Chapter 92: Gandalf vs. Zuo Daolin

Zhou Huai felt a wave of irritation in his heart.

He had indeed thought that way just now; wouldn't the problem be solved by directly blasting all the students out of the dungeon with one set of moves?

But Zuo Daolin's words truly made him hesitate.

Turn them into idiots?

He couldn't afford to gamble.

Gandalf was merely a Clone, and could be resurrected if he died.

But the people in front of him were all living humans and the future cornerstone of the Great Xia Country.

Zuo Daolin seemed to thoroughly enjoy Zhou Huai's silence.

The laughter from beneath his mask carried a morbid sense of satisfaction.

"How is it?"

"Have you thought it through?"

"Trading just you alone for so many young Geniuses, I think this deal is quite worth it."

He spread his arms wide, his tone fanatic.

"As long as you join us, you will understand how great the Master is!"

"Everything we do is to welcome a brand-new era!"

Zhou Huai controlled Gandalf and fell silent for two seconds.

He raised his head and met Zuo Daolin's gaze.

"To just leave with you like this, I am unwilling."

"How about we have a fight."

"If you can win against me, I will willingly leave with you."

Hearing this, Zuo Daolin let out a strange "hehehe" laugh.

"I actually hate fighting."

"However, in order to make a talent like you join wholeheartedly."

"I am very happy to have a fight with you with the greatest sincerity."

Zhou Huai immediately said, "You are not allowed to control those examinees to fight me; that would be boring."

Zuo Daolin waved his hand, his tone relaxed.

"Rest assured, they won't be needed to deal with you."

"I really wouldn't condescend to do something like that."

Zhou Huai stopped talking nonsense.

"Then follow me!"

As his voice fell, he controlled Gandalf to turn around and run toward the depths of the jungle.

He had to find a sufficiently open venue to avoid hurting the innocent.

Watching his retreating back, Zuo Daolin gave a chuckle and followed at a leisurely pace.

Zhou Huai proposing a single combat naturally didn't mean he genuinely wanted to decide the victor.

He was merely buying time.

With such a huge mess happening in the National Examination, it was impossible for the authorities not to notice.

Reinforcements could arrive at any moment.

What he needed to do now was to buy enough time for the official rescue.

As for Zuo Daolin's words, he didn't believe a single word of them.

Would a lunatic like this keep his word?

It was simply a huge joke.

Soon, the two of them, one after the other, arrived at a wide annular valley.

Here, bizarre rocks jaggedly intertwined, and not a blade of grass grew.

Zhou Huai abruptly stopped his footsteps and suddenly turned around.

He raised his staff high without any hesitation.

"[Forbidden Spell: Geocentric Gravity Field]!"

Hum—!

An invisible, terrifying force instantly enveloped the entire valley.

The air seemed to solidify into substance, and the earth was sinking slightly.

Zuo Daolin, following behind, suddenly experienced a stagnation in his figure.

The ground beneath his feet instantly cracked and collapsed.

But he wasn't directly pressed down so much that he couldn't move, unlike other examinees.

His legs sank deep into the rock, stepping out a deep footprint with every step.

He was still walking toward Gandalf step by step.

Although his speed was much slower, that oppressive feeling did not decrease by a fraction.

Zhou Huai's gaze narrowed.

This guy was indeed outrageously strong.

Daring not to let the opponent get close, he raised his staff once more.

"[Forbidden Spell: Thousand Mile Ice Seal]!"

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Piercing cold Qi spread wildly in all directions with Gandalf as the center.

The ground instantly condensed into a thick layer of ice, and the moisture in the air turned into ice crystals.

A layer of white frost rapidly covered the surface of the body of Zuo Daolin, who was advancing with difficulty.

In the blink of an eye, his entire person was thoroughly frozen, turning into a lifelike ice sculpture.

Zhou Huai didn't dare to be the least bit careless.

He knew clearly that this level of attack was simply impossible to truly trap the opponent.

He had to prepare the next fatal move before the opponent broke free.

He raised his staff high once more, and the sky began to gather gloomy green light.

[Forbidden Spell: Meteor Fire Rain]!

However, the incantation had only been chanted halfway.

"Bang!"

That huge ice sculpture suddenly shattered apart.

Amidst the flying ice debris, Zuo Daolin's figure rushed out like a ghost.

His speed was several times faster than before!

Zhou Huai's pupils shrank abruptly.

Making a prompt and decisive decision, he immediately interrupted the incantation he was chanting.

"[Arcane Barrier]!"

A crystal-clear shield instantly enveloped his entire body.

Almost at the same time the shield formed.

Zuo Daolin's figure had already appeared before him.

He extended a hand with his five fingers spread open.

An energy ball condensed from countless twisted, wailing black Souls heavily pressed down onto Gandalf's shield.

Bang—!

-63882!

A terrifyingly high damage number popped up from above Gandalf's head.

Zhou Huai only felt an irresistible immense force wash over him; his whole body was like being struck by a high-speed truck, involuntarily flying backward.

"Boom!"

His body heavily crashed into a stone wall dozens of meters away before barely coming to a halt.

Crushed stones splattered everywhere.

Zhou Huai controlled Gandalf to stand up from the ground with difficulty.

The next second, he only felt the world spinning and stars dancing wildly before his eyes.

A severe pain and dizziness originating from the depths of his Soul made his figure stagger, unable to even stand steady.

Zuo Daolin stood in place without pursuing.

He tilted his head, appreciating Zhou Huai's wretched appearance.

"Your Rank is still too low."

"Even if what I am using right now is not my true body, you are ultimately no match for me."

"Although your shield can block my skill damage,"

"my attacks can directly act upon the Soul."

He chuckled, his voice exuding a morbid pleasure.

"Just now, I specifically held back my strength."

"Otherwise, you would have already passed out by now."

Zhou Huai shook his dizzy head, trying to make himself a bit more clear-headed.

Soul attacks, huh?

He took a deep breath, and his gaze turned sharp once again.

Since that's the case…

Then let the soulless smart core ai match wits with you!

Zhou Huai no longer forced it.

His consciousness quickly withdrew from Gandalf's body.

The next second.

Gandalf's body, which was still swaying originally, suddenly trembled.

He slowly stood straight, and his staggering posture vanished.

That pair of eyes, which were somewhat unfocused due to intense pain, instantly became clear and cold, carrying not a shred of emotion.

He raised his head and looked at Zuo Daolin.

A voice completely different from before, carrying a metallic texture, came out from his mouth.

"Despicable villain."

"I will replace my Master to sanction your sins!"

The smile on Zuo Daolin's face froze slightly.

He looked at Gandalf before him in some astonishment.

This guy… suffered a Soul attack, yet recovered so quickly?

No, that's not right.

His disposition and his gaze had both changed.

Zuo Daolin was stunned for a moment; immediately afterward, the eyes beneath his mask erupted with an unprecedented fanatic radiance.

He laughed wildly.

"Hahahaha!"

"Interesting! Too interesting!"

"You really… make me like you more and more!"