Chapter 47 - 45: Arena Contest

So what if the Genetic Alliance had an Innate Expert? He could create some Genetic Poison Fog. If his strength wasn't enough, then genes would make up for it. Thankfully, he inherently possessed an antidote gene, rendering the Genetic Poison Fog he manufactured harmless to himself, but when used on others... Hehe, if he didn't lend a hand to save them, they might as well wait for death. Once afflicted by his Genetic Poison Fog, other than a Genetic Potion, there was no means of detoxification. As for neurotoxins, they were nothing but a younger brother in front of Genetic Poisons. With his experience, without the Genetic Poison Fog, as long as he wasn't besieged by an Innate Expert, killing him would not be easy. In his previous life, would he have met his demise if not for the pursuit by a Ninth-level Genetic Cultivator? No matter how strong the Genetic Alliance was, it couldn't possibly possess a Ninth-level Genetic Cultivator, let alone surpass the exclusivity of Changyi Continent. Speaking of which, even if he was caught off guard by a sudden attack by the Genetic Alliance, they would only be trailing in his dust. Better safe than sorry, Ding Huan still decided to prepare Genetic Poison Fog before proceeding. Ding Huan immediately headed to the Genetic Herb Store. He needed to buy some more herbs and then continue to rent that gene laboratory to create Genetic Poison Fog. ... Three days later, Ding Huan left the Pu Hai Gene Research Institute. He had successfully concocted a highly toxic Genetic Potion and diluted it into a spray bottle. Because he inherently possessed an Antidote Gene, Ding Huan didn't even create an antidote potion. This type of Genetic Poison Fog, without prompt intervention, could completely cause a collapse of the gene chain. Ding Huan didn't believe that apart from himself, there was a second person who could save those afflicted by this Genetic Potion. Genetic Alliance, now he could go and observe. ... Pu Hai Martial Arts Square. Today was even more bustling than usual because it was the opening of the fourth round of assessments. The fourth round was different from the first three rounds of assessments, where everyone could only see the scores of the candidates on the main screen of the square. As for the specific content and process of the assessment, it was not visible to all. The fourth round was different, it was a ring competition that allowed everyone to see the candidates' performances on the stage. Once the candidates finished their assessments, they could leave the waiting area at any time. Following the first three rounds of assessments, only two thousand candidates were left. At this moment, the venue had been adjusted, and aside from the surrounding spectator seats, the center of the square was now made up of ten rings. The ring competition was not a battle amongst two thousand candidates. Fighting among candidates introduced too many variables and hindered fair scoring. To recruit five hundred out of two thousand was a decent ratio. Encountering a strong candidate leading to elimination would be disadvantageous to the recruitment goals of Blue Star Ten Great Colleges. Thus, this time, the ring competition was done by fighting against Martial Arts Robots. These Martial Arts Robots were essentially equivalent in power to a Level 1 Genetic Cultivator. Candidates attending the Ten Great Colleges were usually students; under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for them to defeat such robots. In the fight with the Martial Arts Robots, as long as a hit was landed on the robot, the strength and location of the hits were recorded by internal sensors of the robot. If a candidate was truly capable and the damage inflicted reached the robot's tolerance limits. That candidate had the chance to completely defeat the Martial Arts Robot, essentially a KO. Naturally, when the Martial Arts Robots landed a hit on the candidates, scores were also recorded. The final score was the points earned by the candidate on the Martial Arts Robot minus the points the robot earned on the candidate. If someone was too weak and unable to dodge, it was possible to end up with a negative score. These results weren't immediate; they had to wait until all participants had completed their ring competitions. Yujiang University's assessment area remained the focus. Unlike the first three rounds, the fourth round of the ring competition had no soundproofing. The audience could not only see the details of the ring competition but could also cheer for the candidates. This time, three students from Yujiang University were not the first to enter the stage. After the first three rounds, Fang Chong, Li Wanran, and Lv Zi's scores had not changed, still ranking first, second, and fourth. Before the candidates took the stage, ten Martial Arts Robots stood on the ten rings. From the outside, these Martial Arts Robots looked no different from ordinary people. The chief examiner stood on the central ring and loudly said, "I believe everyone knows the rules of the fourth round of assessments, but I still need to emphasize. Although this round scores based on points from fighting the Martial Arts Robots, that's under the premise that you can last ten minutes. If you can't last ten minutes, the score will be calculated as a KO. Alright, the fourth round now officially begins." As the chief examiner stepped back, the broadcast sounded, and ten candidates called by number each went up to rings one through ten. After the chief examiner issued the command, the ten Martial Arts Robots each charged toward the candidates on the rings. "Fang Chong, that Martial Arts Robot looks really fierce," Li Wanran couldn't help but worry as she watched the robot charge towards the examinees with great speed. They often sparred with each other, always stopping before going too far, nothing like the relentless