Chapter 249: The Whole City Boils
Hu Lei’s voice echoed through the venue, making all the experts of the City of Light Chasing fall silent for a moment.
The Flame Horn Tribe youth’s strength had already been proven for all to see. Even the first Vice City Lord had been taken out, and he could still gain this kind of boost in combat power two more times. Who could possibly defeat that?
“Since none of you dare to step up, and Di Luoya has no intention of giving up the City of Light Chasing, then let us prepare for a battle between our two sides now,” Hu Lei looked around. Seeing both unwillingness and fear in the eyes of the various races’ experts, he let a faint smile curl at his lips and said, “Of course, I am not some cold-blooded creature. As long as, right now, someone among you is willing to hand over half of your resources and city control areas, I can guarantee I will not attack you.”
“Otherwise, once you step out this door, you and your people should never dream of taking even half a step out of the city again!”
As Hu Lei’s words fell, silence returned once more. All the races in the City of Light Chasing hesitated endlessly.
All-out war between cities, due to the restrictions of the Domain City, forbade large-scale destruction and slaughter within city limits, especially against ordinary people. So when cities vied for control in the Wushan Region, as long as the two City Lords’ strength was roughly equal, they would blockade each other in the wilderness, so that no one could do business or transport supplies.
But for a dominant side like Star Tower City, they could directly blockade a city, making it impossible for those inside to get out at all.
Though each major city could produce resources and food, far more still had to be obtained from outside, especially cultivation resources for martial artists, such as monster meat, minerals, herbs, and so on. Those were raw materials provided long-term by individual resource towns.
Once they could not leave the city and outside goods could not come in, remaining in the city would become meaningless. They might even be assassinated from time to time. After all, in full-scale war between cities, the Domain City only forbade large-scale destruction and the slaughter of ordinary people; it did not forbid killing martial artists.
If a faction competing for a city had a ruthless enough heart and did not care that the city they took over would be damaged, unable to function normally, they might even choose to fight inside the city, directly destroying the bases and strongholds of the major factions there.
Now Star Tower City intended to directly blockade the city. Unless all of them charged out to fight desperately, they would only be slowly worn down to death by Star Tower City.
But making them directly hand over half of their accumulation and the regions they controlled was no different from demanding half their lives.
Their people had lived in the City of Light Chasing for many years. Losing half of their accumulation was one thing, but losing half of their resource intake meant not only that their current cultivation resources would be greatly reduced, it would also become a major problem for their existing clansmen’s martial artist cultivation. The number of future martial artists would drop sharply, let alone cultivating a new generation of strong experts to sustain their race.
“So this is your true purpose in proposing a death match,” City Lord Di Luoya stared hard at Hu Lei, his gaze full of fury yet completely helpless.
“You thought you could use the matches to stall for time and thus have a chance to invite stronger external reinforcements. How could I not see that?” Hu Lei said with a smile. “But unfortunately, in the face of absolute strength, you will only lose faster.”
The death match could indeed buy Di Luoya more time, but it was also his best chance to establish the Holy Blood Mercenary Group’s prestige in the City of Light Chasing. After all, if the various races did not know how powerful the Holy Blood Mercenary Group was, they might follow Di Luoya in a death match to the end, causing both sides to suffer heavy losses.
Now that the Holy Blood Mercenary Group had demonstrated overwhelming strength, the other races had to seriously consider whether they wanted to die together with Di Luoya. It might even be that Di Luoya would not die, and the Three-eyed Tribe would not necessarily decline much. After all, with Di Luoya, this Blood Condensing Realm master, the Three-eyed Tribe could completely search for a new large energy vein, build a new city, and even make it a city exclusively theirs.
But the other races of the City of Light Chasing were different. If all their Bone Forging Realm experts died, then even if Di Luoya held the City of Light Chasing, they would completely withdraw from its center.
With two options in front of them, the advantages and disadvantages were obvious. Without the support of the various races’ experts, how could the less than one hundred Bone Forging Realm experts of the Three-eyed Tribe contend with the thousands of Bone Forging Realm experts of Star Tower City?
“Fine. You are ruthless enough.” Di Luoya looked at Hu Lei, took a deep breath, stood up, and turned to the experts of all races behind him. He spoke with extreme solemnity. “I know what you are all thinking right now, but today I can promise you this. No matter who it is, anyone who steps into the arena today, regardless of win or loss, I will give them five thousand energy crystals, and I will pay immediately before the match.”
As Di Luoya spoke, everyone looked at him in disbelief. Even Hu Lei could not help looking his way.
