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墨書 Inktalez
Within the Shielding Array, the four teams were clearly defined, each occupying their own space.
The last to arrive, the Qing Shan Cultivators, had the largest number of members and appeared to be in the best condition.
One of the Qing Shan Cultivators glanced at Zhu Xiu and said to Luan Kuanda, "Luan, my friend, I am also plotting what you seek. Why should I ally with you when I do not trust you? Moreover, even if our plans succeed, will there be enough Foundation Pills for everyone?"
The One-armed Cultivator smiled faintly and replied, "Fang Tooth Friend speaks plainly. Then I will get straight to the point. Have you all managed to get past Yama Mountain?"
Suddenly, the Qing Shan Cultivator stood up and exclaimed, "Yama Mountain? How many are there?"
The One-armed Cultivator's expression darkened as he said, "When I left, there were still eight. Tu Ba should be behind me; for the current count, you will have to ask Tu Ba."
At that moment, a dozen gazes turned towards the Yellow-Haired Cultivator.
The Yellow-Haired Cultivator revealed a faintly sinister smile and said, "I managed to take down one. But when I left, there was still a team of cultivators trapped at Yama Mountain. If they do not return in the next couple of days, they will likely be corpses at Yama Mountain. If they manage to take down one, it would be a stroke of luck."
The Qing Shan Cultivator's face instantly turned pale as he sat back down.
Upon hearing Tuba Five's words, the One-armed Cultivator's expression changed several times.
He understood Tuba Five's capabilities, and this team was even more formidable than his own.
Although his team had suffered heavy losses before managing to flatten one Yama Mountain, Tuba Five taking down one should not have come at a greater cost than his own team's losses.
Currently, looking at their team, only these two remain. Both of them are drained of their magical power, but not physically injured.
This means that in this battle, there were no casualties. Or they did not give the injured a chance to escape.
Both possibilities are hard for Luan Kuanda to believe, especially the former. A cultivator who is injured in a battle will first try to escape as their strength declines.
Those like them, who have long walked the edge of life and death, each possess several lethal techniques.
They would never fight harder when severely wounded.
Regardless of the reason, Tuba Five's team is exhibiting extremely abnormal behavior.
In fact, Luan Kuanda has another concern, and this worry is growing stronger.
At this moment, Ku Zulan said solemnly, "Ahead lies Yama Mountain, and it only calls for us to unite. There is no possibility of retreating. I trust none of you will disagree with this."
The Qing Shan Cultivator nodded, "Naturally. Anyone who has come this far has seen mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Those who dare not step forward would never have reached this point."
Tuba Five's eyes lit up as he said, "I am ready to risk my life alongside my comrades. Several members of my team have fallen in the wild; I must ensure their remains return home."
It seemed that consensus was quickly reached.
Luan Kuanda suddenly asked, "Please speak frankly, Tuba. Have you encountered Yama Palace?"
The gazes of the other cultivators once again focused on Tuba Five.
Tuba Five smiled and glanced at Luan Kuanda, saying, "Is there a Yama Palace that could change our course? Indeed, there is a Yama Palace."
His words struck like a thunderclap, causing an uproar among the cultivators.
The existence of a Yama Palace was what truly terrified them.
Luan Kuanda reacted most strongly, almost indignantly exclaiming, "Are you trying to send us into the Underworld?"
Tuba Five retorted without hesitation, "If today's matter fails, how far do you think you'll be from the Underworld?"
This statement immediately silenced the clamor. The cultivators quickly regained their composure.
In truth, this was the reality; they were all seeking a Main Road amidst uncertainty. Now, with added difficulties, if they couldn't overcome this step, they wouldn't even dare to take it. What hope would they have for longevity or pursuing the Main Road?
After a moment of silence, the fanged one furrowed his brow and asked, "May I ask Tuba, how many Yama halls have come? Please do not speak falsely."
Tuba Five promptly replied, "Only one Yama hall; otherwise, how could we escape?"
The fanged one nodded. "If that's the case, there is still a glimmer of hope. We shall decide to fight for a Future."
Ku Zulan also nodded in agreement. "Having come this far, there is no retreat. Life and death can only be left to fate."
In an instant, the gazes of the cultivators turned back to Luan Kuanda.
In truth, Luan Kuanda had already lost hope for today's events. His injuries were too severe to guarantee his best condition.
Every step of the upcoming actions teetered on the edge of life and death. He was very likely to become one of the first casualties.
However, if the other three factions reached a consensus, he would have no chance to oppose.
It was either to join in or be silenced; there would be no third option.
Luan Kuanda then bluntly stated, "I will risk my life to accompany the noble," thus solidifying their decision.
This alliance also required a Demonic Oath; otherwise, with everyone harboring their own agendas, it would be impossible to achieve anything.
Just as the cultivators prepared to take the Demonic Oath, Fangya suddenly said, "It would be more prudent to decide on the distribution of the Foundation Pill after we succeed."
The other three factions immediately turned their gazes toward Fangya.
Ku Zulan replied, "Naturally, it should be distributed according to the effort put in. Discussing the Foundation Pill now might be premature."
