Chapter 196: Instant kill! Another instant kill!
"Number One of the Southern Frontier, truly well-deserved!"
Among the crowd, a candidate from the Central Federation looked at the gilded characters above Jiang Yuan's head and couldn't help letting out a sigh of emotion, his tone full of awe, "Just relying on a title alone carries such oppression. No wonder he was able to suppress the prodigies of all states in the Southern Frontier and claim the top spot on the leaderboard."
Some felt awe, some felt unwillingness, some felt dread, and some harbored malicious intentions.
Closely watched by hundreds of gazes, Jiang Yuan's expression remained unchanged, still relaxed and calm. He even slowly turned his gaze, sweeping it across every candidate present.
Within his field of vision, he could also clearly see the complete information of the others—sub-division ranking, Profession, and rank were clear at a glance.
He quickly browsed through them without the slightest fluctuation in his expression.
The 99 candidates present came from the thirty-six states of the Federation, among whom quite a few came from the Southern Frontier state, just like Jiang Yuan.
As for their strength, it was uneven.
The highest-ranked among them was at most within the top one hundred of the leaderboard in their respective sub-division.
As for the rest, their rankings ranged from several hundred to several thousand.
Compared to him, the top spot of the Southern Frontier, there was a world of difference.
Among them, the most eye-catching was a beautiful girl holding a sky-blue staff.
She stood at the rear of the crowd, wearing a light blue mage robe with cold and clear brows and eyes. A crystal-clear sapphire was embedded at the top of her staff, flowing with a faint aqua-blue halo. Her aura was gentle yet not weak.
Jiang Yuan raised his eyes to look, and quickly understood her personal information:
Zhang Qinyao, Second-Turn Legendary-grade Profession · Azure Wave Spirit Mage, from Donglan State, sub-division rank 69th.
Azure Wave Spirit Mage is a magic-type Class Holder, proficient in controlling water elements, possessing both healing and attack capabilities, and is already at the top standard among the same tier.
This was definitely a candidate at the very top of the pyramid.
Even though the possibility of winning the championship was almost zero, there was still a great hope of breaking into the top five hundred of the overall leaderboard.
Even if it was just ranking in the top five hundred in the Federation General Competition, she would still be able to receive great attention and cultivation.
Besides this, the Professions of the remaining candidates present were mostly blue Rare-grade and purple epic-grade.
Compared to Zhang Qinyao, they were all slightly inferior.
Jiang Yuan understood in his heart that if he didn't exist in this hundred-person battle zone, Zhang Qinyao, who possessed outstanding strength and a Legendary-gradeProfession, would definitely be the most hopeful candidate to advance to the next round, and even have the opportunity to fight for the battle zone's top spot.
It was a pity that she met him—this dark horse who crushed all the prodigies of the Southern Frontier and reached the top of the strong state's leaderboard with an Elite-grade Profession.
"It seems that all of our luck is very bad!"
A short and plump boy spoke first, his tone full of disappointment and helplessness. His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for the people around him to hear clearly, "A full three hundred and sixty thousand candidates, and there are only thirty-six sub-division top spots. To think we're so unlucky to meet one here!"
"Ain't that the truth!"
Another candidate dressed in black martial attire chimed in, his face full of dejection, "If there are no surprises, the person advancing this time will definitely be him, Jiang Yuan. We simply have no chance!"
"Yeah, it looks like we're just one-round tourists, destined to become stepping stones for his advancement!"
"What a pity. I risked half my life to break out of the sub-division, only to run into such a ruthless character as soon as I arrived at the main competition zone..."
"It seems the match belonging to us is about to end!"
Complaints rose one after another, and many candidates present had despair written all over their faces, their tones full of unwillingness.
But Jiang Yuan's eyes turned slightly cold, instantly hearing that something was wrong.
These people's complaints seemed to be purely disappointment.
In reality, every sentence was fanning the flames, intentionally magnifying everyone's despair, guiding everyone to vent their grievances onto him, and secretly sowing discord.
Sure enough, not long after, a harsh voice suddenly sounded, breaking this negative complaint.
"Humph, what's so great about being a sub-division number one!"
The speaker was a tall boy wearing silver armor and holding a heavy giant axe, exuding a violent aura around him, "There are a full ninety-nine people here, could it be that we can't even beat him alone?!"
His words were like lighting a fuse, instantly igniting the unwillingness in the hearts of some candidates.
The candidates who could come to the Federation General Competition were all talented students from various places, beloved geniuses regarded as hope.
Their strength and confidence absolutely did not allow them to cower before fighting.
Jiang Yuan's strength not only failed to make them retreat, but instead gradually stimulated their inner fighting spirit and Battle Intent.
"That's right! No matter how strong he is, he's only human, not a god, and it's not like we don't have a chance!"
A boy holding a long spear immediately chimed in, his tone impassioned.
"In my opinion, why don't we all join forces and take him down first!"
A sinister-looking young man flashed a fierce glint in his eyes and proposed in a deep voice, "Since the match rules are a free-for-all, and there is no restriction saying we cannot temporarily form an Alliance, us all fighting him alone is well within the rules!"
"Right! In past years, quite a few top geniuses with powerful Professions were eliminated by multiple people joining forces! Even if Jiang Yuan is the top spot of the Southern Frontier, he can't withstand the joint siege of all ninety-nine of us. As long as we can take him down, each of us will have one more share of hope for advancement!"
Another candidate quickly added, his tone full of instigation.
These words instantly struck home for many candidates.
Amidst despair, the crowd seemed to grasp a straw of hope. Their originally scattered gazes instantly unified, casting towards Jiang Yuan one after another. The despair at the bottom of their eyes was gradually replaced by hostility and fierceness.
They quickly gathered together, spontaneously forming a temporary combat Alliance to oppose Jiang Yuan.
One by one, they bared their weapons, their auras soaring as they prepared for action.
For a time, the battle zone was radiant with light, dazzling with all kinds of weapons.
Some held sharply-shaped long swords, the sword bodies flowing with biting Sword Qi and bone-chilling cold light.
Some grasped heavy giant hammers, the hammer bodies covered with ferocious patterns, exuding a violent sense of power.
Some carried slender long spears, the spear tips gleaming with cold light and lingering with faint Spear Intent.
Others, like Zhang Qinyao, held various staves, the tops of the staves flashing with light, respectively flowing with the energy of different elements like water, fire, wind, and earth, dazzling and colorful.
Powerful auras intertwined together. Violent elemental energy, biting Sword Qi, heavy blade lights, and sharp Spear Intent permeated the battle zone, intertwining with the Demonic Qi of the distant Abyssal Demon Wolves to form a suffocating coercion.
And what they pointed at was remarkably the exact same direction!
The candidates who originally planned to hunt the Demon Wolves and ambush the weak all turned their spearheads toward Jiang Yuan at this moment.
Everyone had solemn expressions, fully equipped for battle, their eyes full of resolution.
At this moment, regardless of whether they were previously in awe, dread, or harboring malicious intentions, they had all reached a consensus.
Regard Jiang Yuan as the greatest opponent and eliminate him together—only then would there be a glimmer of survival.
Jiang Yuan stood in place, his expression still calm, gazing peacefully at this temporarily formed Alliance before him, looking at the all-over-the-sky weapon brilliance and powerful energy auras,
Not only did he not show the slightest fear, but the corners of his mouth instead hooked into a faint, icy arc.
Ninety-nine people joining forces?
He gently moved his fingertips, the scarlet-gold firelight becoming increasingly rich, the flames condensed and introverted. The aura that was originally introverted around his body began to slowly release,
But those familiar with him all knew that this was the sign before he made a move.
An aura far exceeding everyone's imagination quietly spread out.
Since they were courting death, don't blame him for being impolite.
Jiang Yuan's expression remained steady, his eyes as sharp as a blade. He calmly observed the Demon Wolves about to refresh and quietly sized up the other candidates in the battle zone.
"Everyone go together! Regardless of whether we can eventually advance or not, taking down a seeded player who is a sub-division number one is also a presentable and glorious combat record. Maybe because of this, we will receive special recruitment from the Five Great Academies!"
A sinister voice sounded again, and it was precisely that candidate who had secretly fanned the flames and sowed discord earlier.
Everyone looked toward the source of the sound and saw him hiding in the middle of the Alliance crowd, with a sinister face, holding a short dagger quenched with dark light. His body was surrounded by faint shadow energy, and the bottom of his eyes was full of calculation and greed.
He knew very well that with his own strength alone, he couldn't even touch the corner of Jiang Yuan's clothes. Only by borrowing the strength of the crowd to take down Jiang Yuan could he fight for a chance to stand out.
These words were like a catalyst, instantly igniting everyone's fighting spirit.
Special recruitment by the Five Great Academies was an opportunity all candidates dreamed of. Even if it was just a trace of hope, it was enough to make them take risks.
The candidates who were still a bit hesitant and fearful at first had their resolution grow increasingly intense at this moment. Looking at Jiang Yuan, there was only fierceness and greed left in their eyes, as if Jiang Yuan was not a formidable opponent, but a stepping stone that could let them ascend to the heavens in a single step.
Hearing this, Jiang Yuan's aura suddenly condensed, and his originally calm gaze instantly locked onto that sinister youth in the crowd who was fanning the flames. His eyes were as sharp as a blade, carrying a bone-chilling coldness.
He didn't deliberately search for him; the other party's words were completely unmasked. Perhaps thinking that ninety-nine people joining forces would undoubtedly win, or perhaps being too eager to instigate the crowd, he never thought of hiding it from Jiang Yuan.
