Cosmic Demon

Chapter 173 Core area, ladder ranking!
Could this be sixteen years old?

Qin Shi's face was full of disbelief. This burly man, who was just over two meters tall, with a broad waist, shoulders big enough for a person to stand on, and arms big enough for a horse to run, looked to be over thirty.

"I'm from Zhoucheng, everyone calls me Yan Ren, I'm a senior in high school this year! I haven't taken the college entrance exam yet!"

Hammer smiled innocently and said sincerely.

"You're growing up a bit fast then, bro."

Qin Shi used his telekinesis to take out the incompletely evolved furnace heart of the leader-level Rust Beast and held it in his hand.

This thing is quite heavy in the hand, about several dozen pounds, with a high density and extremely hard. Even if you put your five fingers together and squeeze it lightly, it will not leave a mark.

[Ingredients classification: Heart of the Furnace (defective)]

[Quality: Advanced]

【Edible part: whole】

[Effects of consumption: efficient conversion, radiation absorption, super stomach...]

“It’s a bonus.”

Qin Shi felt satisfied, but he was also confused. How was he going to eat such a big iron heart?
If you swallow it directly, your stomach and intestines will probably break.

Even if the [Overgrowth] achievement characteristic is very powerful, it can't be digested, right?
"Supermodel, should we run away? The radioactivity is too strong, and our vitality won't last long!"

Yan Ren, who was demoted from Hammer Brother to Hammer Brother, reminded in a low voice.

The leader-level rust beast was crushed, and the radiation and high heat it emitted were dozens or hundreds of times that of other ordinary beasts.

The terrifyingly soaring temperature, like a huge steelmaking furnace, melted the flesh and blood of the remaining beasts, turning them into pools of bright red viscosity, which flowed slowly like magma and gathered towards the central area with slightly lower terrain.

"It's warm and comfortable."

In stark contrast to the experience of his younger brother Yan Ren, Qin Shi's flesh and blood were wriggling madly, the seed of vitality was growing stronger and stronger, and the light in his body was like a tide, washing over his internal organs wave after wave.

If he was not afraid of the high temperature, he would have wanted to stay there for a few hours to improve his mortal body.

"Let's go."

Qin Shi put his hand on his hammer brother Yan Ren's shoulder, and he easily threw the several hundred kilograms of body away and fell to the side of the steep wall.

Then, he stomped on the ground hard and, with the help of the huge catapulting force, escaped from the highly polluted area that had turned into a sea of ​​fire.

"Brother Supermodel, you are the heir of the Nanhuang Dojo that they are talking about?"

Hammer's younger brother Yan Ren looked at Qin Shi with shining eyes. It was the first time he saw someone of the same age who was stronger than him.

"Yes, it is said that I have registered with the Ying family, and the reward is as high as tens of billions. Do you want to make some money?"

Qin Shi asked as if jokingly, he saved this brother Hammer just by chance.

"My family is not short of money."

Yan Ren scratched his head and smiled.

There was a hint of inhumanity in his approachable tone.

Qin Shi thought carefully, is there any wealthy person in Zhoucheng with the surname Yan?

He soon found the answer:
"Isn't your father Yan Zhong?"

Yan Ren nodded, seeming a little embarrassed:
"Low-key, low-key, but just an ordinary family, nothing to brag about."

Qin Shi's eyes changed slightly when he looked at Yan Ren, and that rough, weathered and honest face instantly became shining with golden light.

Yan Chong in Zhoucheng is a newly rising number one figure in the past twenty years. He owns hundreds of mines and has tens of thousands of employees, making him a veritable big boss.

With the continued growth of mineral trade, Mr. Yan's business is getting bigger and bigger. After the blockade of Hengzhou is lifted, it is estimated that his business will take off!
"You have a mine at home, how can that be ordinary?"

Qin Shi shook his head. The vast majority of Hengzhou's mining rights were firmly in the hands of the four major pioneer families. The Zhoucheng Yan family was able to guard hundreds of mines, which showed their strength.

Hammer's brother Yan Ren laughed and turned to ask in a familiar tone:

"Supermodel brother, do you have anything to eat? I'm starving."

Qin Shi thought, you’re welcome, brother.

He spread his mental power and kept a close eye on Yan Ren. He did not find any malicious fluctuations, so he took out two boxes of nutrient paste from his tactical backpack and threw them over:

"These are all that's left. You can eat them."

Yan Ren took it and said a little embarrassedly:

"Supermodel brother, what about you?"

Qin Shi grabbed a handful of red crystals and said calmly:
"These are enough. We'll go search the hiding place of that team later to see if we can get some rations."

This is the good thing about the self-cultivation furnace in Nanhuang Taoist Temple.

