Chapter 89. Trial of the Prodigies, Third Round...
Lin Xiaoxiao frowned, lowered her eyes and pondered why Liu Duoxin had become the Wish Officer and appeared in this trial.
According to the trajectory of development, Liu Duoxin should be far away in another country at this point in time, completing the preliminary tasks of the God of Greed's agent.
But now, Liu Duoxin has become a volunteer official?
Does that mean the agent of the God of Greed hasn't been chosen yet? Or has some unknown change occurred that prevented Liu Duoxin, the 'female protagonist,' from becoming the agent according to the established rules?
The woman's voice was no longer tense, and even the previous sense of urgency was gone: "What do you think?"
A thoughtful look flashed in Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes. Did the sudden change in attitude mean that the person that group wanted to protect had already left, and that person might even be Liu Duoxin or Chen Zhuoran?
Since she's already gone, the best thing would be for her to disagree, thus saving a huge sum of money in compensation.
Having figured out the key point, Lin Xiaoxiao's lips curled up slightly: "The compensation isn't sincere enough, give me a few more materials."
Faintly, Lin Xiaoxiao heard a gasp, then the woman's voice, as if gritting her teeth, asked with a strong and calm tone, "What materials do you want?"
Lin Xiaoxiao rattled off a long list of materials as if reciting a menu: "Heavenly Meteorite Gold, Spring of Life, Jade Marrow, Spirit-Concentrating Moon Elixir... (and more than a dozen other ultra-high-level materials omitted)"
After listening to the materials Lin Xiaoxiao presented, the female voice remained silent for a few minutes before her voice turned somewhat bitter: "I'm sorry, the person you requested is only willing to add the Spring of Life, the Concentrated Moon Liquid, the ten million points of advanced faith power mentioned earlier, one floating island of the City of Divine Favor, and a set of quasi-god-level equipment."
The golden light in Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes faded, a slight smile appeared on her lips, and her voice was gentle: "Okay."
If you find an epic-level material and a seven-star-level material among a bunch of god-level materials, you can easily tell which one to choose.
The woman's voice seemed surprised that Lin Xiaoxiao would agree so easily. She thought there would be more arguing, but if Lin Xiaoxiao disagreed in the end, she could save the resources after the negotiations broke down.
The beam of light disappeared, and Lin Xiaoxiao slowly fell from mid-air. Just as she was about to land, Xiao Weizhi, who had been anxiously waiting below, grabbed her and hugged her.
He subtly observed Lin Xiaoxiao, and after making sure there were no obvious external injuries on her body, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Seeing his anxious expression, Lin Xiaoxiao guessed what he was thinking and chuckled, "I'm not hurt."
The problem is that we borrowed too much divine power, overdrawing more than ten million units of faith power. Even with the compensation, it wouldn't be enough; we still need to win first place this time.
Xiao Weizhi bent down and straightened her slightly raised hem, then said in a deep voice, "Okay, after we go out, let's get a check-up together."
Lin Xiaoxiao stared at him helplessly for several seconds before finally uttering, "Okay."
Just as they were chatting, a ball of light the size of a ping-pong ball fell from the sky and landed on Lin Xiaoxiao's chest.
A woman's voice gently penetrated the boundaries and appeared in Lin Xiaoxiao's mind: "This is the compensation promised to you. The gentleman asked me to pass on a message to you: he looks forward to meeting you in the City of Divine Favor."
Lin Xiaoxiao smiled and replied, "Report this for me: See you again in the City of Divine Favor."
After the female voice disappeared, she reached out and took the ball of light.
The ball of light touched his palm and suddenly exploded, releasing several objects that floated in mid-air with dazzling light:
Congratulations on obtaining: 10 million Advanced Faith Power
Congratulations on obtaining: One Floating Island Token near the Divine City of Dreams
Congratulations on obtaining: Class Set Armor (Quasi-God Level)
Congratulations on obtaining: Fountain of Life (Epic)
Congratulations on obtaining: Spirit Concentration Elixir (Seven-Tier)
Lin Xiaoxiao stared at the armor set, which looked as if it were carved from brick and stone, with each reflective surface shimmering with a special brilliance. After staring at it for several seconds, a playful smile appeared on her lips.
