Chapter 200
Chapter 200
This was the first time Zhou Ming had encountered anyone so arrogant.
When he had challenged the later stages, every one of them had taken considerable effort. The seventh stage in particular had ended with him and Ning Wushen both badly injured. He had barely managed a draw.
He had treated the battle with utmost caution.
Yet now, someone had reached the seventh stage and still dared act so conceited.
Was the man truly that confident, or did he simply have no idea how high the heavens were?
[???]
Level: 150
HP: 240,000
Attack: 21,000-21,000
Defense: 15,000-15,000
Skills: [Wood Spirit Art], [Thorn Armor], [Nature’s Hand], [Vine Bind], [Descent of the Wood God], [Grass Prison], [Domain of Vitality], [Forbidden · Child of the Heavenly Tree], [Forbidden · Withered Wood Reborn], [Forbidden · Life Drain]
Description: ???
…
“Not bad!”
Zhou Ming raised an eyebrow after seeing the man’s status panel. “You’ve got something going for you!”
Mu Ye had resisted his curiosity and refused to participate in the Talent Trial until Level 150. He had clearly come prepared.
Moreover, his high base growth was readily apparent from his status panel.
“You’re about to find out just how much!” Mu Ye showed no fear before the seventh stage guardian, but then he heard his elders speaking with intense agitation.
“What kind of monster is that?”
“With such terrifying base growth, if he still lives in this era, he must be an unparalleled powerhouse!”
“He is probably some long-dead expert summoned here by the power of the rules.”
…
The guardian of the seventh stage left every one of Mu Ye’s elders observing the trial in disbelief.
Those stats were absurd!
How could anyone possess such base growth?
It was utterly unreasonable!
“…”
Mu Ye vaguely sensed that something was wrong. Realizing his opponent was likely quite strong, he immediately used Inspect to examine the guardian’s attributes.
[Flame Venerable · Zhouyou Shijie]
Level: 150
HP: 360,000
Attack: 46,280-46,280
Defense: 18,000-18,000
Skills: [Command], [Demonic Flame Armor], [Baptism by Fire], [Astral God Art], [Ten-Direction Shadowkill], [Divine Abyss Sword Qi], [Return to Ruin], [Flame Soul Art], [Bedrock Shield], [Rider and Mount as One], [Heavenly Meridian Sword Art], [Heavenbinder], [Soul Refinement], [Heavenrend], [Immortality], [Forbidden · God of Blazing Flames], [Forbidden · Flames of Eternal Calamity] (Note: Only SS-rank and higher skills are displayed.)
Description: ???
…
“…”
Silence!
The entire Talent Trial fell deathly still for an instant.
Both Mu Ye and his elders went silent, their hearts churning with shock.
This being named Zhouyou Shijie made no sense at all. Among those at the same level, his stats in every category crushed the prodigy of the Wood Domain who had been nurtured by the Core of Wood since childhood.
And it was not just the stats. Wasn’t that list of skills far too long?
What was this nonsense about only displaying SS-rank and higher skills?
“An illusion!”
Mu Ye’s eyes suddenly flashed as he exposed the “truth” with a single declaration.
“!!”
At his words, the many observing experts came to an abrupt realization. “So that’s it!”
Seeing was not always believing!
Even a status panel could be falsified!
Zhouyou Shijie’s panel was so outrageous that it could only look fake.
After all, Mu Ye was a prodigy raised with an untold fortune in treasures. There was no reason someone could surpass him in every category.
“You actually figured it out!” Zhou Ming exclaimed in surprise.
It truly was an illusion!
Those were only his most basic stats. They did not include any percentage bonuses, merely a few bonuses from his titles. The combat power he could actually bring to bear far exceeded those numbers. His Attack alone would reach several hundred thousand, at the very least.
Anyone deceived by that panel would be in for a nasty surprise!
“Hahahaha…”
Hearing this, Mu Ye laughed loudly in relief. “I knew it!”
The weight hanging over his elders’ hearts lifted as well.
