194: Chapter 194 Now I'm going to start taking attendance!

Lu Cheng's voice was not loud.

Yet this lighthearted sentence felt like an invisible hand gripping the throat of the entire Central Arena.

The entire venue was terrifyingly quiet.

The bullet comments that had been scrolling frantically just a moment ago paused for an instant.

Everyone stared at the Eagle Country cyborg who had already slid off the edge of the ring.

He was one of the strongest of the new generation in the Eagle Country's Southern District.

He had spent his childhood in the mercenary districts, began taking on grey-area missions at twelve, completed his first hunt in the wilderness zone at fourteen, and underwent deep-sea beast gene modification at sixteen.

According to his profile, he had a record of killing a Hua Hai Realm mid-stage beast.

His tentacles, regenerative abilities, constriction control, and neurotoxin secretion were all weapons born for close-quarters entanglement and killing.

But... one punch.

Just one punch.

The entire person had been smashed out of the ring by Lu Cheng.

"I have to ask, what was that?"

Sister Bai sat at the commentary desk, her lips slightly parted.

Given her professional expertise, she should have immediately provided commentary and analysis.

But that punch just now left one truly at a loss for words.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady her voice.

"Competitor Lu Cheng's first match defending the ring..."

"Time elapsed: less than one second."

"Eagle Country competitor Francis Moore was knocked directly out of the ring."

"Currently, competitor Lu Cheng has successfully defended the ring and earned two points."

"The Eagle Country team has had one point deducted..."

Less than one second.

These words displayed on the big screen made the expressions of those in the Eagle Country representative area look quite unpleasant.

Eagle Country representative area.

Adam took another cigarette from his pocket.

He lit it.

A pale blue cold flame ignited at the tip.

He took a drag, and the smoke slowly dispersed through his mechanized respiratory structure.

"Right now, surely no one is willing to step up."

His voice was very low, but the few people in the Eagle Country representative area heard him.

No one spoke.

After Francis was blown away by a single punch, there was no point in anyone else going up.

It was basically handing over points...

Adam looked at Lu Cheng in the center of the ring.

The Dragon Nation youth stood there, hands in his pockets, with no expression on his face, even carrying a hint of lazy annoyance.

Yet the more he saw this, the more Adam felt an indescribable irritability in his chest.

Adam took the cigarette away from his lips.

"Since that's the case, I'll go."

Eve turned her head sharply.

"Adam."

Adam did not look at her.

"I know what you want to say."

"But you saw it too."

He held the cigarette between his fingertips, his grey eyes devoid of any warmth.

"If we keep observing, the Eagle Country team will just be sitting here watching him call names one by one."

"Rather than being picked by him, I might as well go up myself."

Eve remained silent; she did not try to persuade him again.

Because she knew what Adam said was right.

After Lu Cheng began defending the ring, the situation had changed.

If no one could suppress him, everyone's right to challenge would become a tool for him to farm points.

Adam looked down at the remaining cigarette butt between his fingers.

The next second, he used his thumb to crush the butt into ashes.

The pale blue cold flame extinguished on his fingertip.

He stood up and walked toward the ring.

With every step he took, a faint clicking sound came from the mechanical structures within his body.

More deep-seated devices inside him were disengaging their limiters.

Adam Gray!

The strongest representative of the Eagle Country's new generation.

He was not merely a mechanical modifier.

Nor was he merely a genetic modifier.

He was a combination of machine and demon.

The Eagle Country laboratory had once implanted parts of the contaminated demon's factors, human martial artist source pulse samples, ruins remains fragments, and high-level mechanical nervous systems all into his body.

Under normal circumstances, he would only release a portion of his power.

Because the cost of activating his full state was immense.

The demon factors would corrode his body.

The mechanical nerves would overload.

The source pulse would suffer tearing.

But precisely because of the existence of the mechanical system, he could maintain this state for a longer time than other test subjects.

What Hua Hai Realm high-stage?

If his full state was activated, even if facing a real War General Realm, he could trade blows.

It was just that... there would be some loss.

Adam walked onto the ring.

The venue fell silent again.

Sister Bai looked at the data, her tone suddenly becoming serious.

"Eagle Country team core competitor, Adam Gray, chooses to challenge Lu Cheng's ring defense."

"Adam Gray, Hua Hai Realm early-stage, representative figure of the Eagle Country's biochemical modification system, possesses a record of killing Hua Hai Realm high-stage monsters."

"This is the first truly core-level duel since the start of the challenge tournament."

Lu Cheng looked at Adam as he stepped onto the platform, his eyebrows raised slightly.

"You've finally arrived; I thought you were still waiting for your teammates to make a move..."

Adam stood still, his grey pupils staring at Lu Cheng.

"Let me see."

"Just how terrifying is the target that even Eve told me not to provoke."

Lu Cheng glanced at Eve below the stage.

Eve's expression was cold, and the data stream in her pale gold pupils had almost never stopped.

Adam lowered his head.

The next second.

