Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Five days later, at the Central Training Ground.

This is a crucial match for Chen Lin in the semi-finals; the winner will advance to the top 50.

The atmosphere in the top 50 qualifying rounds was completely different.

More high-ranking wizards with profound auras appeared on the viewing platform, clearly indicating that the higher-ups of the stronghold had begun to pay attention to these outstanding contenders. The arena was larger, the protective shield was stronger, and the referees were now official wizards.

Chen Lin's opponent was Baroque Rock Shield, a level four late-stage wizard apprentice with a towering, towering physique and rock-gray skin.

He comes from a family of guardians of the fortress, specializing in earth-based defense and strength enhancement. He is a well-known high-defense wizard apprentice in this selection competition and is known as "Iron Wall".

"Chen Lin? That workshop owner?"

Baroque's voice boomed like a bell, tinged with a hint of disdain.

"I heard your little vines are quite capable of clinging to people? Too bad, they're all made of paper in front of me!"

He clashed his fists together, producing a dull thud. His grayish-white skin instantly hardened, as if covered with a layer of rock armor, radiating a heavy earth-elemental energy fluctuation.

The referee wizard, expressionless, announced: "Number 527, Chen Lin, versus Number 18, Baroque Rock Shield. Rules as above. Begin!"

Baroque roared and, instead of launching a ranged attack, charged straight at Chen Lin like a heavy chariot!

With each step he took, the arena floor trembled slightly!

This is a typical tactic of using brute force to overcome skill, relying on strong defense and strength to crush the opponent!

Chen Lin remained calm and did not immediately raise the vine barrier as usual.

He pushed off with his feet, his body moving nimbly to the side, while several vines burst from the ground and wrapped around Baroque's legs!

"A mere trick!" Baroque neither dodged nor evaded, a flash of light appearing on the rock armor on his legs!

Puff puff!

The entwined vines were easily broken apart as if they had hit an iron wall!

He didn't slow down; his massive rock fist, accompanied by a whistling sound, slammed into Chen Lin's face! Earthy-yellow energy condensed on the fist's edge, its power astonishing!

Chen Lin seems to have no way to avoid it!

A gasp rippled through the audience! Tamir, standing beside Liria, curled a cold smile at the corner of his mouth.

Just as the fist was about to strike!

A fierce glint flashed in Chen Lin's eyes! He did not retreat, but instead swung his right arm forward sharply!

"Thorn Armor!"

hum!

A strange armor, dark gray and shimmering with a cold metallic luster, woven from countless fine, sharp thorns, instantly covered his right arm and chest!

Metal spikes stood upright on the surface of the armor, shimmering with a faint halo of dark gold and pale blue light!

boom! ! !

A dull, drum-like roar exploded! The Baroque's rocky fist, powerful enough to shatter monuments, slammed heavily onto the thorny armor!

The scene of Chen Lin being blasted away as expected did not occur!

The thorn armor fluctuated violently, with dark gray light flowing around it!

The metal spikes at the point of contact with the fist bent and even broke off slightly under the immense force, but the main body of the armor stubbornly withstood this terrifying blow!

More importantly, the earthy yellow energy condensed on Baroque's fist was absorbed and nearly one-third of the time by the strange force field on the surface of the thorn armor, like a mud ox sinking into the sea!

The remaining impact force was transmitted to Chen Lin through the armor, causing his blood to surge and him to take three steps back, but he was not injured!

"What?!" Baroque felt as if his fist had smashed into a strange metal covered in spikes that could absorb energy. The recoil made his arm go numb, and a portion of the energy he had gathered mysteriously disappeared!

For the first time, a look of astonishment appeared on his face!

Chen Lin used the momentum of his retreat to steady himself, his eyes gleaming even colder!

A thought flashed through his mind!

"Counter-stab! Paralyze!"

Under Chen Lin's mental guidance, the spikes at the point of contact between the thorns and the armor trembled violently as if they were alive!

