I gain permanent defense when attacked; even gods and demons can't hurt me.

Chapter 356 Gathering in the capital, this is simply outrageous!

"call-

—

Lin Yuan exhaled a long breath of scorching hot air.

He forcibly suppressed the almost boiling excitement in his heart and slowly turned around.

He looked at Gu Zhi, his expression becoming more solemn and serious than ever before. He straightened his clothes and put his feet together.

Then, to Gu Zhi's astonishment, Lin Yuan bowed deeply to the master forging expert who had devoted so much of his life to the craft.

"Thank you, Old Gu."

This [Undying Black Dragon Set] is the culmination of Gu Zhi's tireless efforts, so this gift is well-deserved.

"Hahaha! You brat, why are you trying to pull this on me!"

Gu Zhi was taken aback when he saw Lin Yuan's solemn expression, and then he burst into hearty laughter.

Although his voice revealed an undeniable weakness, it was full of energy and exuded a sense of exhilaration.

He waved his hand casually and said nonchalantly, "I've spent my whole life forging iron. To be able to personally forge equipment of this caliber and see it flourish in your hands, I feel my life has not been in vain!"

Koji stood up. Although his body was somewhat hunched, his gaze was as sharp as a hawk's.

He stepped forward and patted Lin Yuan's broad shoulder heavily, his eyes full of expectation and satisfaction.

"Lin Yuan, you must remember that although this Black Dragon Set is currently incredibly powerful, it is only in the initial awakening stage."

"The potential of equipment without level restrictions is limitless; it can continue to grow and improve in the future."

"However, that would require even rarer and more terrifying materials to be remelted and cast."

"But at your current level of 50, this partially completed Black Dragon set is absolutely beyond your capabilities."

"There are only three days left until the National Games assembly. Take this to the National Games and show me the might of our nation!"

"Let those self-important foreign geniuses know that angering the Black Dragon of China will result in their utter destruction!"

"Don't worry, Gu Gu, I will make the whole world tremble because of this black dragon armor in this National Games."

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Having received official notification from the command headquarters, Lin Yuan was finally about to set off for a secret location in the capital to assemble.

Meanwhile, in the War Academy, the top prodigies of the senior year, Chen Yu and Long Ying, as well as the sophomores Chu Tianxing and Ji Qingyue, also received the notification.

Based on the roster allocation, Chen Yu and Long Ying, with their formidable strength and profound experience, naturally became the starting players.

Chu Tianxing and Ji Qingyue were selected as substitutes.

Lin Yuan wasn't surprised that Chu Tianxing got a substitute spot.

After all, Chu Tianxing was one of the top four contestants in this school-wide regional nomination competition, and he already had a nomination vote for the top four.

As for the remaining two tickets, given the Chu family's immense power and resources in the capital, obtaining them wouldn't be an insurmountable task.

So, in front of the academy's helipad, Lin Yuan and Chu Tianxing both looked at Ji Qingyue standing to the side.

Faced with the two men's curious gazes, Ji Qingyue's delicate face flushed slightly, making her appear somewhat embarrassed.

"Don't look at me like that."

Ji Qingyue explained in a low voice, "Actually, after being eliminated in the quarterfinals, I also thought that I definitely wouldn't be able to make it into the National Team."

"But after my parents found out, they seemed to use a lot of connections in the family and managed to get me three nomination votes."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan and Chu Tianxing exchanged a glance, both secretly astonished.

Whether it's the Chu family or the Ji family in the capital, they are both super families.

Many of the elders in these enormous families hold high positions of power in the military or political spheres.

It's not surprising that they would swallow their pride and ask for a few nomination votes for the sake of their family's future generations.

After all, given the background and influence of these powerful families, many people are willing to go along with it and give them this kind of face.

This is the advantage of having a powerful family background; you're already far ahead of ordinary people from the very beginning.

Afterwards, the five of them boarded the specially arranged plane and headed to the capital.

The cabin interior of the airplane was not luxurious, but it exuded a cold, metallic feel and was very defensive.

Chen Yu and Long Ying sat opposite Lin Yuan, greeting the three of them and chatting about their upcoming itinerary.

"Lin Yuan, what kind of monsters do you think will be the other spots on the National Team?" Chen Yu asked curiously.

