My talent panel can be increased.

Chapter 163 Battle with Zhenyue! Reaching the Top of the List!
What are your plans for the next step?

Tang Ruobing asked.

Although on the surface Ye Mingqiu and Qingyu fought fiercely, this was actually based on Ye Mingqiu not using his full strength. Qingyu was unwilling to use his full strength in the placement match, so how could Ye Mingqiu be willing to do so?
I don't know about other things, but Tang Ruobing at least knows the active effect of the Lord of Light and Shadow. [Divine Majesty] can directly and forcibly deduct 20% of Qingyu's guaranteed all attributes and all resistances. If he loses 20% of his agility, he will die on the spot.

A 20% reduction in resistance is even more terrifying. With two consecutive crowd control effects, combined with a reduction in agility, there's a high probability that one hit could take them down in one move.

"Challenge the top-ranked psionicist."

Ye Mingqiu replied.

"is it?"

Tang Ruobing opened her notebook, looked at the notes, and said, "The opponent is very strong. Let me give you a brief introduction. You don't need to hold back this time. The opponent is the strongest at this stage."

"Ah."

"Code name Zhenyue, profession Apocalypse Paladin, legendary level, is the superior profession of Apocalypse Knight and Holy Knight. It is the superior legendary profession of Tianqing and Leipeng, with both offense and defense, and extremely strong comprehensive ability."

Tang Ruobing's expression gradually turned serious as she continued, "Zhen Yue's talent is the Xuanwu Sacred Body, which grants him an extremely high defensive bonus. Combined with his class, his tankiness can reach an unbelievable level. More importantly, he reached level 8 three months ago, becoming the 15th on the leaderboard, and should have already reached the first-tier limit."

Her expression became more serious, and she continued, "You should understand what I mean, right?"

"Ah."

Ye Mingqiu nodded slightly and said, "Then if he encounters Qingyu, who has the ability of [time acceleration], how will he counter her?"

"He has a counter-attack passive ability, so he's not afraid of assassins."

"clear."

Ye Mingqiu memorized the Counterattack passive ability, which was indeed an effective way to counter [Time Acceleration]. Although Qingyu was still strong without [Time Acceleration], he was not uncounterable. Ye Mingqiu had five ways to kill him in a short time.

The reason I didn't use it before was because Qingyu's damage was too low and posed no threat to him. Meanwhile, the opponent had a wealth of combat experience, so I could fight him, think about ways to improve, and use it as training to enhance my strength.

As it turns out, this combat training was indeed very effective. Ye Mingqiu's combat specialty level improved, and he even learned the short-range weapon specialty. If he continued fighting, he might be able to raise his short-range weapon specialty level to level 2.

“Yes, the Heavenly Ladder Arena resets its state after each battle, so there’s no need to consider the cooldown of class skills and equipment skills. Except for trump cards like [Divine Majesty] which need to be hidden, all other skills can be used freely,” Tang Ruobing said.

"understood."

The third placement match has begun.

[Hint: Please select your challenge target]

[Currently selectable challenge targets: Rankings 1-17 on the leaderboard]

Current ranking: 18th

Challenge for first place.

[Do you confirm the challenge?]

Yes.

In the blink of an eye, Ye Mingqiu arrived at the Heavenly Ladder Arena once again. This time, the arena was different from before; it was a vast and boundless forest, and he stood on one side of the open space.

Standing on the other side was a man over two meters tall with an incredibly muscular build. He wore heavy armor, held a massive steel shield in one hand, and a greatsword gleaming with divine runes in the other. He exuded a powerful and composed aura.

This is Zhen Yue, currently the strongest Tier 1 psionicist.

"My Lord, I have long admired your name."

Zhen Yue's polite smile, a gentle smile on his steely, resolute face, exudes a sense of inner peace that is the charm of a top-tier tank.

"I have long admired Zhenyue."

Ye Mingqiu responded politely.

“You are very strong, extremely strong, with a considerable number of passive abilities, but you seem to have not mastered enough active skills, so you feel powerless when facing various complex environments, right?” Zhen Yue continued to ask with a smile.

"What do you want to say?"

Ye Mingqiu asked simply and directly.

“I wrote a book called ‘The Self-Cultivation of Tanks,’ which records some of my combat experiences since becoming a psionicist, as well as my thoughts on skill combinations. It’s only 20 psionic points. Would you like to consider it?” Zhen Yue asked with a smile.

".Need not."

[Hint: The battle will begin in 3 seconds]

3!