If it were delivered at this time, she wouldn't be able to use her own space, and all she would have was a space ring that could be taken away at any moment.
Is the plan to spread the news that she possesses a great treasure, so that professionals from various countries will come to besiege and plunder it?
Moreover, they played a word game by gifting her a set of professional equipment that neither she nor Xiao Weizhi needed.
However, getting a free near-god-tier class set isn't a bad deal.
Xiao Weizhi stood aside, showing no interest in the suddenly appearing equipment and resources.
Lin Xiaoxiao put all five items into her spatial storage, then turned her head and asked, "Weizhi, the next step is the encirclement and annihilation battle. Are you scared?"
The implication is that countless professionals will be eyeing what she has.
Xiao Weizhi waved the staff in his hand at her, his smile confident: "You should ask whether they are afraid."
Lin Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow slightly, and the corners of her mouth slowly curved upwards: "Then, I'll wait and see!"
Soon, a notification appeared on the screen in the sky: indicating that there are ten unbindable spatial rings in the area.
These spatial rings that have been found still emit a unique light that cannot be concealed.
The barrier gradually shrank over time, eventually trapping the remaining 20,000 professionals, along with countless monsters, in a basin of about 1,000 acres with extreme weather.
This place has very little cover; it's just a plain.
For a long time afterward, the professionals and monsters present were locked in an endless battle, like fighting with Gu. The yellow soil on the ground was wet and dry, and its color changed from the initial yellowish-brown to a very fertile dark brown.
Of the more than forty participating countries, only professionals from twenty-three countries remain to compete.
Some countries have survived only because one or two professionals are fighting to the death; once they die, their country's trial will be a complete failure.
The field was divided into six factions: the Free Alliance led by the Great Eagle; the faith stronghold of the Three Kingdoms of Po; the Kingdom of Ruofeng; and the Red Army of the Dragon Kingdom.
These factions gathered most of the professionals together to jointly resist the seemingly endless waves of monster bosses.
However, Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Weizhi did not join any faction and became independent soldiers, wandering around the battlefield, shooting and moving to different places, and firmly occupying the first place in the points ranking.
It's not that no one wants to kill Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Weizhi and plunder their points.
But those professionals who tried to rob them before are probably already dead. After a while, most professionals will choose to avoid these two menacing figures.
Time passed slowly, and the trial was about to end in 36 hours.
The small space ring was already full.
Lin Xiaoxiao absentmindedly picked out low-level resources and threw them out, but in her mind she was thinking: she had been searching for almost a month and still hadn't found where Liu Duoxin and Chen Zhuoran were hiding.
The third skill fragment is still nowhere to be found...
Xiao Weizhi sat next to her and carefully swallowed the last drop of water from the bottle.
Because the plains offered no cover, they dug down more than 20 meters and, through compaction of the earth, built a 24-ton bunker space as a hiding place and resting place.
Xiao Weizhi's lips were dry and chapped, and her voice was very hoarse: "Are you hungry? I still have some compressed biscuits and water here, would you like some?"
Lin Xiaoxiao licked her dry, cracked lower lip with her tongue and gently shook her head: "No rush, we'll eat later."
In the third trial, towards the mid-to-late stages, the dropped resources no longer included daily necessities.
There were all sorts of resources, items, and equipment; those few days were a veritable carnival for professionals.
But soon someone noticed something was wrong. Without food and water, and with all the monster meat being highly poisonous, everyone quickly found themselves in dire straits, running out of both.
Equipment and resources were no longer in demand; instead, food and water became the targets of contention.
After all, if you can't survive, getting the best things is useless.
Xiao Weizhi put his arm around Lin Xiaoxiao's shoulder, adjusted the angle so she could lean on his shoulder: "Then rest for a while, there's another tough battle to fight later."
Lin Xiaoxiao leaned on his shoulder and slowly closed her eyes: "Mmm."
It's definitely a tough battle. We still have one day to find the skill fragments and survive the final Gu battle.
The countdown to the end of the secret realm is 25:33:12.
Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Weizhi had already quietly left the underground space, walking out amidst the stench and swarms of flies.
No one would have guessed that the entrance to Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Weizhi's hiding place was actually at the northernmost point, in the graveyard where the most monster corpses were piled up.
The two stared at the drizzling rain and stealthily crept into the darkness towards the place where the fighting was loudest.
As soon as midnight struck, the weather was updated again.
[Weather Updated at Midnight: Crazy Fog]
After receiving the hint, Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Weizhi exchanged a glance, their expressions very serious. This Crazy Mist didn't sound like a good thing at all.
Lin Xiaoxiao took out a cotton-padded coat from her spatial storage, tore it in half, poured some water on it to wet it, and tied it to her nose. Xiao Weizhi next to her did the same.
The two had just finished tying on their makeshift 'masks'.
Then a deafening roar came from not far away: 'Roar...'
Then came countless roars: 'Ah—', 'ziya--', 'Awooo—'...
Soon, many monster bosses, seemingly driven to madness, located Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Weizhi and launched an attack on them.
Xiao Weizhi first waved his staff, using earth element to erect a fence, then cast several elemental shields around himself and Lin Xiaoxiao, and finally set up five 3-meter-high fiery red magic circles around him to attack the monsters from all angles.
Lin Xiaoxiao stood behind him, drawing experience points from her body to quickly create 100,000 experience coins, which she then projected out.
Amidst the explosions, a series of notification sounds rang out:
[Congratulations to Dragon Kingdom: Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Weizhi for defeating...]
[Congratulations to Dragon Kingdom: Xiao Weizhi and Lin Xiaoxiao for the kill...]
It included a special notification sound:
[Excessive experience drained, level dropped from 231 to 230]
Hearing the notification of level drop again, Lin Xiaoxiao sighed silently, but her hands did not stop. She continued to quickly draw experience points from her body and condense experience coins.
During the two months of the third trial, her level dropped from 232 to 230, and her stored experience points were completely used up. Fortunately, the trial was about to end, otherwise her level would have dropped even further.
An hour later, Xiao Weizhi had 20% mana left, so he picked up Lin Xiaoxiao and started running.
After running a long way and shaking off the relentless monsters chasing after him, he manipulated the earth element to dig a 2m x 2m hole deep underground and hid inside to rest.
Lin Xiaoxiao reached out and stroked Xiao Weizhi's pale cheek, asking with concern, "Weizhi, are you alright?"
Xiao Weizhi, panting heavily, replied in a muffled voice, "It's nothing, Lan will recover after a rest."
After resting for more than two hours, their mana was almost fully restored. The two climbed out again, changed locations, and continued fighting. When they ran out of mana, they dug another hole and hid inside to rest.
After repeated attempts, they had explored almost all the accessible areas of the extreme battlefield, but the last skill fragment remained missing.
The countdown to the end of the secret realm is 4:43:52.
The professional players from various countries, driven mad by their killing spree, have fallen into a state of indiscriminate slaughter, killing anyone they see in order to continue accumulating massive amounts of points.
They not only hunt monsters, but also slaughter their allies.
The rankings on the leaderboard are changing rapidly. Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Weizhi not only have to fight desperately to kill monsters, but also have to work hard to find skill fragments.
People from all over the world watched the chaotic battle live and silently cheered for their own professionals, praying that they would survive this ordeal.
The countdown to the end of the secret realm is 2:19:33.
Xiao Weizhi had given up hunting monsters and was only carrying Lin Xiaoxiao around the battlefield, hoping to find the skill fragments she needed before the secret realm ended.
Lin Xiaoxiao's brows furrowed slightly, a faint light flickered in her eyes, and her gaze kept wandering back and forth, searching.
The countdown to the end of the secret realm is 0:34:20.
Lin Xiaoxiao was so anxious that she was covered in cold sweat, unable to find the skill fragment no matter what she did. If she missed this opportunity, those people would definitely hide the last skill fragment very well.
Xiao Weizhi's breathing was rapid and her voice was hoarse: "Don't worry, there's still time, we'll find it."
Lin Xiaoxiao's voice was hoarse: "Mmm."