Long Ying wiped the longbow in his hand and continued, "The Imperial Capital Academy and the Demon Capital Academy will definitely take the lion's share, after all, they have quite a few geniuses there."

"I wonder if there are any dark horses lurking in the shadows, after all, this is the highest level competition representing the country."

Lin Yuan listened to their discussion with a calm expression, only responding with a few words, without much concern.

For him, it doesn't matter who his teammates are, as long as they don't hold him back on the battlefield.

After several hours of smooth flight, the plane finally began its slow descent.

After the plane came to a stop, the five people disembarked one by one and headed to a gymnasium at the Imperial University.

The entire floor of the incredibly spacious stadium was paved with deep-sea gold that could absorb high-level magic.

At this moment, seven young and imposing figures were already standing in the center of the venue.

Whether they were standing or sitting, each of them emanated a terrifying energy fluctuation far beyond that of their peers.

Lin Yuan's gaze calmly swept over the seven people, and the omniscient and omnipotent entry instantly analyzed their information clearly.

Besides their three starters, there are four other starters here.

In the shadows of the left corner, leaned a young man dressed in black leather armor, his eyes cold and indifferent.

He was toying with a pitch-black dagger in his hand, and there was almost no trace of human life about him.

Name: Ye Wuhen

[Class: Phantom Blade (Assassin Class)]

[Level: 58]

Beside the assassin sat a gentle-looking girl dressed in a pure white robe, surrounded by holy light that brought peace to anyone who looked at her.

Name: Su Xiaoxiao

【Class: Holy Light Priest (Support Class)】

[Level: 57]

In the very center of the conference room stood a thin young man with his eyes closed, seemingly resting.

The air around him seemed to be subtly distorted, as if he didn't belong to this space.

Name: Mo Chen

[Class: Void Walker (Space-based Class)]

[Level: 59]

The last official selection was a burly giant with a height of over two meters and a body full of bulging muscles.

His skin was crackling with violent arcs of lightning from time to time, brimming with explosive power.

Name: Lei Kuang

[Class: Thunderous Warrior (Melee Physical Class)]

[Level: 58]

After looking at the four starters, Lin Yuan turned his attention to the other three substitutes.

A stunningly beautiful girl, dressed in a light blue dress and exuding a cool and refined aura, is quietly gazing out the window.

[Name: Shui Nuo]

[Class: Envoy of the Azure Sea God (Water Mage, possessing both powerful control and group healing abilities)]

[Level: 56]

Beside Shui Nuo stood a young man whose entire body was shrouded in a thick tower shield and heavy armor.

He held a massive tower shield in one hand and a broad knight's greatsword in the other, his eyes radiating arrogance.

Name: Zhao Tianhai

[Class: Holy Shield Paladin]

[Level: 58]

When Lin Yuan's gaze fell on the last substitute player, his brows furrowed slightly.

The last person turned out to be an old acquaintance.

Name: Qin Tian

[Occupation: Dragon Rider]

[Level: 51]

Qin Tian!

The young master of the Qin family in the capital was also the captain of the capital academy during the freshman exchange competition, and was repeatedly defeated by Lin Yuan!

Lin Yuan never expected that the guy he had publicly humiliated would actually make it into the National Team.

Seeing Qin Tian here, a chill ran through Lin Yuan's heart.

It wasn't just because of past personal grudges; more importantly, Lin Yuan had long known that the Qin family in the capital and the Abyss Order had an unspeakable collusion!

This group of scourges of humanity has actually dared to extend their reach into the National Team, which represents the highest honor of the nation.

Although he had already reported this matter and had Chen Qingxuan investigate it secretly.

But so far, it seems that no decisive clues have been found, otherwise Qin Tian would not be standing here unharmed.

"It seems I need to find an opportunity to defuse this time bomb," Lin Yuan thought to himself.

Meanwhile, the other seven people in the conference room were also sizing up the five-person group from the War Academy who had just entered.

When their gazes swept over Chen Yu, Long Ying, Chu Tianxing, and Ji Qingyue, their eyes held a mixture of approval and wariness.

After all, these people were all above level 55, and their equipment was not ordinary.

However, when everyone's eyes finally focused on Lin Yuan, who was walking at the front, the atmosphere in the conference room suddenly became somewhat strange.

