Lancelot dragged his weary body off the ring, and all the fighters and staff he encountered along the way looked at him with admiration and respect.
More than 80,000 people participated in the preliminary test in the entire Kahn Province, including hundreds of A-level potential individuals. In such fierce competition, achieving a top-five ranking in the preliminary test is enough to make most Transcendent individuals look up to you, and your future is limitless.
Upon arriving at the waiting area, more eyes turned to him, but Lancelot was already used to it. His expression remained calm as he walked straight to an empty treatment pod.
The hatch was already open, but it closed automatically after Lancelot sat inside. Immediately afterward, a pale green mist gushed out from some tiny holes, seeping into the depths of his body through his pores.
The pale green mist, called "cell repair fluid," is essentially an extremely tiny organism, similar to a nanorobot.
These Bioenergy repair bodily damage at the microscopic level, even suturing cells. They can not only treat newly formed internal and external injuries, but also remove hidden injuries and bring the body to its optimal state.
Lancelot remained conscious throughout. As the cell repair fluid entered his body, he could feel the faint stinging pains throughout his body rapidly disappearing, his injuries quickly healed, and he returned to his peak condition.
However, the hunger that followed was also extremely intense.
The treatment chamber can only heal injuries, but in the process, it will stimulate the body's own immune system, and the body's energy consumption will increase by more than ten times.
Therefore, after completing their treatment, those with Transcendent always have a big meal to replenish their lost energy.
About five minutes later, the warehouse door slowly opened.
Burke and his two companions had already completed the initial tests and were now in charge of Lancelot's logistical support.
At this moment, they had prepared a large amount of high-energy food and nutrition bars, and were waiting outside the treatment ward.
Lancelot grabbed a few nutrition bars at random, tore open the packaging, stuffed them into his mouth, chewed them haphazardly a few times, and swallowed them.
The Star Swallowing Technique had long since become one with the physical body, forming an instinct.
The moment food enters the stomach, the Star Swallowing Technique begins to operate automatically, accelerating digestion.
Nutrients are rapidly extracted and transported throughout the body via the bloodstream.
Boxes of nutrition bars disappeared one by one, and the feeling of hunger quickly subsided. Lancelot's face went from pale to rosy in no time.
He clenched his fist, and the extraordinary power surging within him made Lancelot laugh heartily.
"Brother Lan, you're really getting bigger and bigger at eating! This stuff is enough for me to eat for several days, and you finished it all in one meal!" Burke exclaimed in astonishment as he looked at the food that had been almost completely wiped out.
Although he knew that Transcendent could eat a lot after soaking in the healing chamber, and he had experienced that feeling himself, Lancelot's appetite was simply too terrifying.
Moreover, Lancelot digested his food so quickly that it didn't even take five minutes before he was back to his peak condition, having eaten and digested it all at once.
"You forgot? Lancelot's Ability Energy is to quickly digest and absorb food. The instructors even said that his stomach is comparable to that of a young True Dragon. What are you comparing yourself to him for? Aren't you just making things difficult for yourself?" Cole rolled his eyes and said irritably.
Upon hearing this, Burke slapped the back of his head and grinned, "That's true! Haha!"
After chatting with his brothers for a few minutes, Lancelot returned to the lounge alone.
The competition for the top three spots will begin in two hours. During this time, he needs to carefully adjust his condition and gain a more detailed understanding of his opponents.
Five days, a total of 58 battles, which became increasingly intense as the battle progressed.
In the recently concluded top ten battle, Lancelot faced two very tough opponents.
One of them is Blood Warrior Bill, whose profession is similar to a berserker. Once he Berserk, he goes completely insane.
Bill not only ignored the pain and mind control, but his speed and strength were also ridiculously high, causing Lancelot a lot of trouble and leaving a hideous wound half a meter long on his back.
In other words, Bill's incoherent state, coupled with his formidable fighting instincts, is his greatest weakness when he cannot overwhelm the opponent with superior strength.
Lancelot seized upon this opportunity, meticulously planned his move, and ultimately won the game by taking a direct hit from Bill's sword.
The second tough opponent in the battle for the top ten is a knight named Xiaolande.
Xiaolande's professional level has reached the peak of the Tier Three. His Dou Qi attribute is earth, and his Life Seed has been activated to the extreme. Every Dou Qi is extremely condensed and powerful, making him particularly good at defense and counterattack.
