43: Challenge Mode

On the second floor, more and more students gathered around Simulation Room No. 9.

"How many stars of Xuan Gang Realm Fierce Beasts do you think Lu Yuan can defeat?"

"Two stars, three stars at most. After all, Lu Yuan just broke through to the Xuan Gang Realm, and defeating a Profound Gang Realm Three-Star Fierce Beast would be amazing."

"Speaking of which, I've never seen a Puppet Master fight before. Today, I'm in luck."

The students watched Lu Yuan's every move.

Walking into the Simulation Room, Lu Yuan realized it was bigger than he had imagined.

The Simulation Room looked to be about a hundred square meters from the outside, but inside it was actually five or six hundred square meters.

"A Spirit Tool related to space?" Lu Yuan guessed boldly.

And it must be High-grade or above!

Only Spirit Tools related to space could compress or expand space.

The Simulation Room was empty, with only a Liquid Crystal Screen embedded in the wall.

By controlling the screen, one could simulate Xuan Gang Realm Fierce Beasts of different levels.

In addition, there was a Challenge Mode, where the system would simulate a large number of Xuan Gang Realm Peak Fierce Beasts within 30 minutes.

Rankings would then be determined based on the number of Fierce Beasts killed.

Without hesitation, Lu Yuan decisively activated the Challenge Mode!

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

A piercing alarm sounded.

[Challenge Mode activated. Countdown: 10, 9, 8...]

"Why did Lu Yuan activate the Challenge Mode?!"

The Onlookers outside the Simulation Room were puzzled, and Fu Mingcheng, who was recovering his spiritual power by absorbing demon crystals, frowned.

Was it too reckless for Lu Yuan to start the Challenge Mode right after breaking through to the Xuan Gang Realm?

Don't think that simulating a fight with a Fierce Beast is without danger; there are still risks.

Of course, this doesn't refer to the physical body, but the spiritual level!

The simulated Fierce Beasts are not much different from real ones. If the strength gap is too large and one is instantly killed, the intense visual impact can cause fright in minor cases, and mental breakdown in severe cases!

"Did he click the wrong button? Brother Yuan is simulating for the first time," said Xu Ruicheng.

"Impossible. Challenge Mode gives three warnings. Could he click wrong once, let alone three times?"

Someone retorted.

"Lu Yuan will probably fail the challenge soon," said a Sophomore Senior Student.

As the national first place in the martial examination, Lu Yuan's psychological endurance should be fine; he shouldn't be scared into a mental breakdown.

But thinking about Lu Yuan making a fool of himself soon, the Onlookers showed expressions of anticipation.

Roar—

The countdown ended, and Challenge Mode officially began!

A beast roar was deafening. Lu Yuan looked at the simulated Xuan Gang Realm Peak Two-Headed Demonic Wolf in front of him.

The two wolf heads bared their fangs, sharpening their claws, ready to strike!

Lu Yuan remembered his teacher's words.

"Copper Head, Iron Bones, Tofu Waist—the waist is the fatal weakness of most wolf-mutated Fierce Beasts!"

Swish—

The storage ring flashed with an imperceptible light, and dark red long lines danced in the air.

Lu Yuan summoned the seven great calamities and all the Puppet Corps without holding back!

Blood Butcher, Feng Shi, Iron Devourer, Rotten Scab, Scarlet Skeleton... The seven great calamities wielded their weapons, with Blood Butcher taking the lead and charging toward the Two-Headed Demonic Wolf!

Thousands of Void-Splitting Soldiers flapped their wings and cast Wind Blades under the leadership of Feng Shi. Thousands of Ten Thousand Bone Soldiers riding Skeleton Warhorses drew their bows and nocked arrows, the bone arrows emitting a dense Demon Attribute aura!

There were also the Heavens Punishment Legion, the Golden Spear Legion, the Star Swallowing Legion... The crowd outside the Simulation Room: "???"

"Can Lu Yuan control so many monsters simultaneously? There must be three or four thousand of them inside!"

"That's outrageous. I am a Dark Attribute Practitioner, and at Xuan Gang Realm Six-Star, I can only summon five hundred Skeleton Heavy Cavalry. Lu Yuan summoned six or seven times that number!"

"Is this the way a Puppet Master fights? Just gang up on the Xuan Gang Realm Peak Two-Headed Demonic Wolf and beat it to death!"

There were no fancy Spirit Skills; the Blood Slaughter Soldiers simply chopped the Two-Headed Demonic Wolf until it vanished!

A solo fight?

Doesn't exist!

