Zhou Yuanchen's arrival made the many contestants gathered on the broad lawn feel a tangible, oppressive pressure.
Behind him, a helicopter was lifting off. Its rotors spun rapidly, whipping up powerful gusts that sent grass clippings swirling and clothes flapping.
Yet the hot favorite to win stood ramrod straight, completely unmoved. His surging Vitality seemed to blaze like a jet of flame, warping the space around him.
"Zhou Yuanchen... I remember he already graduated from Qiguang Hengda University. How can he still compete? Isn't that just bullying the weak?"
A voice of doubt rose from the shifting crowd.
The aura radiating from Zhou Yuanchen's body showed that the "seed" within him had been nurtured to its absolute limit and was on the verge of crystallizing.
All he had to do was take one more step to become a Professional Level Martial Artist—and claim a title as well.
There was no reason to throw someone of this caliber into the Top 100 Competition.
"He's still within the age limit, just barely, so there's no rule violation. But with the Martial Arts Association changing the rules this time and assigning people to areas based on their Vitality, Zhou Yuanchen will probably be sent straight to the Great Rift Valley's core zone."
Someone in the know volunteered an explanation.
"The Martial Arts Association finally did something decent for once. The wilderness trial is dangerous enough as it is. Add a monster like him to the mix, and cannon fodder like us might as well withdraw now."
Someone secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The top three places in the Top 100 Competition offered the richest rewards, but the difficulty increased just as sharply.
Many contestants had signed up enthusiastically, not because they expected to win, but because they hoped to place well enough