CHAPTER 361: CHAPTER361-THE EIGHTH STAGE

Daniel stepped into the portal.The next moment, he once again returned to the Human Emperor Trial Space.

This time, he was about to face the Eighth Stage of the trial.

Yet unlike Daniel’s composure, the countless beings watching this trial wore expressions of utter bewilderment. No matter how hard they tried, they simply couldn’t understand—how exactly did Daniel accomplish it?

By logic, that museum from earlier should have required His Majesty Daniel to accept some sort of inheritance or study ancient knowledge.

But what did His Majesty Daniel do?He hadn’t even properly toured the royal museum! Instead, he directly engaged in a brief exchange with that Grand Academician.

No one knew the exact content of their conversation, yet Daniel was just too remarkable. With only a few simple words, he somehow cleared the entire stage of the Human Emperor Trial?

Why did it look so easy?

What baffled them even more was how drastically the Grand Academician’s attitude toward Daniel had changed. From their conversation onward, his demeanor shifted into one of deep respect.

Across the communication networks, heated discussions instantly exploded.

"Can someone explain what just happened? Why did that Grand Academician’s attitude change so drastically?"

"Did His Majesty Daniel really pass this stage so easily?"

"What exactly was the content of this trial? Does anyone know?"

"Brother, asking that is pointless. Nobody knows the specifics!"

"Exactly. After all, this is the first time in the history of the Human Race that anyone has surpassed the Third Stage of the trial. Beyond that, no records exist at all."

"Has anyone noticed? His Majesty Daniel seems to breeze through the Human Emperor Trials. He hasn’t even spent much time at all."

"You’re right. From the First Stage to the Seventh, it only took him a little over ten minutes."

"I can’t help but feel that the Human Emperor Trial doesn’t seem all that difficult for Emperor Daniel."

"Do you think it’s possible the trial was intentionally made easier for him?"

"Ha! You must be new here! Our Emperor Daniel has been this powerful since his very awakening."

"Indeed, you clearly don’t understand just how overwhelmingly strong His Majesty truly is! But I don’t blame you. Just go search up his battle record since awakening. You’ll gain a completely different perspective."

Inside the Royal Museum,the collected relics were the most comprehensive in the entire world.

While browsing, Daniel discovered a surprising document—a record of all participants of the Human Emperor Trial.

What shocked him most was the sheer number. Since the founding of the Royal Museum, over seven million emperors had participated in the trial.

Seven million—not seven hundred!

Daniel was stunned.

So many emperors had once existed in this world?

The title of "Emperor" represented the supreme being of a race. Each one was incomparably strong and unimaginably rare.

And yet, more than seven million emperors had attempted this trial.

Of them, only tens of thousands had passed the Second Stage.

Fewer still—just a few thousand—managed to clear the Third Stage.

Daniel understood very well: anyone who could clear the Third Stage was an invincible existence capable of dominating an entire era.

The Fourth Stage was considered relatively "simple" by comparison. Even so, nearly 20% of emperors failed here. After all, even among emperors, greed still lurked in their hearts. At this stage, their desires wavered, and thus they failed.

Those who advanced beyond the Fourth Stage numbered fewer than three thousand.

The Fifth Stage was even harsher. Ninety percent of those remaining fell. Only about three hundred emperors remained—each one a peerless powerhouse.

Daniel even suspected these survivors had already cast aside all emotions, leaving behind only cold, unyielding logic.

In the Sixth Stage, these three hundred emperors faced their greatest nemesis—themselves.

Yes. Their trial was to battle their own mirror image.

Defeating oneself is one of the hardest tasks imaginable—especially for beings of such strength.

According to the records Daniel now possessed, only three emperors ever succeeded: God of Elements, Goddess of Gold & Silver Aurelia, and... himself.

And in truth, the Sixth Stage was even harder than what Daniel had experienced. The projected clones were not only identical in strength, but possessed near-perfect combat technique.

Worse still, the emperors had no forewarning of what awaited them in this stage. Once they entered, their only choice was to fight desperately to the end.

Against an opponent with flawless combat instinct, victory was nearly impossible. Unless the challenger’s own battle sense was nearly divine, or they somehow achieved a breakthrough mid-fight, defeat was inevitable.

Of course, there was another path—possessing some unique ability or special technique, as Daniel had demonstrated.

By the time the trial reached the Royal Museum, only three remained.

Curiously, the Seventh Stage turned out to have a 100% pass rate. From a certain perspective, it could be called a welfare stage.

As for the next trial—the Eighth Stage—Daniel already had some idea of what awaited him. Within the knowledge he had just gained lay relevant details.

Thus, Daniel knew exactly what he was about to face.

He looked ahead at the trial space.

But he did not step in immediately.He knew full well what awaited him next.

Meanwhile, across the communication networks, the awakeners buzzed with speculation.

"How long do you think it’ll take His Majesty Daniel to finish the Human Emperor Trial?"

"I’d say maybe a day. Normally, the further you go, the harder it gets."

"Does anyone know how many stages there actually are?"

"Who could possibly know that? Even if you asked His Majesty Daniel himself, he might not know."

"Wait—have you noticed? His Majesty Daniel is standing at the entrance of the Eighth Stage, but he hasn’t moved."

"Could it be... he’s planning to give up the Human Emperor Trial?"

"Impossible! What nonsense are you spouting? He cleared the earlier stages so easily. There’s no reason to give up now!"

Everyone’s attention was fixed on one thing—would His Majesty Daniel continue the Human Emperor Trial?

But just then, a glowing announcement appeared before their eyes:

[Human Emperor Announcement: All humans, and awakeners of other races who possess pets, must immediately enter the Divine Realm to raise their levels.]