Chapter 56: Five Thousand Against Thirty, Rift Demon Shadow's Defense Broken Again!
Su Chen smiled slightly and tapped the ground gently with his burst staff.
"Corrosive Snake Guard!"
Suddenly.
"Boom—!"
The entire Frenzied Sand Gobi trembled violently without warning.
The commotion this time was heart-stoppingly huge.
The Gobi desert within a radius of nearly a thousand meters cracked instantly.
"Bang, bang, bang—!"
A full five thousand thick Snake Guards pierced out from the ground like barbs!
The Snake Guards were dense and packed tightly, filling the entire field of view.
Looking down from high above, it was as if a creepy dark green steel jungle had suddenly grown on the Gobi desert.
Inside the light barrier, the air seemed to freeze instantly.
"What... what is this..."
A male student's legs went soft, and he collapsed to the ground.
The other students were no better; they were all dumbfounded, covered in layer upon layer of goosebumps.
Thousands of Flame Demon Guards were scary enough before.
Now... these Snake Guards, there were a full five thousand of them!
Each one was over three meters tall and as thick as a person's waist, bringing a visual impact even more exaggerated than the Flame Demon Guards.
"Isn't he a mage? How... how can he still summon things like this?"
Zhao Xuan swallowed hard, feeling like his brain wasn't working anymore.
General Zhan Wuji's hand, which was pressed against the light barrier, tightened abruptly.
He looked at the endless forest of Snake Guards outside, his eyelids twitching wildly.
He knew Su Chen could summon Snake Guards.
During the second exam, he had used these Snake Guards to block the door and killed all the monsters.
The problem was... five thousand?
With this quantity, even if the most outstanding summoner in China came, this would be the limit, right?
General Zhan Wuji took a deep breath, his gaze toward Su Chen becoming increasingly strange.
"The attributes of these Snake Guards aren't high, but their quantity is huge, and they have physical bodies. The tactics will be very rich; they can restrict movement, interfere with vision, and even block skills."
"Wait."
"This little guy's attacks can inflict Poison; could it be... these summons can too?"
"..."
He gasped sharply.
Originally, he thought Su Chen was just a squishy mage, a glass cannon.
If the hypothesis was true... then Su Chen's class was even more perfect than he had imagined!
In mid-air.
The Rift Demon Shadow, who had been preparing to command his thirty clones to kill Su Chen, froze completely in place.
The ghostly light beneath his mask stared fixedly at the forest of Snake Guards below, a stormy sea raging in his mind.
Of course, he recognized these Snake Guards!
Just a few days ago in the Abyss Dungeon, he had just fought against these things.
Su Chen had even used a Snake Guard to block one of his attacks.
He had also been arrogant and ignored the Snake Guard's attack, resulting in being inflicted with Poison, and in the end, his defense was completely broken.
But... this wasn't right!
During the last fight, the Snake Guards this kid summoned were only a few hundred.
They were thin and fragile, only a meter tall, and a single area-of-effect spell could clear a large swath.
What the hell was this three-meter-tall, waist-thick physique now?!
And how did the quantity increase more than tenfold?!
"Could this kid's skill... be one that can grow without limit?!"
An indescribable sense of horror surged in the heart of the Rift Demon Shadow.
But the Snake Guards below wouldn't wait for him to ponder the meaning of life.
"Hiss—!"
Five thousand snake heads let out a piercing hiss simultaneously.
"-2016!" "-1986!" "-2004!" "..."
Dense green light orbs of Poison, like a rainstorm flowing backward, shot crazily toward the thirty clones in mid-air!
Because there were so many Snake Guards, each clone was assigned hundreds or thousands of Poison shots.
The Rift Demon Shadow's figure retreated rapidly into the air.
But five clones were still hit by the dense Poison.
Immediately.
"-19155923!" "-19155923!" "-19155923!" "..."
Five huge numbers popped up.
The five clones that couldn't retreat in time immediately let out shrill screams.
"Ahhh, so painful!!"
"This little beast's Poison still can't be dispelled! Hurry up and use shield skills!"
"Shield, my ass. We're only level thirty right now; can a shield block twenty million damage?!"
"Ah, it hurts like hell, main body, f*ck you, save me, are you dead?!"
"..."
For a moment, everyone was stunned.
This clone skill... was quite interesting.
Even cursing their own main body?
At this moment, several Rift Demon Shadow clones that had been poisoned used their life-saving skills.
Then... it didn't seem to be of any use.
A few seconds later, they all turned into a cloud of black mist and died.
In the sky, the remaining 25 Rift Demon Shadows had already retreated to a safe position.
"Catch the thief by catching the king first!"
The Rift Demon Shadow quickly analyzed the situation.
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he locked onto the position where Su Chen had been earlier.
As long as Su Chen was killed, these summons would naturally disappear!
"Die!"
A blood-red luster condensed in his hand, preparing to directly unleash a super-strong single-target kill skill.
However.
When he looked closely, he found that the place was already empty.
Su Chen was gone.
"Where is he?!"
The Rift Demon Shadow's eyes widened suddenly, his mental energy scanning inside and outside the light barrier like a radar.
No aura.
No magic fluctuations.
Not even a single footprint was left.
It was as if this person had evaporated into thin air!
Inside the light barrier.
The students were also stunned; they watched as Su Chenstood there, and in the next second, he was gone.
"Is... is this an assassin's [Stealth]? Isn't he a mage?"
"Not normal stealth! An assassin's stealth doesn't have such a perfect invisibility effect!"
"My god, he can even go invisible?"
"..."
The students' eyes were almost popping out.
Mage skills, summoning skills, and now an assassin's stealth skill?!
Is there no shame left?!
At this moment.
