MMORPG: War God, You are Invincible Again
Chapter 458 - 212: The Depressed Elder Hu

Chapter 458: Chapter 212: The Depressed Elder Hu

"Elder, Tuku has entered the second challenge again." In a pavilion thousands of miles away from the second challenge, this was not the first time that Elder Hu heard this report, his mouth involuntarily twitched, and then he asked again, "Any news about that girl?"

The temple disciple shook his head with a wry smile, "No."

Elder Hu’s face darkened, "What are you monks fed for if not to do your job?! How can a person just disappear within the Path of Strength?"

Seeing Hu Cong’an losing his temper, the temple disciple asked quietly, "Elder, could that girl have been sent out of the Path of Strength by Lu Hong long ago?"

"Impossible," Elder Hu immediately denied, "I had someone guarding the exit very early on, every person coming in and out must be subject to strict scrutiny, that girl is definitely still within the divine path. Continue to search for me, you must find her!"

Hu Cong’an had been keeping an eye on Lu Hong since the second day he began his challenge.

Fortunately, the tavern owner had made arrangements beforehand, and the results of the temple disciples’ inquiry were as planned, Lu Hong left the small town with Auli and entered the jungle, after which Auli disappeared without a trace.

During this time, the temple disciples turned the entire jungle inside out twice, short of digging three feet into the ground. Yet they didn’t find a single hair, let alone any trace of Auli.

Elder Hu had originally wanted to directly capture Lu Hong and conduct a brutal interrogation, but another elder in charge of temple transport obtained some information and came out to stop him.

Hu Cong’an tried to use his position as Hall Master to pressure him, but that person produced an even higher-level Celestial Roster, which clearly recorded Lu Hong’s breakthrough in the first challenge, achievements that paralleled ancient heroes—an untouchable talent who must not be disturbed.

Although the Celestial Roster is merely a record book, being listed in it means that even if one isn’t a disciple of the temple, they will be accorded the temple’s friendliest treatment, free from harassment and oppression, otherwise they would be charged with the crime of defying the gods.

This rule has been established since ancient times, and even if Hu Cong’an had instructions from the Hall Master, he dared not violate it, so he had no choice but to monitor Lu Hong every day.

Although this surveillance failed to find any connection between Lu Hong and the young girl, it did uncover some information about an old priest.

This hidden powerhouse dwelt within the Path of Strength, with unknown intentions. Hu Cong’an reported his findings about the priest to the Hall Master, asking for greater authority to investigate.

Unexpectedly, the Hall Master dismissed the matter outright and also warned Hu Cong’an not to disrupt Lu Hong’s normal trials.

Unable to question key figures and finding no trace of the little girl, while also having to deal with continuous inquiries from Huang Zong of the Golden Temple, Hu Cong’an had been going through a rough time these days.

Seeing that Hu Cong’an had no further instructions, the temple disciple prepared to take his leave.

"Wait!" Hu Cong’an suddenly remembered something.

"Does the Elder have more instructions?"

"That... old fellow’s wager—is it still ongoing?"

"Uh... it is."

"What’s the wager?"

"One minute at 1.2 to 1, two minutes at 2.3 to 1, four minutes at 8 to 1, five minutes at 10 to 1."

Hu Cong’an frowned, "Why are the odds so low?"

He reached into his pocket, took out four Gold Coins, and handed them to the disciple beside him, "Here, help me bet on two minutes."

"...," the temple disciple replied, "Yes!"

Because Elder Qin hadn’t been called upon by Hu Cong’an for a long time, he thought he might have been played for a fool; just after the temple disciple left, Elder Qin came storming in, looking for him.

"Hu Cong’an, you damn son of a bitch, have you forgotten about me?"

Upon hearing it was Elder Qin, Hu Cong’an felt a headache coming on, stood up to greet him, and said apologetically with a forced smile, "Old Qin, how could I forget you!"

"Then why haven’t you been looking for me? Are you trying to hog all the credit?"

"Ah! My brother, I’m suffering!" Hu Cong’an laid out his fruitless efforts and frustration of the past few months, without specifying exactly what he was searching for.

Elder Qin’s brows furrowed, "What exactly are you helping the Hall Master look for? Be clear so I can at least help you out."

"That... the Hall Master told me not to say, it’s just a person anyway."

"A person?" Elder Qin was stunned, "The Lu Hong who breezed through the second trial for months and almost drained the transit formation of its magic power?"

