Cosmic Demon

Chapter 175 Climbing and Confrontation, This Mountain is Alive!
Representative Zhou had a long face, as gloomy as the ceiling of Yuezhou Huinantian, so gloomy that water could drip out.

The successor of Nanhuang Taoist Temple was deployed to the outer area, but was about to catch up with Zhou Yuanchen, who was heavily bet on by the Ying family.

This is undoubtedly terrible bad news for the Central City Education Department.

After all, Chief Mo and the Ying family are in the same boat. The hatred between them and the Nanhuang Dojo is so deep that, to use a term widely circulated in the martial arts world of the old era, it is "a fight to the death."

Before Qin Shi appeared, Shen Changyuan was undoubtedly the successor of the old master of Nanhuang Taoist Temple.

Whether it is the ancient era of the Dongxia Empire or the new era of the Republic of China.

Destroying the true teachings and eradicating the roots are deep hatreds that cannot be washed away for hundreds of years and generations.

"Fortunately, Ying Lin chose Zhou Yuanchen."

Representative Zhou's inner anxiety eased a little, and just as he was about to call Central City, he ran into Fang Butang.

"Hey, isn't this Representative Zhou?"

Fang Butang came over with a warm look on his face:

"I just saw the results of the first round of the Top 100 Tournament! The genius from your Central City is truly amazing! Zhou Yuanchen scored over 30,000 points and defeated several professional-level alien creatures head-on. He has a bright future!"

Representative Zhou looked as upset as if he had eaten a fly, as the Education Department had done so much to help the Ying family.

Many contestants from Central City were willing to accept the conditions because of their endorsement.

As a result, not only did they fail to stop Qin Shi, but they also lost a group of promising talents who might become the backbone of the Education Department in the future.

"unlucky!"

Representative Zhou cursed inwardly, but had to put on a show and smiled perfunctorily:

"Student Qin's grades are also very good, surpassing many of the top 100 students in Hengzhou. I heard that he has not yet taken the college entrance examination. He is definitely a proud student of the four national youth classes."

He exchanged a few pleasantries and turned to leave. Young Master Ying in the central city was still waiting for his reply.

"Hey, Lao Zhou, can the second place be compared with the first place? Zhou Yuanchen is 10,000 points ahead of Qin Shi, which is quite a big gap!"

Fang Butang held Representative Zhou, as if they were very close:

"I heard that Zhou Yuanchen is a supernova cultivated by your Education Department. Old Zhou, tell me how you discovered him. We are both in the education system, so don't be stingy. Let's discuss it and exchange experiences."

Representative Zhou shook his hands a few times but failed to break free, and said helplessly:

"Zhou Yuanchen's talent was average in the early days, but I've never seen anyone better than him in terms of hard work. The Education Department values ​​him because of his self-discipline...Commissioner Fang, I have something to do!"

Fang Butang refused to give in and kept on nagging:

"These days, there are too few students who are willing to study hard and lay a solid foundation. Lao Zhou, don't be too modest. For a student to be outstanding, he must rely on his own efforts, but he also cannot do without the guidance and cultivation of the teacher..."

……

……

In the Red Building in the central city, Ying Lin sat in the living room, drinking one expensive liquor after another, which was mixed with some banned drugs that stimulated the mind.

His cheeks flushed slightly, and combined with the sickly paleness from staying at home for years without sun exposure, he looked particularly excited.

The mobile phone terminal vibrated continuously, and after various external news sources were summarized, the sorted content was sent over one by one.

Although the third young master of the Ying family was "imprisoned" in disguise, he could still mobilize massive resources and manpower with the support of the Ying family's name.

In addition to the private fund managed by Luo Bing and various companies in Haizhou, he also has several teams responsible for different tasks, such as collecting intelligence, contacting forces, gathering resources, etc.

Even though Ying Lin never left his house, he was still well-informed, and most of the disturbances in Hengzhou could not escape his "eyes".

"What is Zhou Shu doing? He made me wait so long. The elites of the Education Department have such poor quality!"

Ying Lin waited and waited, but did not receive a call from Representative Zhou who was on the front line.

Twenty minutes had passed since United Pharmaceuticals released its results, and Tomorrow Media had already released the press release.

He turned on the TV and watched the live broadcast of Tai'an Channel. Kang Yuner, the popular beautiful editor-in-chief of Outlook Weekly, was being interviewed.

The other person was wearing jeans, a brown leather jacket, and had short hair, looking heroic and neat, appearing on the screen with a clean and neat image.

"Zhou Yuanchen is the favorite in this Top 100 competition. It's not surprising that he tops the first round of the standings. I think the second place, Qin Shiqin, is more noteworthy. As far as I know, he is only in his third year of high school and comes from a place that has been almost forgotten by Hengzhou, the eastern suburb of Dangyang, which was once a major development center.

