There are still sixty teams in this competition.
But with these new rules, the weaker teams were quickly eliminated.
The pace only began to slow down when only twenty teams remained.
"Oh? There's actually a team where everyone is at the Dripping Water Realm who made it?" Li Chen looked at the team information on the Student Badge with some surprise.
Having reached this point, most people have already been eliminated.
Even teams with members from the Looking River Realm were eliminated.
The teams present are all quite strong, but the Dripping Water Realm team seems somewhat out of place.
Jianping, who was standing nearby, spoke up, "Perhaps it's because they are so powerful."
This competition isn't a one-on-one battle; team synergy is also crucial, and strong teamwork can lead to victory over many other teams.
After saying that, Li Chen looked towards the battlefield.
The battlefield is now filled with dazzling abilities.
Almost every match featured students from the Looking River Realm performing well on the field.
Their abilities are all unique.
Yu Qingnian stood on the referee's bench, his eyes deep, staring intently at the field, occasionally glancing towards a high platform.
"It seems Cang Lao and the Dean have already arrived."
He glanced at the delicate little watch on his wrist.
"Hmm... it's almost time."
This competition has entered a heated phase, and each battle will be very slow.
After all, teams that have reached this stage are not prone to giving up easily.
No one will surrender unless they are truly unable to win.
As the last person on one side of the field fell down.
Yu Qingnian shouted, "Team 8 wins! The match is over!"
But he didn't stop talking.
Almost everyone in the Battle Institute had their eyes on him.
He coughed lightly and then slowly said, "This competition is nearing its end, and all the teams that have advanced are about to begin their final Heart-Questioning Road."
"The venue will undergo renovations next."
"But it won't be long, please wait, everyone."
"As for the rules, I will announce them later."
"..."
Then his figure vanished instantly before everyone's eyes, and the entire venue seemed to be blocked by a black barrier right under everyone's noses.
Nobody knows what's happening inside.
"Heart-Questioning Road?" Li Chen asked, somewhat puzzled.
Isn't the grand competition just a series of matches played out over and over again?
Fighting for first place?
At this moment, Luo Lin, who was sitting in the back, spoke up, "I didn't expect that even this would be launched this year."
"We really had a lot of luck."
"Huh? Lin-jie, do you know what this is?" Su Zhe turned his head, scratched his head, and asked.
He, like Li Chen, understood nothing.
Luo Lin pondered for a moment before speaking, "Hmm... The Heart-Questioning Road is something that Canglan Academy had a long time ago, but it was closed a few years ago."
"However, the Heart-Questioning Road will likely be a chaotic battle, only this battle will be exceptionally intense because we will enter an illusion, where we will still be able to use our abilities."
Li Chen frowned and asked, "All the teams?"
"Yes, all teams will enter."
"The rules will be very different; this Heart-Questioning Road will involve combat, but it will be more about teamwork."
Just as Luo Lin was giving her explanation, the venue renovations were almost finished.
Until the black light curtain began to fade.
The scene inside was revealed.
It was just an ordinary, pitch-black wall with rows of red flags hanging on it—the national flags.
The wall looked as if it were stained with the blood of countless people, and there were also marks from swords and knives, which was very eerie.
But beneath that wall was a huge, dark staircase that seemed to lead inside.
Judging from their seats, the staircase should connect to the top of the wall.
But that's pretty much all that's been revealed to the outside world.
It seems to have been done intentionally.
Yu Qingnian once again stood on the high platform, this time with a very serious expression, and announced, "The competition continues. All teams, please enter."
"This Heart-Questioning Road is both a test and a battle prepared for you."
"The rule is that the one who reaches the top wins."
On a high platform overlooking the entire battlefield, Cang Lao and the Dean stood seemingly conversing, while almost all the Sequence Masters had come to observe.
The dean spoke softly, "Thank you for your hard work."
"It's alright, it's alright, it's just a bit mentally taxing." Cang Lao smiled, stroking his goatee.
Clearly, the Heart-Questioning Road) was created thanks to Cang Lao's abilities.
"Now it's up to those kids to fight over it. The Heart-Questioning Road hasn't been opened in a long time; I'd almost forgotten about it."
"..."
The entire team was present on the battlefield.
There are a total of 20 teams.
Each team was displaying a strong momentum, and the atmosphere seemed to be thick with tension.
Accompanied by a shout of "Go!"
Almost instantly, the line at the front rushed into the open doorway in the black wall.
Li Chen and his companions weren't in a hurry, and strolled leisurely behind.
On the wall known as "Heart-Questioning Road"
Upon closer inspection, three large characters were clearly engraved on the wall.
"Dawn Pass."
After taking a deep look, Li Chen and the others followed the group inside.
It wasn't dark inside, because torches hung along one side of the dark staircase, stretching all the way to the top.
Li Chen was puzzled because he saw someone lying down on the stairs. Why would someone collapse after only a few steps?
But the moment he stepped onto those steps, the expressions of Li Chen and the others changed slightly.
A sense of oppressive power descended upon their shoulders.
"The pressure of the Calamity Realm!" Li Chen frowned. He had felt this pressure many times before and was very familiar with it.
This is the oppressive force of the Calamity Realm.
In just a moment, Su Zhe, Jianping, and the others all looked rather grim.
It's incredibly difficult for them to reach that very peak while enduring immense pressure.
Looking up, Li Chen saw that the dark staircase stretched as far as the eye could see, and many teams were already slowly advancing under pressure.
However, quite a few others have begun to develop abilities, seemingly wanting to use those abilities to advance quickly.
But it was all in vain. The oppressive aura was ever-present, and even his abilities quickly dissipated.
Li Chen felt the oppressive aura, but his expression didn't change much, because he had experienced this feeling many times before.
The eerie space and white staircase made the oppressive force he felt even stronger, even terrifying.
He slowly lifted his foot and began to walk up step by step.
It seemed that with his actions, Su Zhe and the others felt much less pressure.
"Damn, he can actually share the burden?" Su Zhe looked at Li Chen walking ahead, his lips slightly parted.
At this moment, Jianping pulled him back and said, "Let's go."
This oppressive aura was ever-present, and they couldn't stay in one place for too long, or they would inevitably exhaust themselves.
Until they could no longer resist the oppressive force.