Su Chen, who was in the [Light of Concealment] state, was leaning against the edge of the light barrier, drinking a bottle of blue potion that Branch President Zhang Ze had given him earlier.
Light of Concealment only breaks the invisibility state when attacking or casting spells.
Drinking a potion while invisible wouldn't cause any disturbance at all.
The cool feeling entered his stomach, and his mana began to recover slowly.
"With 2771 Spirit now, summoning five thousand Snake Guards at once is already the limit."
"..."
Su Chen looked at his bottomed-out mana and shook his head with a bitter smile.
His Spirit value was still not enough!
The layer count was already 6913, but he couldn't summon that many.
However, five thousand was enough.
He smiled.
Like to outnumber the opponent, right?
Five thousand against thirty, the advantage is with me!
In mid-air, the Rift Demon Shadow's defense was completely broken.
"F*ck you! How can there be such a disgusting class?!"
He was trembling with rage, his voice echoing over the Gobi desert.
This kid was disgusting to the core!
He would fill the area with summons at the drop of a hat, then shrink back and go invisible!
And those summons couldn't be touched.
As long as you get hit once, you get infected with Poison.
And the damage per second... in just a few days, it had grown from a few million in the last Abyss Dungeon to nearly twenty million.
Even his clones couldn't withstand it!
"Since you won't come out, I'll tear down all these broken pillars!"
The Rift Demon Shadow gritted his teeth.
He was, after all, a veteran Demon race expert.
After a brief rage, he immediately calmed down and began to analyze the battle situation.
He commanded a clone to dive rapidly, approaching the Snake Guards.
After the Snake Guards attacked, he flashed back into the air.
After a few tests.
"Fifteen meters..."
"Sure enough, although these Snake Guards have grown, their attack range hasn't changed. This kid's attack range should be a bit further, but it won't exceed 20 meters."
"As long as I keep my distance, he can't attack!"
A flash of insight appeared in the Rift Demon Shadow's eyes.
He had tested it out.
The maximum attack range of these Snake Guards was only fifteen meters.
As long as it exceeded this distance, they became sitting ducks that couldn't move!
And Su Chen's own range was around 20 meters.
"Everyone, pull up to an altitude of over twenty meters! Use large-scale spells to carpet bomb!"
The Rift Demon Shadow quickly issued the order.
The remaining twenty-four clones immediately stopped descending and hovered in unison in mid-air, more than twenty meters from the ground.
The Poison light orbs spat out by the Snake Guards lost their kinetic energy exactly five meters below their feet, dissipating into clusters of harmless green mist.
"Boom!"
Twenty-five Rift Demon Shadows raised their hands and began throwing skills one after another.
Black meteor showers filling the sky, Abyss Hellfire, corrosive acid...
Various large AOE skills were smashed onto the Snake Guard forest below as if they were free.
After all, he was a Rift Demon Shadow; he didn't know how many skills he had stolen, and his AOE skills were varied.
Moreover, each one possessed 100% of the main body's attack power.
For a time, the Gobi desert shook.
Under the dense bombardment of area-of-effect spells, the three-meter-tall Snake Guards began to shatter in large swathes.
One hundred... five hundred... one thousand...
In less than two minutes.
Over five thousand Snake Guards were mostly cleared, with only a few hundred remaining, struggling on their last legs.
"It's over! The Snake Guards are about to be wiped out!"
"This Demon is so cunning; he analyzed the limit of the Snake Guards' attack range!"
"My god, this Rift Demon Shadow just threw out at least twenty different AOE skills..."
"..."
The students watched, dumbfounded.
Gods fighting!
It really was an eye-opener.
The Rift Demon Shadow looked at the ground that was gradually being cleared and finally vented some anger in his heart.
"Even if you have many summons, in the face of absolute strength gap and range suppression, it's all in vain!"
He sneered, preparing to wait for the last few hundred Snake Guards to be cleared, and then use a large-scale indiscriminate attack to force the invisible Su Chen out.
However.
Just the moment the last few hundred Snake Guards were smashed into gravel by hellfire.
In the air, a very faint sound of a finger snap came.
"Snap."
Following that.
That young voice that sent the Rift Demon Shadow's blood pressure soaring rang out leisurely within the light barrier.
"Nice hit. However, the CD is up."
Su Chen's figure appeared within the light barrier, his staff tapping the ground again.
"Hum—!"
The Gobi desert trembled violently again.
"Bang, bang, bang—!"
In the Rift Demon Shadow's suddenly constricted pupils.
Five thousand three-meter-tall, waist-thick, dark green Snake Guards, as if copy-pasted, pierced out from the ground that had just been cleared again!
Identical size.
Identical quantity.
Identically filling the entire Gobi desert.
Dense snake heads aimed at the clones in mid-air once again.
"..."
In mid-air.
The Rift Demon Shadow maintained his casting posture, the whole person frozen in the wind.
Inside the light barrier, the students watched this familiar scene numbly.
General Zhan Wuji looked at Su Chen who had appeared beside him, the corner of his mouth twitching.
The ghostly light beneath the Rift Demon Shadow's mask flickered violently a few times.
Then, he let out a cracked-voice roar:
"Are you f*cking... kidding me?!"
Chapter 57: Smooth and Fluid Operations! Elder ZhanMakes a Move!
Inside the light barrier.
Su Chen ignored the impotent rage of the Rift Demon Shadow in mid-air.
He turned to look at General Zhan Wuji beside him and asked straightforwardly: "Elder Zhan, how can the lockdown of this dungeon be broken? Do I need to kill him?"
General Zhan Wuji's mouth twitched again.
Kill him?
That is the Rift Demon Shadow.
One of the most cunning existences among the Demon race.
Although it is only level thirty right now, it is still very difficult to kill.
