Chapter 201: The Fall of a Genius
That was Yun Xinyang, the Nine Heavens Holy Masterwho possessed a Mythic-grade Profession.
She stood aloof and proud in her original spot, her entire body enveloped in golden rosy clouds. She was breathtakingly ethereal and detached, as if all the clamor and fear around her had nothing to do with her.
Unlike Bai Muyuan, Xie Xiyue, and others who begged Jiang Yuan for mercy or showed weakness, she didn't even have any redundant expressions. She just stood there quietly with rosy clouds lingering around her body, resembling a Fairy from above the Nine Heavens, isolating herself from all mortal aura and danger.
No one noticed that when Jiang Yuan's giant Fireball Spellbombarded them earlier, the rosy clouds automatically formed an indestructible shield, firmly protecting her. The impact of the flames only made the rosy clouds sway slightly, without causing her the slightest harm.
After all, what she possessed was not a Legendary-gradeclass, but the even more heaven-defying Mythic-grade Profession [Nine Heavens Holy Master].
The formidable level of her innate abilities and skills far exceeded all the Legendary-grade Geniuses present.
Even Jiang Yuan's giant Fireball Spell found it difficult to harm her by a single fraction.
Even top Legendary-grade Class Holders like Bai Muyuanand Xie Xiyue had to exhaust their trump cards to barely save their lives. As a Mythical Rank Class Holder, Yun Xinyang naturally could not be directly killed by a single Fireball Spell.
Furthermore, the amplification multiple of this Fireball Spell by Jiang Yuan was only ten thousand times, and the erupted power was roughly equivalent to the full-strength strike of a Third-Rank Class Holder.
On the surface, Jiang Yuan was merely a Peak second-transfer mage. Being able to erupt with such terrifying damage was already enough to shock the entire audience.
If he were to go a step further, with an even higher amplification multiple and an erupted power far exceeding the third and fourth transfers, it would likely attract excessive attention from the Unified Examinationorganizers and numerous powerhouses.
He might even have his trump cards investigated, which would instead be unfavorable to him.
Jiang Yuan calmly swept his gaze across the people begging for mercy, finally landing on Yun Xinyang, a trace of imperceptible surprise flashing deep in his eyes.
He could sense that within the rosy clouds surrounding Yun Xinyang, there contained an extremely formidable special energy, far surpassing the other Legendary-gradeGeniuses.
Evidently, the hidden strength of this seemingly cold and ethereal woman was far more formidable than he had imagined.
But this surprise did not make him stop his steps; the crimson-gold firelight on his fingertips slowly surged again.
"Impossible... Since it's a competition, then we'll go by the competition rules!"
Jiang Yuan's voice was cold and resolute, leaving no room for alleviation, and he directly rejected everyone's peace-seeking.
Before his voice fell, the crimson-gold flames in his hands grew increasingly dazzling, and the violent flame energy crazily gathered once more, even more rapid than the previous Fireball Spell.
In mere breaths.
Another giant Fireball Spell with a diameter of several hundred meters had already taken form. As the crimson-gold flames danced, the aura of oppression was even worse than before, resembling another falling blazing sun, locking onto all survivors present.
"In that case, don't blame us for being impolite!"
"So what if your attack power is strong? As a squishy mage, once you are hit by us, you will undoubtedly die!"
Seeing this, Bai Muyuan's expression changed drastically, and the fear in his heart was instantly replaced by anger. He fiercely bit the tip of his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of vital blood. The ice shield around him, which was originally on the verge of shattering, instantly surged, and light-blue ice mist swept across his entire body.
"Since he's unwilling to let us have a good time, then we won't let him off either!"
"Let's go up together and attack in alliance; we will always find a chance to kill him!"
Xie Xiyue also put away all her gentleness, her eyes turning sharp. The Canglan Staff in her hand trembled violently, and water-blue magic power surged wildly.
"That's right, everyone is a grasshopper on the same rope; if we die, we die together. At this moment, everyone shouldn't hold anything back!"
Xiao Zhantian let out an angry roar, the blazing flames around his body reigniting, even more violent than before. The scorch marks on his heavy black armor seemed to be covered by the flames. "Today, either he dies, or we live!"
As his voice fell, the few survivors no longer hesitated at all. The speed of their attitude change was astonishing, and they successively released their ultimate trump card abilities, launching a frantic siege against Jiang Yuan.
They all had the same abacus in their hearts: being able to make peace with Jiang Yuan was naturally the best outcome.
If not, they would also have to give it their all.
After all, being able to walk to this step meant they were definitely not cowards clinging to life, weak by nature.
Furthermore, Jiang Yuan was a mage after all.
High attack and low defense were the common ailment of mages.
As long as they could break through his attacks and hit his main body, they would definitely achieve a one-hit kill.
By then, they would not only solve the biggest competitor for the championship, but also smoothly advance to the next round of the grand melee.
Bai Muyuan made the first move. His hands quickly formed seals, and he chanted in a low voice. The ice mist around his body instantly condensed, fully unleashing the [Winter Ice Prison] skill!
Countless ice blades were seen speeding out from the ice mist, densely packed and glowing with a bone-chilling cold. Every single ice blade contained ultimate ice power, whistling toward Jiang Yuan.
At the same time, a thick layer of ice prisms instantly condensed on the ground, attempting to imprison Jiang Yuan's footsteps. Faint chilliness lingered on top of the ice prisms, and once touched, one would be instantly frozen.
Following closely, he urged his magic power again. The [Spear of Holy Guard Order] condensed and formed. A spear that was entirely glossy white and covered in ice patterns emerged from the ice mist. The tip of the spear flashed with a cold glimmer, carrying a heaven-destroying and earth-shattering aura as it pierced straight at Jiang Yuan's chest.
This was his strongest single-target attack skill, enough to pierce through the defense of a Third-Rank Class Holder.
Xie Xiyue followed closely behind. The Canglan Staff in her hand heavily struck the ground, and she chanted softly, instantly forming the [Canglan Water Dragon Roar]!
A giant water dragon gushed out from the top of the staff. The water dragon was completely azure blue with clearly visible scales, spitting violent water columns from its mouth and wrapping around monstrous waves as it swept toward Jiang Yuan.
Wherever the water dragon passed, the air was soaked, and the rocks on the ground were smashed into pieces by the impact of the water columns.
At the same time, her fingertips moved slightly, casting [Water Curtain Cage]. Layers of thick water curtains instantly formed, surrounding Jiang Yuan tightly. The water curtains contained formidable binding power, attempting to trap Jiang Yuan and create attack opportunities for the others.
Xiao Zhantian roared as he charged toward Jiang Yuan, the blazing flames around his body growing increasingly dense. The Sky-Burning Axe in his hand was wielded by him with a mighty wind, fully erupting with the [Sky-Burning Earth-Splitting Slash]!
Roaring flames ignited on top of the Sky-Burning Axe, and the axe body was wrapped in flames. He lifted the giant axe high and fiercely slashed toward Jiang Yuan.
A giant flame axe aura gushed out from the blade of the axe, reaching tens of meters long. Carrying the aura of incinerating everything, it hacked straight at Jiang Yuan's head. Wherever the axe aura passed, the air was scorched and distorted, and the ground was cleaved into a deep ravine.
Immediately following, the battle qi around his body surged again. [Berserker Roar] was activated, instantly doubling his own combat power, and even fiercer flames ignited on his armor.
The whole person was like a flame god of war, charging fiercely toward Jiang Yuan, intending to engage in close-combat fighting with Jiang Yuan and tear open his defense.
Wei Changfeng, who was hiding in the shadows, no longer concealed himself at this moment. His figure shuttled like a ghost, casting [Shadow Avatar Technique] to instantly split into five shadow Avatars identical to him. The Avatars and the main body hid in the shadows together, making it difficult to distinguish the real from the fake.
