Sterl had it all figured out in his mind regarding Faye.


    This saintess from the Water Blue n seemed pretty easy to deceive...


    Moreover, if she really had a powerful mentor guiding her andbined with her own talent, her future potential should be quite high.


    Perhaps she could even reach the legendary level? Maybe even higher.


    Sterl thought that Faye was probably the best top-tier primary star he could find within the Divine Mountain Empire after reaching second ss.


    Even without considering the issues of primary and secondary stars, since Faye had the backing of a powerful soul fragment, her insights were likely to be quite extensive. For someone as inexperienced as Sterl, this could be of significant help.


    Thus, Faye and Sterl were ready to join forces.


    "By the way, Miss Faye, your race can be ssified under the Merfolk category. Do you have a mermaid form?"


    "Uh... um... that''s... I can''t say." Faye immediately took a step back, her face turning red. She was internally panicking, "Ancestor, this... this topic is off-limits.


    Help me out here!"


    But Felicia continued to y dead.


    Fortunately, the Fourth Prince of the Divine Mountain Empire stepped in and grabbed Sterl, "Mr.David, you might not know this."


    "Within the Merfolk, different ns have different customs. The Water Blue n mostly lives onnd."


    "The mermaid form, well... you know, it''s only revealed to the closest of people."


    With that hint, Sterl immediately understood and nodded apologetically, "I''m sorry, that was inappropriate of me."


    He still intended to gain Faye''s favor, acting very gentlemanly on the surface, though internally he couldn''t help but think, "Maybe I can use this mermaid form as a bargaining chip..." Sterl was already nning.


    ...


    It was only then that the other princes managed to join the conversation, "Our eldest brother hasn''t returned yet."


    "We''ve alreadymunicated with the Titans, and we can directly distribute the quest rewards to the warriors from the other world."


    "Great! Great!" The Fourth Prince, now holding the loyalty of two powerful warriors, was entirely in charge.


    "Congrattions to everyone. No matter how long yousted in the tournament, your presence in the arena has already proven your worth. The Empire sincerely appreciates the participation of the brave warriors from the other world!"


    "Except for the sarcane skill: Mountain, which I have no authority to deploy, all other rewards will be distributed now." In Transcendence, NPCs didn''t shy away from using terms like quest rewards.


    With the Fourth Prince''s deration, the yers on the field soon saw a series of prompts shing before their eyes.


    Regardless of their rankings, everyone''s eyes were gleaming, indicating that the Divine Mountain Empire had indeed been quite generous this time.


    "Wow! So many rewards..."


    "Woo..." Sterl noticed that Faye beside him was somewhat excitedly celebrating, but she quickly remembered to maintain her saintess image and covered her mouth. She resembled a little hamster hiding food, trying hard to keep a calm demeanor, but her bodynguage had already given away her joypletely.


    Sterl quickly lost interest in observing others as he focused on the barrage of prompts before him, swallowing hard.


    "Is this the value of a hidden quest??"


    "This is amazing!"


    [You have sessfullypleted the hidden quest: Empire Trial.]


    [Achievements you have earned during this quest:


    Champion:Achieved the highest rank. Reaper: Eliminated the highestbined rank of yers. Overwhelming Damage: Dealt more damage than any other yer. Untouched: Received no damage during the trial.]


    In this round of tasks, Sterl didn''t achieve many aplishments, but then the list of rewards quickly appeared.


    [You have received the following rewards:


    - Legendary Point +1


    - Divine Mountain Empire Reputation: 12,000 points. Current Reputation Level: Revered.


    - Divine Mountain Empire Contribution: 12,000 points.


    - Fourth Prince Personal Reputation: 8,000 points. Rtionship Status: Friendly.


    - Special Faction Reputation: Divine Mountain Empire Fourth Prince Faction: 12,000 points. Reputation Level: Revered.


    - New Record: [Empire Trial].


    - Main Quest Eligibility Unlocked.


    - Special Item Acquired: King''s Blood.


    - Final Task Evaluation: Perfect.


    - Experience Reward: Level Up x5.


    - Mary Reward: 10 Purple Gold Coins.


    - Special Reward: Free Attribute Points x20.