Ye Mingqiu gripped the Blood Spear tightly in his hand, crimson crystal patterns spreading upwards along his arm. He could also link with the Blood Spear during the battle preparation phase, as this was not a battle preparation skill, but simply a link.

Based on his previous battle with Qingyu, Ye Mingqiu was reminded to prepare in advance to avoid any possible accidents.

2!

Ye Mingqiu narrowed his eyes, his fighting spirit gradually burning, a pure desire for battle ignited within him.

[Battle Spirit Value: 100/100]

1!

The battle begins!
"Ah!!"

Ye Mingqiu roared, and the unique energy of [War Roar] instantly erupted. Zhen Yue on the other side of the battlefield subconsciously defended himself, squinting his eyes as he looked in Ye Mingqiu's direction, his brows furrowing slightly.

[Note: Control attempt failed; you have resisted the mind control effect]

At the same time, Ye Mingqiu, who was standing still, suddenly grew larger in a very short time, and a ferocious and terrifying aura was released wildly, crashing against Zhen Yue like a surging wave. Zhen Yue, on the other hand, remained as unmoved as a reef, silently releasing his skills and talents to amplify his defensive attributes.

Zhenyue's body slowly emitted a dark, obsidian-like light, and the figure of Xuanwu appeared and disappeared, naturally spreading an aura as steady as a mountain.

But at this moment, his emotions were far from calm.

because
At this moment, Ye Mingqiu's size had increased to twelve meters tall, which was even more terrifying than his five-meter height when he fought Qing Yu before, and his aura was even more frightening.

[Tyrant Form] + [Beast King True Form]

[King's Majesty]

The next moment, a terrifying and domineering aura erupted once again, as if a high and mighty king was putting pressure on his enemy.

Unyielding Will

Zhen Yue's passive ability took effect, forcefully blocking the attribute reduction judgment, but before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, Ye Mingqiu's body began to change.

【Blood Boiling】: When 【King's Majesty】 fails to be determined, it increases the host's attack speed and movement speed by 30%.

"Crack!"

Ye Mingqiu stretched his shoulders and neck, a crisp cracking sound emanating from his neck. His originally dark eyes gradually radiated a blood-red killing intent. Something's wrong!
Nine out of ten times something is wrong!

Zhen Yue's mind went on alert. He felt that Ye Mingqiu, whom he was facing, was several times stronger than when he fought Qing Yu. This terrifying aura was simply not that of a first-level spiritualist.

Despite his shock, he remained calm and reacted. Zhen Yue took a deep breath, then raised his giant steel shield and charged headlong into the terrifying twelve-meter-tall demon god.

[Instinctive Perception]

The War Tyrant narrowed his eyes, taking in the ever-changing attack routes. With a 30% attack speed and movement speed bonus, as well as a 50% all-attribute bonus from the Beast King's true form, his attack speed had undergone a qualitative change.

"boom!!"

The war tyrant strode forward, his heavy footsteps shaking the earth, crushing small pebbles, and causing the surrounding giant trees to shed their verdant leaves.

His crimson pupils were fixed on Zhen Yue, and his hands, holding the ferocious blood spear, tightened their grip, his strong muscles bulging high, as the predictive path derived from his [instinctive perception] gradually merged into one.

"Holy Charge!"

Zhen Yue leaped up again, holding the giant shield in one hand and slicing through the air with the greatsword in the other.

"Swing!"

At that very moment, the War Tyrant's Blood Spear exploded with a deafening roar, its crimson light streaking across the sky like a shooting star, leaving a trail of crimson rainbows before striking Zhen Yue with unparalleled precision.

"when!!"

The blood spear struck first, but was blocked by Zhenyue's massive steel shield. The sound of metal clashing was like tearing through the sky, and an invisible shockwave rippled out instantly, as if it were reverberating in the hearts of every spectator.

Keep in mind that this is a placement match against the top player in the ranked arena, making it extremely prestigious.

Almost all the psionicists came to see it!
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the War Tyrant continued to swing his massive spear, several meters long, with a roar. The terrifying and powerful force allowed him to withstand the Zhenyue skill and be knocked back with sheer brute force! He used a basic attack to deflect the opponent's skill!

"boom!!"

To Zhen Yue's astonishment, he coughed up blood as he flew backward at incredible speed, his body carving terrifying furrows in the forest and crashing into several towering trees.

The giant tree fell, dust billowed, and the terrifying sound shocked all the spectators in the arena.

Especially Qingyu, at this moment, his body couldn't help but tremble, and cold sweat soaked his clothes. He suddenly thought of the feeling before, a terrifying feeling that he would die if he was hit.

