Chapter 152 Comprehensive Resolution
Lu Sheng smiled and said, "I didn't do much, just let them truly live. Aren't you fantasy creatures? In my hands, you naturally don't need to worry about vanishing from this world at any moment."
Tianque sneered, "You human know quite a lot, but wanting us to disappear from the realm of fantasy is simply impossible."
Lu Sheng did not know why his opponent was so certain, nor did he care. He had his own ways anyway.
"Indeed, I might not know how to make you vanish directly, but there is another method I am quite capable of executing."
"And that is to kill all of you!"
Tianque looked at Lu Sheng coldly. "So young, yet you speak with such audacity."
Although Tianque put up a tough front on the surface, he was actually panicking inside. He was only doing this to buy time.
The nearly five thousand Tier 6 monsters behind Lu Sheng were by no means something the forces under his command could defeat right now.
Even if they managed to win, the number of Frost Werewolves surviving in the end would be pitifully small.
Among the forces he commanded, there were currently less than three thousand Tier 6 units in total, and while the remaining Tier 5 numbers were substantial—
They were still not Tier 6. The gap between Tier 5 and Tier 6 was simply too vast to be bridged by mere numbers.
A single large-scale law-based skill could easily wipe out hundreds or even thousands of Tier 5 units, which might not even be able to defend against it.
This gap was an essential disparity of existence. Wanting to bridge it with mere quantity would require far more than just a little bit.
Lu Sheng had long since made up his mind to deal with these Frost Werewolves, and naturally, he would not waste any more time talking to them.
He was in a hurry to wipe out these Frost Werewolves and then storm the Floating Continent, taking it as the base of operations for his own faction.
Ideally, he wanted to finish this within today; otherwise, it would be truly inconvenient for so many people to stay cramped in that temporary camp.
"Attack!"
With a wave of Lu Sheng's hand, all the Tier 6 monsters behind him moved as one, instantly charging into the ranks of the Frost Werewolves.
At this moment, Tianque also knew that this battle was unavoidable.
He cast a glance at Tiancheng. Having been old friends for many years, they were far too familiar with each other's intentions.
In a split second, the two of them tacitly charged directly toward Lu Sheng.
They knew that all these monsters had been summoned by Lu Sheng.
As long as Lu Sheng died, these monsters would naturally turn back into cards and lose their combat capability.
Faced with the onslaught of two Tier 8 opponents, Lu Sheng waved his hand to send the Corpse King forward to intercept one of them.
At the same time, he drew his White Flame Spear, preparing to slaughter these two Tier 8 Frost Werewolves himself.
Once they were slain, the remaining Frost Werewolves would be nothing more than lambs waiting for the slaughter.
Utilizing spatial teleportation, Lu Sheng's figure vanished on the spot.
Tianque had been keeping a close eye on Lu Sheng's movements. The moment he saw Lu Sheng disappear, his eyes widened in alarm.
He knew the situation was turning critical.
At their level of combat, as soon as an opponent made a move, one could roughly sense the Law they were utilizing.
Without a doubt, the Law Lu Sheng employed was the Law of Space.
Tianque knew that in the very next second, Lu Sheng would inevitably appear right beside him. Therefore, without a second thought, he unleashed a blind, all-encompassing attack centered around himself.
The coverage was not large—roughly a five-radius meter around his body—and it did not affect his teammates.
The instant Lu Sheng emerged from the spatial rift, he sensed the ice-attribute Law surrounding him.
If he did not resist, he would be frozen solid in the next fraction of a second.
He hurriedly unleashed his charged, five-fold speed spear thrust, shattering the ice-attribute Law that permeated the entire surrounding space.
The space around them shattered like a mirror, emitting continuous cracking sounds.
This was the sound of the ice-attribute Law being smashed to pieces by Lu Sheng.
Tianque's expression turned grave. He had not expected Lu Sheng's Law to be a composite manifestation encompassing space, time, and power simultaneously.
A soft exclamation naturally escaped his lips: "Royal Bloodline!"
Upon realizing this, Tianque's eyes filled with greed.
He looked at Lu Sheng as if looking at some supreme elixir of immortality.
Lu Sheng frowned. This was the second time he had heard the term "Royal Bloodline," the first time being from the Corpse King.
Now it seemed there were likely some hidden secrets concerning this Royal Bloodline that he was unaware of.
As for why he had this feeling—just looking at the glowing green eyes of this Frost Werewolf was enough to tell him that his so-called Royal Bloodline identity was bound to be extraordinary.
Since that was the case, he would just slaughter this Frost Werewolf and interrogate him for answers.