Now that made sense!
Mu Ye was invincible among those at his level. There was no reason someone else’s stats could crush his.
“You almost had me completely fooled!” Mu Ye sneered. Wielding a green spear, he charged fiercely at Zhou Ming. “Since you have such a terrifying status panel, please show me exactly what you can do!”
Whoosh…
His spear shot forward like a dragon!
In this Talent Trial, where equipment and items could not be brought inside, Mu Ye’s base growth truly gave him grounds for pride.
“As you wish!”
Calm and composed, Zhou Ming beckoned with one hand. Ask the Heavens, blazing like a ball of fire, appeared in his grasp.
“That is a peerless weapon, unquestionably a divine artifact!” one of Mu Ye’s sharp-eyed elders declared after spotting the clue.
Clang!
The spearhead struck Ask the Heavens’s blade. Zhou Ming stood his ground and blocked with the sword held crosswise, not budging an inch.
MISS!
“So you do have some ability!” Mu Ye’s expression grew slightly more serious. No longer daring to be careless, he unleashed a rapid flurry of spear thrusts at Zhou Ming.
Clang! Clang! Clang…
Zhou Ming remained impassive and effortlessly blocked every strike. Then he swung his sword and unleashed Heavenrend!
Slash!
Flames enveloped Ask the Heavens, carrying unstoppable might.
Mu Ye’s heart lurched. He hurriedly played one of his trump cards.
Ding!
[System Notification: ??? has used [Domain of Vitality]. The user cannot fall, and all damage received will take effect after a delay. Duration: 30 seconds!]
Bang!
Ask the Heavens’s edge shone with deadly brilliance.
The ferocious attack sent Mu Ye flying. He slammed awkwardly into the invisible wall at the edge of the trial space, nearly jarring his internal organs out of place.
-938,402! (Critical Damage)
A damage number Mu Ye could never withstand floated above him.
Without Domain of Vitality delaying the damage, even three of Mu Ye’s lives would not have been enough to pay it all off.
H-his status panel was real?!
Mu Ye stared in horror. “Who exactly are you?”
“There’s always someone stronger,” Zhou Ming said coolly. “Don’t think too highly of yourself.”
“…I don’t believe it. How could anyone in this world be so strong?”
Mu Ye’s face twisted as he refused to accept reality, and he charged again.
Ding!
[System Notification: ??? has used [Forbidden · Child of the Heavenly Tree]. All Attributes +200%, and 2% HP is restored every second for 5 minutes. As a cost, after use: Level -10, All Attributes -200, and the user enters a Weakened state for 7 days!]
“Die!”
He thrust out his spear.
Soul Refinement!
Zhou Ming raised his eyes, his gaze blazing.
The world immediately spun around Mu Ye. He was held in place for 3 seconds.
Empowered by Baptism by Fire and Soul Plunder, Zhou Ming unleashed Divine Abyss Sword Qi and blasted him away again.
Mu Ye’s deferred damage continued to accumulate.
There was no way he could pay it all back within three minutes.
It was over…
Mu Ye’s elders sighed inwardly, forced to accept the truth.
How could a monster like this be guarding the seventh stage?
It was fucking impossible for a human to clear.
“I don’t believe it!”
Mu Ye’s eyes bulged with fury as he charged yet again.
Ding!
[System Notification: ??? has used [Forbidden · Withered Wood Reborn]. All negative statuses are removed, and HP is restored to full!]
Another extraordinarily powerful move.
All the damage Mu Ye owed was erased in one stroke.
Unfortunately, it was useless!
Zhou Ming’s expression did not change. He reached out and seized Mu Ye’s spear. A ball of flame wreathed in black matter appeared in his other hand and rapidly expanded.
Forbidden · Flames of Eternal Calamity!
BOOM!!!
The raging flames suddenly exploded, filling every inch of the trial grounds. Crimson light surged throughout the entire space and lingered for a long time.
Ding!
[System Notification: Congratulations! You have successfully defended the stage and received the following rewards: …]
…