The next morning.
Chen Tian woke up full of energy. Seeing the constant updates to the points rankings displayed on his communicator, he decided to go out and look around.
After a simple wash, he practiced a set of punches to warm up, then took a few sips of the water he had brought.
A short while later, Chen Tian continued deeper into the area.
The monsters on the outskirts of the 249 Area were already of no use to him. The participating martial artists were all Earth Soldier-level or Heavenly Soldier-level, and Rank C monsters were their limit. But if Chen Tian wanted to gain a large number of points in one go, he had to leave the protected zone, enter the depths, and hunt monsters above Rank B.
After all, Rank A missions required going deep into the area as well.
Along the way, Chen Tian cleverly avoided the places where large numbers of Rank D and Rank C monsters had gathered. To save time, he tried to avoid these unnecessary battles as much as possible.
However, when he reached the central region of the 249 Area, Chen Tian faintly heard the violent sounds of battle coming from ahead.
His expression shifted at once, and he quickened his pace.
Arriving at a pile of rocks, Chen Tian looked over and saw, about a hundred meters away in an open area, a martial artist battling a ten-meter-tall giant bear.
The aftershocks of the battle were extremely fierce. The wild trees and ruined buildings around them had all been pushed down and severed! The giant bear was massive, carrying a natural, overwhelming might. Every movement it made brought with it a terrifying shriek as it tore through the air.
Its might grew with every roar, its strength increasing each time, until the martial artist could barely withstand it and was driven back step by step.
"An Elementary Heavenly Soldier-level Ming Yuecheng, the genius ranked second on the points list, and a Rank C Thick Rock Barbarian Bear."
Chen Tian immediately recognized the martial artist and the monster. The Thick Rock Barbarian Bear's skin was as hard as rock, and without sufficient strength, it was impossible to break through. Its only weakness was that it had to be crushed and killed through pure force.
The Thick Rock Barbarian Bear generally wandered around the central region of the 249 Area, preferring to search for food alone. Its favorite prey was the Six Armor Dragon. A unique substance inside the Six Armor Dragon could make the Thick Rock Barbarian Bear even harder, so the bears were extremely fond of them.
"This Thick Rock Barbarian Bear's condition isn't right!"
Chen Tian watched the Thick Rock Barbarian Bear madly pursue Ming Yuecheng.
"Its aura is still growing. It's almost caught up to a Rank B monster. What caused it to become so crazy? Could it be..." Chen Tian muttered inwardly.
On the other side, Ming Yuecheng was somewhat anxious. He had been searching for Rank C monsters when he happened to see this Thick Rock Barbarian Bear looking for food, and the two of them had immediately begun fighting.
But as the battle continued, Ming Yuecheng discovered that the bear was growing stronger the more they fought. It was even stronger than when they had started, as if it had been injected with stimulants. Now he could neither defeat it nor escape from it, leaving him utterly helpless. Ming Yuecheng felt deeply aggrieved. When he had scanned the monster, it had been Rank C, yet once they fought, it was fiercer than a Rank C monster should have been.
The Thick Rock Barbarian Bear's strength was formidable. Ming Yuecheng was now completely outmatched and utterly on the defensive. If this continued, he would probably lose before long and become its food.
Looking at the red button in his hand, Ming Yuecheng was unwilling to press it. Doing so would mean he had lost this competition. But if he did not press it, the Thick Rock Barbarian Bear might eat him.
"Roar!"
As he hesitated, the Thick Rock Barbarian Bear behind him suddenly let out an angry roar. A strange force poured over its head, and then a flash of light swept past.
The Thick Rock Barbarian Bear's body underwent a tremendous change. A layer of enormous rock armor covered its body! Ming Yuecheng hurriedly scanned it and discovered that the monster was no longer Rank C—it had become a Rank B monster!
Inside the monitoring room of the 249 Area.
"Beep! Beep! Beep!"
The monitoring room rang with a shrill alarm, and several large red characters suddenly appeared on the monitor.
"Warning! A Rank B monster has appeared in the central region of the 249 Area! Warning! A Rank B monster has appeared in the central region of the 249 Area!"
The people responsible for monitoring grew panicked.
"How could a Rank B monster appear? Wasn't the battlefield already cleared?" one of the officials roared.
"Go rescue him at once! Immediately!"
A mid-level Battle King martial artist then led several Divine Soldier-level martial artists into action.
At that moment, Ming Yuecheng was being firmly suppressed by the Rank B Thick Rock Barbarian Bear. His stamina was nearly exhausted, and he was utterly despairing. Facing a Rank B monster, even the thought of escaping had been extinguished.
