Chapter 32: We Agreed You’d Survive for Three Hours—How Did You Clear It in Two Minutes?

Lin Yi descended from the heights.

He paid no mind to the group of Tianshui Academy professionals who were so traumatized by the intense heat and violent shock that they had lost their wits or even fallen unconscious. Instead, he flew toward the southern corner of what was once Phelikain.

There, he scooped up a middle-aged man who had been surrounded by shadow demons and was severely injured and exhausted.

Lin Yi had no fondness for the arrogant, nose-in-the-air lot from Tianshui Academy, and he certainly wasn't about to let his "saintly heart" get the better of him by bailing them out. He had already shown mercy; whether they managed to walk out of this dungeon was none of his concern.

The only reason Lin Yi had bothered to rescue this middle-aged man was because, with the help of his "All-Seeing Eye," he had read the man's name: Jiang Chen.

With the surname Jiang, combined with what Jiang Ya had mentioned earlier, it wasn't hard for Lin Yi to guess that this must be the "Second Uncle" who had risked his life to buy Jiang Ya and the others a chance to escape.

Between the classmate connection of Jiang Ya sending him various items and the intention of Jiang Xuan to offer him a "backdoor" opportunity, rescuing the man was a simple task. So, Lin Yi acted.

[Ding! Congratulations, you have completed the trial dungeon: The City of Fading Light, Phelikain!]
[You have earned a new title: Abyss Challenger!]
[You have completed the hidden ending of this trial dungeon by slaying the high-difficulty boss, Shadow Demon Spider. Your title has been upgraded!]
[You have earned a new title: Abyss Conqueror!]
[Special Trial Dungeon: The darkness of The City of Fading Light, Phelikain, has been thoroughly purged, and the city has completely dissolved. The internal structure of the dungeon has ceased to exist.]
[Effective immediately, this special trial dungeon is permanently removed from the Blue Star and the Abyss World!]

Lin Yi paused.

"Holy cow, permanently removed?"

This meant the dungeon was gone for good. It would never appear again. Damn, he had actually managed to "play" the dungeon into non-existence.

Perhaps because the dungeon no longer existed, Lin Yi was teleported out immediately. His vision blurred, and when he opened his eyes again, he was back on the lush, green pastures outside Jiang City. The weather was pleasant and the scenery was beautiful—a far more comfortable sight than the hellish landscape of the dungeon.

Seeing the dungeon's light curtain flicker, Lin Yi appeared, carrying Jiang Ya’s second uncle.

Everyone guarding the entrance was shocked. It had been less than three minutes since Lin Yi entered the trial—to be precise, a little over two minutes!

How was he out so fast? Wait, who was he carrying? He looked vaguely familiar!

Perhaps because Jiang Chen was so severely injured—his clothes torn and his face a bloody mess—Jiang Xuan didn't recognize his own second son at first. But Jiang Ya let out a shriek: "Second Uncle!"

Only then did Jiang Xuan realize that Lin Yi had actually saved him. The group rushed over instantly. Zuo Qian, however, was more concerned about whether Lin Yi had been hurt.

"Lin Yi, you scared me to death!"

"How could you be so reckless, entering the dungeon all by yourself! Are you hurt?"

Lin Yi replied, "I'm fine, but I can't say the same for him." He pointed to Jiang Chen, whom he had laid on the ground.

Jiang Xuan hurriedly checked for a pulse. His face lit up. "He’s still breathing! He’s alive! Priests, healers, come quickly!"

As the nominal leader of Jiang City, Jiang Xuan’s command carried weight. A team of official medics in white coats rushed over to assess Jiang Chen’s injuries.

"Thank you!" Jiang Ya, learning that her uncle was severely injured but alive, cried tears of relief. She wiped her eyes and thanked Lin Yi.

"It’s not easy to hear those two words from you. I haven't heard them in three years," Lin Yi teased.

Over the past three years, Jiang Ya had maintained the image of a cold campus goddess; she would never have smiled at Lin Yi, let alone offered him thanks. Jiang Ya stomped her foot, seemingly annoyed that Lin Yi would tease her in front of her family.

After settling his son, Jiang Xuan also came over to express his gratitude. "I thought your entry into the dungeon was an act of recklessness, but I didn't expect it was to save a life. I truly don't know how our Jiang family can ever repay such a debt..."

Lin Yi blinked. "No, sir. I think you've misunderstood. I just went in to clear the dungeon, saving him was just a side mission..."

"Must have been pure luck. The map of The City of Fading Light is so huge, to think he just happened to spawn next to the wounded man," a bystander from Tianshui Academy muttered. "He was in and out in three minutes. He must have used a forced escape scroll. Lucky for him..."

The Tianshui Academy onlookers were shocked that Lin Yi had rescued someone, but their tongues remained sharp. The possibility that Lin Yi had actually cleared the dungeon never crossed their minds. It was impossible! The requirement was to survive for three hours! Coming out early meant failure—wasn't that obvious?

"It's good you're okay. You'll have another chance to get Abyss qualifications in the future," Zuo Qian comforted him.

Lin Yi was speechless. Their ability to fabricate their own reality was truly impressive. But he didn't need to explain.

The next moment, a notification echoed throughout the entire area, leaving everyone stunned.

[Dungeon Completion Announcement!]
[Congratulations to professional: Lin Yi for clearing the special trial dungeon: The City of Fading Light, Phelikain!]
[Completion Time: 0 hours, 2 minutes, 42 seconds!]
[Completion Grade: S!]
[This record has surpassed the best completion time for this dungeon and will be permanently inscribed on the Global Blue Star Dungeon Record Board, available for viewing at any time!]

Everyone was stunned. The bustling crowd at the entrance fell completely silent. They stared at Lin Yi as if he were a monster!

Jiang Xuan, a fourth-turn grand magus, felt the white beard on his chin tremble. *He cleared it?* Lin Yi hadn't gone in to save someone; he had actually gone in to clear the dungeon?

Zuo Qian, the principal of the Second High School, felt his brain completely short-circuit. He knew the kid had potential, but he didn't realize he was *this* capable! He hadn't just cleared it; he had broken the global record for this special trial!

The announcement couldn't be faked. The Will of the Blue Star was testifying on Lin Yi’s behalf!

The bespectacled man from Tianshui Academy, who had been calm and cold until now, finally lost his composure. He took a deep breath. How had this ordinary-looking boy, who seemed to have nothing going for him other than his looks, suddenly become so terrifying?

As one of the ten sixth-turn faculty mentors of Tianshui Academy, he knew the dungeon well. It was unique because it had a strict time limit. For over 130 years, the record had been held by the very first person to clear it.

The previous best record was—three hours!