ASER - Chapter 120
Chapter 120: Accepting the Challenge
Her armor was wrecked, her defenses weakened, her spiritual body listless, and her Spiritual Power exhausted. Yet, A'Diao, true to her greedy nature, charged into the dense swarm of barnacles.
Suicide?
Han Zhuo had also fled, but when he looked back, he saw that some of the overwhelming swarm of barnacles had split off to chase him, while even more pursued that Zhao Ritian. This was because Zhao Ritian, even at that critical juncture, hadn't forgotten to snatch away the Reef Whale's corpse.
Such a huge creature, gone?
She just took it like that?
Then how vast must her storage space be?!!!
However, it was indeed true that this had provoked the frenzied attacks of those barnacles.
Han Zhuo's mind almost blanked, but he gritted his teeth and fled at his fastest speed.
Meanwhile, A'Diao was also desperately fleeing for her life, trying to shake off the sky-obscuring swarm of barnacles that relentlessly pursued her. However, before she could lose them, she sensed a school of sharks lurking in the depths of the nearby sea...
Damn it!!
I only killed one of your Shark Kings! It's not like I desecrated your ancestral graves! Can't you just go home and nurture another level-six one?
And you still want to fight me to the death over this!
A'Diao fumed inwardly. While consuming pills, she used the meager amount of Spiritual Power she had left to continuously eliminate the barnacles clinging to her.
Three hours later, A'Diao, having finally shaken off the barnacle swarm, spotted the lighthouse of a station in the distance. Torrential rain poured down, the sky was dim, and in the distance, thunder suddenly roared, with white light flashing intermittently.
Her tattered armor was covered in bloodstains, looking even more wretched after being covered by the barnacles.
The exhausted A'Diao was about to fly towards the station when several cultivators, also heading for the station, suddenly approached her.
"Friend, are you also here to seek refuge?"
"Some Demonic Spirits have surrounded the waters near the station. They gathered here a couple of days ago, apparently intending to hunt us. It's very dangerous, so why don't we team up?"
As they spoke, these individuals moved closer. When the distance between them shrank... they exchanged glances, preparing to attack A'Diao.
A'Diao rolled her eyes. With a wave of her hand, a bolt of lightning struck these individuals with malicious intent, turning them to charcoal. After collecting their storage equipment, she sped up her flight.
The commotion was considerable. Over a thousand cultivators had already gathered on the island, partly due to military orders and partly because they themselves sensed the danger. Being mostly congregated there and idle, they naturally observed the changes in the sea, especially since the incident wasn't far off.
Seeing A'Diao's ruthlessness, many were astonished.
Some had indeed noticed the malicious intent of those individuals and knew they deserved their fate. However, more people were wary of A'Diao's overwhelming power, fearing she might be hostile.
A'Diao soon landed in the square of the island station.
The stationed soldiers, witnessing her ruthlessness, immediately went on alert, their attention fixed on her, just as they were about to inquire about her identity.
However, someone else beat them to it.
"You killed them? How audacious!"
Some cultivators from the island station, likely acquainted with the deceased, flew over together.
These people could see that A'Diao was currently a spent force. One of them, the leader, said fiercely, "Where did this ruffian come from, attacking and killing people on sight? Don't you know that infighting among humans is forbidden on this island? Everyone, this person is so hostile, she should be..."
Boom!
A'Diao casually tossed out two level-five energy talismans, blasting the man to pieces. If she had killed someone outside, it might have been explainable, but now she was flagrantly defying the rules. Yet, the military personnel's first reaction was to be stunned by the power she unleashed with a mere wave of her hand.
Were those... level-five energy talismans?
Heavens, where did this incredibly wealthy, money-burning tycoon come from!!!
Before they could react, A'Diao flicked her other hand, and a massive, mountain-like pile of Three-headed Shark corpses crashed to the ground.
The overwhelming stench of blood billowed out, nearly making everyone faint.
All the cultivators at the entire island station were utterly stunned.
