Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Zhou Ming was at something of a loss as he studied the heavily armored girl, who was practically one solid lump of durability.
In all honesty, he had never encountered anyone so unreasonably tanky.
“Out of ideas?” Renee leaped triumphantly into the air, only to land in the exact same spot. “Then it’s my turn!”
Boom!
The ground trembled faintly. A shock wave spread in every direction, leaving Zhou Ming nowhere to dodge and forcing him to take the hit.
-23!
The damage wasn’t high, but it was, admittedly, a little more than he had dealt to her.
“Rending Slash!”
Zhou Ming closed in and brought his blade down with force. The skill’s damage over time began ticking.
-5!
-5!
+3!
+3!
To his surprise, Renee passively regenerated 3 HP every second, almost completely offsetting Rending Slash’s percentage-based damage.
“This girl really is tough,” Qianying said in surprise.
“Unfortunately for her, she’s not flawless.”
Zhou Ming remained calm as he raised one hand toward Renee.
Blazing Heaven Sword!
A sword wreathed in flame appeared over Renee’s head. She tensed in alarm, but her movement speed was so low that evasion was impossible.
Yet Zhou Ming did not immediately send Blazing Heaven Sword crashing down. Instead, he waited until nearly three minutes had passed…
Sizzle!
The flaming sword slammed down on Renee’s head. The crushing force overwhelmed her and drove her to her knees.
“Ding!”
[You used Blazing Heaven Sword, dealing 1 damage to Heart of Stone · Renee, suppressing her for 2.34 seconds, and reducing her Movement Speed by 30% for 5 seconds!]
Unable to pierce her defense, even Blazing Heaven Sword posed little threat to Renee. But the damage didn’t matter. What mattered was the suppression.
Crack!
The three-minute duration expired, and Renee’s skills automatically dispersed. Her Defense plummeted.
Warlord activated, reducing her Defense by another 10%!
“You!”
Panic flashed across Renee’s pretty face. She looked up and met a pair of unruffled eyes, as though everything had been under his control from the start.
-350!
-176!
Two consecutive blows shaved away one-fifth of Renee’s HP. Then Zhou Ming stopped attacking and retreated several steps.
“Why did you stop?” Renee asked in confusion.
Zhou Ming answered solemnly, “If you have no way to counter that move, then I only need to repeat it a few more times to win.”
“…”
Renee fell silent.
Her skills had exactly three-minute cooldowns. If she was controlled right before their effects expired, she truly couldn’t refresh them without a gap.
“But my goal is to clear the Talent Trial, not to make an enemy of you,” Zhou Ming said sincerely. “If we meet again someday, I hope it will be as friends, not foes.”
“What a boy!”
Inside the castle in the Abyss, Demon God Cangxuan exclaimed in admiration. “He’s thinking that far ahead?”
Given the strength Zhou Ming had displayed, defeating this strange stone before she could fully mature would be all but guaranteed. But doing so would most likely offend her.
Convincing her to concede, on the other hand, could turn hostility into peace. He might even earn a trace of goodwill.
“You’re quite the gentleman,” Renee said, blinking at him. “Don’t worry. I’m not that petty, and I don’t have anything against you. I just have this little hobby. When someone pounds away at me with all their might but can’t even break my defense, it feels amazing!”
Zhou Ming: “…”
That was certainly an unusual hobby.
“I’ll count this one as my loss.” Renee wrinkled her delicate nose. “If we get a chance to meet later, let’s have another spar!”
“Deal!”
Zhou Ming nodded.
Renee gave him one last, lingering look, firmly committing to memory the human who could break through her defense at the same level. Then her body slowly dissolved into golden energy.
“Ding!”
[Congratulations! You have cleared Stage Five!]
“Ding!”
[Continue to Stage Six of the Talent Trial? Note: You may choose to forfeit.]
“Whew!”
Zhou Ming released a long breath.
That stage had been no easy challenge.
“If the fifth stage was already this difficult, the enemy in the sixth can only be stronger!” Zhou Ming felt the pressure weighing heavily on him.
He had to clear the next one.
Otherwise, an SS-Rank Talent would be far from certain.
He waited until his HP had fully recovered, then returned to a state of taut, unwavering focus, ready to fight with everything he had.
“Continue the challenge!”
“I hope this stage picks someone especially powerful for him!” one expert cursed under their breath.
Every gaze converged on the space before Zhou Ming as they eagerly waited for a projection of some terrifying powerhouse to appear.
What kind of enemy would it be?
Zhou Ming gripped his sword and stood ready.