Five thousand energy crystals.
For a City Lord, that might not be much, but five thousand energy crystals per person stepping onto the stage was a tremendous outlay.
At five thousand per person, ten people would be fifty thousand, a hundred people five hundred thousand.
Five hundred thousand energy crystals was about the sum of his many years of accumulation.
In contrast, the experts of the various races in the City of Light Chasing all started breathing a little faster. Some Bone Forging Realm experts’ eyes even turned slightly red.
Five thousand energy crystals might not mean much to a City Lord, but for a Bone Forging Realm martial artist it was a huge amount. At least for weaker races, they simply could not produce that many energy crystals in one go.
If a Bone Forging Realm Beginner Level martial artist obtained that much, they would have a chance to break through to the Advanced Bone Forging Realm. For someone with talent, they might even become a Top Bone Forging Realm Expert.
“Five thousand energy crystals. City Lord is truly generous,” in the crowd, Elder Xiang’s eyes lit up. “Then let this old man go and give it a try.”
“Elder Xiang, you must not,” Xiong Yuedie hurriedly tried to stop him. “These five thousand energy crystals may be good, but they are money the City Lord is paying for lives.”
“Of course I know that,” Elder Xiang said with an easy smile, completely unconcerned. “This old fellow does not have many years left. If I can exchange my life for five thousand energy crystals, that is a great bargain. With those five thousand energy crystals, you can definitely gain admission to the Domain City. Once you enter the Domain City, you will have a great chance to step into that next realm. With you and Lin Qi, our human race will not have to worry about restoring its former glory.”
“Elder Xiang, you are still the pillar of our race. If our human race can no longer remain in the City of Light Chasing, we will still need you. Let me take this match instead,” Wu Zhuoqun also tried to dissuade him. “I know my own limits in this life. Reaching your level would already be good for me, and who knows how many years it would take for me to do so. It would be better to convert that into resources now. Maybe that way you will become a Top Bone Forging Realm Expert.”
As Wu Zhuoqun spoke, several other middle-aged Bone Forging Realm experts of the human race started arguing as well, all wanting to earn this life-buying payment in exchange for the future of the younger generation.
And it was not only many among the human side who were moved; the Bone Forging Realm experts of all races were tempted.
Five thousand energy crystals was more resources than many Bone Forging Realm experts could earn in a lifetime. Whether left to future juniors of the race or to the family, it would be capital for their rise.
“At five thousand per person, we can indeed send some old fellows,” the Winged Tribe’s elegant noblewoman could not help feeling tempted as well. “With that many energy crystals, I would have a real chance to learn an Extraordinary Martial Skill. Then I could go to another city and become a Vice City Lord. It would not be impossible.”
“Looks like we will have to sacrifice some people,” the golden-haired middle-aged man of the Ape Clan said, his face filled with excitement.
As a Top Bone Forging Realm Expert, he might be a notable figure in any city. But if he brought his tribe to migrate and live in another city, it would be difficult to carve out a place. In every major city, as long as a race was not extremely weak, there would usually be at least one expert like him. With so many races competing in one city, a newcomer would be suppressed and find it hard to develop.
But a Vice City Lord Level expert was different. Even if they moved to another city, they could quickly establish themselves again.
Before long, more and more experts of all races in the hall wanted to sign up.
“Di Luoya, I really underestimated you,” Hu Lei looked at the many Bone Forging Realm experts behind Di Luoya eagerly signing up, and he was very surprised. “You are that sure that your people, once they reach the Domain City, can find outside reinforcements?”
He had originally wanted to use the matches to exhaust the supporting forces of the various races in the City of Light Chasing in one go. After that, he could focus on dealing with Di Luoya’s Three-eyed Tribe and seize full control of the City of Light Chasing at minimal cost.
He had not expected Di Luoya to bleed so heavily. Now, if Hu Lei refused to continue the matches, he would lose in terms of aura and momentum, and instead cause the various races of the City of Light Chasing to listen more closely to Di Luoya.
“Hu Lei, you may have invited the Holy Blood Mercenary Group, but do you think my years as a City Lord were for nothing?” Di Luoya said with a cold smile. “You probably do not know this, but back then I invested in quite a few geniuses who were admitted to the Domain City. Most of those investments were wasted, but after so many years, I still managed to gain one success.”
“Investing in geniuses entering the Domain City?” Hu Lei was a bit stunned.
He had never imagined that Di Luoya had been doing something so thankless behind the scenes, and for so many years, as if he had too much money to burn.
