The Metal Coffin remained silent for a while, Li Xiu slowly withdrew his gaze and looked at the table with the oil lamp.
It was a rectangular stone table, more like a ritual altar than a table.
The altar was very rough, carved from bluestone, seemingly barely polished, with dense patterns and uneven bumps on its surface.
At the center of the altar sat the Copper Oil Lamp. Its base was presumably made of brass, now covered in green copper rust; the mottled, aged color made it look as if it had endured countless years of wear.
The lamp oil was a black substance that seemed unusually thick, somewhat resembling crude oil, but emitted a peculiar fragrance.
The fragrance couldn't be described as pleasant; it even felt somewhat pungent, yet it certainly was a fragrance, not unbearable.
Suddenly, Li Xiu noticed another item beside the oil lamp, which he hadn't seen initially due to the darkness beneath the lamp and the sudden entry into such a dark environment, causing his eyes to still be adjusting.
Upon closer inspection, he found it was an extraordinarily strange handgun.
It was of a revolver style, with a longer and thicker barrel than a regular revolver. The entire gun body was a matte gray-white, lacking metallic sheen, appearing as though it wasn't metal, yet uncertain.
The gunstock, barrel, cylinder, and even the firing pin bore some blood-red patterns.
The patterns were highly irregular, lacking the symmetry that humans prefer, resembling tiny blood vessels spread across the gun body.
This bizarre handgun was larger than a typical handgun, yet did not feel cumbersome; instead, it had an eerie aesthetic, akin to a dark-themed artwork crafted by an artist with psychological issues.
It possessed the beauty of an art piece, yet also evoked a chilling sense of terror.
Beyond that, there was nothing else on the stone table. Li Xiu hesitated briefly and reached for the strange handgun.
The blood-red eyes on the Metal Coffin suddenly opened again, glaring coldly at Li Xiu; yet this time, Li Xiu did not feel the binding strength.
Li Xiu had no idea where this place was, nor any hints; he was forced to rely on his instincts for judgment.
This gun might indeed be the key.
Gazing at those blood-red eyes, his fingers gradually touched the gunstock, the icy sensation causing Li Xiu to shiver involuntarily.
It seemed as though Li Xiu wasn't touching a handgun but something carved from ice.
At the instant Li Xiu touched the handgun, the pupils of those blood-red eyes significantly contracted.
This reaction further confirmed Li Xiu's suspicion; he reached out to grasp the grip, aiming to pick up the handgun.
Yet in the next second, Li Xiu's expression changed.
The handgun seemed nailed to the table; Li Xiu found he couldn't lift it, not even budge it.
Li Xiu frowned slightly, ignoring the cold emanating from his hand, attempting with all his strength to lift the handgun.
The result surprised Li Xiu; despite his full strength, the handgun remained unmovable, which led him to suspect it was truly fixed to the stone table.
In those blood-red eyes, a look of mockery appeared. Though silent, it made Li Xiu feel as though it was saying: "That's all..."
Li Xiu felt his hand nearly numbed from the cold; he withdrew his hand to blow warm air onto it, finally regaining sensation after a while.
Meanwhile, Li Xiu kept observing the handgun to see if there was anything fixing it to the stone table.
Without hesitation, Li Xiu used both hands to quickly grasp the handgun, attempting to lift it with combined force.
The result remained unchanged; Li Xiu failed to lift the handgun, just barely moved it.
Li Xiu continued exerting force with both hands, veins bulging on his forehead, yet still couldn't lift the handgun, only shifting its position slightly.
This truly astonished Li Xiu; he released the gun and wiped his nearly numb hands, silently marveling: "This bizarre handgun isn't fixed on the stone table; it's just too heavy, which prevents me from lifting it. Yet it's just a handgun, even if larger than usual, it shouldn't weigh much; why is it so heavy, and why so cold—can it really be used by humans?"
The blood-red eyes had lost their previous intimidating gaze, now filled with mockery.
Li Xiu knew that with his strength, no matter how he tried, he couldn't lift the handgun.
As he pondered other methods, he suddenly perceived a shift in light before him; when the view stabilized, he found himself in front of the Blue Stone Gate.
Immediately, two armed soldiers charged forward; one pointed a gun at Li Xiu's head while another frisked him, taking all the Demon Cores Li Xiu had obtained.
Li Xiu wasn't concerned with these things, letting the soldiers take all the Demon Cores.
"Not bad, obtaining so many Demon Cores on your first entry into the Trial Gate; I suppose you've been to other Trial Gates before." Old Gu looked at the Demon Cores brought by the soldiers, casually tossed them into a box, and smiled at Li Xiu.
Li Xiu didn't respond to Old Gu; the bizarre handgun and the Demon Spirit inside the Metal Coffin occupied his thoughts.
It was a powerful Demon Spirit unlike any he'd seen before; such a spirit, if it appeared on Earth, would surely bring unimaginable disaster, and Li Xiu wasn't confident whether the Magic Armor Master could eliminate it.
The peculiar handgun intrigued him further—what on earth was it?
"Is it for such things that you risk life and death, entering the Trial Gate repeatedly without regrets?" Li Xiu mused internally.
With the trial concluded, about eighty of the hundred-plus participants remained; under the soldiers' orders, they returned to the narrow, damp room.
Li Xiu wasn't returned to his original room but led to another.
This room was far better than the previous one; in such a place, it could even be considered luxurious. It was not only spacious but simply decorated, with moisture-proof flooring.
One wall bore a wine cabinet stocked with wine.
"According to the contract, you're allowed to leave now, but there's a problem—the exit path has been collapsed by Demon Spirits, so you must stay a while until rescue clears the way," Old Gu said, seated behind the wide desk, leafing through a contract, smiling. "Of course, your debt is settled; your treatment differs from others. I'll arrange a private room for you, providing comfort with catered meals, but..."
"You still want me to enter the Trial Gate, right?" Li Xiu looked at Old Gu's duplicitous expression calmly.
"The situation outside is unclear; until rescue arrives, there's no saying whether the Demon Spirits might break in. Should they breach, the Magic Armor Master is our sole survival guarantee. Gather more Demon Cores for them to ensure they have ample energy for battle. You aren't entering the Trial Gate for me or anyone, but for yourself," Old Gu earnestly argued.
"Understood. No need to switch rooms or have special care; I'll return to my original room," Li Xiu said, glancing at Old Gu, maintaining his composure.