With a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, and clad in armor that resembled a piece of carved jade, Xiaolande was like a Spiked-Armor Dragon Turtle —not only sharp but also incredibly tough, truly embodying the essence of balanced offense and defense.
Facing his opponent head-on could backfire, not only failing to achieve results but also harming himself.
The battle between Lancelot and Xiaolande was also the longest of the fifty-eight battles.
Finally, relying on his superior physical strength and stamina, he wore down the guy's Dou Qi, revealing an opening. Lancelot punched him out of the ring, and he lost the match.
If the top ten opponents are this tough, the remaining four in the top five must be even more terrifying.
Lancelot took out the materials that the instructors had helped him organize and began to read them carefully.
He had already read most of the contents of these materials many times in the past few days.
However, some data was just added and is the most noteworthy part.
Many contestants deliberately conceal some of their trump cards, catching their opponents off guard at crucial moments. As the preliminary rounds progress, these trump cards are gradually revealed.
For example, a Ability Energy named Mark.
This guy is the opponent Burke complained about earlier.
A filthy thing that's crazy and still gives people a debuff aura.
In the early to mid-stages of the initial test, when the opponent is weak, once Mark throws out his debuff aura, the opponent becomes a lump of mud, weak in the hands and feet, and powerless all over.
At this point, he can simply walk up and drag the person off the stage.
The process was quite easy and pleasant.
But the later the game goes, the stronger the opponents become.
Mark's debuff aura weakened, and he finally revealed his deliberately hidden trump card: physical combat!
Although Mark is not Physical Enhancement type of Ability Energy, his physical attributes are definitely not low. He must have improved them through other means, such as potions or special Body Tempering methods.
After watching the video of Mark fighting using physical skills, Lancelot speculated that this guy's constitution attribute should be between 14 and 16 points.
Although this level of physical strength is insufficient in the later stages of the initial test, don't forget that Mark's main job is to apply debuffs to people.
With both factors combined, Mark's combat effectiveness and threat level skyrocketed.
Besides Mark, the remaining three are Walmart, Devin, and Kant.
First up is Walmart, an S-class potential user. Her Ability Energy is called "Power of Disintegration," an Energy Manipulation type. According to official sources, once this Ability Energy is developed to a sufficiently high level, it can decompose any matter it comes into contact with into atomic form, making its attack power extremely strong.
While Walmart is far from being a terrifying "human nuclear bomb," its strength in the initial stages of the competition was undeniable; it was a force to be reckoned with, capable of inflicting damage at the slightest touch.
Basically, most of the players who encounter her surrender before the match even begins.
It's simply too risky to fight; the danger is too great.
They came to participate in the competition, not to fight a war.
Secondly, there's Devin, an A+ potential Ability Energy with the Ability Energy "Blazing Radiance," a composite ability that deals high damage, is fast, and even has healing capabilities—he's incredibly powerful.
Finally, there's Kant, a bloodline sorcerer.
Kant comes from an ancient family of bloodline sorcerers, possessing the bloodline of the "Amanti Giant Python." Naturally, they can grow into High-Rank Transcendent Lifeform. Kant has the highest concentration of bloodline in this generation of the family, and he is proficient in various third-circle spells, making him a formidable all-around powerhouse.
It can be said that each of the top five is a formidable opponent, and their clashes are bound to attract the attention of the entire Kahn Province.
After reviewing the opponent's information, Lancelot took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.
Two blazing flames silently ignited deep within his pupils. "The stronger the better! If they're not strong, how can they put enough pressure on me? Come on, let me witness your strongest power!"
Whispering filled the bedroom as two pairs of fiery eyes gradually closed, focusing intently on meditation.
The speed at which he improved his Flow Method was much faster than he had expected. Lancelot could now clearly sense the existence of the bottleneck, but that thin membrane, which seemed so fragile, was unexpectedly tough. No matter how hard he tried, it remained unmoved. Only when his emotions were churning violently and his Blood Qi was boiling like fire would this membrane be stirred up with a slight ripple.
Lancelot knew that the only way to quickly break through in Flow Method was through even more frantic and high-pressure battles. Only in this way could his will truly ignite and his spirit enter the Hall of Vitality.
