The Administrator swiftly charged towards Afei, gaining speed, and by the time he reached Afei, he suddenly leaped up, his right knee aiming at Afei's face.
Using the momentum from the acceleration, this knee strike was swift and fierce. He wanted to quickly deal with Afei.
In his view, Li Xiu's physical capabilities were far inferior, posing little threat. Once he disposed of Afei, dealing with Li Xiu wouldn't take much time either.
Afei raised both arms to shield his face, forcibly blocking the Administrator's knee strike.
The fierce force caused Afei to stagger backward continuously, and his arms were knocked aside.
Upon landing, the Administrator immediately executed a sprint step, his right elbow thrusting upwards, aimed at Afei's jaw.
Afei had no choice but to evade, being pummeled by the Administrator's ferocious onslaught, forced to dodge left and right without any power to counterattack.
"Smart!" Li Xiu secretly praised.
Afei, after the first head-on encounter, had already discerned that the Administrator's physical capabilities and skills surpassed hers, and directly confronting him wouldn't work.
So from the start, Afei never intended to settle the score with him.
The countdown timer had only over five minutes left. As long as this period was endured, the Administrator would have to return to the starting line to participate in the trial.
No one would risk their life for a friend, at least that Administrator was unlikely to be such a person.
Li Xiu, however, did not share this thought, for even if they could endure to today, once that Administrator was out, he might use even nastier tricks against them.
If trouble could be solved here, why make it more troublesome?
Li Xiu glanced at the other administrators, who were merely watching, and seemed not inclined to intervene.
Determined, Li Xiu hesitated not, directly rushing towards the embroiled pair.
Though his speed and strength naturally couldn't match the Administrator's, this didn't mean he lacked the capital for an all-out effort.
Magic Armor Masters generally had weak physical conditions; most had not undergone physical enhancements.
But this didn't mean their combat skills were lacking; in fact, in terms of pure combat skills, Magic Armor Masters were definitely not weak.
Combat skills were also crucial for Magic Armor Masters, so they all received professional combat training.
Not to mention that the coaches training Li Xiu's combat techniques were all Fighting Masters, even his sparring partners were top-notch combat skill experts.
Li Xiu also possessed an absolute orderly intuition, allowing him to learn any skill upon seeing it once, combined with years of battling magic spirits, honing his intuition and combat skills in life-and-death scenarios. He too could be considered master level in pure combat skills.
As Li Xiu rushed forward from behind, the already irritated Administrator grew even more enraged.
His ferocious assault had failed to severely injure Afei, which had already displeased him, and Li Xiu dared to launch a surprise attack, further aggravating him.
At the moment Li Xiu closed in behind the Administrator, he shifted weight to his left leg, leaning forward while twisting his waist violently, swinging his right leg backward like a steel whip aimed at Li Xiu's rear.
This kick was swift and fierce, with an extremely tricky angle, instantly reaching the side of Li Xiu's neck.
This extremely fierce and swift kick unexpectedly missed.
Li Xiu dodged by crouching down as if he had anticipated the move.
But the Administrator's assault hadn't ended. As his right leg landed, he shifted his focus to his right leg, leveraging his momentum to swing his left leg out.
This kick was faster, fiercer, and trickier than the previous, a technique called "Crocodile Tail Swing" from Muay Thai. Though basic, it was highly practical, combining strength and skill. Under his execution, it possessed a ruthless authority that seemed unrivaled.
But just as his left leg was raised, he suddenly noticed Li Xiu already beside him, nearly plastered against him.
Li Xiu, after dodging his right leg by crouching, did not retreat as normal people would, but instead charged forward, exploding strength from his calves, with his lowered body's center driving forward like a striking cobra, instantly arriving before the Administrator.
Almost simultaneously, Li Xiu's fist, fueled by his momentum, struck fiercely at the Administrator's groin, while the Administrator's leg also whipped Li Xiu's body.
Due to the proximity, the Administrator's kick hadn't fully unleashed its strength, merely causing Li Xiu to stagger two steps aside.
Conversely, Li Xiu's direct groin strike had the Administrator screaming in agony, clutching at the groin, unable to straighten up, his legs collapsed inwards like an awkwardly staggered woman, and trembled violently.
Body fortification is segmented to areas. Even hard-to-fortify areas, despite multiple enhancements making them far sturdier than average, remain relatively fragile.
A Trial Taker fortified to be entirely invulnerable wouldn't come to such places to be an Administrator.
Most Administrators here were mere guards, no different from regular soldiers.
Afei, hesitating not, swung a full-force whip-kick, her powerful long leg slicing towards the side of the Administrator's head like a blade.
With a bang, the Administrator's face twisted into malformation, teeth and blood spraying out, his body being hurled sideways.
Before he fell, Li Xiu landed another punch on his face, deforming it completely, dislocating his jaw, spraying blood, and throwing him towards Afei again.
Bang-bang! Bang-bang!
Under Li Xiu and Afei's collaborative assault, the Administrator was battered and beaten around, his face covered in blood, twisted and mangled beyond recognition.
"Stop," the surrounding Administrators rushed over, forcing Li Xiu and Afei back.
Unfortunately, everything happened too rapidly, as they rescued the Administrator, he had already lost consciousness.
"You dare kill an Administrator?" The leading Administrator glared at Li Xiu and Afei, speaking grimly.
"If not kill him, stand here and get killed?" Afei refused to yield, confronting the leading Administrator.
The Chief Administrator glanced at the countdown, coldly saying, "Finish the trial, settle this outside. Wake him up."
Uncertain whether the Administrator's body was robust or the rescuers skilled, injured this severely yet was truly revived.
Yet seeing him sway unsteadily, unable even to stand, completing the trial seemed impossible.
Nobody paid him further heed, as the countdown neared its end, with other Administrators returning to the starting line, ready to face the impending trial.
"Why help me?" Li Xiu asked Afei beside him, lowering his voice.
"Because I want to leave Abyss Base alive," Afei answered pointedly, also lowering his voice.
"Discuss later," Li Xiu saw the countdown nearing its end, focusing instead on completing the trial, as speaking here seemed inconvenient.
As the countdown ended, the intangible barrier outside the starting line vanished, and nearly simultaneously, everyone charged forward, racing ahead desperately.