    "Holy crap! Over 10,000 points of reputation and contribution in one go, this is insane!" Sterl''s heart raced. He had seen some incredible items in the Empire''s contribution shop before!


    Moreover, with his reputation in the Empire now at the Revered level, what did this mean? It meant that almost every NPC in the Divine Mountain Empire would have to tip their hat and greet him. There was no quest he couldn''t take in the Empire now!


    Triggering hidden quests in the future would be a breeze!


    This wave of rewards was truly a massive win!


    As for the reputation within the Fourth Prince''s faction, Sterl estimated that it meant the prince would now entrust him with more important and rewarding tasks, which was another massive win!


    Of course, those two points paled inparison to the main quest eligibility and the legendary point he obtained.


    Sterl felt that at this rate, achieving legendary status in the future would be a breeze.


    He had already learned the arcane skill, and all that was left was to allocate points, and he even got the Gold-tier skill [Star of Dawn] directly attached.


    He had already umted 2 legendary points—one from a great feat and another from a perfect evaluation of a hidden quest, plus more legendary points could be earned by engaging in the main quest.


    Sterl did a quick calction and was stunned to realize that he was only short of experience points to reach the legendary level—the least valuable resource!


    Because as yers leveled up, their lifespan increased. Even for slow levelers, as long as they ensured smooth transitions through second ss, third ss, and legendary without hitting bottlenecks, they wouldn''t fail to level up due to old age.


    Sterl couldn''t help but feel a sense of surrealism. Through his hard work and effort, his dream of bing a legend, which he had since crossing into this world, was now on the verge of bing a reality.


    He just needed to keep leveling up diligently in the future! And what did it mean to be a legend? Among the human race on Earth, the demigod was mostly in seclusion, and the remaining legendary figures controlled the entire race.


    And Sterl could achieve this status just by investing time!


    Looking at the remaining rewards from the quest, Sterl felt ecstatic. Leveling up five levels instantly! Needless to say, his experience bar was filled to the brim, along with the extra experience gain efficiency from the arcane skill.


    After meditating, Sterl figured he could easily level up 6 to 7 levels.


    Then there were the five purple gold coins, equivalent to 500 gold coins, and 20 free attribute points, which would allow Sterl to power up significantly.


    As for the item "King''s Blood," like the "Blood of the Brave" he received in the previous trial phase, it only had a name, and he had no idea how to use it.


    Sterl decided to toss it into his backpack and forget about it for now.


    Seeing him snap out of his ecstatic trance, the Fourth Prince approached warmly.


    "Mr. David, our eldest brother hasn''t returned yet. As the first-ce winner, we can''t immediately grant you the arcane skill."


    "Why don''t you rest in your guest room for a while today?"


    "We''re also going to hold a wee party in the alternate space to wee the warriors from another world to our Empire."


    "If you''re not in a hurry, could you wait for two days?"


    The Fourth Prince was exceedingly courteous, almost to the point of treating Sterl like royalty.


    Sterl naturally nodded, "Alright, I haven''t had a chance to rx properly since preparing for thepetition."


    Then...


    The yers in the arena were also led to other parts of the consciousness space to rest, as there was a grand celebration nned for the next day.


    After returning, Sterl didn''t have to lift a finger. Soon, two curvaceous maids approached and guided him to a private bath where he soaked. More maids, d in sheer fabrics, brought chilled fruits and drinks for Sterl to enjoy.


    However, when the maids tried to cozy up to him, he casually held them, roughly groping their ample bosoms before dismissing them with a wave.


    Having experienced the best beauties, these women, though considered top-notch, didn''t impress Sterl.


    After bathing, he immediately sat cross-legged on the bed to cultivate.


    With the hidden quest''s perfect rating and the 5 levels of experience gained, he could at least reach level 41, then continue to evolve and enhance his secret art!


    In a few days, Sterl''s power would undergo a massive transformation.


    This time, his meditation felt different from before. The experience and power flowing into his consciousness seabined with his spiritual energy, forming an exceptionally radiant and transparent star.


    In the vast and empty universe, an eternal, shining star stream gradually took shape.


    Sterl''s ears were filled with continuous prompts.


    [Your level has increased...]


    [Your...]