189: The trial officially begins

When Pan Han came out, he found that the surrounding suites were not fully occupied; only two of them showed signs of activity.

After he walked over, he found that all the doors were closed, and he listened at the door but didn't hear any useful information, so he returned disappointed.

The two of them tidied up briefly in the room and then went out for a stroll to see the surrounding environment.

"Look, that's the training center over there, should we go check it out?" Cheng Xiao said excitedly, pulling Pan Han and walking towards it.

"Can you talk now?" Pan Han still felt that Cheng Xiao had behaved very strangely on the plane.

"Talk about what?"

"You were not acting normal on the plane."

"Hehehe! You're not jealous, are you?" Cheng Xiao immediately let out a silvery laugh, her eyes sparkling with intelligent light.

"That's not it; I just felt it was very sudden, and the change was a bit big." Pan Han certainly wouldn't be jealous of her.

"Then you should use your brain and think about it."

"I guess you deliberately struck up a relationship with him. Firstly, since we're new here, having a good connection means we'll have someone to look out for us. Secondly, you pretended to want to learn to fly a plane, but you actually wanted to find an opportunity to understand the Twelve Palaces. And thirdly..."

"What's the third?" Cheng Xiao was very satisfied with Pan Han's answer and asked with a smile.

"Thirdly, you wanted to know the changes and precautions before and after intermediate evolution, which you already asked about on the plane."

"Hmm, not bad, mostly correct, right?"

"What do you mean 'mostly correct'? Where are the flaws?"

"I wasn't pretending to learn to fly a plane; I genuinely want to learn. You better prepare the canned goods."

"Pfft! Okay, okay, then from now on, you'll also serve as our base's Air Force Commander." Pan Han hadn't expected Cheng Xiao to be serious, so he could only agree for now.

As they spoke, they arrived at the training center. This building wasn't tall, looking like at most four stories, but its footprint was considerable, as large as two football fields.

Upon entering, they needed to show their ID cards. The two of them swiped their cards and went in.

"Holy cow!"

"No wonder!"

As soon as the two entered, they were stunned by the scene.

"No wonder there weren't many people in the residential area; everyone was here!"

"So competitive! These competitive kings!"

Pan Han hadn't expected everyone to be so dedicated. It seemed the path of the Trial would ultimately not be easy.

"Let's go, we should also practice. Sitting on that plane has made my body a bit sluggish." Cheng Xiao pulled Pan Han and walked further inside.

The two practiced for several hours, only stopping at dinner time.

When they returned to their room, they found that the attendant had already delivered dinner.

What was called dinner was actually just a few large blobs of paste in various colors.

Pan Han smelled it and tasted a couple of bites.

"What is this stuff! It's far worse than our base's food." Pan Han could tell it was something synthesized from various high-tech ingredients, and he wasn't going to eat it.

After tasting it, Cheng Xiao gave Pan Han a deep kiss, her meaning clear: she was thanking Pan Han for bringing delicious food to Dawn Base.

Pan Han was about to take some food out of his space, but he was afraid there might be surveillance here, so he secretly signaled Cheng Xiao to bear with it.

Thus, the two could only hold their noses and eat all the paste.

"Let's go to bed early tonight; tomorrow is when it starts." Pan Han, uncharacteristically, didn't make any physical moves but spoke seriously.

Before the Trial, he wanted to ensure his body and mind were in perfect condition.

"Okay. But you have to hold me; sleeping in separate rooms won't do."

"Of course. If I don't hold you, I won't be comfortable either."

...

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, Pan Han and Cheng Xiao were woken up by a female attendant, then ate the paste, and after finishing, took their ID cards to attend a meeting.

Upon reaching the conference room, it was filled with Trial participants, and the scene was a bit noisy, with everyone observing each other, their expressions somewhat tense.

After all, these were all competitors.

Moreover, they were all leaders of major bases; to survive the apocalypse and lead a base, there was no doubt that these were the strong individuals of the apocalypse.

Pan Han and Cheng Xiao found a corner and sat down quietly.

Their gaze swept across the conference room, finding the facilities here to be advanced and luxurious, clearly indicating that the Twelve Palaces had invested a large amount of resources in organizing this Trial.

In the center of the conference room, a huge projection screen displayed "Billion Zombie Trial."

After about ten minutes, a middle-aged man in a black uniform walked onto the podium, cleared his throat, and the entire room fell silent.

"Hello everyone, I am the host of the Trial, and my name is Tian Li. Welcome to the Twelve Palace Headquarters to participate in the Trial." The man's voice was clear and powerful, commanding everyone's attention.

No one applauded, no one spoke; everyone held their breath, waiting for him to continue.

Not everyone could have the same treatment as Pan Han, with someone specifically explaining the rules to him.

Many people only learned that there were five stages after arriving here.

Tian Li looked at everyone, nodded, and then brought up a holographic projection device.

The full terrain of the Billion Zombie Trial immediately appeared before everyone.

Next, Tian Li spent half an hour explaining all the rules to everyone. Pan Han didn't find any new content.

"Now it's time for questions. Feel free to ask any questions you may have." Tian Li's expression relaxed slightly after his explanation.

"What happens if we withdraw midway?" a tall Trial participant immediately asked.

Tian Li smiled and said, "Midway withdrawal is allowed. Because we use a scoring system, if you forfeit this stage, you can still participate in the next. However, if you withdraw now, you will permanently lose the qualification to obtain the intermediate Evolution Potion. Even if you obtain it through other means in the future, you will be permanently hunted by the Twelve Palaces."

Upon hearing this, everyone except Pan Han and Cheng Xiao gasped.

The Twelve Palaces had been preparing this Trial for many years, investing countless resources and undergoing layers of selection, and now you want to withdraw?

If you want to withdraw, don't come!

In the apocalypse, no one could trifle with the Twelve Palaces and still walk out alive!

Next, a young man wearing glasses asked, "Can we use our own tools and equipment during the Trial?"

Tian Li nodded, "Yes, in the fourth stage. However, if your equipment or tools are damaged, we will not be responsible for it."

Finally, a blonde woman raised a question, "If we get injured during the Trial, will you provide medical assistance?"

"We will provide necessary medical support to the Trial participants," Tian Li replied, "However, we do not guarantee any outcomes. Life and death are fated; good luck to all of you."

"Alright, question time is over. Now, Trial participants, please bring your ID cards and gather downstairs. Other accompanying personnel may remain in the conference room. The Trial will be broadcast live here."

Pan Han knew the time had come, so he took a deep breath, stood up, and embraced Cheng Xiao passionately, then kissed her.

"I'm leaving!"

"I'll wait for you to come back."

"Okay!"

With that, Pan Han followed the other Trial participants and headed straight downstairs to gather.