Fangya shook his head. "Not at all. Unless something unexpected happens, the success or failure of this matter rests solely on us. There will be no additional participants. Everyone must exert their utmost effort; this is unavoidable. Regardless of how many remain in the end, I must fight for some benefits for my brothers. We cannot end up with nothing and leave our brothers disheartened."
The cultivators exchanged glances, quickly understanding Fangya's intentions. Ku Zulan fell silent and began to ponder.
Luan Kuanda coldly laughed and said, "Don’t think that just because you have more people, you will get more. At most, you will just start taking first."
After saying this, he glanced at Tuba Five intentionally or unintentionally. Fangya's expression softened slightly as he was about to retort.
Tuba Five waved his hand and said, "You will at most come in second. If Big Mei hasn’t made a move, I don’t believe anyone would dare to act first."
The tusks leaped up as if bitten by a snake, exclaiming, "Mei Sanli?" As soon as these words were spoken, nearly half of the Zhu Xiu present jumped in shock.
Tuba Five smiled slightly, saying, "I have yet to see Big Mei, but Thunderstorm is right before us."
Luan Kuanda's face lit up with joy as he said, "That means Big Mei has most likely arrived, or perhaps has even gone deeper."
Tuba Five shook his head. "No, Big Mei is too cunning and would never act rashly. Besides, Mei Sanli and Thunderstorm have always been inseparable. Even if they are at the forefront, it is Thunderstorm's business. They wouldn't push Big Mei to the front. I am more worried that Mei Sanli intends to use us as cannon fodder."
Ku Zulan laughed. "If Mei Sanli hides deeper, he can naturally make use of us. But once he exposes himself, he can only join forces with us. There’s no reason for him to play the fisherman."
Tuba Five nodded and slightly moved his lips, transmitting a sound.
At the same time, a voice reached Xunuo and Thunderstorm's ears: "Thunder friend, you two seem lonely; why not come over for a chat?"
Xunuo was startled and turned to look toward the Shielding Array. Thunderstorm sighed with a wry smile and gestured for Xunuo to join him.
Xunuo and Thunderstorm entered the Shielding Array and saw that space had already been made for them inside. Thus, the discussion shifted from four parties to five.
Thunderstorm greeted everyone with a cupped fist salute and exchanged a few pleasantries before sitting down on the ground. Xunuo remained silent; there truly was no place for him to speak here.
Thunderstorm also didn’t know what these people were plotting, so he refrained from speaking lightly and merely observed them with an expressionless face.
The four leading Cultivators looked at the two and pondered for a moment. Luan Kuanda spoke first: "It has been seven years since we last met at the auction in Cloud City with you, Thunder friend. Time really flies; you’ve even got some gray hair now."
Thunderstorm nodded and replied, "I assume you all called me over not just for old times' sake."
Luan Kuanda smiled awkwardly. Ku Zulan interjected, "Those who come here are not for reminiscing. Our purpose is the same, and there's no need for me to elaborate. I ask Thunderstorm to come forward; we are here solely to discuss an alliance. I also request Big Mei to make her presence known so we can deliberate on this matter."
Thunderstorm glanced at the four of them, furrowing his brow and said, "So, you have already formed an alliance?"
Luan Kuanda replied, "We have not officially allied yet; we are merely waiting for Big Mei's call to action."
Thunderstorm's frown deepened as he anxiously asked, "Could there be unforeseen complications?"
Tuba Five cleared his throat and nodded, "Indeed, that is the case."
He proceeded to explain the situation regarding Yama Palace and Yama Mountain appearing in the unknown area of Underground City. The more Thunderstorm listened, the graver his expression became, until he finally bowed his head in contemplation.
The other factions understood that this news was shocking for everyone involved. However, he ultimately had to agree to the alliance and patiently awaited the outcome.
As expected, Thunderstorm eventually consented to the alliance and candidly stated that Mei Sanli would arrive a few days later.
Regarding the distribution of Foundation Pills, since this operation involved a collaboration among five factions, they decided to follow a customary practice: after the mission's success, each faction would receive one Foundation Pill. The remaining ones would be distributed based on individual contributions.
Each faction's single Unity Pill would ultimately be handed over to their respective leaders.
Xunuo noticed that Thunderstorm did not push for an additional Foundation Pill and sought one for himself instead. He had no choice but to suppress his dissatisfaction and began calculating in his mind.
Thunderstorm refrained from demanding an extra Foundation Pill because he understood that as long as this operation yielded more than five Foundation Pills, there would certainly be one for his faction.
Based on past practices at Cloud City's Foundation Pill auctions, each auction typically featured at least ten Foundation Pills. Thunderstorm felt quite assured about this.
Xunuo felt uncertain about obtaining the Foundation Pill through his own abilities. However, he quickly realized that the most important thing was to survive; it was hard to say how many would ultimately make it out alive.
Even if he couldn't secure a Foundation Pill for himself, he could still try to snatch one away from someone else.
His own magical power and spells were inferior to those of the others, but that didn't mean he lacked ways to deal with them. With this thought, Xunuo felt a sense of relief.
Although Mei Sanli had not yet arrived, Zhu Xiu decided to infiltrate the next space in batches to establish a forward base. After all, with so many people around, attracting attention could lead to future troubles.
Xunuo had a lot on his mind as he prepared for what lay ahead.
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