So... the scroll can talk....

...Challenger twelve thousand, five hundred and fifty was the one who killed the creature, and there's nothing more to it

These words infuriated all the people who had used their energy, lost many of their comrades, and gotten gravely injured in the battle.

"The Nascent Qi guy cannot get the rewards of our hard work!!"

"We fought the snake while he just stood there and watched!"

"So what if the snake called him a prince, we were the ones who did all of the work!"

"The only thing he did was get the last hit in!"

The crowd was getting agitated, and a few techniques even flew out from somewhere. Luckily, the stone creatures were up high, else they would have been torn apart by the rioting crowd.

[Now now, we're all civilized people here. Most of you are young masters, and some of you here are second in line to lead a clan. Act your age!]

However, the stone gargoyle's words were nothing more than water on a duck's feathers as the crowd had gotten past the stage of listening. But that was when an especially sly looking gargoyle flew up in front of the others.

[Now now. Calm down you all. Let's make things more... interesting.]

[Trial #2: Manhunt.

Time limit: 24 hours

Penalty: Varies]

Most people frowned even deeper as their Qi auras rose to new heights.

"Are you going to give us another trial as a cover up?!"

"I'm not taking part in your stupid trial anymore!"

More and more people got agitated, and the crowd was getting rowdier, until a lightening bolt struck a Qi reinforcement realm cultivator on his chest, and turned him into a pile of ash. Then the Imperial Sky Emperor spoke up;

"No one opposes the trial."

Those five words shook people to the core, a few dozen people had their heads burst, most fainted, and some soiled themselves. The Imperial Sky emperor was a demi deity, and he had just spoken to them using his true voice. Those who were plenty strong managed to bear the pressure, even if only by a bit, as Lee Chun Hua was forced down on one knee, and Liu Mingrui stood on his feet, but had a deep grimace over his face while clenching his fists.

"W-Whats the next trial!"

"Tell us the trial contents!!"

No one wanted to die, and as such, the cultivators had instantly changed their tone. The stone creatures smiled and then continued on with the Trial.

[Well, since you all think that Challenger twelve thousand, five hundred and fifty is bit deserving of his prize, then we are giving you a chance to snatch it away. The first Challenger to kill challenger twelve thousand, five hundred and fifty shall claim the instant two stages rise in cultivation]

***

Seth opened his eyes slowly in an unending expanse of pure black. Everywhere within his line of sight, and probably even a few hundred kilometres beyond too, was pitch black, but in the darkness lay an expanse of white ethereal energy.

"Where am I?"

His head ached like hell and he felt dizzy. Suddenly, the ethereal energy cluster took the shape of an extremely tall golden scroll, and words began appearing on its surface.

[Se th ren is not wo rt hy]

Seth raised a brow in confusion and tilted his head slightly. Not worthy?

"Not worthy of what?"

Again, the letters began moving by themselves going up, down, left, right, and every which way until another sentence was formed.

[Se th ren is not wo rt hy to be my ma st er]

Then it hit him. He was in his soul realm. The basilisk must have done a number on him, and he had died from his injuries. But wait... does the soul realm continue to exist after a person dies? Seth shook his head and sighed.

"I don't think so..."

If the soul realm continued to exist after death, then would that not mean that no one really died? It would simply mean that the soul could be revived at any time by somehow finding a way to break into someone else's soul realm. But of course, it wasn't a proven theory, both in real life, novels, anime, and manga. The scroll was a part of his soul, well at least it should be, meaning that he was still alive, because if he had died, then the scroll would have been returned to the dragon temple.

[I ho ld far mo re po wer th an you can ev er im ag ine]

The scroll had begun once again, the golden letters arranging and rearranging themselves independently to form words.

[The po wer of yo ur an ce st ors far su rp ass the po wer of the de iti es, but you are not wo rt hy of ha rn es si ng it]

"So you can talk... that's, interesting. Anyways, come on, ancient scroll, Gimme a break. I need you to survive this - you're my cheat you know."

[I am the Se rp en ti ne sc ro ll, not ju st any an ci ent sc ro ll]

"Serpentine scroll? Like something to do with snakes?"

[Yo ur cl an Id i ot! The clan of Se rp en tis]

"Serpentis? No, no, you're sorely mistaken. I don't have a clan, I'm not even from this world-"

[Fo ol ish li tt le Se th ren. The Se rp en tis ha ve be en wa it ing for th eir ru ler, the one who co mm an ds the po we rs of the sc ro ll. You ha ve ob ta in ed me, but are not ne ar ly wo rt hy en ou gh to co mm and me. But I sh all ta ke ca re of that pr ob lem.]

"Wait wait wait. Are you telling me that I have a clan somewhere?"

[You are su pp os ed to at le ast ki ll one mi ll ion de mo nic he ll sp aw ns, be fo re I sh all un lo ck all my po we rs to you. Yo ur fa th er had to el im in ate an en ti re em pi re be fo re I did so, yo ur gr an dfa th er ki ll ed an Im pe ri al, and so me one so me ti me al ong the li ne mu rd er ed a god]

"That's not what i aske-"

[Ho we ver, I can fe el yo ur pa in, the sm all ac he hi dd en de ep at the bo tt om of yo ur he art, the ac he for re ve nge. You lo ng to ki ll the pe rs on who ki ll ed th em, and I li ke th at pa ss ion. Th us, I sh all gr ant you all of my po we rs, but, it is at the co nd it ion th at you sh all co nq uer all the ot her Se rp en ti ne clans, and ru le th em all af ter this all is ov er. If you fa il to co nq uer the ser pen tine cla ns, th en you sh all die]

"Wait! I-"

[Go od bye, Se th ren]