Even if spatial teleportation was restricted, so what?
Spatial teleportation was far from the only trick he knew.
Nearby, Tiancheng was already heavily engaged in combat with the Corpse King.
Tiancheng unleashed the ice-attribute Law, enveloping the Corpse King as the freezing force struck the void and caused the surrounding space to frost over.
Facing such an onslaught, the Corpse King showed no fear whatsoever. Relying solely on his bare hands, he continuously shook the void, shattering the incoming freezing energy.
Getting close to him was simply impossible.
As the Corpse King relentlessly pressed the attack, Tiancheng could only desperately dodge and flee for his life, while simultaneously using his own Law powers to disrupt the Corpse King's advance route.
The two instantly became entangled in a fierce clash, fighting tooth and nail. Judging by the situation, it would be impossible to determine a winner in the short term.
However, the situation on Lu Sheng's side was quite different.
Having witnessed Lu Sheng's full array of Law powers, Tianque grew somewhat intimidated. He looked at Lu Sheng cautiously, refraining from initiating any further attacks.
He realized that launching an active strike would fail to inflict any substantial damage on Lu Sheng.
He had no choice but to wait for Lu Sheng to strike first and then seize the opportunity to counterattack.
Lu Sheng rapidly closed the distance toward Tianque.
This time, he had no intention of using spatial teleportation.
Although spatial teleportation was fast, it also came with a latency.
From vanishing on the spot to reappearing beside his target took roughly two seconds.
In a battle of this caliber, two seconds was already considered a terribly long time.
Therefore, Lu Sheng simply chose to charge directly at the Frost Werewolf on foot.
During this process, he would at least be able to observe the opponent's movements.
When using spatial teleportation, one could not see the enemy's actions at all and could only react after stepping out of the spatial rift.
Tianque stared fixedly at Lu Sheng, expecting him to utilize his spatial teleportation ability once more.
However, even as Lu Sheng closed in to a zone that fell well within the danger threshold, he still did not employ spatial teleportation.
Tianque realized that Lu Sheng intended to rush him head-on for close-quarters combat.
Far from being afraid, Tianque actually welcomed this approach.
He raised his hand, intending to unleash the power of the ice-attribute Law, but... he suddenly discovered something terrifying.
He could not move!
His entire body was locked in place, imprisoned to the spot, unable to even twitch a muscle.
Watching Lu Sheng approach step by step with his spear leveled, panic completely overwhelmed him. He had never felt death draw so close.
Move, damn it, move!
Tianque mobilized every ounce of energy within his body, desperately trying to break through this binding force. He knew this was undoubtedly Lu Sheng's Law power restraining him in place.
As long as he struggled with all his might, he would surely shatter Lu Sheng's restraint.
From their initial exchange, Tianque had already sensed that Lu Sheng was merely at the peak of Tier 7, not yet a Tier 8.
He refused to believe he could be rendered completely immobile by Lu Sheng.
Watching Lu Sheng raise the spear tip and draw closer by the second, he knew that if he didn't break free immediately, he would die by Lu Sheng's hands.
Finally, in the very last second, he felt control of his body return to him.
He could move!
Yet, the moment he regained freedom, a sharp *thud* echoed as the spear tip pierced straight through Tianque's forehead. The White Flame Spear plunged right through from his brow to the back of his head.
Just to be safe, Lu Sheng twisted the spear inside before pulling the White Flame Spear back out.
The moment he withdrew the weapon, however, Lu Sheng's body swayed unsteadily for a few steps.
Feeling the wave of exhaustion wash over him, Lu Sheng gave a helpless shrug.
Merely freezing the enemy in place for a mere two seconds had drained his entire energy reserve dry.
This was something Lu Sheng truly hadn't anticipated. Fortunately, he had managed to eliminate this Frost Werewolf.
Otherwise, things would have turned disastrous this time.
That last Frost Werewolf had broken free from his restraint just in time—or rather, a fraction too late, as the White Flame Spear had already reached its brow and stabbed straight through.
If it had broken free even a tiny fraction of a second earlier, Lu Sheng's attack might well have missed completely.
Stowing the White Flame Spear away, the overwhelming sense of weakness told him that he was no longer capable of further combat.
The battle between the Corpse King and the remaining Frost Werewolf was still ongoing.
Tiancheng had been completely unaware of Tianque's death. At that moment, he and the Corpse King were locked in a white-hot duel, fighting neck and neck, leaving him zero mental capacity to divert his attention elsewhere.
In a battle of this tier, even a momentary lapse in focus could lead to one's death.
