Chapter 195: Claiming the Top Spot! Federal General Tournament! One-Hundred-Person Massive Melee!
The countdown flashed by in an instant.
The prompt tone rang through the entire instance dungeon as scheduled, carrying an unquestionable, icy majesty.
The fifth round of assessment officially begins!
Before the prompt tone could dissipate, the martial arts arena where Jiang Yuan was located was completely shrouded by a black Demonic Qi several times denser than in the fourth round. A foul, vicious aura soared straight into the clouds, almost suffocating people.
Several dazzling dark halos lit up simultaneously. Within the halos, Abyssal Demon Wolves with increasingly massive statures slowly appeared.
The number of Abyssal Demon Wolves was a full five!
As for their rank, it had shockingly reached Level 45!
Howl!
But just as the wolf howl rang across heaven and earth, Jiang Yuan took the initiative to strike without the slightest hesitation. Scarlet-golden firelight surged violently at his fingertips, and flame energy even more intense than the previous round gathered frantically. In the blink of an eye, five giant golden fireballs resembling blazing suns condensed and formed.
The fireballs were nearly ten meters in diameter, surrounded by violent blazing firelight. The golden light was so piercing that people could not keep their eyes open, and even the surrounding black Demonic Qi was quickly burned away and melted. The temperature in the air soared to the extreme, and the ground was baked until it became slightly hot.
The next instant.
Carrying earth-shattering might, the five blazing sun fireballs transformed into five streaks of golden lightning, precisely locking onto the heads of the five Abyssal Demon Wolves and instantly speeding away.
At this moment, the five Abyssal Demon Wolves had just finished howling, had not yet fully stretched their bodies, and hadn't even had time to lock onto Jiang Yuan's location before they were heavily struck by the golden fireballs.
Boom!
Five loud bangs violently stacked together, shaking the entire martial arts arena intensely. Huge pillars of fire soared into the sky, dyeing the entire sky golden.
The scarlet-golden flames raged wildly, forming a huge sea of fire that completely engulfed the figures of the five Abyssal Demon Wolves. Under the extreme high temperature of the blazing sun fireballs, their scales, as hard as profound iron, could not support themselves for even a second, instantly melting and shattering. The dark magic power was burned to ashes by the flames, emitting a harsh sizzling sound.
One-hit kill!
It was another undisputed one-hit kill!
The five Level 45 Peak second-transfer Abyssal Demon Wolves didn't even have time to let out a scream before their bodies quickly dissolved in the sea of fire, leaving only wisps of black smoke and a rich burnt smell that dissipated into the air, as if they had never appeared.
"Congratulations to candidate Jiang Yuan for successfully clearing the fifth round, taking 1 second."
The System prompt sounded on time, maintaining that shocking 1-second completion time.
The moment the sky leaderboard refreshed synchronously, the candidates inside the entire instance dungeon, as well as the spectator stands outside the instance, fell into a brief dead silence before erupting into an earth-shattering uproar!
Above the sky, Jiang Yuan's green border soared like a sharp sword, directly bypassing Yeli and Xiao Jingchen, and steadily stopping at the third-place position, second only to Zhao Hao, who firmly held the top spot, and Su Qingyuanin second place!
The results for the fifth round also gradually emerged.
First place was still Zhao Hao, but his time for the fifth round increased from 0.5 seconds in the previous round to 1 second.
This was the same kill record as Jiang Yuan.
As for Su Qingyuan, although she still occupied the top two positions on the overall leaderboard.
Her kill time for the fifth round was a full 3.5 seconds!
At this time, anyone could see that Jiang Yuan's momentum in rushing up the leaderboard was extremely fierce.
Even for Su Qingyuan, being surpassed was only a matter of time.
As for Zhao Hao, wanting to firmly secure the top spot probably wouldn't be easy.
After all, ever since the second round, Jiang Yuan had maintained a 1-second kill record.
As for the others, their kill times continuously increased as the monsters' strength grew.
This proved that there was a certain gap in strength between the two sides.
Overall.
Zhao Hao was able to maintain a 1-second kill record in this round because he achieved it by trying with all his might.
One second was the upper limit of Zhao Hao's kill record.
However, this was not Jiang Yuan's upper limit.
At this moment, just as everyone's shock and surprise had not yet completely dissipated.
Jiang Yuan did not have the slightest time to catch his breath and directly initiated the sixth round of assessment.
Instead of waiting sixty seconds like before to enter the next round.
This move could completely widen the gap between top candidates and ordinary candidates.
Awooo!
Six Level 50 demon wolves roared simultaneously, their dark magic power surging wildly and transforming into streaks of black blade light that sped toward Jiang Yuanwith astonishing momentum.
Yet Jiang Yuan's expression remained calm without a shred of panic. The scarlet-golden firelight at his fingertips surged once more, and the flame energy gathered frantically. This time, without holding back in the slightest, he instantly erupted with a full six scarlet-gold fireballs.
The fireballs were more condensed and their light more dazzling than the blazing sun fireballs of the fifth round. Surrounded by firelight, they resembled scarlet-golden flame blades, and both their speed and power were greatly enhanced.
Boom!
Six loud bangs erupted one after another, shaking the entire instance slightly. Six huge pillars of fire soared into the sky, and the scarlet-golden flames raged wildly, completely submerging the figures of the six Level 50 demon wolves.
Even though the scale defense of the Level 50 Abyssal Demon Wolves broke through their limits, under the extreme high temperature and precise heavy strikes of Jiang Yuan's scarlet-gold fireballs, they were still vulnerable. The soft armor on their abdomens shattered instantly, and the demon wolves let out shrill screams. However, the screams were quickly swallowed by the flames, and their bodies rapidly dissolved in the sea of fire, ultimately turning into wisps of black smoke that dissipated into the air.
"Congratulations to candidate Jiang Yuan for successfully clearing the sixth round, taking 1 second."
The moment the System prompt sounded, the sky leaderboard refreshed once again.
This time, after a brief silence, the candidates inside the entire instance and the high-level powerhouses on the spectator stands completely boiled over the next instant. The sound of uproar echoed across heaven and earth, more intense than any previous time!
Above the sky, Jiang Yuan's green border soared once more, directly surpassing Su Qingyuan in second place and steadily stopping at the second-place position of the overall leaderboard!
As for Jiang Yuan's sixth-round kill score, it was still one second.
It was only several seconds later that the scores of other candidates gradually emerged.
What was even more shocking was not Jiang Yuan's soaring rank, but his single-round kill time!
Jiang Yuan still maintained a stable record of 1 second.
Zhao Hao, who was currently ranked first, possessed a Mythical rank Class Holder, and had attracted much attention before the competition, had a sixth-round kill score of shockingly three seconds!
That was a full two seconds more than Jiang Yuan!
This was the first time Jiang Yuan led Zhao Hao, who possessed a Mythic-grade Profession, in a single-round kill record!
This change exploded like a thunderclap in everyone's hearts, stirring up a huge commotion.
As for top Legendary-grade Class Holders like Su Qingyuan and Xiao Jingchen, their kill times all exceeded ten seconds.
At the very beginning, the monsters' strength was not strong, and the gap between candidates was not obvious.
But as the monsters' strength increased, the gap became apparent, and it was clear at a glance who was strong and who was weak.
After all, strength ultimately could not fool anyone.
At this point, everyone knew that this was not just a simple lead in kill time, but a signal that Jiang Yuan had completed an overtaking on a bend!
From initial 'obscurity' all the way to counterattacking to second place on the overall leaderboard, and from trailing in kill time to leading for the first time.
This second-transfer Elite-grade Profession candidate from Shanhai City used his strength to shatter everyone's perceptions time and time again, stunning the entire audience again and again.
The most terrifying thing was not this lead, but the trend comparison of the two people's kill times.
Zhao Hao's kill time climbed all the way from 0.1 seconds in the first round to 3 seconds in the sixth round.
As the monsters' strength continuously increased, his instant-kill efficiency became lower and lower, and his own consumption also grew larger and larger. He even had to use some powerful skills with longer cooldowns, and he was already finding it difficult to maintain his initial Peakstate.