Following closely, he tightly gripped the shadow daggers with both hands, fully casting the [Shadow Heart-Devouring Stab]. The five Avatars and the main body struck simultaneously, the shadow daggers in their hands brimming with dense shadow energy and carrying deadly poison, silently stabbing toward Jiang Yuan's vital spots across his whole body.
Wherever the shadow daggers passed, even the light was swallowed, attempting to launch a sneak attack amidst the chaos and deliver a fatal blow.
For a time, the ice blades, water dragon, flame axe aura, and shadow daggers intertwined. Four completely different energies collided together, emitting a deafening roar.
The entire battle zone was trembling violently, the ground was covered in ravines, rock fragments flew all over the sky, and the energy in the air was chaotic to the extreme.
Jiang Yuan was surrounded by countless attacks, seemingly falling into a desperate situation, yet his expression remained calm without the slightest panic.
Just at the moment when all the attacks were about to hit him, the giant Fireball Spell at Jiang Yuan's fingertips smashed out with a bang, colliding with everyone's attacks!
The crimson-gold flames fiercely clashed with the ice blades, water dragon, and shadow energy. The flames instantly swallowed the ice blades, melted the water curtains, and scorched the shadow Avatars. The roar was deafening, and the violent energy shockwave swept toward the surroundings, blowing the rocks in the battle zone into pieces.
The few surviving epic-grade examinees simply could not withstand such a formidable energy impact, and their previous life-saving trump cards had all been exhausted, leaving them powerless to resist. They were instantly swallowed by the shockwave, turning into other people's points.
The four of Bai Muyuan tried their utmost to resist the impact of the flames, barely escaping the bombardment of the giant Fireball Spell. Taking advantage of the gap when the flames dissipated, they seized the opportunity to launch a final surprise attack against Jiang Yuan!
Bai Muyuan's Ice God Spear pierced straight at Jiang Yuan's chest, Xie Xiyue's water dragon entangled Jiang Yuan's limbs, Xiao Zhantian's Sky-Burning Axe hacked toward Jiang Yuan's head, and Wei Changfeng's shadow dagger stabbed toward Jiang Yuan's back heart...
Although the four were not teammates, as geniuses they possessed extremely high combat experience. Even though it was their first time cooperating, they had great tacit understanding, and every move was fatal, attempting to kill Jiang Yuan in one fell swoop.
But in the next second, their hopes were completely dashed.
Just at the moment when their attacks were about to hit Jiang Yuan's main body, a dark-purple thunder shield suddenly emerged around Jiang Yuan!
This thunder shield was glossy purple all over, with violent thunder patterns dancing on its surface, emitting a formidable defensive aura. Its thickness was beyond imagination, resembling an impregnable wall of bronze and iron.
The four people's attacks fiercely struck the thunder shield, emitting a muffled, huge sound. The Ice God Spear was bounced away by the thunder shield, the water dragon was shattered by the thunder, the Sky-Burning Axe hacked onto the thunder shield leaving only a shallow trace, and the shadow daggers were scorched by the thunder to shatter inch by inch.
All the attacks were completely absorbed by this thick thunder shield, and not the slightest damage could touch Jiang Yuan by a fraction.
"How is this possible?!"
The pupils of Bai Muyuan and the other three shrank abruptly, their faces filled with incredulous horror. Just as they wanted to retreat, a sudden change occurred!
Dark clouds suddenly gathered densely in the sky, and thick Nine Heavens Lightning Tribulations descended from the sky, glowing with dazzling purple-gold light and carrying heaven-destroying and earth-shattering pressure, instantly striking the bodies of Bai Muyuan and the other three!
Pfft!
The four of them simultaneously spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. The instant their bodies were struck by the thunder, their whole bodies twitched, the magic power and battle qi around their bodies instantly became disordered, their defense skills shattered instantly, their armor and clothing were scorched black by the thunder, and a piercing, agonizing pain came from their wounds.
Bai Muyuan's ice shield completely shattered, his entire body was paralyzed by the thunder, and he could no longer condense magic power.
Xie Xiyue's water curtain dissipated, her staff slipped from her hand, and her aura became weak to the extreme.
Xiao Zhantian's flames instantly extinguished, his heavy armor shattered, and he was covered in injuries, completely lacking his previous ferocity.
Wei Changfeng's shadow Avatar was shattered by the thunder, and his main body was struck by the thunder. His figure was revealed, and fresh blood continuously overflowed from the corner of his mouth.
Chapter 202: Clash of Top Geniuses! An Unsolvable Nine Heavens Holy Master!
Before their deaths, the four of them once again wore expressions of extreme shock, their eyes filled with unwillingness and disbelief.
They never expected that besides possessing the terrifyingly powerful Fireball Spell, Jiang Yuan actually possessed a thunder shield capable of withstanding their full-strength blow, and even mastered the power of thunder whose might was no less than the Fireball Spell!
They had always thought Jiang Yuan was merely a high-attack, low-defense mage, but they never expected his defensive capabilities to be so formidable to this extent.
At this moment, only a sense of inferiority remained in their hearts, feeling that their defeat was by no means unjust!
Jiang Yuan's strength had long far exceeded their cognition and was simply not something they could contend against.
However, their hearts were still filled with unwillingness.
With their talent and strength, had they not encountered Jiang Yuan, advancing to the massive melee of the third round and fourth round would have been completely unproblematic, and they might have even had a chance to contend for the final top spot.
Yet their luck was too poor; in the second round, they ran into Jiang Yuan, the strongest dark horse of the year, and ultimately could only harbor eternal regret right here.
Accompanied by four shrill screams, Bai Muyuan, Xie Xiyue, Xiao Zhantian, and Wei Changfeng completely collapsed to the ground, their auras dissipating as they turned into Jiang Yuan's points.
Their death proclaimed the end of this siege.
The battle seemed to have ended, leaving only a scene of utter devastation within the combat zone, with charred remains and gullies everywhere, while the Demonic Qi and burnt stench in the air remained thick.
Yet Jiang Yuan did not stop his attacks; he slowly withdrew the flames at his fingertips, his gaze as sharp as a knife, locking tightly onto a certain spot on the battlefield.
That pretty figure shrouded in golden rosy light was precisely Yun Xinyang.
Now, within the entire combat zone, only two people remained.
One was Jiang Yuan, who had slaughtered the other ninety-eight examinees and over two hundred Abyssal Demon Tigers, with points reaching as high as 588, and a combat power terrifying enough to induce despair.
The other was Yun Xinyang, who held a rosy light divine flute and had never used any attack skills from beginning to end, nor had she eliminated a single person.
She still stood in place, the golden rosy light around her body not diminishing in the slightest, ethereally pure and refined, as if the fierce battle just now had nothing to do with her at all.
No one knew that while the four of them were besieging Jiang Yuan earlier, Jiang Yuan had also targeted Yun Xinyang with his Fireball Spell, attempting to resolve her along with the others.
Yet when the crimson-gold Fireball Spell bombarded the rosy light surrounding Yun Xinyang, it was instantly swallowed by the rosy light without raising the slightest ripple, failing to inflict even the slightest bit of damage.
The golden rosy light on Yun Xinyang's body had completely immunized her against fire element damage.
This was one of the core abilities of Yun Xinyang's Mythic-grade Profession [Nine Heavens Holy Master]
[Rosy Light Holy Shield · Invulnerable to Myriad Laws]!
This ability did not require active activation; as long as Yun Xinyang's own magical power was sufficient, it would automatically form a layer of golden rosy light shield, which could not only completely immunize against all elemental damage (fire, water, ice, thunder, shadow, etc.).