"He stole my skills and modified the dungeon's mechanics."
"As long as the Rift Demon Shadow remains within the dungeon range, the portal cannot be opened. Once he leaves the dungeon, I can completely regain control of the dungeon, open the spatial channel, and send you all out."
General Zhan Wuji paused and asked: "He is currently at an altitude of twenty meters, your summons only have a range of fifteen meters, and your own attack distance is only twenty meters. As for using the dog heads at your waist to breathe fire... the flight speed of the flames is too slow; it's very hard to hit him."
"What are you planning to do?"
His words carried a hint of assessment.
He really wanted to know if Su Chen had any other methods.
Su Chen smiled and casually drank a bottle of blue potion.
He did not answer, but asked in a low voice: "Elder Zhan, can you distinguish which one is the real body?"
"Oh?"
General Zhan Wuji was stunned.
What was this little guy trying to do?
"The fourth one from the right."
"Understood, Elder Zhan. Watch my performance in a moment."
For a moment.
The entire Gobi Desert seemed to become quiet.
The Rift Demon Shadow's expression kept changing, his gaze fixed intently on Su Chen inside the light barrier.
He did not act rashly again.
He could certainly clear away these Snake Guards again, but he knew that Su Chen's Snake Guard cooldown was thirty seconds.
What if he summoned them again after thirty seconds?
Not to mention wasting mana, how could he attack Su Chen who had hidden inside the light barrier?!
It was too disgusting!
Throwing a bunch of summons and then stealthing into the light barrier, right?
"No, this little beast is drinking blue potions, which means his mental power cannot sustain so many summons indefinitely."
The eerie light beneath the Rift Demon Shadow's mask flickered, and a cold sneer curled his lips: "Your mana will eventually run out! Let's see how many times you can summon!"
"When your mana bar is drained, I will grind you, this little beast, into meat paste inch by inch!"
As the words fell.
The real body and the twenty-four clones simultaneously scattered in mid-air, tightly surrounding the light barrier and the Snake Guards below.
Various AOE lights condensed in their hands once again.
"Boom, boom, boom—!"
Colorful skills poured down again as if they were free.
The Snake Guards were blasted into fragments in large swaths.
Two minutes later, only a few hundred Snake Guards remained again.
Snap!
Su Chen tapped the ground again, and five thousand Snake Guards appeared once more.
The Rift Demon Shadow was not discouraged.
As if he had figured out Su Chen's bottom line, he patiently bombarded the Snake Guards with AOE attacks.
Just like that.
The two were like starting a tug-of-war.
When the Snake Guards were about to run out, Su Chenwould summon them again.
In just ten minutes, they had fought five tug-of-wars!
Just as the Rift Demon Shadow was methodically clearing the sixth wave of Snake Guards.
A sudden change occurred!
"Bang!"
A muffled explosion came from the Gobi Desert outside the light barrier.
Unknown to anyone, Su Chen had already appeared behind and to the side of the Rift Demon Shadow's real body.
And his body was soaring into the sky like a cannonball!
A powerful physical recoil force exploded on the ground, directly stomping a deep pit into the Gobi Desert.
Ten meters!
Fifteen meters!
In the shocked gazes of all the students, a fragile mage had actually jumped fifteen meters in one step, rising to five meters below the Rift Demon Shadow!
It was the dash skill from the Bloodthirsty Pigskin Leggings!
The dash had no directional restrictions, and this wave of Su Chen's was precisely leaping into the air!
"What?!"
The eerie light beneath the Rift Demon Shadow's mask shrank violently.
He had never expected that Su Chen would actually have a dash skill!
His gaze suddenly looked into the light barrier.
Inside the light barrier.
A figure identical to Su Chen was still standing there blankly.
"This is... the phantom he left behind using that ring?!"
The Rift Demon Shadow was greatly shocked.
Su Chen had actually used the Shadow Dancer Ring to set up a phantom, creating the illusion that he was still staying inside the light barrier, making him lower his guard, and then stealthing to the area below and behind his real body!
"He deliberately spared no mana to summon the Snake Guards, was he stalling for his stealth skill's cooldown?"
The Rift Demon Shadow's brain operated at high speed, having instantly analyzed the situation.
In the blink of an eye, he hurriedly commanded his clones to attack Su Chen, while preparing to use Blink himself.
But Su Chen was faster!
In an instant.
Su Chen had already raised his right hand.
On his right hand were three dog heads.
"Little guys, breathe fire!"
Su Chen shouted angrily.
A blinding red light erupted from the dog heads.
The next moment.
"Roar—!"
A deafening dog bark exploded in mid-air.
Immediately after.
"Boom!"
A fifty-meter-long sea of fire, carrying extreme heat, engulfed over a dozen clones in the air head-on!
Among them was the Rift Demon Shadow's real body!
"-45"
"-32"
"-41"
"..."
A few insignificant damage numbers floated up.
But this was not important at all.
What was important was that after being hit by the red flames, their bodies were instantly stained with a layer of dark green.
Seeing this scene.
Su Chen did not hesitate and activated the Resilient Gargoyle Necklace, his body instantly turning into a gray-white stone statue, falling straight downwards.
Just at this moment.
The attacks from the Rift Demon Shadow and his clones also arrived.
"Pappa-pa—!"
Several blood-red attacks rained down on Su Chen.
"-5"
"-4"
"-7"
"..."
A few light numbers popped up.
In the petrified state, Su Chen's health bar didn't move at all.
"Little beast!!!"
The Rift Demon Shadow roared.
This kid... is too shameless, right?!
After throwing a set of skills, he uses a life-saving skill, right?!
However.
The armor break also counts as time.
A layer of faint dark green halo had already spread over his entire body.