As for Jiang Yuan, starting from the second round, no matter how the monsters' rank or quantity increased, and no matter how the difficulty soared, he cast the Fireball Spell just like always, with only the quantity increasing alongside the number of monsters, without feeling the slightest bit of pressure.
Most importantly, his kill time always remained stable at 1 second without the slightest fluctuation, as if the monsters growing stronger had zero impact on him.
This stability and this terrifying control over combat power were more daunting than any ultimate speed, and they also made everyone realize something.
Jiang Yuan's strength was far more terrifying than what was displayed on the surface.
The gap between him and Zhao Hao was shrinking at a speed visible to the naked eye, and he had completed a trend reversal.
Perhaps before long, he would completely surpass Zhao Hao in rank, claim the top spot of the overall leaderboard, and rewrite the pattern of this assessment.
"This is simply a miracle!"
"In the history of the Federation, a new history is probably going to be created!"
"In all my years as a Class Holder, I have never thought that there would actually be someone in this world who relied on an Elite-grade Profession to break into the top ten of the leaderboard, and was even about to claim the top spot!"
On the spectator stands outside the instance, a group of high-level powerhouses headed by Vice City Lord of Nanjiang Lin Zhenbang couldn't help but sigh repeatedly.
Even with their identities as high-level officials of Nanjiang, heads of powerful families, and Advanced Class Holders who had lived for at least a century and could be considered well-informed, they had never witnessed a top prodigy like Jiang Yuan who exceeded everyone's expectations!
Clearly, what he had just awakened was merely a CommonMage profession, and his second Class Advancement was only an Elite-grade Profession.
Yet why was his combat power so astonishingly strong?
He could actually surpass a host of Legendary-gradeprodigies, and even nearly step underfoot a one-in-a-hundred-million Mythical Rank Professionals.
At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on the surveillance screen broadcasting Jiang Yuan's assessment footage in real-time.
As for Zhao Hao on the other screen beside it, not many people paid attention to him.
Looking at the surveillance screen.
The youth's figure stood proudly, surrounded by scarlet-golden flames, faintly revealing Jiang Yuan's handsome and resolute face.
Meanwhile, in the martial arts arena centered around Jiang Yuan, space had already twisted into a black vortex. Seven strands of black Demonic Qi, several times more violent than in the sixth round, soared into the sky, instantly condensing into a dense dark Domain that completely shrouded the entire martial arts arena.
Inside the Domain, there was no light at all, and the temperature plummeted. The violent dark magic power frantically eroded Jiang Yuan's surroundings, attempting to suppress his flame energy and prevent him from casting skills normally.
Seven pitch-black halos lit up in the Domain, and seven Abyssal Demon Wolves with statures exceeding five meters slowly appeared.
They were thicker and sturdier than the Level 50 demon wolves. Their scales were as dark as ink, emitting an eerie dim light. The dark magic blades at the tips of their tails had become sharper, their eyes were as crimson as blood, and materialized dark airflow swirled around their bodies. Every step they took caused the dark Domain to vibrate violently, and tiny dark cracks spread accordingly.
The seven demon wolves roared simultaneously, causing the dark Domain to boil instantly. Countless black shockwaves sped toward Jiang Yuan, and wherever they passed, the air was torn apart, emitting a harsh piercing sound.
At the same time, the seven demon wolves formed an encirclement and rapidly closed in on Jiang Yuan. As their wolf claws waved, dark magic power condensed into sharp claw radiance, sealing off all of Jiang Yuan's retreats.
Yet Jiang Yuan's expression remained calm, completely unaffected by the suppression of the dark Domain!
The scarlet-golden firelight at his fingertips surged wildly once more, and the flame energy surged frantically, instantly breaking through the erosion of the dark magic power to form a scorching flame barrier around his body. Blocking all the incoming dark shockwaves on the outside amidst a sizzling sound, the dark shockwaves were completely burned to ashes by the flames.
Without the slightest hesitation, with a movement of Jiang Yuan's mind, seven scarlet-gold fireballs, more condensed and dazzling than in the sixth round, instantly condensed and formed!
This time, the fireballs were not only surrounded by flame blades, but also wrapped in a faint layer of golden flame light, far exceeding previous powers.
The fireballs were also over ten meters in diameter. Their scorching light penetrated the dark Domain, resembling seven falling blazing suns in the pitch-black space, dazzling and eye-catching.
Boom!
Seven loud bangs erupted one after another. The flames broke through the raging black Demonic Qi, and everything rapidly dissolved in the sea of fire.
"Congratulations to candidate Jiang Yuan for successfully clearing the seventh round, taking 1 second."
The moment the System prompt sounded, it was as if the entire world had completely fallen into dead silence!
A death-like silence. Everyone froze in place, their eyes locked tightly on the sky leaderboard, their faces filled with extreme shock and disbelief, and even their breathing stagnated.
Until several breaths later, the earth-shattering sound of uproar resounded across heaven and earth once again, more intense and shocking than any time before!
Cheers, praises, and exclamations merged into one piece, as if wanting to overturn the entire sky!
Inside the instance, Jiang Yuan's gaze was calm, and he didn't even spare a glance at those instantly killed Abyssal Demon Wolves.
He slowly raised his head, staring at the overall leaderboard rankings displayed on the sky.
Above the sky, Jiang Yuan's green border suddenly moved, soaring like a sharp sword.
It directly replaced Zhao Hao, who had firmly held the top spot for multiple rounds, and steadily stopped at the first-place position of the overall leaderboard!
At this moment, the scores for the seventh round on the leaderboard gradually emerged.
Following Jiang Yuan was Zhao Hao, who originally occupied first place.
In this round, Zhao Hao's kill time surged once more, climbing from 3 seconds to 11.2 seconds.
The black spear in his hand trembled slightly, its Spear Intent restrained. It was no longer as unbridled and domineering as before, nor did it possess its previous high-spirited vigor.
When he raised his head to look at the sky curtain, his entire body staggered back a few steps, a trace of blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth, and his face filled with exhaustion and unwillingness.
He had tried with all his might, even using his trump card.
Yet in the end, he was still surpassed by Jiang Yuan.
At this moment, Jiang Yuan, the second-transfer Elite-grade candidate from Shanhai City, relied on his stunning battle record of one-second instant kills across multiple rounds to counterattack all the way. From obscurity to reaching the summit of the overall leaderboard, he forcefully suppressed Zhao Hao who possessed a Mythic-grade Profession, crushed all the prodigies and monsters of Nanjiang Province, and created an unprecedented miracle in the history of the Federal Unified Examination!
The shock of all parties had already reached its Peak, and everyone's reactions were incomparably fierce.
"He reached the top! This brat actually reached the top!"
"A second-transfer Elite-grade Profession, forcefully suppressing all Nanjiang prodigies to reach the top of the Nanjiang Circuit leaderboard!"
"This is a miracle! This is definitely the greatest miracle in the history of Nanjiang Province, or even the entire Federal Unified Examination!"
Vice City Lord of Nanjiang Lin Zhenbang suddenly slammed the railing, trembling all over with excitement, his eyes locked tightly onto Jiang Yuan's name on the sky curtain, his tone full of wild joy and praise.
Don't look at Jiang Yuan as merely having an Elite-grade Profession; precisely because of this, it further proved Jiang Yuan's immense strength.
After all, if he was already this powerful when he only had an Elite-grade Profession, wouldn't his strength be even greater in the future after advancing to a Rare-grade, epic-grade, or even higher class?
In short, that meant Jiang Yuan still had huge room for growth and astonishing potential.
As for Zhao Hao, although he was already a Mythical rankClass Holder, his profession rank had already reached its upper limit.
Although the subsequent room for improvement was also very large.
However, it was definitely not as large as Jiang Yuan's.
Furthermore, every time Zhao Hao wanted to undergo Class Advancement again, it had to be another Mythical Grade profession.
Every Mythical Grade profession was an extremely precious resource.
Even for Nanjiang Academy, the Mythical Gradeprofessions it controlled were not many; using one meant one less.