Not only that, but it could also resist all physical damage; whether it was close-combat attacks or ranged attacks, it was difficult to break through the defense of this rosy light shield.
What was even more powerful was that this shield could also automatically repair itself; even if subjected to a formidable impact, it could recover perfectly in an instant, making it practically unsolvable.
It could be said that under the blessing of [Rosy Light Holy Shield · Invulnerable to Myriad Laws], Yun Xinyangalmost possessed a dual buff of magic immunity and physical immunity.
The vast majority of Class Holders, even powerhouses of the Third-Rank and fourth transfer, found it very difficult to inflict damage on her, let alone eliminate her.
At this, Jiang Yuan could not help but frown, the crimson-gold flames at his fingertips slowly converging, a trace of solemnity flashing through his eyes.
He had tried flame attacks, which could not cause Yun Xinyang the slightest harm, and the power of thunder just now had simply been easily swallowed by the rosy light shield.
This was the first time he had encountered such a thorny peer Genius.
This woman, who looked aloof, ethereal, and untainted by worldly affairs, had hidden strength far more formidable than the four of Bai Muyuan.
Jiang Yuan stood in place, his brow tightly locked as he fell into deep contemplation.
After a moment, a trace of realization flashed in his eyes, and he already had a judgment in his heart.
Wanting to kill Yun Xinyang basically only left two feasible methods.
The first was to find the flaw in [Rosy Light Holy Shield · Invulnerable to Myriad Laws], forcefully crack this nearly unsolvable golden body of rosy light, break her dual blessing of magic immunity and physical immunity, and then deliver a fatal blow.
The other was to rack one's brains to lure Yun Xinyang into actively releasing mental-type control skills against him.
Only by doing so could he trigger the passive counterattack of his own [Heart Commands Myriad Spirits], and borrow the power of the passive mental backlash to kill her.
After all, although Yun Xinyang's [Rosy Light Holy Shield · Invulnerable to Myriad Laws] could immunize against all elemental damage and over ninety percent of physical damage, it might not necessarily immunize against damage on the mental level.
There was no absolutely unsolvable ability in this world; if even mental damage could be immunized, it would be too heaven-defying and completely fail to comply with the balance Laws of professions.
Even a Mythic-grade Profession should have its shortcomings.
Having made up his mind, Jiang Yuan began to proactively test the waters.
First, he condensed a wisp of faint crimson-gold flame at his fingertips and gently flicked it toward Yun Xinyang; the flame landed on the rosy light shield and was still instantly swallowed without raising the slightest ripple.
Immediately afterward, he made several consecutive moves, but all attacks were easily resolved by the golden rosy light.
He even intentionally exposed a flaw, slowing down his own aura and pretending to be lax in defense, attempting to anger Yun Xinyang and lure her into making a move.
Yet no matter how Jiang Yuan tested or lured, Yun Xinyangconsistently maintained a cold and detached posture, standing in place.
The golden rosy light around her body remained soft yet steadfast, the rosy light divine flute in her hand had not moved a single bit, and her eyes were calm and waveless, as if all of Jiang Yuan's actions had nothing to do with her.
From beginning to end, she showed no intention of proactively making a move against Jiang Yuan.
This completely matched her personality and persona!
A Nine Heavens Fairy who was aloof from worldly affairs and untainted by mortal things naturally disdained fighting with others, let alone actively provoking disputes.
Precisely because of this non-contentious and non-competitive attitude, Yun Xinyang, as a Mythical Rank Class Holder, was only ranked sixth in the initial rankings of this hundred-person combat zone.
Not only was she far lower than Jiang Yuan, she was even inferior to people like Bai Muyuan and Xie Xiyue.
Yet blessings and misfortunes depend on each other; it was precisely this non-contentious attitude that allowed her to successfully survive until the end.
Imagine if Yun Xinyang had been like Bai Muyuan and the others—showing off her edge and eager to win, revealing the formidable combat power of a Mythic-grade Profession early on—she probably would have long been jointly besieged by other examinees, or listed as a prime target by Jiang Yuan when the first wave of the Fireball Spell bombarded, making it impossible for her to hold on until now.
But precisely because of this reason, Jiang Yuan felt increasingly troubled.
Although he now possessed the passive mental counterattack ability of [Heart Commands Myriad Spirits], he had not mastered any proactive mental or soul damage-type skills, making it impossible to actively inflict mental shocks on Yun Xinyang, and he could only passively wait for the opponent to release mental-type skills first!
Yet looking at Yun Xinyang's impervious and absolutely non-proactive demeanor, wanting to wait for her to release mental control skills was undoubtedly daydreaming.
"It seems I must quickly complete the Third-Rank and learn a mental-type skill!"
Jiang Yuan pondered inwardly, a flash of urgency flickering in the depths of his eyes.
After the Third-Rank, he would be able to unlock higher-tier skill slots and go learn and master some mental and soul attack skills.
By then, whether it was proactively cracking Yun Xinyang's rosy light shield or actively triggering the passive counterattack, he would have an extra shred of assurance.
After pondering for a moment, Jiang Yuan slowly put away all the auras around his body; the crimson-gold flames and purple-gold thunder at his fingertips completely dissipated, and he no longer launched any tentative attacks against Yun Xinyang.
He knew clearly in his heart that continuing to test further would only be futile and completely unable to lure Yun Xinyang into making a move.
Although with his true strength, if he went all out, burst forth with the true combat power of the "Flame God", condensed a Fireball Spell far exceeding a nine-million-fold amplification, or released the Extinction Flame Dragoncapable of burning everything away, perhaps he really could forcefully break open Yun Xinyang's golden body of rosy light and eliminate her.
But he was very clear that doing so was completely unnecessary.
Forcefully bursting forth with true combat power could certainly solve the immediate trouble, but it would completely expose his true strength, the losses outweighing the gains.
Moreover, the persona of the "Flame God" that he had worked so hard to establish would also completely fail.
He had always hidden his sharpness under the identity of a "second-transfer elite-grade mage", while the "Flame God" was the mysterious and powerful impression he left to the outside world when occasionally displaying formidable combat power.
This was both a deterrence and a protection.
Jiang Yuan naturally had his own considerations in mind.
A dark horse that suddenly emerged, relying on hidden strength to slaughter through a host of Legendary-gradeor even Mythical Grade geniuses, was not particularly scary; there had been similar precedents in federal history, and at most it would only attract the recruitment and cultivation of various forces.
A "Flame God" with a mysterious origin, who controlled multiple rule powers of flames and thunder, and possessed a value as high as nine stars, no matter how formidable, could be barely accepted by all parties in the Federation; after all, the Federation had never lacked heaven-defyinghidden powerhouses.
However, the world absolutely could not accept a youth only eighteen years old, whose profession had been awakened for no more than a month, yet whose strength was comparable to an emperor-grade Class Holder.
Such heaven-defying growth speed was too outrageous and far beyond common sense, inevitably attracting endless spying and covetousness.
Furthermore, once Jiang Yuan lost the vague identity cover of the "Flame God", it would be equivalent to having no background and no reliance; all forces would crazily want to investigate why he could become so formidable in such a short time, wanting to seize the secrets on him and becoming a target contested by all parties.
Even though Jiang Yuan's current strength was already very strong, capable of instantly killing a Seventh-Turn Saint and possessing combat power comparable to an eighth-turn emperor, he was still not truly invincible.
There is always someone better, and a heaven beyond the heavens!
Above this, there were even more formidable Ninth-turn Emperor Rank Experts, and Tenth-Rank Demigods surpassing the emperor rank.
And even the True Gods overlooking all living beings!
With a thousand years of development, the Federation had a profound foundation, having long given birth to more than one God-level powerhouse in history!
Those existences were truly those standing at the pinnacle of the Federation's combat power.