"Ahhhh—!!!"
An extremely shrill scream tore through the sky above the entire Gobi Desert.
"-19,155,923!"
A terrifying damage number exploded from above his head.
Nearly twenty million true damage!
The intense pain made the Rift Demon Shadow directly lose control over his clones.
"Bang, bang, bang, bang!"
The twenty-four clones, the moment they lost their mana supply, turned into clusters of black mist and dissipated in the air.
Bang!
Su Chen's body, turned into a stone statue, slammed heavily onto the ground, and the Gobi Desert was instantly smashed into a deep pit.
In the sky.
The Rift Demon Shadow curled up in pain.
Black mist surged crazily from his body surface, forming a pitch-black shield.
But it was of no use.
"-19,153,152!"
Another damage jump popped up.
"Damn human! Damn little beast!!!"
The Rift Demon Shadow was completely broken.
He stared fixedly at Su Chen below, the eerie light beneath his mask carrying deep resentment.
"Little beast, I will remember you!!"
"The Demon race... will never let you go!!"
The next second.
The Rift Demon Shadow did not dare to stay for even a second; he used his last bit of strength to tear open a portal directly.
Like a stray dog, he frantically tried to run into the portal.
"Want to run?"
Suddenly.
A cold voice came from above.
The Rift Demon Shadow looked up abruptly.
Unknown to anyone, General Zhan Wuji had already appeared at the very top of the sky, holding a cluster of white light emitting a vast aura in his hand.
"General Zhan Wuji, you—"
The Rift Demon Shadow's eyes were full of horror.
General Zhan Wuji... where was there any trace of the weakness from when he was maintaining the shield?!
This old beast was clearly pretending all along!
General Zhan Wuji didn't waste any words and directly pushed the white light cluster out.
The light cluster instantly swallowed the Rift Demon Shadow.
"Hum—"
The moment they made contact, the Rift Demon Shadow's figure completely disappeared.
That suffocating sense of oppression receded like the tide.
The air was briefly quiet for a few seconds.
The students were all dumbfounded, and it took a long time for them to react.
"Won, we won?!"
"We're saved!"
"What just happened?!"
"Holy crap!! How did he fly just now?!"
"..."
General Zhan Wuji clapped his hands and waved casually.
A huge blue portal rose up inside the light barrier.
"All students, enter the portal immediately and leave the dungeon!"
The students, having escaped death, didn't dare to hesitate; they scrambled into the portal one by one.
Soon, only General Zhan Wuji and Su Chen remained inside the light barrier.
"..."
General Zhan Wuji looked at Su Chen with complex eyes, which carried undisguised approval.
Su Chen's operation just now... he had seen it all clearly.
First setting up a phantom, taking the opportunity to stealth, and then using equipment to fire the flames almost point-blank.
The whole set of operations was smooth and fluid.
This showed... that Su Chen not only had terrifying class mechanics but also possessed extremely high combat intelligence.
How could he not love such a talent?
"It was still a bit too risky; your class characteristics are not suitable for close-quarters combat."
He said earnestly: "If I hadn't interfered with him using Blink at the end, your plan would have failed."
"Elder Zhan is right."
Su Chen nodded humbly.
It was indeed a bit risky.
But this Rift Demon Shadow... really forced him to use all his methods.
General Zhan Wuji smiled: "Let's go back first."
"Wait a moment, Elder Zhan."
Su Chen did not enter the portal immediately.
His gaze quickly shifted to the sandy ground ahead that was soaked with green liquid.
There, it was the pus formed by the corpse of the bone dragon.
Although the bone dragon had been melted by the Poison, it was still flashing with a few blinding rays of light.
Dark gold.
And even... a trace of faint purple.
That was the luster of epic-grade equipment and items!
Su Chen's eyes lit up.
An epic-grade BOSS... I wonder what it will drop?
Chapter 58: Epic Grade Robe, The Shocked Crowd
Su Chen did not hesitate and scooped up the items with a wave of his hand.
[Notification: Obtained [Abyss Dragon-Speech Robe (Epic Grade)].]
[Notification: Obtained [abyss gaze crystal (Epic Grade)].]
[Notification: Obtained [Abyssal Bone Longbow (Dark Gold Grade)].]
[Notification: Obtained Abyssal Dragon Bone (Rare Material) * 2.]
[Notification: Obtained [Advanced Skill Stone (Epic Grade)].]
[Notification: Obtained Gold Coins * 1,485,568.]
...
First, there was a pitch-black robe covered in fine dragon bone scales.
The hem of the robe flowed with ghostly blue phosphorus fire, and as it swayed, it left behind trails of light purple Dragon-Speech runes.
[Abyss Dragon-Speech Robe (Epic Grade)]
[Grade: Epic Grade]
[Usage Requirement: Level 25]
[Spirit + 1080]
[Stamina - 100]
[Additional Entry 1: Spirit + 40%]
[Additional Entry 2: Bone Illusion Flight (Active): After activation, enter flight state, movement speed + 200%, duration 60 minutes, can be canceled manually in advance. Cost: 2000 Mana. Cooldown: 120 minutes.]
[Additional Entry 3: Dragon-Speech · Bone Shelter (Passive): Automatically generates a shield value of Spirit * 10. This shield persists, and after breaking, it regenerates after 60 seconds.]
[Additional Entry 4: Activated after [Abyssal Erosion (0 / 2)].]
[Additional Entry 5: Activated after [Abyssal Erosion (0 / 4)].]
...
Su Chen: "!!!"
Holy crap!
Takeoff!
Literal takeoff.
The gear's skill entry actually allows a person to fly directly.
In flight state, movement speed increases by 200%.
Although it doesn't provide other stat bonuses, just the ability to fly is worthy of its Epic grade.
