by <unknown>
When he thought that the little bastard surpassed him at the end of the match, Yan Chihuo's face almost turned green in fury.
The entire Burning Sun Tribe was filled with discussion, too.
It was one thing to have been defeated by a knight of the Furious Bears Tribe and a whole different thing to have been beaten by a space resident!
Wu Mayan winked at him again before he put on his helmet and sat down again. He begged for a second time, "Uncle Sand Scorpion, please recruit me as your disciple! I can endure any pain or suffering as long as I can become stronger than right now. Next time, not counting on you, not counting on Father Xiong, I'm going to teach those condescending bastards a good lesson on my own!"
Li Yao was quiet in the blowing sandstorm for a long time before he slightly sighed and answered, "After the battle, if both you and I are alive, and you pass my final test, I will recruit you as my disciple."
"Really?"
Wu Mayan was so excited that he almost started performing backflips on the rear of the tank. Then he yelled, "What kind of test? Just bring it on! I'm scared of no tests!"
Li Yao smiled. "It's simple. You will only be gnawed by a few ants for a while."
…
It was late night when the qi-trainers of the six tribes reached the area of the egg of apocalypse after a long expedition of four hundred kilometers through a sandstorm.
The apocalypse cloud had consumed the sky above their heads. It was emitting bleak, gloomy, bluish rays. Illuminated by the light, every qi-trainer looked like a dead body.
This was a great canyon hundreds of meters deep. One could not help but wonder whether or not it had been created by the giant falling meteorites thousands of years ago. The bottom of the canyon had turned into a lake because of years of sinking rainwater. At this moment, the lake was bubbling and raising fuzzy fog. There was no telling how large the lake was.
Li Yao looked far ahead and found an extremely high mountain vaguely visible in the middle of the fog. Bizarrely-shaped, daunting rocks covered the mountain. Some of them protruded out of the mountain like the teeth and claws of animals, making the mountain look like a caltrop, just billions of times larger.
Large clusters of black smoke popped out of the gaps of the rocks and soared to the sky, joining the apocalypse cloud continuously.
BOOM CRACK! BOOM CRACK!
Rumbling noises echoed nonstop inside the apocalypse cloud, and brilliant lightning danced crazily, adding to everyone's uneasiness.
The beasts tamed by the Feathered Snakes Tribe sensed danger, too. Although they were restricted by their masters through secret arts, they were still grunting in low voices nervously.
Sensing that a large batch of human beings had drawn close, the apocalypse cloud shrank violently. It started raining suddenly, but the rainwater was extremely stinky.
"Hu—Hu—"
The apocalypse cloud was rolling and constricting. It swept over toward the canyon and wreathed the entire meteorite mountain, making it look like a gargantuan black heart that was beating and emitting dull 'LUM DUM' noises. Everybody felt that their own heart was grasped uncomfortably.
"Eggs of apocalypse can sense the existence of strangers. Since so many vigorous human beings have gathered in this place, the egg of apocalypse will be stimulated, and its maturing will be accelerated!
"Every sign indicates that the egg of apocalypse will explode before dawn!"
Wu Mayan was extremely happy after getting Li Yao's promise, so he explained the situation to him respectfully.
This particular egg of apocalypse was at the bottom of the great canyon. The terrain was very much in the six tribes' favor, because they could block all the apocalyptic beasts born from the egg as long as they guarded the two ends of the canyon.
The east side of the canyon was relatively narrow; it was not suitable to deploy large armies there. Therefore, the Furious Bears Tribe, the Silver Moon Tribe, and the Heaven Wolves Tribe were stationed in the west, while the Burning Sun Tribe, the Feathered Snakes Tribe, and the Giant Axe Tribe established their camps on the east side. Everybody was ready for battle.
The apocalypse cloud covered more of the meteorite through the beams of smoke with each passing minute. By five o'clock in the morning, the meteorite mountain had lost all its shape and was completely enveloped by the apocalypse cloud. It had truly become a wriggling egg of demons.
When the first blood-red ray of sunlight pierced through the sky and reached the egg of apocalypse, earsplitting shrieks burst out of the egg, as if the wraiths in the deepest level of hell were crying. In the dense smoke, thousands of black streams spurted out and spread to the entire canyon!
"Let it begin!"
More than a hundred thousand qi-trainers roared at the same time. Their voices almost broke the canyon apart!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM BOOM!
The True Qi artillery deployed behind the battle formations of the qi-trainers launched the first bombardment controlled by ordinary people!
The True Qi artillery could throw crystal bombs weighing hundreds of kilograms several thousand meters away with a reasonably high precision by detonating super-compressed air.
However, the bodies of the eccentric beasts born in the apocalypse were extremely sturdy. They wouldn't be hurt at all if the bombs did not explode right on their critical parts.
Besides, the True Qi artillery would consume a large number of resources. Also, due to the underdeveloped technology in the production procedures, many components would be loosened after each firing, therefore affecting the airtightness of the firearm. The second firing required tedious preparation before it could be carried out. So, the True Qi artilleries could not bombard the enemy continuously.
