Genshin Impact: The Road to Reversal

Phoenix paused for a moment, giving the audience time to think. A pin drop could be heard in the hall, with only the sound of heavy breathing.

"Those who stay..." her voice rang out again, like an ice pick piercing everyone's nerves. "It means that you have voluntarily accepted all the rules of the training camp, including death. We are not responsible for any casualties other than those during training. Now, make your choice!"

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads, causing many of the young people, who had been full of enthusiasm, to turn pale, their eyes filled with hesitation and fear. Some subconsciously glanced towards the open door, their steps slightly shifting.

Mo Yan and Kailin mingled with the crowd, their emotions mixed. They hadn't come here voluntarily, and now they were caught in a dilemma. Leave? That might cause unnecessary trouble. Stay? God knew how dangerous this training camp was.

However, at this moment, Mo Yan and Kailin turned into shadows and hid in the corners around them. They blended perfectly with the dim light and were difficult to detect without careful observation.

They held their breath, watching the dozen or so people who chose to leave walk out the door dejectedly, and also watching the tension, fear and determination intertwined on the faces of the remaining people.

Phoenix glanced at the remaining crowd, seemingly unaware of the two "uninvited guests" lurking nearby. She nodded slightly, and the next second, she suddenly walked off the stage.

She walked slowly through the crowd with an elegant and majestic posture, her eyes calmly sweeping over the young and nervous faces, and finally, she stopped in front of the young Pelville.

The young Peruvian subconsciously straightened her back, and her cross-shaped pupils met Phoenix's gaze without flinching. Although one could see the nervousness hidden deep inside her, there was more of a stubborn persistence.

Phoenix looked at her quietly for a moment, his different-colored eyes showing no emotion.

"What's your name?" Her voice was still cold.

"Peruvian." The girl's voice had a barely perceptible tremor, but it was clear and firm.

Phoenix's gaze turned to Clevi, who was beside her, holding her hand tightly and also trying to straighten her body.

"What about you?"

"K, Klevi!" The red-haired girl's voice was more nervous than Pelvilli's, but she still called out her name loudly.

Phoenix's gaze lingered on the two men for a moment longer, as if assessing something. Everyone in the hall held their breath, awaiting the Paladin's next move.

"Oh, should we say he's still wet behind the ears or a newborn calf?" She exclaimed with one hand on her waist, then asked calmly, "Girls, let me ask you, aren't you afraid?"

"Afraid?" Peruvian glanced around. "Why should I be afraid?"

Phoenix lowered his hand and said, "Others have to be adults before they dare to risk their lives here. Some are only two or three years away from adulthood. You two little girls, barely even fully grown, dare to risk your lives here?"

Pelville clenched her fists slightly at her sides, looking up at Phoenix. "Because I heard that passing the trial can gain power... Because of our background, we have never been looked up to by others. So, I decided to win this trial and teach them a lesson!"

"A lesson?" Phoenix's lips curled up in a faint, almost sarcastic arc. "Just for this?"

She snorted coldly, but the next second she gave him an appreciative look.

"Oh, interesting. Well said. In today's order, only absolute strength can earn respect, and only power can represent justice."

"But... can you really do it?"

Phoenix's voice was not loud, but it carried a power that pierced people's hearts.

She leaned forward slightly, her eyes sharp as a knife.

"The trial is crueler than reality, far beyond your imagination. It will show no mercy to your age, your background, or your ridiculous unwillingness to give up. You will be hurt, you will bleed, and you will struggle on the brink of life and death countless times. The 'power' and 'respect' you seek will be earned with blood, sweat, and perhaps even your life. Even so, you are not afraid?"

Peruvian's breathing hitched slightly. Phoenix's words were like a cold needle, piercing through her forced composure and reaching the deepest fear in her heart. She could feel Clavi's hand tightening beside her, and she could even hear the pounding of her own heart in her chest.

Fear? How could I not be afraid?

But when she raised her eyes and met Phoenix's strange eyes that seemed to see through everything, a stronger emotion overwhelmed her fear!

It is the unwillingness to be looked down upon, the stubbornness to prove oneself, and the almost paranoid desire to change one's destiny deep in one's heart.

"I'm... not afraid." Her voice was soft, but it carried a desperate determination. "No matter what the cost, I won't back down. I want to prove that we... are no worse than anyone else!"

Clavi also nodded vigorously. Although her face was still a little pale, her eyes were still firm: "We...we are together!"

Phoenix looked at them silently for a few seconds. After a long moment, she straightened up, and the faint curve on her face seemed to deepen slightly.

"Very good." Her voice still contained no emotion, but the air around them seemed to relax a little. "Then I'll wait and see. I hope you won't let me down in the future."

After she finished speaking, she turned and walked towards the platform without stopping, leaving the two girls there.

Mo Yan and Kailin, hiding in the shadows, saw it all.

"Wow...the mushroom eyes when I was a child are so tough now." Kailin sighed softly.

Mo Yan nodded slightly, his heart moved. He saw the source of Peruvian's stubbornness and tenacity, and understood why she would become such a stern and powerful Paladin. This will, tempered in desperate circumstances, had already taken root in her youth.

"I think we should get out of here first." He said softly.

"Huh?" Kailin was stunned for a moment. "Why, don't you want to watch it for a while?"

"We shouldn't stay here for long." Mo Yan lowered his voice, speaking seriously. "Phoenix's strength is unfathomable. Our concealment methods may not be able to deceive her forever. Besides, our real goal is to find the Time Stone, not to observe training camp life here."

"This……"

Although Kailin was still unsatisfied with this "live broadcast of history," she knew Mo Yan was right. She glanced reluctantly at the majestic Xuefeng on the stage and the two stubborn little figures below, then nodded.

"Well, that's what you said..."

The two of them took cover in the shadows, like two silent shadows, moving carefully along the wall, avoiding the crowd, and quietly retreating in the direction they came from.

However, Phoenix seemed to have noticed them already and looked in the direction they retreated.

"Hmph, it comes from Shadow Tyrant's elemental power and contract. I didn't expect this farce to attract other guests. However, the aura they carry doesn't seem to belong here." She muttered to herself, then looked at the guards beside her, "Guards, settle these contestants first. I'm going to run something and will be back soon."

"Yes, my lord."