Chapter 276: Chapter 174 Climbing and Confrontation, This Mountain is Alive!_2
“Ying Shao, Qin Shi’s current combat power exceeds the scores assessed by both the Education Departnt and the Ying family.”
Zhou Shu didn’t know what he had experienced, but it seed like he was hiding sowhere, speaking in a low voice.
“Nanhuang Daoist School is, after all, a renowned Old Martial Sect in Dongxia. It’s not surprising that the kid is powerful in real combat, considering he’s on the Limit-Breaking Road. Don’t worry, with Zhou Yuanchen as an obstacle, he won’t get past.”
Ying Lin looked up at the ceiling, spreading his hands on the back of the sofa, speaking softly:
“Find a way to contact Zhou Yuanchen and pass him a ssage. If Qin Shi ets an untily end in the Trial Land of the Great Rift Valley, I am willing to be his guarantor and recomnd him to a Hai Province consortium to obtain permanent residency and Level 6 Citizenship.”
Zhou Shu seed very troubled and spoke up:
“The electronic blockade of the Great Rift Valley is extrely strong, and it’s a high-pollution area. It’s practically impossible to communicate from the outside.”
Ying Lin’s face turned cold, his attitude resolute:
“Is that sothing I need to worry about? You people in the Education Departnt have gotten used to being lazy, treating like those incompetent, ignorant folks who have to bend and bow to you? If a disciple of Nanhuang Daoist School makes it to the top 100, they would undoubtedly be on the selection list for the Star Cup Youth Division without the need for further trials.
If he gets his hands on what He Lanchan left behind, not even Director Mo or his son Mo Zhenting can stop the ensuing upheaval in Dongxia! The Ying family has made many sacrifices for the bigger picture over the years. My second brother, Ying Qi, was a direct descendant and the primary heir, yet he died in vain!”
Zhou Shu swallowed hard, looking like he was being given an unreasonable workload, showing an expression of constipation-like discomfort. He wanted to say sothing, but was t only with the sound of a busy signal.
“Damn it!”
Zhou Shu, as a representative of the Education Departnt, cursed loudly from thousands of miles away.
He got up from the toilet without expression, pushed open the door, and saw Fang Butang’s smiling old face:
“Old Zhou, you spent a long ti in there. Is your health failing? I know an old Chinese doctor I can recomnd for you to see.”
Zhou Shu felt like he was being haunted by a wraith. He couldn’t shake off Fang Butang wherever he went, like a relentless adhesive.
He clenched his fists silently, feeling for the first ti as a civil servant the urge to resort to violence.
…
…
“I’m only second.”
Qin Shi withdrew his gaze as the rankings and nas were displayed in the form of fireworks.
He observed for a while and saw that he was ranked second, with Hamr Brother Yan Ren making it into the top fifteen by grinding monsters for points.
Pei Han, who had shown goodwill before the competition, was in fourth place, while Ji Yuqi, ntioned in Qiguang Heng University’s Virtual Combat Room, was third.
“It appears that the alien beings in the core area are indeed strong. Otherwise, the strongest batch of contestants placed in the core area should be actively hunting to earn points and boost their ranks.”
Qin Shi concluded that if not for killing that Boss-level Rust Beast in its Evolution Stage, he would only be at the edge of the top ten.
“Supermodel Bro, try to take down Zhou Yuanchen! I support you as the contender for the top 100 in Heng Province!”
Yan Ren’s skin was blood-red, as if drenched in paint, making his usually hearty smile look nacing.
“Let’s first get past that protective barrier in the middle region. According to the handbook, it’s nearly a kiloter long, covered by a dense forest of giant mushrooms, which is quite dangerous.”
Qin Shi rested on the spot, absorbing energy from red crystals until the sun began to set, then set off with Yan Ren toward their destination.
In contrast to the barren outer region, the middle region near the core was lush with vegetation, with so mushrooms having diaters of thirty centiters, spreading out like giant umbrellas.
“Supermodel Bro, this place looks eerie. Could it be poisonous?”
Yan Ren asked in a low voice, shrinking his neck.
“Weak toxicity, affecting the nerves, no direct harm.”
Qin Shi replied flatly.
