Countering with Terrain

The fights Sequence Holder don't last long; once they engage in close combat, the fighting becomes more intense, and a winner can easily be decided within a few rounds.

The confrontation between Ren Anran and Ning Que lasted for more than fifteen minutes.

This underwater exploration park, transformed into a challenge arena, became the place for the two to chase, counterattack, and fight. The vast space gave both of them ample room to maneuver, while the underwater section further expanded their range of activities.

Who do you think has a better chance?

Running and chasing don't mean the competition isn't intense; on the contrary, it's a way for both of them to force each other to decline in performance.

Whoever is not in good form will reveal their weaknesses and thus lose in the competition.

Zhang Manqian watched the live stream with bated breath, feeling that it was much more difficult than when she was competing herself.

Seeing that the two were at an impasse, she couldn't help but ask Zhang Xuezhou, who had finished eating.

"I originally thought Ning Que was better, but I found An Ran to be quite good as well," Zhang Xuezhou said, wiping his mouth.

"I feel like what you said was as good as nothing at all?" Zhang Manqian asked curiously.

"Ning Que has a trump card, a trump card that can perfectly counter An Ran's Dragon Elephant Combat Technique and long-range shooting," Zhang Xuezhou said. "But An Ran's sequence level is higher, and her physical endurance is excellent!"

Even with the added advantage of Luo Zhong, it would be difficult for Ning Que, no matter how talented he is, to surpass Ren Anran's more than ten years of training in just two years, even if he completely overpowered Ren Anran.

Ren Anran was extremely gentle when facing Zhang Xuezhou, but Zhang Xuezhou did not have a good feeling about Ren Anran when they first met. She was a hot-tempered woman who could drag a coffin back to Western Capital City. Moreover, the Ren Household did not only practice the Dragon Elephant Combat Technique. For example, Ren Wuyang was also proficient in swordsmanship, so their physical training was not too outdated.

After failing to exchanging firearms and having tried the Dragon Elephant Combat Technique, Ren Anran ultimately chose to flee and seek an opportunity.

Climb over the artificial hill, cross the pond, and meander back and forth around the rear in the unrestricted area.

This protracted battle lacked the decisive and efficient suppression effect that Zhang Xuezhou had achieved in Wanping Province, but Ren Anran had done an extremely good job against a nemesis like Ning Que. Even Zhang Xuezhou was at a loss as to who would win.

"Ning Que currently possesses the defensive mental strength of a high- Sequence Holder, has learned Realm Technique from us, and has also developed close-combat skills and Gene Sequence abilities, making his strength extremely complex," Zhang Xuezhou said. "An Ran's physical adaptability and endurance have impressed me. It seems you haven't had an easy six months!"

"The moths in Letaya City are deadly; it's not going to be easy for us. Besides, the poisonous scales are everywhere, and we only have a limited number of people to clean them up. The risks we face are extremely high," Zhang Manqian said. "An Ran said her progress on the Poison Avoidance Instruction is average, but her physical training and reaction training are just passable!"

"That's pretty good!"

The current situation is that Ren Anran cannot hit Ning Que, and Ning Que cannot hit Ren Anran either, and the two have not yet engaged in close combat.

Zhang Xuezhou nodded, indicating that Ren Anran's abundant physical strength would give her a significant advantage, and either victory or defeat was possible.

He estimated for a while, but still found it difficult to judge, so he simply gave up guessing and waited quietly for the result.

Outside the restaurant, the noise from the crowd never stopped, clearly discussing the outcome of the competition.

"What would happen if An Ran lost this round?" Zhang Manqian asked in a low voice.

"Losing... losing means one less alternate member of the sequence committee," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Other than that, there's no particular negative impact. With Professor Ren and others on the Sequence Committee, having one more or one less member doesn't matter!"

Zhao Tianhua in the Northwest has decided to favor Western Capital City, and the risk posed by Pei Jing's rebellion in the Southeast is also decreasing.

The hidden masters in Western Capital City include Zhou Rihui, Zhou Yueyan, Changkong Yinghao, and Changkong Yinglian. These four are in excellent physical condition, and their entry into the competition will have a turning point in the battle.

Zhang Xuezhou wasn't too worried about Pei Jing causing trouble. Even if the youth challenge in Qing'an Province swept the Ren Anran of Western Capital City out of the competition, many things would be difficult to change once the grand strategy was determined.

"Why do I feel like this challenge is deliberately designed to suppress and antagonize?" Zhang Manqian asked.

"That's about it. We've suppressed them, we've confronted them, now it's up to the higher- Sequence Holder to compete," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Those who act righteously will find many helpers. Even if Qing'an Province wins, they can't carry the whole load alone. Besides... besides, they might not even win!"