Save energy and store nutrients on a daily basis.

When it comes to consumption, it will be enough to last for a long time.

With Qin Shi’s current strength, he could remain in a very strong state even if he went without food or water for ten days.

"You are worthy of being a supermodel! This stuff has not been extracted, so it is contaminated with a lot of impurities. Only beings with extremely developed vitality can refine and absorb it with a mortal body!"

Yan Ren clicked his tongue. His family was in the mining business, and the mining areas were mostly outside the urban areas.

Therefore, those who often deal with alien creatures are well aware that the energy core condensed in their bodies is equivalent to unrefined radioactive substances and is very dangerous.

"Brother Supermodel, are all of you old martial arts limit breakers so cruel? Even if a half-step professional with a vitality of 99 points comes, I guess he won't be able to handle it."

Yan Ren showed off the nutritional cream and exclaimed in amazement.

"I see you have a very strong physique, what kind of martial arts do you practice?"

Qin Shi operated the self-cultivation furnace, which rotated like a turbine, absorbing the energy factors contained in the red crystal.

His mental power was extremely condensed, melting away impurities like peeling off silk threads from a cocoon, ensuring the purity of his mortal body and flesh.

"Nowadays, new martial arts are being promoted and popularized, and there are too many scams in the old martial arts. Without special connections, it is difficult to learn real skills."

Yan Ren felt very sorry, because with his big physique, he could be considered a good candidate for the old martial arts.

But looking at Hengzhou, there are very few people who still stick to the old martial arts school and can be called famous teachers.

"But I'm not a complete new martial artist. You should be able to see that my physical fitness is better than other new martial artists."

Yan Ren finished the nutritional paste in a few bites and said frankly:
"A long time ago, my family, probably my great-grandfather's generation, participated in the late pioneering and got a chance to pass down a prescription, which is similar to the primitive quenching method of the shaman."

Qin Shi became interested when he heard this. In the past, there were indeed many primitive creatures in Hengzhou that had not been polluted by their relatives.

They are a bit like the "elves" in myths and legends. They like to pursue nature and find places to settle down near mountains and rivers.

Yan Ren was a straightforward person, and thought that since Qin Shi had saved his life and given him food, he could be considered an acquaintance. So he simply said:

"That kind of primitive quenching method requires collecting different herbs, animal blood, and refined minerals, and refining them separately. It takes a long time. After taking it, it will give you powerful strength.

For example, I have possessed the strength of a bear, the courage of a tiger, the speed of an eagle, and the agility of a leopard since I was five years old! I am naturally ahead of others! "

Qin Shi glanced at the burly figure of his brother Yan Ren and thought:

"This primitive quenching method is really powerful. It's like winning at the starting line. However, there may be side effects. My brother looks too old, as if he was prematurely ripened."

Yan Ren scratched his head and continued to talk to himself:

"But the success rate of the quenching method is not high, and there will be consequences. I am lucky."

Qin Shi blinked and asked:

"What are the consequences?"

Yan Ren replied:

"I have an uncle who also took medicine and practiced the Tempering Method since he was young, but he was unlucky and got... the memory of a fish, the temper of a donkey, and the eyesight of a bat."

Doesn't that mean dementia, forgetfulness, stubbornness, and poor eyesight?
The corner of Qin Shi's mouth twitched. How bad must his luck be to draw these useless animal characteristics.

"Are you also planning to head to the core area?"

About twenty minutes later, Qin Shi absorbed some of the red crystals and added some to the self-cultivation furnace.

The surging flames below finally went out, and a large number of crystal clusters were burned black. They exploded and shattered due to the high temperature, and melted into translucent glass crystals.

"Yeah. My goal is to be in the top five! Those favorites in the core area are too abnormal. I don't think I can beat them!"

Yan Ren is self-aware and his fighting power is mainly concentrated in his physique and weapons.

But those evildoers who were deployed to the core areas all had some hidden talents.

"Brother, a supermodel like you was actually thrown into the outer area! I think you are fully qualified to compete with Zhou Yuanchen, Ji Yuqi, and Pei Han."

Qin Shi did not respond. Regardless of whether it was the periphery or the core, in order to complete the trial, he had to break through the Great Rift.

He looked through the vast night sky, towards the finish line. He would know his points and ranking tomorrow.

I don’t know where I would rank.

……

……

In the core area, the blood-red earth is still eye-catching even under the cover of night.

The living environment here is even worse, with radioactive substances everywhere in the air. If you carry a Geiger counter, you're afraid that the alarm will buzz at any time.

Even the esoteric followers dare not set foot in the core area with the most serious pollution. Only powerful alien creatures can survive here.