This was also the fundamental reason why Jiang Yuan, even with the System's blessing and strength advancing by leaps and bounds, still consistently maintained a low profile and did not easily expose his true strength.
He could not fear those high-tier Class Holders of the seventh and eighth ranks, and could even contend a bit or two with Ninth-turn Emperor Rank Experts.
Yet felt a trace of heartfelt awe and respect towards demigods and True Gods!
That was a gap that transcended Cultivation Realms, a majestic pressure accumulated over thousands of years, and certainly not something he could easily contend with right now.
Unless, until the very moment when Jiang Yuan could slay divine beings and stand above all living beings, would he dare to hold his head high, facing all things in heaven and earth, and shout out that bold declaration buried deep in his heart: "Heaven and earth are the furnace, all living beings are the firewood; since I am the flame, I shall burn away all methods in the world and arbitrarily cut off the eternal firmament!"
As the voice echoed in his heart, Jiang Yuan's gaze grew increasingly firm.
He raised his eyes to look at Yun Xinyang, who was still standing amidst the rosy light, his expression calm: "Since you are unwilling to make a move, then let us drop it at that."
He knew very well that according to the assessment rules, as long as one ranked in the top ten in points, they could advance. Now that only he and Yun Xinyang remained in the arena, regardless of whether they continued to fight, both could smoothly advance to the third round.
Rather than forcibly making a move and exposing his trump cards, it was better to preserve his strength, wait for the third round to plan the subsequent steps, give Yun Xinyang some decency along the way, and leave some room for himself as well.
Yun Xinyang seemed to have perceived Jiang Yuan's intention; a trace of imperceptible fluctuation flashed through her cold eyes, and she gently nodded, still without speaking. Only the rosy light around her body converged slightly, yet she still maintained sufficient defense, always keeping a certain distance from Jiang Yuan without interfering with each other.
Within the combat zone, it instantly fell into an eerie calm.
On one side was Jiang Yuan, whose aura was restrained and whose gaze was firm.
On the other side was Yun Xinyang, surrounded by rosy light, cold and ethereal.
The two stood confronting each other, no longer making a move, yet a faint tension still permeated the air!
This hundred-person melee of the second round had actually come to an end.
As for the large-scale melee of the third round, it was waiting to begin.
"After today's assessment concludes, I can logically enter Nanjiang Academy and obtain the profession I've dreamed of!"
"As long as I successfully complete the Third-Rank, my strength will skyrocket once again, and I can learn more skills!"
"Next time, if I encounter a Class Holder with special abilities like Yun Xinyang, I won't be completely without countermeasures!"
Although Jiang Yuan's heart seemed calm, he was making some plans for his future intentions.
In his view, the mutated version of the Holy Spirit Magecould be said to be within easy reach.
As for the Class Advancement quest, it was not a difficult matter for him either.
However, whether participating in the Federal Unified Examination or joining Nanjiang Academy, one had to go through the process, otherwise it wouldn't be justified.
After all, his superficial identity was merely a fresh examinee.
Being a student had a major advantage: within the federation's scope, one possessed a 'novice protection period' and would receive preferential treatment and care from the federation, especially in terms of attention and cultivation.
Time slowly passed in the deadlocked confrontation; Jiang Yuan always maintained a state of restrained aura, his gaze occasionally sweeping over Yun Xinyang, but he never actively made a move again, only quietly waiting for the moment the assessment ended.
Yun Xinyang still stood amidst the rosy light, her figure graceful and picturesque, her gaze calm, and the rosy divine flute in her hand had never moved a fraction, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her, save for the rosy light around her body, which still softly and steadfastly guarded her.
The two remained at peace just like that, without probing, without fighting, and without even a single superfluous exchange, like two independent worlds not interfering with each other.
From beginning to end, Yun Xinyang never harbored any hostility towards Jiang Yuan, nor did she have any intention of making a move.
Her goal was never to eliminate others, but simply to advance smoothly; this state of mind of being aloof from the world had never changed.
Had it not been for the Yun Heavenly Palace behind her demanding that she participate in the Federal Unified Examination, she probably wouldn't have come.
And Jiang Yuan had long since put aside the thoughts of probing; since he could not entice Yun Xinyang to make a move, nor was he willing to expose his trump cards to forcibly break her rosy light shield, he simply stayed put and quietly waited for the assessment to conclude.
Anyway, both of them could advance smoothly, so there was no need to do something redundant.
After an unknown amount of time, the cold System prompt finally resounded over the combat zone, breaking this eerie calm.
"The time for this round of the hundred-person melee has ended!"
"This round of assessment is terminated. The surviving examinees ranked in the top 10 in points have successfully advanced to the third round!"
"Teleportation is about to begin. Destination: exclusive battlefield of the third round. Countdown: 3, 2, 1!"
The moment the prompt fell, two gentle white lights enveloped Jiang Yuan and Yun Xinyang respectively, and their figures gradually blurred in the white light.
Jiang Yuan raised his eyes to take one last look at Yun Xinyang, who was still surrounded by rosy light, his expression calm without any superfluous emotion.
Yun Xinyang also slightly raised her eyes, her cold gaze briefly intersecting with Jiang Yuan's, and then returning to calm without any words.
The next second, the white light surged, and their figures completely disappeared from the second-round combat zone, leaving only the littered ground and charred remains to witness the fierce slaughter just now.
After a dizzying spin, Jiang Yuan only felt the temperature around him soar abruptly, and a wave of scorching heat rushed forward, mixed with a rich sulfur smell and violent Demonic Qi, choking people until they could barely breathe.
He instinctively formed a faint shield around his body to resist the surrounding high temperature, then slowly opened his eyes. What came into view was a terrifying battlefield completely different from the first two rounds.
This was not an open rocky area, nor a wasteland cluttered with Demonic Qi, but a veritable purgatory flame Dragon Valley.
Jiang Yuan's figure landed steadily in the center of a small island suspended above magma. The island was small in area, capable of accommodating only around a hundred people. The ground was covered with charred volcanic rock, boiling hot to step on, and one could even feel the surging heat of the magma underground. Occasionally, tiny sparks gushed out from the cracks in the ground, burning the air.
The surroundings of the island were completely surrounded by boundless flame magma. The magma presented a strange dark red, rolling endlessly; bubbles continuously burst, splashing magma droplets several zhang high and making a sizzling burning sound. The temperature in the air was high enough to melt ordinary metal, and even magic power could be burned into slight disorder.
And within that rolling magma, massive Abyssal Demon Dragons were swimming slowly. The number was as many as two to three hundred, dense and blocking out the sky.
Jiang Yuan's gaze condensed as he carefully scrutinized these Abyssal Demon Dragons, inwardly shocked.
These Abyssal Demon Dragons were completely different from the Abyssal Demon Wolves and Abyssal Demon Tiger of the previous two rounds.
Their entire bodies were covered in pitch-black scales, upon which dark red patterns shimmered, as if they had been scorched by flames, flashing with a cold luster.
Their heads were streamlined, the corners of their mouths filled with sharp fangs, and saliva continuously dripped down, making a sizzling sound when falling into the magma. A pair of scarlet eyes were filled with ferocity and bloodlust, staring fixedly at the examinees on the island and radiating a heart-palpitating pressure.
Their wings spanned over ten zhang when unfolded, and their wing membranes were covered with black veins. As they flapped, they whipped up bursts of scorching heat waves mixed with rich Demonic Qi, suffocating people.
What was even more formidable was their aura.
Although these Abyssal Demon Dragons were also Tier-2 Level 60 enchanted monsters, their aura and might were far more formidable than the previous Abyssal Demon Wolves and Abyssal Demon Tiger, and even a bit more terrifying than the Tier-2 Peak Abyssal Demon Tiger of the second round.