Furthermore, with Jiang Yuan's perception, any petty actions or thoughts of anyone present could not escape his eyes.
"How interesting!"
The corners of Jiang Yuan's mouth couldn't help but hook into an icy sneer, his tone full of disdain and mockery.
He had naturally seen through these people's conspiracy long ago. From the initial complaints and fanning of flames, to the later joint proposal, to the current inducement of benefits, every step was within his expectations.
To this, Jiang Yuan only wanted to say: Bring it on!
Let alone a mere ninety-nine Class Holders whose ranks were only Second-Turn.
Even if there were one hundred Seventh-Turn Saint-Grade powerhouses, Jiang Yuan would still not be afraid in the slightest.
The Mythical Grade Genius Zhao Hao from the Southern Frontier division—he could easily crush him.
The level-60 Abyssal Demon Wolves—he could instantly kill them in a second.
As for these candidates before him, in his eyes, they were no different from ants.
Just at this moment, a cold System countdown sound suddenly resounded through the entire battle zone, breaking the pre-battle standoff deadlock,
"Match countdown, ten, nine, eight... three, two, one!"
As the System voice fell, it immediately shattered the situation of the battlefield.
The hundred-person battle zone assessment officially entered the melee phase!
Candidates could hunt freely, and points were updated in real-time!
"Charge!"
The tall boy holding the giant axe from earlier took the lead in letting out a heaven-shaking, cold shout.
Before his voice faded, he hauled a heavy giant axe, a violent red battle aura erupting from his entire body like an untethered Ferocious Beast as he charged fiercely toward Jiang Yuan.
Waving the giant axe, he brought with it a whistling gale, cleaving out a red axe radiance several meters long that went straight for Jiang Yuan's face.
Following closely behind, the remaining ninety-eight candidates all struck without the slightest hesitation.
For a moment, light surged within the combat zone, and various torrents of energy intertwined and collided, bombarding toward Jiang Yuan to kill him.
Sharp Sword Qi sliced through the sky, carrying a bone-chilling coldness!
A heavy hammer shadow smashed toward the ground, shaking the rubble to fly everywhere!
The sharp spear tip condensed pale golden Spear Intent, directly piercing Jiang Yuan's vital points!
The tips of various staffs shone brightly, and elemental energies such as water dragons, wind blades, earth spikes, and fireballs poured out densely, completely sealing off all of Jiang Yuan's retreat routes.
Meanwhile, a large group of Abyssal Demon Wolves that had been stirring restlessly in the corner of the combat zone finally broke free from the constraints of the rules.
Letting out shrill wolf howls from all directions, they pounced forward and forcefully slaughtered their way into the battlefield.
Their bodies were covered in pitch-black fur, their eyes flashed with scarlet ferocious light, their sharp fangs flickered with cold light, and thick Demonic Qi lingered around their bodies.
Their violent aura was not the least bit weaker than the candidates present.
However, the target of these Abyssal Demon Wolves was not just Jiang Yuan alone, but everyone present.
Their dispositions were brutal, making no distinction between friend and foe, and any target that entered their attack range would suffer their frenzied tearing and biting.
Some demon wolves pounced on mage candidates who were releasing skills, while others intercepted close-combat candidates rushing to the very front.
With a single bite from their sharp fangs, they could tear through the opponent's armor, causing blood to instantly gush out and shrill screams to rise one after another.
The situation where ninety-nine candidates jointly besieged Jiang Yuan instantly turned into a massive melee of mutual slaughter between candidates and demon wolves.
Above the battlefield, Sword Qi crisscrossed, magic ran amok, wolf howls shook the heavens, and screams were endless!
Blood dyed the rubble beneath their feet red, and Demonic Qi intertwined with various elemental energies, forming a sickening, fishy stench.
Even the gloomy canopy of heaven was illuminated alternately by the flames of war.
Standing in the center of the battlefield, facing the oncoming torrent of skills and pouncing Abyssal Demon Wolves, Jiang Yuan's expression remained calm.
There was not the slightest panic on his face; instead, it grew increasingly icy.
He raised his eyes to sweep across the chaotic battle situation before him, the sneer at the corner of his mouth growing increasingly intense.
"Since you chose to join forces, then I won't stand on ceremony either!"
"Let me send you a Fireball Spell first!"
The moment his voice fell, Jiang Yuan abruptly raised his hand, and the scarlet-gold firelight at his fingertips instantly surged.
A violent energy far beyond everyone's imagination gushed out from his body, converging in the palm of his hand.
The flame that was originally only the size of a fingertip expanded wildly at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In just a breath's time, it condensed into a giant fireball with a diameter of several hundred meters!
The fireball was scarlet-gold throughout, with ferocious flame patterns circulating on its surface, emitting a terrifying high temperature capable of incinerating everything.
The surrounding air was scorched into distortion and deformation, making it difficult even for light to penetrate.
It was like a scorching sun falling to the mortal world, instantly illuminating the entire Starfall Battlefield and completely driving away the surrounding darkness.
All the candidates present, whether they were mages releasing skills, close-combatants fighting demon wolves, or candidates hiding in the dark waiting for an opportunity to sneak attack,
upon seeing this giant fireball, all widened their eyes, their faces filled with extreme fear, their entire bodies trembling so much that they almost couldn't hold the weapons in their hands.
They had never seen such a massive, terrifying Fireball Spell!
Even a high-tier mage with a Legendary-grade Profession releasing a Fireball Spell would only have a diameter of a few dozen meters.
Yet this Fireball Spell of Jiang Yuan's actually reached several hundred meters, and its power was simply unimaginable!
"Im... Impossible!"
"How could this possibly be a skill that a Second-Turn Elite-grade Profession can release?!"
That tall youth bearing the brunt, holding a giant axe, had the violence on his face instantly replaced by fear.
His voice trembled as he subconsciously wanted to retreat and dodge this terrifying Fireball Spell.
"Quickly dodge!"
"Quickly release defense skills!"
"My defensive trump card, you must block it!"
The candidates completely panicked, one after another abandoning their attacks on Jiang Yuan and exhausting all their strength to release their own defense skills.
Some candidates summoned heavy earth-type shields, some activated the defensive armor on their bodies, some released healing magic to buff themselves, and others pulled out treasured defensive items, sacrificing all their life-saving trump cards just praying to block this heaven-destroying Fireball Spell.
But all of this was in vain.
Jiang Yuan's gaze turned cold as he abruptly waved his hand, and that giant fireball with a diameter of several hundred meters, carrying the might to incinerate everything, fell from the sky, crashing heavily toward the melee crowd and Abyssal Demon Wolves below.
The moment the fireball landed, it emitted a deafening roar, and a terrifying shockwave swept outward, sending all the surrounding figures and wolf bodies flying.
A huge deep pit was instantly smashed into the ground, and the scarlet-gold flames surged and spread like a tsunami, burning everything in their path to ashes.
The Abyssal Demon Wolves pouncing from the depths of the battlefield didn't even have time to emit a single scream before they were swallowed by the flames, instantly turning into a pool of ash without leaving behind a shred of bones.
As for those candidates releasing defense skills, their shields, armor, defensive items, and skills were like paper in front of the terrifying flames, instantly incinerated.
Following closely after, their bodies were also wrapped in flames, and the shrill screams lasted for only a second before completely disappearing, turning to ash and blending into the fire.
The flames ran amok, and wherever they passed, none were spared.
Whether it was the close-combat candidates rushing to the very front, the mage candidates hiding in the rear, the gloomy youth fanning the flames, or the outstandingly talented Zhang Qinyao, all of them were enveloped by this giant fireball, without even a chance to escape!
Even Zhang Qinyao, who had the highest Profession rankin the entire arena and possessed a Legendary-gradeProfession, used a water curtain shield that barely resisted for a moment before being instantly burned away by the flames.
Her figure slowly dissipated in the flames, her eyes filled with reluctance and disbelief.
Although Zhang Qinyao considered herself to have a certain distance from top Prodigies like Zhao Hao who possessed a Mythic-grade Profession,
she felt that even if she encountered them, she could still match wits and contend with them to some extent.
She never expected that she couldn't even withstand a single move of Jiang Yuan's 'Fireball Spell'!
That giant fireball gradually dissipated.
Within the deep pit, only charred marks remained, and the air was filled with a rich scorched smell.
The original ninety-nine candidates had now vanished completely, with none surviving.
The Abyssal Demon Wolves, numbering over one hundred, likewise turned to ashes and smoke, leaving nothing behind.
Instant kill!
Another instant kill!
In just one second, the originally noisy and chaotic battlefield instantly turned deathly silent.
Meanwhile, the points panel above Jiang Yuan's head underwent a drastic change instantly, and a line of golden handwriting clearly emerged, updating his points in real-time.
[Current Points: 256]. With a single strike, ninety-nine candidates were killed, including the elimination of one hundred and fifty-seven level-sixty Abyssal Demon Wolves, accumulating a total of 256 points!
This was a full 156 points more than the 100 points required to advance from the hundred-person combat zone.
Jiang Yuan raised his eyes to glance at his points, his expression not fluctuating in the slightest.
He knew very well that for the main competition zone's assessment, the higher the points, the better!
In the rules of the Federal Main Tournament, aside from ranking in the top ten within the hundred-person combat zone to advance,
the final overall ranking primarily looked at the candidates' point values.
The higher the points, the higher the final ranking, and the more bountiful the rewards that could be obtained.
