Chapter 286: Chapter286-No One Dares Advance? Then We’ll Rise to the Challenge!

"Everyone, shall we proceed to the fifth floor?"

White Wolf looked around at his teammates and quietly calculated, "If we join forces with the three members of the Hunter Team, six nine-star powerhouses working together should have at least some chance of victory, right?"

Coldstar frowned slightly and said softly, "Having cleared the fourth floor, we already have our qualification for the advancement round firmly in hand. I’m not going to the fifth floor. I doubt anyone from the other teams will be willing to go either."

Eris silently shook her head, her attitude perfectly clear.

White Wolf sighed and gave a bitter smile.

"Then forget it."

On the other side, Harris tentatively made a suggestion to his teammates.

"How about we join forces with the three from the Bloodthirst Team and take a gamble on the fifth floor? If Faustus and his people stop at the fourth floor, while we manage to clear the fifth, we’ll finally be able to surpass him."

His teammates looked at the eagerness in his eyes, then shook their heads one after another.

"I’m not going. The Samuel and Canaan teams most likely won’t go either. There’s no need to take such a risk," Udi refused decisively.

"Heh. You think just three nine-star powerhouses are enough to covet the fifth floor? Besides, I don’t believe Samuel and Canaan would ever join forces," Igor sneered. "We should focus on preparing for the advancement round instead."

"Fine."

Harris helplessly let his shoulders droop, clenching his fists tightly.

In the end, he had still missed an excellent opportunity to suppress Faustus.

On the Samuel Team’s side, Elysi smiled.

"Let’s leave. The advancement round is already waiting for us."

"Mm." Julian nodded in agreement. "Who would dare challenge the fifth floor? We don’t, and the Canaan Team certainly won’t either."

"Withdraw," Flora said crisply.

...

A short while later, every nine-star powerhouse had left the Spirit Tower and appeared outside the viewing arena.

As there were still some teams fighting desperately inside the tower, the elimination round had not yet reached the settlement stage.

However, one thing was certain: all the nine-star powerhouses had already secured their qualifications for the advancement round.

"Hmm? Faustus and the others haven’t come out yet?"

Harris swept his gaze across the area outside the arena. For some inexplicable reason, his heart tightened, and he immediately looked up toward the images projected in the void.

"What’s going on?"

White Wolf noticed something strange as well. Among all the nine-star teams, only the Canaan Team was nowhere to be seen.

"Could they still be inside the Spirit Tower?"

White Wolf stared intently at the projection.

"The three powerhouses from Canaan aren’t here?"

Elysi also sensed that something was wrong.

"What are they doing?"

Noticing the strange atmosphere around him, Coldstar raised his head as well.

"What happened...?"

Udi’s gaze followed the others and landed on the images in the void.

Within the projection, the three members of the Canaan Team had already vanished from the fourth floor.

Suddenly—

The image lit up once more.

The figures of Faustus, James, and Mosi reappeared, but they were already standing on the fifth floor!

Whoosh!

The expressions of every nine-star powerhouse present instantly darkened.

Crash!

Every spectator in the arena shot to their feet at the same time, their fists clenched tightly in excitement.

Boom!

Every Oracle-grade powerhouse present was stunned speechless.

Chanelle’s Oracle-grade aura fell into turmoil!

"What?!"

She clenched her fists tightly and stared at the scene in the projection with utter disbelief.

...

Inside the Spirit Tower.

Daniel opened the treasure chest and reviewed everything he had obtained.

"On the third floor, I obtained the [Scroll of Forced Equilibrium]. It can forcibly suppress the sage-rank might of any powerhouse below Oracle-grade down to the level of my Divine Domain."

He pondered inwardly, "On the fourth floor, I obtained the [Starburst Scroll], whose power can reach the level of an ultimate strike from a peak Divine-grade powerhouse."

A cold gleam flashed through his eyes, and the corners of his lips curled upward slightly.

"With these in hand, even if I face the peak Divine-grade guardian of the fifth floor, I now have trump cards worth gambling on."