In light of the shortcoming of the True Qi artillery, they were often used to launch one bombardment when the egg of apocalypse was about to explode and all the apocalyptic beasts were still gathered.
After that, the qi-trainers would be engaged in head-on bloody battles to secure the final victory!
Flowers of flames blossomed in the black smoke and soon wreathed the egg of apocalypse, transforming it into an orange super large fireball.
However, the fireball was collapsing inwardly nonstop. After each collapse, a large cluster of smoke rushed out!
The giant lake in the center of the canyon had been enshrouded in black smoke. The bubbling sound of the lake water was getting louder and louder, as if the entire lake was being vaporized.
Screams that nobody had heard, even in their worst nightmares, echoed from the black smoke!
Chapter 580: Manic Warriors! |
Some enormous shadows gradually revealed themselves from the black smoke, although they were still not very clear. The crimson sun outlined their body and dyed the shadows blood red. Most of the shadows were like humungous insects, except that the most brutal features of almost ten different kinds of insects had been combined into one.
Standing on a magnificent war machine that looked like a spider, Xiong Wuji announced, his voice piercing through the entire canyon like a tolling bell and rumbling thunder, "Warriors of Iron Plateau, yet another egg of apocalypse has broken out, and the pests have shown up in front of us again!
"Behind us is our home and countless defenseless towns where our parents, siblings, and children are living happily!
"One escaping pest is enough to destroy the peace!
"Come on. Tell the pests with your fists and blades that this is our home and that the planet belongs to qi-trainers!
"Over the past five thousand years, we've crushed countless pests. In the five thousand years to come, we will go on fighting and exterminate even more pests! If the apocalypse breaks out ten thousand times, we will blow it up ten thousand times!
"This is our belief. This is the highest glory for every qi-trainer. Born in Iron Plateau, die in Iron Plateau!"
Cheers and roars burst out from the two sides of the canyon. All the qi-trainers were slapping their tanks with their weap
ons, raising brilliant sparks, while they bellowed at the same time.
"Born in Iron Plateau, die in Iron Plateau!"
Their killing intent soared up to the sky. Even the apocalypse seemed to be awed. Many gaps appeared in it like interconnecting wounds.
Through the gaps, rays of sunlight sprayed down and flowed on the desert like gold blood.
Coming! Coming!
Large flocks of beasts charged out of the black smoke. They were no longer blocked, and their hideous appearance was fully shown. Like a tsunami, they roared, shrieked, and scampered toward the two sides of the canyon!
Most demon beasts that could live in the harsh environment of Iron Plateau for thousands of years were insects and reptilians. The eccentric beasts produced by the egg of apocalypse carried distinctive characteristics of the two kinds of demon beasts.
Some of the eccentric beasts were like enormous lizards, except that their backs had grown almost ten sharp blades that looked like the forelegs of a mantis, which they were waving crazily.
Some other thick-skinned giant turtles with solid shells were dragging sturdy scorpion tails. When they waved their tails softly, visible waves spread through the air.
There were also countless snake-type eccentric beasts that were as wide as buckets, but disproportional antennas that solely belonged to insects were protruding out of their heads.
Some of the snake-type apocalyptic beasts only had one antenna that was thick, straight, and looked like a battering ram, while some others had four antennas that looked like iron maces on each sides of their head, which could concentrate in the middle from various directions and pierce forward as their jawbone constricted.
Whatever the form of the eccentric beasts, the surfaces of their bodies were all glittering. Because of the large amount of metal inside their bodies, it was like in an invisible armor that increased their defense ability by ten times. So, they were much more difficult to deal with than common demon beasts.
Such eccentric beasts of the apocalypse were not natural-born after all. They could not even be called life forms because they were 'weapons' that the apocalypse had specially refined!
Their vitality and strength would fully burst out for several days. After the duration, they would be automatically disassembled and die.
It was also why the outbreaks of apocalypse in the Dark Continent did not affect the territory of the six tribes.
However, for the outbreaks of the apocalypse that were too close, the 'weapons' could sweep over everything in their way like locusts and demolish all the towns, villages, farmlands, and mines before their vitality ran out.
Not only would they eliminate every creature they met, they would also absorb the mother lodes and corrupt all the arable land. The development of the civilization would suffer a critical setback because of the disruption!
Therefore, they had to be gathered and annihilated before they dispersed into the wilderness!
"Release the Manic Warriors!" shouted Xiong Wuji.
Soul-stirring drumming echoed.
DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG!
"Wu—" Countless brawny men, whose muscles and veins were bulging, were carrying long horns on their shoulders that had been crafted out of the bones of bull-type demon beasts. They blew the horns, and the sound rang over in the battlefield.
"Heh—Ho! Heh—Ho!"
More than ten heavy tanks, on which hundreds of fully-enclosed big boxes were carried, had been deployed on the two sides of the battle formation. The doors of the boxes were slowly opened by chains as a bunch of men chanted.
"Hoooooooo!"
With roars that seemed to be from the most ferocious animals, countless crazy figures leapt out of the iron boxes. They were all tall and mighty giants!
These men had messy hair and bloodshot eyes. There was not even the tiniest hint of humanity on their face. The soul of deadly animals seemed to have been poured into the bodies of human beings.