Because they could clearly see that Lin Yuan was wearing a special badge on his chest that represented the captain of the National Team!

However, according to their keen perception, the level aura emanating from Lin Yuan was only level fifty-one!

Level 51!

How can someone who has just crossed the level 50 threshold be allowed to wear the captain's badge that represents supreme command?!

Most of them had been fighting on the front lines of the abyss or in secret realms and had never watched the War Academy's competition recordings.

They were unaware of Lin Yuan's completely unreasonable counter-damage mechanism.

The Holy Shield Knight named Zhao Tianhai was the first to lose his temper.

He took a step forward, the heavy knight's greatsword in his hand striking the alloy floor with a crisp sound.

"So you're Lin Yuan, the captain they've already chosen?"

Zhao Tianhai slightly raised his chin, looking down at Lin Yuan with undisguised contempt in his eyes.

"I heard you're a sophomore at the War Academy, a mere freshman in your 51st year. You think you're worthy to stand here?"

"What qualifications do you have to lead us, the students of the class of '58 or '59?' Based on your delicate, fair skin?"

Zhao Tianhai's provocation instantly shattered the tranquility of the conference room.

Seeing this, Qin Tian, ​​who was standing to the side, had an extremely sinister glint in his eyes, and he immediately joined in to fan the flames.

"Brother Zhao is right! This kid must have pulled some strings!"

Qin Tian stared at Lin Yuan with gritted teeth, as if he wanted to devour him alive.

"Back then, during the freshman exchange competition, he cheated by wearing a strange turtle shell."

"On the international stage, those top foreign talents won't tolerate you! Making him captain is tantamount to playing with all our lives and national honor!"

Although Qin Tian shouted loudly, he cleverly hid behind Zhao Tianhai.

He knew full well how terrifying Lin Yuan's strength was, and how powerful his strange counter-attack was; he dared not be the one to stick his neck out.

He simply wanted to use Zhao Tianhai's arrogance to kill someone else and give Lin Yuan a warning.

The other people in the stadium remained silent, simply watching with their arms crossed.

They also wanted to take this opportunity to see what this captain was capable of, or if he was just a pushover.

If Lin Yuan can't even handle this little provocation, they will definitely submit a joint petition demanding that this captain be replaced.

Faced with Zhao Tianhai's blatant humiliation and Qin Tian's insidious provocation, Chen Yu, Long Ying, and the other members of the War Academy frowned and were about to step forward to argue.

Lin Yuan slightly raised his hand to stop them.

He slowly stepped forward, his gaze as deep and unfathomable as a cold pool, calmly watching Zhao Tianhai, who stood before him like an iron tower.

There was no anger, no shouting, only a chillingly absolute calm.

"boom!"

Suddenly, an indescribable, terrifying, and bloodthirsty aura erupted from Lin Yuan's body!

That was the true killing intent of a soldier that had been tempered and refined after countless battles in the Blood Moon Fortress in the Northwest, after enduring the onslaught of a million beast tides!

This aura was mixed with the mournful howl of the Abyss Demon Lord upon his death, so heavy that it seemed to freeze the surrounding air completely.

The temperature in the entire conference room plummeted to freezing point in that instant!

Those geniuses who had initially been watching with a detached, spectator mentality suddenly changed drastically, feeling as if they could hardly breathe.

Their pride in hierarchical superiority was rendered utterly fragile and laughable in the face of this palpable killing intent.

Lin Yuan stood there casually, but he gave the impression of a death god who had just returned from hell.

He looked at Zhao Tianhai, his voice cold and devoid of any human emotion.

"Since you don't respect me as your captain, the simplest solution is to have a fight."

Lin Yuan's voice echoed in the empty conference room, making everyone's eardrums ache.

"If you beat me, I'll offer you the captaincy without hesitation."

"But if you lose," Lin Yuan's eyes instantly turned sharp as knives, "then pack your bags and get out of here right now, quit the National Team!"

"Dare you?"

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

No one expected that this boy, who was only at level 51, would have such a fiery temper and such a domineering attitude!

Without any rhetoric, they directly wagered the National Team's spot, deciding their fate in one battle!

This isn't just confidence, it's downright arrogance!