Heavens!
Xiao Yuanbao had already extracted the Spirit Cores from these corpses within the dimensional space, but the bodies themselves were still useful.
"There are a total of three thousand Three-headed Sharks here, plus their BOSS. Count them for me immediately and calculate the military merit. Based on the merit, I can be promoted to the corresponding rank of Commander of Ten Thousand. By the way, what is the highest military rank on this island?"
"Com-Commander of a Thousand."
"Very good. Then I'm in charge now."
A'Diao raised her hand, wiped blood from a wound on her body, and said coldly, "I raided their lair and deliberately left my blood scent. The remaining eight or nine thousand of them have been hunting me all this way. They've lost their senses now and will arrive here in about a day. This is a perfect opportunity for an ambush. By the authority of the highest-ranking officer here, I order you to immediately enter a state of combat readiness. Anyone who disobeys or causes trouble will either get lost or share his fate."
The blood scent had actually been left unintentionally, a flaw in her escape. But this person was cunning, immediately thinking to use the station's cultivators to deal with the ensuing threat, framing it as an opportunity rather than a disaster she had caused.
Hypocritical, despicable, shameless.
But as long as she succeeded, everything would be fine.
If she failed, she'd be finished too. However, she was clearly confident; at least Toilet could see her self-assurance.
If one person could take down a BOSS and three thousand sharks, couldn't this many people handle eight or nine thousand?
As for resisting her? Look over there—the fragments of the person she just blasted were still warm.
She flicked the blood from her hand, her gaze sweeping over everyone on the island. With a faint smile, she said, "Follow my command, and I guarantee all these sharks will be left here by tomorrow. Spirit Cores and military merit—you'll have plenty of both."
With that, she departed, leaving behind the mountain of shark corpses and the crowd, whose hearts had turned cold with fear.
No killing on the island?
Rules are made by the strong, and often, they are also broken by the strong.
It didn't take long for A'Diao to gain the acceptance of the cultivators on the island. The pile of corpses and the body of the level-6 BOSS were the most irrefutable evidence.
She had to be at least at the Upper Rank of the Transcendent realm, and quite possibly even stronger—at the very least, she was incredibly wealthy.
"Cultivation, combat prowess, and wealth... It's too terrifying."
"Did you see her casually using those level-five energy talismans? Aren't those things incredibly difficult to acquire, even in Kyoto? They're basically monopolized by the top echelons of power there. We in the five surrounding provinces have no way to get them."
And when she announced that a swarm of eight to nine thousand Three-headed Sharks was imminent, the others dared not disbelieve and immediately began to prepare nervously.
However, the extent of their preparations was limited; their primary focus was on awaiting the commands of this Lord Zhao Ritian.
Not long after A'Diao entered the station, her military merit was tallied, and her rank officially became Commander of Ten Thousand. She used her authority to requisition the energy needed for her armor, replenishing its reserves, and had the military's repair specialists mend it. Soon after, the station's Commander of a Thousand arrived and reported to A'Diao that the current military garrison comprised just over five hundred personnel.
"There are a total of twelve hundred cultivators. Their cultivation levels vary, but most are B-rank or A-rank. We also have 10 experts who are Forbidden Masters at the Transcendent realm."
Ordinarily, commanding these Forbidden Masters would be exceedingly difficult. However, A'Diao's methods were brutally effective, and these individuals, knowing they were outmatched, became much more cooperative. Now, all eyes were on how she planned to take down the eight to nine thousand Three-headed Sawtooth Sharks.
In truth, the combined strength of the station was not insignificant, and they had a good number of personnel. However, compared to the shark swarm, they were still severely outmatched.
"Summon all the A-rank cultivators and Forbidden Masters."
The Commander of a Thousand complied. In the conference hall, 300 A-rank cultivators and 10 Forbidden Masters were seated. When A'Diao arrived, they didn't ask questions, simply waiting to see her plan.