manner of the Martial Arts Robot. "Look closely, these robots might look fierce, but they actually have huge vulnerabilities." Although Fang Chong's scores were lower than Li Wanran's, he was more experienced when it came to fighting. In just a matter of seconds, someone was blasted off the platform by the Martial Arts Robot. Anyone knocked off the platform would definitely receive a negative score. Many students who failed the simulation watched the powerful Martial Arts Robot and couldn't help but think that if they were in the arena, they probably would have gotten knocked out too. In just ten minutes, all ten students who went up were knocked off by the Martial Arts Robot, none could stay on the platform for ten minutes. "How about you guys? I feel like ten minutes should be no problem, I might even gain an upper hand," Fang Chong said. "I should be fine," Li Wanran replied, her initial worry subsiding after watching the Martial Arts Robot's moves, confident in her own strength. Lv Zi grinned, "I'm fine too." The competition continued, people kept getting knocked off while others went up. Whenever someone was knocked down, or had held on for ten minutes and stepped down voluntarily, the broadcast would announce the next student's ID and the assessment platform number. Two hours later, the broadcast called Fang Chong, Li Wanran, and Lv Zi. The three from Yujiang University had consecutive IDs and were called at the same time. "Fang Chong, Li Wanran, Lv Zi, you must do your best, Yujiang University is your strongest support," shouted Tan Bei, the president of Yujiang University, as the three headed for the assessment platform. Although Yujiang University was currently all the rage, it wasn't time to harvest the fruits yet; being the sole commander here, he had to cheer for the three students from his school. It seemed Tan Bei had triggered a magical prelude with his shout, as the spectator stands immediately erupted into a lively scene. People were shouting Fang Chong, Li Wanran, and Lv Zi's names from every corner, cheering for them. The cheering voices of their families were drowned in this ocean-like soundscape. Whether it was Fang Chong, Li Wanran, or Lv Zi, they were all still students, and although they had been swamped with honors a few days ago, they were just excited and thrilled. Now, as they were about to step onto the assessment platform, amidst this wave of cheering, they only felt their bodies heat up and their scalps tingle. At this moment, all they wanted to do was charge onto the platform and blast that Martial Arts Robot away with a punch to show everyone their strength. Ding Huan arrived just in time, as he was looking for trouble with the Genetic Alliance. The headquarters of the Genetic Alliance in Hua Xia was located in East News Genetic Building. East News Genetic Building wasn't far from Pu Hai Martial Arts Square, and Ding Huan planned to ask Fang Chong and the others about some details before Geng Qianxing disappeared. He arrived and heard countless people cheering for Fang Chong and the others. From a distance, he saw Fang Chong had already started fighting with the Martial Arts Robot. Though it had only been two or three months, Fang Chong's basic boxing skills were quite impressive. Maybe because it was his first time facing a Martial Arts Robot, Fang Chong seemed a bit inexperienced. Initially, he kept getting hit by the robot. Luckily, within two minutes, Fang Chong adjusted and was exchanging blows with the Martial Arts Robot; it seemed he wouldn't be at a disadvantage. Li Wanran's situation was similar to Fang Chong's; after an initial spell of panic, she stabilized. However, Lv Zi gave Ding Huan a big surprise; from the start, he wasn't suppressed by the Martial Arts Robot but instead overwhelmed it. In just a couple of minutes, Lv Zi completely dominated the Martial Arts Robot, forcing it into constant retreat. Ding Huan nodded, the Martial Arts Robots were set at the level of a Level 1 Genetic Cultivator. Compared to a real Level 1 Genetic Cultivator, they were still far off. Lv Zi was a bonafide Level 1 Genetic Cultivator, capable of handling several such robots at once. After watching for a while, Ding Huan stopped and decided to head to the East News Genetic Building, since Lv Zi and the others were now in the fourth round of assessments. Meanwhile, Pu Hai Martial Arts Square exploded with excitement. The fourth round of assessment was not without its strong contestants; some had managed to hold on for ten minutes before stepping down. But no matter how strong, they were still overwhelmed by the Martial Arts Robot, only able to counter occasionally and trying their best to dodge. But what were they witnessing now? Three students from Yujiang University entered the stage, two of them exchanging blows with the Martial Arts Robot without allowing it any advantage. What was even more outrageous was the student on the third platform; what was his name again? He was actually overpowering the Martial Arts Robot, and as his fists flowed more smoothly, he soon had the robot cornered at the edge of the platform. Was he about to knock out the Martial Arts Robot? The crowd became excited, some even shrieking as if they were injected with adrenaline, yelling "Knockout, knockout..." It was as if in response to these shouts, Lv Zi suddenly collapsed at the waist as if it had been chopped off. The crowd gasped in shock, some covering their mouths in horror. As they saw the Martial Arts Robot's fist pound into Lv Zi's bent waist. Had the Martial Arts Robot broken Lv Zi's waist with a punch? But in the next moment, the Martial Arts Robot seemed to fly up. This time everyone saw clearly; it was Lv Zi who, unbeknownst to them, had grabbed the Martial Arts Robot's ankle and swung it up. "Oh..." Amidst an uproar of intense cheers, everyone saw Lv Zi forcefully throw the Martial Arts Robot off the platform.