There's still half an hour left; it's not the last minute yet. It's too early to give up now.
When her gaze inadvertently swept over a corner on the right, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, followed by astonishment.
The reason is that this skill fragment was hidden in the heart of a female professional wearing a blue-green robe.
If you want to get this skill fragment, you either have to kill that professional.
Another option is to either give up.
Lin Xiaoxiao buried her head in Xiao Weizhi's shoulder and gave a self-deprecating laugh: "You bastard, you're really ruthless."
This group has truly seized her lifeline. She can't bring herself to torture and kill an innocent woman for a skill fragment; moreover, if she were to innocently kill an ordinary person, her future would be bleak.
Lin Xiaoxiao was able to act swiftly and decisively before because those people attacked her first, so her counterattack was perfectly reasonable.
Xiao Weizhi sensed Lin Xiaoxiao's predicament and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Lin Xiaoxiao answered in a muffled voice: "The skill fragment is stored in the heart of a female professional."
She didn't need to say anything more; Xiao Weizhi understood immediately. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he said calmly, "I'll handle it."
Lin Xiaoxiao first considered the feasibility of the matter, then thought of the live broadcast being watched from above, and said with a headache, "Let me think about it again."
Only she is one of her people, and that group of people probably all know that.
Once he takes action and it's recorded, they might use it as an excuse to prevent her from taking over [the management and enforcement power of the divine favored city].
On one hand, there's the skill; on the other, the power to enforce the law; and... Lin Xiaoxiao pondered and weighed the options in her mind, wondering whether she should take action.
The countdown to the end of the secret realm is 0:4:29.
Xiao Weizhi, with Lin Xiaoxiao by his side, crouched not far from the female professional.
We await Lin Xiaoxiao's decision. As soon as she speaks, the skill she has been preparing will pierce the heart of that professional.
While Lin Xiaoxiao was still struggling with her decision, a dispute broke out in the female professional's team. They fought and argued, barely able to stop the monster in front of them.
Xiao Weizhi glanced up at the countdown that was about to reach zero, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. The index finger of his left hand, hidden under his robe, twitched slightly, the fingertip emitting a faint glow.
A small mud brick is about to form beneath the feet of that female professional; with just a slight trip, the skill fragment will be hers.
Lin Xiaoxiao reached out and stopped him from moving, her smile showing a sense of relief and understanding: "Never mind, Weizhi."
Since they're using fragments to lure her into this situation, there will definitely be opportunities to encounter them again in the future.
As long as those people still want her dead, they will always find a chance to retrieve that skill fragment.
Just 50 seconds before the secret realm officially ended, the female professional was stabbed in the heart by her teammate. Before she breathed her last, her eyes widened in disbelief, as if she couldn't believe that her friend of so many years would actually turn on her for points.
A beam of light shot from the female professional's heart toward Lin Xiaoxiao:
Congratulations on obtaining: Endless Treasure Vault Skill Fragment [3/3]
[Skill synthesis in progress: 1%, 2%, 3%... 100%]
Congratulations on acquiring the new skill: Endless Treasure Vault (Legendary)
【Endless Treasure Vault (Legendary): As a treasure vault where treasure chest merchants throughout the ages stored their precious items, no one knows how large it truly is or how many treasures it contains. It is an otherworldly treasure vault that everyone dreams of…】
"I'm ninth, I'm ninth, hahahahaha, I'm ninth in points!" The man who killed the female professional had his face still covered in the blood of his teammate, his smile was crazy and excited.
The next second, a 50-centimeter-wide heavy sword cleaved the man in two: "Oh? Didn't your mother teach you not to open champagne halfway through the game? I'm ninth now, thanks for your support."
The Trial of Prodigies has officially ended.
As the notification sound indicating the end of the trial appeared, the professionals and the monsters were separated by invisible light screens.
The energy chains on the wrists of the professionals snapped silently, and the energy chains around the necks of the monster bosses shattered into specks of light...
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The author adds: There are many factors at play in Xiaoxiao's decision not to take action.
The first point is: I can't bear it.
The second point is: you cannot attack ordinary people unless they attack first (the same applies to those favored by the gods)...
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