The old man picked up one of the crystal clusters on the table, passing it around in his hands. "This crystal is even harder than steel. Golden crystal is the hardest mineral there is, Sir Hagin. Are you sure you''ve given us the right crystal?"


    "What could I have gotten wrong?"


    "Do you not know the rules yet? Shall I repeat them for you?"


    The old man shook his head. "This isn''t a matter of rules. Senior Fremont said the challenges wouldn''t be hard, but this right here is a golden crystal cluster. Aren''t you trying to give us a hard time?"


    Hagin said, "I have no idea what you''re talking about, but I received orders to have the third checkpoint be the challenge of crushing golden crystals. These orders were given to me by Emperor Ramos, and you two are free to give up if you think you can''t handle it."


    "You!"


    The old man let out a sigh, hesitation flickering in his gaze. Atst, he said, "Fine. Let''s get on with the challenge, then."


    Hagin took out a watch, ncing at it. "Alright, get ready. The challenge begins after I count to three. Remember, you only have ten seconds. One, two, three, begin!"


    The old man held the crystal down with his left hand and brought his right hand down harshly. He split the golden crystal cluster in half with just one blow, which left the merfolk soldiers there in shock. After all, the soldiers themselves were incapable of crushing that crystal cluster.


    Themander was the only one who could crush the golden crystals with his own strength, but this ordinary-looking old man had just split it in half in just one blow. The sightpletely changed the impression these merfolk had of human beings.


    At the same time, Wilbur''s blownded on the cluster too, but he was unable to split the golden crystal cluster in half. He struck the cluster again, and a crack appeared on its glimmering golden surface. It was only at the third strike that the golden crystal cluster finally separated into two halves.


    Hagin stared at his watch in shock. "I didn''t expect you two to be so powerful. Congrattions, you''ve passed the third checkpoint."


    Wilbur and the old man exchanged a nce, and the old man said, "Please proceed with the fourth checkpoint, Sir Hagin."


    "Alright,e with me."


    Hagin''s expression was cold again as he led the two men to the fourth challenge. The checkpoint was arge quagmire, with two muscr merfolk standing in it as the guards who told them the rules.


    To pass this checkpoint, they would have to wrestle against the merfolk in the mire. They could choose to have one of them take on both merfolk or take them on one at a time. Either way, they only have one chance, and they could not lose. Otherwise, the challenge would end automatically regardless of whether the other cultivator had gone into the battle.


    The old man looked at Wilbur. "What do you think?"


    "Don''t worry, sir."


    "Alright. Let''s do this together, then."


    Wilbur and the old man leaped into the mire at the same time. Each of them took on one of the merfolk wrestlers. The wrestling challenge wouldst sixty seconds. Wilbur and the old man would be considered defeated as long as they did not win. Thus, they would be all the more motivated as time passed.


    Sure enough, the two merfolk wrestlers seemed to have understood the rules already. They were in no rush to attack Wilbur and the old man. Instead, they retreated backward as they watched the two men approach them. At the veryst second, the merfolk wrestlers raised a leg and kicked the mud into the two men''s faces.


    The old man dodged the attack in one swift move before charging at top speed to grab one merfolk. Before the merfolk could even react, his body had been flipped into the air beforending harshly into the mud.