He gently raised his hand, the scarlet-gold firelight at his fingertips still flickering, and his gaze calmly swept across the empty battlefield.
The true melee had not ended; rather, it had just begun.
And his points were still far from enough.
"Ding, congratulations on your points exceeding one hundred points, successfully advancing to the next hundred-person massive battle!"
"Since you are the first contestant to advance, we are currently matching you with a corresponding opponent!"
"In the upcoming time, you can freely rest and adjust your state!"
The System voice from the Starfall Battlefield dungeon arrived as expected.
"It seems I still have to wait!"
Jiang Yuan was not surprised by this.
Because from the start of the battle to its end, not even a single minute had passed.
It was impossible for every hundred-person combat zone to be like Jiang Yuan, giving birth to a monstrous talentcapable of killing heaven and earth in an instant and rapidly ending other students.
Moreover, according to the main tournament rules, the maximum match time designed for a hundred-person combat zone could even reach up to two hours before it was forcibly ended.
After all, the space inside the Starfall Battlefield dungeon was extremely large.
If someone deliberately hid or charged deep into the battlefield, it wouldn't be so easy to find and kill them.
The reason Jiang Yuan eliminated the other candidates so quickly was,
aside from his own strength truly being strong, also because those ninety-nine candidates all harbored the idea of jointly killing Jiang Yuan, which allowed Jiang Yuan to successfully wipe them all out in one pot!
"By the way, let's raise the multiplier of the Fireball Spell!"
Maintaining a high-frequency release speed of the Fireball Spell, Jiang Yuan had firelight continuously emerging from his fingertips.
During the match, aside from fighting, Jiang Yuan had constantly been using skills to increase the amplification multiplier of his skill.
Currently, the amplification multiplier of the Fireball Spellhad already reached 9,120,000 times.
He only needed to continue releasing it 880,000 more times to reach ten million times.
Thus unlocking the ten-million-times special effect!
Regarding this, Jiang Yuan was extremely looking forward to it.
You must know that the one-million-times special effect of the Fireball Spell, the Extinction Flame Dragon, already possessed the power to instantly kill a Seventh-Turn Saintand threaten an Eighth-Turn Emperor.
The power of the ten-million-times special effect would only be even more powerful and terrifying!
"I will continue to maintain a release frequency of once per second!"
"It'll take about a day or so to reach ten million times!"
Jiang Yuan immediately became energetic, his face filled with anticipation, and a smile uncontrollably appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Chapter 197 Second Round Melee
Outside the Starfall Battlefield dungeon, inside the Federal Council Chamber, the atmosphere was even heavier than on the battlefield, carrying even a hint of unbelievable restlessness.
The council chamber was spacious and magnificent, with the Federal emblem hanging from the dome, shining brilliantly, and neat rows of seats arranged on both sides.
On one side stood dozens of federal high-ranking officials, including the Vice Speaker of the Federation Council,
while the other side consisted of virtual figures, all of whom were high-ranking experts from the thirty-six states of the federation.
They were all people of high authority and formidable combat power within the federation.
Usually, every single one of them had a calm expression and was stern and unsmiling.
At this moment, however, they all stared ungracefully at the giant canopy floating ahead, their gazes locked tightly onto the image of the hundred-person combat zone where Jiang Yuan was located, and the expressions on their faces were colorful and varied.
Before Jiang Yuan made a move, almost all the high-ranking officials maintained an attitude of complete skepticism toward this "second transfer Elite-grade Profession Class Holder who ranked first in Nanjiang", even carrying a trace of contempt.
They had spent their lives immersed in cultivation, knowing better than anyone how rigorous the classification of federal professions was.
The gap in Class Holder rank was like a natural chasm, which could never be easily crossed merely with equipment or hidden cards.
The classification of Class Holder rank had been verified for thousands of years by countless experts in the federation, and it was extremely rigorous; no matter how heaven-defying a Genius was, they ultimately had their limits.
For example, an Elite-grade Profession Class Holder of the same rank might rely on certain other advantages to defeat a rare-grade Class Holder of the same rank.
However, if they encountered an epic-grade Class Holder, defeating them would be extremely difficult.
As for encountering a Legendary-grade, there was simply no chance of winning at all.
Let alone a Mythical Grade one.
If an Elite-grade Profession Class Holder could defeat a Mythical Grade Class Holder of the same rank, then his profession shouldn't be Elite-grade, but Mythical Grade, or even an existence surpassing Mythical Grade!
In their inherent cognition, a second transfer Elite-grade was ultimately just a second transfer Elite-grade, incapable of stirring up much trouble.
Yet the next second, the images on the canopy heavily slapped the faces of all the high-ranking officials present.
When Jiang Yuan raised his hand in the canopy to condense that crimson-gold giant fireball with a diameter of several hundred meters, when the fireball fell and the flames raged, when nearly a hundred candidates along with dozens of Abyssal Demon Wolves were instantly burned to ashes, and when Jiang Yuan's points on the canopy instantly skyrocketed to 256 points, the entire Federal Council Chamber instantly fell into a death-like silence, and even the sound of breathing was clearly audible.
A certain high-ranking official who had just been full of disdain and uttered sarcasm turned pale at this moment, his hands abruptly relaxing, his mouth wide open yet unable to utter a single word, the contempt in the depths of his eyes instantly replaced by extreme shock and disbelief, and his whole body even trembled slightly.
He had seen the Fireball Spell released by a Legendary-grade fire mage and large-scale attacks by High-Tier Experts, but he had never seen a second transfer Elite-grade Profession Class Holder release such a world-destroying skill!
This was terrifying combat power that crushed Legendary-grade and instantly killed nearly a hundred people!
"N... No way! This is absolutely impossible!"
A federal councilor dressed in purple official robes broke the silence first, his voice trembling, his tone full of doubt and panic.
"How could he possibly release such a terrifying Fireball Spell?"
"This is simply not combat power that an Elite-grade Profession can possess!"
"Could there be an error somewhere?"
His words were also what everyone present wanted to express.
Therefore, it instantly ignited everyone's emotions, and the council chamber instantly became noisy, with various voices of doubt and exclamations rising one after another.
"That's right! There must be an error somewhere!"
"Perhaps he is not an Elite-grade at all, but has hidden his Class Holder rank; his true profession is at least Legendary-grade, or even Mythical Grade!"
"Otherwise, it's simply impossible to instantly kill nearly a hundred candidates and so many Abyssal Demon Wolvesin a single strike!"
Another state-level high-ranking official hurriedly chimed in, staring eagerly at Jiang Yuan's Class Holder information on the canopy,
"I don't think it's necessarily a System error; perhaps there's a problem with his rank!"
"Look at the aura when he releases his skill; it seems restrained, yet it contains terrifying energy, not at all like an aura that a second transfer expert can possess!"
"I suspect his true rank is not second transfer at all, but perhaps Third-Rank or even higher. He merely used some kind of treasure to hide his own rank and blind the detection of the dungeon rules!"
A white-haired old man holding a walking stick spoke in a heavy tone, his sharp eyes staring fixedly at Jiang Yuan's figure in the canopy.
"It is also possible that his innate attributes are too heaven-defying, far surpassing ordinary people!"
An expert from the federal military department spoke, their tone full of shock and dread, "Perhaps his Elite-grade Profession is not an ordinary Elite-grade, but a mutated Elite-grade. He is naturally gifted and can leap ranks to display combat power far exceeding his own rank, even rivaling a Mythic-grade Profession!"
"There is another possibility, which is that he has a peerless treasure on him!"
Someone put forward a different guess, their eyes filled with greed and envy, "Perhaps he holds some kind of supreme treasure that can amplify skill power, or a Divine Artifact that can enhance his own combat power. Otherwise, relying solely on an Elite-grade Profession, no matter how heaven-defying his talent is, it would be impossible to achieve this step!"
The discussions grew increasingly fierce, and everyone held their own opinions. Some suspected that Jiang Yuanhad hidden his Class Holder rank, some questioned his true rank, some guessed he possessed heaven-defyingtalent, and others were certain he held a peerless treasure!
However, everyone shared one consensus: the combat power displayed by Jiang Yuan could absolutely not be possessed by an ordinary second transfer Elite-grade Profession Class Holder.
The high-ranking official from North Cang who had just mocked Nanjiang State was now blushing all over, his expression awkward, yet he still refused to give up, muttering in a low voice, "Even if he has hidden cards and treasures, the gap couldn't possibly be this huge... This simply defies common sense!"
The Vice Speaker of the Federation Council abruptly raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet. His expression remained majestic, but the shock in the depths of his eyes could no longer be concealed.
He stared fixedly at the calm-looking youth in the canopy, his tone heavy and low.
"Quiet! The dungeon monitoring function cannot be wrong. The detection mechanism of the Federal Unified Examination is extremely rigorous. Whether it is Class Holder rank, one's own rank, or hidden methods, it is impossible to easily blind the dungeon rules."
Pausing for a moment, a hint of imperceptible solemnity entered his tone: "In other words, this Jiang Yuan is indeed a second transfer Elite-grade Profession Class Holder. For him to display such terrifying combat power, either he possesses a heaven-defying Class Holder talent, or he holds some supreme treasure we have never seen before, or... his profession itself holds unknown secrets far exceeding our understanding of Elite-grade Professions."
"Regardless, that is also part of his own ability."
"Our federation has never rejected anyone with ability!"
"And for such special talents, the federation should pay more attention and nurture them, rather than blindly questioning them!"
