Chapter 56

The second supply point wasn't as fortunate, with many participants already having arrived ahead of time.

Several weapon chests had been opened, and some of the components for magical artifacts had been used up by the participants. However, the majority of the weapon chests remained intact.

After all, compared to combat, there weren't many young people with a talent for artifact refinement.

Most of the young people had learned the basics of artifact refinement, knew the structure and assembly process of dozens of low-level magical artifacts, but none had Li Yao's extensive practical experience.

Modern magical artifacts were different from ancient ones; even the lowest-level cold weapons had over a hundred components.

For beginners, not only was the assembly process slow, but a single mistake could easily lead to problems during combat. At best, the artifact would suddenly malfunction; at worst, it could explode on the spot, causing a backlash of spiritual energy, which was extremely dangerous!

Therefore, most of the young people who weren't skilled in artifact refinement chose to use ordinary knives and swords for combat.

Li Yao followed the same method and began his second round of frenzied assembly!

At this supply point, the initial trading went quite smoothly. However, after selling over twenty magical artifacts, Li Yao finally hit a wall.

"I don't have money, but I have a life. I'm taking this Heaven-Burning Battle Axe right now. If you have the guts, blow it up; we'll both die!"

A tall, muscular boy with dark skin and a fierce appearance said menacingly.

Li Yao felt a bit of a toothache:

"Classmate, don't be so stubborn. I've already given you a 10% discount. This excellent battle axe only costs you 270 credits, which is a family-busting price. Don't you believe I'll blow it up?"

"You're right, I was born stubborn. At school, they call me 'Stubborn Ox.' I don't believe this evil, so if you have the guts, blow it up!"

The dark-skinned boy laughed loudly, picked up the Heaven-Burning Battle Axe, and turned to leave without looking back.

Watching his back, Li Yao sneered, a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes.

The dark-skinned boy hadn't even left the supply point when he suddenly felt a strong wind at the back of his head. Before he could react, he was drenched and tightly wrapped in a pink gel!

The dark-skinned boy, with a look of shock and resentment, was forced to leave the stage!

"I've always said this kid is suited to be an assassin. Think about it, lurking behind the enemy, without needing weapon supplies, able to refine and repair all magical artifacts himself—such a person is a nightmare for any enemy!"

In the monitoring center, a cultivator couldn't help but exclaim.

"Truly ruthless! Although mutual attacks aren't prohibited in the preliminary rounds, to immediately go for the back of the head is a sign of strong psychological resilience, not something an ordinary high school student would do. Not bad, very not bad!"

A thin, cold-eyed cultivator also smiled, nodding repeatedly.

People like "Stubborn Ox," who were stubborn to the end, were in the minority. After weighing the pros and cons, most of the participants were quite willing to trade with their points.

As the competition progressed, the number of demons they killed increased, and the more powerful participants had accumulated over a thousand points.

Although Li Yao adjusted his prices slightly, they were still reasonable. Most people didn't want to waste time and preferred to buy powerful weapons to hunt demons more effectively!

The second supply point was quickly emptied, and Li Yao moved on to the third.

For two whole days, he swept through every supply point on the Demon Python Island, assembling hundreds of low-level magical artifacts and trading them to other participants.

Later, he even advertised through the Puchi Beast on the public channel for candidates to communicate:

"Large quantities of chainsaw swords, thunder battle knives, and Heaven-Burning Battle Axes for sale. Powerful, stable, and cheap. Essential for hunting demons and earning points. Buyers, please head to supply point number XXX..."

Apart from accidentally exposing his trail and having to kill three demons, plus the three-eyed ape at the beginning, Li Yao only hunted four demons in total.

However, when the competition entered its 49th hour, Li Yao's name surprisingly appeared at the top of the leaderboard, surpassing Helian Lie!

In the history of the Extreme Challenge, this could be considered unprecedented.

However, his top position was fleeting and didn't last long.

By the end of the second day, all the supply points on Demon Python Island had been emptied.

The initial supply points had a large number of components for him to assemble.

However, many participants also knew how to assemble magical artifacts, and the components in the later supply points were quickly used up.

Moreover, many of the participants who initially traded with Li Yao were fatally attacked and withdrew from the competition. Their chainsaw swords, thunder battle knives, and Heaven-Burning Battle Axes were scattered in the jungle, picked up by other participants—something Li Yao couldn't prevent.

By the end of the second day, Li Yao's "business" was no longer sustainable.

Li Yao didn't care. He chose a relatively warm and dry supply point and began—sleeping!

While others were constantly fighting in the jungle, bleeding and exhausted, Li Yao slept soundly, conserving every bit of precious energy.

His ranking on the leaderboard steadily declined, and by noon on the third day, he had dropped out of the top 100.

By the end of the third day, he had fallen to 293rd place.

Li Yao didn't mind—anyone who ranked in the top 600 would advance to the finals.

He was waiting for a good show in the finals!

"Snap!"

Opening a can of compressed rations he had scavenged from the supply point, Li Yao began to chew vigorously.

"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"

Strange vibrations came from all directions on Demon Python Island. Powerful restrictions were activated, and the demons, which had been fierce a second ago, seemed to be frozen, their joints stiff and motionless.

"Student Li Yao, congratulations! You have entered the final stage of the Extreme Challenge!"

"Please rest for three hours. During this time, the demons will be restrained and will not attack you."

"After three hours, the finals will officially begin. At that time, more powerful demons will be released, and you will have 300 enemies and 299 allies. Good luck!"

The white Puchi Beast danced around Li Yao's head, clearly happy for him.

Meanwhile, thousands of beams of light rose from Demon Python Island, heading toward the Liao Yuan.

Li Yao knew these were the participants whose rankings were below 600, all of whom had been eliminated from the finals.

The remaining 600 were the strong ones who had survived for three days on Demon Python Island, slaying countless demons!

The real battle was just beginning!

Li Yao smiled slightly and continued to eat with great enjoyment.

At that moment, the pink tentacle on Xiao Ji's head wiggled, sending a semi-transparent 3D image to Li Yao—someone he knew very well.

"Principal Zhao!"

Li Yao was stunned. The person who appeared was Principal Zhao Shude of Chixiao No. 2 High School, a core disciple of the Chixiao Sect and a high-level Qi Cultivator.

This principal, who usually kept a low profile, had a warm smile on his face and nodded repeatedly:

"Student Li Yao, your performance has been outstanding, bringing great honor to our Chixiao No. 2 High School! So, have you decided which university you want to attend?"

"Thank you, Principal, I've already decided. I want to attend Deep Sea University and become an artifact refiner!" Li Yao straightened his chest.

"Deep Sea University is indeed good, but Nebula University also has an excellent magical artifact refinement program. Are you interested? If you are, I can represent the Chixiao Sect and sign a '委托培养' (entrusted training) contract with you, allowing you to enter Nebula University without taking the college entrance exam!"

Zhao Shude's words were shocking.