They weren't fools, after all. This region, the undersea caverns, was a place where fortunes were made by slaying Demonic Spirits. If you didn't fight them, where would resources and military merit come from?
Logically speaking, luring the Demonic Spirits from their lair to a defended location was already an advantage.
The issue was the sheer number—eight to nine thousand. It was truly overwhelming, and they lacked confidence.
"There's no other option. You can't defeat them underwater. A prolonged battle on land would allow them to surround us and attack the energy towers from below the water. But we can use a stratagem."
A'Diao didn't waste time on unnecessary talk. The so-called stratagem was...
"I'm skilled with talismans and know a bit about formations. I need your cooperation. If we execute this well, we can succeed this time."
"If you don't cooperate, then it won't succeed."
"Which path to take, you choose for yourselves."
A'Diao wasn't seated in a high position. Having been constantly on the move and stirring up trouble, she was exhausted. She was currently devouring a bowl of egg fried rice procured from the station kitchen, her eyes scanning the assembly as she ate.
"But let me be clear: anyone who wishes to withdraw now may do so without consequence. However, if you agree and then become a hindrance midway, I won't kill you, but I will cripple your cultivation."
After a pause, A'Diao smiled faintly. "That includes Transcendent realm Forbidden Masters."
Oh? Such bold words. The ten Forbidden Masters felt a flicker of displeasure and sneered inwardly: Even if you're slightly stronger than us, if it comes to a fight, even if we can't win, can't we escape? Just eat your egg fried rice and stop posturing!
But before they could fully mask their expressions, the 'posturing big brother' who was wolfing down rice slammed his other hand onto the table with a thud.
In his palm lay a Spirit Core.
The aura emanating from the level-seven Demonic Spirit Core made the Forbidden Masters—who had only planned to offer token cooperation and retreat at the first sign of trouble—collectively pale.
The entire hall fell into a deathly silence. The Commander of a Thousand and the others were dumbfounded: Where did this peerless powerhouse come from? Shouldn't he be in the A-zone? Why is he in the B-zone, and in an area with level-five and six demonic caverns at that?
Is he here on a charity mission?
While they remained silent, A'Diao began to have them report their innate talents and abilities, with a particular focus: who specialized in Wood and Earth elemental arts?
Dumping the pile of shark corpses was to establish military authority, intimidate the crowd at the station, and legitimize her own status. However, when it came to this group of A-rank cultivators and Forbidden Masters in the meeting, an ordinary Commander of Ten Thousand might not have been enough to truly cow them.
These individuals generally had influential backgrounds and might not fully comply with her arrangements. If they were to secretly slack off, it would hinder her efforts to make money.
Not allowed, absolutely not allowed!
Therefore, A'Diao acted swiftly, ruthlessly, and decisively. With two consecutive power plays, she had thoroughly awed them. Things would be much easier to manage now.
A day later—actually, less than a day, around the early hours of the morning... The already dim, rain-swept sky was now utterly pitch black. The only light came from the distant glow of lightning.
Flashing intermittently, it starkly illuminated the surging waves of the sea and cast the cluster of buildings on the island in a mottled, silent tableau.
Faintly, a dense mass of dark shadows approached from the deep sea to the south. Those on the surface, regardless of how close they were to the water or how advanced their equipment, could not currently detect the Demonic Spirits lurking in the depths.
Unless rare A-grade or B-grade detection-type Forbidden items were brought from Kyoto for a high-efficiency search, they could only wait for the Demonic Spirits to surface.
These sharks actually possessed considerable intelligence, being level-five creatures after all. However, as the saying goes, a group of clever individuals squabbling amongst themselves is less effective than three simpletons who can cooperate.
Had it not been for the prolonged pursuit of A'Diao, which forced them to coordinate, and had the largest and most intelligent shark not established its authority through the unwavering goal of hunting A'Diao, this swarm would likely still be in their lair, fighting to the death among themselves.
So, this was akin to when Qu Jiangnan had initially placed A'Diao in their group... unifying the entire class had relied solely on A'Diao's provocations.
