Lin Ning's words startled everyone.
Luffy's eyes widened, and he looked at Lin Ning with a puzzled expression, scratching his straw hat as he asked,
"Lin Ning, are you going to choose one of the trial entrances?"
No sooner had he spoken than—
"You idiot!!" Nami's fist slammed hard on Luffy's head as she roared,
"Of course not! Didn't you hear Lin Ning say he's 'not choosing any' and wants to forge a new path?"
Luffy was knocked to the ground by Nami's punch, clutching his head and wailing, "Ow, ow, ow... so that's what he meant!"
Zoro crossed his arms, a slight smile playing on his lips, and a glint of excitement in his eyes. "Heh... looks like Lin Ning is about to make a move."
Lin Ning slowly walked to the front of the Buddha statue, a sharp light flickering in his eyes.
He didn't look at Luffy but gazed into the distance, his tone calm yet carrying an unquestionable authority.
"Luffy, our current strength no longer requires us to follow the rules."
"So-called rules are for binding the weak."
"But the strong can make rules, and even trample on them."
Lin Ning's voice was deep and powerful, like a sharp sword piercing into everyone's hearts.
Luffy listened to Lin Ning's serious words, scratched his head, and seemed to ponder for a moment.
Then he nodded heavily, a look of sudden understanding on his face.
"Then we'll make a rule that choosing this trial means victory!"
As he spoke, Luffy pointed at the entrance to the 'Trial of the Ball' not far away, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.
Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Nami, Chopper, Robin: ..."That's not how you understand it!!!"
Everyone roared at Luffy in unison, their heads immediately filled with fury.
Usopp, looking desperate, clutched his head and wailed loudly:
"I thought Luffy would actually understand this time! But he's still that idiot after all!"
Nami clenched her fist, veins bulging, and shouted in exasperation:
"He understands nothing! Luffy, can't you use your brain at all!!"
Lin Ning's mouth twitched slightly, and he silently sighed in his heart.
Sure enough, saying these things to Luffy was like casting pearls before swine.
"Simply put—" Lin Ning simply switched to the most straightforward explanation,
"The four so-called 'priests' behind the mountain are too weak; we disdain to choose their simple trials."
"How can the weak give 'trials' to the strong?"
Lin Ning spoke, his gaze indifferently sweeping over the entrances of the four trial tunnels on the mountain wall, a hint of disdain curving his lips.
"Do you understand?"
Luffy was stunned for a moment, then he suddenly clenched his fist, a look of excited joy on his face.
"Oh—so that's what it means!!"
Zoro sighed helplessly, rubbing his forehead: "He's only just realizing it now..."
Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke and shrugged helplessly,
"Well... even though he's slow to react, he eventually understood."
Robin looked at Lin Ning, a slight smile playing on her lips. "That's quite an overbearing declaration..."
Usopp and Chopper, however, remained stunned, mentally complaining wildly:
"Why are you all so calm?! This is a god's trial! You're actually going to ignore it?!"
Luffy pouted and said with some dissatisfaction:
"So these 'trials' were made by those four guys behind the mountain! You should have said so earlier!"
Luffy and the others had detected them with Observation Haki when they first stepped onto this land.
After speaking, he even deliberately mumbled, standing with his hands on his hips like a sulking child, his mouth pouting high.
"You made me get excited for nothing; I thought it was going to be some incredible adventure!"
Zoro shot him an exasperated glance. "Hey, you idiot Captain, can you focus on the important parts?"
Robin chuckled softly, a hint of amusement in her eyes, and said,
"In other words, those four people are the masters corresponding to these four trials."
Nami crossed her arms and asked curiously,
"The title 'priest'... what does that mean?"
Lin Ning casually planted his halberd into the ground, a disdainful curve on his lips, and slowly said,
"I learned from Conis's memories that those four are the 'Four Great Priests' under Eneru, the God of Sky Island."
Chopper listened, his eyes wide with surprise, and exclaimed,
"Priests! They sound very powerful!"
Usopp clutched his head, looking as if he was about to wet himself, and stammered,
"Th-these are subordinates of a god! We're not going to fight the subordinates of a 'god,' are we?!"
However—
Lin Ning indifferently swept his gaze over the hidden Qi beyond the mountain.
A slight smirk played on his lips, and his tone was utterly contemptuous:
"To the residents of Sky Island, they might indeed be considered 'strong.'"
"But for us..."
"They're nothing but mere rabble."
Lin Ning's tone was light and breezy, but the arrogance and Haki in his words seemed to silence the entire air for a moment.
Zoro's lips curled slightly, his eyes gleaming with fervent Battle Intent. "Interesting, it's getting more and more interesting."
Sanji pulled out a lighter, lit a cigarette, and chuckled with narrowed eyes. "This guy sure talks big."
Nami and Usopp, however, were directly startled by Lin Ning's words, and Usopp shouted in shock:
"Hey, hey, hey! Can't you be a little more modest?!"
Nami also said with a speechless expression:
"'Mere rabble'? Those are subordinates of a god!!!"
Chopper, however, looked at Lin Ning with adoration, stars twinkling in his eyes, and excitedly shouted:
"So cool! Lin Ning!"
Lin Ning simply smiled faintly and slowly raised the halberd in his hand.
The air seemed to solidify at this moment.
Zoro immediately understood Lin Ning's meaning, a cold smirk on his lips, as he placed his hands on the hilt of his swords and said excitedly,
"I see... It seems our 'first mate' is about to make a move."
Lin Ning walked step by step to the front of the mountain, the halberd turning slightly.
The halberd blade pointed towards the mountain blocking their path, his eyes cold.
Usopp was suddenly startled, his face pale, as he frantically waved his hands and shouted loudly:
"Hey, hey, hey! Lin Ning! You're not planning to—"
"You're not planning to split this mountain, are you?!"
Nami was also scared, taking a step back, looking at Lin Ning with a shocked expression:
"Are you kidding?! When you split it, be careful not to hit me..."
Lin Ning smiled faintly, gripping the halberd, his voice resounding with power:
"The strong do not walk the trials opened by the weak."
"I will—forge our own Dao!!"
Boom!!!
Lin Ning gripped the halberd with both hands, his entire Aura surging wildly, rampant in all directions.
In an instant, the earth rumbled, the air solidified, and a storm erupted!
Lin Ning stomped his foot abruptly, and dozens of cracks instantly appeared on the ground.
He was like a God of War, carrying an unstoppable might.
Holding the halberd, he fiercely cleaved towards the mountain peak blocking everyone's path!
"Boom—!!!"
The moment the halberd blade fell, the entire world seemed to fall silent for an instant.
Immediately after—
"Crack—"
A terrifying slash, like thunder, crashed down, directly tearing apart the entire mountain peak with overwhelming force!!
"Boom—rumble rumble!!!"
Under Lin Ning's single blow, the entire mountain was... directly split in half!!!