Jiang Yuan understood in his heart; this was just like among the examinees, where there were both ordinary-strength elite examinees and prodigies possessing a Mythic-grade Profession.
Both at Tier-2 Level 60, the gap in strength was worlds apart.
These Abyssal Demon Dragons were undoubtedly the "prodigies" among the enchanted monsters, each possessing formidable combat power. Not only could they spew flames, but they could also release Demonic Qiattacks. They were thick-skinned with astonishing defense, and definitely not easily hunted down.
Besides this, Jiang Yuan also discovered that the battlefield of the third-round melee was much smaller compared to the first two rounds.
The battlefields of the first two rounds were boundless, almost considered infinitely large. If one couldn't beat the opponent, there was still room to escape and retreat, or even directly stay away from the battlefield, find an uninhabited place to hide, and wait for the assessment to end; perhaps there would still be a chance to advance.
But now, the space of this island was only this big, with rolling purgatory magma in all directions; there was simply nowhere to hide and nowhere to escape.
Once targeted by an opponent or besieged by the Abyssal Demon Dragons, one could only bite the bullet and fight, either defeating the opponent and hunting the monster, or being eliminated. There was no third path to take.
As for crossing that purgatory magma hiding the Abyssal Demon Dragons, it was almost an impossible matter.
The temperature of the magma was enough to instantly burn away Class Holders below the Third-Rank, and even Third-Rank Class Holders would find it difficult to persist in the magma for even a moment.
Not to mention there were hundreds of formidable Abyssal Demon Dragons in the magma.
Once stepped in, one would only be instantly devoured by the magma or torn into pieces by the Abyssal Demon Dragons.
Jiang Yuan withdrew his gaze and slowly swept across the other examinees on the island, once again making a judgment in his heart.
The quality of opponents in this third-round large-scale melee was much higher than in the previous two rounds.
The examinees present were almost uniformly Epic Class, and quite a few even wore the titles of Legendary-gradeprofessions. The pressures radiating from their bodies were none of them weaker than those epic-grade examinees of the second round.
Clearly, those who could advance to the third round were all the top geniuses in the Federal Unified Examination.
Moreover, the number of geniuses possessing Legendary-grade professions was much greater than in the second round; a rough count revealed as many as a dozen or so.
They gathered in twos and threes or stood alone, their auras restrained yet formidable, guarding against each other.
Clearly, the competition in the third round would be far more brutal and intense than the previous two rounds.
In fact, the moment Jiang Yuan's figure appeared on the island, it instantly attracted the gazes of countless people. These gazes varied: some were heartfelt awe, some were worshipful fanaticism, some were cautious wariness, and some were undisguised hostility.
For no other reason than that on the point panel above Jiang Yuan's head, it prominently displayed the number one ranking in this round's hundred-person combat zone.
The point value was as high as a whopping 588 points!
Chapter 203: Third Round Melee! Reencountering an Old Acquaintance!
Everyone knew that in each round of assessment, they only needed to gather 100 points to obtain the qualification to advance.
Yet Jiang Yuan had reaped nearly 600 points in just two rounds of assessment.
This undoubtedly meant that Jiang Yuan had done something big enough to shock the entire audience.
He had practically slaughtered all the examinees and demonic monsters except for himself.
Otherwise, it would be absolutely impossible to accumulate such terrifying points.
On the other hand, the second-place contestant ranked right behind Jiang Yuan only had 200 points.
Even though this second-place contestant's goal was never to contend for the top spot, but just to rush into the top hundred or even top ten with absolute certainty, they still appeared eclipsed in front of Jiang Yuan.
From this point of view, although there was only a one-rank difference between the two, the gap in strength between them was worlds apart, like the difference between clouds and mud.
That second-ranked examinee was currently standing in the center of a group of examinees; he was dressed in a suit of black martial attire, with a tall and upright posture, a cold expression, and a hint of arrogance and sharpness between his brows. He held a long saber that was pitch-black all over, its blade gleaming with a cold light, and a faint black battle aura lingered around the long saber, emitting a formidable coercion.
He was Lin Chenyu, coming from the Central Direct Jurisdiction competition zone, and originating from the Federation's top divine-vein Clan: the Lin Clan!
The Lin Clan had passed down the Dao of the saber for generations with a profound foundation, nurturing countless top-tier saber cultivators.
Their ancestors had even produced a True God-grade powerhouse, making them one of the most powerful divine-vein families in the Federation.
And Lin Chenyu was even more of a Genius and outstanding figure of the Lin Clan in this generation, endowed with extraordinary talent, and had awakened the Legendary-grade profession [Splitting Heaven Saber Emperor].
[Splitting Heaven Saber Emperor] could be called the top-tier Legendary-grade profession aside from God-levelprofessions, focusing on ultimate saber Dao attacks while concurrently possessing defense and speed. Class Holders who awakened this profession were naturally endowed with extremely high comprehension of the saber Dao, able to quickly master various saber techniques, and as their strength increased, they could also condense a Saber God Domain.
The long saber in Lin Chenyu's hand was named "Splitting Heaven Demonic Blade", which was an exclusive Lifebound Weapon specially forged for him by the Lin Clan.
Although it was not a Divine Artifact, it was a Legendary-grade weapon with extremely high growth potential, capable of upgrading as the user's strength increased.
This meant that Lin Chenyu almost did not need to change weapons during his growth stage.
Because for a saber user, the saber was equivalent to a partner of life and death, and frequently changing sabers would affect combat power.
Lin Chenyu's strength was formidable; it could be said that he was the strongest Legendary-grade Class Holder aside from a few Mythical Rank Professionals.
His combat power could even rival those Mythical Rank Professionals.
In the assessment, he had also broken through all obstacles all the way, advancing to the third round with an absolute advantage. He originally thought he was sufficient to contend for the top spot, but when he saw Jiang Yuan's points and ranking, an incomparably huge pressure instantly surged in his heart, and the aura around his body slightly stagnated.
He was very clear that Jiang Yuan being able to accumulate such high points meant his strength was definitely not something he could contend against; even with his top-tier Legendary-grade profession, in front of Jiang Yuan, he might not necessarily have a chance of winning.
Not only Lin Chenyu, but all the other examinees also revealed expressions of shock and dread when they saw Jiang Yuan's points and ranking.
Everyone subconsciously tightened their nerves, staring vigilantly at Jiang Yuan.
Fearing that Jiang Yuan would stir up bloody storms the moment he made a move like in the previous two rounds, eliminating them along the way.
Yet there were only two groups of people who were exceptions.
Among them, one group consisted of a few familiar male faces.
They were standing on the eastern side of the island, looking eagerly toward Jiang Yuan's direction, their faces filled with pleasant surprise and excitement without the slightest dread.
The leader among them was robust and honest-looking, exactly Jiang Yuan's good brother Zhao Biao.
Besides Zhao Biao, there were two other people standing by his side. One of them wore cyan battle armor, had an upright posture, sharp eyes, and radiated a steady auraaround him; he was their team captain Luo Hang.
The other person was Jiao Yuefeng.
The three of them, plus two other teammates, participated in the Federal Unified Examination in the form of a five-person team, supporting each other all the way and successfully advancing to the third round.
Seeing the three of Zhao Biao, a trace of imperceptible warmth flashed across the depths of Jiang Yuan's eyes, and the corners of his mouth slightly curled up.
He didn't expect that he would actually encounter his brothers in the battlefield of the third round.
In this cruel melee, participating as a team obviously had more advantages than participating as an individual.
Because team members were natural allies and also a community of shared interests, trusting and cooperating with one another, they could jointly hunt monsters and eliminate opponents, as well as cover each other during dangerous moments, greatly increasing the chances of advancing.