Therefore, the resources consumed to cultivate Zhao Haowere extremely massive.
On the contrary, for Jiang Yuan, at least in his subsequent Class Advancements, he wouldn't need a quota for a Mythical Grade profession!
From the perspective of value and cost-effectiveness, Jiang Yuan was undoubtedly a cut above Zhao Hao.
There was also another point: Jiang Yuan's background was very simple, originating from a grassroots background.
Aside from having Flame God as a Master, he had no ties whatsoever with any other forces.
On the other hand, behind Zhao Hao stood a powerful and extremely dominant Clan.
"A Genius!"
"Truly a monstrous Genius unseen in a century or a millennium!"
"That Flame God is also a Divine Being, actually being able to cultivate such a disciple!"
"Looking at it this way, Flame God's strength is truly unfathomable!"
"And Jiang Yuan's future is boundless; he will definitely become the pride of Nanjiang and a top powerhouse of the Federation!"
Zhou Mingyuan, deputy director of the education department of Nanjiang Province, stood up with a face full of excited smiles, the admiration in the depths of his eyes hard to conceal.
"One second?"
"How is this possible?"
"Why is the power of his Fireball Spell so strong?"
Vice President of the Professional Guild Zhao Tianlei's expression changed drastically, his body trembling slightly, his tone filled with unwillingness and disbelief.
But even more so, it was powerlessness.
He had originally thought that the Zhao Clan producing Zhao Hao, a Mythical rank Class Holder with the Dark Moon Spear God, would definitely be able to dominate the top of the rankings and strongly seize first place in the Nanjiang Circuit.
Even before the competition, he had roughly figured out the strength of other outstanding candidates.
Almost no one could threaten Zhao Hao's existence.
Therefore, Vice President of the Professional Guild Zhao Tianlei had always thought that Zhao Hao was the number one Genius of Nanjiang, the future hope of the Zhao Clan, and would definitely be able to lead the Clan to a higher level.
But he never expected that Zhao Hao would be surpassed by a Common candidate from a small base city, and lose so thoroughly.
This was not only Zhao Hao's disgrace, but also the disgrace of the entire Zhao Clan.
At this moment, the halo and honor that originally belonged to Zhao Hao were completely snatched away by Jiang Yuan.
At this time.
The other high-ranking powerhouses present also stood up one after another, their faces filled with excitement and admiration, and the sounds of discussion and cheers were endless.
"This child Jiang Yuan is the fortune of Nanjiang!"
"No matter what price must be paid, he must be kept in Nanjiang Academy and Nanjiang City!"
"That's right, not only Jiang Yuan, but even the Masterbehind him must be won over at all costs!"
"An Elite-grade Professional defeating a Mythical rankClass Holder, this is not a myth, yet better than a myth!"
Someone immediately expressed their stance on the spot that after the assessment ended, they would personally go to win over Jiang Yuan.
Some people began to figure out how to get on good terms with the Flame God, and utilize Jiang Yuan's potential to enhance the strength of their own forces.
Others marveled at Jiang Yuan's talent, sighing that the future of Nanjiang would surely usher in a new pattern due to Jiang Yuan's rise.
Inside the dungeon, the top Genius candidates completely fell into shock and despair.
Zhao Hao stood in the center of the martial arts arena, trembling all over, blood continuously overflowing from the corners of his mouth. The lightning at his fingertips had completely disappeared, and the Spear God Domainaround his body no longer existed.
He stared fixedly at Jiang Yuan's name on the sky canopy, his eyes full of disbelief, unwillingness, and despair, tears sliding down uncontrollably.
Since he was a child, he had always been a favored son of heaven, possessing a Mythical Grade profession and endless resources, and had never lost.
Yet this time, he lost to a candidate from a small base city.
Lost to an Elite-grade Professional he had once disdained.
This blow caused him to completely collapse.
"No! I haven't lost! It's impossible for me to lose!"
Zhao Hao roared out, his tone full of madness and unwillingness, "The top spot is mine! It's mine! I still have a chance!"
Although the match had only reached the seventh round, there was still an eighth round ahead, and even the Federal general competition.
However, in the face of absolute strength and results, his roar appeared so pale and powerless.
Even outside the dungeon, someone saw the hysterical Zhao Hao, but at this time no one paid attention to his madness.
Everyone was cheering for Jiang Yuan's ascent to the top.
Especially those powerful high-ranking powerhouses, they all knew that Zhao Hao had completely lost the top spot, and wanting to surpass Jiang Yuan was simply unrealistic.
Because they had watched the combat video between Zhao Hao and Jiang Yuan.
Zhao Hao had almost tried his best to get his current ranking, even using quite a few powerful trump cards.
On the contrary, Jiang Yuan had always maintained a posture of ease and composure, and they had no idea where Jiang Yuan's limit was.
The most important point.
The stronger Jiang Yuan's strength was, the better, because he could also represent the Nanjiang Circuit in the Federal Unified Examination finals to achieve even more outstanding results.
Therefore, to a certain extent, Jiang Yuan's honor was also the honor of Nanjiang Province.
At this time, inside the dungeon where Zhao Biao's team was located, they had just finished the monster kills of the fifth round.
When they saw that Jiang Yuan successfully rushed to the first place in the rankings, they couldn't help but fall into extreme ecstasy.
The few of them even forgot the pain on their bodies and the fatigue of the assessment.
Zhao Biao waved the staff in his hand, roaring out, his voice hoarse, yet filled with pride and ecstasy.
"He reached the top! Jiang Yuan reached the top!"
"My good brother has reached the top of the Federal Unified Examination rankings!"
Zhao Biao trembled all over with excitement, his face covered with tears and a smile: "Too awesome! Jiang Yuanis too awesome! Suppressing all Nanjiang Prodigies to become the top of the rankings, we are so proud! Following Jiang Yuan, we really weren't wrong!"
Lin Muxue in another dungeon stood in the center of the martial arts arena, her face full of pride and relief, tears sliding down uncontrollably, brilliant radiance welling up in the depths of her eyes, and a happy smile curling the corners of her mouth.
Her gaze was tightly locked onto Jiang Yuan's name on the sky canopy, as if she wanted to carve this figure deep into her heart.
"Jiang Yuan, you did it! You really did it!"
Lin Muxue murmured in a low voice, her tone full of pride and happiness, "I knew it, you have always been the most outstanding, and you would definitely let everyone see your strength. Climbing to the top of the rankings this time, you will definitely become the most dazzling star in Nanjiang City, and even the entire Federation!"
The spiritual energy around her body surged unconsciously, causing ripples to rise in space like dancing butterflies, as if celebrating for Jiang Yuan, offering the most sincere blessings to this youth who created a miracle.
The other members of the team also looked at Lin Muxueone after another, their faces full of envy and admiration.
They envied Lin Muxue for being able to have such a monstrous talent-level boyfriend and witnessing the rise of such a legend.
Only Si Muyuan froze in place, his eyes hollow, his face as pale as paper, having completely fallen into despair without even a trace of strength left to struggle.
He looked at Jiang Yuan's name on the sky canopy, looking at that high and aloof, radiant figure, and endless remorse and fear surged in his heart.
He regretted that he shouldn't have provoked Jiang Yuanback then, regretting that he shouldn't have underestimated this hidden Genius.
But now, whatever was said was too late.
He knew that for the rest of his life, he would live under Jiang Yuan's shadow, and never be able to lift his head.
Even if his Clan background was even more powerful than Jiang Yuan's.
So what if it was.
Jiang Yuan nowadays had already entered the vision of Nanjiang's upper echelons.
His future would definitely be a bright path.
Even Jiang Yuan's value was higher than Zhao Hao's.
By comparison, Si Muyuan was simply not worth mentioning.
Even the Si Clan could not offend Jiang Yuan because of Si Muyuan.
There were even quite a few people or forces who wished that Si Muyuan would act as the vanguard to provoke Jiang Yuan, and then they would take the opportunity to teach Si Muyuan or the Si Clan a lesson, thereby reaping Jiang Yuan's gratitude.
"Finally secured first place!"
