Mechanics of the Killing Trial

The elder presiding over the meeting had not logged on yet, and the thirty-odd people in the meeting room were chattering away in the chat box. The contenders from the top eight seemed to think highly of themselves or carried an idol's burden; keeping up appearances, none of them joined the trivial chit-chat. Zhang Yuanqing was different. He excelled at socializing, and since these were potential allies, he naturally wanted to foster good relationships and boost his favorability with them. Though many were flattering him, anyone able to participate in the killing trial was actually an elite among their respective branches. Among this group, some would advance to Saint, and once they accumulated enough merits, they would naturally be promoted to Deacon. In other words, the Transcendent walkers in this virtual classroom right now were the future pillars, a reserve corps of Deacons. [Yuanshi Tianzun: To me, everyone here is a senior. The killing trial is fraught with peril, and individual strength is negligible. Once inside, I will do my utmost to help everyone, and I hope you will all lend a hand if I run into trouble. Only by joining forces and helping one another can we clear the trial and advance to Saint.] [The Little Match Boy: Well said! I'm rolling with Tianzun from now on.] [None of Your Business: Count me in.] [Long Live White Tiger: I heard entry uses a random teleportation mechanism. I hope I get teleported with Tianzun.] Yuanshi Tianzun's "humility and gentleness" drew a chorus of praise from his colleagues, and their tone turned more casual and less guarded. *This Yuanshi Tianzun is quite smooth and adaptable. He's much better suited to being the alpha wolf than Zhao Chenghuang. Once in the dungeon, I can choose to ally with him; no need to care about the old fogies' opinions...* Watching the lively, rapidly scrolling chat box, Sun Miaomiao ran her own little calculations. The guiding opinion of the elders in her sect was that inside the killing trial, Night Walkers should unite around Zhao Chenghuang to form a tight-knit circle. Then, using that as a foundation, they would ally with members of the Five Elements Alliance. However, Sun Miaomiao believed that if conditions permitted, directly joining Yuanshi Tianzun's faction might be even more reliable. The Five Elements Alliance boasted more professions and greater numbers, and working together, their combined force would undoubtedly be top-notch. Of course, there were drawbacks. Yuanshi Tianzun's reputation was so prominent that he was bound to be the primary target of evil organizations. As Sun Miaomiao's thoughts wandered, an anime-style handsome guy holding a green sword suddenly appeared on the "podium" as an avatar, accompanied by the Spirit Realm ID: Ten Steps to Kill One Man! Through the computer speakers came a mellow voice: "Everyone, sound off in the chat box, starting with Yuanshi Tianzun, from one to thirty-eight. Begin!" The voice was mellow yet crisp, sounding rather young—at least not middle-aged or elderly. [Yuanshi Tianzun: 1] [Zhao Chenghuang: 2] Once the roll call concluded and it was confirmed that everyone was sitting before their screens and no one had stepped away, Ten Steps to Kill One Man spoke: "I am an elder of the White Tiger Guards, Spirit Realm ID Ten Steps to Kill One Man. You may call me Elder Shibu." Chat box: [Yuanshi Tianzun: 'Elder Shibu' sounds a bit awkward. Can I call you 'Elder Yiren' instead? 'Yiren' sounds like 'fair lady'—much nicer.] [Guan Ya: Just shut up. Elder Shibu has a bad temper, don't talk nonsense.] [Yuanshi Tianzun: Sister Guan Ya, you know him?] #Yuanshi Tianzun has been muted by the administrator# #Guan Ya has been muted by the administrator# Ten Steps to Kill One Man: "This meeting is serious and solemn. Students in the classroom, do not make noise, do not speak nonsense, and do not disrupt my rhythm." Pausing for a few seconds, the White Tiger Guards elder said: "First, I will explain to you what a large-scale killing trial is. I believe many members already know that the killing trial opens twice a year, mid-year and year-end respectively. Clearing the killing trial is an indispensable process for class advancement, as well as the only way." Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing subconsciously tapped on his keyboard: *Is it really the only way, Elder Shibu? I know an exception...* Halfway through typing, he remembered he had been muted. All he could do was wait helplessly for the mute to be lifted while listening to Elder Shibu continue: "The format of the large-scale killing trial changes every year, but one setting and one core remain constant. The constant setting is time: the large-scale killing trial lasts for three days, and the main quest is to survive for 72 hours. "The constant core is the points system. There are three ways to earn points: first, from the dungeon itself; second, from hunting evil professions; and third, from hunting Spirit Realm walkers of the same faction. "The first two yield the highest point rewards, while the last one awards very few points... Having said this, you should all understand by now: the large-scale killing trial is essentially an enhanced faction-versus-faction dungeon, except that teammates can hunt each other, which increases freedom and room for maneuvers. "When the dungeon ends, the person with the highest score will receive the most experience points and the highest-grade items. "Therefore, every major organization pays close attention to the leaderboard. Whoever ranks first is universally acknowledged as possessing the greatest potential and talent." Having finished, Elder Shibu paused for a dozen seconds to give the "students" time to digest the information. *Spirit Realm walkers of the same faction can hunt one another... In that case, the reliability and trustworthiness of rogue cultivators drops dramatically...