28: Chapter 28 Trial Begins

The tenth day after the special training camp ended.

Inside the armed helicopter flying from Luling to Hongdu Base, the metal cabin walls were icy cold, and the atmosphere was as oppressive as the deep sea.

Qin Wanshuang crossed her arms, leaning against the cabin wall, her cold voice breaking the silence.

"The first round of this Hundred Cities Contest is called the 'Seven-Fold Trial Corridor'."

She spoke as if to the air, her gaze not falling on anyone.

"Seven levels, seven independent, enclosed battlefields."

"What you need to do is not to defeat someone, but to clear all targets in each level."

"It only compares the total time taken to clear the levels; this is a pure battle of efficiency."

A battle of efficiency.

Han Ruxue's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. Her brain, adept at calculation, instantly began frantic deductions. Behind this rule lay extreme bursts of power and unceasing consumption.

Lin Fengxiao's hand subconsciously gripped his long spear; the coldness transmitted from the spear shaft helped him focus his mind even more.

"The rewards are very generous."

Qin Wanshuang's voice remained calm as she continued.

"The top five can enter the cultivation pods to absorb special nutrient solutions. Second to fifth place will receive the Golden Wind and Jade Dew nutrient solution."

Han Ruxue's breath hitched for a moment.

Golden Wind and Jade Dew! That was a supreme treasure capable of cleansing the spiritual origin and purifying vital energy and blood!

"First place," Qin Wanshuang paused, then spat out four words, "Earth Vein Yuan Essence nutrient solution."

Boom!

Lin Yuan's heart, which had always been as silent as an ancient well, was struck by these four words, creating massive waves.

Earth Vein Yuan Essence!

That was the core essence of the Earth Dragon Vein, a top-tier resource for consolidating one's foundation and strengthening one's roots!

With it, not only could he perfectly break through the Origin Realm barrier, but he could also lay the most indestructible foundation for that seemingly unreachable path to the God Realm!

He had to obtain it!

Half a day later, the helicopter landed.

A steel behemoth, indescribable in words, lay prone on the wilderness, its cold metal structure reflecting a grim light under the sun.

Hongdu, the core hub of the Yan Country Eastern Theater Command.

Hundreds of fighter jets of various models tore through the clouds, circling in the sky and casting huge shadows.

The plaza was already bustling with people.

One hundred and eighty-nine top geniuses from a hundred base cities stood silently, clearly divided into distinct groups.

Each figure was like a drawn sword, exuding arrogance and sharpness.

The thick sense of oppression made the air nearly solidify.

Suddenly, a wave of scorching heat rippled out from not far away.

In the Zhaoping City camp, beneath the feet of a gloomy-looking youth in gray robes, the hard alloy ground was silently twisting and then decomposing into charred powder.

Dugu Jin! His "Ember Extinction True Fire" could directly erase even matter.

Almost simultaneously, on the other side in the Jiangzhou City camp.

Beneath the feet of a cold and arrogant youth, pitch-black water droplets condensed out of thin air, crashing heavily onto the ground with muffled thuds, actually denting the alloy into shallow pits.

Jiang Zhonglang! The "Mysterious Underworld Heavy Water" he cultivated could crush mountains with just a single drop.

Their gazes collided in the air, and the surrounding air emitted faint explosions as if being torn apart.

Just then.

Boom!!!

A terrifying pressure, far exceeding everyone else's, descended like the sky collapsing!

A bald, burly man over two meters tall, with muscles knotted like rocks, carrying a dark golden Overlord Halberd on his shoulder, descended from the sky and slammed heavily into the center of the plaza.

Where he landed, the indestructible alloy ground cracked inch by inch like a spiderweb, and a visible shockwave exploded outward!

Feng Buping!

The King of Hongdu! Peak of the Third Star of the Origin Realm!

His fierce and unrivaled aura swept across the field, making all the prodigies feel a tightness in their chests, their breathing becoming labored.

His gaze slowly swept across the field with the arrogance of looking down on ants, finally landing on the three people from Luling City.

It was a pure, undisguised contempt.

"Heh, Luling City?"

"A border town like this is also worthy of making up the numbers?"

Lin Fengxiao and Han Ruxue's bodies instantly tensed, their blood surging.

However, as the core target of the provocation, Lin Yuan didn't even lift an eyelid.

He just kept his head down, slowly and methodically using his fingertip to gently adjust the second hand of the military timer on his wrist, calibrating it to perfection.

It was as if in this world, only this watch, about to start timing, was worthy of his attention.

This feeling of being completely ignored was more insulting than any fierce retort.

Feng Buping's expression instantly darkened. He snorted coldly, his fierce eyes locking onto the number on Lin Yuan's chest.

Number 15.

Suddenly, the whole world went quiet.

All sounds, all arrogance, all heartbeats were forcibly erased by an invisible force in this instant.

The sky was torn apart.

A figure clad in dark golden dragon-patterned armor, with a majestic face, ignored space and distance, stepping down from above the clouds.

Emperor Yan Wu, Yan Tianjin.

Ninth Star of Emperor Realm!

The moment he descended, the entire Hongdu Base fell into an absolute silence, as if a god had descended.

Emperor Yan Wu did not waste a word.

He just raised his hand and waved it gently toward the steel coliseum in front of him.

Rumble—

One hundred pitch-black passages opened with a roar in the belly of the behemoth, emitting an aura that swallowed everything like an abyss.

"Only those who survive are the seeds."

"Those who die are just fuel."

"Begin!"

The moment his voice fell, one hundred and eighty-nine streams of light tore through the air, frantically surging toward those passages representing destiny.

Lin Yuan remained unhurried, walking into his own passage, Number 15.

Behind him, the heavy metal door slammed shut.

Inside the passage, there was dead, pitch-black silence.

The next second, a foul-smelling gust of wind rushed toward him.

In the darkness, hundreds of scarlet eyes suddenly lit up, like ghost fires ignited in the depths of hell, accompanied by low, oppressive roars.

A hundred Second-Order, Three-Star fierce beasts, Bloodthirsty Demon Wolves!

Meanwhile.

In the command center, on a giant light screen, one hundred and eighty-nine split screens lit up simultaneously.

Everyone's attention subconsciously focused on Passage 01.

In the footage, Feng Buping's figure had turned into a golden storm. Wherever the Overlord Halberd passed, flesh and blood flew, and the deafening roars were incessant, demonstrating unparalleled destructive power.

However, the split screen for Passage 15 was deathly silent.

In the footage, that youth from Luling City was just standing quietly in place, motionless.

Just at the moment when the ferocious pack of demon wolves turned into a black tide, about to engulf him.

Lin Yuan finally lifted his head.

His gaze seemed to pierce through the darkness, precisely locking onto the surveillance camera hidden in the corner.

No smile, no words.

He just raised his right hand and then gently snapped his fingers.

Snap.

In an instant, the dark space within a hundred meters around him was illuminated by a slowly rotating emerald green storm.

Hundreds of willow leaves floated silently, each one flashing with a cold glint that could cut the soul.

An absolute domain of death, descended!