Jiang Yuan stood in the center of the martial arts arena, raising his eyes slightly, his gaze falling onto the ranking list on the sky canopy.
Looking at that high and aloof first place belonging to himself.
There was not a trace of pride or impetuosity on his face, his expression remained calm and his gaze indifferent, as if reaching the top of the rankings was merely a trivial matter.
However, the assessment was not yet over.
There was still the last round, which was the eighth round of assessment.
And so far, not many candidates had successfully passed the seventh round of assessment, not even a hundred people.
Many candidates were still undergoing the fifth, sixth, or seventh round of assessment.
Regarding this, Jiang Yuan did not wait for other candidates to maintain a unified progress with them.
"The eighth round of assessment begins!"
As the voice fell.
On the martial arts arena, eight Abyssal Demon Wolveswith ranks as high as rank 60 abruptly emerged.
As for the rank, it was still only second-tier.
It was not third-tier!
If it were third-tier, I'm afraid few people would be able to successfully clear it.
However, even if it were just second-tier Abyssal Demon Wolves, the vast majority of candidates could not kill them.
After all, the Abyssal Demon Wolves were inherently abyss-corrupted creatures with extremely strong strength, their intensity equivalent to the existence of monster BOSSes.
Moreover, there were a full eight of them!
Quantitative change would form qualitative change.
For candidates, dealing with a single Abyssal Demon Wolf was extremely difficult, let alone eight!
However, for Jiang Yuan, whether it was the rank or the quantity, it was completely not a problem.
Rumble!
I saw that on the martial arts arena, it was as if the scenes of the previous few rounds of assessment were reproduced.
Accompanied by a burst of dazzling fiery flames soaring into the sky, the eight Abyssal Demon Wolves that had just emerged were instantly blasted into ashes.
One-hit kill!
Another suspense-free one-hit kill!
The eight rank 60 Abyssal Demon Wolves possessed terrifying defense and attack, as well as thick health bars comparable to BOSS-grade, yet in front of Jiang Yuan's scarlet-gold fireball, they were still vulnerable and were thoroughly one-shotted!
Jiang Yuan's name hung high at the top of the rankings without any suspense.
And until a full forty seconds later, the second-place Zhao Hao completed the clearance of the eighth round.
As for the others, their clearance time all exceeded one minute.
Even quite a few outstanding individual candidates or teams were killed by the Abyssal Demon Wolves, failing the clearance.
Until the assessment completely ended.
Above the sky canopy, Jiang Yuan's name was wrapped in a thick golden light, dazzling and eye-catching, far surpassing all other candidates, like the brightest star in the night sky, illuminating the entire dungeon and also illuminating the gazes of all the people of Nanjiang.
At this moment, Jiang Yuan, this youth from Shanhai City, used his strength to break all prejudices, and with stunning battle achievements, created a miracle of the Federal Unified Examination, reaching the top of the rankings and suppressing all the prodigies and evil spirits of Nanjiang Province, becoming the undisputed king in this Federal Unified Examination!
And his legendary path had just drawn a stunning comma in the Nanjiang Circuit.
The reason it wasn't a period.
Was because there was an even grander, more cruel, and more challenging Federal general competition assessment about to open.
"Assessment Notice: The Nanjiang Circuit assessment has successfully concluded!"
"This assessment has screened out a total of the top 10,000 outstanding candidates (including individuals and teams), obtaining the qualification for the Federal general competition assessment!"
"Congratulations to all advancing candidates. After resting for an hour, you will be uniformly teleported to the Federal general competition area!"
"Enter the Starfall Battlefield and start the ultimate competition!"
The cold System prompt tone resounded through the entire Nanjiang Circuit dungeon, declaring that this vigorous sectional assessment had officially come to an end.
The more than 500,000 participating candidates who were originally in individual independent assessment dungeons were all forcibly teleported out of the dungeons and landed back into the outer examination hall.
The successfully advancing candidates had faces full of excitement and anticipation, yearning for the stage of the general competition area.
And the eliminated candidates, although unwilling, could only leave in dim spirits, leaving their regrets in the Nanjiang Circuit.
However, students who could reach this step had already surpassed many people.
At least, they could choose Class Holder universities ranked in the top one hundred of the Federation, excluding the Five Great Academies.
Jiang Yuan's figure appeared in the crowd, returning below the viewing platform of the Nanjiang Circuit.
As soon as he appeared, he was tightly locked onto by countless gazes.
There was admiration, worship, apprehension, and also unwillingness.
Even high-ranking powerhouses of Nanjiang such as Vice City Lord of Nanjiang Lin Zhenbang and Zhou Mingyuan on the viewing platform gathered around in the first instance, their faces full of excitement and admiration, their tones full of intentions to win him over.
"Little friend Jiang Yuan, congratulations on reaching the top of the Nanjiang rankings and advancing to the Federal general competition area. Truly, heroes come from youth!"
Vice City Lord of Nanjiang Lin Zhenbang spoke first, his tone full of admiration, his gaze sizing up Jiang Yuan up and down, as if he wanted to see right through Jiang Yuan.
Yet no matter how he inspected, he simply couldn't see anything peculiar about Jiang Yuan.
Nor could he know why Jiang Yuan, as an Elite-grade Professional, possessed combat power far exceeding that of a Mythical rank Class Holder?
As for directly asking Jiang Yuan, Vice City Lord of Nanjiang Lin Zhenbang would not do such a stupid thing.
After all, everyone had their own secrets; even if asked, Jiang Yuan not only wouldn't answer, but it would also cause Jiang Yuan's strong aversion.
Secondly, Jiang Yuan had an ordinary background, but behind him was the Flame God, a Master with a mysterious background; he was not some small character that could be manipulated at will.
Finally, Jiang Yuan's performance in the assessment had already proved his strength and value, which was even higher than Zhao Hao's. He would inevitably receive the Federation's attention and cultivation, and no longer be an ordinary Genius of a small city.
"Jiang Yuan, on behalf of Nanjiang Academy, I sincerely invite you to join Nanjiang Academy after the assessment ends. We will give you the top-tier resources, the top-notch faculty, and provide a career path most suitable for you, even including the Class Advancement voucher for a Mythical Grade profession, and help you level up and advance, helping you break through early and become a top powerhouse of the Federation!"
Chu Wenxuan, Vice Principal said with anticipation in his gaze: "Right, this old man is the vice principal of south border academy!"
"Little friend Jiang Yuan, the sincerity of Nanjiang Academyis visible to heaven and earth! Besides that, the Federal military has also noticed you long ago. As long as you are willing to join the military, you will be immediately granted the rank of Bronze War General, equipped with an exclusive combat team, or even form an exclusive legion, with resources supplied unconditionally..."
A big shot from the military hurriedly went to win him over.
Other high-ranking powerhouses also threw out olive branches one after another, their tones full of sincerity and apprehension.
Everyone knew that Jiang Yuan's potential was limitless; winning him over at this moment would definitely yield rich returns in the future.
"Many thanks for the deep affection of all Seniors. After the assessment ends, I will seriously consider everyone's invitations. Right now, I just want to rest well and prepare for the Federal general competition assessment."
Jiang Yuan's expression was indifferent, nodding slightly, his tone humble yet not humble or subservient.
He did not agree to any party on the spot.
Although the prices given by everyone present were extremely high, he also knew that his true value had not yet reached its highest point.
There was still the Federal general competition area ahead; bringing out even more dazzling battle achievements, making various forces offer higher conditions to win him over, and mastering the bargaining power himself to strive for more speaking rights from it—only in this way could he truly control his own future.
Suddenly, Lin Muxue walked forward quickly, her face full of pride and tenderness, handing over a bottle of Advancedrecovery potion: "Jiang Yuan, you've worked hard. Recover your physical energy well first. The assessment in the general competition area will definitely be even harder, but I will always accompany you, follow your footsteps, and fight side by side with you."
Before this, Lin Muxue had worried that Jiang Yuanwouldn't be able to keep up with her footsteps, and the gap between both sides would grow larger and larger, thus separating for various reasons.
But now, Lin Muxue was equally worried.
However, what she worried about was that she herself couldn't keep up and wasn't worthy of Jiang Yuan.
