127: Chapter 127: The Finals Begin

Following a command from the main altar of the Martial Arts Arena, nine pillars of Spiritual Qi, resembling Dragons, surged into the sky, instantly piercing through the thick clouds shrouding the Qingheng Sect.

The world changed color.

The previously clear afternoon was instantly dragged into a chaotic, dark red.

This was not a real sunset, but a "Calamity Force Field" constructed by the Heavenly Dao Formation.

The massive humming of the Formation spirits made people's hearts tremble, and nine sealed areas took shape amidst the overlap of illusion and reality.

For the Disciples inside, this was by no means a simple illusion game.

The Spiritual Pressure was as heavy as a mountain pressing on their shoulders, and every breath carried the scent of rust and sulfur; the wails of ten thousand ghosts, simulated in their ears, were a type of resentful sound capable of shaking the Dao Heart of a Golden Core Cultivator, leaving people restless.

Among the nine major areas, the place marked as "Defense Zone 7" had the most extreme conditions.

This was the legendary Duanlong Abyss, from which one could enter but never leave.

Everywhere the eye could see was thick, gray miasma.

The ground was no longer hard rock, but had turned into a corrosive swamp bubbling with black sludge.

With every step, the mud beneath their feet tried to swallow their boots like a living creature.

Above them was not the sky, but layers of dark purple thunderclouds pressing down; Spiritual Qi here was not only thin but also chaotic and violent.

Mobilizing Spiritual Qi here was like trying to pump water in a mud pit filled with rubble; the slightest carelessness would lead to blocked Meridians.

Shen Xingzhou stood on a high ridge at the entrance of the defense zone, the fierce wind carrying a foul, damp stench that rushed into his face, causing the hem of his robes behind him to snap loudly.

In his vision, the map of the entire Duanlong Abyss was covered in dense red dots—these were the simulated Yao Beasts currently being generated.

"This is the place the Central Continent wants to watch a show," Shen Xingzhou sneered inwardly. "Pathetic."

At the same time, the situation in other defense zones was transmitted back via spiritual waves.

The team in the Golden Defense Zone was still chatting and laughing when they entered, because the number of Yao Beasts there was low and the terrain was open, which was perfectly suited for the grand, sweeping movements of a Sword Cultivator.

But for the peaks in the medium-difficulty areas, the situation was not optimistic.

"Don't panic! Hold the Formation!"

"Who told you to run around! Come back!"

"Why can't I cast my Spell?!"

Cries of surprise and angry shouts rose one after another.

Many Disciples who usually only knew how to rote memorize went blank in the face of such high-intensity environmental simulation and sudden panic, and the Formations they had practiced countless times instantly fell apart.

However, at the entrance to the Duanlong Abyss, the Hengchuan Peak team displayed a completely different style.

There was no roaring, no Chaos, only a heart-palpitating, mechanical calmness.

Senior Sister Xie Handeng stood at the very front of the team; her sword remained sheathed, but her voice was cold and hard as iron, piercing through the noisy wind: "Deploy according to Contingency Plan One. Teams One through Three, lay down the conduction net; Teams Four through Six, construct the first-tier kill Formation; Logistics Group, distribute the 'Mind-Calming Powder' and anti-corrosion boot covers. Everyone, activate your Spiritual Vision tactical goggles."

"Received."

"Team One in position."

"Supplies distributed."

The responses were short, clear, and without any wasted words.

The Disciples were like gears in a precision instrument, quickly sliding into their respective positions.

They did not look up at the terrifying sky, but stared fixedly at the blinking navigation point on the tactical Jade Slip in their hands.

Even when facing the miasma of resentment that could drive a person to a mental breakdown, their movements remained as standard as if they were sweeping the backyard of Hengchuan Peak.

[System Record: Field Execution]

SOP Execution Rate: Initial 96%

Deployment Time: 1.2 seconds slower than the preset time (within the allowable range for environmental interference)

Personnel Panic Index: Low (because the mission is extremely clear)

At this moment, all Cultivators in the Nine Provinces were staring at the live broadcast of the flowing light mirror.

In the public broadcast channel, the screen switched to various defense zones.

When the camera cut to the Duanlong Abyss, the barrage of comments clearly paused for a moment.

"This is Hell-level difficulty? Why do these people seem calmer than me?"

"Look at that action of distributing equipment, it's like serving food in a cafeteria; it's too smooth."

"Did they even measure their standing positions with a ruler? The spacing is exactly the same."

However, outside the clamor of the public channel, there was a private monitoring Formation that only a very few people could see.

