Ch. 26
Chapter 26: The Top Three Gather
Everyone watching from above instantly grew tense.
“This is bad. It’s a Third Grade ferocious beast, a Strange-Tailed Python.”
“With that overwhelming defense and terrifying speed, you can’t beat it, and you can’t outrun it either!”
“It’s over. That squad doesn’t even have time to flee.”
“They’re all going to be wiped out!”
The entire venue instantly plunged into noisy chaos.
The friends and family of that squad’s members had already broken down into sobs.
If this went on, this really would become the last time they ever saw them!
The atmosphere inside the Abyss had also begun to turn tense.
At the same moment Commander-in-Chief Wang Longcheng issued the order to retreat, he also dispatched a rescue team to the location as quickly as possible.
The examination zone was divided into two areas, the yellow zone and the red zone.
The yellow zone basically contained First Grade ferocious beasts, while the red zone topped out at Second Grade, or at most Second Grade peak.
Second Grade peak ferocious beasts were already the limit of this Abyss opening battle.
In truth, when the Abyss-Suppressing Army fought in the Abyss, it was not uncommon for them to kill monsters above their own level or fight one against many.
The battle situation in the Abyss changed endlessly, and its terrain was extraordinarily vast.
There was simply no way to account for everything.
These two zones had also been specially cleared out by quite a few members of the Abyss-Suppressing Army for the sake of these students.
That too had consumed an enormous amount of manpower and effort.
All of it was to provide the students with a relatively safe examination environment.
But these students were, in the end, only martial artists who had just awakened their talents.
They were not battle-hardened members of the Abyss-Suppressing Army.
On the battlefield where the giant python had appeared, an overconfident five-man squad was the closest.
After hearing the alarm, they did not retreat.
Relying on the fact that four members of their team were Second Grade martial artists, they instead rushed to the coordinates at once.
Together with the three remaining martial artists from the other squad, they formed an eight-man team and began forcibly holding off the Third Grade ferocious beast.
“Hit its vital spot!”
One squad leader shouted loudly as he leaped high into the air, bringing the giant axe in his hand crashing heavily into the ground.
The earth rumbled violently for a moment, and a terrifying blast of force erupted upward from beneath the python, shaking it violently.
The giant python’s movements slowed for an instant.
A swordsman and a short-blade user leaped into the air, taking advantage of that instant to strike at the python’s vital point.
Clang! Clang!
With two sharp sounds, both attacks were knocked away by its glossy, gleaming scales.
The giant python emerged completely unscathed. Instead, its fury soared as its massive tail swept out viciously.
“I’ll block it!”
A tall, powerfully built martial artist stomped down hard, and a layer of white mist shield rose over the surface of his body.
He took the python’s attack head-on with his shoulder.
Crack!
Pfft!
The white mist shield exploded apart on the spot, and the martial artist was sent flying through the air, coughing up a mouthful of blood before he even landed.
They could not hurt it!
They could not withstand it!
Only now did that squad realize just how laughably overconfident their “reinforcement” had been.
But at this point, even fleeing was no easy matter, because the Return Stone took time to activate.
And the more chaotic one’s true qi became, the slower the Return Stone activated.
Before the martial artist who had been sent flying could even get back up, the giant python’s tail had already risen high into the air and came slashing down diagonally.
It carried a terrifying howl of wind.
If that strike landed, it would smash him directly into pulp.
Just as that martial artist fell into despair, a golden spear phantom descended from the heavens and instantly pierced through the giant python’s tail, pinning it viciously to the ground!
The giant python struggled violently.
All the squad members turned in shock to look behind them, and someone immediately cried out, “Zhang Zhiwei!?”
Standing atop a low wall was a handsome youth wearing the uniform of Chongming High School, standing proudly against the wind.
With a flick of the long spear in his hand, he fixed his gaze on the giant python, his voice steady and forceful.
“Go! Leave this to me!”
The crowd was overjoyed.
A dazzling new S-grade star of East District, at the peak of Yellow Rank, Second Grade, a true heaven-blessed prodigy!
If there was anyone who could fight a Third Grade Strange-Tailed Python, it could only be him.