After gaining flight, a professional's entire tactical system changes.
"I can summon the Snake Guard first, then fly up and wear the enemy down with them."
"Some dungeons can be cheesed by just flying over them."
"At the very worst, I can just fly away and escape."
"..."
Many uses appeared in Su Chen's mind instantly.
Besides that, there were the incredibly shocking stat bonuses.
It added a full 1080 points to Spirit!!
You have to know, many level 40 mages who put all their points into Spirit only have a few hundred.
Even more absurd is the full 40% Spirit bonus.
This is the noble percentage increase!
Even in the late game, it provides a substantial boost.
Su Chen shook his head and gave a bitter smile.
No wonder people often say that a single Epic grade piece of equipment is enough for a mid-sized family to treat as an heirloom.
Just relying on one piece of gear is enough to increase an ordinary person's combat power several-fold.
Following that, Su Chen's gaze landed on the second skill: Dragon-Speech · Bone Shelter.
"Holy crap, what a thick shield!"
A shield value of Spirit * 10, based on his current stats, is 27,710 points!
This shield value... if he stood there and let Wang Xiaolihack at it, he probably couldn't break it in a lifetime.
And it's passively generated—as long as he wears it, he has it, completely free of cost.
So, the question arises: should he wear it?
As Abyss-type equipment, it also reduces Stamina.
Being Epic grade, it reduces it by a full 100 points!
Su Chen glanced at his Stamina stat.
96.
"Holy crap!"
Su Chen's eyes widened.
It wasn't enough!
In this world, if Stamina drops to a negative number, you're dead.
"But, my level isn't high enough anyway, so I couldn't wear it yet. After I finish the job transfer quest, I'll have to put everything into Stamina."
Su Chen carefully placed the robe into his backpack.
Next was an abyss gaze crystal.
[abyss gaze crystal (Epic Grade)]
[Grade: Epic Grade]
[Effect: Upon use, permanently gain 400 Spirit, but physical/magic damage dealt and healing effects are permanently reduced by 4%.]
...
Compared to the previous Gold and Dark Gold grade crystals, this crystal was larger and the color was much richer.
The Spirit increase reached 400 points.
The cost was a 4% reduction in damage.
General Zhan Wuji was still nearby, so Su Chen didn't consume it immediately, but tossed it into his backpack for the time being.
Next was a massive bone longbow.
A Dark Gold grade weapon with excellent stats, worth tens of millions. Su Chen didn't have an archer around, so he planned to just dump it at the chamber of commerce.
Finally, there was an Epic grade skill stone.
Compared to ordinary skill stones, an Epic grade skill stone has a higher probability of successfully learning a new skill.
The value is naturally higher, likely reaching into the tens of millions.
When Su Chen learned his level 20 skill, he had consumed 23 Silver grade skill stones.
He didn't dare to imagine how difficult it would be when he learned his level 30 skill.
Seeing Su Chen stuff all the equipment and items into his backpack, General Zhan Wuji didn't say much, only stating, "The power of the abyss is a double-edged sword. Do not be too greedy for power; I have seen too many people sink deep into the abyss and meet an unfortunate end."
"I have learned much, Elder Zhan."
Su Chen nodded humbly.
"Let's go back."
General Zhan Wuji didn't say anything else, and his figure slowly faded away.
Su Chen stepped toward the portal.
...
Meanwhile.
In the First Starry Sky Arena hall.
The atmosphere was so oppressive it felt like it was about to freeze.
Fully armed military powerhouses had already locked down the entire hall.
A middle-aged man wearing a Major General's uniform stood before the main console, his face so gloomy it could drip water.
"Deputy Director Song Yi! Still can't unlock the dungeon?!" the Major General roared.
Deputy Director Song Yi was drenched in sweat: "It won't work! Chief, the dungeon permissions are locked down. There is no authority from the outside to forcibly open the dungeon!"
"Are we just going to watch them get slaughtered by the Abyssal army?!"
The Major General slammed his fist onto the main console.
The thick stainless steel surface directly caved in, leaving a deep pit.
Principal He Kaishan's face was livid, and the stainless steel teacup in his hand had already been crushed out of shape.
"Old He, don't rush..."
Principal Li Zhiyong comforted him dryly from the side.
In the corner of the hall, Lin Shiqing was biting her lip hard.
Her eyes were already brimming with tears, and her hands were tightly wrung together.
"Little Su... you can't die in there... you promised to go to Sky Dome Academy with me..."
Just as everyone was in despair.
"Beep—"
A crisp electronic notification sound rang out in the hall.
The giant scoreboard above the main console suddenly flashed violently.
Everyone looked up instinctively.
[First Place: Su Chen (Jiangnan Province · Tianhe City). Points: 7,518,900]
It wasn't over.
The numbers began to jump as if they had gone mad.
[Points: 7,524,900]
[Points: 7,530,900]
[Points:...]
[Points: 7,620,900]
...
The frequency of the numbers jumping was shockingly fast.
With every refresh, the points skyrocketed in units of six thousand.
The entire hall was deathly silent.
"What... what is going on?"
Principal Li Zhiyong rubbed his eyes, thinking he was hallucinating.
"Did the scoreboard bug out?"
Deputy Director Song Yi muttered to himself, hurriedly retrieving the data stream, "No... the data return is normal, no errors."
"Six thousand per kill... and so regular, could it be that he is killing those abyss monsters?"
"..."
Hearing this, everyone was shocked in unison.
According to the data just returned, the monsters inside were likely level 30 Elite-grade abyss monsters!
Just as everyone was stunned, the numbers on the scoreboard suddenly began to jump crazily.
The speed was so fast that even the Sixth or Seventh Turn big shots present couldn't catch it with the naked eye.
