An Mo stared at Shi Xiaobai's back blankly as his brows furrowed even deeper.
"Is my flute's music really that terrible? Why must you say that my thoughts are problematic?"
An Mo ruminated over the final words Shi Xiaobai had said. Moments later, he shook his head as he said with a sigh, "The value of a treasured sword depends on whether you regard it as a treasure or a sword? As for what profound meaning this sentence has, I really...can't figure it out."
An Mo thought for a moment before he gave up thinking. He then began heading towards Sunless's location.
The value of a treasured sword. Was this problem something worthy of study?
If he had the time, he might as well investigate the price of this large treasured sword.
...
...
In the quiet woods, the area was reeking with smoke as whispers filled the air.
Sunless was standing alone on an empty plain. There were no trees around her in a hundred meter radius.
She stood there silently with her eyes calm. She looked somewhat indifferent, and to a stranger, she looked like an ice-beauty who could topple countries with her beauty.
The Life and Death Assault had gone on for three minutes. During this period, there was no lack of pursuers that had rushed here. However, they were in no hurry to charge through the forbidden zone of a hundred meters. Even the best rookies of first-tier organizations could not withstand more than a few strikes.
The hundred-meter zone seemed to be an area no one could step through. Droves of rookies that came in pursuit had their Life Epaulettes shattered one after another. The most one could reach was a distance of fifty meters. It was no doubt a thrashing.
Sunless was this year's super rookie, a rare sword fanatic that appeared once a century. She was forecast to be third among the rookies, and her strength was redoubtable. She was on a completely different level from the other rookies.
The rookies obviously realized that attempting to make a breakthrough one after another was impossible. However, they were unwilling to give up at this moment. Hence, they began to spontaneously wait in the forest a hundred meters away from Sunless. They were waiting for enough pursuers to arrive.
One person was not enough, so were ten. But if a hundred people charged forward at the same time, regardless of how powerful Sunless was, there was no way for her to instantly kill a hundred people in those short hundred meters!
And if they could eliminate Sunless, who was bound to take a spot in the top ten, they would have an additional chance of entering the top ten candidates for the collective training. Hence, this was not a simple 'Life and Death Assault'. It had deeper meaning behind it, so it was worth it to do it at all costs, despicable or not!
More and more rookies gathered in the forest a hundred meters away. They were in whispers and waiting for their numbers to accumulate. They planned on rushing forward at the same time.
Sunless was still standing there silently. Even though the atmosphere which resembled the calm before the storm was repressing, she did not bat an eyelid. She did not choose to take the initiative to attack while the rookies were slowly gathering together. She was only waiting, as though she did not care how many people would rush at her when the time came.
In some people's eyes, this was the confidence and the courage of the strong.
But in the eyes of others, this was hubris, an act of thinking too highly of herself.
...
At this moment, on one side of the woods a hundred meters away from Sunless. There was a bunch of rookies gathered. The numbers were about to exceed a hundred people.
For a team on such a scale, it naturally needed a leader. It needed a few key figures with the authority to lead. If the timing and procedure to which the attack was carried out was not agreed upon, it would be a waste of time disputing.
At this moment, in the middle of the rookies were three people clustered together. They had become the temporarily leaders of the hundred-man team that would quickly dissolve.
They did not need impressive leadership skills. All they needed were strength and reputation to convince the crowd.
One of them was a curvaceous girl wearing tight leather clothing. Her hair reached her waist, and her hair was slightly permed. Her looks were delicate, but she was not considered beautiful. However her eyes that accentuated her appearance seemed to have an intelligence to them. She held a whip that could automatically expand and contract, causing others to involuntarily make weird associations.
This girl was rather famous among the rookies. Her name was Zhou Chuchu, ranked tenth on the official forecast.
Beside Zhou Chuchu was a youth dressed in armor. He looked average and there was nothing unique about him. However, his solemn expression and serious look in his eyes made him seem very reliable. This person was ranked ninth on the official forecast, Feng Yuanlin.