From being the son of an employee in Jiuchang Street, it has been a road full of thorns and bumps to where I am now…”

Ying Lin became more and more annoyed the more he listened. If it were a journalist from a local TV drama, he would have told him to shut up and change his tune long ago. However, Tomorrow Media belongs to Tomorrow Group, one of the superpowers, and it is a core industry of the company.

They would be wary of the Ying family, but would ignore themselves since they were only direct descendants but not the first in the line of succession.

"What's wrong with the PR department? They were clearly asked to take care of it, mainly to promote Zhou Yuanchen... The Education Department is also a bunch of losers. They don't allocate resources to their main supernova, but let the second place steal the limelight!"

Ying Lin raised his head and drank the liquor in the glass, like a traveler in the desert, revealing a strong thirst for water.

After waiting for another thirty minutes, Zhou Shu, who was on the front line of the Great Rift Valley, finally called.

He provided more detailed details, such as Qin Shi would cooperate with Ying Shi and even kill many promising talents who had signed contracts, and he broke through the blockade alone, swept the outer areas, and killed his way into the middle areas.

"Young Master Ying, Qin Shi's current combat capability exceeds the scores assessed by the Education Department and even the Ying Clan."

Zhou Shu didn't know what he had been through. He seemed to be hiding somewhere and speaking in a low voice.

"Nanhuang Dojo is, after all, an old and well-known martial arts school in Dongxia. It's no surprise that the boy broke through the restrictions and is very good in actual combat. Don't worry, with Zhou Yuanchen as a roadblock, he can't get past it."

Ying Lin looked up at the ceiling, with his hands spread out on the back of the sofa, and said softly:

"See if you can contact Zhou Yuanchen and tell him something. If Qin Shi dies unexpectedly in the trial ground of the Great Rift Valley, I am willing to be his guarantor and recommend him to join the Haizhou consortium to obtain permanent residency and level 6 citizen privileges."

Zhou Shu seemed to be in a dilemma and said:

"The electronic blockade of the Great Rift Valley is extremely strong, and it is also a highly polluted area. It is basically impossible to communicate with the inside from the outside."

Ying Lin said with a cold face and a firm attitude:
"Is this something I need to consider? You in the Education Department are used to being the master, and you think I'm some lowly person who has no ability, no knowledge, and has to bend down and beg you to do things for me? If the heir of the Nanhuang Dojo makes it into the top three of the Top 100, then there will be no suspense in the selection list for the Youth Group of the Star Cup, and there will be no need to take the exam again.

If he gets his hands on the things He Lanchan left behind, not only Chief Mo, but also his son Mo Zhenting, the entire Dongxia will be shaken! The Ying family has sacrificed a lot for the overall situation over the years. My second brother Ying Qi is a direct descendant and belongs to the first succession sequence, but he died in vain! "

Zhou Shu's throat rolled, and he looked like a cow or a horse that was assigned an unreasonable workload, with an uncomfortable expression as if he was constipated. He wanted to say something, but all he heard was a busy tone.

"Hold!"

Zhou Shuyuan, the representative of the Education Department, was thousands of miles away, and he spoke a standard Chinese quintessence with a clear and fluent voice. He stood up from the toilet with an expressionless face, and when he opened the door, he saw Fang Butang's smiling old face:

"Mr. Zhou, you've been in the bathroom for so long, are you feeling unwell? I know an old Chinese doctor who can recommend one to you and you can take care of him later."

Zhou Shu seemed to be haunted by an evil spirit, and Fang Butang was like a dog-skin plaster that he couldn't get rid of wherever he went.

He clenched his fists silently. As a civilian, this was the first time he wanted to use violence so much.

……

……

"I'm only second."

Qin Shi withdrew his gaze, and the ranking order and names of the people appeared in the form of fireworks.

He looked carefully for a while and found himself in second place. His younger brother Yan Ren also squeezed into the top fifteen by killing monsters and getting points.

Pei Han, who had shown goodwill before the game, came in fourth, and Ji Yuqi, who had been heard of in the virtual battle room of Qiguang Hengda, came in third.

"It seems that the alien creatures in the core area are really powerful. Otherwise, the strongest contestants sent to the core area should actively hunt and earn points to compete for the top spot."

Qin Shi judged that if he had not killed the leader-level rust beast in the evolutionary stage, he would have only been able to reach the edge of the top ten.

"Brother Supermodel, try to get rid of Zhou Yuanchen! I support you in being the person in charge of the Hengzhou Top 100 Competition!"

Yan Ren's skin was blood red, as if he had been splashed with paint, and his whole body looked like he had crawled out of a sea of ​​blood and corpses. His originally honest smile even looked ferocious.

"Let's go through the protective belt in the middle area first. The manual says that it's a dense forest nearly one kilometer long and covered with giant fungi. It's quite dangerous."

Qin Shi rested on the spot, absorbing the red crystal to replenish his energy. When the sun gradually set, he and Yan Ren set out for their destination.