Wounds were all over their bodies, from which blood was flooding out. The wounds were all caused when they bashed the walls of the boxes too hard.
Some of them were wearing simple armor, but most of them felt uncomfortable because of the friction of the armors and tore apart their clothing, revealing their unparalleled sinewy bodies!
"Hoooo!"
The giants that looked like crazy devils had been consumed by their fighting will and lost their rationality long ago. Also, since they had been locked in darkness for too long, they turned around and immediately launched attacks when they were freed!
"They are the qi-trainers of all the six tribes who have become mentally deranged."
There was pity deep down in Wu Mayan's eyes as he further explained to Li Yao, "Their souls dwelled in the Titan Illusionary Land for too long to come back. They've turned into slaves of bloodthirst. They no longer recognize anyone, not even their own family, and will simply kill anyone they see when they go mad. Therefore, they could only be confined to below the temple of techniques!"
Li Yao remembered the screams and the bashes he had heard when he entered the bottom level of the temple of techniques for the first time. He frowned and asked, "What about now?"
Taking a deep breath, Wu Mayan held his head high and said proudly, "Now is different. With the apocalypse drawing near, even the most insane qi-trainer will recall their true destiny!"
Xiong Wuji roared and jumped off the spider-like war machine. His spiritual energy surged out, supporting him to float in midair, as he gazed at the mentally deranged qi-trainers from a high stance and shouted, "Qi-trainers, the apocalypse has come! In front of you are the family and friends you swore to protect, and behind you are your real enemies! Vent your boiling fighting will on the stinky pests!"
The word 'apocalypse' was like a mysteries spell that halted the infuriated qi-trainers where they were.
Ripples spread out from their crimson eyes, and what could almost be called 'humanity' popped up on their hideous faces again.
"Ahhhhh!"
Several mentally deranged qi-trainers held their heads with their hands and screamed.
The drumming became even faster, and the horn was even louder. Tens of thousands of eyes shouted desperately in the highest pitch, their faces turning red because of shortness of breath. "Born in Iron Plateau, die in Iron Plateau!"
"Born…"
"Born in Iron Plateau…"
"Die in… Iron Plateau!"
Finally, many mentally deranged qi-trainers struggled and started echoing the declaration, however hard it was.
After each syllable, their vocal cords seemed to be ripped apart once. The weird voices sounded like a mix of the roars of a human being and those of a ferocious animal!
They breathed heavily and raised their fists, which were still bleeding. They waved them at the battle formation hard, as if they were cheering up their comrades and asking everyone to fight bravely.
Then, they slowly turned around inch by inch.
Hundreds of heavy sabers and swords, as well as several flags that were fluttering in the wind, had been stabbed in the empty ground hundreds of square meters ahead of them.
The mentally deranged qi-trainers walked forward faster and faster, leaving deep footprints behind, until they were sprinting to the forest of blades. They each snatched a weapon or a flag when they passed by the field!
BOOM! BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Those mentally deranged qi-trainers were all experts who had been crazy about training. That was why they couldn't free themselves from the Titan Illusionary Land.
Although their brains had been ruined, their capability had not. On the contrary, the range of their spiritual gas outburst was even increased because of their madness!
The hundreds of manic warriors unleashed their spiritual gas at the same time, which surged out and congregated into an unstoppable hurricane. The auras from the sabers and swords that they were waving hard became the edge of the hurricane, and the invisible blade of spiritual gas cut countless interconnectin
g traces on the crags on the two sides of the canyon!
Their speed was higher and higher. When hundreds of people stomped on the ground simultaneously, even the hardest rock was shattered. They rushed toward the beasts of the apocalypse and crashed into them brutally!
Hurricane versus tsunami!
"Born in Iron Plateau, die in Iron Plateau!"
The mentally deranged qi-trainers finally regained part of their consciousness at the last moment as their fighting will soared. They saw their enemies and remembered what they were trying to protect. Their throats, which had been stuffed for too long a time, uttered the motto resolutely!
In their crazy laughter, they fully burnt their life and soul like torches that were going to burn through the heavens, and they collided into the beasts brutally!
Even the eccentric beasts created by the apocalypse that knew nothing but killing were somewhat overwhelmed by the senseless hurricane. Their seemingly irresistible momentum had been blocked by just several hundred qi-trainers!
The manic warriors stabbed into the core of the pack of beasts like a sweltering saber!
They rode on the back of the giant lizards where mantis-like sickles were grown and chopped of their heads, without bothering that the sickles had pierced deep into their own body.
A giant turtle had pierced through the chest of a manic warrior with its scorpion tail. But the manic warrior simply gripped the scorpion tail and yanked it out of the turtle shell with brute force!
Another manic warrior was bitten in half by a giant snake-type beast, which devoured the upper half of his body. But he then cut open the beasts' guts from the inside while he was still alive!
They were qi-trainers, the qi-trainers who had lived and struggled on the harsh planet for five thousand years!
The cruel scenes of battle even bewildered Li Yao, who felt that his every muscle, every bone, every nerve, and every drop of blood inside his veins were about to break out of his body untameably!