The third person was dressed in a loose robes. His hair was coiled up and he held a whisk. He was a youth dressed like a Daoist, named Liu Yu. He was known as the Half-Dao Sage and was ranked eighth on the official forecast!
These three were superstar rookies ranked tenth, ninth and eighth on the official forecast. They excelled in a particular domain, so they were well known by many rookies. Hence, these three were immediately chosen by the rookies as their 'leaders'. This was because only the three of them could command the masses.
The trio apparently knew each other and they were gathered together as they spoke softly. Their voices were lowered to the point of whispers.
The other rookies did not deliberately eavesdrop, but if they heard the conversation between the trio, they would probably faint from exasperation.
Feng Yuanlin said, "What do we do? Bite the bullet and charge forward?"
Liu Yu said, "Benefactor, This Penniless Priest notices that your glabella seems dark, that’s an ominous portent. Quickly take a look and see if mine is dark as well."
Feng Yuanlin nodded and said, "How can it not be dark? That is Sunless. If the three of us take the lead in the fight, aren't we just dooming ourselves?"
Zhou Chuchu was unconvinced as she said, "Sis Sunless may be mighty, but I can hold her down. Don’t look at my ranking. It's actually just an illusion. I just prefer to keep a low profile and only use a tenth of my true strength."
Feng Yuanlin said, "Alright, in terms of bragging, I'll only believe that you, Braggart Chu, are the best. However, I choose to believe you this time. Go on, since you are so mighty, you should lead the charge!"
Zhou Chuchu curled her lips and said, "No. It's so bad to have so many people bullying Sis Sunless. I won't be partaking in such an endeavor. I am only, only here to cheer Sis Sunless on!"
Liu Yu sighed and said, "Actually, This Penniless Priest does not like such form of bullying either. However...This Penniless Priest has inferred from Heavenly Dao and peeked into the secrets of heaven, and from that discovered that it's impossible to defeat Sunless in a one-on-one battle."
Feng Yuanlin sighed and said, "Your inference of the secrets of heaven sure is accurate. It will be a joke if one can win in a one-on-one fight with her. But to fight hundred against one, I can't do something like that! Shall...we not do a thing when the battle begins later?"
Zhou Chuchu agreed, "I was not planning on attacking in the first place. If I were to attack, would there be a need for you? I'll say, I'm here to be a cheerleader for Sis Sunless!"
Liu Yu said, "This Penniless Priest is in a dilemma as well. If Sunless is eliminated, one of the ten spots would open up. It's also beneficial for us, but for a group to attack one person, This Penniless Priest really can't do it. Just as Yuanlin said, we will not make a move when the time comes!"
Feng Yuanlin added on, "We can rush out halfway and retreat during the chaos midway. We can pretend...pretend to be sick?"
Liu Yu and Zhou Chuchu immediately approved of it with a nod of their heads.
The rookies were in whispers, discussing as to how to lay siege on Sunles
s. However, they did not know that their leaders had already betrayed them!
At this moment, an exclamation came from the front of the crowd.
"Pulp Farmer, Pulp Farmer is here!"
Everyone turned their heads over. They saw a youth about eight feet tall with thick eyebrows and large eyes, a broad jawline and cut facial features. He held a silver spear in hand as he walked over in a domineering fashion.
Who else was it but fourth on the official forecast, Pulp Farmer?
A number of people had their expressions drastically changed.
This was because they recalled of a rumor. It was rumored that Pulp Farmer had once said in his drunken stupor—Only this girl and her sword is something I can never forget.
Although the two of them had never interacted before, to the point of not even knowing each other, which heroic youth would not have his heart stirred by a girl as beautiful as a snow lotus like Sunless?
When everyone thought of this, they had a sense of foreboding.
However, they never expected that when Pulp Farmer came, the first thing he said was, "I'm not here to help her and it's completely the opposite. My goal here is to eliminate her myself."
Everyone was startled, as though they vaguely understood what had happened.
Someone immediately suggested, "Since Pulp Farmer is here, what are we waiting for? Let's begin attacking!"
