121: Chapter 121 Testing the Rules

As the first batch of Contestants rushed the tower, several teams split up and headed toward the four First Layer Golden Thrones.

Everyone's gaze was tightly focused ahead, the whole arena holding its breath, waiting for the Throne mechanics to be revealed.

No one knew what the unknown rules actually were. At this moment, the four floating Golden Thrones were like four unknown Shura blind boxes, waiting for everyone to open them.

The first to step into the Throne domain was the agility-based team heading for Throne No. 1.

The team consisted entirely of martial artists skilled in movement techniques, kiting, and high-speed charges, relying on extreme movement speed to dominate the battlefield. But the moment they stepped into the domain, an invisible power of restriction instantly enveloped their entire bodies.

Hum—

A dull sense of suppression swept over them; everyone felt their feet grow heavy, and the lightness of their movement techniques completely vanished.

Their originally fluid steps and dodging movements became stiff and sluggish, each step feeling like they were stuck deep in mud.

Their expressions changed drastically. They hurriedly activated movement secret techniques and shoe movement speed effects, but all movement-related passives and equipment bonuses completely failed, as if they had never possessed them at all.

［First Layer Throne No. 1 Rule — Movement Speed Seal］

［All movement-related passives, equipment, and skill movement speed effects are disabled; base movement speed for all is reduced by 80%］

In a fleeting instant, the group of agile martial artists skilled in kiting completely turned into clumsy, living targets.

Almost at the same time, a change occurred simultaneously in the Throne No. 2 domain.

A fully armed team, clad in high-tier epic armor and wielding top-grade weapons, had just steadied themselves when the radiant glow of all their equipment instantly faded.

The defensive shields, damage amplification, critical hit effects, and resistance bonuses bestowed upon them were all wiped out.

The top-grade weapons in their hands, the top-tier armor on their bodies, and the epic accessories they wore were left with only their shiny appearance models, devoid of any actual attributes.

They gripped their weapons in shock, only to discover that the equipment they relied on for survival and damage output had completely become mere decorations.

［First Layer Throne No. 2 Rule — Equipment Seal］

［All attributes and effects of weapons, armor, and accessories are wiped out, leaving only the appearance models; Contestants can only rely on unarmed attacks and their own skills to fight］

Accustomed to equipment bonuses, their combat power was instantly cut in half. With only their basic physical bodies and origin skills remaining, their confidence completely crumbled.

Following closely, the terrifying rule of Throne No. 3 made everyone in the arena shudder once again.

Another all-around team with balanced offense and defense stepped into the domain. Before they could react, their physical and magical defense values were forcibly rewritten by an invisible force.

All their physical and magical defenses were directly forced to zero, with no damage reduction or resistance negation.

The ten Golden Imperial Guards that spawned on the throne raised their hands to strike. The unremarkable attack landed, but it dealt full damage, instantly causing large sprays of blood to burst forth, and several Contestants were instantly severely injured and vomited blood.

［First Layer Throne No. 3 Rule — Defense Zeroed］

［Physical and magical defenses for all Contestants and Throne monsters are forced to zero; all attacks cannot be mitigated and will deal full true damage］

Zero defense, no mitigation!

Once hit by an attack, it was solid, full damage. The margin for error was compressed to the extreme, making it incredibly dangerous.

The last one, Throne No. 4, had rules that were equally sinister.

After a team focused on physical burst and melee assault entered, their full-force slashes, thrusts, and combo skills saw their power plummet by 80%.

Their overwhelming burst power vanished completely, and their sharp physical attacks became soft and powerless.

Whether it was basic attacks or high-tier physical combat skills, everything was suppressed to the extreme; only spell skills and status ailment damage could take effect normally.

［First Layer Throne No. 4 Rule — Attack Restriction］

［All physical attacks and physical skill damage are reduced by 80%; only spell and status ailment damage can take effect normally］

In just a few short moments!

The four major rules of the four First Layer Thrones were all exposed before the eyes of countless people!

Movement Speed Seal, Equipment Seal, Defense Zeroed, Attack Restriction!