A few seconds later, the scoreboard slowly stopped.
[First Place: Su Chen (Jiangnan Province · Tianhe City). Points: 23,058,900]
Twenty-three million!
"???"
Everyone was shocked again.
"Holy crap?! Deputy Director Song, is the scoreboard really not malfunctioning?"
"Wh-what kind of thing could directly give over ten million points?"
"Calculating based on the previous data, one abyss monster is likely 6,000 points."
"Could it be that he slaughtered thousands of abyss monsters all at once?"
"..."
Just as everyone was shocked beyond measure, the scoreboard suddenly vibrated violently again.
[First Place: Su Chen (Jiangnan Province · Tianhe City). Points: 33,058,900]
"..."
At this, everyone was completely stunned.
This time it was different from before.
Previously, the scoreboard jumped very frequently, and no one knew how many times it had jumped.
But this time... the scoreboard only jumped once!
This meant that Su Chen had killed only one unit and gained ten million points.
What level of monster could directly add 10 million points?
An absurd thought appeared in everyone's hearts.
This kid... he couldn't have slaughtered an Epic grade BOSS, could he?
Chapter 59: The College Entrance Exam Ends, the Future of Hua!
Just as everyone was in shock.
"Hummm—"
The portal in the center of the hall, which had been entangled with black mist, suddenly erupted with blinding white light.
The black mist melted away like ice and snow, and the spatial passage stabilized once more.
"The passage is open!" Deputy Director Song Yi shouted.
The next second, white light flashed.
More than ninety battered and exhausted examinees were spat out of the portal like dumplings.
They fell in a heap on the open ground of the hall.
The hall was instantly in an uproar.
Medical staff and the military rushed forward immediately.
"Quick! Check for injuries!"
"Monitoring squad, has any Abyssal Erosion been brought out?!"
"..."
Deputy Director Song Yi and the Major General walked quickly to the center of the crowd.
These top geniuses from Jiangnan Province were all pale-faced with vacant eyes.
Some were even still trembling.
"Is everyone... alright?" Deputy Director Song Yi's voice was dry.
Over a hundred went in, and only ninety-something came out.
Hua's geniuses had suffered quite a few losses after all.
He sighed, looked up, and cupped his hands toward the empty air, "Thanks to Elder Zhan's timely intervention, we were able to preserve the future of Hua. As expected of a pillar of Hua, such great power to have directly wiped out the Abyssal army..."
"No... that's not it..."
A trembling female voice interrupted Deputy Director Song Yi's exclamation.
The girl looked up at Deputy Director Song Yi, her eyes filled with shock.
"Deputy Director Song, it was indeed Elder Zhan who saved us, but..."
She swallowed hard, her voice dry.
"But what?" The Major General frowned.
Was it not Elder Zhan who saved them?
What exactly happened in the dungeon?
The girl took a deep breath and pointed a trembling finger toward the back of the crowd.
There, a teenager wearing a black hood was walking slowly out of the portal.
Unlike the battered students, there was not a trace of fear or panic in his expression.
"Elder Zhan protected us with a light shield, but the one who killed the monsters was him..."
The girl's voice suddenly rose, "It's Su Chen! He alone... used only one move to kill all thousands of level-30 Abyssal Flame Demon Guards!"
"Not only that, but that level-30 Epic-grade Bone Dragon... was also killed by him in one second!"
"..."
Dead silence.
Everyone in the hall froze.
They turned their heads in unison to look at the calm-looking teenager.
"It matches, it all matches with the previous scoreboard."
"Thousands of level-30 Abyssal Flame Demon Guards, plus the Epic-grade dragon..."
Deputy Director Song Yi looked at Su Chen with burning eyes: "Without a doubt, this is the most valuable and most terrifying national champion in the history of the Great Hua Empire."
Principal He Kaishan nudged Principal Li Zhiyong's shoulder: "Old Li, do you yield?"
"... I yield." Principal Li Zhiyong shook his head with a bitter smile.
How could he not yield?
His students were still so scared their legs were soft, unable to even stand up.
"Old He, even without that bet, I would have given that qualification to this kid."
He looked at Su Chen and said sincerely: "This kid... is the future of Hua."
On the outskirts of the crowd.
Su Chen had just landed and hadn't yet had time to check his panel.
A fragrant breeze rushed toward him.
"Little Su!"
Lin Shiqing broke through the medical staff's blockade and rushed in front of Su Chen like a small cannonball.
She grabbed Su Chen's arm, looked him up and down, her eyes red.
"Are you injured? Does anything hurt? I... I thought you..."
Su Chen looked at Lin Shiqing, who was on the verge of tears, and smiled.
"What could happen to me? It's just that there was too much sand in there, making me all dirty."
"Don't lie to me, were you affected by Abyssal Erosion? I heard those Abyss mechanics are super disgusting, some curses are even lifelong and can't be washed off at all."
"Big Miss, have you been reading too many cheap web novels?"
"Hey, I'm being serious!"
"..."
"Holy crap! Chen!"
Wang Xiaoli hugged Su Chen's shoulder, incoherent with excitement: "Brother Chen, you're amazing this time, you saved the whole world by yourself. Anyone who didn't know better would think you have the protagonist's halo and are the main character of some trashy web novel!"
"..."
Su Chen shook his head and smiled: "Just good luck."
"Hahahaha!"
At this moment, a loud burst of laughter came.
Principal He Kaishan strode over.
The old man was beaming, and he didn't even know where he had dropped his thermos.
He looked at Su Chen, his eyes full of undisguised ecstasy and pride.
"Good kid! Good kid!"
Principal He Kaishan patted Su Chen's shoulder heavily: "I knew I didn't misjudge you, the first national champion in the history of Tianhe City! And he won it with such a crushing posture!"