Inside the side hall of the Qingheng Sect's high platform, the Central Plains Commissioner X-709 sat on a specially made soft couch, with a dim blue mirror only the size of a palm floating in front of him.

There were no battle scenes on this mirror, only a green curve that was constantly and subtly jumping.

[Central Continent · Demon Mark Real-Time Monitoring Channel]

Monitored Subject: Hengchuan Peak · Shen Xingzhou (ID: Target-007)

Real-Time Data:

Spiritual Qi Circulation: Normal (conforms to Golden Core Early Stage standard)

Bloodline Abnormality Value: 15% (baseline, low fluctuation)

Seal Integrity: 99%

Status Determination: Calm

The Commissioner held a cup of hot tea, his gaze resting on that green curve for a moment, the corners of his mouth curling into an amused arc.

This line was too flat, as flat as a pool of stagnant water, which made him feel a bit bored, yet even more expectant.

"It's coming!"

With a sharp roar, the first wave of Yao Beasts surged out from the depths of the swamp like a black tide.

These were hundreds of Tier 2 "Rotten Bone Wolves"; under the cover of the gray mist, they were extremely fast, with simulated acid dripping from their fangs, a foul wind rushing toward them.

If it were an ordinary team, they would have already panicked and unleashed Spells in a chaotic bombardment by now.

But on the Hengchuan Peak defense line, there was no movement at all.

Until the Rotten Bone Wolves rushed into the range of fifty steps from the defense line—

"Drop!" Senior Sister Xie Handeng gave the order.

There was no sky full of flashy Sword Qi, nor any world-destroying ultimate moves.

Dozens of "Earth Explosion Talismans" pre-buried in the swamp detonated simultaneously.

This was not for damage, but to create mud walls to block the charging speed of the wolf pack.

Immediately after, the Disciples of the first tier just mechanically raised their hands, and the standard-issue long spears in their hands, through the Formation nodes, accurately pierced the throats of the slowed Yao Beast wolves.

One hit, one kill.

The Talisman group in the back row didn't even need to aim; they just followed the rhythm of the SOP, tossing a "Freezing Talisman" to the designated coordinates every three seconds.

The entire process was smooth and flowing, and could even be said to be somewhat boring.

No heroic charges, no desperate counter-kills, only a seamless, tight-knit killing assembly line.

[System Battle Report: First Wave]

Kill Count: 42/42 (Total annihilation)

Time Elapsed: 45 seconds

Ammunition Consumption: 12 Talismans, 5% Formation durability

Our Battle Losses: 0

The barrage in the live broadcast room was completely stunned by this "industrial-style" monster-fighting.

"These people... they even have operational steps for fighting monsters?"

"Too efficient, it feels like they aren't cultivating immortality, but killing chickens on an assembly line."

"But this is real city defense! Those flashy sword techniques haven't even been released, and the wolves are already dead."

Shen Xingzhou stood in the rear, watching all of this, and felt a slight relief in his heart.

But he did not relax, because he knew this was merely the appetizer.

That Central Plains Commissioner was staring at him like a hawk, waiting for him to reveal a flaw.

Inside the side hall, the Commissioner's deputy looked at the battle scene on another mirror and asked with some confusion: "My lord, the concentration of resentment in this Duanlong Abyss is capable of inducing Heart Demons. Why does Shen Xingzhou's Demon Mark have no reaction at all? That line... is too flat."

The Commissioner gently blew on the tea foam, his eyes still fixed on that green curve.

"Don't be impatient." The Commissioner's voice was very soft, revealing a cruelty like a cat playing with a mouse. "This is just the first wave of small fry; relying on that so-called SOP, he can still use his brain to suppress the situation."

He pointed to the end of that curve, where there was an extremely tiny bump; although it was quickly smoothed out, he had still caught it.

"See that bump? That was his instinctive reaction when he saw his Junior Brother encounter danger." The Commissioner smiled and set down his tea cup. "SOP is dead, people are living. When the concentration of resentment rises another fold, when the Yao Beasts break through the defense line, when according to the SOP, someone must be sacrificed..."

He paused, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"Let's see if he can still calculate problems so elegantly. That line will eventually turn red."

In this exam called "Calamity Simulation," everyone was watching to see who could hold their ground.

But this Central Plains Commissioner was not waiting for them to hold; he was waiting for a collapse.

He was waiting for Shen Xingzhou to be forced to tear open his own skin and reveal the Demon Bone inside.

Shen Xingzhou only felt a chill run down his back, but he gripped the command token in his hand tighter, his eyes becoming even more determined.

No matter what those people were expecting, he would use this "mediocre" System to play this act to the very end.