Why fight solo when you can gang up?

As the Two-Headed Demonic Wolf disappeared, the system simulated two more Xuan Gang Realm Peak Fierce Beasts!

Bang—

The strongest star-swallowing soldier punched out, instantly killing it, and then the Nine Great Marionette Corps raised their weapons again.

"That easy?"

Not only was Xu Ruicheng, who came with Lu Yuan, dumbfounded, but the senior students watching out of curiosity about the Puppet Master's fighting style were also stunned.

The level of shock was even higher than when they learned that Fu Mingcheng had broken the record!

Lu Yuan had just broken through to the Xuan Gang Realm, yet he was effortlessly beating Xuan Gang Realm Peak fierce beasts—this was simply too exaggerated!

"Challenge Mode gets harder and harder, constantly increasing the number of Fierce Beasts," said Fu Mingcheng, whose voice was hoarse from just breaking the record.

Kill one Fierce Beast, and next time the system will simulate two simultaneously, until the challenger fails!

At this moment, five Xuan Gang Realm Peak Fierce Beasts appeared in the Simulation Room!

Looking at the five Fierce Beasts, all different in appearance and extremely oppressive, Lu Yuan's fingertips twitched, controlling the seven great calamities.

Wind Calamity Feng Shi flapped its huge wings and let out a sharp howl!

Earth Tier High-Grade Spirit Skill: Raging Wind Howl

Several thick, barrel-sized azure tornadoes struck from all directions. The five Fierce Beasts, hearing the howl, looked pained and shook their heads repeatedly.

Fire Calamity Chi Hai's pupils contracted.

Earth Tier High-Grade Spirit Skill: Ash Devour

Roar—

Five fierce tigers radiating black flames condensed and charged fearlessly toward the Fierce Beasts!

Calamity of Blood Blood Butcher, Gold Calamity Devouring Army, Earth Calamity Zhang Sha... Spirit Skills rained down!

"Spirit Skills, and Earth Tier High-Grade Spirit Skills at that!"

"No way, buddy, why can his summoned monsters use Spirit Skills? You can too, right? Hurry up and show me!"

A Dark Attribute student summoned a Skeleton Warrior and pointed at it excitedly.

Skeleton Warrior: "???"

"Hurry up and use it for me, please!"

However, no matter how much he shook or pleaded, the Skeleton Warrior showed no reaction.

"Seven Earth Tier High-Grade Spirit Skills of different attributes!" Fu Mingcheng's face twitched.

Besides the Five Elements, there were also the rare Blood Attribute and Wind Attribute.

Especially the Blood Attribute; the probability of awakening this attribute is one in ten thousand!

The one in ten thousand refers to the prerequisite of awakening a Combat Class; if you include all Three Major Types of Classes, the probability is far less than that!

"He's ranked twenty-fourth! Lu Yuan has killed 20 Fierce Beasts!"

"Earth-rank Spirit Skills are too powerful, and seven different Earth Tier High-Grade Spirit Skills are enough to instantly kill multiple Xuan Gang Realm Peak Fierce Beasts!"

"Holy crap, Lu Yuan isn't going to rush into the top ten right after breaking through to the Xuan Gang Realm, is he?"

Someone had a strange expression.

The key wasn't the top ten ranking, but the fact that he just broke through to the Xuan Gang Realm!

Looking at the top hundred students on the list, which one wasn't at Xuan Gang Realm Eight-Star or Peak before making the list? Since the Simulation Room was created, no Xuan Gang Realm One-Star has ever made the list!

"Eight Fierce Beasts have been simulated simultaneously!"

Xu Ruicheng said excitedly, as if he, not Lu Yuan, was in the Simulation Room.

"These simulated Fierce Beasts are smart this time. They know Lu Yuan is controlling the monsters, and if they kill him, everything ends," said the Dark Attribute Senior Student who had been lamenting earlier.

Eight Fierce Beasts, all Xuan Gang Realm Peak, attacked Lu Yuan from different directions.

Under everyone's gaze, a thick-skinned Mammoth charged toward Lu Yuan, its trunk smashing heavily onto Lu Yuan's back!

"It's over. Lu Yuan failed the challenge," someone said.

In reality, being struck by a Mammoth's trunk would bend steel bars, let alone a person.

"It's not over. The challenge is still ongoing," Xu Ruicheng said in confusion.

The crowd: "???"

Inside the Simulation Room, Lu Yuan, who had taken a direct hit from the trunk, was unharmed. A Strange Human Puppet appeared in front of the Mammoth!