Chapter 221: First floor
As Sam, started going upstairs, he felt Yanwu calling him through their mental connection.
[Sam, I know who that guy is.]
"What do you mean?" Sam was completely stunned; he didn't know that Yanwu would know a person who is in this place.
[I don't know him personally, but I know who an Avatar is. They are a clan from the upper realms. Their race is actually not that strong and they don't have many restrictions moving along the realms. So, it is not surprising that they came here. But I don't know what this Palace of inheritances is neither do I know why he is the guardian of this place.]
Sam stayed silent and when he thought of his suspicions about Arman, he felt that there is something connecting him and this palace.
But he didn't think too much of it and started moving upstairs, but at the same time, Arthur pushed him aside and went upwards with a condescending gaze.
One look and Sam could guess that he met another d.i.c.khead who is so full of his birth and status. But he didn't care. As far as he was concerned, this guy is a fish on chopping board as long as he wanted it to be.
Then he stepped aside and let Arman go first. Arman didn't think much of it, because most of the people who came to the thunder god temple will always be humble, so he thought Sam might have gone first by mistake and now realised it.
But he didn't know that Sam let him go first just because he has something to do.
Sam moved behind Arman and spread his spiritual sense as if he is checking the stairs and the building and he also took a glimpse on the back of Arman.
As he expected the back of Arman also has a large tattoo with a circle in which a man with a sabre covered in lightning are standing on a cliff as if he was looking down on the entire world.
Sam confirmed one thing, that is this Arman is also someone who is like him having a re-birth.
But this confirmation gave more questions than answers to him.
Why is there is another person like him and this shown him a possibility that there might be more people than this guy.
And from the story attendant said, their rebirths are almost at the same time, this leaves with another question and that is if Ling Tian is the one responsible for this guy too.
And the most confusing matter is what does the significance in the tattoos suggest.
Sam has some thoughts and most possible on is the people who are responsible for their rebirths.
His rebirth was done by Ling Tian and the cultivation techniques and others are mostly related to beasts and their bloodlines which would explain his tattoo of the circle and the beasts.
At the same time, from the story he heard, Arthur specialised in a self-taught Lightning element infused Sabre arts which is also the thing he saw on the back of Arthur.
This possibility suggests that the guy has undergone rebirth with another person's help.
Sam has myriad of thoughts in his head, but he didn't think much and forced himself to stop.
As he entered the first floor, he saw that the first door is already locked and there is a light that showed that another person is inside it.
Sam saw that there was a board on the floor indicating the nature of the rooms.
"Lightning Array formations."
As he looked at these words, Arman also entered the second room while Sam was thinking about the possibilities of what might be in these rooms.
The whole floor was like hotel rather than a palace. Most of the corridor is coloured in different shade of blue.
So, he carefully entered the third room.
In the room, Sam was welcomed by a translucent screen which looked like a holographic image.
"Your name"
These words are displayed on the screen at the same time a mechanical female voice also said the same two words.
"Sam."
He replied with and his name was entered automatically and the holographic screen continued to display the words.
"Formation name: Lightning fence formation.
Task: In this room there are several layers of lightning fence formations. And all these layers protect an object in the centre of the formations.
The candidates need to get a hold on that object to finish the task. A candidate can destroy the formation or cross it or even doesn't need to deal with the formation as a whole. The only thing that matters is that the candidate has to get a hold on that object.
A candidate can try as many times as they want and by the end of the month, the candidate with the least timing will be awarded with the Blue Prints and construction theories of the original Lightning Fence formation along with all the possible variants that have been created till date."
Sam felt a bit weird as he saw the words on the transparent blue screen at the same time hearing them from the mechanical voice.
Before he could digest the information, he got another notice.
"Candidate can start whenever he is ready."
At that moment, Sam saw that there was another opening on the other side of the room and another person came in.
But he wasn't able to see that person's face at all even using his spiritual sense.
As he tried to do so, a notice popped up. "Candidates from different regions are unable to perceive each other's identities."
Sam didn't think much of the rule and went forward.
The formation was activated. He started using his observation ability and was following the energy flow of the formation.
The timer which has appeared in the form of a transparent screen didn't start counting, it seems that it will only count once the candidate stepped inside the formation.
Sam could also see the other candidate is already trying to enter the formation and at the same time another door opened giving way to another candidate on a different side of the room.
Sam didn't know how these doors are appearing out of nowhere. The only door he could see was the door he entered.
The whole palace was more intriguing than the formation. Because, when he observed the flow of energy in the formation, he can clearly see how it works.
The formation was made in such a way that there are very small loop holes left, but nonetheless, he could still feel some holes which he could exploit.
The formation was framed with lightning bolts constantly striking vertically forming a fence.
The lightning bolts will randomly increase in frequency in one spot and sometimes multiple spots simultaneously, making it difficult for them to enter the formation.
In this way there are seven layers of circular fences with varying thickness of lightning bolts and varying frequency of the powerful strikes.
Sam carefully observed the flow closely. Even though, he wasn't able to perform the examination of the lightning particles with same accuracy as other elements which he can manipulate, in such a large-scale change in the flow of energy, he can still perceive them even if he was unable to observe.
After a little less than ten minutes, Sam was able to get a clear grasp on the formation energy flow pattern.
He is ready to go inside.
But before that he looked at the two other candidates who are trying to make their way with brute force.
One of them is in third layer trying to time the strikes of lightning, and another one is at the second layer trying to bypass the formation with brute force.
When Sam looked at that person, he also looked at Sam, both of them couldn't see the other person's face, but they can see their outfits and bodies.
"Hey, are you just going to stand there or are you going to attempt?" His voice was filled with provocation. Sam didn't answer and turned his attention back to the formation as he counted in his mind.
'3…
2…
1…'
And as the count ended, he activated light elemental fusion and made a move.
In a blink of an eye, Sam was at the centre of the formation just before the podium which has a spherical light on it. He extended his hand and touched the object and with a flash he was sent back to the starting point.
"Congratulations, your finishing time is 2 seconds." A holographic screen popped in front of him followed by the announcement of the mechanical. This announcement shocked the two participants who are in the middle and the participant who provoked Sam even accidentally got hit by the lightning.
Sam looked at the formation for one last time and left the place.
He didn't bother to reply for the provocation as the result speaks for itself.
When he came out, he saw that the first two rooms are still locked, he tried to pry it open and he realised it is possible to enter this.
But he still didn't do so and went for the fourth room.
After ten more minutes Sam came out and entered the fifth room…
While Sam is busy clearing the first floor, the next batch of the candidates entered the palace and when he is in the fifth room, the candidates started coming to the first floor and some even climbed to the highest floor they can possibly do.
Outside the cave entrance. The Elders gathered together and someone asked Moriya.
"Moriya, why are we even doing this? You are the only one who knows the answer, can you tell me where is the temple head, Grand Elder and Great elders, even most of the normal elders disappeared. Now, the disciples are having doubts about this, if something news spreads, the Phoenix Mountain can attack us anytime."
Moriya looked at the cave entrance with a deep gaze.
"This is complicated."