It was true that geniuses admitted to the Domain City had extraordinary potential, but those who could truly step into the Blood Condensation Realm were extremely rare. Moreover, for this city battle, Blood Condensation Realm experts could not take action. Even if one was brought over, it would not change the situation at all. At most, it would make Hu Lei offend that person. Compared to the resources of an entire city, what did offending one Blood Condensing Realm master in the Domain City matter to him?
The rules set by the Domain City were clear. As long as its bottom lines were not touched, the Domain City would not interfere. Besides, many Blood Condensation Realm experts in the Domain City often received courtesy from City Lords like them. It was not always the other way around.
There were many Blood Condensation Realm experts in the Domain City. Though each was a notable figure there, they did not truly have much say.
“Do not worry. That person is not a Blood Condensation Realm expert,” Di Luoya seemed to see Hu Lei’s disdain and chuckled. “He is only a Bone Forging Realm martial artist, but not an ordinary one. He was a top-twenty competitor in the last Four Regions Youth Competition.”
“You really are lucky,” Hu Lei’s expression darkened. “You actually managed to latch onto the thigh of a top-twenty competitor from the Four Regions Youth Competition. But coming from the Domain City will take a lot of time. Do you really think your people can hold out that long?”
For ordinary people in the Wushan Region, and even for many high-level figures of various races, the Four Regions Youth Competition might be something they had never even heard of. But as City Lords, they occasionally had opportunities to watch.
Forget the top twenty. Even a top-fifty competitor was a monster-like existence, at least having mastered an Extraordinary Martial Skill qualified to enter an elite sequence.
As for the top-twenty competitors of the Four Regions Youth Competition, they could rival Blood Condensation Realm experts. They were truly pinnacle geniuses.
If a top-twenty competitor really came to help, this plan to seize the City of Light Chasing would become extremely troublesome and might even fail.
“We will not know unless we try,” Di Luoya said, glancing at those signing up.
Now all he could do was gamble, gamble that those signing up could hold out until that person arrived.
“Fine. Then let us see how many people you have for us to kill,” Hu Lei glanced at the Bone Forging Realm experts signing up, then looked toward the Flame Horn Tribe youth on the arena and barked, “Captain Tuan, there is no need to hold back against the next opponents. Finish it quickly.”
“Not hold back?” The Flame Horn Tribe youth sounded somewhat bored. “All right. It might violate my aesthetics, but you are the employer.”
For the Star Tower City commission, he had not really wanted to come. He was competing for the Vice Leader position now. But because Hu Lei and his Leader had some relationship, he had no choice but to come deal with these city folk who did not understand true slaughter.
As the second match began, an intermediate-level Bone Forging Realm old man of the Crystal Race stepped onto the arena. After the robot’s cold voice announced the start of the match—
Boom.
Before anyone present could even react, Tuan had already withdrawn his spear. A large hole had appeared in the Crystal Race old man’s chest, and he died on the spot.
“He is dead already?”
“So fast. How can his spear be that fast? I am Advanced Bone Forging Realm, and I did not even catch when he struck. Is he really Bone Forging Realm?”
The Bone Forging Realm experts of all races outside the arena stared blankly at the Crystal Race old man who had dropped dead.
They had known Tuan was strong, and that even Vice City Lord level experts were not his match, but they had never imagined he was this strong.
“Can we send the next one?”
Hu Lei swept his eyes over the suddenly silent Bone Forging Realm experts of all races and smiled as he looked at Di Luoya.
Though Tuan was only a Captain of the Holy Blood Mercenary Group, he was one of the young men most favored by their Leader, very likely to inherit the position of Leader in the future. Naturally, his strength was unquestionable. He was not some fool who only relied on Transformation to boost combat power, but a true genius.
Tuan had mastered three Extraordinary Martial Skills.
He had techniques for attack, defense, and footwork. Even for a top-twenty competitor of the Four Regions Youth Competition, defeating Tuan would not be easy.
At this moment, Di Luoya watched in silence, his face shifting unpredictably as he hesitated over whether to send people up.
Too fast.
He had known that those who went up would surely die, but with death coming this quickly, even killing a hundred of them would not take long.
Just as Di Luoya’s head was pounding, a voice rang out that made the entire venue fall silent.
“Lord City Lord, if someone wins the match, what price would you be willing to pay?”
As this calm voice spread through the crowd, everyone turned toward the speaker.
The one who had spoken was none other than the new Vice City Lord of the City of Light Chasing, Lin Qi.