...
...
In the mountains, Shi Xiaobai was proceeding forward at full speed. However, due to the great distance, he needed a little time before he could reach where Sunless was.
Suddenly, Shi Xiaobai saw a black-robed youth holding a bloody sickle walking slowly in front of him. The way he walked appeared extremely slow, but his speed was actually extremely fast.
However, Shi Xiaobai's speed was even faster. In a few seconds, Shi Xiaobai had overtaken the youth. When he passed by the youth, he turned to glance at him. All he saw above the black robe was an ugly face that seemed disfigured, but there was no attempt to hide it.
Shi Xiaobai frowned. He could sense an aura from the ugly youth that he extremely detested. He could not help but feel a sense of irritation.
However, Shi Xiaobai did not have the time to investigate this. He forcefully repressed the inexplicable sense of irritation as he quickly left the youth behind.
The ugly youth looked at Shi Xiaobai's back. Suddenly he took out a crumpled piece of paper, and on it, there were a few names.
"Sunless, kill!"
The ugly youth's voice was hoarse and dry, as though he was an old man in his seventies. "The list doesn't have...Tu Dahei."
"But...there's this urge to kill him. Then he shall be killed!"
...
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Chapter286 Professional Assist
"Since Pulp Farmer is here, what are we waiting for? Let's begin the attack together!"
A rookie suggested and immediately the crowd echoed him.
A few minutes had already passed. If this dragged on, Sunless would safely last the ten minutes and clear the level successfully.
The chances of snatching the opportunity to shatter the Death Epaulette was minute in a group attack. However, if they could eliminate Sunless, a spot in the ten openings, which was previously impossible to contend for, would open up. This was extremely alluring for every rookie present.
At this moment, Pulp Farmer suddenly said, "Attack together? No, all of you can just watch by the side. I said I'll eliminate her myself. None of you need to interfere, and none of you are to interfere!"
When everyone heard this, their expressions changed drastically. They never expected Pulp Farmer to have such an intention.
Immediately, a rookie who was not afraid to maliciously speculate shouted, "You want to hoard the Death Epaulette yourself? Or do you actually plan on helping Sunless clear the level? Are you deliberately using a duel to buy her time?"
Immediately, someone followed up, "He must be doing this to help Sunless. It's already rumored that Pulp Farmer likes Sunless. So how can he bear to hurt her?"
Everyone began a flurry of discussions.
"Pulp Farmer, you are truly strong, but Sunless's official forecast ranking is one spot higher than yours. Do you think you can eliminate Sunless yourself?"
"There's no need to think further. He must be here to help Sunless. Don't fall for it, everyone!"
"I will never agree to Pulp Farmer's suggestion anyway. If we are attacking, all of us are to attack. We can let Pulp Farmer take the lead, but anything else is out of question!"
"..."
The crowd immediately started to clamor. They did not believe Pulp Farmer would attack Sunless to begin with. And now, they found it impossible to believe that Pulp Farmer could eliminate Sunless alone. Conspiracy theories were abound.
Pulp Farmer's eyes turned extremely cold as he suddenly stabbed his spear deep into the ground, causing the earth to shake.
Everyone jumped in fright. Pulp Farmer was dressed in armor and looked majestic. He exuded a domineering air that made it unbearable for others to look at him straight.
Pulp Farmer surveyed the crowd and said with a sneer, "A bunch of fools. Even if a hundred of you were to rush forward, none of you are Sunless's match. Got it? If you do not want to be eliminated now, wait here obediently. This is not a suggestion but a warning. If you really want to attack together, go ahead. I'll clean up all of you spicy chickens in a minute!"
The moment this was said, everyone was immediately infuriated as they raised their weapons.
"Fuck, that's so arrogant!"
"Brothers, can we still tolerate this? I want to kill him!"
"Pulp Farmer, are you courting death!?"
"No, he's here to die in her place. He's trying to buy time for Sunless!"
"..."