The Vice Speaker of the Federation Council swept his cold gaze across the crowd. "Put away your petty thoughts. I will never allow any federal Genius to be murdered to death by their own people, even if he carries major secrets on him!"
The high-ranking officials present instantly quieted down, all of them gazing at Jiang Yuan in the canopy with solemn expressions. The suspicion in their eyes was gradually replaced by shock, dread, and curiosity.
They knew that what the Vice Speaker of the Federation Council said was not false!
The detection mechanism of the Federal Unified Examination had been perfected over a thousand years and could absolutely not produce such low-level mistakes.
Furthermore, the Vice Speaker of the Federation Council's attitude toward Jiang Yuan also made them dare not harbor any bad thoughts toward Jiang Yuan.
After all, no matter what, Jiang Yuan's strength, ability, and value were no weaker than a Mythical Grade Class HolderGenius.
Such a talent was precisely what the federation needed.
Once they grew up, they would definitely be the backbone of the federation.
They must absolutely not perish midway during the growth process.
They must be well protected until they grow from a Geniusinto a High-Tier Expert!
"The rise of the federation is in sight! With such a Geniusholding down the fort, in the future, it might not be impossible to add another God-level expert to deter all directions!"
These words instantly resonated with everyone, and many high-ranking officials nodded successively, the joy on their faces growing increasingly rich.
Except for a few high-ranking officials who held hostility towards Jiang Yuan, most other high-ranking officials were like the Vice Speaker of the Federation Council, looking forward more to the rise of a rising star.
The federal high-ranking officials and experts from the thirty-six states present looked at Jiang Yuan's calm advancing figure in the canopy. The suspicion and reluctance in the depths of their eyes had long been replaced by solid surprise and shock, and their faces gradually bloomed with unbelievable joy; some even couldn't help lowering their voices, unable to hide their excitement.
They were all old monsters who had lived for hundreds of years and had seen countless Geniuses in their lifetimes, yet they had never seen such a monstrous monstrous talent!
A second transfer Elite-grade Profession, yet capable of releasing a world-destroying giant Fireball Spell, instantly killing nearly a hundred candidates and over a hundred Abyssal Demon Wolves in a single strike.
This combat power had already far exceeded Mythical Rank Professionals of the same rank. Even those veteran Mythical Grade experts who had lived for several hundred years were far inferior to Jiang Yuan by a long shot when they were at the same age stage.
"A monstrous talent! Truly a once-in-a-millennium monstrous talent!"
An old federal councilor stroked his beard, his face full of gratification and ecstasy, and his tone could hardly hide his excitement. All the previous doubts about Jiang Yuan had vanished like smoke at this moment, replaced by absolute conviction in his talent and strength.
They finally understood that Jiang Yuan being able to top the Nanjiang rankings with an Elite-grade Profession was never a matter of luck, but rather that absolute strength that crushed everything, and that heaven-defying talent far surpassing ordinary people.
What was even more heart-stirring was that several figures in the crowd quietly exchanged glances, a trace of burning passion and calculation flashing through the depths of their eyes.
They were the experts from the Five Great Academies and the top federal factions.
At this moment, these experts who were usually high and mighty and unsmiling lacked their past calmness; instead, they were replaced by an urgent desire to snatch people away, and the exchanging gazes hidden among them contained an unspoken tacit understanding and secret competition.
"Such a monstrous talent, if he can be recruited into our Magic Sea Academy, in less than ten years, he will definitely become the backbone of the academy, and can even lead Magic Sea Academy to surpass other academies and rank at the head of the Five Great Academies!"
The leading expert of Beijiang Academy secretly exchanged a glance with the deputy beside him, the burning passion in the depths of their eyes almost unable to be concealed, and they were already scheming in their hearts how to win over Jiang Yuan.
On the other side, an expert from the top faction directly under the federal center, Lingxiao Pavilion, hooked the corner of their mouth into a determined arc, thinking to themselves: "This child is gifted and has monstrous combat power. If he can be brought into Lingxiao Pavilion, in the future he will surely grow into a top federal combat power, and even have a chance to become a god. By then, the status of Lingxiao Pavilion will be even more secure!"
The remaining four of the Five Great Academies, as well as the top factions of various states, all had the same thoughts.
Especially the several high-ranking executives from the Federal Central Academy showed extremely interested expressions.
They gazed at Jiang Yuan in the sky screen, as if looking at an unpolished jade, a peerless unpolished jade that, with a little polishing, could emit boundless brilliance and even support the rise and fall of a faction.
Such a figure, if he could be brought into their fold, would not only strengthen their own faction but also occupy an absolute advantage in the future federal pattern.
Whoever could win over Jiang Yuan would be equivalent to having an extra trump card in the future to resist everything, and an extra top-tier expert expected to become a god.
The undercurrents surging within the council chamber naturally could not escape the eyes of the people from Nanjiang Province.
Standing in the crowd, Vice City Lord of Nanjiang's expression instantly turned solemn, a trace of vigilance flashed in the depths of his eyes, and he quietly exchanged a glance with the high-level officials of Nanjiang beside him, both seeing worry in each other's eyes.
Jiang Yuan was a person of Nanjiang origin, a Genius who walked out of the Nanjiang competition zone.
Logically speaking, he should belong to Nanjiang Academyand fall under the command of Nanjiang Province.
However, Vice City Lord of Nanjiang knew very well that in the face of absolute talent and strength, the two words native place were simply not enough to bind the desire of other forces to snatch people.
The top-tier forces of other provinces, the Five Great Academies, and even the forces directly under the federal central government would never let go of such a monstrous Genius.
They not only had to compete for Jiang Yuan with the forces of the other thirty-five provinces, but also constantly guard against the actions of the direct forces under the federal central government.
Although Nanjiang Province was one of the top five powerful provinces in the Federation with formidable strength, compared with the federal central direct control which controlled the entire Federation, had countless High-Tier Experts, and countless resources, there was still a considerable gap.
Once the federal central direct control made up its mind to win over Jiang Yuan, Nanjiang Province simply did not have enough confidence to contend with it, and could only watch helplessly as Jiang Yuan was snatched away.
"Everyone, cheer up."
Vice City Lord of Nanjiang lowered his voice and said in a solemn tone to the high-level officials of Nanjiang beside him, "Little friend Jiang Yuan is the pride of our Nanjiang, and we must never let him be snatched away by other forces. The federal central direct control is eyeing him covetously, and the Five Great Academies are also restless. We must make preparations in advance. As soon as the Unified Examination ends, we will find little friend Jiang Yuan at the first moment and pull him under the command of Nanjiang Academy."
The high-level officials of Nanjiang beside him nodded one after another, their expressions extremely solemn, and their eyes filled with vigilance.
They knew very well that this battle for snatching people had long since quietly opened its prelude in secret.
And they must go all out to guard the Genius of Nanjiang Province.
However, no matter how many calculations and vigilance there were in their hearts, all the powerful experts of the forces present did not put their thoughts into action, but still quietly stared at the sky screen, paying attention to every move of Jiang Yuan.
They all knew very well that it was not yet time to make a move, and there were two crucial reasons that forced them to stay put.
First, the Starfall Battlefield dungeon was still in progress. Jiang Yuan was still inside the dungeon at this moment, bound by the dungeon rules. People from the outside world could not conduct any form of communication with the examinees inside the dungeon at all, let alone contact or win over Jiang Yuan in advance.
No matter how urgent their desire to snatch people was in their hearts, they could only wait patiently. Only when the Unified Examination ended and Jiang Yuan walked out of the dungeon could they officially launch the momentum of winning him over.
Second, although they were shocked by Jiang Yuan's huge Fireball Spell just now and recognized Jiang Yuan's talent and strength, they still needed to observe Jiang Yuan's subsequent performance to confirm whether Jiang Yuan's formidable strength could be maintained all the time and whether he could sweep across everything invincible.
Everyone had a question in their hearts.
Was that earth-shattering Fireball Spell with a diameter of over hundreds of meters just now Jiang Yuan's ultimate trump card, or was it an ordinary skill that he could casually release on ordinary days?
This question directly determined their final evaluation of Jiang Yuan and the urgency of winning him over.
If that Fireball Spell was only Jiang Yuan's ultimate trump card, unable to be released again in a short time, or even requiring a huge price to release once, then Jiang Yuan's value would be greatly discounted, and their desire to win him over would also weaken accordingly.
However, if Jiang Yuan could release such a terrifying Fireball Spell again in the subsequent battle, or even release stronger skills, then their evaluation of Jiang Yuanwould be raised by another tier.
Their determination to win him over would also become more firm, and they would even spare no cost to bring Jiang Yuan into their fold.
The council chamber returned to silence once again, but beneath this silence were surging undercurrents.
Everyone's gazes gathered on the sky screen once again, firmly locking onto Jiang Yuan's figure, their eyes filled with anticipation, vigilance, and calculation.
They were all waiting, waiting for Jiang Yuan's subsequent performance, waiting for the moment when the Unified Examination ended. A battle for snatching people centered around Jiang Yuan was already with the arrow on the bowstring, and it would completely erupt once the timing was ripe.
As for some high-level officials with thoughts, they had already secretly ordered their subordinates to immediately head to Nanjiang City.
After all, when it really came to the step of snatching people, it certainly could not remain just in thoughts, but needed to be put into realistic action.
Starfall Battlefield dungeon space.
Beneath the dim sky curtain, a soft yet irresistible white light suddenly dissipated, and Jiang Yuan's figure steadily landed in a brand new combat zone.