Soon, only ten minutes remained of the two-hour break. Lancelot stopped meditating, took out the remaining half-bottle of potion, and drank it.
At this point, of the seven bottles of potion he purchased for eleven million Crimson Notes, only one remained.
It's also the most precious bottle, "Natural Rhythm".
"Once we make it into the top three, I'll drink this potion!"
After standing up and stretching briefly, Lancelot left the lounge and, amidst admiring glances, walked through the metal corridor back to the center of the arena.
He was the third of the five to arrive.
Walmart and Mark arrived before him.
Kant and Devin arrived two minutes later.
"Hey, you guys are here pretty early." Devin greeted Lancelot and the others in a very familiar manner. He was wearing a hooded pajama and looked sleepy, with some glistening drool still around his mouth. He didn't look like he was attending Joint Entrance Examination, but rather like he was participating in a large-scale reality show.
Lancelot nodded slightly in return.
Mark waved enthusiastically at Devin.
Kant glanced at Devin but ignored him, his lips moving slightly as if he were saying something, but it probably wasn't anything nice.
Walmart was currently circling the venue interacting with fans, occasionally making a heart shape with his hands and blowing kisses, which earned him cheers in return.
Judging from his appearance, he's probably planning to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
"Now, the five participants will draw lots randomly, and one person will be left without a pass."
Hearing that he wouldn't get a bye, Lancelot remained unfazed. "Are you kidding me? How could such good fortune possibly fall on me? Do you think my 1 point of luck is just for show?"
As expected, after the draw, Devin received a bye, securing his place in the final three.
The other four will compete in pairs for the remaining two spots in the final three.
Kant gave Devin a disapproving look, then walked to the side of the ring. A moment later, Walmart jumped to his opposite side; the two were now opponents. Kant's face darkened, and he cursed under his breath, "Damn it."
"Brother Lan ran into Mark! Great! Give that brat a good beating!" Burke said excitedly, waving his arms in the waiting area.
Rui adjusted his glasses and frowned, saying, "According to data analysis, Lancelot's abilities are severely countered by Mark. Encountering this guy is not a good thing!"
"Yes, Lancelot is a melee fighter, especially reliant on his physical attributes. Once he gets hit by Mark's debuff aura..." Cole shook his head slightly, his expression becoming serious.
Hearing their conversation, Burke's excitement subsided, and he said with some concern, "So, does that mean Brother Lan will most likely lose?"
"It's hard to say, but some people online have done a special analysis and believe that Lancelot's winning percentage against Mark is only higher than his winning percentage against Walmart, less than 30%." Rui took out his communicator and brought up a page for Burke to see.
"This guy is a top-notch analyst, he rarely makes mistakes, but he's not infallible either. Hopefully Lancelot can win!" Cole sighed, and the three of them stopped talking and focused on watching the game.
"Hello, I'm Mark, from Sijiadun City. Nice to meet you!"
After stepping onto the ring, before the countdown to the match had even started, Mark greeted Lancelot.
He looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old, not very tall, about 1.73 meters. Mela People, with Green Eyes and blue eyes. He was handsome and sunny, and his smile was very energetic. He was a cheerful and outgoing young man.
Who would have thought that such a sunny boy's Ability Energy would be so "Realm of the Dead," purely selfish and harmful to others, officially named the "Weakening Aura."
"Hello, Leite City, Lancelot!"
After exchanging polite greetings, a countdown appeared in the overhead projection.
The blood-red numbers quickly reached zero, and the battle was about to begin.
"Courage Weakening!"
"Will Weakening!"
"Bone and Blood Weakening!"
"Perception Weakening!"
Mark chanted like a charlatan, and dark halos of light spread out from him, instantly filling the entire arena.
At that moment, Lancelot had only rushed a short distance away.
After being enveloped by these Weakening Aura, his various attributes began to decline across the board. Lancelot, who possessed an information panel, was able to clearly understand his physical condition.
Constitution attribute -15.
Mental attribute -9.
Physical defenses are reduced by 100%.
Perception and willpower have declined significantly.
I felt as if I were shrouded in gloom, turning into a lazy bum waiting to die, and a strong urge to give up surged in my heart.
"Weakening Aura? I think it's more like a 'retreat aura'!" Lancelot muttered, but a glint of light appeared in his eyes.
"This thing seems like it could be used to train one's willpower..."