Storm Guardian's form.
Far from being subdued, the Storm Guardian retaliated.
Raising its enormous axe, it transformed into a whirlwind, swinging its weapon down upon John.
Their clashing powers ignited sparks, reminiscent of swords colliding.
John deftly evaded a potent storm attack and regained his stance.
With an upward flick of his blade, streaks of sword energy lashed out, piercing the Storm Guardian.
It faltered momentarily as the powerful sword energy shredded its form.
However, aided by the ambient storm elements, it swiftly reconstituted.
The Guardian spun rapidly, slashing at John with the force of a thunderbolt.
John parried with his blade, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
He hadn't expected this Storm Guardian to possess the ability to regenerate.
It might have been that his previous strike lacked sufficient power.
After launching the Storm Guardian several meters away with a forceful kick, John took a deep breath, harnessing even more formidable energy within him.
Another even fiercer burst of sword energy erupted, this time striking directly between the eyes of the Storm Guardian.
Seizing the moment as the Guardian was once again torn apart by his blade's energy and before it could reform, John swiftly plunged his hand into the Guardian's form.
When he withdrew, a black stone rested in his palm.
With a faint smile, John crushed the stone to dust with a simple squeeze.
His form gradually faded, moving on to the next level.
Ascending relentlessly, John finally reached the pinnacle of the Tower of Storm.
There, he encountered the tower's mightiest guardian, an entity even he hadn't anticipated — a genuine dragon!
[Storm Dragon (epic-grade boss): Once a mighty wind elemental dragon and the personal mount of the god of storm. It fell during the divine war. In memory of his cherished ally, the god of storm, using his command over the storm's ORDER, painstakingly reconstructed the dragon's form. However, having been reduced to demi-god status, he could only leave the dragon in the Godslayer Continent. Perhaps one day, this dragon might rise again amidst the storms and return to the battlefields of the gods' war.]
[Species: Dragons]
[Level: 320]
[Attributes: ...]
John raised an eyebrow, surprised.
He had never anticipated that this colossal dragon before him was once the mount of a deity.
Clearly, level 320 was not the true level of this dragon, nor was it truly alive in the fullest sense.
Using his dominion over the ORDER, the god of storm had reshaped this dragon's body, yet couldn't resurrect its soul.
Even for a deity, the power to revive the dead remains elusive.
John gazed upward, taking in the immense form of the Storm Dragon, with its emerald-scaled horns and wings.
It shimmered with the light of electricity, and each swing of its massive claws echoed with thunderous roars reminiscent of landslides.
As if sensing John's gaze, the Storm Dragon abruptly opened its eyes.
The golden vertical pupils were tinged with a lifeless gray, void of any liveliness.
This confirmed John's assessment: the Storm Dragon was indeed long dead, with only its innate will to battle remaining in its physical form.
As John was discreetly observing, the Storm Dragon, with a roar, spread its wings and charged at him fiercely.
Without a hint of panic, John calmly wielded his Divine Blade, releasing spirals of radiant sword energy.
This energy tore through the air, heading straight for the body of the Storm Dragon!
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