This was the exclusive battlefield for the second round of the hundred-person melee in the general competition zone of the Federal Unified Examination.
Unlike the venue of the first round where bones were scattered everywhere and Demonic Qi was chaotic,
Here the terrain was open, and the ground was covered with special rocks emitting a pale silver luster. One could faintly feel the violent energy surging underground, and the concentration of Demonic Qi in the air far exceeded that of the first round. Faint roars of giant beasts could be heard from afar, and an oppressive atmosphere rushed over their faces, foreshadowing that the degree of this melee would far exceed the previous round.
"Examinee Jiang Yuan, congratulations on successfully advancing to the second round of the hundred-person melee. Current combat zone: General Competition Zone Second Round Hundred-Person Combat Zone. This round of examination has not yet started, and other examinees are being matched. After the matching is completed (100 people), the melee will officially start. Please prepare yourself, examinee."
The cold System prompt tone dissipated by his ears, and Jiang Yuan raised his eyes to scan the entire field. At this moment, in the combat zone, he was the only one.
He casually found a protruding dark silver rock and sat down. His aura remained restrained, and his fingertips no longer flickered with red-gold firelight. Only his gaze was as sharp as a knife, silently sizing up the surrounding environment while perceiving the energy flow in the air.
The Demonic Qi in this combat zone was not only thicker, but also mixed with a trace of faint ancient Baleful Qi.
Obviously, the monsters refreshed in this round would far exceed the strength of the level 60 Abyssal Demon Wolves from the previous round.
And the opponents he was about to face were by no means comparable to the mixed bag of examinees in the first round.
Time slowly passed. Almost every two or three minutes, one or several white lights would randomly light up in the combat zone, followed by the figures of one or more examinees.
As soon as they landed, they instantly tightened their nerves, releasing their formidable auras without reservation. Their vigilant gazes swept across the entire combat zone like searchlights, scrutinizing every potential opponent, their eyes filled with guard and hostility.
None of the examinees who could successfully advance to the second round were mediocre; they were all top-tier geniuses screened layer by layer from their respective sub-competition zones, either High-Tier Experts ranked at the top of the sub-competition zone, or Prodigies possessing heaven-defying professions and talents.
Everyone knew clearly that in the melee of the second round, a slight carelessness would lead to death and elimination, with no chance of turning things around ever again.
Jiang Yuan's gaze calmly swept across every transmitted examinee, and he understood in his heart.
Above the heads of most of these examinees were labeled the words "epic-grade Profession", and occasionally one could encounter those wearing the dazzling title of "Legendary-grade" profession. The aura emitted from their bodies far exceeded all the opponents he encountered in the first round.
Even the most ordinary epic-grade examinee possessed strength comparable to the outstanding figures among the examinees who swarmed and besieged him in the first round.
Without exaggeration, every examinee in the second round combat zone was a top-tier Genius comparable to Zhang Qinyao, with formidable strength and meticulous thoughts, and by no means someone easy to deal with.
Among them, the most eye-catching ones were five talented Prodigies possessing top-tier professions.
As soon as they were transmitted over, relying on their formidable auras far exceeding ordinary people, they stood out and became the focus within the combat zone. Even the examinees of other epic-grade professions subconsciously kept a distance from them, with awe and apprehension in the depths of their eyes.
Compared to Jiang Yuan's obscurity before the competition,
these few had all made quite a name for themselves before the competition.
These five geniuses had different origins, completely different professions, equipment, and personalities, but equally monstrous combat power.
The first Legendary-grade Genius was named Bai Muyuan, who was the third place in the North Cang Province sub-competition zone and the second place in the current hundred-person combat zone.
His origin was also unusual, being a direct descendant of the top-tier aristocratic Bai family, and also a core student heavily cultivated by North Cang Academy.
Like Lin Muxue, although the Federal Unified Examinationhad not yet ended, he had long signed an intent contract with North Cang Academy, one of the Five Great Academies. Regardless of his results, he would eventually join North Cang Academy and would not choose other academies.
The only difference from Lin Muxue was that because Bai Muyuan's family background and talent were stronger, his contract with North Cang Academy had more freedom, and he would obtain cultivation with more resources.
At this time, Bai Muyuan was dressed in a moon-white tight martial outfit, his posture upright like a pine, his face cold and handsome, with a trace of innate arrogance between his brows. His body was surrounded by a faint ice-blue aura. Even if he just stood quietly, a thin layer of white frost would condense on the dark silver rock beneath his feet, and the chill was bone-piercing.
His Legendary-grade profession was [Winter Holy Guard], proficient in manipulating ultimate ice, combining offense and defense. He could condense an indestructible ice armor to resist attacks, and release powerful skills such as ice blades, ice storms, and Ice Seal Domain, instantly freezing a large area and suppressing the opponent's combat power.
He held a longsword that was glowing white all over and shimmering with ice patterns in his hand, named "Hanyuan Sword", which was a powerful Legendary-grade weapon containing ultimate ice power. When swung, it could trigger the ice elements between heaven and earth, and wherever the sword wind passed, even the air would be frozen.
Chapter 198: Another Mythical Rank Professionals
Bai Muyuan's personality was arrogant and aloof, unaccustomed to communicating with others and disdaining to form alliances. As soon as he landed, he found a corner on the northern side of the battle zone and stood quietly, sweeping his indifferent gaze across the entire venue.
Only when he saw the words "Current Points: 256, Ranking: 1" above Jiang Yuan's head did a trace of unnoticeable surprise and vigilance flash across the depths of his eyes, before returning to indifference immediately.
Although he was surprised that Jiang Yuan possessed such a high score despite being a second-turn Elite-grade Profession, he still maintained his own arrogance and did not easily put anyone in his eyes.
He only classified Jiang Yuan as a "potential formidable enemy" and would definitely be extra vigilant in battle.
The second Legendary-grade Genius was Xie Xiyue, coming from the Donglanzhou sub-division, ranked fifth, and currently the third place in the hundred-person battle zone.
She had an peerlessly beautiful appearance and a gentle temperament. She was wearing a light pink mage robe, with the hem embroidered with fine water ripples. Her body was surrounded by a soft yet not weak water-blue halo, and her eyebrows carried a trace of tenderness, yet they also hid a few points of resilience and intelligence.
Her Legendary-grade profession was [Canghai Lingji], which was somewhat similar in ability to Zhang Qinyao's [Bibo Lingfa], but obviously superior.
Xie Xiyue's ability to manipulate water elements far exceeded Su Qingyuan's. She could release powerful attack and defense skills such as water dragons, water curtains, and water blades, cast high-order healing magic, and even manipulate seawater to form the "Canglan Domain". Within the Domain, her own combat strength was increased by 50%, and her opponent's combat strength was suppressed by 30%.
In her hand, she held a staff inlaid with deep-sea pearls and blue gems, named the "Canglan Staff". It was a supreme treasure with extremely high growth potential prepared for her by the Xie Clan, which could more than double the power of water element skills and quickly restore her own mana.
Xie Xiyue's personality was gentle but not cowardly, wise and calm, and meticulous. As soon as she landed, she did not rush to release her aura, but quietly observed all the examinees, her gaze lingering on Jiang Yuan for the longest time.
She had indeed heard of Jiang Yuan's reputation before, knowing that he was a dark horse who topped the Nanjiang rankings with a second-turn Elite-grade Profession. Now seeing Jiang Yuan far ahead with 256 points, she only felt deep vigilance.
Xie Xiyue was clear that it was absolutely impossible for Jiang Yuan to reach this step by luck. Even if it was an Elite-grade Profession, it must hide unknown trump cards. Therefore, she quietly classified Jiang Yuan as her "primary object of vigilance and the biggest competitor for advancement", secretly paying attention to Jiang Yuan's every move.
The third Legendary-grade Genius was Xiao Zhantian, from the Tiancangzhou sub-division, ranked sixth. He was a Genius cultivated by the military department of Tiancangzhou, born into a military Clan, exuding an aura of slaughter all over his body.
He was tall and robust, wearing a suit of heavy black armor covered in hideous patterns. A red gem was embedded in his chest, emitting violent battle qi fluctuations. Surrounded by rich red battle qi, his aura was fierce like a fierce tiger coming down the mountain, and his eyebrows carried a bit of rebelliousness and ruthlessness. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, exuding an unquestionable hegemony.
His Legendary-grade profession was [Burning Heaven Berserker], specializing in close-combat fighting. He could convert battle qi into Burning Heaven Flames, blessing them on his weapons and himself. His combat strength was monstrous, growing braver the more he fought. When falling into a berserk state, his combat strength could double, and he could even ignore some damage.
In his hand, he held a heavy giant axe named the "Burning Heaven Axe". The axe body was pitch-black and covered with flame patterns, being a Legendary-grade weapon. When swung, it could release giant flame axe Qi, burning everything in its way. Its weight far exceeded ordinary weapons, making it difficult even for ordinary examinees to lift, but he used it with superb mastery.
Xiao Zhantian's personality was unruly, fierce and belligerent, advocating absolute strength.
As soon as he landed, he released all his aura to deter the audience, sweeping a fierce gaze across every examinee.
When he saw Jiang Yuan's score and ranking, a trace of excitement and Battle Intent flashed across the depths of his eyes. He even lifted his chin towards Jiang Yuan's direction, carrying provocation in his eyes.