"Jiang Yuan, you're too awesome!"
"I didn't expect you to be able to seize first place in Nanjiang Province!"
"Strive a bit harder, and you will definitely be able to seize first place in the Federal general competition area, becoming famous throughout the Federation!"
Zhao Biao and the others also gathered around, their faces full of pride and excitement, speaking one after another: "That's right, let the geniuses of other circuits also see the might of our Nanjiang Circuit, and see the might of our Jiang Yuan!"
Zhao Biao's team had also successfully squeezed into the top 10,000, advancing to the general competition area assessment.
And the reason they were able to achieve this.
One was related to their choice; they chose team assessment, and the team track was relatively easier than the individual track.
The second was with Jiang Yuan's help, letting their ranks reach level 50 and above, with strength far surpassing other candidates.
Otherwise, solely relying on the strength of their entire crew being Elite-grade Professionals, they wouldn't even think about advancing.
"Many thanks to you all. Let's work hard together for the general competition area assessment."
Jiang Yuan looked at the crowd around him, a trace of warmth flashing across the depths of his eyes, nodding slightly.
Not far away, although Zhao Hao was surrounded by quite a few sycophantic people, his expression remained pale, and his eyes were full of unwillingness and venom.
"That's Jiang Yuan? It's just a temporary lead, don't be smug, the victory of the Nanjiang Circuit is nothing much!"
"The Federal general competition area gathers top geniuses from thirty-six sectional circuits, and there are many existences stronger than me. No matter how strong an Elite-grade Professional you are, your limits are ultimately constrained; don't even think about standing out anymore!"
"I will definitely take back the top spot!"
Zhao Hao stared intently at Jiang Yuan's figure, a cold arc curling up the corner of his mouth.
Sensing his gaze, Jiang Yuan glanced at him indifferently without saying much.
Strength was the best response. Once he reached the federal main competition zone, he would use his strength to completely shatter Zhao Hao's final illusions.
The one-hour rest period passed in the blink of an eye.
All 10,000 advancing examinees from the Nanjiang circuit gathered below the spectator stand, their bodies enveloped in a faint white light as they were directly teleported to the next assessment dungeon space.
Jiang Yuan stood at the very front of the crowd with a calm expression. His aura was refined and restrained, making him look like just an ordinary examinee, yet no one dared to underestimate him.
The title of the Nanjiang top spot, along with his terrifying battle record of clearing every round in one-second instant kills for seven consecutive rounds, had long been deeply branded into everyone's hearts.
"The rest period is over. The federal main competition zone assessment is officially open!"
"This federal main competition zone has gathered outstanding examinees from thirty-six branch circuits, with 10,000 examinees from each branch circuit, totaling 360,000 examinees!"
"All examinees will be uniformly teleported to the Starfall Battlefield to begin the competition in the main zone!"
"The assessment rules for the federal main competition zone are announced as follows..."
The System's voice resounded in everyone's ears once again.
This time, the assessment rules were a bit more complicated than before.
First, in the initial stage of the assessment, all 360,000 examinees would be randomly divided into 3,600 hundred-person combat zones, with 100 examinees per combat zone. They would be randomly matched with prodigies from different branch circuits to fight and compete.
Within each hundred-person combat zone, aside from the 100 examinees, a number of Level 60 Abyssal Demon Wolves (Tier 2) would be randomly refreshed. Examinees could attack each other or kill the Abyssal Demon Wolves. For every examinee killed, 1 point was accumulated; for every Abyssal Demon Wolf killed, 1 point was accumulated. Points were tallied in real time and made public throughout the process.
The maximum assessment duration for each hundred-person combat zone was 1 hour. After the assessment time ended, the top 10 examinees in point rankings would advance to the next round, and the remaining 90 examinees would be directly eliminated.
Alternatively, if someone's points reached 100 first in the combat zone, or if they killed all other examinees, they could advance directly.
In the advancement stage, the advancing examinees from each combat zone would once again be randomly divided into hundred-person combat zones, repeating the above rules and filtering layer by layer until the 100 examinees with the highest points were selected to enter the final showdown.
In the final showdown stage, the 100 top examinees filtered layer by layer from all over the Federation would gather in the core area of the Starfall Battlefield for an indiscriminate melee.
The one who ranked first in final points would become the top spot on the Federal Unified Examination overall leaderboard and receive the Federation's highest reward.
The restriction rules were the same as the previous assessments: the use of contraband items exceeding one's own rank was prohibited, the use of consumable items was prohibited, as well as non-self buff effects...
It should be noted that in this main competition zone assessment, solo examinees and team examinees were not separated; instead, they were all mixed together in a melee.
Relatively speaking, team examinees held a greater advantage.
After all, when encountering enemies, a team consisted of five people, whereas a solo examinee was just one person.
But advantages came with disadvantages.
If a team appeared within a hundred-person combat zone, other solo examinees would inevitably view the team as a threat and might form a temporary Alliance to eliminate the team first.
It was even possible for many solo examinees to band together to eliminate others.
Therefore, in a melee, anything could happen.
In short, the previous assessments in respective branch circuits paid relatively more attention to fairness.
As for fairness, it was secondary instead.
Relatively speaking, it was more realistic.
After all, in reality, anything could happen.
The students able to enter the main competition zone assessment were all top prodigies from various states, and their strengths basically did not differ too much.
Therefore, aside from testing true strength, one's personal luck also had to be factored in.
After all, luck was also extremely important.
Just like when Awakening a Class, luck accounted for a huge portion.
In addition, one's personal combat experience, wisdom, thinking, and so on were also tested.
The System prompt tone rang out, allowing everyone to clearly hear the rules of the main competition zone.
Hundred-person melee!
Examinees killing each other!
Monsters besieging!
Point elimination!
Compared to the solo dungeon assessment of the branch circuits, the rules of the federal main competition zone were even more cruel, more realistic, and tested the comprehensive strength of the examinees even more.
Not only did one need to possess formidable combat power, keen observation, and precise judgment, but one also had to know how to weigh the pros and cons to find the best balance among killing examinees, hunting monsters, and self-preservation.
In the branch circuits, Level 60 Abyssal Demon Wolveswere already beings that only top prodigies could barely handle.
Yet in the main competition zone, they were merely initial-stage "point props".
Coupled with the top prodigies from the thirty-six branch circuits, every single one of them had been filtered layer by layer and possessed formidable strength.
This competition in the main zone was destined to be a bloody storm, bound to eliminate the vast majority of examinees. Only the top and most versatile prodigies could make it to the end.
"The competition is about to begin. Teleporting immediately to: Starfall Battlefield (Simulation)!"
Accompanied by a surge of white light that enveloped all advancing examinees, they instantly vanished from everyone's sight.
Jiang Yuan only felt a blur before his eyes, and the space around him emitted a violent fluctuation.
The next second, he had already appeared on a barren and desolate battlefield.
This was the Starfall Battlefield dungeon space.
The assessment venue for the federal main competition zone.
Just like the previous assessment dungeons, it was forged by federal powerhouses.
The sky of the Starfall Battlefield was a dim grayish color, and the air was filled with a thick stench of blood and Demonic Qi. The ground was covered with shattered rocks and skeletal remains, and giant meteorite craters could be vaguely seen in the distance. Fierce winds howled, kicking up dust all over the sky and exuding a dead and fatal pressure.
Around Jiang Yuan, another 99 examinees quickly gathered.
They came from different branch circuits, wearing different equipment and attire.
The aura around each person was different—some were formidable and domineering, some were cold and eerie, and others were steady and restrained.
In everyone's eyes, there was vigilance and hostility as they stared intently at the others around them.
Here, anyone could be an enemy. Only by killing others and hunting monsters could one obtain points, advance to the next round, and survive.
In addition, not far away, the figures of Abyssal corrupted monsters shrouded in dark Demonic Qi continuously emerged, revealing bloodthirsty gazes and sharp fangs as they steadily closed in.
The hundred-person mega melee was about to begin!
Meanwhile, countless huge canopy screens appeared in the sky above the Starfall Battlefield.