His back suddenly split open, and his combat suit and subcutaneous mechanical structures unfolded simultaneously.

A silver-grey mechanical spine emerged from his back, and a dozen fine metal neural conduits lit up with a ghostly blue light.

Black and red demon-like patterns appeared on the surface of his left arm, and it looked like something living was squirming under his skin.

His right arm fully unfolded mechanically, his knuckles elongated, and the source energy core in his palm lit up.

At his chest, a half-mechanical, half-flesh core began to beat violently.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Each beat made the air on the ring grow heavier by a fraction.

Adam lifted his head.

A ring of dark red light appeared in his grey pupils.

"Full state liberation."

"Demon mechanization."

Boom!

A terrifying aura exploded from within his body.

The energy barrier at the edge of the ring was shaken into ripples.

Many people in the audience subconsciously held their breath.

That feeling was too uncomfortable.

It was like seeing something that should never have been created.

The ground beneath Adam's feet shattered, and his entire body surged forward instantly.

His speed was much faster than Francis's.

He exploded with power right from the start.

No probing, no holding back!

Because his biological instincts told him that the person in front of him was extremely dangerous.

He had to suppress him immediately.

Otherwise, there would be no chance.

Lu Cheng watched Adam charging toward him and sighed lightly.

He didn't know how many viewers there were now.

Global broadcast.

Countless lenses.

With the support of audience donations, if he used even a little bit of force, he might kill someone.

Yet this guy opened his full state right away; it was truly troublesome.

Adam closed in almost instantly.

His mechanical right arm carried a piercing high-frequency vibration, while his demonized left claw reached for Lu Cheng's neck from another angle.

A dual attack.

One side to break defense.

The other to tear flesh.

Furthermore, the core in his chest was still accumulating source energy, clearly preparing to unleash a third burst the moment he got close.

Lu Cheng raised his hand.

He clenched his five fingers into a fist.

He did not activate the Holy Dragon Armament.

No Flame Demon Transformation.

He didn't even take a step back.

Just at the moment Adam rushed in front of him, he lightly threw a punch forward.

This punch looked very slow.

At least in the eyes of the audience, it was.

But in Adam's eyes, it was completely the opposite.

The moment he saw that fist appear, all the data before his eyes turned red.

[Danger]

[Danger]

[Danger]

His biological survival instinct instantly overrode all combat commands.

Dodge.

Quickly dodge.

But it was too late.

Lu Cheng's fist had already reached his face.

In that instant, many images suddenly flashed before Adam's eyes.

The damp and foul-smelling underground pipes in the slums.

Half a piece of moldy bread snatched in winter.

The blinding white light of the black market laboratory.

Over a hundred children locked in the same training ground, killing each other.

Only those who survived could be selected.

He had killed people.

He had also had his flesh torn off by others.

He was pressed into a gene modification pod, had demon factors implanted, and had parts of his nerves replaced by a mechanical spine.

Every time he woke up, a batch of people had died.

He had killed his way out from hundreds of people.

He became the Eagle Country's new generation number one.

He thought he was finally going to start enjoying life.

Money.

Status.

Women.

Fame.

The things he dared not even dream of in the slums seemed to be within his reach.

And yet now...

He hadn't even lost his virginity, yet he was going to die?

I haven't enjoyed myself properly yet...

The next second.

The fist landed.

Bang!

The sound was not loud.

Yet it felt like a heavy hammer smashing into everyone's heart.

The mechanical mask on Adam's face instantly caved in, and his whole body was like being hit head-on by a mountain.

The black and red patterns on his demonized left arm extinguished on the spot.

The high-frequency blade of his mechanical right arm snapped directly.

The source energy that had just condensed in his chest core hadn't even been released before it was forced to flow back by the impact of this punch.

Boom!

Adam flew backward, faster and further than Francis.

He crossed the entire ring and slammed heavily into the energy barrier.

The barrier vibrated violently.

Ripple after ripple spread out.

Subsequently, he slid off the barrier and crashed into the medical buffer zone outside the arena.

The entire venue was deathly silent.

Lu Cheng stood in place and slowly retracted his fist.

He looked at his hand.

Hmm.

The control was decent; at least he didn't kill him.

Can't be helped, the action of force is mutual; that guy was weaker than Adam, so he received less damage than Adam.

The referee was silent for a full two seconds.

Then he announced:

"Adam Gray, out of bounds."

"Dragon Nation's Lu Cheng, ring defense successful."

The big screen score jumped again.

[Lu Cheng ring defense successful: +2]

Another punch...

The entire venue was stunned into speechlessness...

The few people from Northern Europe looked at each other; Reinhardt felt fortunate that he hadn't provoked Lu Cheng just now...

This guy... is a monster...

I'm afraid only a god descending to earth could possibly take him down...

"This Lu Cheng..."

someone's voice trembled.

"Just how strong is he?"

Sister Bai looked at Lu Cheng in the arena and said,

"Competitor Lu Cheng..."