He didn't care about Jiang Yuan's profession rank, only caring about Jiang Yuan's strength. The more formidable the opponent, the more it could arouse his desire to fight. He couldn't wait to fight Jiang Yuan and see how much weight this "score list leader" really had.
The fourth Legendary-grade Genius was Wei Changfeng, coming from the Central Direct Jurisdiction division, ranked seventh.
Central Direct Jurisdiction was the location of the Federal Headquarters and also the strongest state among the thirty-six states of the Federation, filled with countless talents. Being able to rank seventh in the Central state sub-division was enough to show his talent and strength.
He was dressed in black clothes, with a handsome face and a cold temperament. His body was surrounded by a faint shadow aura, his figure was tall and straight, and his steps were light, as if he had melted into the darkness. Without careful observation, it was even difficult to notice his existence.
His Legendary-grade profession was [Extreme Shadow Demon Assassin], good at concealing his figure, ambushing and assassinating. With extremely fast speed, he could shuttle through shadows and take people's heads silently. He could also release skills such as shadow Avatars, shadow blades, and shadow imprisonment, having both offense and defense, and excelling at protracted battles and ambush battles.
In his hand, he held two pitch-black, small and sharp short daggers named the "Shadow Blood Daggers". They were Legendary-grade weapons containing rich shadow energy. The daggers were quenched with special shadow venom. Once scratched, one would be eroded by the shadow energy, causing mana and combat strength to drop sharply, and even getting one's body imprisoned.
Wei Changfeng's personality was gloomy and cunning, meticulous, suspicious and cautious. He didn't like to attract attention. As soon as he landed, he concealed his aura and hid behind the rocks on the southern side of the battle zone, quietly observing the whole venue. His gloomy gaze swept across every examinee, paying special attention to strong ones like Jiang Yuan, Bai Muyuan, and Xie Xiyue.
He was full of curiosity and vigilance towards Jiang Yuan's score and identity, calculating secretly in his heart!
If he could quietly ambush Jiang Yuan, his reputation would definitely soar greatly.
However, he was also clear that Jiang Yuan was by no means an easy person to deal with, so he didn't act rashly, but just lurked silently, waiting for the best opportunity.
The fifth was the unexpected Mythic-grade ProfessionGenius, Yun Xinyang, coming from the Yunzhou sub-division, ranked first.
Yunzhou ranked towards the bottom among the thirty-six states of the Federation, and its territory was less than a tenth of Nanjiang's. Judging from its comprehensive strength, it was relatively a bit weaker.
However, it possessed a top-tier force that the entire Federation and even the Human Race could not ignore, namely the Yuntian Palace.
Yun Xinyang's Clan was the Yun Clan, and she came from the Yuntian Palace, which could be described as having a noble birth and extraordinary talent.
Yun Xinyang was dressed in a white gauze skirt, with a peerlessly refined appearance and an ethereal temperament. Her body was surrounded by a faint golden glow, like a Fairy from above the Nine Heavens, out of tune with this dim and bloody battlefield, yet she naturally carried a powerful aura.
Her Mythic-grade Profession was the Nine Heavens Holy Master, good at manipulating the power of the Nine Heavens glow.
She could release glow attacks with infinite power, condense unbreakable glow shields, and cast glow healing, glow amplification, and other skills. She could stand alone and assist teammates, being a rare "offense, defense, and support" trinity Mythic-grade Profession.
In her hand, she held a jade flute inlaid with golden gems, named the "Glow Divine Flute". It was a Mythic-grade weapon passed down by the Yuntian Palace for many years, which could only be activated and used by Mythical Rank Professionals.
Once played, it could release glow skills, disturb the opponent's mind, and even control other people's minds. It was one of the town-palace supreme treasures of the Yuntian Palace.
Yun Xinyang's personality was cold and ethereal, untainted by worldly things, yet she had her own pride and bottom line. She didn't like to fight with people, but she never feared challenges either.
As soon as she landed, she stood on a rock in the center of the battle zone, sweeping her calm gaze across the whole audience. When she saw Jiang Yuan's score, a trace of curiosity flashed across the depths of her eyes, but there was no vigilance or provocation; she merely regarded Jiang Yuan as an ordinary competitor.
She was confident that her own strength was formidable, and no matter who the opponent was, she could cope with it calmly. Therefore, she didn't pay too much attention to Jiang Yuan's "contrast", focusing only on her own state and waiting for the assessment to begin.
When Yun Xinyang's gaze swept over Jiang Yuan, Jiang Yuan was also sizing up the other party.
"Another Mythical Rank Professionals!"
This was the second top Genius Jiang Yuan had encountered who possessed a Mythic-grade Profession.
Although the probability of Awakening a God-levelprofession was one in a hundred million, it couldn't withstand the huge population base of the Federation.
Moreover, if the elders were powerful Class Holders with strong bloodline Legacies, the greater the probability that the younger generation would awaken a powerful profession.
Like Zhao Hao from the Zhao Clan and Yun Xinyang from the Yun Clan, both were like this.
These five top geniuses chosen from ten thousand were each monstrous in strength, with distinct personalities and different attitudes.
Yet they were undoubtedly the contestants with the highest hope of advancing to the next round in the second round of melee, and also Jiang Yuan's biggest competitors.
Besides them, the remaining examinees were also outstanding figures among the Epic Class professions. Everyone had their own trump cards and combat strength, guarding against each other, and the smell of gunpowder in the air became stronger and stronger.
However, no matter what the attitudes of these geniuses were, there was one common point.
Most of them cast their attention on Jiang Yuan.
For no other reason. First, Jiang Yuan was the first examinee to advance to the second round of the hundred-person battle zone, arriving nearly half an hour earlier than other examinees. This strength of "taking the lead in advancing" was enough in itself to attract everyone's attention.
Being able to advance first with an absolute advantage in the cruel melee of the first round could by no means be achieved by luck; it must possess the strength to crush peers.
Second, Jiang Yuan's current score was 256 points, far ahead of all other examinees, firmly occupying the first place on the total list.
You must know that the examinees in the second round were mostly top geniuses who stood out from their respective sub-divisions. Their scores in the first round were at most just over a hundred, which was a world of difference compared to Jiang Yuan's 256 points.
Based on this point alone, it was enough to prove Jiang Yuan's strength!
Being able to reap such a high score in the first round either meant hunting a large number of monsters or eliminating a large number of examinees. Whichever it was, it required extremely strong combat strength and extraordinary courage.
The examinees who could advance into the second round were not only powerful in strength, but also very smart in their brains.
They would never foolishly think that Jiang Yuan reached this step by luck, nor would they despise him because of Jiang Yuan's label of a "second-turn Elite-grade Profession".
On the contrary, they were all clear that in the Federal Unified Examination, although the profession rank was important, talent, trump cards, Legacies, and treasures could all make up for the gap in profession ranks, and Jiang Yuan was obviously such a "hidden big shot".
Just like apart from Jiang Yuan, top geniuses like Yun Xinyang and Bai Muyuan, besides their own professions, the equipment they wore on their bodies was also top-tier, and there were even some Divine Artifact supreme treasures.
Even an ordinary Class Holder holding these equipment of Divine Artifact supreme treasures could make their own strength skyrocket by one or two tiers.
Those examinees with Epic Class professions were filled with awe and vigilance in their eyes when looking at Jiang Yuan, successively classifying Jiang Yuan as an object that "must never be easily provoked".
Some people even secretly calculated that once the assessment started, they should try their best to avoid Jiang Yuan, first hunt monsters to accumulate points to raise their rankings, and then survive until the end before finding an opportunity to fight for the advancement quota.
Chapter 199: The Great Battle Begins
Yet, the gazes that the five Legendary-grade Geniusdirected at Jiang Yuan each differed.
Bai Muyuan's detached vigilance, Xie Xiyue's calm scrutiny, Xiao Zhantian's excited provocation, Wei Changfeng's sinister plotting, and Yun Xinyang's nonchalant curiosity.
But fundamentally, they were all filled with a high degree of vigilance toward Jiang Yuan, and no one dared to underestimate this super dark horse who possessed a "Second-turn Elite-grade Profession" yet held 256 points.
Jiang Yuan had long been accustomed to this. Facing the gazes of hundreds across the arena, his expression remained calm as he sat on a boulder, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him.
He was clear that the melee of the second round would be several times more cruel than the first round, and the opponents' strength far exceeded the previous round, especially those five Legendary-grade Genius, who were even more troublesome opponents.
But he did not have the slightest fear, his heart even as still as water.
Even defeating a large group of top Genius from all over the Federation could not compare to the pleasure brought by the impending nearly ten-million-fold enhancement of his Fireball Spell.
Time slowly passed, and more and more examinees were teleported to the battle zone.
More and more people regarded Jiang Yuan as their biggest opponent for advancement.
This wariness, like invisible threads, coiled around the heart of every examinee.
But completely unlike those ninety-nine people in the first round, at this moment, not a single examinee in the battle zone dared to rashly propose that everyone join forces to besiege Jiang Yuan. Instead, they each harbored their own calculations and made completely different choices.
Bai Muyuan still stood alone in the northern corner, the ice-blue aura around his body growing increasingly restrained, his gaze indifferent as he looked into the distance, completely unconcerned about the unusual movements of the surrounding examinees.
He was inherently proud and aloof, disdaining cooperation with others. Even facing a formidable enemy like Jiang Yuan, he firmly believed his own strength was sufficient to cope, and fighting alone was his choice.