At this moment, the new Shark King, after silently circling and scouting the island's foundations, returned to the swarm and issued several commands.
Before long, a group of sharks surfaced and launched an attack on the cluster of buildings situated two to three hundred meters away on the shore.
Although they were in the sea, they could manipulate water for ranged attacks, which were perfectly effective within a few hundred meters. Thus, when their attacks bombarded the buildings, many structures intended as rest areas for cultivators were instantly destroyed. However, the main buildings activated emergency mechanical energy shields, withstanding the initial assault. Subsequently, ranged artillery emplaced at various points locked onto the group of Three-headed Sharks on the water's surface.
A dense volley of light-based attacks rained down, but the sharks had already dived beneath the surface. Lasers, particle cannons, and similar attacks could only strike the water, sending up massive plumes of spray.
After one wave, they attacked again.
The ocean was their greatest shield, its energy seemingly inexhaustible. Yet, the cultivators dared not venture into the sea to pursue them, as the enemy swarm was simply too large.
But... where were the human cultivators?
Where were they?
The new Shark King sensed something was amiss and was about to order its forces to retreat.
Suddenly, dark clouds billowed across the sky.
The distant thunderclaps now sounded directly above them.
A minute earlier, as the shark swarm stealthily approached, A'Diao, with her formidable spiritual senses, had already detected their presence. She had preemptively gathered her chosen forces and hidden them within the clouds, leaving only the other cultivators at the station below.
Within the dark clouds, everyone had cast invisibility spells on themselves. Their 'Commander of Ten Thousand big brother,' A'Diao, with characteristic extravagance, directly tossed out twenty level-five invisibility energy talismans, activating them simultaneously for group concealment.
Everyone: "..."
Damn, so wealthy! Each one is a level-five energy talisman! Twenty of them must be worth tens of millions of star coins, right?
But in the next second, A'Diao produced another twenty speed-enhancing talismans in her left hand and twenty damage-boosting talismans in her right.
The onlookers nearly choked. They all simultaneously thought of a certain book—Currency Wars.
The ten Forbidden Masters secretly berated themselves: Before, I actually considered slacking off depending on the situation? My perspective was so limited! I deserve a slap in the face!
The military personnel were inwardly weeping buckets: If only our regular garrisons had such resources! What powerful enemy would we fear then? We'd just bombard them with talismans! Damn it, when will the military recruit more talisman masters? Can't we poach some from those circles monopolized by the rich and powerful?! A petition signed in blood by ten thousand people for this!
Once they were successfully concealed, A'Diao, with talismans clutched in both hands, instructed them to wait as planned, ready to strike at any moment.
Then, the shark swarm below launched its attack.
They began to gather their power.
The fish in the sea used the ocean as their shield and lair; the humans from the ground took to the sky, using the clouds as a concealing screen. This was also because the thunder element was most potent in the sky, and coincidentally, almost all cultivators practiced thunder-based arts. These arts possessed the greatest destructive power, effective against both humans and Demonic Spirits without reservation. Even those with little talent for thunder arts would endeavor to master a technique or two for practical purposes.
Lightning crackled densely within the dark clouds. The 300 A-rank cultivators and ten Forbidden Masters, who had been stealthily hidden with A'Diao, descended from the sky upon her command, wielding hundreds of staves to call down the thunder.
The scene resembled a veritable waterfall of lightning. The sky became a sheet of white brilliance, the electrical light dazzling and blinding—a grand spectacle, a massive investment, and spectacular special effects.
The B-rank cultivators within the station were somewhat stunned, their pupils reflecting nothing but a sheet of white light.
Ordinarily, when they saw A-rank cultivators, they didn't think much of it, believing they too would reach that level eventually. But at this moment, their sole thought was: "Why hadn't I reached A-rank before today? If I had, I would be one of them right now."
A thousand thunders, vast and righteous, descended upon the world to deliver judgment.
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