They displayed the situation of each hundred-person combat zone in real time, as well as the point rankings of all examinees.
Every examinee could check their own and other examinees' personal information and point rankings within the current combat zone.
Meanwhile, in the deliberation hall of the federal headquarters and the spectator stands of the thirty-six state branch circuits, all high-level powerhouses stared closely at the canopy screens. Their gazes shuttled among the figures of countless examinees, searching for the prodigies of their own circuits and those seeded players expected to vie for the championship.
Most of the federal high-level officials' gazes focused on the seeded players of several traditionally strong provinces.
Ling Chen, the first place of the North Cang circuit; Chu Kuangsheng of the Magic Sea Circuit; Xuanyuan Jiuge of Central Direct Jurisdiction; Flame Goddess Ning Wangshuof Tianhuo Divine Province...
These people were all endowed with extraordinary talent and came from top-tier factions. Quite a few of them possessed the same Mythical Grade profession as Zhao Hao, and the worst among them were Peak-tier Legendary-grade professions. Nurtured by countless resources, they had long been listed as popular candidates for the top spot on the federal overall leaderboard.
"The competition in this year's main zone is still as fierce as ever. Especially for people like Ling Chen, Chu Kuangsheng, and Xuanyuan Jiuge, their strengths are on par with one another. It's really hard to say who can win the championship."
The Vice Speaker of the Federation Council sat in the main seat and slowly spoke, a trace of emotion in his tone.
"What the Speaker says is extremely true. However, I am more optimistic about Ling Chen. His Mythical Grade Star Sword God profession has already broken through to the Peak of the second transfer, and his combat power is terrifying. Coupled with the resource blessings of North Cang Province and the Ling Clan, his hope of winning the championship is the greatest."
A federal high-level official chimed in to agree.
"Chu Kuangsheng is not bad either. He possesses the Demon God Holy War profession and has extremely strong explosive power. He is also a top-tier existence among Mythical Grade professions. Regarding close-combat battle power, I'm afraid he's not weaker than Ling Chen."
Another high-level official retorted.
Everyone discussed animatedly, their tones full of anticipation, and their gazes continuously revolved around those popular seeded players.
At first, no one noticed that in a corner of the canopy screen, the figure marked with the two characters "Jiang Yuan" came from the Nanjiang circuit.
But soon, someone noticed the anomaly.
Above the canopy screen, on the initial point ranking list of the main competition zone, although all examinees' points were 0...
...behind each examinee, their branch circuit ranking and Class Holder rank were marked.
When someone accidentally glanced over the list of examinees from the Nanjiang circuit, the whole person froze, their tone filled with disbelief.
"Wait! What is going on with the top spot of the Nanjiang circuit?!"
His voice broke the calm of the deliberation hall, and everyone's gazes cast towards the direction he pointed.
When they saw Jiang Yuan's information, the entire federal deliberation hall instantly plunged into a brief dead silence, followed by an earth-shattering uproar!
The information about Jiang Yuan on the canopy screen was clearly visible.
[Jiang Yuan (First Place of Nanjiang Circuit), rank: Level 60 (Second Transfer), Profession: Instant Cast Mage (Elite-grade Profession), Current Points: 0]
As for this person Jiang Yuan, everyone in the deliberation hall was extremely unfamiliar with him.
After all, the Federation did not have any top-tier families surnamed Jiang.
Families like the Zhao Clan where Zhao Hao was, as well as the Ling Clan and the Xuanyuan Clan... were all imperial families or mythical families with deep foundations and extremely strong influence in the Federation.
Only these powerful families possessed powerful bloodlines, and the offspring born to them had extremely high genetic talent. Coupled with Clan resources, it was easier to cultivate monstrous talent-level geniuses.
For example, among the thirty-six states of the Federation, as long as the top or even top-ten students stated their surnames, it was very easy to know which top aristocratic Clan or clan the other party came from.
Before the competition, they had more or less paid attention to some seeded players who had hopes of winning the championship.
Yet regarding Jiang Yuan, they had never heard of him at all.
What was even more outrageous was that the examinees who could get the branch top spot had at least top-tier Legendary-grade professions, and quite a few of them were even Mythical Grade professions.
Jiang Yuan was merely an Elite-grade Profession. Even if he was a relatively powerful Instant Cast Mage among Elite-grade Professions, how could he possibly compare to Legendary-grade or even Mythical Grade professions?!
The Nanjiang circuit was a traditionally strong province of the Federation, and its comprehensive ranking steadily stayed in the top five.
In past Federal Unified Examinations, the top spot of the Nanjiang circuit was invariably a Mythical Grade or top-tier Legendary-grade profession, with the lowest rank being a Genius at the Peak of the second transfer at Level 60, and Third-Rank examinees had even appeared before.
Year-round, it was a popular circuit for winning the top spot on the federal overall leaderboard!
Yet this time, the top spot of the Nanjiang circuit turned out to be an obscure Elite-grade Profession examinee with virtually no background?!
Even if the Nanjiang circuit performed poorly this year, it was impossible for an Elite-grade Profession to take the top spot.
Furthermore, according to intelligence obtained before the competition, the Nanjiang circuit possessed a Mythical rankClass Holder named Zhao Hao, who was a heavy favorite to win the championship.
Therefore, when they saw that the first place of the Nanjiang circuit was Jiang Yuan instead of Zhao Hao...
...everyone was completely dumbfounded, their eyes filled with disbelief and their faces written with shock.
What was even more shocking was that above the canopy screen, the second place of the Nanjiang circuit turned out to be Zhao Hao.
That monstrous talent Genius who possessed the Mythical Grade Dark Moon Spear God profession, who had been pinned with high hopes and expected to vie for the top three or even first place on the federal overall leaderboard, actually ranked second in the branch circuit?!
"Th... This is impossible?!"
The Federal Speaker abruptly stood up, his eyes locked tightly onto Jiang Yuan's information on the canopy screen, his tone full of disbelief. "How could the Nanjiang circuit let an Elite-grade Professional take the top spot? And even suppressed Zhao Hao to second place? This is simply a fantasy!"
"Speaker, this subordinate also finds it incredible!"
A federal high-level official hurriedly spoke up, his tone filled with shock and doubt.
"The fierce intensity of competition in the Nanjiang circuit is well-known. Not only are there Mythical Rank Professionals, but there are also many examinees with Legendary-grade professions!"
"A mere Elite-grade Profession, even if they reach Level 60, would find it hard to even enter the top 1,000 of the branch circuit in previous years, let alone want to take the top spot. It's simply impossible!"
"How could this Jiang Yuan possibly accomplish this?"
"Could there have been a flaw in the Nanjiang circuit's assessment?"
"Or could it be that this Jiang Yuan hid his Class Holderrank and Class Holder quality?"
In the arena, high-level officials from various federal departments, members of the Federation Council, heads of major factions, Senior military commanders, and so on all expressed different points of doubt.
Even, they once suspected that the information from the Nanjiang circuit side was wrong, or that the Nanjiang circuit deliberately concealed Jiang Yuan's true information, releasing false personal intelligence to confuse them and other examinees.
Of course, it was also possible that some unknown unspoken rules emerged, pushing Jiang Yuan to the first place position of the Nanjiang circuit.
"Impossible!"
"The examinees' profile information is uniformly investigated and recorded by the Federation, and the Federal Unified Examination process is extremely strict. The branch circuit assessments are monitored by the System throughout the whole process, so flaws are impossible!"
Another high-level official in charge of Unified Examinationaffairs retorted, but his tone was full of shock.
"Moreover, Class Holder rank and quality cannot be hidden. System detection will never make a mistake! That is to say, this Jiang Yuan is truly an Elite-grade Profession, and he truly relied on such strength to take the top spot of the Nanjiang circuit and defeat Zhao Hao!"
Sounds of discussion and exclamation echoed throughout the entire federal deliberation hall.
All federal high-level officials were shocked by this news.
A mere Elite-grade Professional overpowering Mythical Rank Professionals to top a strong province's leaderboard had never happened in the history of the Federal Unified Examination. It was simply an unprecedented miracle!
