"Now we are in trouble," Zhou Mingyang couldn't suppress a bitter smile.
If it were an ordinary Second-Stage ferocious beast, the four of them might be able to hold out for a while. But considering the strength of the Bloodthirsty Ferocious Bear, one strike from its paw, resembling a huge cast-iron cauldron, would be enough to kill them all! They wouldn't even be able to withstand the blow.
"There's another scenario: we only enter the residential complex, and before we even reach the Bloodthirsty Ferocious Bear, we'll be annihilated by the High-Rank First-Stage ferocious beasts," the bald guy grimaced.
The four of them could handle a maximum of three to four High-Rank First-Stage ferocious beasts. But there were over thirty such beasts in the open area below!
In other words, they didn't dare to tangle with the Second-Stage Bloodthirsty Ferocious Bear, nor with the remaining High-Rank First-Stage ferocious beasts.
"The difference between the Central Zone and the Core Zone is too great. In the Central Zone, the strongest were only Mid-Rank First-Stage, but here, not only has a Second-Stage beast appeared, but the ordinary beasts are all High-Rank First-Stage. How can one possibly do anything here?" The petite Meng Di pouted unhappily.
"I heard before the exam that the question setter for our year would be Old Man Liu, but I didn't believe it. Now, looking at this insane combination of beasts, I'm sure it's definitely his handiwork!" the long-haired guy gritted his teeth.
The question setters for the martial arts exam in Jiangnan Province changed every year. And Old Man Liu was known as one of the most brutal among them. In the years he set the questions, the mortality rate in the exam was at least double that of other years!
"High-Rank First-Stage and Second-Stage ferocious beasts in the Core Zone are the standard combination for the martial arts exam nationwide. Old Man Liu simply replaced the usual beast with the more difficult-to-fight Bloodthirsty Ferocious Bear. There's no one to blame but our own insufficient strength," Zhou Mingyang sighed.
The martial arts exam was designed to select the best of the best. The Absolute Central Zone was like the last major problem on a math exam. Only those who could solve this problem were truly considered outstanding talents.
He was a genius that everyone in Jiangcheng paid attention to. But on the scale of the entire Jiangnan Province, he didn't even have the qualification to attempt this final problem...
"Speaking of which, that Xu Jingming spent half a day busting his butt, trying his best to score just over three thousand points. Yet, killing this Second-Stage beast and thirty-plus High-Rank First-Stage beasts would have earned him far more points and much faster," the corners of the long-haired guy's mouth lifted slightly, his expression showing a hint of schadenfreude.
The points for killing beasts in the Core Zone were much higher than in the Central Zone. Killing one High-Rank First-Stage beast could yield 100 points. And if one managed to kill a Second-Stage beast, one could instantly receive 4000 points!
"Humanity needs strong fighters with outstanding combat skills. What's the point of killing a multitude of weak creatures?" It was evident that the long-haired guy harbored some aversion toward Xu Jingming.
Zhou Mingyang frowned upon hearing this, but ultimately said nothing. After all, it was the truth. The martial arts exam was designed to find powerful fighters with strong abilities, not just killing machines capable of eliminating only low-level beasts.
Just like in the current Azure World: although ferocious beasts were rampaging everywhere, if they could eliminate all the Ninth-Stage Beast Emperors, the other beasts would disperse on their own. And if they couldn't eliminate the Beast Emperors, killing any number of ordinary beasts would be meaningless.
This is precisely why the points for killing beasts in the Absolute Central Zone were set so high in the martial arts exam. This way, by killing a Second-Stage beast, one could gain an overwhelming amount of points. And a Second-Stage beast was a mandatory target for those aiming to be the best in the province.
Although Zhou Mingyang was thinking this, deep down, he added: "If Xu Jingming is useless, then are we, who have even fewer points than him, even more worthless?"
He thought about it but didn't object out loud, as they were soon going to fight side by side.
"Alright, enough about that," he said. "Let's go down and try to lure out a few High-Rank First-Stage beasts."
They definitely couldn't enter the open area where the Second-Stage Bloodthirsty Ferocious Bear was located. Therefore, Zhou Mingyang's strategy was to lure out the beasts one by one and kill as many as they could.
Of course, there was a chance they wouldn't be able to lure out any beasts. In that case, they would only have to return to the Middle Zone.
"To work, to work."
"Damn it, luring beasts out of a place where a Second-Stage beast is sitting—isn't that suicide?"
"Heh, even if it is suicide, do we have a choice?"
"..."
