Chapter 483 481: A Battlefield Filled with Killing Intent

"You can all rest here and wait for the results. If they make it to the next round, you'll be able to go watch in person," Elder De said grimly. "With their strength, they should be able to advance, but I can't be sure... There are just too few of them."

Even if they were part of the Alliance Empire, it didn't mean other members would help them. They could barely protect themselves, so why would they bother with anyone else? Besides, even if they did team up, everyone would just run for their lives at the first sign of real danger. No one would stick around to help.

Qing Deyun and the others exchanged a glance, sharing faint smiles. It was all up to the participants now. All they could do was wait here.

"I'm sure they'll make it to the next round!" Qing Deyun said with a placid smile.

"Hmph!" Elder De snorted. "Let's hope so. If they can't even make it into the next round, then the Soaring Dragon Empire has a serious problem!"

After being given thirty years to cultivate new talent, they had produced nothing. How could he not be furious? The struggles between the Super Races were just as intense. Without an infusion of fresh blood, how could they possibly stand against their rivals?

Lin Xuan felt a fluctuation of Energy, and then his vision gradually cleared. But a moment later, a terrifying wave of Killing Intent rushed toward him, making the hairs on his neck stand up. He was instantly on guard!

When his vision focused, he saw there was nothing ahead of him—just a barren wasteland! He and Zi Yanqian were standing in a large hall. With only the two of them present, it felt cavernous and empty.

"This is a battlefield. The moment you step outside, you'll be engulfed by an endless Killing Intent. If your Willpower is too weak, you might even end up killing your own allies!" Zi Yanqian explained, his gaze fixed on the world beyond the doorway. "This half-month waiting period is designed to weed out some of the contestants!"

Lin Xuan was startled. 'Killing your own allies? Isn't that a little too vicious?' 'The most critical point is that taking a teammate's Token does nothing. If it did, a team of four could enter, two could hand over their Tokens, and the other two would instantly qualify. Of course, that's not possible.'

Of course, no one would just give up their Token. They might, however, trade a teammate's Token to an opponent, which seemed like a decent loophole. But to the Super Races, this wasn't a loophole at all... Only a true powerhouse could hold onto their Token!

'The Killing Intent in here is still manageable. It would be miserable for anyone with weak Willpower, but I doubt they'd be that bad off. It probably just serves to heighten one's battle lust...' Lin Xuan was unsettled by the environment, but the Killing Intent didn't affect him in the slightest.

Only those who practiced a Demon Technique, possessed overwhelming Killing Intent of their own, or had unstable Cultivation foundations would be easily influenced. Both he and Zi Yanqian had very stable foundations, so they were fine. It had almost no effect on them.

"Yes, this place is saturated with Killing Intent. The closer you get to the door, the stronger it feels..." Lin Xuan's brow furrowed. This was not a good sign. He wasn't worried for himself, but for what it implied: once the battle began, the outside world would be a scene of endless slaughter.

"That's right. The effect is strongest outside. If someone has poor Willpower, they really might start fighting their own allies before the competition even starts. If that actually happens, the people from that Empire must be complete idiots!" Zi Yanqian scoffed.

'It would be laughable to be sent in without even understanding the rules of the preliminary round, only to start fighting your own teammates immediately. Why even participate in the Empire War at that point? They might as well go home and raise pigs.'

The hall they were currently in was exclusive to the Soaring Dragon Empire, serving as a sort of waiting room. It was only temporarily safe. Once the time was up, this place would become incredibly dangerous. At best, it offered a brief reprieve.

Lin Xuan walked to the entrance and found a protective barrier sealing it off. When he reached out to touch it, his hand was completely stopped.

"There's a barrier here. I suppose we can't leave until the trial begins." Lin Xuan looked through the entrance. The world outside was a desolate expanse with no cover whatsoever. Aside from a distant forest, the entire area before them was wide open.

This meant that the moment they stepped out, they would be plunged into a state of carnage and forced into a brutal fight. As it happened, there were other, similar halls in the vicinity. One appeared every so often, each representing the starting point for an Empire.

This half-month period was meant for them to experience this region suffused with Killing Intent—to either acclimate to it or be consumed by it.

Since neither of them was affected, they had no choice but to wait there, anticipating the moment the Restriction would be lifted. Otherwise, they couldn't get out.

They could only sit and meditate on the spot, waiting for time to pass. 'With the power of the Soul Pearl inside my body, I could easily pass through this barrier,' Lin Xuan thought. 'But that would be far too conspicuous. Showing off like that here is not a good idea. Not at all...'

「Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.」

With a soft POP, the barrier blocking the entrance vanished. The faint ripple of Energy caused both of them to open their eyes simultaneously.

"Let's go!" Lin Xuan led the way out. As soon as he stepped outside, he saw people pouring out from the other halls. The number of contestants grew, breathing a bit of life into the desolate landscape.

The number of people emerging from the other halls wasn't large—most teams had around five members, with the largest groups having close to ten! What a frightening number.

In reality, it wasn't that frightening. Empires with more resources would naturally have more disciples to send. If the Soaring Dragon Empire hadn't run into problems, it could have easily fielded four or five people, perhaps even more.

Some of their most talented disciples had been killed by Xu Qianlong, their Essence Blood absorbed by him. It was a tremendous waste.

'Such powerful Killing Intent!' The moment Lin Xuan stepped out, he felt a terrifying wave of it pour into his body. A trace of it even flickered in his own eyes, but it wasn't nearly enough to make him lose his reason. On the contrary, it stoked his will to fight!

For someone like him, who possessed the power of the Demon Evil Monarch and the God of Slaughter, this was trivial. Especially since he also cultivated Soul Power, it was practically child's play. Of course, the others nearby were similarly unaffected; anyone who was susceptible would have had problems during the last half-month. There was no need to wait until now.

This wave of Killing Intent far surpassed the intensity inside the hall—it was at least ten times stronger, enough to make any expert with weak Willpower lose control.

"The Soaring Dragon Empire sent two people. I can't tell if they're idiots, overconfident, or if their Empire simply has no one left to send... How pathetic!" A jarring voice drifted over from the side. Lin Xuan turned to see it was the team from the Flying Dragon Empire, who were stationed closest to them.

Chen Xiang was leading a group toward them. A faint red light shone in his eyes—a sign that Killing Intent was flooding his mind, though he hadn't lost his reason. An endless battle lust surged from within him, making him want to kill almost anyone he saw.

Fueled by this battle lust, the Spiritual Power in their bodies surged. They were coiled and ready to strike, prepared to unleash their full strength at a moment's notice.

When they saw only two people emerge from the Soaring Dragon Empire's hall, they were deeply disappointed. After all, each person carried only one Token, which meant there were fewer Tokens for the taking.

"Will you surrender, or will you fight us?" Chen Xiang strode toward them, his steps heavy. He didn't care who Lin Xuan and his companion were. All that mattered was that they weren't on his side.