Zhou Yuanchen sat cross-legged on top of a towering rock pillar. His vitality was extremely rich, and the light it formed covered his body, preventing radioactive substances from penetrating his flesh and blood.

"Those old guys from the Martial Arts Association are really cruel! They chose this place where even the professional level can't stay for long as the trial site!"

Zhou Yuanchen's mouth was cracked and his condition had obviously deteriorated. The alien creatures in the core area were too terrifying. After he was released, he encountered several tough battles. If it weren't for his strong foundation and powerful strength, he might have died and become a meal.

He greedily absorbed the polluted energy factors to replenish the consumption of his mortal body.

The most important trial project in the core area is not collecting materials.

Those creatures that have evolved to the third stage and possess supernatural powers can spit out flames and spray lightning at any time. It is impossible to stop them.

Zhou Yuanchen slowly opened his eyes and looked at the bronze mountain not far away. It was hard to imagine who would build such a magnificent mountain that was nearly a thousand feet high.

What is even more difficult to imagine is that this ancient bronze mountain that exudes a strong demonic aura was smashed to pieces by someone, leaving only the upside-down mountain top that is deeply embedded in the ground.

"He has to be at least a master-level figure."

Zhou Yuanchen stared at the deep handprints and said with longing:

"If I can become a Grandmaster one day, I may not have to work so hard to repay the loan. A truly powerful person is free from debts and can mobilize vast amounts of resources just by his existence!"

Zhou Yuanchen was filled with excitement. He had been repeating the arduous process of borrowing and repaying loans since junior high school because of the relics left by his father.

I didn't dare to slack off every day, and tried my best to seize every opportunity to improve my grades and obtain resources. I went from an ordinary junior high school in the central city to a key high school, and then to an elite class. I was successfully admitted to Qiguang Hengda, and then completed my studies ahead of schedule and entered the Education Department.

Only Zhou Yuanchen himself knew how much effort he had put in along the way. How could others possibly understand the feeling of being almost suffocated by the loans, waking up to find an extra amount of interest that was difficult to repay, and being almost crushed by the heavy debts?

"I am known as the most diligent and outstanding student since the founding of Qiguang Hengda! A debt of more than one billion is more effective than any teacher's urging!"

Zhou Yuanchen recalled all the hardships and efforts of the past, and his eyes gradually became firm.

Winning this top 100 competition will not only write off the huge debt, but also allow you to borrow again!
The investment of 1.7 billion made him a dazzling genius in the central city and a supernova vigorously cultivated by the Education Department.

If it continues to increase, he will be able to run relentlessly on the professional level of martial arts, connect with the sky, and become a certified master!
"Ji Yuqi, Pei Han, these rich second-generations who were born with a silver spoon in their mouths, how could they possibly compare to me."

Zhou Yuanchen calculated carefully and found that because of his cooperation with Ying’s company, he was able to obtain another 800 million loan limit.

The battle with the alien creatures in the core area consumed nearly 100 million.

"The remaining 700 million are enough for me to break through the Great Rift Valley and complete the ultimate trial!"

Zhou Yuanchen took a deep breath, and the light in his body was so bright, like a bright moon shining, radiating dozens of meters away!
He slowly stood up, and his rich vitality gushed out, propelling his mortal body as fast as lightning as he rushed towards the bronze magic mountain that was stuck upside down in the earth!
The strong wind blew the hair on his forehead. As Zhou Yuanchen got closer and closer, he saw the stairs of the Bronze Demon Mountain.

This is the only way to the final destination of the core area.

In other words, Zhou Yuanchen must climb the Bronze Demon Mountain and then cross it before he can enter the next level.

"If I delay any longer, my vitality will be gradually weakened, and my flesh and blood will no longer be at their peak state. I may not be able to make it. You must use the 700 million yuan carefully! Every penny must be used wisely!"

As a genius with more than one billion in debt, Zhou Yuanchen knows too well how to allocate funds.

In his opinion, the way Young Master Ying was just throwing money around was stupid and wasteful.

"Damn rich people! If I was born with a credit limit of tens of billions, I would dare to walk the ancient road to heaven in the Star Cup!"

Zhou Yuanchen was full of energy and arrived at the "foot" of the Bronze Demon Mountain in less than ten minutes.

His eyes suddenly narrowed and he spotted Ji Yuqi.

This kid had actually started climbing the mountain earlier than me.

“The origin of this bronze demon mountain is extraordinary. It is said to be the manifestation of a great demon from the netherworld that almost descended into the material world.

Even if it was smashed to pieces by a Grandmaster, the demonic nature it contained did not diminish."

Zhou Yuanchen attaches great importance to Ji Yuqi, who is an opponent with a combat power of over 1.2 billion.

Even stronger than the successor of Nanhuang Taoist Gym!
(End of this chapter)