Watching this scene, Chen Tian had initially intended to intervene, but he suddenly sensed the aura of a Battle King-level martial artist approaching from this direction.
"Someone's coming. If I act and get discovered, it'll be troublesome." Chen Tian turned to look at Ming Yuecheng, who was still taking a beating, and sighed. "Forget it. By the time they arrive, you'll already have been eaten clean."
When Ming Yuecheng's mind briefly wandered, the Thick Rock Barbarian Bear seized the opportunity and slapped at him.
Ming Yuecheng had no time to dodge. He was sent flying in a single blow, three bloody gashes appearing across his back as he shot through the air, scattering a great swath of blood.
When he landed, he lay motionless, his fate unknown! Chen Tian could not help frowning. "You just reached Rank B and you're already acting so arrogant. You're finished."
The moment he finished speaking.
Chen Tian lunged forward with an explosive burst of speed. At the same time, he raised his fist, an invisible force wrapping around it as he smashed it toward the giant bear with the weight of ten thousand jun.
"Boom!" "Bang!"
His fist struck the giant bear in the abdomen. The tremendous force knocked it unconscious on the spot, and its heavy body crashed hard to the ground.
Chen Tian then went to Ming Yuecheng's side to examine his injuries. The three deep, bone-visible gashes were enough to make anyone's hair stand on end.
"Tsk, poor thing. That's a serious injury! If you hadn't met me, you'd never be able to become a martial artist again in this lifetime."
Chen Tian took out a pill and placed it in Ming Yuecheng's mouth to preserve his life. He then pressed his palm against the wounds. A blue light appeared in his palm, and before long, the bleeding stopped.
At that moment.
Chen Tian's expression suddenly shifted. He raised his head and stared ahead, where several figures were rapidly flying over.
"A mid-level Battle King and three advanced Divine Soldiers. Looks like the people have arrived."
Chen Tian realized that the competition officials had arrived. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he immediately vanished from the area.
"Whoosh—"
Several people landed. After seeing the state of the scene, the leading man frowned deeply. "The Thick Rock Barbarian Bear? Is that the Rank B monster? You three, check whether there are any injured people nearby. If there are, bring them back for treatment immediately!"
After speaking, the leading man examined the fallen Thick Rock Barbarian Bear, his brows tightly knitted.
"Instructor Zhang! There's an injured person! It's advanced student Ming Yuecheng!" Several people in the distance spotted Ming Yuecheng lying on the ground and shouted anxiously.
"Don't waste time. Take him back immediately!" Instructor Zhang said.
After the others carried Ming Yuecheng away, Instructor Zhang remained behind. He found it strange. During the clearing of the 249 Area, all the Rank B and above monsters inside had already been killed. How had this Thick Rock Barbarian Bear appeared? Warning lines had been set up around the competition area, and sneaking in should have triggered the alarms.
Instructor Zhang's thoughts were in complete disarray. Advanced students were talents valued by all the major forces, yet such a massive blunder had occurred in the very first competition after the reforms. "Could it have come from deep within the Wilderness Area?" Instructor Zhang muttered.
However, right at that moment.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
The giant bear suddenly awoke and became completely berserk. As it howled, its eyes turned blood-red. Upon seeing Instructor Zhang in front of it, it swung its enormous paws at him like a mad beast! Every strike made the earth tremble several times, while the buildings shattered like tofu at the slightest touch.
"Beast!"
Instructor Zhang retreated while attacking. The crazed Thick Rock Barbarian Bear was strong and fast, but extremely lacking in agility.
The Thick Rock Barbarian Bear relied on brute force but could not hit Instructor Zhang at all. After several minutes, its aura began to weaken. Seeing this, killing intent shot from Instructor Zhang's eyes. A sickle appeared in his hand, and he surged forward, slashing directly at the giant bear's head.
"Splurt!"
The Thick Rock Barbarian Bear's head was cleanly severed by Instructor Zhang, and its body crashed to the ground.
Putting away his sickle, Instructor Zhang returned without stopping. Soon afterward, a message appeared on the communicators of everyone participating in the competition.
"Participating martial artist and advanced student Ming Yuecheng was injured and rendered unconscious by a sudden monster attack. After deliberation, Ming Yuecheng will withdraw from this competition!"
"Once again, all participating martial artists are reminded: do not act rashly. Know your limits, and do not throw your life away for nothing!"
Before you continue