* Zhang Yuanqing's immediate thought was: *If evil organizations bribe rogue walkers from the orthodox faction, our situation will become very grim.* At that moment, he saw Zhao Chenghuang ask in the chat box: [Zhao Chenghuang: How does the official side handle wild rogue walkers?] Elder Shibu noticed the message and answered: "The authorities have already spoken to all registered rogue walkers. Of course, that cannot completely eliminate potential risks, so when you are inside the dungeon, do not readily trust rogues. If you discover any rogue walkers hunting our official members, note down their Spirit Realm IDs. Once the killing trial ends, we will naturally settle accounts with them." After answering a few more questions, Elder Shibu resumed his lecture: "Next is the leaderboard. There are twenty-four spots on the leaderboard, and these twenty-four spots represent the roster of those who advance to Saint. Those who don't make the list and are lucky enough not to die are deemed eliminated; they can wait for the year-end killing trial. "Of course, we usually only look at the top ten. Anyone beyond the top ten is considered a Saint of ordinary potential. The Council of Elders has compiled the leaderboards from the past ten years for your reference." As his words fell, the interface on everyone's computer screens changed, displaying two leaderboards: #Mid-2012 Transcendent Stage Large-Scale Killing Trial Leaderboard# #Late-2012 Transcendent Stage Large-Scale Killing Trial Leaderboard# The first-place finisher in the mid-year trial earned 700 points. The first-place finisher in the year-end trial earned 730 points. Zhang Yuanqing watched intently as the leaderboards refreshed. From 2012 to 2015, the top scores mostly fluctuated between 700 and 800 points, and he recognized virtually none of the Spirit Realm IDs on the rosters. In 2016, he spotted a familiar Spirit Realm ID—Hei Wuchang. He was ranked seventh, which made him an exceptionally promising Witch Doctor at the time. Later on, he indeed became a mini-boss in the Spirit Society's Eastern District Branch, a Level 6 Saint. When the 2017 leaderboards appeared, the chat box erupted instantly. Mid-2017 First Place: @#% : 980 points. Late-2017 First Place: Ghost King of Fengdu : 850 points. The ID of the mid-year first-place ranker was mosaic-censored. Chat box: [Long Live White Tiger: Holy shit! What's the background of that mid-2017 number one? A whole 130 points higher than the Ghost King of Fengdu, and... and close to a thousand!] [Niulanshan Little Fairy: That's insane! For so many years before that, the top score stayed under 800 points. The Ghost King of Fengdu was hailed as the predecessor to Fu Qingyang, so it's understandable his score exceeded 800, but this 2017 person went straight to 980 points?] [Peony Fairy: Why is the name censored? Must be some big shot.] [Jiang Jingwei: Oh, I know! The 2017 one is the Grand Marshal of the White Tiger Guards.] #Jiang Jingwei has been muted by the administrator# Elder Shibu said flatly, "Do not discuss it. Focus on the leaderboards!" The subtext was: don't discuss the female Grand Marshal. As subordinates, they were neither supposed nor permitted to gossip online about their superiors. *The female Grand Marshal of the White Tiger Guards was still in the Transcendent stage five years ago? Then she shouldn't be very old...* Zhang Yuanqing was astonished. Although he knew she wasn't among the first batch of Spirit Realm walkers, he had never imagined she would be this young. *No, maybe she just received her character card later in life; she could still be in her forties or fifties... Still, isn't 980 points completely absurd? That completely crushes every top ranker in history. Is this the talent of an Alliance Chief-level figure...?* Zhang Yuanqing grimaced inwardly. After that, Zhang Yuanqing saw many familiar Spirit Realm IDs. In 2018, he saw Aunt Xiao Yuan, Youfeng Laiyi, Xiao Naohu, and others. And that year's number one was "Palace Master of Halting Slaughter," with a score of 890 points. Indeed, Palace Master of Halting Slaughter was the lunatic woman's actual Spirit Realm ID. Zhang Yuanqing had always assumed it was an honorific given by outsiders, like Taiyi Sect Master. In 2019, he saw Yin Ji, Fu Qingyang, Lingjun... Notably, the mid-year number one in 2019 was Yin Ji, and year-end was Yichuan Mei, with Fu Qingyang finishing just behind Yichuan Mei. *Back then, the Centurion hadn't yet joined the ranks of the supreme elite. Well, that fits the rise of an untalented grindmaster...