The magic formation's coverage was so vast that it encompassed the entire Wasteland. Golden light, like tiny sprites, floated across its surface, swirling around the exhausted competitors who had fallen to the ground.
*Boom!*
With a thunderous roar, the dazzling golden radiance surged forth from the magic formation once more. As the light surged, the figures of the fallen competitors gradually faded away. The ground, shattered by Chen Chen's attack into a web of cracks and lifeless earth, began to heal under the light of Agamotto.
Tender green sprouts slowly rose from the earth, and within the formation's area, lush vegetation spread across the parched ground at a visible rate. Towering plants of various shapes and sizes erupted from the soil, quickly forming a dense forest.
The massive crater created by Chen Chen's blast also gradually filled in as the golden energy flowed through it.
"Hmm? This formation is rather interesting." Observing the events unfolding before him, Chen Chen quickly understood the purpose of the formation Agamotto had unleashed. It clearly served both teleportation and life-restoration functions.
After automatically identifying a specific type of object within its range, the magic formation's golden light transported it across dimensions. Those who had been unable to resist the formation should have all been teleported to Kamar-Taj.
"Sigh, my poor mentor, the Ancient One, will have to deal with such a troublesome cleanup again," Chen Chen muttered to himself, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. He imagined the Ancient One casually sipping her tea when suddenly hundreds of unconscious sorcerers appeared before her. What expression would she have?
*Whoosh!*
At that moment, Agamotto withdrew the golden magical energy back into his body, leaving no trace of ripples, appearing utterly nonchalant. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he raised his arm and pointed at Chen Chen and the others. "Only the five of you present will proceed to Assessment Two."
The five were Chen Chen, Kazusa, Doctor Voodoo, the mysterious figure in the black hooded robe, and Genos, who had been allowed to stay due to sheer luck.
"However, the one announcing the next assessment won't be me."
Agamotto's toes lightly touched the green turf beneath him, and his entire body lifted off the ground, slowly floating back to the black platform atop the towering peak.
Immediately, the heavens and earth transformed. On the orange sky, countless white clouds rapidly coalesced, writhing and churning until they formed a colossal tiger's head.
This was Hoggoth, the God of Order.
"Though there was a minor incident during Assessment One, we will now proceed to Assessment Two as planned."
Hoggoth, his massive tiger head moving, opened his cavernous maw, and a deafening, thunderous voice boomed forth. To Chen Chen, it seemed that an ordinary human would likely have their eardrums ruptured by the sheer force of Hoggoth's blaring voice.
"Everything in the universe has two sides. Light is always accompanied by shadow, like a double-edged sword—where there is good, there must also be bad. Like the Eastern Taiji, where there is Yang, there must be Yin. This is the law of the cosmos."
"From its birth to this day, the development of the universe has always been inseparable from these two forces: chaos and order."
"Some say the essence of the universe is chaos, but that's not entirely accurate. It's more a statement born of fear of the universe's mysteries and unknowns. Both chaos and order are two sides of the same coin, indispensable to each other. Unfortunately, the forces of chaos often spawn mad enemies driven by ambitions that lead them to seek the destruction of all things, to shatter the very existence of order, and to plunge the universe into perpetual war."
"Our mission is to maintain this balance, to preserve the universe's order. That is our core philosophy and our faith. What you will face next is a trial of order, one that probes the very depths of your hearts."
"Only those with strong hearts can pass this assessment and bear the responsibility of maintaining this order."
The moment he finished speaking, the colossal tiger head formed from white clouds surged downward toward Chen Chen and his group of sorcerers.
*Boom!*
As if the very earth had been pierced, Chen Chen felt his body blasted away by Hoggoth's impact, as if he were floating in the void.
But he didn't feel the pull of gravity on his body. Floating in mid-air, he could effortlessly strike all sorts of poses and movements, as if he were indulging in a feast of wine and flesh.
"Hmm? Something's wrong." After that fleeting moment of disorientation, Chen Chen's mind snapped back to reality. This sensation felt utterly foreign to him. He looked around and realized that the pitch-black space he had been in, with its shimmering silver stardust, was gone. Instead, he was hurtling through a series of bizarre dimensions at breakneck speed.
"This... is Astral Projection?" Chen Chen murmured, recognizing his current state instantly.
Astral Projection, also known as Astral Projection, Astral Travel, or Astral Flight.
In the East, it's called Yin Spirit Projection. In the West, it's Soul Separation or Out-of-Body Experience. Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism even has the concept of an Astral Body.
However, Chen Chen had mastered the art of Astral Projection long ago. He simply had little interest in soul separation and rarely used it.
Yet for ordinary humans, mastering Astral Projection could indeed prove incredibly useful.
Just like Doctor Strange in the movies, who could use Astral Projection while his body slept to gain extra time and enhance his spell-learning efficiency.
But unlike his own voluntary Astral Projection, the God of Order, Hoggoth, had forced all of them into this state, compelling their souls to leave their bodies and embark on a journey through the cosmos.
Although Chen Chen had reacted and returned to his body in less than 0.001 seconds, in high-dimensional combat, not even a billionth of a second could turn the tide of battle. This incident clearly demonstrated the vast power of Hoggoth.
"Tsk, tsk. Got careless," Chen Chen clicked his tongue.
Now, Chen Chen possessed the ability to easily counter this level of "passive Astral Projection." In theory, he could return to his body with just a thought.
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