Chapter 472: Qualifier Round - Matching Pictures (1/2)
'Multiple contestants have stepped on the red tiles. Therefore, everyone will be forced to join this challenge. The second challenge will be…'
RUMBLE
Suddenly, the red and white tiles on the ground flashed. Then, images of various animals, fruits, and objects appeared.
From a glance, each tile showed a different picture. However, if one were to hover over the platform, they would notice that some of the pictures were identical.
In addition, five giant TV screens emerged. Four of them orbited around the platform while the other one faced the platform from above, acting as the ceiling.
'The second challenge is… the Matching Image!'
”What!?”
Everyone stopped fighting to pay attention to the mysterious voice.
'On the floor, there are a total of 1,000 pictures. Each picture has 1,000 identical images, but they are randomly placed. Your job is to locate the matching picture that shows up on the screens and stand on it. If you can't locate the tile and stand on it before the countdown ends, your cultivation base will be destroyed!'
”!!!”
Everyone scanned through the images on the ground in a panic. Still, the game hadn't started yet.
The flashing images on the floor disappeared, replaced with dark tiles. Then, blurry images of a million pictures moved and swapped places.
The contestants were alarmed. They tried to memorize and locate each picture.
As everyone was memorizing the moving images, the tiles turned black again. Then, they revealed the new images of fruits, people, objects, and animals.
'You have 10 breaths to memorize everything. After the time is over, I shall cover the images, and the real game will start!'
…
Miaomiao blankly stared at the floor while he was sweating profusely.
Memorizing a hundred pictures was already hard enough. But now, he had to memorize the locations of over a thousand images.
He glanced at one of the screens. Currently, the digital number, ”00.00.10”, was stopped there.
It hinted that the real game's time limit was also 10 seconds.
Miaomiao shook off his thoughts and scanned through the images with his Qi senses.
Qi strands of everyone created a messy web of energy. Visually, everything was in chaos.
While everybody was trying to memorize the images on the ground, Ling Tianlong ignored the game and kicked the ground.
He charged at Miaomiao and brandished his dark sword!
Sensing the sharp killing intent, Miaomiao kicked the ground and backed away from Ling Tianlong. He cursed the protagonist.
”Are you nuts!? You're going to get us crippled!”
Ling Tianlong sneered, ”I'll let you have a taste of your own medicine! Even if I'm crippled, I'll drag you with me!”
”You're insane!”
Miaomiao unsheathed Killer Queen and blocked flurry sword strikes.
Dian Wei glanced at Ling Tianlong and snorted. She vanished and reappeared behind the protagonist with her war ax overhead. Then, she activated her soul domain.
Ling Tianlong's mind shook as the soul domain of Dian Wei tricked his perception. He had fallen into a realistic dream while his body was frozen.
Using this opportunity, Dian Wei swung her ax down!
”NOT A CHANCE!!”
Huang Hansheng also activated his soul domain and overlapped with Dian Wei's territory. He pulled his great bow and unleashed a hundred energy arrows at Dian Wei.
CLANK
Five of them hit Dian Wei's war ax, changing its trajectory. As for the others, they went for Miaomiao and Dian Wei.
BANG
The war ax hit the floor, a few centimeters away from Ling Tianlong.
She missed!
”GEEZER!!”
”Fuck you, Huang Zhong!!”
Dian Wei and Miaomiao cursed at the archer. The latter honked and equipped Lu Bu's war god suit to protect his body while Dian Wei easily caught the oncoming arrows with her spider webs.
Under the barrage, Dian Wei and Miaomiao were busy protecting themselves.
Tick
Five seconds had passed. They wasted so much precious time because of Ling Tianlong and Huang Hansheng.
The archer burst into laughter as he continued sending more arrows toward Dian Wei and Miaomiao.
But he forgot about another variable.
Nearby, Zhou Gongjin was there!
The commotion also distracted Zhou Gongjin, who had been memorizing the tiles on the floor. He looked up and found Ling Tianlong, standing still in a daze.
Seeing such a golden opportunity, Zhou Gongjin clenched his fists. He stopped gazing at the tiles and transformed into a demi-Qiongqi. A long white tiger tail extended from the area above his buttock, and his pupils turned crimson. A purple aura came out of his nostrils and mouth.
Instantly, Zhou Gongjin activated his soul domain and injected microorganism ticks into Ling Tianlong's body.
The creatures were Zhou Gongjin's creation. They acted like common blood-sucking ticks that could be found on animals. However, the purple ticks at the size of a thousandth of a millimeter consumed Qi to grow.
Depending on the consumed Qi, their powers would be based on the victims.
A second later, Ling Tianlong's body trembled as he had a light seizure. The ticks already started eating him from the inside.
Zhou Gongjin smiled and leaped away from the chaos.
He could have killed Ling Tianlong right here, but he figured that Huang Hansheng would attack him next. Then, he might not have enough time to memorize the images on the floor.
Zhou Gongjin was not like Miaomiao. He chose to secure his exit plan before he pursued his primary goal.
Meanwhile, Miaomiao noticed that Zhou Gongjin sneaked an attack at Ling Tianlong. He smirked and hid behind Dian Wei while he turned to the protagonist.
The golden opportunity had arrived.
'Die, motherfucker. I don't believe that your plot armor can protect you!'
Miaomiao unleashed Holy Flame of Life Qi, activating his elemental domain, similar to Xie Tian's flame domain.
The fire dome expanded forward instead of covering Miaomiao like a barrier dome. It enveloped Ling Tianlong.
Without hesitation, Miaomiao closed his right hand as if he was holding a switch.
Then, he pressed the button.
Killer Queen, Holy Flame of Life!
CLICK
The holy flame in the domain condensed at the center, inside Ling Tianlong's body. Then, it was detonated.
BOOM
The incendiary bomb created a tall mushroom cloud in the sky, but the blast radius also affected everybody on the platform. Everybody had to stop looking at the ground and circulated their Qi to resist the strong shockwave.
Because of Miaomiao and Ling Tianlong's fight, the countdown timer reached zero before they could memorize everything.
'Time's up.'
The pictures on the floor vanished, and the five giant TV screens showed a picture of a yellow duck toy.
'There are one thousand identical images within the one million tiles. Stand on the right tile, and you shall win this game. Of course, only the first one who steps on the right tile can claim the prize.'
”Aw, shit.”
Miaomiao gazed at the giant screens and scratched his head.
He forgot where the yellow duck toy image was!
”Here!”
Fortunately, Dian Wei was nearby. She grabbed Miaomiao's robe and pushed him to a tile, 20 blocks away from where he had been standing.
Then, Dian Wei rushed toward the blast site, where Miaomiao just detonated Ling Tianlong.
Only then, Miaomiao realized that Dion and Devil hadn't confirmed the kill yet. He shouted, ”BE CAREFUL!! LING TIANLONG ISN'T DEAD YET!!”
”I know!”
Dian Wei jumped into the black smoke and brandished her war ax at the silhouette inside.
CLANK
CLANK