71: Chapter 71 The Victory Method of Mediocrity

Qi Refining Realm Ninth Stage, killing three Tiangang Realm First Stage Martial Artists in one strike.

This completely overturned Ding Run's understanding.

He, too, had a track record of fighting above his level, but this was crossing an entire major Realm.

Moreover, who among those able to enter this place did not possess the ability to fight above their level?

How was it that in the hands of this newcomer, it was as if those surrounding him were merely small fry, dispatched with a casual wave of the hand...

By such a comparison, since his own strength was inferior to those three, didn't that make him less than even small fry?

In an instant, an unprecedented sense of fear and intense frustration surged from the bottom of Ding Run's heart.

This feeling was several times more intense than the frustration he felt back when he took second place in the Martial Arts Exam, yet trailed the first-place winner by nearly thirty points.

At this moment, Ding Run shattered his own filter of being a Genius completely.

"Still not coming out?"

Suddenly, the black god bracelet in Chen Moxuan's hand flashed with light, instantly transforming into a pitch-black spear.

The spear tip gleamed with a cold light, pointed directly at Ding Run's hiding spot, and it looked as if it were about to be thrown.

"Wait, wait! Big Boss, spare my life!"

Seeing this, Ding Run no longer cared about his dignity; he instantly bolted from his hiding spot, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Reason?" Chen Moxuan's tone was cold, the spear tip still steadily locked onto Ding Run's throat.

At this critical moment, Ding Run's brain worked at top speed as he said urgently:

"Big Boss, if I'm not mistaken, you just arrived at the Secret Realm, right?

Although some surface-level rules can be checked and known directly, there are still many unwritten rules inside that require spending time to figure out on your own.

I can tell you all of these and save you the effort of exploring. Also..."

"Fine."

Before Ding Run could finish speaking, the spear in Chen Moxuan's hand was already withdrawn, transforming back into a bracelet.

Through the analysis of [All-Things Calculation] and his own perception, he already knew that Ding Run had completely lost his Battle Intent.

Not to mention that the other party intended to proactively share some intelligence with him.

Facing someone with absolutely no Battle Intent, and having no grudges, it would be quite boring to make a move.

Chen Moxuan's straightforward attitude caught Ding Run off guard.

He had originally racked his brains to construct many arguments, thinking about how to persuade the other party to spare his life, but now all of that was useless.

This was a kill count; did he really just give it up like that?

If it were Ding Run who could easily manipulate others, even if the other party pleaded eloquently, he would strike without hesitation.

Impulsively, Ding Run couldn't help but ask: "Big Boss, when you first entered this Secret Realm, didn't you receive an explanation about the Secret Realm rules?"

"I did." Chen Moxuan nodded slightly in response.

When he first entered this Spirit Gathering Secret Realm, a clear message instantly appeared in his mind, explaining the rules and terrain distribution of the Secret Realm in detail.

With a turn of thought, Chen Moxuan silently recited: "Check score."

In an instant, a series of information appeared before his eyes like an illusion:

[Current Score: 190]

[Current Ranking: 723rd]

[Kill Count: 3]

[Score Details]

[Killed Xiao Dian at Luanshi Slope, obtained 80 points]

[Killed Ma Xuanguan at Luanshi Slope, obtained 60 points]

[Killed Ou Qing at Luanshi Slope, obtained 50 points]

[Currently at Luanshi Slope, upon leaving can settle 3X100X1.3, totaling 390 points]

Looking at this information, and recalling the Secret Realm rules that appeared in his mind earlier, Chen Moxuan instantly grasped the scoring mechanism of Luanshi Slope.

The points obtained from taking down opponents were not much; what was truly valuable was the Kill Count.

Each Kill Count was equivalent to 100 points, and the more kills one had, the higher the subsequent bonus coefficient would be.

If one could achieve ten kills, the returns would nearly double; with twenty kills, the returns could reach three times, and so on.

"So, Big Boss, you just let me go so easily?

You know, one Kill Count can bring a return of one hundred points, and it can also increase the bonus ratio for subsequent returns."

Ding Run's face was full of confusion, his words filled with bewilderment,

"Does Big Boss not want to compete for the top one hundred?"

At this moment, Ding Run himself didn't even know what he was saying.

Rationally, he naturally hoped that the other party would raise their hand high and spare him, but seeing the other party so easily give up the Opportunity to kill him...

An inexplicable sense of doubt quietly sprouted in the bottom of his heart.

Everyone who came here wanted to compete for that top one hundred, to compete for the precious qualification to soak in the Spirit Gathering Pool and enter the next stage of Project Starfall.

Taking Ding Run himself as an example, in the past, he was also a proud and arrogant person, but in order to get more of those points, he was willing to lower his status and hide here to engage in the business of lurking and ambushing.

One hundred points would be enough to advance him many places in the rankings, let alone for a newcomer who had just arrived at the Secret Realm.

However, Chen Moxuan looked puzzled by this, his tone full of "it goes without saying" as he retorted:

"Is there any conflict between competing for the top one hundred and letting you go?"

Hearing this, Ding Run was first stunned, the expression on his face as if frozen, and he stood dumbfounded on the spot.

But only for a moment, as if struck by some emotion, he immediately felt relieved, and a self-deprecating smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

In that smile, there was a bit of helplessness, and also a trace of mockery for his own narrow-minded thoughts.

Unexpectedly, after only one day, his own thoughts had actually become identical to those mediocre people he once looked down upon from the bottom of his heart.

Yeah, just because he lacked these points, did that mean he couldn't compete for the top one hundred?

The unwavering self-confidence of the Big Boss in front of him was the Heart-Nature a true peerless Genius should have.

Looking at himself, he had only entered this Secret Realm for one day, yet he had witnessed the cruel reality that "there are mountains beyond mountains, and people beyond people."

Unknowingly, he had cast aside the concept of striving for the lead in the Dao of Martial Arts that he once upheld.

Psychologically, he had already accepted that his skills were inferior to others, even resigning himself to degradation, thinking of coming to this Luanshi Slope to find another way through the means of lurking and ambushing.

It was truly shameful.

Ding Run's heart was full of bitterness; he had to admit that he truly could not be considered a real Genius.

But that top one hundred, I must compete for it and show you all!

Mediocre talents also have their own way of victory.

To compete for the top one hundred, one doesn't necessarily have to improve oneself; one can also choose to drag everyone ranked ahead down.

A determined light flashed in Ding Run's eyes, and an idea he previously dared not implement emerged from his mind.

"Big Boss sparing me is like saving my life. To be honest, by chance, I obtained an item in the Secret Realm that might be able to exert its maximum effect in the hands of Big Boss."

Ding Run flipped his palm, and in the center of his palm, an exquisitely detailed miniature arena quietly appeared.

Chen Moxuan stared at the miniature arena in his hand, and in an instant, some relevant information, like agile streams of light, appeared before his eyes:

[Custom Arena]

[Function: Can independently form a special area, within which the rules are entirely defined by the Arena Master. Challengers must step onto the arena and engage in a duel with the Arena Master according to the established rules; the winner can obtain all of the other party's points]

[Note: Once this arena is used, its specific location will be immediately announced to everyone currently in the area]