He waved his hand grandly, full of spirit: "Let's go! Back to Tianhe City! I'm paying today, Tianhe Hotel, eat whatever you want!"
Su Chen blinked and said: "Is your leg better, sir?"
"..."
Principal He Kaishan's smile stiffened.
Damn it!
"The power of this national champion is truly impressive, it even cured Principal He's leg."
At this moment, the Major General walked over with a smile: "I hope Principal He can contribute to next month's city defense mission."
"Sigh."
Principal He Kaishan sighed, "I know, I know. It's not that I don't want to serve, it's really that... every time I get on the city wall, I think of those brothers who died in battle."
Hearing this.
The Major General put away his smile and sighed: "Then I won't force it, Principal He should do what he can."
He didn't say anything more but looked at Su Chen.
"For today's events, we need you to record the detailed sequence of events. Also, it is temporarily classified as a national level-two secret, do not disclose it to anyone."
"Understood, Chief."
"Alright, we'll talk about the statement later, go celebrate first."
The Major General smiled.
With such a genius, why should our Hua worry about not prospering?
...
Tianhe City.
A private room in the Tianhe Hotel.
Principal He Kaishan waved his hand and ordered a table full of exotic beast seafood that Su Chen had never even seen before.
Wang Xiaoli was eating until his mouth was oily, while Lin Shiqing sat on the side, eating in small bites while occasionally scanning Su Chen with her eyes.
As the eldest daughter of the Lin family, she naturally didn't find these things novel.
Su Chen didn't stand on ceremony and specifically chose the expensive ones to eat.
Anyway, Principal He Kaishan was paying, and this exotic beast meat was said to be good for kidney health, so he might as well eat it.
The meal lasted until after seven in the evening.
After the meal, everyone prepared to part ways at the hotel entrance.
Wang Xiaoli burped: "Brother Chen, I'm heading back first. Remember to come to my graduation banquet, okay?"
"Sure, we'll be in touch."
Su Chen waved his hand.
Lin Shiqing stood next to a stretched Lincoln and waved: "Little Su, go back and get some good rest, I'll contact you in a few days."
Su Chen watched the Lincoln drive away and shrugged.
Just then.
"Hummm—"
The special communicator on Principal He Kaishan's wrist suddenly vibrated violently, emitting a harsh beeping sound.
The old man's face, which had been slightly flushed from drinking, turned deathly pale after seeing the caller ID on the communicator.
He straightened his waist abruptly, and with a swoosh, his previously hunched back became straight as a board.
"Yes, understood! Don't worry, Chief!"
After hanging up, Principal He Kaishan grabbed Su Chen, who was about to turn and leave.
"Principal, what's wrong?"
Su Chen looked at Principal He Kaishan's appearance as if facing a great enemy, feeling very confused.
"Kid, listen well."
Principal He Kaishan lowered his voice, his expression unprecedentedly serious, "Tonight, don't go anywhere, just stay at home."
Su Chen raised an eyebrow: "Why?"
"Someone wants to see you."
Principal He Kaishan took a deep breath, "A... big shot."
Su Chen looked at Principal He Kaishan's expression, and his own expression became serious as well.
To be able to scare an old principal like this, the other party's background must be significant.
"Okay, I understand."
Su Chen nodded.
A big shot?
Who could it be?
Chapter 60: The Arrival of Elder Zhan and the National Reward
8:00 PM.
Su Chen sat on the sofa in his old apartment, watching TV in boredom.
Just as the major general had said, the matter of the supplementary exam was classified as a state secret, and there wasn't a single word about it on TV.
As for him being the national top scorer, there wasn't much reporting either.
It was just briefly mentioned that this year's college entrance exam had concluded successfully, and the national top scorer was a student from Tianhe City No. 1 High School.
As for his name and the heaven-defying results of those three rounds, not a single word was mentioned.
With no one around, he took out the epic-grade abyss gaze crystal from his backpack and swallowed it in one gulp.
[System Prompt: Successfully used [abyss gaze crystal(Epic Grade)]. Spirit +400, but physical/magic damage dealt and healing effects are permanently reduced by 4%.]
His Spirit stat instantly surged by 400 points.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Suddenly, a light and rhythmic knocking sound echoed.
Su Chen turned off the TV and walked over to open the door.
Two people were standing outside the door.
The one in front was Principal He Kaishan; the old man stood straight with an exceptionally serious expression on his face.
Moreover, he was wearing a crisp Zhongshan suit, making him look much more spirited.
Standing behind Principal He Kaishan was an old man wearing a grey robe with white hair and beard.
There was no energy fluctuation radiating from the old man; he looked just like an ordinary elderly man.
[General Zhan Wuji] [Level:???] [Class:???]
"Elder Zhan?!"
The moment Su Chen saw General Zhan Wuji, his eyes lit up.
General Zhan Wuji was not only a titan of the education sector but also held a key position in the military, usually tasked with guarding the borders of Hua.
It was already very surprising that he could come to Tianhe City in person.
"Won't you invite us in for a seat?"
General Zhan Wuji looked at Su Chen with a gentle smile on his face.
"Please, come in."
Su Chen stepped aside.
In the cramped living room, the sofa looked a bit worn.
General Zhan Wuji didn't mind and walked straight over to sit down.
Principal He Kaishan, like a primary school student, stood straight beside the sofa, not even daring to sit.
"No need to be so reserved, Principal He Kaishan, you sit too."
General Zhan Wuji waved his hand.
Only then did Principal He Kaishan cautiously sit on the edge of the sofa.
General Zhan Wuji looked at Su Chen standing before him, assessing him from top to bottom, his eyes filled with undisguised appreciation.