As for other individual examinees, even if they temporarily reached an Alliance agreement with others, they could not guarantee whether the other party would tear up the Alliance at a critical moment and strike from behind.
After all, in front of points and advancement quotas, the so-called "Alliance" was often vulnerable.
Therefore, the further along the assessment's Late Stagegot, the greater the number of teams would be.
On the island, teams of examinees gathered in groups of three to five could be seen everywhere; they guarded against the outside while acting as horns for each other internally, relying on one another.
Meanwhile, the proportion of individual examinees who were alone had significantly dropped, appearing exceptionally conspicuous.
The three of Zhao Biao also sensed Jiang Yuan's gaze and successively waved at Jiang Yuan, their faces filled with excitement.
"Jiang Yuan!"
Zhao Biao could no longer suppress the excitement in his heart, disregarding the strange gazes cast by surrounding examinees, and strode toward Jiang Yuan's direction.
Luo Hang and Jiao Yuefeng exchanged a glance and hurriedly followed closely behind, catching up with brisk steps, their faces similarly filled with unconcealed excitement and pleasant surprise.
Looking at the three running over quickly, the sharpness in the depths of Jiang Yuan's eyes gradually softened, the curve at the corners of his mouth became increasingly obvious, and his tone carried a few points of genuine surprise.
"I didn't expect you guys to advance too!"
He truly never expected that Zhao Biao and the others could actually charge all the way to the third round melee.
You must know that although the rank of the three Zhao Biao had already exceeded fifty, their professions were only ordinary Elite-grade ones, so their upper limit was not high to begin with, and their strength was far inferior to those geniuses and prodigies with epic-grade and Legendary-grade professions. Being able to survive two rounds of cruel melee was already a miracle.
Zhao Biao ran up in front of Jiang Yuan, scratched the back of his head, and revealed an honest smile on his face, his tone carrying a few points of fortune, also mixed with a trace of imperceptible bitterness.
"Luck, it's all thanks to luck!"
"During the second round, a few Legendary-gradegeniuses happened to fight too fiercely, accidentally killing all the other surrounding examinees, and they also beat each other to a draw. We hid in the corner and considered it picking up a bargain."
Speaking of this, the smile on his face faded a bit, and his tone also lowered: "Even so, two of our people died! Now only I, Jiao Yuefeng, and Luo Hang are left."
Between his words was full of regret for the departed teammates, as well as the fortune of surviving a catastrophe.
To be honest, Zhao Biao himself never expected that he could walk to this step.
Although they had lost two teammates now, and the probability of advancing to the fourth round again was extremely minimal, he was already very satisfied.
With the results they had achieved currently, it was enough to smoothly enter any of the Five Great Academiesof the Federation. For them who were once merely ordinary Elite-grade professionals, this was already a heavenly glory, without any regrets at all.
Luo Hang on the side wiped the sweat beads on his forehead, the excitement on his face still hard to conceal, and repeatedly chimed in.
"That's right, being able to walk to this step for us really didn't rely on strength, it entirely relied on luck; it was the heavens looking after us!"
"If it weren't for those Legendary-grade geniuses fighting among themselves, we probably would have been eliminated back in the second round."
Jiao Yuefeng also nodded, his eyes full of agreement. They were very clear about their own strength; being able to advance to the third round was indeed a fluke.
"Luck is also a kind of strength. Being able to seize the opportunity to survive in troubled times is an ability in itself; you don't need to belittle yourselves."
Jiang Yuan looked at the three and slightly nodded, his tone calm yet carrying a few points of affirmation.
"Jiang Yuan, after the battle starts later, you should just kill all of us!"
Just at this moment, Zhao Biao seemed to have made up some kind of determination, took a deep breath, raised his head to look at Jiang Yuan, his expression turning exceptionally serious, and his tone also carrying a bit of solemnity.
"We also know that with our strength, we definitely cannot push into the fourth round. Rather than being eliminated by other examinees at that time and benefiting outsiders, it's better to give our points to you!"
As soon as these words came out, Luo Hang and Jiao Yuefeng did not show the slightest surprise, but instead successively nodded in agreement, and team captain Luo Hang opened his mouth to supplement.
"After all, you helped us so much before. If it weren't for you, we probably wouldn't even have broken through the Nanjiang City competition zone."
"But our strength is limited, and walking to this step is already the limit!"
"Now we also have no way to help you with anything, and can only use this method as interest to repay your previous kindness."
Luo Hang also followed up by saying, his tone full of sincerity without the slightest reluctance.
They were very clear that although their points were not much, they could at least help Jiang Yuan consolidate his top-ranking position; this was also the only thing they could do for Jiang Yuan right now.
Rather than the three of them being killed by others and becoming someone else's points, it was better to benefit Jiang Yuan.
"No! Who says you guys can't enter the fourth round!"
Hearing this, Jiang Yuan immediately shook his head, his gaze resolute, and his tone unquestionable.
Originally, Jiang Yuan also didn't expect to encounter the three of Zhao Biao here.
He had originally planned to start a massacre right when the battle began just like in the second round, eliminating all examinees of the same combat zone and completely clearing obstacles on the path of advancement.
But now that he had encountered his good brothers, he changed his mind.
If they hadn't met, so be it, but since they met, he couldn't just watch them get eliminated, let alone kill them with his own hands. Helping them out was not a difficult matter for him at all.
Furthermore, this was not considered cheating or violating rules.
The rules of the Federal Unified Examination finals inherently allowed examinees to freely form Alliances and teams, and even in the melee of the first two rounds.
There were quite a few individual examinees who "illegally" teamed up or formed Alliances to hunt monsters and eliminate opponents together.
As long as they did not violate the core rule of "free competition", the Federation as the organizer would not intervene.
"With me here, you guys will definitely enter the fourth round, I said it!"
Looking at the three slightly restrained people before him, Jiang Yuan's tone was resolute and decisive, carrying full confidence.
His voice was not loud, but it carried a convincing power, as long as he was there, it seemed there was nothing that could not be done.
Hearing this, disbelief instantly appeared on the faces of the three of Zhao Biao. Zhao Biao even scratched the back of his head extremely embarrassedly, his tone carrying a few points of apprehension and anticipation.
"This... will we drag you down again?"
To say they didn't want to advance would definitely be a lie.
They knew very well in their hearts that although with their current results, they had already steadily entered the Five Great Academies.
But even entering the academies, given their ranking and profession, they would at most only receive the most ordinary student treatment, and the resources they could obtain were actually just average, with the level of importance placed on them not being high.
But if they could advance to the fourth round, even if their final ranking was on the lower side, the treatment and resources given to them by the academy would undergo earth-shattering changes; whether it was cultivation resources or mentor guidance, it would far surpass other students in the academy.
"It's nothing, just a matter of convenience."
"As long as you guys follow by my side and protect yourselves well, advancing to the fourth round will be easy and breezy, absolutely without any problem."
Jiang Yuan waved his hand, his tone calm, as if he were just talking about a trivial matter.
Moreover, to him, it indeed was a minor matter.
"Alright! Jiang Yuan, we'll listen to you! We definitely won't drag you down!"
Hearing this, the apprehension on the faces of the three of Zhao Biao instantly dissipated, replaced by thick excitement and gratitude. They successively nodded at Jiang Yuan, their eyes full of resolution.
"Mhm!"
Jiang Yuan slightly nodded, saying nothing more, then slowly raised his head and cast his gaze toward the other side of the island.
Over there, there was also a group of acquaintances, a group of people he originally thought he would never meet again, yet didn't expect to reunite with in the third round battlefield.
And the gazes those people directed toward him were extremely complicated.
Strikingly, it was Lin Muxue, along with her five-person team.
Unlike the three of Zhao Biao—Zhao Biao being able to push into the third round relied entirely on flukes and luck, which truly surprised people.