Besides this, there were also multiple epic-gradeexaminees who either emulated Bai Muyuan by finding quiet corners to conceal their forms or wandered alone at the edge of the battle zone to familiarize themselves with the environment. They all possessed their own pride and confidence, preferring to fight alone rather than ally with others, fearing betrayal by teammates mid-cooperation and being reduced to others' points.
In contrast, another portion of examinees chose to form Alliances and coalitions, beginning their layouts early.
Several examinees from the same sub-division quickly gathered together, whispering to finalize the details of a temporary team, mutually agreeing: "Prioritize hunting monsters, secondarily eliminate external enemies, and never engage in internal fights."
There were also a few groups of examinees who, despite coming from different sub-divisions, shared common concerns. They actively contacted each other and reached a verbal agreement of "non-aggression," agreeing that after the melee started, they would each fight on their own without interfering with each other, first dealing with weak opponents before considering the competition among the strong.
Yet everyone tacitly understood that this agreement was merely an expedient measure before the melee began. Once points and advancement slots were involved, the so-called "non-aggression" would instantly be voided, and turning against each other was just a matter of a single thought.
Among the crowd, there were also a few radically-minded examinees who secretly and quietly proposed wanting to rally everyone to eliminate Jiang Yuan, the greatest threat, before the melee started.
"As long as we take down Jiang Yuan, every single one of our chances for advancement will greatly increase!"
"With Jiang Yuan's high score of 256 points, examinees in the same battle zone as him are bound to have none survive. If we don't resolve Jiang Yuan, all of us will 'die' and no one can advance!"
As soon as these words were spoken, it immediately drew the echo of quite a few examinees, a trace of temptation flashing in their eyes.
Everyone knew Jiang Yuan's might was the greatest and that he was the biggest stumbling block to their advancement.
But temptation was temptation; those truly willing to actively respond and take the lead in action were few and far between.
After all, Jiang Yuan's strength was right there. His battle record of wiping out a hundred people's siege with a single strike in the first round had long spread across all sub-divisions, and no one dared to underestimate his combat power.
To be enemies with Jiang Yuan was tantamount to casting an egg against a rock. A slight carelessness would not only fail to kill Jiang Yuan, but instead get them instantly eliminated by him without even a chance to turn things around.
Moreover, the advancement rules of the Federal Unified Examination were clear. This round of hundred-person melee could have at most ten people advance. As long as one accumulated enough points or eliminated enough opponents, one could smoothly advance. There was no need to blindly fight to the death with the strongest like Jiang Yuan; picking soft persimmons to squeeze was instead much safer.
Compared to those examinees who feared and plotted against Jiang Yuan, quite a few quick-witted and situation-assessing examinees instead got the idea of cooperating with Jiang Yuan.
They understood that "an Alliance of the weak is inferior to joining hands between the strong."
Jiang Yuan's strength was formidable. If they could form a team and Alliance with him, they could borrow his power to easily hunt monsters and eliminate opponents. The probability of advancing would also greatly increase, and it might even be possible to steadily secure an advancement slot by following Jiang Yuan.
Soon, an examinee dressed in cyan martial attire, bearing the title of "epic-grade Wind Blade Swordsman," took the lead in summoning his courage, cautiously walking in front of Jiang Yuan with a respectful smile piled on his face and a modest tone.
"Boss Jiang Yuan, I am Zeng Jinghang from the Minghaizhou sub-division, an epic-grade Wind Blade Swordsman. I excel in speed and long-range cutting, and I can help you pin down opponents and clear out mob minions. I want to team up with you. After the melee starts, I will absolutely obey your command and never hold you back. I only ask that you can take me along to advance. Do you think this is okay?"
Zeng Jinghang's attitude was extremely humble and sincere.
But as soon as his voice fell, another girl holding a staff quickly stepped forward, following closely behind, her tone even more sincere than his.
"Boss Jiang Yuan, I also want to team up with you!"
"I am Li Ruoxue from the same Southern Border division state sub-division as you, an epic-grade Healing Mage who can cast high-tier healing magic and release defensive shields!"
"During the melee, I can help you restore your status and resist attacks, and you won't have to worry about injuries. I beg you to give me a chance!"
As Li Ruoxue spoke, she frequently cast seductive winks toward Jiang Yuan.
If there weren't so many people present, Li Ruoxue would have even wished to reveal everything.
Immediately following that, several more examinees stepped forward one after another, all currying favor with Jiang Yuan in respectful tones and displaying their respective strengths, wanting to persuade Jiang Yuan to team up with them.
"Boss Jiang Yuan, I excel in concealment and reconnaissance, and I can help you figure out the positions of monsters and opponents!"
"I am an epic-grade Heavy Armor Warrior who can tank damage and block all attacks for you!"
"The few of us have tacit coordination, and our combat power is not weak either. Teaming up with you will definitely help you accumulate points faster, and we only ask to advance by following you!"
"Anyway, there are ten slots for advancement, so it doesn't do you any harm either."
For a time, Jiang Yuan was surrounded by examinees currying favor and begging to team up. Their tones were respectful, their postures placed extremely low, and their eyes were filled with expectation and nervousness. Even those surrounding examinees who originally feared Jiang Yuan glanced sideways one after another, curious about how Jiang Yuan would choose.
Jiang Yuan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze calmly sweeping across the few examinees before him. His expression did not have the slightest ripple—neither tempted nor impatient—as he only spoke indifferently, his voice not loud, yet clearly entering everyone's ears.
"No need."
The simple three words instantly stunned the examinees present.
"Boss Jiang Yuan, won't you reconsider? We are truly very sincere, and we can help you without holding you back!"
Zeng Jinghang subconsciously pursued the question, a trace of urgency carried in his tone.
"I said, no need. I am used to fighting alone; I don't need teammates, nor will I take anyone else to advance. After the melee begins, it will be to each according to their strength. If anyone blocks my path, whoever they may be, they will bear the consequences themselves."
Jiang Yuan raised his eyes, glancing at him indifferently. His tone remained calm, yet it carried an unquestionable resoluteness.
As soon as these words came out, the expectation on the faces of the examinees surrounding Jiang Yuan instantly faded, replaced by awkwardness and disappointment, along with a trace of hard-to-detect wariness.
They knew that Jiang Yuan had completely rejected their overtures. Continuing to pester him further would not only be meaningless, but might also provoke Jiang Yuan, resulting in a loss outweighing the gain.
Several people sheepishly retreated one after another, no longer daring to step forward easily, except that the gazes they looked at Jiang Yuan with gained a few more parts of awe and helplessness. The surrounding examinees also withdrew their gazes one after another, secretly understanding in their hearts.
Jiang Yuan's personality was arrogant and formidable, and he was not good at cooperating with others. Wanting to borrow his power to advance was simply impossible.
For a time, the examinees who originally still harbored lucky chances and wanted to team up with Jiang Yuancompletely abandoned this thought, either continuing to form Alliances and coalitions or silently lying low, waiting for the melee to begin.
When the number of examinees in the battle zone reached 99 people, the atmosphere in the air had already tightened to the extreme. Everyone held their breath, concentrating and staying on guard, waiting for the arrival of the last examinee and also awaiting the official start of the second-round hundred-person melee.
As for Jiang Yuan, a trace of faint red-gold firelight flickered at his fingertips, and the aura around his body also quietly increased by a bit imperceptibly.
Right at this moment, a dazzling white light suddenly lit up in the center of the battle zone. Following closely, the figure of the last examinee slowly manifested, and the number of examinees in the battle zone just happened to make up one hundred people.
The next second, the cold and hurried System prompt tone suddenly resounded across the entire battle zone, breaking all silence and declaring the official start of the second-round hundred-person melee.
"Matching of one hundred examinees completed. The second-round hundred-person melee is officially launched!"
The moment the prompt tone fell, all over the battle zone, streaks of pitch-black halos suddenly lit up, and violent Demonic Qi instantly surged out, carrying a heart-palpitating bloody and ferocious Qi. Hundreds of Abyssal Demon Tigers with massive bodies, covered all over in pitch-black fur, and eyes flashing with scarlet fierce light instantly appeared everywhere in the battle zone, emitting deafening tiger roars that shook the ground slightly.
At the same time, all the examinees' gazes instantly became sharp, the Qi around their bodies was released without reservation, and the smell of gunpowder in the air instantly climbed to the peak.
Someone took the lead in dashing toward the Abyssal Demon Tiger, wanting to seize the first wave of points.
Someone quietly concealed their form, waiting for an opportunity to ambush weak examinees.
Someone else, according to the previous agreement, fought shoulder to shoulder with teammates, launching attacks toward the same target.
And the five top Genius also moved one after another!
Chapter 200 Terrifying Strength
Bai Muyuan condensed ice blades around his body and rushed toward the nearest examinee. The sharp ice blades instantly cut down that examinee.
Xie Xiyue waved the Canglan Staff, condensing a massive water curtain to protect herself while remaining vigilant against the surrounding movements!
Xiao Zhantian let out an angry roar, wielding the Burning Heaven Axe with raging flames blazing around his body. He glanced in Jiang Yuan's direction, his eyes carrying Battle Intent.
Wei Changfeng once again concealed his figure, disappearing into the shadows with his whereabouts unknown.
Yun Xinyang gently raised the Xiaguang Flute, a faint golden light emerging from her fingertips as she prepared to make a move at any time.
Jiang Yuan slowly stood up. The scarlet-gold firelight at his fingertips instantly surged, and his aura abruptly rose. His eyes were as sharp as knives as he swept across the chaotic battlefield before him, the corners of his mouth curving into a faint, cold arc.