* Just as he thought this, he saw the leaderboards shift again, and the 2020 rosters appeared: Mid-year Number One: Ye Wujin: 720 points Year-end Number One: Demon Lord: 940 points The chat box exploded once more. [The Little Match Boy: Demon Lord?! I actually see the Demon Lord! His score is awesome, second only to the Grand Marshal.] [World Returns to Fire: What's terrifying isn't just the points, but the year! Fuck, the Demon Lord advanced to Saint in early 2020 and perished in early 2022. By that time, he was already a figure even the Taiyi Sect elders feared...] [Crossing-River Pawn: Doesn't that mean from getting his character card to his death, it was only a brief two to three years?] [Yinci: Monster! That guy was a monster.] [Kongming Loves Uncle Liu: I suddenly understand the Taiyi Sect Master's assessment: the most gifted Night Walker in fifty years, bar none.] Amidst the fiery atmosphere in the chat box, Zhang Yuanqing's gaze was locked firmly on the second place of the year-end roster: Young Soldier King: 860 points. Brother Bing was two years older than him. Two years ago, Brother Bing was still a college freshman. Participating in the killing trial as a freshman meant he must have become a Spirit Realm walker during the summer break after graduating high school, right before starting college. This detail aligned with the analysis he and the Decurion had made back then. —Brother Bing's personality had changed drastically during that post-graduation summer. As for the fact that the Demon Lord was young, Zhang Yuanqing had already deduced it after seeing the mysterious man's appearance and combining that with the audio clips from the Cat King Speaker. Then again, while the Demon Lord wasn't very old, most of the women he slept with were in their thirties. Yin Ji was in her early thirties, Zhu Rong was around thirty-two or thirty-three, and while the Lust-profession woman's age was unknown, her voice made it clear she was no maiden. The youngest was probably that Wood Demon girl with a Deacon mother, yet even she didn't seem like an adolescent girl. It was hard to say he didn't have some particular tastes. Soon, the leaderboard presentation concluded. Elder Shibu said: "Zhao Chenghuang, Yuanshi Tianzun, both of you have the potential to break 900 points. Headquarters has high expectations for your performance. Next, let us discuss the evil organizations' deployments in past sessions. "Setting traps with curses and toxins, disorienting with illusions, and lying in ambush are their customary tactics. And because the number of evil professions is far lower than orthodox professions, they demonstrate astonishing solidarity in the killing trial. "Oh, right, I should add something here. The item restrictions in the arena tournament replicated the rules of the killing trial. The killing trial harbors Saint-stage hazards. Based on data collected and analyzed from past sessions, we evaluate the upper limit to be roughly Level 4. "Therefore, items exceeding the dungeon's upper limit are prohibited by the Spirit Realm. However, there is a loophole here: equipment sets are exempt from this restriction. A set composed of several Level 4 pieces possesses combined might far surpassing Level 4, yet it won't be ruled a violation. "Back in 2017, when the evil organizations chanted the slogan to execute the Grand Marshal at all costs, they deployed an equipment set. Unfortunately for them, they failed. Part of that set became the Grand Marshal's spoils of war, while another part returned to the Spirit Realm. "Since then, exploiting the equipment set loophole has never happened again. It's not that evil organizations didn't want to, but that equipment sets are exceedingly rare. Gathering a complete set is harder than obtaining a rule-based item, so you don't need to worry about something similar happening again. "This year, we received reliable intelligence that the evil organizations have shouted the slogan that either 'Yuanshi Tianzun' or 'Fu Qingyang' must die. To be safe, headquarters has decided to grant Yuanshi Tianzun an equipment set to prepare for unforeseen dangers. "After the killing trial begins, you must all remember to find Yuanshi Tianzun as quickly as possible, rally around him as your core, and advance and retreat together. You are fortunate, for you did not experience the great debacle of 2020..." At this point, Elder Shibu stopped abruptly, saying no more. Chat box: [Peony Fairy: The great debacle of 2020? What happened?] [Gege: Same question!] [Yuan Ting: I know, I know! The mid-2020 killing trial—didn't the Demon Lord take part in it? He was the servant of Ghost-Eye Judge! After entering the dungeon, he went on a wild killing spree. Out of thirty official orthodox profession members, only six survived, and the Taiyi Sect was completely wiped out! This caused massive turmoil and had a terrible impact. The Taiyi Sect and Five Elements Alliance have always considered it taboo and strictly forbid us from mentioning it in public. Anyone who brings it up gets muted or banned without fail!] #Yuan Ting has been muted by the administrator# [The Little Match Boy: Aha, he really got muted.] [Sun Miaomiao: What an idiot. Terminal stage, beyond saving.] Elder Shibu ignored the chatter in the chat box and continued: "Time is limited. Entering the final stage: I will provide you with a list of the top ten Transcendent stage walkers from evil organizations, as well as lists of the top ten rogue orthodox walkers and rogue evil walkers. "The lists will be sent to your email inboxes. Remember to check them. "That concludes today's meeting. Dismissed!"