At a certain moment, ripples spread across the void like a stone striking the surface of a lake. Then a fiery red figure stepped leisurely through the distortion and into everyone’s view.
Boom!
The moment the figure appeared, the temperature throughout the trial space seemed to climb. A searing wave of heat washed over Zhou Ming.
“…”
He stared in astonishment.
The enemy in Stage Six appeared to be… a fire user!
“Son of a bitch!”
Cangxuan punched the wall beside him in fury and cursed, “What kind of goddamn dogshit luck is this?”
“Congratulations!”
Qianying offered her congratulations in advance.
In theory, Stage Six should be far more difficult than Stage Five. But there were exceptions to every rule.
“Submit!”
A majestic voice rang through the space. “I am the sovereign of flame!”
The fiery red figure crossed through space and revealed his true appearance.
He was a broad, powerfully built man in red robes, with a handsome face and a commanding presence. A fiery crimson sword rested in his hand, lending him an extraordinary air.
[Flame Sovereign · Gu Ming] (???)
Zhou Ming swept Inspect over the man’s name. That alone was enough to tell him his opponent possessed frightening power.
He didn’t pay much attention to the actual stats.
“Hm?”
The instant Gu Ming entered the trial space, surprise crossed his face. “Young man, it seems many people have placed high hopes in you!”
Zhou Ming didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “What makes you say that?”
Many people had high hopes for him?
That was absurd.
Every last one of those spectators wanted him dead.
“So many god-tier experts are watching. A person of low status could never receive such an honor!” A spark of wisdom flashed in Gu Ming’s eyes. “You must possess an exceptionally lofty identity.”
“And besides!”
He paused, then shook his head and chuckled. “Their eyes are now filled with hatred. Do you know what that means?”
“What?” Zhou Ming arched an eyebrow.
“They hate that I appeared here,” Gu Ming declared calmly.
The gods: “…”
His reasoning was wrong, but somehow he’d reached the right conclusion!
Gu Ming slowly raised his sword. Flames roared to life, dancing wildly across the blade with tremendous intensity.
“Your class is called Flame Demon Lord, so I imagine you’re also a wielder of fire. Unfortunately…”
Carrying an overwhelming momentum, he rushed toward Zhou Ming. “If you understand flame, then you should revere me as a god!”
“Wait!”
Zhou Ming hastily retreated.
Gu Ming halted his assault and gave him a contemptuous smile. “What is it? Are you surrendering?”
“Not at all!” Zhou Ming shook his head. “Since Senior is so confident in his strength, how about we make a wager?”
“Damn it!”
One of the previous wager’s victims couldn’t help cursing. “That little bastard is trying to profit from this trick a second time!”
“Damn it!”
Another victim of one of his wagers cursed as well. “That little bastard is trying to profit from this trick a third time!”
All he ever did was gamble!
Zhouyou Shijie was clearly addicted!
“Oh?”
Gu Ming’s interest was piqued. “What do you propose we wager?”
“I can tell that you use fire too. How about this? If I win, you teach me an S-Rank fire skill!” Zhou Ming fought to keep the corners of his mouth from curling upward and did his best to look apprehensive. “If I lose, I’ll do the same!”
“You think an S-Rank skill is enough to tempt me?” Gu Ming scoffed.
Blazing Heaven Sword!
Zhou Ming demonstrated his signature move off to the side. The blazing sword hung suspended in the air, its edge radiating menace as it locked onto Gu Ming.
“Now that move is interesting!” A gleam flashed through Gu Ming’s eyes.
“Do we have a wager?”
“We do. But let’s be clear, that’s the move I want!”
“Ding!”
[Congratulations! You have activated the hidden quest Yet Another Wager! Difficulty: D]
[Yet Another Wager] (Difficulty: D)
Description: Small bets put food on the table. Big bets make fortunes.
Objective: Defeat Flame Sovereign · Gu Ming during the Talent Trial.
Reward: An S-Rank fire skill.
Failure Penalty: Teach Gu Ming [Blazing Heaven Sword].
…
“Hahahaha!”
Gu Ming laughed heartily. “You know, some of those people outside are looking awfully anxious right now. They wish they could stop this from happening. What a pity that outsiders cannot interfere!”
The spectators: “…”
What a fucking idiot!
“Then they’re certainly sticking their noses where they don’t belong,” Zhou Ming said with a faint smile.
“You still dare laugh? Do you think you’re strong?”
Gu Ming stared at the overconfident young man as though he were mentally deficient, then raised his sword and charged.
“I’ll wipe that smile off your face right now!”
…