Chapter 154: Elimination Round in Progress

The steel airtight door of the Perennial Frozen Frontier slammed shut behind them, sealing out the biting cold and howling storms. Yet returning to civilization brought no relief—the acrid smell of smoke in the air was far sharper than Greenland's ice.

The tournament committee acted with extreme efficiency: less than twenty-four hours after the Final Round teams were confirmed, an encrypted briefing was sent to the two qualifying teams—"Jingyuan Technology" and "Chuangsheng Technology."

The briefing's content was brief yet shocking:

【Final Round Theme: Abyss Energy Collection】【Location: Mariana Trench, "Haiyuan" Extreme Research Base】【Mission: Maintain stable operation of the energy system at 11,000 meters below sea level, providing the "Haiyuan" Base's "Abyss Drilling Plan" with peak energy output no less than 300% of the baseline, duration—96 hours.】

The Mariana Trench! Earth's abyssal nadir! There, sunlight never reaches, eternal darkness reigns, and crushing pressures capable of flattening tanks abound, teeming with the unknown and peril. The "Haiyuan" Base itself was the crystallization of humanity's most advanced deep-sea technology, a forward outpost challenging the forbidden zones of life.

Placing the final match there was unmistakable in intent—to test the energy technologies truly capable of leading the future, under the most extreme conditions, closest to the edge of human comprehension!

"Eleven thousand meters underwater… 300% of baseline peak output… 96 hours…" Chen Ming stared at the briefing, his voice dry. "This isn't just a tech validation—it's outright suicide!"

Lei Zhan's face was grim as never before: "Boss, the environment there is a hundred times more complex than Greenland. Pressure, cold, corrosion, potential deep-sea biological threats… and 'Chuangsheng Technology' is watching from the shadows. If they move against us down there, the consequences are unthinkable."

Qin Feng's gaze swept over the briefing's dark cross-section of the abyssal trench, and deep within his pupils, flames seemed to burn. Pressure? Danger? This was precisely the Furnace he sought. Whether to elevate "Jingyuan" to the summit or to draw out and crush "Chuangsheng Technology" and the "Foundation" behind it, this last uncharted frontier of humanity was the perfect stage.

"Prepare for departure," Qin Feng said, his voice calm yet decisive. "Upgrade our system to the highest level of pressure resistance, corrosion protection, and sealing. We need specialized deep-sea carriers and support teams."

"Yes!"

While "Jingyuan Technology" frantically carried out adaptive modifications, the outside world had already erupted in frenzy over the announcement of the Final Round's location.

"Abyss Duel! The Ultimate Battle Between Qin Feng the Great Demon King and the Chuangsheng Queen!" "The Turning Point of Human Energy History! Who Will Rule the Future?" "Mariana Trench—A Life-or-Death Race Beneath Ten Thousand Meters!"

Media exhausted every hyperbolic term, painting the final as an epic clash. All eyes turned to the deep waters of the West Pacific.

Several days later, Guam Base.

Two vastly different specialized submersibles sat side by side at the dock. One was the sleek, specially modified "Deep Blue Explorer," chartered by "Jingyuan Technology"; the other was "Leviathan," owned by "Chuangsheng Technology"—more rugged, bearing clear biomimetic features, painted a dark crimson.

Under countless lenses and stares, both teams boarded their vessels.

As Qin Feng stepped through the hatch of the "Deep Blue Explorer," his gaze briefly met Liu Shiyin's, who was about to board "Leviathan." No words were spoken, yet the icy killing intent and resolute will collided in the air, nearly sparking invisible fire.

"Let's go." Qin Feng turned away and stepped inside.

The heavy hatch sealed, separating two worlds.

The descent was long and oppressive. Outside the viewport, the blue light rapidly deepened to indigo, then vanished into utter blackness. Only the submersible's own searchlights carved feeble beams through the endless dark, occasionally illuminating bizarre, never-before-seen deep-sea creatures that flitted past like ghosts.

The pressure gauge spiked wildly; external pressure climbed at an alarming rate. The submersible's hull groaned with a sound that grated the teeth, as if any moment it might be crushed by invisible hands.

"Depth 8,500 meters… 9,000 meters… 9,500 meters…"

The comms channel held only the pilot's calm readings and the faint hum of machinery.

Finally, after what felt like a century of descent, the submersible gave a slight jolt—the bottom touched solid ground.