The second round of the melee officially began.
This time, there was no siege by a hundred people, but there were stronger opponents and a more cruel competition than the first round.
Just as the battlefield unfolded and the sounds of screams and tiger roars intertwined instantly.
Jiang Yuan no longer lurked and decisively made a move!
His eyes narrowed, and the scarlet-gold firelight around his body instantly surged, far exceeding his previous restrained state. Violent flame energy surged out from his body, gathering at his fingertips. In just a split second, it condensed into a scarlet-gold Fireball Spell with a diameter of several hundred meters.
The Fireball was scorching hot all over, with violent flame patterns dancing on its surface. It emitted a world-destroying coercion, resembling a falling blazing sun that illuminated the entire gloomy combat zone as bright as day. The temperature in the air instantly soared, and even the dark silver rocks on the ground began to melt, emitting bursts of white smoke.
"What is that?!"
An epic-grade examinee who was entangled with an Abyssal Demon Tiger inadvertently caught a glimpse of the giant Fireball in the sky. Their pupils shrank, and they exclaimed in shock, their attacks involuntarily halting in their hands.
All the examinees present, whether they were hunting monsters, looking for opportunities to ambush, or the few top Legendary-grade Geniuses, instantly stopped their actions. Their gazes locked tightly onto the scarlet-gold Fireball suspended in mid-air, their faces filled with unbelievable horror, as if the blood throughout their bodies had frozen at this moment.
No one could have imagined that Jiang Yuan, a second-turn elite-grade mage, could actually unleash such a terrifying Fireball Spell!
This scale and coercion had long far exceeded the limit of second-turn Class Holders, and even third-turn Class Holders could hardly match it.
Burning Heaven Berserker Xiao Zhantian's hand holding the Burning Heaven Axe tightened abruptly, and the Battle Intent on his face was instantly replaced by horror.
Sea Spirit Ji Xie Xiyue's water curtain suddenly thickened, and her eyes were filled with solemnity.
Extreme Shadow Demon Assassin Wei Changfeng's concealed figure slightly paused, and a trace of extreme fear flashed deep in his eyes.
Winter Holy Guard Bai Muyuan's newly condensed ice blades were instantly melted by the blazing flames, and his face turned as pale as paper.
Under the horror, no one had time to make a complete defensive reaction.
Jiang Yuan's fingertips moved slightly, and he let out a low shout. That giant Fireball resembling a blazing sun carried a world-destroying aura and fiercely smashed toward the center of the combat zone!
The moment the Fireball fell, the air was burned to make a sizzling sound, and the violent flame shockwave swept in all directions. Wherever it passed, whether it was the roaring Abyssal Demon Tigers or the examinees who failed to escape in time, they were all instantly swallowed up.
The screams, tiger roars, and burning sounds of flames intertwined, and in just a split second, they came to an abrupt halt.
The giant Fireball exploded with a boom, and the scarlet-gold flames swept across more than half of the combat zone. The ground was burned into a huge charred pit, and the air was filled with a rich burnt smell and Demonic Qi. More than half of the densely packed examinees and Abyssal Demon Tigers in the field were instantly cleared out.
The vast majority of epic-grade examinees didn't even have time to scream before they were burned to ashes by the flames, turning into Jiang Yuan's points.
Over a hundred Abyssal Demon Tigers that had reached the second-turn Peak also had their bodies shattered and Demonic Qi dissipated under the bombardment of the Fireball, leaving only charred remains.
Jiang Yuan's points instantly surged by nearly two hundred points, directly breaking through the four-hundred mark and widening the gap with second place to a desperate degree.
In the combat zone, there were fewer than ten survivors left, sparsely distributed around the fringe areas of the Fireball bombardment. Everyone was ragged, with disordered auras, and their faces were filled with the joy of surviving a catastrophe and a fear deep into their bones.
They had all exhausted all their skills and used their trump cards to barely dodge this fatal blow.
Among these ten survivors, Bai Muyuan, Xie Xiyue, Xiao Zhantian, Wei Changfeng, and Yun Xinyang were prominently among them.
Besides them, there were a mere two or three epic-gradeexaminees with extremely strong strength and fast reactions.
From this, it could be seen that the quality of the examinees in this second-round hundred-person melee was much stronger than the first round.
Everyone was clear that according to the assessment rules of this round, those ranked in the top ten in points could advance. Since there were fewer than ten people left in the field at this moment, as long as the slaughter stopped now, all of them could smoothly advance without having to go through cruel fighting again.
The rules were as such, but Jiang Yuan had no intention of stopping at all.
He slowly raised his hand, his fingertips still lingering with a faint scarlet-gold firelight. His gaze was as sharp as a knife as he slowly swept across every survivor present, with no mercy in his eyes, only cold resolve.
In his view, now was definitely not the time to stop.
People who could survive his giant Fireball Spell must have something extraordinary about them—either possessing powerful defensive skills, holding supreme treasures, or being naturally gifted. If these people smoothly advanced, they would definitely become his potential competitors in the future.
Rather than leaving future troubles, it was better to solve them all together right now. This way, he could continue to increase his own points and completely clear obstacles on the path to advancement, achieving two birds with one stone.
Sensing Jiang Yuan's cold gaze, the survivors all shuddered and subconsciously took a step back.
"Jiang Yuan, we have no grudges or enmity between us. How about we stop here?" Seeing this, Bai Muyuan, who was enveloped in a light blue ice shield, was the first to fail to suppress the fear in his heart and broke the silence.
His ice shield was already covered in cracks, obviously having exhausted all his magic power earlier to resist the Fireball impact. At this moment, his face was pale, his aurawas disordered, and he no longer had his previous cold and aloof demeanor. His eyes were filled with dread, and his voice even carried a hint of imperceptible trembling.
The feeling Jiang Yuan gave him didn't feel like a peer, but more like a long-renowned powerhouse.
"Look, there are only a few of us left in the field now. As long as we don't fight anymore, all of us can smoothly advance. There's no need to kill them all!"
"Why don't we make friends? If there is any need in the future, we will definitely help with all our might!"
"Ourselves, as well as our respective Clan forces, will also be grateful to you."
Jiang Yuan did not respond, his gaze only growing colder. Bai Muyuan hurriedly continued to speak, lowering his tone extremely low with obvious submission.
However, besides submission, his words also carried a hint of threat.
"Right, right, right! Boss Jiang Yuan, this time it counts as us owing you a favor. In the future, no matter what orders you have, we will never refuse and will definitely repay it!"
Another surviving epic-grade examinee hurriedly chimed in, their tone full of entreaty, terrified that Jiang Yuan would strike at them in the next second.
The Federal Unified Examination was the most important Class Advancement point in a Class Holder's life, no less than the time of Awakening their profession.
Therefore, they would try their best to strive for a good ranking.
At the same time, Xie Xiyue also put away her previous calmness, the water curtain around her body still taut. Looking at Jiang Yuan, she said softly in a gentle yet slightly anxious tone.
"Jiang Yuan, I know your strength is formidable, and we are definitely not your opponents."
"But leave a thread of life in everything so we can meet nicely in the future. We are willing to give up competing for points and stay quietly, absolutely without disturbing you?"
"We only ask you to spare us and let us smoothly advance, alright!"
"If you encounter trouble or siege in the subsequent melee, we will definitely stand on your side!"
Her voice carried a hint of entreaty, and her eyes were filled with dread.
Regarding that Fireball Spell just now, if she hadn't cast the Vast Sea Domain in time, coupled with the defense blessing of the Canglan Staff, she probably would have turned to ashes long ago. At this moment, she no longer dared to hold the slightest contempt and only wanted to keep her qualification to advance.
Xiao Zhantian no longer had his previous arrogance and Battle Intent. His black heavy armor was burned to a charred black, and his arms still bore burns. His aura was violent but could hardly conceal his fatigue.
He gritted his teeth, put down the Burning Heaven Axe in his hand, and spoke in a stiff yet submissive tone.
"Jiang Yuan, you win, I, Xiao Zhantian, submit!"
"I won't compete with you for first place, nor will I provoke you. Let's mind our own business, and you stop attacking!"
He had always advocated strength, but Jiang Yuan's strength had already exceeded his cognition. Continuing to fight head-on would only lead to self-destruction.
In order to advance, he could only choose to temporarily bow his head.
After all, only by living is there a future, and only by living can one advance!
Which was heavier and which was lighter was clear at a glance.
"Jiang Yuan, we mind our own business and do not cross paths. If you stop attacking, I can guarantee that I will never be an enemy to you in the future, nor will I ambush you in the assessment."
Wei Changfeng, who was concealed in the shadows, also quietly poked out half his figure, his voice cold yet carrying a trace of awe.
He was cunning and crafty, knowing that fighting head-on with Jiang Yuan at this moment had no chance of winning. Submission was the safest choice. As long as he could smoothly advance, there would always be a chance to get back at him in the future.
The remaining few epic-grade examinees also successively pleaded for mercy, their tones humble and their postures set extremely low. Some promised to repay in the future, while others expressed their willingness to give up all points, only asking Jiang Yuan to spare them. Throughout the combat zone, it was full of sounds of entreaty and submission.
It could be said that although Jiang Yuan did not instantly kill all the examinees this time,
he also subdued everyone present with a single Fireball Spell.
Regardless of whether they truly or falsely submitted.
At least at this moment, no one dared to openly claim to be an enemy of Jiang Yuan.
However, there was an exception.