Four completely different ultimate suppressions, each locking down the four mainstream playstyles: agility-based, equipment-based, defense-based, and physical-based.

The Contestants watching from the sidelines felt their scalps tingle, and any lingering hope in their hearts completely vanished.

No wonder the system let everyone explore on their own!

This is no easy-point Throne; it's clearly a highly targeted, desperate cage!

...

Inside the Throne domain, the danger had only just begun.

As the domain fully expanded, ten Golden Imperial Guards clad in heavy golden armor spawned simultaneously on each First Layer Throne.

Their golden armor shimmered with light, their spear blades were icy and cold, and their emotionless, frigid pupils locked onto all intruders within the domain, a murderous aura rushing toward them.

Without any hesitation, the ten Golden Imperial Guards stepped forward in unison, fiercely surrounding and attacking the Contestants in the arena.

The few teams that had stepped into the Thrones, even though they were heavily suppressed by the rules, refused to give up easily when looking at the massive point opportunities right before their eyes.

Everyone gritted their teeth to steady their minds, combined their remaining combat power, formed formations, and fought to the death.

The agility team at Throne No. 1 abandoned kiting and stood their ground to output damage;

The team at Throne No. 2 relied on their own skills and fought to the death unarmed;

The group at Throne No. 3 avoided damage to the extreme, not daring to make even the slightest mistake;

The spell-casting members at Throne No. 4 struck with all their might to compensate for the lack of physical output.

Everyone at Throne No. 3 gave it their all, consuming countless stamina and mana points. Fortunately, their offensive capabilities were not restricted in any way. After a grueling battle, they finally joined forces to crush one of the Golden Imperial Guards!

Watching the golden-armored body collapse with a boom, everyone in the arena instantly breathed a sigh of relief, a glimmer of hope rising in their hearts.

But the next second!

Brilliant golden light burst from the remains, the scattered armor fragments instantly reassembled, and the fallen Golden Imperial Guard stood up in an instant, its health, combat power, and state fully restored, as if it had never sustained any injuries!

Everyone's pupils constricted, their faces full of disbelief.

"It revived?!"

"How is that possible! We clearly killed it completely!"

No one accepted this result; everyone gritted their teeth, focused their fire again, and poured all their strength into killing this Golden Imperial Guard a second time.

But the outcome remained unchanged.

A flash of golden light, and it revived instantly!

Once is an accident, twice is an iron rule!

All the Contestants in the arena instantly felt a chill run through their bodies, and a sense of extreme despair swept over them.

"Could it be... that these monsters simply cannot be killed?"

"Infinite resurrection? How are we supposed to guard the Throne and farm points with this?!"

After several repeated exchanges and probes, everyone finally figured out this most unsolvable core mechanism—

The First Layer Golden Imperial Guards are immortal within the domain; killing them results in an instant full-health recovery, and they cannot be completely wiped out!

Trying to kill them by force is a complete waste of effort!

After the intense despair, the smart ones in the arena quickly calmed down and instantly adjusted their tactics.

Since they can't be killed, then don't kill them!

Everyone immediately gave up on dealing damage to kill, turning instead to using crowd control skills like immobilization, binding, freezing, and pulling with all their might.

One crowd control effect after another landed, tightly locking down the surrounding Golden Imperial Guards, pinning them in place.

As long as they could stall the monsters and avoid being continuously entangled and attacked, they could barely hold their positions, defend the Throne domain, and continue harvesting points.

Just as everyone on the First Layer was struggling to control the monsters and barely maintaining a stalemate, a few extremely greedy, far-sighted top experts couldn't hold back their impulses and wanted to skip levels to snatch an advantage.

They knew full well that the lower-level Thrones offered fewer points and had immense competition; the higher-level Thrones must surely offer much richer rewards.

Taking advantage of the chaotic battle on the lower level and the fact that everyone was too busy to notice, several figures suddenly soared into the air, stepping on void stairs, attempting to forcibly rush up to the Second Layer Throne!

But just as their feet were about to touch the edge of the Second Layer Throne!