Global Deities: My Talent Comes from the Stars

Chapter 19 The Beginning of the Trial

Shinzo, who was away from home, naturally had no idea about the conversation taking place at the base.

They had no idea that their fate had already been pushed onto a different path by the gods high above.

He only felt that there was more sand in the wind, and in his field of vision, the small creatures hid out of fear.

Looking up, the sky was visibly darkening.

Just a short while ago the sun was blazing, but the weather in this desert changed as suddenly as turning the pages of a book, without any warning, which was extremely strange.

"Once we've figured out the road conditions, we should head back as soon as possible."

Xin tightened his leather armor and muttered to himself.

The scouts dispatched this time numbered four. Although they were all extraordinary individuals, this number was still insufficient to explore this vast, unknown region in a short period of time.

Moreover, the longer one stays in the wilderness, the more likely one is to be discovered by the enemy and get into battle.

The old hunter leading the team was also in a bit of a predicament. In the end, he could only order the four men to split up and search in different directions, leaving tribal marks along the way to provide direction for the main force that followed.

Having walked an unknown distance, Xin Zang came to a severely weathered rock and drew the iron knife he had just captured from his waist.

He cleanly and decisively carved a tribal totem onto the stone surface, gripped his bronze spear, and, facing the increasingly fierce sandstorm, walked alone into the deeper wilderness.

The trial began before he was ready.

Following the ancient myth of the twelve trials that Heracles underwent, the gods sent down tribulations, forcing his companions to overcome numerous obstacles between life and death, ultimately transforming them into the heroes the gods desired.

This is a common method used by the gods to gain piety and powerful followers, and it is also an indispensable part of the evolution of extraordinary civilizations.

High above, Liang Jiu looked down at the tiny figure struggling against the wind and sand below.

His gaze was devoid of sorrow or joy.

This trial was not only to forge a new king capable of standing alone for the Clan of Souls, but also a risky move he deliberately made in order to win this hunt in the God Realm of No Master.

Divine will flows.

The howling wind, like a file, swept up dust and peeled away and smoothed away the totem beacon that Xin Zang had just carved into the rock.

The endless yellow sand completely obscured the retreat route they had taken and also disrupted the original layout of the wilderness.

In this storm, the immense power silently altered the direction of air currents and terrain, guiding this bewildered young hero step by step towards the unknown East.

......

When Shinzo realized he was lost, he had no way out.

The sandstorm obscured his vision, robbing him of his sense of direction. Even the faint light from the sky was insufficient to determine whether it was day or night.

All cries would be drowned out by the wind; in this world, it seemed he was all alone, with nowhere to escape.

He didn't know how long he had been trekking through the storm.

The water pouch was already empty, and the shriveled skin swayed at his waist, just like his spirit that was overwhelmed. What was keeping him from collapsing now was the extraordinary physique that far surpassed that of ordinary people.

But the human body has its limits.

The storm seemed endless, and as far as the eye could see, the desert was a uniform, gloomy yellow, with no way out.

Whenever his legs felt like lead, and he was on the verge of collapse and wanted to give up, the dark gold runes on his wrists would faintly heat up.

The warmth stimulated the numb nerves.

Is God watching me?

The thought flashed through his mind. He pursed his dry, bleeding lips, swallowed the blood in his throat, and forced himself to take heavy steps forward.

Until they were completely exhausted, and their last bit of energy was completely drained.

The sandstorm finally subsided, and the road ahead became clear.

Xin Zang's knees slammed heavily onto the sand, and his body fell forward. His vision began to blur, and in the daze of completely losing consciousness, he saw a dozen short figures draped in tattered cloth emerge from behind the flattened sand dunes around him.

Accompanied by a familiar and noisy chattering sound, a group of kobolds surrounded him.

Xin Zang no longer had the strength to struggle.

His hands and feet were bound to a wooden pole with rough ropes. He was carried away by several kobolds, one in front and one behind, like a captured wild boar.

Amidst the bumpy ride, I could hear the dog-headed people chattering away.

"This long-legged guy is really heavy," muttered the kobold walking ahead. "I've never seen one this big before."

"Come on, how many long-legged guys have you seen?" the one behind retorted. "But looking at his physique, he could make a lot of money selling him to 'Hell of No Return'."

"Him? He's like a dead donkey. How much money would the arena pay for this guy?" The one in front was clearly skeptical.

"You don't understand," the kobold behind said confidently. "That 'Avici Hell' used to be something that gods would deliberately descend to earth to see with great interest. Now, those old men in the temples, though outwardly polite, actually quite like it in private."

It weighed the wooden pole on its shoulder and pondered, "Recently, the arena has been receiving a lot of strange beasts from the outside world. Although they are all kinds of weird and wonderful, I guess the adults inside are tired of seeing them. It's rare to catch a long-legged guy like this. Letting him in will definitely attract a lot of attention."

Abyss? Gladiator arena?

As Xin Zang listened to these unfamiliar words, he couldn't tell where this group of aliens was taking him.

But it seems he doesn't intend to skin himself, bleed him, and eat him.

Amidst the jolting, he managed to open his dry eyes. Looking past the kobold's shoulder in front of him, he suddenly noticed an old man in a straw coat following behind the group in the sandstorm.

It is a deity.

The old man walked steadily, as if strolling leisurely, looking at him who was tied to the wooden pole, a slight smile on his lips.

"Do gods laugh?" he wondered in a daze.

Is he laughing at his own embarrassing state?

Xin Cang instinctively felt a wave of shame. A dignified transcendent being, he had actually been captured alive by a few mortal aliens, who treated him like a wild beast, simply because he had lost his way and exhausted himself. Even if his life wasn't in immediate danger, if the Changhe tribesmen knew about his pathetic state, he would surely be looked down upon.

He blinked in shame.

When he looked up again, all that remained in the sandstorm were the messy footprints left by the kobolds; the old man's figure had long since disappeared.

Shinzo shook his groggy head.

This movement immediately drew the ire of the kobold in front. The wooden pole swayed, and the kobold turned around, cursing viciously, "Long-legged bastard, don't you dare move! You think I won't cut you a few gashes with my knife?"

"No, no, no! If it's torn, it won't look good, and the arena will have to lower the price." The kobold behind quickly spoke up to stop them.

"Why do you talk so much? You keep undermining me. Can't I just scare him a little?"

And so, amidst the incessant chatter and grumbling of the kobolds, Xinzang was jolted forward.

After an unknown amount of time, the group's pace slowed down.

With great effort, Shinzo lifted his eyelids and, through his drooping hair, vaguely saw the scene ahead.

It was a thick city wall, several meters high, built of brick and stone, extending to both sides. Outside the city gate, a vast, densely packed group of kobolds were queuing, noisily waiting to enter the city. For Xin Zang, who had always lived in a wild tribe, the scale of civilization before him was something he had never seen before.

Before he could see the details on the city wall clearly, a tattered black cloth with a sour smell was draped over his head, completely obscuring his vision.

"Hurry up and cover it up tightly."

"Don't let anyone else see it. Don't flaunt your wealth. If those gangsters outside the city target you and intercept your goods on the way, it'll be troublesome."

Half-heartedly, Xin Zang was taken into the city.