But Lin Muxue's team being able to advance to the third round was within reason; after all, their team's strength was very strong.
The five members of this team were all top-tier epic-gradeClass Holders, with formidable combat power and tacit coordination.
In the melee of the second round, they advanced steadily and surely, not only successfully hunting a large number of monsters, but also cleverly avoiding a few waves of struggles among Legendary-grade geniuses.
In the end, all five members arrived completely, without any reduction in personnel, and their strength remained intact.
"Lin Muxue, it's your Jiang Yuan!"
In the team, Su Yutong was the first to notice Jiang Yuan's gaze.
She gently nudged Lin Muxue's arm beside her, her tone carrying unconcealed excitement and curiosity, her eyes fixed tightly on Jiang Yuan, gleaming with an unusual brilliance.
No one would have thought that Su Yutong's attitude at this moment would be completely different from when they first met.
When they met at the sub-competition zone back then, although Su Yutong maintained politeness on the surface, deep down she had long looked down on Jiang Yuan.
She came from a great Clan in Nanjiang City, and was herself a top-tier epic-grade Class Holder, looking down from the bottom of her heart on this youth from a small city who was merely an ordinary mage.
But as the Federal Unified Examination progressed, Jiang Yuan shone brilliantly all the way.
From being unknown to sweeping across the sub-competition zone, even Zhao Hao, who possessed a Mythic-grade Profession, was firmly suppressed by him.
That formidable combat power and hidden trump card completely subverted Su Yutong's perception of Jiang Yuan, making her increasingly interested in this mysterious yet powerful youth, and even adding a few points of admiration.
Hearing this, a faint blush instantly swept across Lin Muxue's exquisite and flawless face, resembling a ripe apple, fading away her usual coldness and adding a bit of delicate tenderness.
She raised her gaze slightly, her beautiful eyes filled with an unbreakable, thick affection as her gaze crossed the crowd and landed far away on Jiang Yuan.
That gaze was so tender it seemed it could drip water, as if the scorching magma and the roaring Abyssal Demon Dragon around her had nothing to do with her, leaving only that tall and straight figure in her eyes.
Jiang Yuan seemed to sense it, and his originally sharp gaze instantly softened.
He turned his head slightly, his gaze meeting Lin Muxue's across the air.
There were no words, no actions, yet within those gazes, a thousand words were conveyed.
There was the joy of a long-awaited reunion, the longing of mutual concern, and even an unspeakable tacit understanding and deep affection.
Jiang Yuan's gaze was no longer cold or sharp; it was replaced by a thick tenderness and cherishing, as if telling Lin Muxue:
"Don't be afraid, with me here, I will definitely protect you thoroughly."
And Lin Muxue's gaze responded to his feelings, carrying trust, reliance, and a trace of imperceptible pride.
That was pride in his formidable strength and pride in his dazzling brilliance.
Although Lin Muxue did not rush forward impatiently like Zhao Biao to greet Jiang Yuan or try to get close to him, and did not even make a single sound,
the relationship between them inherently had no need to be proven by these external actions.
Merely this brief eye contact was enough to see through each other's intentions and read each other's concerns.
Many times, love does not need to be spoken; it is unspoken, and a single look surpasses a thousand words.
Yet it was completely different from the expressions of Lin Muxue and Su Yutong.
The expressions of the other three boys in the team were extremely ugly, gloomy enough to drip water.
Although they were a five-member team, their internal relationships were not harmonious, and they had long formed distinct small cliques.
Lin Muxue and Su Yutong were both girls and were exceptionally close.
As for Si Muyuan, Chen Ze, and Li Hao, the three of them banded together more tightly and were inseparable on ordinary days.
At this moment, when Jiang Yuan's gaze swept across their team, these three boys tacitly lowered their heads, deliberately avoiding Jiang Yuan's line of sight, not daring to look him in the eye at all. The auras around their bodies became somewhat chaotic, hiding undisguised apprehension and fear.
Among them, the one who reacted most violently was Si Muyuan.
He was Jiang Yuan's overt rival in love. Long before the Unified Examination began, because of Lin Muxue, he had mocked and provoked Jiang Yuan, his words full of disdain.
Yet at this moment, in Si Muyuan's heart, there was only endless regret and fear penetrating to the bone. He did not even dare to raise his head, his hands tightly clenched into fists, knuckles turning white, and his whole body trembling slightly.
He frantically regretted in his heart why he had acted on impulse back then to provoke that monster Jiang Yuan.
Before the match, he thought Jiang Yuan was just an inconspicuous ordinary mage; even with a little strength, he was definitely no match for himself, a top Epic ClassClass Holder.
But now, he had witnessed Jiang Yuan's formidable strength with his own eyes!
In the two rounds of hundred-person melee, nearly two hundred students had died at Jiang Yuan's hands.
Even many Legendary-grade geniuses were not a single match for him!
His points were as high as 588, far ahead of the entire field!
Such strength was long beyond what he could contend against.
What made him even more terrified was that he and Jiang Yuan were now in the same hundred-person battle zone.
According to the rules, examinees could slaughter each other at will, and taking action to eliminate opponents was reasonable and legal, with no one able to find any fault.
He was well aware that with Jiang Yuan's strength, wanting to eliminate him was merely a matter of lifting a hand.
As long as Jiang Yuan had the intent to kill, he wouldn't even have the chance to resist.
At this moment, Si Muyuan had long lost his original arrogance and rebelliousness, leaving only humble prayers.
Praying that Jiang Yuan hadn't seen him, praying that Jiang Yuan disdained to act against him, and praying that he could luckily survive until the end of the evaluation.
Yet he also knew in his heart that this was merely self-deception.
The battlefield of this island was only so big, and he was a member of Lin Muxue's team, standing in a prominent position in the queue. How could Jiang Yuan possibly not see him?
Moreover, there was the grudge of being love rivals between them, and his initial provocation had long been deeply branded in Jiang Yuan's mind.
Jiang Yuan did indeed see Si Muyuan, and even clearly captured his fearful, dodging appearance.
But he merely glanced at Si Muyuan and withdrew his gaze, with not the slightest ripple in his eyes.
It was as if Si Muyuan was merely a speck of dust in the air, simply not worth him wasting a shred of thought, let alone going to great lengths to deal with him.
Today's Si Muyuan, in his eyes, was merely a clown jumping up and down.
The initial provocation was just an inconsequential farce.
If he really took action to eliminate him, it was just a casual matter and not worth him making a great fuss.
In response to this, Jiang Yuan's gaze fell back onto Lin Muxue, nodding slightly to convey a signal of reassurance, and then he withdrew his gaze, his expression turning sharp once again.
He knew that the melee was about to begin.
He not only had to protect Zhao Biao and the other three well, but also had to ensure Lin Muxue's safety, allowing not the slightest bit of distraction.
This was much harder than the first two rounds, which only required simply killing opponents.
"...The match begins!"
Just at this moment, the System sound fell without warning.
The dragon roars within the magma became increasingly deafening. That Abyssal Demon Dragon with the most massive body took the lead in issuing a violent roar, fiercely pouncing toward the island. Its sharp fangs flashed with a cold, chilly light, and it spat raging flames from its mouth, the scorching heat wave instantly sweeping across the entire island.
Following closely behind, the remaining two to three hundred Abyssal Demon Dragons also roared one after another, launching an impact toward the island. Some pounced at the examinees, and some spat out flames, causing the entire battlefield to instantly plunge into chaos.
The grand melee of the third round officially kicked off!
Once the melee began, for a time, screams, dragon roars, and skill collision sounds intertwined together, blending scorching magma with violent magical power.
More than a dozen Legendary-grade geniuses in the arena took the lead in exerting force.