He immediately discussed the matter with James and Mosi.

After hearing his explanation, brilliant lights flashed through both of their eyes.

"Boss Faustus actually obtained treasures this extraordinary?"

James grinned.

"Of course I’m going to charge into the fifth floor with you, Boss. I’d love to find out just what a peak Divine-grade opponent is really made of."

"Together," Mosi said, still as cold and taciturn as ever.

Seeing the intense fighting spirit in the eyes of his two teammates, Daniel nodded slightly.

With the two scrolls as their trump cards, their chances of defeating the guardian were not small.

Even if victory proved impossible, they could still voluntarily give up the challenge.

The peak Divine-grade guardian was many times stronger than a high Divine-grade opponent. There would be nothing shameful about abandoning the challenge if they found themselves unable to proceed.

Simply by possessing the courage to face the fifth floor head-on, the three of them had already left every other nine-star powerhouse far behind.

"If we step onto the fifth floor, we’ll probably scare every powerhouse watching out of their wits," James said with a smile. "Other than us, it’ll probably be very difficult to find a second team bold enough to continue challenging the tower."

Daniel smiled and nodded.

He knew full well that without those two scrolls, he would never have entertained such an insane idea.

"Let’s go."

Once the three of them had made their decision, their figures instantly disappeared from the fourth floor.

...

Inside the Spirit Tower.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Daniel, James, and Mosi appeared simultaneously on the fifth floor of the Spirit Tower.

Outside the viewing arena, there was first a moment of absolute silence.

Then, an earth-shaking uproar erupted!

"They... they really dared to do it!"

Silas of the Viridis starfield stared blankly at the sight before him.

In the projection, Daniel and the other two had indeed stepped onto the fifth floor.

Just as every other nine-star powerhouse had withdrawn from the Spirit Tower and prepared to welcome the advancement ranking round, the three nine-star powerhouses of the Canaan starfield had actually dared to challenge the peak Divine-grade guardian of the fifth floor.

That was a peak Divine-grade opponent!

"By the Creator God, they really went to the fifth floor!"

The spectators were so shocked that they could barely speak coherently.

"Every single time Faustus makes a move, he does something completely unexpected!"

"Holy shit! I suddenly have this urge to become one of his followers."

"This is ridiculous. I almost want to cheer for him... even though he literally just tricked us not long ago."

A contestant who had previously been trapped in Warzone 1 wore an incredibly conflicted expression, his voice filled with inner struggle.

"Faustus, you’ve surprised me yet again."

Harris’s expression was livid, each word forced through clenched teeth.

Faustus seemed to have become an insurmountable mountain that fate had placed directly in his path. Every time they crossed paths, he would be firmly suppressed by the other party.

That mountain known as Faustus loomed before him, seemingly impossible to ever climb over.

"How dare they set foot on the fifth floor?!"

Udi stared fixedly at the figures in the projection, his voice filled with furious disbelief.

"These powerhouses from the Canaan starfield are truly bold. They’ve certainly broadened my horizons."

A playful gleam appeared in Julian’s eyes, and the corners of his lips curved into a meaningful smile, as though he were savoring the anticipation of a magnificent show about to begin.

In this tournament, only the Samuel starfield and the Canaan starfield possessed three nine-star powerhouses each on the surface. Naturally, the two sides had been compared again and again.

However, ever since the warm-up round, the Samuel starfield had been powerfully suppressed by the Canaan starfield, leaving far too much resentment in their hearts.

Yet now, the nine-star powerhouses from the Canaan starfield actually dared to form a team and challenge the guardian of the fifth floor. That courage alone was enough to make everyone see them in an entirely new light.

However—

None of them believed Daniel and the others could actually succeed.

Chanelle nodded slightly.

"No matter what happens, at this moment, the three of you have truly stood at the summit of the starry sea."

"At the very least, in terms of momentum, you have already surpassed every other contestant."

"Enjoy it to your hearts’ content!"

...