Bad news always arrives so suddenly.

Just as nightmares always follow like shadows.

In the moment when the lights illuminated that steel beast's face, the armor roared.

The sound of boiling echoed. The Evil Battery within the reaction chamber spasmed violently, wailing silently, and unleashed its power once again in a frenzy of pressure.

Scorching, fierce light spewed out like wings from the booming engines.

Like a falling star, advancing—

In the blink of an eye, it appeared in front of the workshop's gate. Along the way, all the Spiritual Pillars were shattered and broken. The numerous streaks of radiant light that flew out barely left shallow scratches on the armor forged from the bones of countless mutants.

Then…

BOOM!

A giant sword shot out of its sheath and landed in the armor's hand, sweeping down from mid-air. Propelled forward, it traced a blood-red path.

Slash!

The gate, composed of seals and crystals, instantly split apart, forming a deep chasm.

Then the armor turned, struck horizontally, and with another thunderous sound, cross-patterned cracks spread. The gate disintegrated, and shards flew everywhere.

Amid the piercing alarm, Ji Jue rushed in!

It took 2 seconds…

.

At this moment, outside the simulation, Gustav turned back, his eyes slightly narrowed: "Why did you send Ji Jue over there?"

"Hmm? Aren't their relations pretty good?"

Jiang Tongguang listened to the lengthy string of expletives from the Federation echoing in the air, nodding in satisfaction: "I thought it would give them a chance to understand each other better."

"..."

Gustav was silent, looking at him.

Jiang Tongguang smiled.

And amidst the numerous floating lights, screams and alarms continuously sounded.

The nightmare had just begun…

Just like the smelting inside a furnace.

To truly ascend from mere rocks to gold, one must endure boundless torment and suffering.

Without the grind of reality and adversity, how can one distinguish between stubborn iron and a famed sword?

The previous massive wave of Mutated attacks was only an appetizer.

Using them as catalysts to squeeze out all the abilities and skills of the candidates, collecting enough phenomena and data, only then could we create…

An invader that truly threatens and terrifies these self-proclaimed elite! The so-called golden children!

It was said in legends, before the chaos era, much earlier, someone once said: 'Let heroes test heroes, let the brave regulate the brave!' Peers killing peers, only then will the knife cut deep.

Gustav and Jiang Tongguang, as directors of the association and exam hosts, were already masters with countless golden ribbons and crowned champions long before. Naturally, they couldn't bully a bunch of apprentices by wielding their power unfairly.

Everyone has their dignity; a slaughter of kindergartens or annihilation of nursing homes, such acts, would be terribly notorious if known. Therefore, even though Jiang Tongguang strongly demanded taking on this significant duty, Gustav still denied him.

And those truly capable of proving the candidates' caliber are the candidates themselves.

Everyone can complete a question on paper and boast with words. True strength and weakness, superiority or inferiority, only a real contest can reveal the truth.

Ash does not believe in tears or excuses. The able ones rise, this is the eternal truth the craftsmen believe in!

But…

"How did you arrange Ji Jue's side?"

Jiang Tongguang asked curiously.

"Naturally, aces against aces."

Gustav's face was stern like water: "Didn't he think it was too easy? Then let's give him some difficulty."

As he spoke, he pointed out with his hand...

In an instant, on the rain-soaked Luye Island, the roar erupted again.

Just outside the underground base, in the storm-like booming, boundless Thunderbolts and fog condensed, transforming into more than a few meters tall crystal constructs.

Four arms and three legs, wherever they passed, the rainwater evaporated, the ground scorched and cracked.

"Lou's Spiritual Giant·Long Bo."

Next, at another entrance, the neighing of battlehorses resounded from the rain, and ghostly figures emerged from the void.

Apart from the armor and weapons covering them, both the bodies and faces of the knights and battlehorses were semi-transparent, shrouded in fierce flames and mist like spirits.

"Sixteen Soul Hunter Knights·Valhalla from North Wind Workshop."

Then…

In front of the open door, a solemn statue formed by shadows appeared. Simply existing here, it disrupted gravity, shattered common sense, and lifted countless raindrops and debris into the air, forming a massive vortex.

"Lastly, adding the Empire's True Blood, Shadow of the Throne—"

At this moment, three distinct images descended outside the workshop, advancing and attacking without any delay…

Feeling the rapidly approaching threats.

Amid the ground quakes and roaring noises, Ji Jue stayed silent.

When people are utterly speechless, they often chuckle.

"You goddamn…"

He sighed helplessly, starting to target me now, huh?

Not even pretending anymore!

.

"You really dislike him, don't you?"

Jiang Tongguang sighed softly.

Gustav turned back coldly, "Where did that come from?"