If they said Jiang Yuan was some hidden Class Holder, they could still accept it.
But if he truly was an Elite-grade Professional, it simply shattered their worldview, making it difficult for people to accept for a moment.
Not only the deliberation hall of the federal headquarters, but aside from the Nanjiang circuit, the spectator stands of the other thirty-five branch circuits also boiled over one after another.
"Has the Nanjiang circuit fallen? To actually let a first-transfer Elite-grade take the top spot?"
"That Zhao Hao is too trashy. To even lose to such an opponent—did he really awaken a Mythical Gradeprofession?"
"Indeed, it seems the opponents for our circuit to win the championship have decreased by one."
"Hmph, an Elite-grade Profession, even if they obtained the Nanjiang top spot, cannot stir up any waves!"
"When he reaches the main competition zone, facing prodigies from all states, he will be eliminated sooner or later. He is merely a clown jumping on stage."
On the spectator stand of the East Border circuit, the high-level leaders of North Cang Province, who had always been at odds with Nanjiang State, revealed looks of disdain alongside their shock.
"This Jiang Yuan is a bit abnormal. An Elite-grade Professional being able to defeat Zhao Hao and take the Nanjiang top spot is definitely not simple!"
"Perhaps he has hidden some trump card!"
"I hope Chu Kuangsheng encounters him in the melee and must be careful in responding without taking it lightly."
The high-level officials of the Magic Sea Circuit were relatively more rational. Their expressions were rather complex, filled with shock, doubt, and a trace of imperceptible vigilance.
High-level powerhouses from other branch circuits also discussed animatedly, their tones filled with surprise, disdain, skepticism, and contemplation...
Shocked by the "mediocrity" of the top rank of Nanjiang, disdainful of the combat power of the Elite-grade Profession, puzzled as to how he defeated Zhao Hao, and wary of the trump cards and strength that might be hidden behind him.
"Vice City Lord of Nanjiang, are you sure there is no problem with the top rank of your Nanjiang?"
"This concerns a major event for the entire Federation, and there must not be any mistakes!"
The Vice Speaker of the Federation Council had people use the virtual reality projection canopy to pull high-level figures from the Federation and major states together, realizing a 'face-to-face' communication.
Suddenly, everyone's gaze fell upon the high-ranking officials of Nanjiang.
"Everyone, you don't need to be surprised, nor do you need to question it!!"
"Although Classmate Jiang Yuan is an Elite-grade Profession, his combat power far exceeds your imagination!"
"Even a group of Level 60 second-transfer Abyssal Demon Wolves can be easily instantly killed by him in one second!"
"As for Zhao Hao, as a Mythic-grade Profession, his performance in the evaluation was indeed inferior to Jiang Yuan!"
"Therefore, the reason Jiang Yuan was able to secure the top rank of Nanjiang is not luck, but absolute strength!"
Vice City Lord of Nanjiang had to step out to speak up for Jiang Yuan. With a confident and proud expression on his face, his gaze slowly swept across the crowd.
Then Vice City Lord of Nanjiang paused and continued speaking.
"If you don't believe it, first, you can check the video playback of Jiang Yuan's previous evaluation, which features full-process real-time monitoring footage without any editing; second, you can watch the upcoming chaotic melee. I believe that Classmate Jiang Yuan will definitely create an even greater miracle in the Federal General Circuit evaluation, and let everyone see the prowess of our Nanjiang geniuses!"
After speaking, Vice City Lord of Nanjiang focused his eyes on his nose and his heart on his nose, no longer offering any explanations.
Vice City Lord of Nanjiang's voice was loud and resounding, instantly suppressing all doubts.
Seeing this, the other high-level officials did not continue to make things difficult.
Whether Jiang Yuan's strength is powerful or not would soon be known.
At this time, even if there were still doubts in their hearts, they had to temporarily suppress them.
After all, in a chaotic melee, what is tested the most is the strength of the candidates!
Even if one could luckily advance by luck, without strength, they would be eliminated sooner or later.
If Jiang Yuan really obtained the number one spot in Nanjiang by relying on some unspoken rules or cheating, then in the subsequent melee, his true colors would inevitably be revealed.
Under the watchful eyes of the public and the observation of countless powerful beings, wanting to cheat is basically impossible.
What's more, within the Starfall Battlefield dungeon space, it inherently carries the power of rules for monitoring and anti-cheating!
...
The violent wind of the Starfall Battlefield was still howling, whipping up dust all over the sky and shattered bones.
Under the gloomy sky, within the hundred-person combat zone where Jiang Yuan was located, the atmosphere was already tense to the extreme.
Ninety-nine candidates from different circuits either concealed their figures, concentrated in alert, or observed secretly. Hostility and vigilance were hidden in the depths of everyone's eyes, and no one dared to slack off in the slightest.
At this moment, a cold System prompt tone suddenly resounded across the entire combat zone, breaking the dead silence.
"The temporary ranking of the current hundred-person combat zone is publicized (ranked based on circuit scores). After the evaluation officially starts, the rankings will be dynamically updated based on real-time points, and the whole process is public and viewable!"
"The official match will start in one hundred seconds. Please all candidates prepare for battle!"
"This dungeon was jointly created by powerful figures of the Federation. Just like the previous evaluation dungeons, dying in the dungeon will not affect real-life death, so please candidates give your all and strive to secure a good ranking!"
The moment the prompt tone fell, the exclusive canopy directly above the combat zone suddenly lit up, clearly listing the detailed information of the 100 candidates in this combat zone.
From rank 1 to rank 100, arranged sequentially, name, affiliated circuit, circuit ranking, profession rank, and current points—every item is clear at a glance.
The dazzling white light caused everyone to instinctively raise their heads and gaze up.
Almost all the candidates' gazes locked onto the top of the canopy in the very first instant.
They eagerly wanted to know what top powerhouses were hidden in their combat zone, and what kind of situation they themselves were in.
After all, the key to determining whether one can advance or not, besides oneself, has a huge relationship with the opponents matched into the same combat zone.
But when the line of information ranked first at the top of the canopy completely came into everyone's view,
the entire hundred-person combat zone instantly fell into a dead silence, and even the howling sound of the violent wind seemed to be covered up by this ultimate shock.
The handwriting on the canopy was clear and extremely eye-catching.
[Jiang Yuan, rank: Level 60 (second transfer), Profession: Instant Cast Mage (Elite-grade), Current Points: 0, Current rank: 1 (1st place in Nanjiang State Circuit)]
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
After a brief silence, earth-shattering uproar and exclamations instantly swept through the entire combat zone!
The 99 candidates present, without exception, all widened their eyes, and their faces were filled with disbelief and ultimate shock.
Some people instinctively rubbed their eyes, repeatedly confirming the information on the canopy, as if they couldn't believe what they saw.
Some people trembled slightly all over, their complexions instantly turned pale, and deep despair welled up in the depths of their eyes.
Still others clenched their fists tightly, their surrounding aura was chaotic, and they were full of disbelief and vigilance.
Their shock was by no means accidental, but stemmed from two thunder-like facts that fiercely exploded in everyone's heart, causing them to completely lose their footing.
One of the shocks was Jiang Yuan's circuit identity and ranking!
1st place in Nanjiang State Circuit!
Every candidate present clearly knew the weight of Nanjiang State.
That was a top powerful state among the thirty-six states of the Federation whose comprehensive strength steadily ranked in the top five.
It possessed formidable strength and produced a continuous stream of prodigies.
It was also the location of Nanjiang Academy, one of the Five Great Academies.
As a top-tier academy of the Federation, Nanjiang Academy gathered top geniuses from all states of Nanjiang, possessing countless resources and formidable faculty. Candidates who could stand out from the Nanjiang circuit were all one-in-ten-thousand powerhouses.
What made them even more alarmed was that in past Federal Unified Examinations, the first place in the Nanjiang circuit had always been a popular candidate for winning the top spot on the Federation general rankings!
Those people possessed combat power reaching the heavens, could easily crush opponents of the same rank, and even challenge across ranks. Every single one of them had the potential to ascend to the throne of Federation number one.
