This time, Jin Zhenhuan finally had absolute confidence. In his view, the physical fitness test of the 400-meter hurdles was much more about strength than skill.
With Li Xiu's physical condition, let alone matching him, he would surely lose even against the administrators, perhaps even unable to finish in under 38 seconds.
"It seems you are very confident this time." Li Xiu looked at Jin Zhenhuan and said calmly.
This composure annoyed Jin Zhenhuan, who sneered, "With absolute strength comes confidence naturally. Are you ready to face death?"
"Not yet, at least I won't lose in the first round." Li Xiu said lightly.
Jin Zhenhuan sneered, "Who gave you the confidence? Can you run under 38 seconds with your physical condition? Even if you can, you won't be faster than the administrators, you'll still die in the end. It's too late to apologize now, and I can't help you."
Li Xiu said nothing, just quietly warmed up, waiting for the trial to begin.
The countdown to the trial ended quickly, and as the invisible barrier beyond the starting line disappeared, everyone sprinted forward desperately.
Li Xiu was running too, his eyes determined, arms swinging wide, every step full of power and rhythm.
Having undergone several body-enhancing trials, Li Xiu's originally decent physical fitness had already improved to some extent, making his speed noticeably faster than the average human.
However, compared to the administrators, he was still a bit slower. Before the first hurdle, a certain distance had been opened up. Basically, all the administrators were ahead of Li Xiu, with Jin Zhenhuan in the lead.
Those behind tried desperately to catch up, but couldn't, and in their hurry, accidentally hit a hurdle, causing their bodies to explode.
Cries of agony and explosions kept ringing out. A Fei couldn't bear to watch anymore; she didn't want to witness Li Xiu's failure and death, so she used her Abstention Skill and exited the race midway.
"Li Xiu, taste what it's like to only see my back!" Jin Zhenhuan ran ahead, having enough energy to look back at Li Xiu.
This look surprised Jin Zhenhuan. Li Xiu, who had been left behind by the administrators before the first hurdle, was already catching up behind them after two or three hurdles.
"How is this possible?" Jin Zhenhuan was stunned, completely beyond his expectations.
In terms of physical fitness, Li Xiu shouldn't be able to catch up with the administrators, yet he forcefully did.
At another hurdle, Li Xiu overtook the last administrator, rising to twelfth position.
That administrator was already somewhat panicked, and being overtaken by Li Xiu made him even more flustered. He accidentally hit a hurdle, his face changing dramatically, his body exploding into blood before he could scream, splattering all over Li Xiu.
Li Xiu wasn't affected at all, continuing to maintain his rhythm.
Everyone can run, but few truly understand running.
Speed is indeed the essence of track and field events, but technique must not be overlooked, especially in hurdles.
The distance between hurdles, how many steps to run between each, the length of each stride, where to jump, the posture over the hurdle, where to land, even the rhythm and amplitude of breathing and arm swinging, all were within Li Xiu's calculations.
But those administrators who relied solely on physical strength and lacked technique wasted a lot of time. Approaching the hurdles, either they were too far or too close, needing to decelerate and adjust their rhythm, or after hurdling, landed incorrectly, requiring bodily adjustments.
Their speed looked fast, but on closer inspection, it wasn't smooth. Li Xiu's movements were incredibly fluid, watching him run was almost inexplicably pleasant.
With unmatched rhythm and robot-like standard and stable movements, Li Xiu slowly overtook another administrator, reaching eleventh position.
Ten... nine... eight... Li Xiu continued to surpass administrators with better physical fitness and faster speeds, causing their mental states to collapse. Carelessly, another administrator hit a hurdle, exploding with blood everywhere.
"Damn it!" Jin Zhenhuan was furious. Although Li Xiu's rhythm was unmatched, it still seemed impossible for him to catch up with Jin Zhenhuan; at most, he could manage sixth or seventh place.
But such a position was enough for Li Xiu to survive, which made Jin Zhenhuan feel humiliated.
He had no other options though; the finish line was just ahead, and after clearing the last hurdle, Li Xiu reached sixth position.
Yet, when hurdling over the last hurdle for the sprint, Li Xiu was overtaken by three administrators, finishing in eighth place; his pure speed couldn't match those administrators.
Li Xiu was panting heavily, his chest feeling like it was burning painfully; he had exerted all his energy. He turned to look at the big screen, seeing his result of 37.58 seconds, narrowly making it under 38 seconds. He thought to himself, "The body enhancements over this period were quite effective; my previous results were far worse."
After 38 seconds passed, all who hadn't crossed the finish line met their demise.
"You got lucky this time, but next round, you won't be so fortunate." Jin Zhenhuan walked over, coldly staring at the still gasping Li Xiu.
"There won't be a next round." Li Xiu knew his physical condition; entering another round would surely lead to death, and he wouldn't take on something without confidence.
"If you dare to quit, I'll kill you once you're out." Jin Zhenhuan said fiercely.
"You won't have the chance." Li Xiu simply ignored Jin Zhenhuan, took off his bracelet, and left the Trial Ground.
"I'll kill you!" Jin Zhenhuan's angry roars echoed within the Trial Ground.
How could Li Xiu be afraid of Jin Zhenhuan's threat, having long understood that even if Jin Zhenhuan left him alive, Old Gu wouldn't allow him and A Fei to participate in the next trial.
The next trial was of great importance, and except for A Fei, it must all be their own people, leaving no room for Li Xiu.
Back at the Blue Stone Gate, Old Gu and the others were somewhat surprised to see Li Xiu come out.
A Fei, not yet escorted back to her room, looked at Li Xiu in disbelief, not understanding how he survived, as it was supposedly impossible.
Two soldier-like administrators came to take the Demon Core brought by Li Xiu, but at the moment of the search, Li Xiu instantly seized a gun and took control.
Leaning against the stone gate, Li Xiu locked the administrator's neck with one arm, using him as a shield, while holding an assault rifle with the other hand, pressing the muzzle against the administrator's head.
Other administrators immediately aimed their guns at Li Xiu, and the two Magic Armor Masters also looked over.
"Li Xiu, what are you trying to do?" Old Gu coldly stared at Li Xiu.
"Naturally, I'm trying to survive." Li Xiu said calmly.