The mushrooms’ surfaces were covered in phosphorescent spots, and when touched, the mushroom caps would swell and release a fragrant odor. The silvery white stalks could secrete hallucinogenic spores, creating a foggy mist.
“Holding your breath is pointless. The weakly toxic odor can seep through your skin. This barrier of ‘Illusion Mushrooms’ tests your Spiritual Power. If it’s not strong enough, you’ll be easily affected.”
Qin Shi walked in front, diffusing his Spiritual Power like a “Domain”, preventing the blue-purple odor from the mushrooms from approaching.
But Yan Ren couldn’t handle it; his eyes turned red, and he continuously sniffled and cried, unable to stop.
“I must confess! I did wrong! I shouldn’t have…”
Qin Shi sighed inwardly. The mushrooms’ caps, covered in fine hairs, were said to capture emotional fluctuations.
Hamr Brother Yan Ren indeed got hit. Even though he was holding his breath, he couldn’t stop his pores from exchanging with the outside air.
“My biggest regret, the most guilt-ridden thing I did, is that I don’t smoke, but I often took lighters from seniors, and they fought over it without ever suspecting !”
Yan Ren confessed tearfully as he walked briskly, already under the hallucinogenic effect, imrsed in that peculiar emotion.
“And! So uncles insisted on taking to a club, and after I left, they all stayed for extra ti. I almost couldn’t hold back from reporting them…”
Qin Shi’s mouth twitched. He hadn’t expected Hamr Brother Yan Ren, with his honest appearance, to have done so many sneaky, despicable things!
They barely made it through the protective barrier. Yan Ren’s eyes were swollen from crying, his throat hoarse, and his tears nearly dried up.
The most important part was, he had confessed all the “regretful things” he had done since childhood.
Luckily, it was only Qin Shi who knew, or it would have been a social death on the spot.
“I’m exhausted from crying. It’s more tiring than fighting.”
Yan Ren panted heavily, lips parched, like a dying dog.
“So this is the core area? Our trial point should be that Bronze Demon Mountain!”
Qin Shi, using his extre vision, barely made out the shape of the towering object.
“Right. I think Zhou Yuanchen, Ji Yuqi, and Pei Han are all on it. Once we cross this mountain, we’ll reach the final point of the Great Rift Valley.”
Yan Ren looked forward with anticipation. He was quite self-aware, knowing that with his body, cultivated through the Primitive Refining Technique, and the Warhamr made by a Master from the Artisan Association, reaching the core area was about his limit. Progress beyond that seed unlikely.
…
…
Plop!
Bean-sized sweat droplets fell on the bronze steps, shattering to pieces!
Zhou Yuanchen’s body trembled, enduring imnse pressure. Every muscle fiber was trembling, extracting and unleashing an overwhelming Life Force.
His chest heaved like a bellows, exhaling hot air, emanating thick clouds of steam. His Mortal Body, which nearly reached the Specialized Level’s hundred-point mark, produced a “crackling” sound.
“This Bronze Mountain is indeed saturated with demonic energy! Climbing and fighting against it simultaneously is truly challenging!”
Zhou Yuanchen paused on a step, looking back at Ji Yuqi, who was behind by over ten steps, and Pei Han, who was catching up.
“I can’t go any further. If I use too much energy, the demonic energy might infiltrate and transform into…”
Zhou Yuanchen’s eyes flickered as he looked up at the bronze statues ahead on the steps.
This Bronze Demon Mountain would “assimilate” every climber. If their Life Force wasn’t strong enough, the demonic energy would erode their flesh, turning them into tallic figures.
“This mountain tests the contestant’s Life Force activity! And their control and understanding of their own strengths! Over-exerting oneself will lead to vulnerability!”
With this in mind, Zhou Yuanchen stopped climbing, quietly recovering his strength on the step.
He had only reached the three-hundredth step but already felt the intense demonic energy, with visions of terrifying figures wearing Bronze Armor with elephant heads and human bodies.
Battle cries and roars bombarded his Spirit, as if dragging everyone back to the ancient battlefields of Heng Province’s Great Expansion period!
“This mountain is alive!”
Behind Zhou Yuanchen, Ji Yuqi felt a chill in his heart, pondering whether to continue climbing.
He noticed that his palm was already showing signs of a greenish rust-like glow.
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