"Su Chen, from Tianhe City, Jiangnan Province; your parents died in a monster tide fifteen years ago."
Elder Zhan said slowly, "An SSS-rank unique hidden class, Poison Mage."
Su Chen nodded.
For someone of Elder Zhan's level, this was all public information.
The important part was what would come next.
General Zhan Wuji continued, "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes today, I really wouldn't believe that the Great Hua Empire could produce such a monster as you."
Su Chen said modestly, "Just good luck."
"This is not just luck."
General Zhan Wuji shook his head with a smile.
Could one kill so many Abyssal Flame Demon Guards and an epic-grade dragon with just luck?
At the same time, he was even more satisfied with Su Chen in his heart.
Possessing such heaven-defying combat power at such a young age, yet not being arrogant or complacent, and instead remaining humble—this child's character is truly top-tier.
After the pleasantries, his expression became solemn, "In today's supplementary exam dungeon, if it weren't for you, those one thousand top geniuses of Great Xia would have all been kept inside by the demons."
General Zhan Wuji suddenly stood up and bowed slightly to Su Chen.
"On behalf of those one thousand children, on behalf of the Hua Ministry of Education, and on behalf of myself, thank you."
Principal He Kaishan watched from the side, his eyes almost popping out.
"Damn!"
"Who is Elder Zhan? A titan of the education sector, one of the pillars of Hua!"
"Bowing to a kid who hasn't even completed his first-rank job advancement?!"
"Elder Zhan, you mustn't!"
Su Chen hurriedly bowed back slightly.
If this were filmed and posted online, he would probably be cyberbullied to death in minutes.
"I never expected that I, who hunted geese all day, would eventually be pecked by a goose."
General Zhan Wuji's tone was heavy with deep self-reproach, his eyes reddening, "A total of 163 candidates unfortunately died... It was my arrogance; I hadn't made a mistake in decades, so I lost my vigilance."
Su Chen shook his head and said, "Elder Zhan, there is no need to blame yourself; the demons were just too cunning."
General Zhan Wuji slowly shook his head, "I, General Zhan Wuji, will not shirk responsibility. I have decided to demote myself by three ranks and head to the front lines to personally investigate the demons' conspiracy!"
"They have been active frequently lately, and the military highly suspects they are plotting something bigger."
"As for future college entrance exam dungeons... Rift Demon Shadow stole my skills, so I cannot construct them for the time being."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Su Chen hurriedly asked, "Elder Zhan, is he not dead?"
Whether it was Zhi Bai or Rift Demon Shadow, the system did not pop up a kill notification.
Rift Demon Shadow had previously been slapped into his exclusive space by General Zhan Wuji, so Su Chen had thought that Rift Demon Shadow had already been captured by General Zhan Wuji.
"No."
General Zhan Wuji said with a grave expression, "I trapped him in another dungeon I constructed, but... he committed suicide."
"Ah?"
"His special skill retains a very special clone elsewhere; after committing suicide, he will be resurrected on the clone."
"..."
Su Chen's mouth twitched.
This mechanism is too hellish.
These demon powerhouses are indeed harder to kill one after another.
General Zhan Wuji was thoughtful and asked, "In the previous Abyss Dungeon, Rift Demon Shadow had already fought you, right? If I am not mistaken, you should have looted a very important piece of equipment or item from him."
"...Elder Zhan is right."
Su Chen did not deny it.
As expected, how could the top people in this world be mediocre?
General Zhan Wuji had already deduced the truth of the matter through the few words of Rift Demon Shadow in the dungeon and the known information.
"No wonder. Although Rift Demon Shadow stole my skills, he also paid a heavy price to connect the Abyss to the dungeon. Going to such great lengths to hunt down our Hua geniuses was one thing, and the second was to retrieve his things."
General Zhan Wuji did not ask what the item was, but advised, "In that case, you must be more careful in the future; that Rift Demon Shadow will definitely not let this rest."
"Understood."
Su Chen paused and asked tentatively, "Elder Zhan, you came over late at night, surely it couldn't just be to tell me this?"
Principal He Kaishan gasped in fear and desperately winked at Su Chen from below, fearing that this kid would anger General Zhan Wuji.
General Zhan Wuji was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Good kid, direct enough, I like it."
General Zhan Wuji sat back down.
"You should have noticed that regarding today's supplementary exam, the state has made a decision of strict confidentiality."
"The Bureau of Secrecy and the National Security Department will talk to each person who knows, ensuring it will not leak."
"..."
Su Chen nodded, indicating understanding.
The college entrance exam dungeon was invaded by demons... If this matter spread, the entire Hua would be thrown into panic.
"The state will not treat you unfairly. On the contrary, in fact, from the day you completed your awakening and obtained an SSS-rank class, you had already attracted the state's extreme attention."
"However... our country has a vast territory, and there are many affairs to deal with every day. The operation of the massive state machine is destined not to be that fast."
"Just a few hours ago, the fierce discussions that had lasted for days finally ended, and the state has decided to list you as a key protection target!"
"..."
After saying this, General Zhan Wuji flipped his wrist, and a delicate black wooden box appeared in his palm.
The wooden box was carved with complex miniature formations; just looking at it made one feel a stinging pain in their mental power.
General Zhan Wuji pushed the wooden box to Su Chen. After entering his fingerprint, a wave of magic power invisibly dissipated, and only then did he gently open it.
A badge, dark gold throughout and engraved with nine coiled dragons, lay quietly on the red velvet cushion.
[Nine-Dragon Purple Gold Badge (Epic Grade)] [Grade: Epic Grade] [Usage Requirements: None] [Affix: [Advanced Insight Block]: Blocks the Scouting Spell skill of professionals below level 200, and blocks divination arts below the highest level.]