Everyone understood that staying behind would only get in Zhang Zhiwei’s way.
So they all leaped up and scattered, retreating at top speed.
At that moment, the golden spear phantom that had pinned down the python had already vanished, and the giant python twisted its body and charged forward.
Its body writhed wildly, shaking the ground with booming impacts like an earthquake.
Golden radiance surged from Zhang Zhiwei’s spear as he relied on his exceptional spearsmanship to tangle with the giant python in battle.
At that moment, in the Multimedia Hall, nearly everyone had risen to their feet.
Everyone held their breath.
“As expected of East District’s prodigy. He can actually contend with a Third Grade ferocious beast head-on without falling behind!”
“S-grade Golden Lances and Iron Cavalry truly lives up to its name!”
“Oh no, what’s that?”
One person cried out in shock, and all the big shots were thrown into panic!
On the right side of Zhang Zhiwei’s battlefield with the giant python, another enormous dark shadow was rapidly closing in!
It was actually a second giant python. This one was even larger than the first, its body at least twenty meters long.
Its aura was even more terrifying.
It was at least at the peak of Third Grade!
At that moment, Zhang Zhiwei was sweeping out a sky full of spear-light, enveloping the giant python and preparing to unleash a killing move to heavily wound it.
But unexpectedly, a second giant python suddenly charged in from his flank.
By the time he noticed it, it was already too late!
Bang!
The giant python struck Zhang Zhiwei and sent him flying violently. He spat out a spray of blood while still in midair.
Against one giant python, Zhang Zhiwei could still fight.
But now that he was injured, there was absolutely no chance of defeating two of them.
What was more, the aura of the second giant python was far stronger. It was clearly already at the peak of Third Grade.
The two giant pythons attacked at the same time, their massive tails lashing wildly in every direction. Everywhere they struck, enormous craters were blasted into the ground.
The earth shook and the mountains trembled!
Zhang Zhiwei pulled out a pill and swallowed it viciously, then rolled and dodged in a miserable state between the two sweeping python tails.
The situation looked grim.
At the same time, the entire Multimedia Hall exploded into chaos.
“This is bad! How are there two of them!?”
“Even Zhang Zhiwei can’t possibly have the strength to fight them both!”
“It’s over, it’s all over!!” The principal of Chongming High School stamped his feet in panic.
The Deputy Minister of Education personally took out his phone and called the garrison below in the Abyss directly, warning them to dispatch a rescue team.
Everyone’s heart clenched tight.
Inside the Abyss, Zhang Zhiwei dodged miserably left and right, utterly unable to escape the terrifying barrage of python tails.
In the end, he would inevitably be exhausted to death. It was obvious he would not last until the rescue team arrived.
“I’ll help you!!”
Just then, a deep, powerful shout rang out.
Immediately afterward, a mountain-like figure leaped into view.
Zhang Zhiwei turned toward the voice.
The newcomer stood nearly two meters tall! His body was as broad as a door panel, and his arms looked strong enough to run horses across!
The moment he exerted himself, the Chongming High School uniform on his body ripped apart with a tearing sound!
His muscles bulged all over him like massive slabs of stone!
Chongming High School, Lu Chenfeng!
The second S-grade ability user of this opening battle.
Like a tiger-shaped tank, Lu Chenfeng charged straight through the wild barrage of both python tails and rushed to Zhang Zhiwei’s side with his head lowered.
A python tail came smashing down straight at him. Lu Chenfeng not only refused to retreat, he actually surged forward instead, raising both arms high as he roared, “Perfect timing!”
Clang!
With the sound of metal colliding, the violent force of the impact blasted the ground clear into an open patch, dust flying everywhere.
S-grade talent, Thousand-Tempered Iron.
Under the protection of a blue glow, Lu Chenfeng’s arms were completely unharmed.
But...
“Help me out here! I can’t get out!” Lu Chenfeng blocked another strike from the other giant python and shouted at Zhang Zhiwei.
Only then did Zhang Zhiwei, finally given a moment to breathe, notice that Lu Chenfeng’s legs had been driven completely into the ground!
They had sunk all the way to the knees!
