Amidst the explosion, Chen Tian stood unharmed in the same spot. The attack had little effect on him, unable to even shatter his defensive barrier. Chen Shixue couldn't accept it, unable to understand how a newcomer could contend with, or even surpass, them, the veteran players. This young man surely held a secret, but now was not the time to ponder it.
The host appeared on the stage with an innocent expression: "This match is a draw."
The host could only make this decision. According to Chen Tian, stepping back meant losing. Yet, after the attack, Chen Tian remained in place, signifying his victory. Chen Shixue hadn't fallen off the stage either, and there was no reason for him to concede. Thus, the match could only end in a draw. The host was troubled, stating that if all subsequent matches ended in draws, this Swordsman Grand Tournament would be vastly different from previous ones.
"Furthermore, new rules will be established for the upcoming Swordsman Grand Tournament. The tournament is temporarily suspended for one day. With four days remaining until its conclusion, we need to properly arrange the competition format."
The host announced this loudly as a game announcement popped up on the interface, visible to all players. This match, due to Chen Tian's actions, necessitated a change in the competition format. Otherwise, the tournament would not be completed within the allotted time. The urgency stemmed from the tight schedule of the Chrono Era event, with other activities planned after the Swordsman Grand Tournament. It wouldn't do to have the tournament disrupt other players.
Other players would undoubtedly be displeased by the tournament's one-day suspension. The official website was already researching how to resolve the Swordsman Grand Tournament within the specified timeframe. Chen Tian's emergence had led to a series of draws, making it impossible to determine rankings. Who would advance and who would be eliminated in a draw? This was the problem.
Chen Tian returned to his room, where Yun Shuiying was already waiting. She had become accustomed to listening to Chen Tian recount sword techniques here, guiding her to become stronger. Yun Shuiying's gaze became hesitant. Chen Tian, sensing something was amiss, said, "If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask."
"Chen Tian, I have a quest. I want to team up with you for it. I can't complete it alone, and I'm afraid of betrayal if I bring in others."
Chen Tian understood Yun Shuiying's apprehension. In games, it was common to not fully trust strangers, never knowing when a teammate might stab you in the back. Unless they were close friends, it was best not to accept easily. This was why Chen Tian had such high standards for making friends.
Chen Tian's friends were all true companions, standing by him in times of danger, never harming him from behind, and certainly never betraying him.
He nodded and said, "I'll go with you, but tell me the details of the quest."
"Okay, but we need one more person. This quest requires a team of three."
"Three? I have someone in mind, you don't need to look."
Chen Tian suddenly thought of her and decided to call her over for some pointers.
He opened his friend list and sent out a few messages before closing the interface and going to sleep.
After a day of arena battles, he needed rest. It was exhausting, after all. Yun Shuiying didn't disturb him and left the room, awaiting the next day.
In the early morning, two people were already waiting by the door. As soon as he opened it, he saw Yun Shuiying and Chen Shixue standing outside. Chen Tian smiled and said, "You're here. Let's go."
He was somewhat surprised to see Chen Shixue among them. He wondered if they knew each other from before or had just met. In any case, he admired Chen Tian for being able to recruit her. With the three of them teaming up, this quest might not be so difficult.
Yun Shuiying held a scroll in her hand, a yellowish-red one detailing the quest. However, upon seeing the scroll, Chen Tian's expression faltered.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, but this trip might not be simple."
Without explaining what he had sensed, his cryptic words left both of them puzzled. With the three of them working together, a mere quest should be a piece of cake.
The scroll unfolded, and the three figures vanished along with it, entering the quest location.
They appeared together beneath a deep blue waterfall, their hands and feet bound by chains, restricting their movement. They couldn't separate too far.
An interface popped up with information about the chains: they would instantly kill all three if anyone moved more than ten meters away. These were known as the Chains of Death.
The quest objective appeared. Chen Tian took a deep breath and stared at the waterfall, his eyes seeming to pierce through it. Behind the waterfall was a crystal cave, visible only to him. The other two lacked this kind of ocular ability.
"Chen Tian, we need to find the entrance. This quest has no hints. Let's search together first."
"I don't need to. I know where it is."
Chen Tian rejected Yun Shuiying's suggestion, closed his eyes, and used his senses. He quickly located the mechanism.
He made a gesture, and Yun Shuiying and Chen Shixue followed closely behind him. They couldn't let their distance exceed ten meters. This restriction was difficult to bear. If they encountered monsters or needed to run, one person falling behind would result in all three dying.
Maintaining their relative positions, they were led to a mechanism. A triangular device with four indentations appeared before them. The indentations were shaped like a pentagon, quadrilateral, triangle, circle, and rhombus. An impatient voice sounded, "We have to find things again. I'm really not cut out for finding things."
"Stop dawdling. We have to find them now, and we have to do it together. We can't split up."
A slap landed on the back of his head. The three understood that in this situation, they had no choice but to search, and they couldn't split up.
They approached the triangular mechanism, and an interface popped up. It displayed information stating that their active distance had increased by thirty meters. This undoubtedly made things easier, as finding objects with a ten-meter restriction would have been incredibly difficult.
"Thank goodness. Thirty meters is much better. This means the items corresponding to these indentation shapes are nearby. Let's spread out and search, maintaining our distance."
"Okay."
"Okay."
Chen Tian closed his eyes. For this quest, he decided to rely on his senses. The aura emanating from the scroll compelled him to abandon traditional methods and find the mechanism quickly. If his guess was correct, there was a creature of the Evil Spirit race behind this scroll, perhaps suppressed here?
However, there was no record of a suppressed Evil Spirit race individual in his memory. He was very curious about this scroll quest and the puzzle it presented.
Yun Shuiying and Chen Shixue carefully observed their surroundings, maintaining a thirty-meter distance. It wasn't a large range, but it was certainly better than ten meters, allowing for a wider search area. Furthermore, as they moved, their active range could change.
"Here, I found one."
A voice called out. Chen Shixue returned to Chen Tian's side, holding a triangular-shaped item for the indentation. A beam of light shot out from the triangular mechanism, drawing the piece in and slowly fitting it into place.