Although he appears carefree, in reality, if Ye Mingqiu were to hit him, his condition would probably not be much better.

monster!

An absolute monster!

This guy is invincible at level one!

"Ahem! Puff!"

Zhenyue climbed out of the smoke, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his eyes trembling with fear.

This isn't a tank at all!

Whose tanks possess such power?

This guy is probably focused on strength!

Despite his initial shock, Zhenyue quickly recovered and analyzed the situation.

This guy is not only extremely strong, but also possesses a skill that deals piercing damage, which is very unfriendly to tanks.

"puff!"

The sound of air being torn apart rang out again, and the dust was forcefully dispersed by the hurricane carrying the enormous figure of the War Tyrant. Zhen Yue, hidden in the mist, slowly raised his head and saw the twelve-meter-tall War Tyrant raising his blood spear, preparing to thrust it downwards.

A terrifying killing intent locked onto him; the terrifying feeling was just like that of a prisoner bound to an execution platform, looking up as the guillotine fell.

"what!!"

Zhen Yue roared and raised his strongest defensive ability, [Xuanwu Phantom], unleashing all his might. At the same time, he couldn't help but curse inwardly: When you were fighting Qing Yu, were your movement speed and attack speed this terrifying? This is like opening up an entire Pacific Ocean!

The war tyrant didn't care about his thoughts, and just focused all his strength on bringing down the blood spear. The spear tip tore through space and landed on the [Xuanwu Phantom] that Zhenyue had just condensed, bursting out with a sound like the sky collapsing and the earth splitting.

"boom!!!"

The terrifying power crushed the earth beneath Zhenyue's feet through the [Xuanwu Phantom]. Spiderweb-like cracks spread rapidly in all directions. The once solid land was now as fragile as tofu under the absolute violence of the war tyrant, and could be crushed at will.

Beneath the illusory image of Xuanwu, Zhenyue struggled to hold up his shield in defense, his breathing becoming extremely rapid, and his eyes trembling with unprecedented fear.

because
His [Xuanwu Phantom] was actually pierced and shattered by this guy's spear. That was a top-tier S-rank talent with unparalleled defensive power. Zhen Yue was confident that he could withstand even the attacks of a hegemon of the same level.

However, it was still punctured!

What kind of attack power is that!

The next moment, under Zhen Yue's horrified gaze, the War Tyrant swiftly withdrew his blood spear, changed his posture with extremely efficient and agile movements, and launched another attack on the [Xuanwu Phantom].

"boom!!"

After the explosion, Zhen Yue realized that the damage from this attack seemed less than before. If that was the case, then he could still manage a little more.
Before he could think any further, the War Tyrant's next attack arrived, with explosive and terrifying roars raining down like a storm. This was not a single attack, but a relentless barrage of blows.

"Boom boom boom boom!!"

The turtle shell of [Xuanwu Phantom] cracked with more lines in a short period of time. At this rate, Zhenyue's innate defense might not even last 5 seconds.

"Snapped!!"

The outer shell of Xuanwu was completely shattered, turning into countless emerald fragments that drifted and dissipated in mid-air. Inside, Zhenyue still had a blank look on his face, as if he hadn't digested the information. His fighting instincts made him continue to defend, but at this moment, his mentality had already begun to crumble.

The blood spear fell again, its terrifying power instantly sending Zhen Yue flying, turning him back into a cannonball that ricocheted rapidly through the forest.

Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, the twelve-meter-tall War Tyrant moved. His enormous size made him move with lightning speed. He shattered the earth and left afterimages as he ran, returning to the top of Zhenyue's head with thunderous speed.

The crimson spear roared like a dragon, piercing Zhen Yue's body. Under the horrified gaze of the opponent, the war tyrant pulled out the spear, and crimson blood splattered across the sky.

Then, a barrage of continuous thrusts erupted, without a word or any further communication, just a relentless assault.

Crimson blood stained the earth; the incredibly resilient Zhenyue had finally fallen.

【Battle Victory】

Your ranking has risen to the top of the leaderboard.

As Zhen Yue's shattered body dissipated, the War Tyrant reverted to his original form, Ye Mingqiu. Looking at the spot where Zhen Yue had disappeared, he said, "Not bad tankiness. You are the strongest defensive psionicist I have ever seen."

Meanwhile, Zhenyue, who had returned to the safe zone, silently hid in his room, wrapped in a small blanket in the corner, his eyes trembling.

He might need some quiet time.

(End of this chapter)