"It would be great if we could really find him. There’s no need to search; just guarding the second trial’s gateway is enough to catch him."

"Who is it then that’s worth the Hall Master searching for?"

"A little girl. That’s all I can’t say; I can’t say more."

Seeing Hu Cong’an shake his head repeatedly, Elder Qin, dissatisfied, curled his lip, "Have you ever thought about mobilizing the trialists to search?"

"No, that won’t do. Mobilizing trialists would definitely attract the attention of other temples. The Hall Master instructed me to search secretly to avoid the other temples’ notice."

"Heh." Elder Qin laughed coldly. "You think your search hasn’t caused a stir? You think the other temples don’t know? Our Power of Strength Path is united? There are plenty of traitors!"

"Ah?" Hu Cong’an was shocked. "Don’t scare me!" Being the most recent and weakest in the temple, with equally poor character, he knew very little of the temple’s secrets.

"Then why did the Hall Master ask me to search secretly?"

In response to Hu Cong’an’s question, Elder Qin laughed, "To call you foolish would be an understatement. If the Hall Master really wanted to search covertly, she would never entrust this task to you, but would have the Hidden Hall disciples take action. Since it was entrusted to you and allowed you to freely dispatch disciples, it’s meant to be seen by the other temples."

"Aren’t you afraid they’ll snatch her away?" Hu Cong’an did not believe it.

"Snatch?" Elder Qin chuckled, "This is the Power of Strength Path. Who could snatch a person from our Power of Strength Temple’s Hall Master?"

It was then that Hu Cong’an suddenly realized, and he smacked his thigh, "Oh! Brother Qin, a word from you is worth a thousand! I see the light, I’ll do as you say!"

Elder Qin was very pleased with the other’s performance. Looking around and seeing no one else, he then asked in a low voice, "Could you possibly reveal a bit about that girl’s identity?"

"This... Well..." Having just gained favor, Hu Cong’an found it hard to refuse outright.

"Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t leak it. Besides, I have friends in other temples too. If I really want to find out, I just need to put in a bit more effort, and it won’t be considered your leak."

"Alright then." Hu Cong’an nodded, raised his hand to release a soundproof barrier, and then confidently said, "Four months ago, at three thousand leagues outside the first trial, there was a descent of the Heavenly God’s will, and it was from the Holy Light system. Achieving such Divine Favor must be the remnants who escaped from the Golden Temple. Hence the Hall Master asked me to find this girl and bring her back."

"Indeed." Elder Qin inwardly trembled with the revelation but outwardly appeared nonchalant, as if he had already guessed it.

"You are smart, Brother Qin. So you had guessed all along." Hu Cong’an laughed obsequiously, although deep down he was full of disdain.

While the two elders of the Power of Strength Path chatted, Lu Hong was struggling fiercely within the second trial.

After four months of battling at the edge of life and death, Lu Hong’s combat skills had leaped qualitatively, and his reaction speed had been greatly enhanced.

From being unable to see the copy’s movements at first, to now being able to handle them with ease, this progress would bring him absolute dominance in future battles.

Although his reactions had improved, Lu Hong still did not dare to confront his copy head-on, for the other’s strength was unimaginable.

After dodging a flurry of punches from the copy, Lu Hong seized the opportunity to make his first counterattack in four months.

A kick to the copy’s abdomen, like kicking a steel plate, the enormous recoil shattered the bones in Lu Hong’s leg. Suppressing the intense pain, he quickly retreated.

But the copy did not give him a chance, grabbed Lu Hong’s ankle, and with brute force crushed it effortlessly, dragging Lu Hong back.

As the copy’s left fist clenched and aimed at his chest, Lu Hong gritted his teeth and crossed his hands to protect it.

The next second, the copy’s fist shattered his hand bones, and Lu Hong’s chest caved in once more, sending him flying out of the trial like a cannonball.

Thirty-three minutes and eighteen seconds.

The old Priest precisely timed it, then swept the Gold Coins from the gambling table into his arms, "Ha ha, sorry, sorry, I humbly accept."

"Ah! How could he suddenly last three more minutes this time? Isn’t it usually just one minute?" Trialists who bet wrongly complained as they left.

After tidying up the bets, the old Priest activated Holy Light to heal Lu Hong.

Noticing the fresh blood Lu Hong spat out, the old Priest picked up a droplet and tasted it, "My, my, at this rate, the Divine Blood might truly integrate completely with him."