CHAPTER 352: CHAPTER352-THE FOURTH STAGE OF THE TRIAL

The Human Emperor’s trial within the underground labyrinth was, in truth, not much of a challenge for Daniel anymore.

At least for him at this stage, the first three phases of the trial had been unbelievably easy. They were nothing more than minor obstacles, swept aside almost effortlessly.

Just then, a glowing prompt appeared before Daniel’s eyes.

[You have completed the first three stages of the trial. Rewards have been accumulated. Do you wish to proceed to the next stage of the trial?][Reminder: Beginning from the fourth stage, the trial can no longer be repeated.][Each generation of Human Emperor has only one chance to attempt this challenge.]

Upon seeing this prompt, Daniel did not hesitate in the slightest. Without pause, he chose to continue forward into the next stage of the challenge.

For others, the limitation of "only one chance" would be an unshakable restriction, something that would force them to weigh every choice with trembling caution. But for Daniel, the so-called limitation meant nothing. In truth, his opportunities were unlimited.

After all, with a single use of Time Stream, he could reset and attempt again as many times as he pleased.

At this very moment, nearly every living being across the Myriad Races Continent was watching Daniel as he undertook the Human Emperor’s trial.

When they saw how Daniel had crushed through the first three stages with overwhelming dominance, discussions exploded like wildfire across the entire communication network.

"His Majesty Daniel’s strength is simply terrifying!"

"I can’t believe he passed the third stage so easily—it looked like child’s play!"

"I remember that when the previous Human Emperor Odin faced the third stage, he gave up almost instantly."

"As expected of His Majesty Daniel—his power has far surpassed our imagination."

The channels were flooded with chatter, voices of admiration and disbelief pouring in from all directions.

And of course, when people praised the current Human Emperor, it was inevitable to bring up comparisons with the previous one.

Odin, the former Human Emperor, sat glumly with a communicator in hand, staring at the words scrolling across the network. His face darkened with frustration.

He had long since stepped down, relinquished his throne, and yet people still dragged his name out—only to whip his reputation in comparison to Daniel’s brilliance.

It was infuriating. He had never expected that even after retirement, he would still be so mercilessly compared.

At the same time, the other former Human Emperors had gathered together as well.

Their expressions were equally sour as they drowned their resentment in alcohol at a tavern, drinking in silence, their pride stung.

Moments ago, Daniel had casually demonstrated his strength, and with a single casual skill, he had obliterated all of them as though they were no more than ants.

They could only drink their bitter wine and stew in humiliation.

Inside the Human Emperor’s trial space, Daniel did not waste time. He strode forward and directly activated the fourth stage.

Only moments earlier, back on the Flesh Continent, Daniel had glimpsed into the genuine thoughts of three great figures. That insight had planted a seed in his mind.

So what would happen, he wondered, if he truly unified the entire Origin Land?

Even those like Fleshheart, beings of terrifying power, seemed to care deeply about the question. Perhaps he, too, should consider the possibility of bringing all the lands under a single banner.

Yet, the Flesh Continent still lay firmly under Fleshheart’s control.

Moreover, Edward’s earlier words had raised another matter: the so-called lover of Moon Goddess Luna.

That piqued Daniel’s curiosity.

According to Milla, there indeed seemed to be some connection between Luna and "His Excellency Crossbridge."

But... wasn’t he himself that so-called Crossbridge?

The identity of Crossbridge’s Excellency was a fabrication of his own making.

So, if that was the case... did that mean there was some kind of relationship between himself and Moon Goddess Luna?

Daniel cleared his throat abruptly, shaking off the strange line of thought.

Of course, no one else knew that he was the one behind the Crossbridge persona. To the outside world, it was an entirely separate existence.

Suppressing his stray thoughts, Daniel attempted to probe deeper with his telepathic abilities, hoping to uncover more about Luna.

But no matter how he tried, anything related to Moon Goddess Luna remained utterly inaccessible.

Perhaps it involved the domain of the gods.

Or perhaps it was his own future self that had deliberately sealed away the knowledge.

After all, the power of mist could block all forms of probing.

If so, then was he essentially... shielding himself from himself?

At that moment, the fourth stage of the Human Emperor’s trial officially began.

The mist surrounding Daniel began to churn and ripple as though alive.

From the shifting haze, a vague silhouette slowly condensed, forming a humanoid figure entirely woven from fog.

It appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary human, and Daniel could not recognize who it was.

Unexpectedly, the figure bowed slightly and greeted him.

"It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty the Human Emperor. I am the guide of this trial. This time, the challenge before you—"

Before he could finish his introduction, Daniel cut him off without hesitation.

"No need for lengthy explanations. Let’s begin immediately."

The guide blinked, startled for a moment. Then he raised his hand, and three shadowy figures materialized beside him.

What the guide did not realize, however, was that the instant he appeared, Daniel had already activated the Eye of Insight.

Through it, Daniel had read the underlying logic and intent of the guide with complete clarity.

This fourth stage was different from the previous three. It was no longer a simple test of combat prowess—there was something deeper woven into it.

Under normal circumstances, the guide would instruct the Human Emperor to choose from among the three shadows, designating one as the target of the trial.

But choosing came at a cost. To select one meant that the entire human race would have to pay a price. Only by choosing all three together could the Emperor proceed without a penalty.

Given that the third stage had already been so grueling, most would assume the fourth stage would only be even harsher. Instinctively, a candidate would try to lower the difficulty, and so they would pick just one shadow.

But doing so would burden the whole race with sacrifice.

So how should the Human Emperor choose?

That was the heart of this trial.

In truth, it was a trick—an elaborate deception.

If Daniel had followed the "rules" and chosen one shadow, that shadow would have grown immensely in power.

And the stronger the shadow appeared, the weaker the rewards the human race would ultimately receive from the trial.

These shadows were not rewards at all—they were punishments.

The stronger they became, the greater the penalty on the people.

Thus, the fourth stage of the trial was never about brute strength. It was about intelligence.

If humanity were led by an Emperor of great might but poor judgment, the entire race would be doomed to catastrophic loss.

Therefore, the fourth stage was a crucible for wisdom.

To perceive the deception behind the guide’s offer was the true measure of worthiness.

If the Emperor chose correctly—refusing the false choice and seeing through the ruse—his evaluation would soar.

But if he fell for it, if he sacrificed his people for convenience, then his rating would plummet.

Daniel, having seen through the trial’s essence, acted decisively.

He refused the bait without hesitation.

Yet what happened next surprised even him.

The three shadowy figures behind the guide began to dissolve their hazy forms, revealing their true faces.

Each of them looked exactly identical to the guide himself!

At the same time, the guide bowed deeply before Daniel.

"Your Majesty the current Human Emperor, you are indeed a sovereign of wisdom and mercy. I wish you continued success as you advance further in your trials."

As his words fell, the guide and his three counterparts dissolved into pure mist, drifting away toward the edge of the space until they vanished completely.

Across the entire Myriad Races Continent, every living creature suddenly received a notification before their eyes.

[Human Emperor Daniel has successfully passed the Fourth Stage of the Human Emperor’s Trial.][All rewards accumulated thus far will be distributed upon completion of the final trial.]

In less than ten seconds, Daniel had cleared the fourth stage of the Human Emperor’s trial!