Different from the barren outer areas, the middle area near the core is home to lush flora, which are extremely large, such as mushrooms with a diameter of 30 centimeters, which spread out densely like a big umbrella.

"Brother Supermodel, this thing looks creepy, is it poisonous?"

Yan Ren asked in a low voice, shrinking his neck.

"It's slightly toxic, affects nerves, and doesn't cause any direct damage."

Qin Shi said lightly.

The surface of these mushrooms is covered with phosphorescent spots. When the cap is touched, it will swell and expand, releasing a faint fragrance, while the silvery-white stems can secrete hallucinogenic spores and create a hazy mist.

"It doesn't make much sense for you to hold your breath. The slightly toxic smell can penetrate through your skin. This protective belt formed by the 'illusion fungus' is a test of your mental strength. If your mental strength is not strong enough, you will be easily affected."

Qin Shi walked in front, his mental power spreading out like a "field", preventing the blue-purple smell released by the mushroom cap from getting close.

But Yan Ren obviously couldn't bear it. His eyes were sore, and he couldn't stop crying with snot and tears.

"I want to repent! I made a mistake! I shouldn't have…"

Qin Shi was full of helplessness. The "umbrella" of the colorful mushroom was covered with light fluff, which was said to be able to capture the emotional fluctuations of living things.

Sure enough, Hammer Brother Yan Ren fell into the trap. Even though he was holding his breath, his pores opened and closed to communicate with the outside world.

"The thing I regret the most and feel most guilty about is that I don't smoke, but I often borrow lighters from my senior friends. They even had fights over this, but they never doubted me!"

Yan Ren walked quickly forward, repenting in tears. He was now affected by the hallucinogenic effect of the colorful fungus and was immersed in that inexplicable emotion.

"Also! A few uncles insisted on taking me to the club, but when I came out, they all worked overtime. I almost couldn't help but report it..."

Qin Shi heard the corner of his mouth twitching. Hammer's younger brother Yan Ren had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and he looked quite honest. But he didn't expect that he was also mean and had done many immoral things!
The two of them finally walked out of the protective belt. Yan Ren's eyes were swollen, his throat was hoarse, and his tears were almost dry from crying.

Most importantly, he talked about all the "regrettable things" he had done since he was a child.

Fortunately, only Qin Shi knew about it, otherwise he would have been killed on the spot.

"I'm tired of crying, more tired than fighting."

Yan Ren was breathing heavily, his lips were dry and his tongue was parched, like a big dog about to die of thirst.

"Is this the core area? Our trial point must be that bronze magic mountain!"

Qin Shiyun stretched his eyes to the limit and vaguely saw the outline of a huge monster.

"Yes. I guess Zhou Yuanchen, Ji Yuqi, Pei Han and the others are all up there. After crossing this mountain, the final point of the Great Rift Valley is behind it."

There was a look of longing in Yan Ren's eyes. He was quite self-aware. With his physique from the primitive tempering method and the war hammer made by the master of the Craftsmen's Guild at his home, he could almost reach the core area. It was basically impossible to go any further.

……

……

pat!

Beads of sweat the size of beans fell on the long bronze steps, shattering them!
Zhou Yuanchen's body was shaking as if he was under tremendous pressure. Every muscle fiber was trembling wildly, squeezing out and releasing his surging vitality.

His chest rose and fell violently like a bellows, gushing out hot air and producing a large cloud of thick smoke. His mortal body, which was powerful enough to be close to the 100-point mark at the professional level, actually made a "crackling" sound as it shattered.

"This bronze mountain is indeed full of demonic energy! It's really hard to fight it and climb up at the same time!"

Zhou Yuanchen stopped on that step. He looked back at Ji Yuqi, who was more than ten steps behind him, and Pei Han who was about to catch up.

"I can't go up. If I use up too much energy, I will be easily infected by the devil and become..."

Zhou Yuanchen's eyes flickered as he looked up at the bronze statues on the steps in front of him.

This bronze magic mountain will "assimilate" everyone who sets foot on it. If the vitality is not strong enough, the demonic nature will corrode the vitality of the flesh and blood, and eventually solidify into dead metal.

"This magic mountain tests the contestants' vitality! As well as their control and understanding of their own essence! If you just want to climb high, you will consume too much energy and be taken advantage of!"

Thinking of this, Zhou Yuanchen stopped climbing and stood silently on the step, recovering his strength.

He had only reached the 300th level when he could already feel the strong demonic nature. From time to time, a terrifying figure with an elephant's head and a human body and wearing bronze armor flashed before his eyes.

The war cries and roars shock the soul, as if dragging everyone into the ancient battlefield of Hengzhou’s great pioneering period!
“This mountain is alive!”

Ji Yuqi, who was lagging behind Zhou Yuanchen, felt a chill in his heart and wondered whether he should continue climbing.

He saw that a rust-green light had appeared at the front of his palm.

(End of this chapter)