"Has once again defeated the Eagle Country core competitor Adam Gray with one punch."

"Currently, he has defended the ring twice, with two wins."

"Time elapsed..."

She looked down at the backstage data.

"Total: less than three seconds."

Just at this moment, behind the Eagle Country delegation in the audience, a middle-aged white man stood up.

He was wearing a dark blue formal suit, with the Eagle Country delegation badge pinned to his chest, and the aura emanating from his body far exceeded that of an ordinary instructor.

War King level.

Stellan Porter.

One of the accompanying powerhouses of the Eagle Country's delegation this time.

His expression was gloomy; he looked directly at the chief referee's desk and then toward the Dragon Nation representative area.

"I have an objection."

His voice spread throughout the venue via the delegation's amplification array.

"Is the Dragon Nation bullying people?"

"Taking a War General Realm and disguising him as a student to fool everyone?"

The scene was in an instant uproar.

War General?

Once this word came out, everyone's gaze focused on Lu Cheng.

Indeed.

One punch to blow away Francis.

One punch to blow away Adam.

This performance didn't look like the Meridian Opening Realm at all.

In the Dragon Nation representative area, Academic Director Zhao Mingshan's expression instantly darkened.

"Mr. Porter, you must have evidence when you speak."

Stellan Porter sneered.

"Evidence?"

"No matter how weak Adam is, he is still the number one of our Eagle Country's new generation."

"After full state liberation, he can trade blows with the War General Realm briefly."

"Now he's been blown away by a so-called Meridian Opening Realm from your Dragon Nation with one punch."

"You want me to believe he is a student?"

"At least put on a more convincing act, right?"

The atmosphere in the venue suddenly became tense.

The three War King referees also looked over.

Just then, Shen Guhong stood up.

He was still wearing a blindfold, his blind cane tapping the ground lightly.

One step.

Two steps.

He walked up to Stellan Porter.

Even though his eyes couldn't see, that sense of oppression made Stellan's expression change slightly.

Shen Guhong's tone was calm.

"Lu Cheng is indeed in the Meridian Opening Realm."

"And he is only eighteen years old this year."

He paused here, as if remembering something.

"Oh, that's not right."

"His birthday hasn't passed yet."

"Strictly speaking, he might only be seventeen."

The whole audience: "..."

Stellan was also stunned for a moment.

Seventeen?

Do you guys in the Dragon Nation not even draft your fake profiles?

No matter how weak Adam is, he is still the number one of the new generation.

No matter how strong Lu Cheng is, it's impossible for a seventeen-year-old in the Meridian Opening Realm to one-shot someone with a punch, right?

This isn't a question of being a genius or not.

This is a question of common sense.

Stellan's expression was ugly.

"Mr. Shen, do you think anyone will believe such words?"

Shen Guhong said indifferently:

"Whether you believe it or not is not important."

Beside him, Academic Director Zhao Mingshan quickly submitted Lu Cheng's age records, student status information, realm test reports, and recent battle records to the referee's desk and various delegations for review via the official system.

Of course, content involving the system and some core abilities was hidden.

But the basic information was very clear.

Lu Cheng.

Dragon Nation citizen.

Age: seventeen.

Navigator Academy freshman.

Current realm registration: Meridian Opening Realm.

There were records from his kindergarten to No. 3 High School, and finally at Navigator Academy; as long as one checked a little, it could be found.

Stellan looked at this data, his expression becoming increasingly ugly.

He was unwilling to accept it.

But he also knew that the Dragon Nation had no need to weave a lie that could be poked through with a single finger regarding such a matter.

Age could be checked, student status could be checked, and realm tests could be re-verified by three parties.

If the Dragon Nation really used a War General to impersonate a student, then this exchange tournament wouldn't need to continue at all; the Dragon Nation itself would be questioned by the whole world.

Stellan looked at Lu Cheng in the center of the ring, and an absurd thought suddenly popped into his mind.

If you say it like this, who would believe it?

The three referees quickly completed cross-verification.

Song Qingyue said:

"After review, Dragon Nation competitor Lu Cheng's eligibility to participate is correct."

"Age, student status, and realm registration all comply with the rules of this exchange tournament."

He Beichuan added:

"If any delegation continues to raise objections, they may apply for a joint review after the match."

"But before the review results appear, the match continues."

Andrew looked at Stellan and nodded, indicating that the data was not a problem, having communicated with the God's Eye detection.

Stellan's expression was gloomy, but he did not speak again.

...

On the ring.

Lu Cheng looked at the various delegations off the stage and waited for a few seconds.

No one moved.

He smiled.

"What?"

"Are none of you coming up?"

The whole audience did not respond.

The outcome for Francis and Adam just now was still there.

Who would dare to be the first to go up?

Lu Cheng raised his hand and rubbed his neck.

"Fine."

"Since you guys aren't coming up..."

He looked toward the representative areas in all four directions, his tone as relaxed as if he were ordering a meal.

"Then I'm going to start calling names~"