Some hunted Abyssal Demon Dragons to accumulate points, while others cast their gaze toward other examinees, watching for opportunities to eliminate opponents and vie for advancement slots.
The most dazzling among them was undoubtedly the second-ranked Rending Heaven Saber Emperor Lin Chenyu.
The aura around his body instantly surged, his figure darting out like an arrow. The Rending Heaven Demonic Blade in his hand was held high by him, and the black Saber Qi lingering on the blade body grew increasingly rich, faintly possessing the momentum to split the heavens.
"Rending Heaven Slash!"
Lin Chenyu gave a low shout, pouring all his strength into the blade body, and fiercely slashed out. A black blade light dozens of meters long suddenly formed. The blade light was incomparably sharp, carrying the might to tear apart heaven and earth, sweeping horizontally toward the examinees and Abyssal Demon Dragons ahead.
Wherever the blade light passed, the air was torn apart, making a piercing screech. The three epic-grade examinees along the way did not even have time to react before they were instantly cleaved in half by the blade light, their auras dissipating and turning into Lin Chenyu's points.
A pouncing Abyssal Demon Dragon also had its wings directly severed by the blade light, its massive body crashing heavily to the ground. After struggling a few times, it lost all movement, black blood gushing out and staining the charred volcanic rock.
Several other powerful Legendary-grade geniuses also successively displayed their respective trump card skills.
Aside from Lin Chenyu, the strikes of two other top Legendary-grade geniuses similarly shocked the entire audience.
The first was named Zhao Manjun, and her Legendary-grade profession was [Ice-Sealing Sword Master]. She wore an ice-blue long dress, surrounded by bone-chilling cold qi, and held an ice crystal spirit sword in her hand. Embedded at the top of the spirit sword was a huge ice soul gemstone, emitting rich ice-type magical power.
The moment the melee began, Zhao Manjun swung her sword rapidly, fully unleashing the [Ice-Sealing a Hundred Miles] skill!
Seeing her spirit sword slash, ice debris filled the sky and drifted down instantly. A thick layer of ice instantly condensed on the ground, spreading across the entire island. The paws of several Abyssal Demon Dragons rushing at the very front were firmly imprisoned by the ice layer, unable to move, and they issued angry roars.
Following closely, Zhao Manjun slashed out, condensing countless ice blades. The ice blades gleamed with a bone-chilling cold light, densely shooting toward the imprisoned Abyssal Demon Dragons and examinees. Every single ice blade contained formidable ice power, and those hit were instantly frozen into ice sculptures, then shattered with a bang.
"Ice Soul Soul-Devouring!"
Zhao Manjun gave another low shout, and the ice soul gemstone at the top of the ice crystal spirit sword erupted with dazzling blue light. A giant ice pillar gushed out from the ground, firmly wrapping five epic-grade examinees and three Abyssal Demon Dragons.
In a short moment, they were frozen into a huge ice sculpture, completely losing their breath of life, and the points subsequently fell into Zhao Manjun's hands.
Her combat style was cold and sharp, and her ice-type skills combined offense and defense. In just a short moment, she had reaped quite a few points, and her ranking steadily rose.
The second top Legendary-grade Genius was Qin Haotian, and his Legendary-grade profession was [Thunder Dharma King]. He wore a set of purple battle armor filled with thunder patterns, surrounded by violent purple-gold thunder, and held a thunder spear in his hand. The spear body flashed with dazzling thunder light, emitting a world-destroying coercion.
Qin Haotian had a robust figure and a fierce, courageous personality. As soon as the melee began, he brandished the thunder spear and rushed toward the Abyssal Demon Dragons at the edge of the magma. The thunder around his body kept jumping, blessing the spear and significantly increasing its power.
"Thunder Piercing the Sun!"
Qin Haotian let out an angry roar, pouring all the power of thunder into the spear and thrusting forward fiercely. A thick purple-gold thunder gushed out from the spear tip, like a giant thunder dragon, shooting toward a massive Abyssal Demon Dragon.
The giant thunder dragon instantly struck the head of the Abyssal Demon Dragon, and the violent power of thunder instantly swept across its whole body. The Abyssal Demon Dragon issued a miserable scream, its massive body twitching violently. Its pitch-black scales were scorched charred and peeled off by the thunder, the Demonic Qiinstantly dissipated, and it crashed heavily at the edge of the magma, turning into Qin Haotian's points.
Afterwards, holding the thunder spear, Qin Haotian shuttled through the battlefield. As the spear danced, thunder shot in all directions. Every thrust could hit an Abyssal Demon Dragon or an examinee. The power of thunder could not only cause huge damage but also paralyze opponents, causing them to lose their ability to resist. In just a short moment, Qin Haotian killed four Abyssal Demon Dragons and two epic-grade examinees, his combat power formidable and not inferior to Lin Chenyu and Zhao Manjun in the slightest.
Their strength was a cut above the Legendary-gradegeniuses Jiang Yuan encountered in the second round.
After all, for geniuses who could reach this step, luck was very important, and strength was equally important.
People like Zhao Biao who advanced by relying on heaven-defying luck were extremely few.
The three top Legendary-grade geniuses taking action first had already stirred up a wave of fervor on the battlefield.
The remaining Legendary-grade and epic-gradeexaminees also exerted force one after another, hunting Abyssal Demon Dragons and eliminating opponents. The entire island battlefield completely plunged into chaos; screams, dragon roars, and skill collision sounds intertwined, scorching magma foam kept splashing, and the smell of blood and Demonic Qi in the air grew increasingly rich.
And right at this moment, Jiang Yuan finally moved!
He did not hunt targets one by one like other geniuses, but instead chose the most direct and overbearing method as before.
Jiang Yuan's eyes narrowed, and the scarlet-gold fire light around his body instantly surged.
Violent flame energy surged out from within his body, gathering at his fingertips.
In just a fleeting instant, it condensed into a scarlet-gold fireball with a diameter of hundreds of meters.
The fireball was scorching hot throughout, with violent flame patterns dancing on its surface, emitting a world-destroying coercion resembling a falling blazing sun.
It illuminated the entire dim battlefield like daylight, the temperature in the air soared once more, and the volcanic rock on the ground sizzled from being scorched, even beginning to melt.
Seeing this giant fireball, some people finally understood why Jiang Yuan was able to accumulate so many points in the first two rounds.
Once this blazing-sun-like fireball smashed down, how many people could still survive?
For a moment, everyone was so frightened that their souls flew away and spirits scattered, frantically fleeing toward the edge of the island while roaring.
"It's Jiang Yuan's terrifying fireball! Hurry and dodge!"
Yet the space of the island was already cramped, and all directions were churning magma, leaving nowhere to hide at all. The vast majority of examinees could only try their utmost to deploy defensive skills, attempting to resist this fatal blow!
Those Abyssal Demon Dragons also felt the terrifying coercion of the fireball, issuing angry roars and spitting flames toward the fireball in an attempt to shatter it.
But their flames were like ants in front of the giant fireball, instantly swallowed up.
Jiang Yuan's fingertips moved slightly, and he gave a low shout from his mouth. That giant fireball resembling a blazing sun carried a world-destroying momentum, smashing heavily toward the center of the island!
The moment the fireball fell, the air was scorched to make a sizzling sound, and a violent flame shockwave swept toward the surroundings.
Wherever it passed, whether it was the roaring Abyssal Demon Dragons or the examinees who failed to escape in time, all were instantly swallowed up.
Screams, dragon roars, and flame-scorching sounds intertwined together, and in just a fleeting instant, they came to an abrupt end.
The giant fireball exploded with a bang, the scarlet-gold flames sweeping across the entire island. The ground was burned into a huge charred pit. Within the pit, magma churned, emitting a scorching aura, and the air was filled with a rich burnt smell and Demonic Qi.