The crowd's anger could not be appeased. Pulp Farmer did not engage in any further banter with them as he raised his spear and aimed it at the crowd.
Seeing that the battle was about to begin, Feng Yuanlin jostled out of the crowd and gestured with his hands, "Everyone, calm down! This is a good thing. Why are you stopping this?"
Everyone looked at Feng Yuanlin with perplexed looks.
This was a good thing?
Feng Yuanlin said earnestly, "Think about it. If Pulp Farmer were to battle Sunless alone, we can sit back and wait for the internecine struggle to end so as to reap the eventual benefits. When the battle between Sunless and Pulp Farmer ends, there will be great losses regardless of the outcome. When the time comes, we can charge over. Wouldn't we be able to eliminate the both of them as a result? If Pulp Farmer were to buy time for Sunless, that wouldn't be a problem either. Sunless will clear the level and run away, but where is Pulp Farmer to run? When the time comes, we can join forces and eliminate him. We would still eliminate someone from the top ten. Think about it, how different is third and fourth place? So just let Pulp Farmer eliminate Sunless himself. If we are lucky, we can even eliminate the both of them together!"
After Feng Yuanlin said this, everyone was dumbfounded as they fell silent.
They realized what Feng Yuanlin said was very reasonable. They had nothing to offer to his viewpoint.
However... However, wasn't Pulp Farmer just beside you? How can you vocalize such a shameless plot? Are you treating Pulp Farmer as a fool or as though he was deaf?
However, Pulp Farmer was not angered. Instead he said with a laugh, "A very good suggestion. Follow what he had just said. Also, I have always been perfectly open in all my actions. Since I said I would eliminate Sunless, I would definitely use all my strength. I would not be like all of you and have such despicable thoughts."
Once Pulp Farmer finished his sentence, he lifted his spear and walked forward. There were struggles in the eyes of the rookies blocking him, but they eventually chose to make way. The aura Pulp Farmer exuded was as formidable as a tiger. They really lacked the courage to stop
him.
And it had to be said that Feng Yuanlin's words had really changed their minds.
Even if they could not eliminate Sunless, they had every reason to vent their anger on Pulp Farmer. There was little effect to whichever person they eliminated. If they were lucky, they might be able to eliminate both!
"Let's go. Everyone form a circle. Do not let Pulp Farmer escape!"
Immediately, someone whispered. Everyone immediately echoed it and began taking action. They formed a circle so as to attack at any time. They could also prevent Pulp Farmer from escaping.
When Feng Yuanlin saw this, he gave a delighted smile to Liu Yu and Zhou Chuchu, who were beside him, and said, "How was it? Wasn't I awesome? Quickly, praise me! With just a few words, I had not only prevented a tough battle, I have also extricated us from this situation. Sigh, I feel as though I'm a reincarnation of a masterful genius."
A dark look filled Liu Yu's face as he said, "Aren't you afraid that your words will enrage Pulp Farmer to slaughter you first?"
Zhou Chuchu also rolled her eyes at Feng Yuanlin and said, "Your suggestion was tailored to trap Pulp Farmer."
Feng Yuanlin smacked his lips and said, "Everything is within my plans. Anyway, Pulp Farmer is just a boor. He's no way like a fairy like Sunless, so if I don't con him, who should I con?"
The two were left speechless.
Nobody could be better than you in tricking someone with such righteous indignation.
...
...
Pulp Farmer did not seem to mind that Feng Yuanlin's words had ensnared him. He did not even seem to care about the grim situation of the crowd attacking him regardless of the outcome of the upcoming battle.
Even though the rookies had formed a hundred-meters circle around Sunless, as well as him, Pulp Farmer only had eyes on one person.
The person was the azure-dressed girl in front of him.
However, Sunless did not even look at him. Her head was lowered as she looked at the sword in her hand. It was as though she only cared about swords.
Pulp Farmer did not directly walk into the hundred-meter zone because he knew that once he took a step forward, Sunless's sword beam would immediately come slashing at him. Without any hesitation, the battle would be triggered.
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