"Arrived at 'Haiyuan' Base docking platform. Depth 11,000 meters."

Outside the viewport, a massive steel structure resembling a giant beehive emerged in the searchlight's glow—the "Haiyuan" Base, built on the trench's cliff edge. Several docking interfaces, like monstrous jaws, waited silently.

The "Deep Blue Explorer" and "Leviathan" completed docking with the base almost simultaneously.

The airtight door opened, flooding the cabin with cold air thick with metal, ozone, and the distinct fishy smell of the deep sea.

The teams of "Jingyuan Technology" and "Chuangsheng Technology" met again, face to face, at Earth's deepest point.

Inside the base, space was cramped, corridors labyrinthine, choked with pipes and cables. The environment was more oppressive than Greenland's Observation Station—the crushing pressure of the deep seemed to press directly against every heart through the thick hulls.

Under base staff guidance, both teams reached the core energy testing zone. Two independent, massive energy interfaces, connected to the base's Main Drilling Array, had been prepared. Around them, countless pressure-resistant sensors and monitoring devices lined the walls.

No rest was granted. The 96-hour extreme test officially began within one hour of both teams' arrival!

"Activate the system!" Qin Feng ordered.

"Jingyuan Technology" engineers moved swiftly. The specially reinforced Opto-Hydrogen Conversion Membrane Core was carefully installed into the pressure-resistant chamber and connected to the base's energy interface. A pale blue glow reignited, shining like a lighthouse guiding civilization through the abyss.

On the monitors, the energy output curve rose steadily, swiftly surpassing the baseline and advancing toward the 300% peak target. The system's stability and extraordinary energy conversion efficiency were laid bare—even here, at ten thousand meters.

On the other side, "Chuangsheng Technology" remained enigmatic. They installed their heavily shielded, organ-like core device into their test unit, even bringing a small, self-contained circulation system filled with unknown green fluid. When their system activated, the monitor lit up with an ominous, pulsing crimson glow. Output surged violently, instantly breaching the baseline and briefly nearing 350%—but the erratic, heartbeat-like fluctuations triggered multiple warnings from the base's monitoring system.

Liu Shiyin stood before the monitor, eyes blazing as she stared at the erratic curve, a near-maniacal smile curling her lips.

The elimination round, in this human forbidden zone, unfolded in silence.

Time crept slowly: six hours, twenty-four hours, forty-eight hours…

"Jingyuan Technology"'s system ran with flawless stability, its output astonishingly consistent—even providing surplus energy to parts of the base's living quarters, earning quiet admiration from the base staff.

"Chuangsheng Technology"'s system, though maintaining high output, grew increasingly unstable. The crimson glow flickered erratically, as if something violent raged within. Occasionally, low, bestial growls could be heard, transmitted through the metal structure.

Qin Feng stood before the observation window, gazing at the eternal darkness outside—and deeper still, the abyss that seemed ready to swallow all. His perception reached its peak: monitoring his own system, yet vigilantly alert to any anomaly from "Leviathan."

He knew Liu Shiyin and the "Foundation" would never accept defeat. In this isolated, ten-thousand-meter-deep ocean, any "accident" could occur.

The true elimination might not come from the rules—but from the abyss itself, and the fangs lurking in the dark.

Hour 72.

The anomaly finally struck.

But not through direct attack.

"Alert! Alert! Northeast external wall sensors detect abnormal large-scale biological signatures approaching!" "Energy readings chaotic! High-intensity bioelectric field eruption!" "Unknown deep-sea biological swarm! Attacking base exterior!"

Shrill alarms instantly pierced the entire "Haiyuan" Base!

Everyone turned pale. In this ten-thousand-meter-deep abyss, an unknown biological assault could mean structural collapse and total annihilation.

Qin Feng snapped his gaze to the monitor: on the external sensor feed, countless twisted, colossal shadows—emitting pale white or ghostly blue bioluminescence—surged from the abyssal dark, drawn by some unseen force, furiously battering the "Haiyuan" Base's hull!

And the point of heaviest impact… was unmistakably the area housing "Chuangsheng Technology"'s energy test unit!

Qin Feng's eyes sharpened like blades, locking onto Liu Shiyin.

It was her! "Chuangsheng Technology"'s unstable, bizarrely bio-energetic system had acted like a beacon—awakening these slumbering horrors of the abyss!

The elimination round, at this moment, had transformed into a true—survival contest!