"Do I have to say it? Eighty-seven points, ninety points, eighty-eight points… These three threat ratings alone add up to nearly double his score. Are you planning to eliminate him so blatantly right from the second round?"

"I won't eliminate him."

Gustav shook his head: "At most, it can only add some pressure.

Besides, it's about time for those self-proclaimed, arrogant noble scions, ancient heirs, and imperial true blood to wake up."

Some cold water, some pressure, and some interrogation.

Furthermore, let those weaklings who grumble and complain after being eliminated see.

The disparity of the world, the vast chasm between strong and weak, enemy and ally…

— Even this massive, despairing abyss!

At this moment, in the Simulation Universe, within the vast isolated hall.

While the eliminated candidates who were kicked out of the examination room hung their heads, vented their anger, or angrily lodged complaints to the association, numerous images manifested and unfolded from the void.

Revealing the various struggles and contests within the simulation.

At the forefront of those candidates sporting single-digit or thirty-something evaluations, emerged a brand-new ranking established according to the auditing sequence.

Then, based on the changes within the simulation, statistics and assessments began anew.

The numbers in that ranking column changed again!

Unlike the straight decline in the latter half and the rise and fall struggle in the middle layer, the numbers at the forefront started to surge like rockets!

After clearing numerous invading apprentices, the top scorer's points doubled in a blink of an eye.

And not just doubled, they were still gradually rising…

In that suffocating, brutal siege within the floating light projection!

Sensing the arrival of the attackers, Ji Jue immediately made a decision without hesitation, activating all the defensive facilities in the workshop.

Mercury surged, countless hands stretched out, under Ji Jue's orders and control, began fast maintenance and reinforcement. Then the gates layered down, blocking the infiltrating Shadow of the Throne, redirecting all firepower to suppress the ghostly advancing Valhalla.

The armor engine ran in overload, sprinting!

Taking the initiative.

Rushing straight towards the attacking Crystal Giant on the other side!

Like picking the soft fruit first.

In this chaotic invasion where skills, inclinations, and strengths and weaknesses were all unclear, the immediate task was to eliminate threats as much as possible, using any means to cut down the troubles and gain advantages.

Lou Feng could differentiate Ji Jue's work even with his toes. In the same situation, Ji Jue could likewise identify the familiar flavor at a glance.

Knowing each other for so long, through numerous life-and-death battles and survival crises, they had already experienced each other's hidden capabilities beyond the obscured cards and skills.

Ji Jue wasn't sure if he was the softest target, but he was definitely the one he was most confident in handling!

They were all craftsmen, no need to pretend to be righteous gentlemen. On usual days, they surely wouldn't be without schemes…

Am I right, Lao Lou?!

BOOM!!!

A sudden explosion, the corridor walls shattered.

In the vast echo of the engine propulsion, the Evil Armor burst through the walls. And before that, the blood-crimson giant sword had already struck.

Stab!

Crash—

Sparks flew, the Crystal Giant raised an arm. Spiritual essence surged, suddenly proliferating the crystals in the void, spreading, hardening, forming, blocking the sword edge.

Deep cracks appeared on the giant shield, with a harsh scraping sound, the sword edge pushed forward.

And the Spiritual Giant Shield exploded!

The huge structure instantly disintegrated into countless shards, the countless sharp blades generated a storm, sweeping in majestically—Shaping Collapse!

Breaking the internal balance, intensifying, transforming the formed spiritual crystals into explosive bursts, and even giving them new spiritual mutations.

Like a bomb exploding right under one's eyelids.

In an instant, countless electrifying lights flickered, turning into torrents, thunder blasted and expanded, mixed with countless sharp crystals, engulfing Ji Jue completely.

Then, it suddenly dispersed.

Repulsion force exploded!

The Foundation of Exclusion's blessing emerged from the long arm, like a reef, splitting the roaring thunder and impacts. Then several arms shot out, chasing closely, refusing to let the Crystal Giant widen the distance.

Spiritual Shaping, this technique, Lou Feng had played with it since childhood, far too adept. Even without abilities and matrix, it could still be reproduced and utilized through alchemy. Besides, other than Ascension, Superior was the best in Spiritual Shaping, combined with entropy's presence!

If he allowed him to widen the distance, Ji Jue might be kited to death once the other attackers arrived.

"You're here, why run?"

The Evil Hand stretched out, spanning dozens of meters. The claws left a deep mark on the Spiritual Giant.

The response from the Spiritual Giant was swift, raising the empty arm, and a scorching Spiritual Jet spewed out akin to a blade. Sweeping horizontally, forcing back the Evil Hand, but it found itself driven into a dead-end corridor, with no more space to maneuver.

No way out!

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