Zhang Zhiwei knew this was no time for politeness and shouted, “Protect your groin!”
His spear had already thrust between Lu Chenfeng’s legs and suddenly heaved upward!
“Hey! That absolutely needs protecting!!”
Lu Chenfeng’s ass clenched tight as he shouted, and in the next instant, Zhang Zhiwei had flicked him right out of the ground.
The two of them rolled awkwardly out of the battle zone. After using his own fleshly body to withstand the blows of both giant pythons, Lu Chenfeng shouted at Zhang Zhiwei, “You alright!?”
“I’m fine!”
“If you’re fine, then fight!!” Lu Chenfeng bellowed.
His defensive power was indeed strong, but his consumption was high too.
He could still withstand the blows of the ordinary Third Grade python without too much trouble, but against that peak Third Grade giant python, he could not hold on for long!
If they could not kill them quickly, they would both be in danger.
His own offensive power was average. If they were going to kill them, it had to be through Zhang Zhiwei.
The corner of Zhang Zhiwei’s eye twitched violently. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he leaped back into the battle.
The two S-grade prodigies fought back and forth against the two ferocious beasts that were above their level.
Very quickly, Zhang Zhiwei found an opportunity and chose the weaker python as the breakthrough point.
After three feinting thrusts, he followed with a fourth strike at a vicious angle, piercing straight through the python’s vital spot.
The instant the spear shot out, a massive golden spear phantom enveloped the spear tip, and the terrifying force made the air tremble violently.
Slash!
The strike pierced through in one blow!
The weaker giant python cried out in pain, its body whipping and thrashing wildly. Its mouth opened wide as it let out strange, mournful screams.
At once, the eyes of the peak Third Grade giant python turned blood-red!
Its aura surged explosively upward.
“This is bad! Run!”
Zhang Zhiwei acted with astonishing decisiveness. He did not even bother retrieving his spear and turned to flee at once.
But the powerful giant python’s enormous jaws had already opened.
A terrifying suction force erupted, distorting the surrounding air so violently that it was visible to the naked eye.
Even the ground itself was scraped up in layers and sucked into that horrifying maw.
The huge howl of the wind sounded like ten thousand beasts roaring at once, shaking one’s ears numb!
Lu Chenfeng stomped hard with both feet, then drove both hands straight into the ground.
His hands and feet anchored into the earth like staples, resisting the suction.
But Zhang Zhiwei struggled and rolled a few times before being lifted backward into the air by the terrifying pull.
In an instant, the giant python wrapped its body around Zhang Zhiwei.
Its coils tightened around him, trapping him within.
“Break!”
Zhang Zhiwei roared toward the heavens, golden light exploding from his body as the faint sound of clashing metal came from within him.
But the giant python’s constricting hold had already fully formed.
Even though its scales and armor were splitting open rapidly beneath Zhang Zhiwei’s golden radiance, and blood mist kept bursting out from its body,
it still was not enough to inflict a fatal wound.
Lu Chenfeng also shouted in panic and tried to get closer, but the dying giant python was thrashing about wildly, and for the moment it really did block his path.
Feeling the terrifying constricting power of the giant python, Zhang Zhiwei let out an unwilling roar!
He was an S-grade prodigy, and he had not yet had time to grow.
Was he really going to be buried here just because of a single moment of carelessness? How could he accept that?
The peak Third Grade giant python likewise raised its head and hissed toward the sky, its fury surging.
It seemed intent on avenging the other python.
Then it opened its enormous bloody jaws and bit down toward Zhang Zhiwei in a single savage bite.
But in that instant before death, Zhang Zhiwei saw directly ahead of him a monstrous black warhorse with silver mane charging toward him in a mad blood-soaked sprint!
On top of that warhorse sat a young man gripping an iron staff.
A black cape snapped wildly behind him!
The warhorse raced forward like a falling meteor.
When it drew near, that youth actually stood up on the horse’s back, planted one foot on the horse’s head, lowered his body, and shot forward like a cannonball.
He came straight at Zhang Zhiwei.
In midair, the iron staff in his hand swept horizontally toward Zhang Zhiwei’s head.
At the same time, he barked in a low voice, “Duck!”