Although the hundred-person combat zone was randomly matched, no one expected that they would be so "unlucky" as to be assigned to the same combat zone as a top rank of the Nanjiang circuit.
Everyone understood clearly in their hearts that the hundred-person chaotic melee in the general circuit seemed to have ten advancement slots, but the actual situation was a hundred times more cruel than described by the rules.
Geniuses from thirty-six circuits gathered together, hunting each other, being surrounded by monsters, coupled with the unpredictability of human hearts—every second could face a life-or-death crisis.
In past evaluations, after the tragic slaughter in countless hundred-person combat zones, those who could ultimately successfully advance to the next round were often only one or two people, or a tacitly cooperative and fiercely powerful small team.
And the appearance of Jiang Yuan undoubtedly made this already cruel contest even more despairing.
Sharing the same combat zone with a top rank of Nanjiang who had the ability to impact the Federation general rankings meant that, apart from Jiang Yuan, these 99 candidates would most likely be reduced to eliminated ones. The chance of even advancing to the next round became extremely slim, and they might even be instantly killed in the very first second the evaluation started.
"The... the 1st place in the Nanjiang circuit?!"
A candidate from a weak eastern state trembled uncontrollably in voice, their complexion as pale as paper, and their eyes filled with despair. "How is that possible? I actually got assigned to the same combat zone as the top rank of Nanjiang? How can this still be compared? We have no chance of winning at all!"
"Which of the past top ranks of Nanjiang was not a Mythical rank Class Holder? Which of them was not an existence capable of easily killing us or Level 60 Abyssal Demon Wolves?"
Another candidate clenched their teeth tightly, their fingertips turning white, and their tone was full of unwillingness and fear. "It's over, it's completely over this time. Let alone challenging the top ten thousand, whether we can even advance in this round is a question!"
Sounds of discussion, exclamations, and despairing murmurs rose and fell, resounding throughout the entire combat zone.
Candidates who originally still harbored fluke thoughts and wanted to fight for advancement slots were all shrouded in despair at this moment. From their initial vigilance and hostility, it instantly turned into deep dread, even carrying a trace of humble awe!
They no longer dared to have the slightest contempt, because they knew clearly that the title of the top rank of Nanjiang was itself the best proof of strength.
And their second shock was far more shocking and cognitive-upending than the first!
Jiang Yuan's profession rank and quality.
Every candidate present was a Genius screened through layer upon layer of evaluations in the circuits. They knew the cruelty of the Federal Unified Examination better than anyone else, and they also knew the gold content of a circuit top rank better than anyone else.
Among the thirty-six states of the Federation, any candidate who could secure the top rank of a circuit was an existence standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid—either a Mythical rank Class Holder with heaven-reaching combat power, or a Peak Legendary-grade Class Holder on the verge of breaking through to the Mythical Grade.
Let alone a circuit top rank, even in the top ten or even top fifty of a circuit, it was very difficult to see the figures of an Epic Class, let alone the unremarkable and ubiquitous Elite-grade Professionals!
An Elite-grade Profession could only be considered an entry-level standard among Federation candidates. Even if they broke through to the second transfer, their combat power was still far inferior to rare epic-grade Class Holders, let alone competing with Legendary-grade or Mythic-grade Professions.
Yet Jiang Yuan was a down-to-earth second-transfer Elite-grade Professional!
Elite-grade Profession, top rank of the Nanjiang circuit!
These two identities, when placed together, appeared so incompatible, and could even be said to be worlds apart, just like a joke. Yet not a single candidate dared to laugh out loud, and they didn't even dare to have a trace of doubt.
They did not suspect in the least that Nanjiang circuit's strength had declined this year and it had been reduced to a weak state.
Nor did they suspect that the System of the Federal Unified Examination had a data error.
Because they knew clearly that the Federal Unified Examination was the most important and closely watched event in the entire Federation. It was monitored by the Federation's core brain System throughout the entire process, with strict rules and meticulous procedures. Every piece of data had been repeatedly checked, and it was absolutely impossible for such a low-level mistake to occur.
Then, the only possibility was that this person Jiang Yuanwas by no means as simple as he looked on the surface.
Behind his Elite-grade Profession, there must be hidden untold trump cards!
Perhaps it was some heaven-defying talent, perhaps it was some powerful Inheritance, perhaps it was some peerless treasure, or perhaps his Elite-grade Professionitself possessed combat power far surpassing ordinary Mythic-grade Professions.
In short, his true combat power definitely deserved the ranking of the top rank of the Nanjiang circuit, and even far exceeded everyone's imagination!
Those candidates who had originally seen the label "Elite-grade Profession" on Jiang Yuan, secretly rejoiced in their hearts, and intended to treat Jiang Yuan as their "first points" to ambush and hunt him when the evaluation started, were now pale in complexion, frozen in place, with their faces burning with pain as if they had been heavily slapped a few times.
Their fluke and contempt just now had all turned into a huge joke at this moment. A deep fear quietly spread from the bottom of their hearts, sweeping across their entire bodies.
They instinctively took a few steps back, lowering their heads tightly, not daring to stare at Jiang Yuan with hostile gazes anymore, and not even daring to make the slightest eye contact with Jiang Yuan.
They were afraid that an inadvertent action of theirs would anger this hidden big boss. Once targeted by Jiang Yuan, I'm afraid even the first second of the evaluation starting would result in being instantly killed, without even the chance to accumulate points.
The candidates who were originally guarding against each other and eyeing each other covetously also changed their targets one after another at this moment!
Some people quietly cast their gazes at the weaker candidates in the combat zone, intending to accumulate the first wave of points from them first!
Others cast their gazes at the pitch-black halo slowly appearing in the distance—there, the Level 60 Abyssal Demon Wolves were about to refresh!
Compared to provoking Jiang Yuan, this hidden big boss, hunting demon wolves and hunting weakling candidates was undoubtedly a safer choice.
The situation in the entire combat zone underwent earth-shaking changes in an instant due to Jiang Yuan's temporary ranking.
Jiang Yuan, this seemingly mediocre second-transfer Elite-grade Professional, solely relied on the title of "top rank of the Nanjiang circuit" to subdue the enemy without fighting, intimidating all 99 candidates present.
As the person involved, Jiang Yuan was still standing in place, with a calm expression and unperturbed.
He raised his eyes to sweep over the temporary ranking on the canopy, without the slightest surprise about himself ranking at the top of the current hundred-person combat zone.
The identity of the top rank of the Nanjiang circuit should inherently have such a ranking.
As for the shock, fear, and dread of the surrounding candidates, he had long been accustomed to it.
From being obscure in the Nanjiang circuit to ascending to the top rank, from being despised by everyone to being revered by everyone, he had long used his strength to break everyone's cognition time and time again.
This time was no exception either.
"He is Jiang Yuan!"
A high-pitched shout suddenly broke the restlessness of the combat zone. The voice carried a bit of disbelief, mixed with a trace of unperceived excitement.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, and their gazes converged neatly upon a youth in an inconspicuous corner!
There was no deliberately released formidable aura around Jiang Yuan's body. He looked just like an elegant and handsome youth, with clear brows and eyes, a tall and upright figure, and plain clothing. Compared to those geniuses present radiating sharpness all over, he appeared mediocre and ordinary, without any extraordinary coloring.
Yet no one could ignore the line of floating golden characters above his head, gilded and shining brilliantly. Even on the gloomy Starfall Battlefield, they were still dazzling and eye-catching.
[1st Place in Nanjiang Circuit · Jiang Yuan]
Until this moment, everyone belatedly discovered that not only Jiang Yuan, but above the head of every candidate present, an exclusive personal information was floating, clearly marking their name and affiliated circuit.
It's just that most were pale white characters, and only Jiang Yuan's was dazzling gilded gold symbolizing the circuit top rank, with an extremely strong contrast.
That gilded title, like an invisible mountain, heavily pressed upon the hearts of the 99 candidates present. Even though Jiang Yuan had not made a move yet and was merely standing there, the geniuses from various states around felt tremendous pressure, with different expressions and completely contrasting attitudes.