"Thump!"

The sound of Song Fengying imitating a dive came from the pool. Zhang Xuezhou looked over and saw that Ren Anran was no longer in the area, while Ning Que was standing by the pool looking somewhat hesitant.

Even though Ren Anran was wearing casual clothes while Ning Que was wearing a sharkskin suit, Ning Que did not easily go into the water, but instead kept observing from above the pool.

Ning Que didn't have Spirit-Forging Pill, so even with his unique talent, it would be difficult for him to enter the True Spirit Realm. Pure spiritual power would be weakened by physical mediums, and its extension was far less than that of Law Power. Otherwise, Ning Que would have been able to launch long-range shots at the beginning, and he would be having difficulty searching for and locking onto Ren Anran in the pool at this moment.

Ren Anran made the right move.

Seeing Ning Que's somewhat bewildered state, Zhang Xuezhou never expected that the Qing'an people, who were skilled in swimming, would be countered by water.

This is almost identical to the situation where he used horseback to subdue the people of Wanping.

Ning Que grew up quickly, but Ning Que was not a member of a large Lineage. He learned dance and other similar skills from a young age, rather than the practical skills such as swimming, shooting, mountaineering, and speedboating that the children of these Lineage learned.

Ren Anran's swimming skills are inferior to those of many Aristocratic Clan scions in Qing'an Province, and he would be restrained by them in the water. However, it would be no problem for Ren Anran to suppress Ning Que, who lacks Lineage training.

You lost!

As Ning Que in the endless search, a gun in a sealed bag was pressed against his waist, and Ren Anran emerged from the water.

She shook her wet hair and looked at Ning Que, who was slowly raising his hands.

No one can constantly expend their mental energy for protection, Ning Que is no exception. The moment the opponent relaxes their guard is the opportunity for Ren Anran to launch an attack.

She seized the opportunity perfectly.

The sound of the flowing water in the underwater exploration park masked the noise of Ren Anran Ren Anran's movements in the water, allowing him to successfully launch a sneak attack.

She pushed off the edge with her left hand and jumped out of the pool.

"You won!"

Ning Que frowned and replied with utter helplessness.

He was somewhat unwilling; he even possessed the ability to quickly disarm at close range, Ren Anran's shot might not necessarily harm him.

But it's all over. Ren Anran didn't fire, giving him face. Even if he forced a counterattack and won against Ren Anran, it wouldn't bring him any special benefits. On the contrary, he would be ostracized by Western Capital City.

Even if he had a 50% chance of winning by taking a gamble, Ning Que couldn't rely on that method to win.

"Congratulations," Ning Que said.

"Your rapid progress surprises me," Ren Anran replied.

"I owe everything to Brother Zhou for guiding me!"

Ning Que murmured.

Zhang Xuezhou was only responsible for guiding Ning Que, not for nurturing him. He only gave Ning Que a starting point, and Ning Que had to fight for everything he wanted.

This is also why Ning Que refers to Zhang Xuezhou as a guide rather than a mentor.

"You should be able to secure a seat on the alternate committee four years from now!"

Hearing Ren Anran's words of comfort, he could only force a smile before walking off the field.

"Bro, well done! Leave the next one to me!"

When Ning Que appeared, he was not met with ridicule, but with constant congratulations. The seventh challenger, Zhen Zimo, even gave him a high five, thinking that his performance in the challenge was excellent.

This made Ning Que open his mouth, but he didn't specifically remind Zhen Zimo to say anything, so he could only bow his head and thank him.

Among the first six challengers, he was the only one in Qing'an Province to successfully challenge the reigning champion.

Although he missed out on becoming a candidate for the Western Capital City Committee, Ren Anran was right; his chances four years from now are very high.

As long as Zhang Xuezhou doesn't come to Qing'an Province in four years, he should have a high probability of winning and thus gaining a certain status to enter the core of the Gene Sequence.

Ning Que his seat, pondering how to answer the questions from the Qing'an Provincial leaders about why he was able to evade Ren Anran's spear technique while others were unable to, and also considering how to move forward in the future.

He wasn't paying attention to Zhen Ziming's challenge. He had indeed exhausted a lot of Ren Anran's strength and stamina in chasing him, but these poor guys couldn't remove Ren Anran's mark, making them easy targets.

After a fifteen-minute break, Zhen Ziming quickly went on stage and then quickly left.

"Brother, the rest is up to you!"

From setting off full of confidence to returning dejected, Zhen Ziming only spent fifteen minutes, while his playing time was thirty seconds. He was shot and eliminated before he could even warm up.

For those at the same or even higher level of Sequence Holder besides Ning Que, Ren Anran remains an unsolvable problem.

The results of this year's Youth Challenge will be announced in just a few minutes.