Teasing each other, they were just about to descend when a black figure suddenly rushed toward them from afar. It moved with incredible speed, like a cheetah, and in a matter of seconds, it reached the entrance of the Jinse Yuan residential complex.
"Xu Jingming!" Zhou Mingyang narrowed his gaze.
Though they were on the roof of the eighth floor, thanks to the sharp vision of Superpower Users, he instantly recognized the figure below as Xu Jingming, whom he had met earlier.
"Xu Jingming came too? Where is he? Where?"
"Xu Jingming? Hmph, let's see what he's all about!"
Unlike Zhou Mingyang, Meng Di and the others hadn't met Xu Jingming before. Hearing Zhou Mingyang's words, they, who were already heading towards the stairs, immediately turned back and peered downwards.
When an Awakened evolves into a Superpower User, not only is their superpower enhanced, but their physical attributes also improve. Therefore, the height of the eighth floor posed no problem for them, and they could clearly distinguish the people below.
A young man stood before the open area of the residential complex. He was tall, with resolute features and a gaze as sharp as an eagle's. By all appearances, he had gone through countless battles—his black combat suit was almost half stained dark red!
A black spear was secured on his back, its once sharp blade now resembling a jagged kitchen knife, as if it had been used to chop bones. It was this spear that lent a fierce edge to the youth's stable and powerful aura!
"What a handsome guy!" Women always remain emotional creatures, so upon seeing Xu Jingming, Meng Di's eyes immediately sparkled.
"To wear down an F-level alloy spear to such a state... It's hard to imagine how many beasts he's killed," the bald guy was astonished by the wear and tear on Xu Jingming's weapon. F-level alloy was incredibly durable, and the spear looking like that spoke volumes about the frequency and brutality of the battles.
"To dare to appear like that in front of a group of ferocious beasts—isn't that suicide?" the long-haired guy scoffed last.
"Rrrroar!"
"Awoo!"
And indeed, Xu Jingming's appearance instantly agitated the beasts below. In the blink of an eye, over a dozen High-Rank First-Stage ferocious beasts rushed towards him with a roar!
"It's over! He woke up the whole pack!" Meng Di exclaimed.
"How could Xu Jingming be so reckless?" Zhou Mingyang frowned. From this distance, even if they wanted to help, they wouldn't make it in time. And by the time they got down, Xu Jingming would likely already be dead.
"Why not? It seems first place went to his head, and he doesn't understand how dangerous the situation is," the long-haired guy sneered coldly, not taking his eyes off the scene below. "Turns out he uses a spear. But that spear is hardly going to be able to protect him."
And indeed, at first, Xu Jingming could still cope with a few attacking beasts. But as the others rushed in, he could no longer resist them, and his figure quickly disappeared under the onslaught of more than a dozen ferocious beasts...
"Could Xu Jingming... die just like that?" Looking at the figure that vanished in the crowd of beasts, Zhou Mingyang couldn't believe his eyes. In a matter of hours, he had soared like a comet. Would he now fade just as quickly, like a shooting star?
Most importantly, what was Xu Jingming thinking? Knowing that the Absolute Central Zone was inhabited by High-Rank First-Stage and Second-Stage beasts, how could he dare to appear before them so carelessly?
"By the way, he really lied to me. He never once used the Lightning Element superpower from the start. Oh well, the dead won't tell, so let it be," Zhou Mingyang and Xu Jingming had only met once, so he wasn't overly concerned about his safety. He was merely puzzled by this foolish act.
And suddenly, at that moment, Zhou Mingyang and the others felt their hearts tremble. A low and majestic voice resonated in their ears:
"Divine Thunder!"
In the next moment, accompanied by chaotic, deafening thunder, a purple shockwave erupted from the center of the group of ferocious beasts in their sight!
Boom!!
All the beasts touched by this shockwave, as if receiving a powerful blow, were blackened and sent flying four to five meters away!
And the dense group of ferocious beasts, as if erased by an eraser, instantly cleared a large space!
In the center of this space, Xu Jingming stood majestically, like a God of War. Purple lightning coiled around his body, as if greeting the arrival of its king, continuously cheering and dancing.
Only now did Zhou Mingyang and the others realize with astonishment that what they had mistaken for a shockwave was actually a high-voltage net woven from purple lightning!
"This?!" Looking at the figure in the center of the area, who resembled a god of thunder, Zhou Mingyang's jaw dropped in surprise. After a moment, he finally recovered and muttered:
"Xu Jingming... is truly a Lightning Element user..."