The broken, sharp fragments, mixed with highly concentrated neurotoxins, pierced the rock crevices on the surface of Baroque's fist like tiny poison needles!

"Ugh!" Baroque felt a sharp pain and intense numbness in his fist!

Although his rock-like skin provided incredible defense and limited the penetration of toxins, this sudden disruption momentarily halted his movements!

Now! To conserve his mental energy, Chen Lin instantly removed the thorny iron armor from his right arm. Several vines, entwined with dark gold and jade patterns and with tips flashing with pale purple poisonous light, emerged like poisonous dragons from their caves. Taking advantage of the moment when Baroque's arm was paralyzed and his defenses were breached, they fiercely stabbed at the joints of his rock armor!

At the same time, he exerted force with his feet, and his body moved around to the side and rear of Baroque like a ghost!

Baroque roared, trying to turn around to defend himself, but the numbness in his arm and Chen Lin's tricky angle made him a beat too slow!

puff!puff!puff!

The vines precisely pierced the weak gaps in his rock armor, such as his elbows and knees!

The tenacious vines, imbued with the ferocious power of the Bloodthirsty Vine, frantically probed inwards!

A highly concentrated neurotoxin was injected along the vines!

"Roar!" Baroque roared in pain, feeling a tearing pain and intense numbness in his joints, and his movements instantly became stiff and sluggish!

The rock armor on his body flashed wildly, trying to shake off the vines, but the vines were exceptionally tough, like a bone-deep infection!

Chen Lin pressed his advantage relentlessly. He knew that Baroque's defense was too strong, and he had to strike decisively!

He concentrated all his mental energy and guided the source of the Bloodthirsty Vine in his right arm!

"Bloodthirsty Poison Ivy - Spiral Cleaver!"

The vines that pierced the Baroque joints instantly expanded and tightened, then drilled inward like a drill!

A dark golden light shone brightly, and a terrifying force of chiseling erupted!

At the same time, the paralyzing toxins of the snake vine and the piercing effect of the remaining thorns of the golden thorn wreak havoc inside the wound!

Crack! A teeth-grinding sound of shattering rang out!

Under the combined attack from both inside and outside, the rock armor at the Baroque elbows and knees developed spiderweb-like cracks!

"Ah—!" Baroque let out a shrill scream, his massive body crashing to his knees!

The excruciating pain and numbness temporarily rendered him unable to fight!

"Stop!" The referee wizard instantly appeared on the stage, his powerful mental energy sweeping over Baroque, confirming that Baroque was incapacitated, and loudly announced: "Chen Lin, number 527, wins!"

The entire room fell silent!

Everyone saw that strange, thorny armor that could absorb energy impacts!

Seeing Chen Lin defeat the strong with the weak, accurately finding the weakness of "Iron Wall" Baroque, and using even more ferocious vines to strike with spiraling blows to break through the surface, he successfully defeated it!

Chen Lin retracted the vines, slightly panting.

The Thorn Armor's defensive and damage-reflecting effects are immediate, but its consumption is indeed enormous.

He glanced at Baroque, who was kneeling on the ground, his face contorted with pain and resentment, then turned and walked off the ring.

Successfully advanced to the top 50!

Chen Lin had no time to rejoice; this was only the initial qualification to participate in the Southern Region Trial. His lack of ranged attack and movement speed still troubled him. To complete his plan, he had to find a way to make up for these two shortcomings before entering the trial.

Master Liria's eyes showed even stronger surprise and admiration. Tamir's expression, however, was more complex.

Chen Lin's path as a wizard has gained further brilliance.

The integration of Jin Jingji allowed Chen Lin to finally address his defensive weaknesses before the start of the single round-robin tournament, giving him the ability to compete with true elites.

The real challenge, however, is only just beginning as the points race approaches.

He clenched his right fist, feeling the newly formed, metallic thorn-like power, and stared sharply at the leaderboard of the points competition.