Tiancheng was incapable of making such a mistake.
Moreover, he trusted that Tianque would be able to handle his opponent.
It was precisely because of this that he failed to notice the stark reality: Tianque was already dead.
Lu Sheng summoned the newly slain Frost Werewolf, commanding it to join forces with the Corpse King to dispatch the remaining Tier 8 Frost Werewolf.
As for whether a two-on-one fight was fair—anyone thinking along those lines was sorely mistaken. In essence, they were both extensions of Lu Sheng himself, as both were his summoned entities.
By that logic, it was actually Lu Sheng single-handedly taking on thirteen thousand Frost Werewolves.
The Corpse King received Lu Sheng's mental directive and learned that a Frost Werewolf had been sent to assist him.
With reinforcements arriving, he fought with even greater ferocity, pressing the enemy so hard that the opposing Frost Werewolf could not afford a single distraction and had to focus entirely on defending against him.
This was buying an opportunity for his teammate. Once his ally closed in for a stealthy backstab, the battle would effectively be over.
Tiancheng had no idea what was going on; he only felt that the Corpse King's attacks had suddenly grown far more ferocious.
It left him with virtually no breathing room.
He found the situation rather bizarre, but under the intense pressure of combat, he simply had no time to ponder such thoughts.
He could only continue parrying the Corpse King's relentless assault.
Suddenly, Tiancheng felt an intense wave of supreme freezing energy erupt from directly behind him.
A chill struck his heart as he realized the enemy had brought backup!
With no time for careful thought, Tiancheng unleashed every ounce of internal energy within his body, forcing the Corpse King back.
Disregarding the backlash, he hastily threw up a defensive barrier behind his back.
Regrettably, under the full-strength assault that Tianque had been brewing for quite some time, this barrier appeared exceedingly fragile.
A single frontal impact shattered the defensive dome to pieces.
The destructive momentum continued driving straight toward Tiancheng.
By this time, Tiancheng had already spun around, finally laying eyes on the entity assaulting him.
The moment he recognized who it was, his eyes dilated in utter disbelief.
"Tianque!"
Tianque's attack threw his state of mind into complete disarray, causing him to react a beat too slow in defending against the incoming strike.
When he finally snapped back to his senses and attempted to block Tianque's onslaught, it was already too late.
The freezing energy struck Tiancheng, and though he managed a hurried defense, both of his hands were instantly frozen solid.
He fought back against Tianque with all his might, but having engaged in a brutal, high-intensity clash with the Corpse King just moments prior, his internal reserves were naturally inferior to Tianque's.
From the very first exchange of blows, signs of defeat began to show.
As the battle dragged on into a stalemate, Tiancheng also noticed the telltale anomaly on Tianque's forehead.
That was the unmistakable mark left behind after a human turned a creature into a card.
Realizing this, his blood ran cold with sheer horror!
At their level of cultivation, if a human wanted to capture them and turn them into cards or subordinates—
Unless they volunteered willingly, it was practically an impossibility.
He stared in terror at the young man leisurely watching the spectacle from not far away.
He had no idea how the opponent had pulled this off.
The series of bizarre occurrences utterly shattered his concentration, making it impossible for him to focus on the battle. He completely forgot the crucial fact that he was still facing another Tier 8 combatant.
*Thud!*
Accompanied by a piercing sound, the Corpse King's razor-sharp claws burst straight through Tiancheng's chest.
Clutched firmly within his hand was Tiancheng's still-beating heart.
Blood spilled from the corners of Tiancheng's mouth as he slowly lowered his gaze to look at his own heart.
The entire world seemed to have been switched to slow motion before his eyes.
Yet, no matter how much the pace slowed, things that had to end would inevitably come to an end.
In the very next second, Tiancheng closed his eyes, hanging limply from the Corpse King's arm.
The Corpse King withdrew his blood-soaked arm, and Tiancheng's corpse collapsed to the ground, deprived of its final support.
Immediately afterward, Lu Sheng summoned Tiancheng as well.
He ordered his three Tier 8 subordinates to hunt down and eliminate all remaining resisting Frost Werewolves so they could wrap things up early and head to the Floating Continent.
As for Lu Sheng himself, he naturally chose to observe the battlefield while taking the time to recover his expended energy.
With the addition of three Tier 8 powerhouses to the fray, the resistance put up by the Frost Werewolves crumbled like mud against the tide.
They were overturned in an instant.
Among them, the two newly converted Tier 8 Frost Werewolves fought with the utmost ruthlessness, freezing vast numbers of their former kin within just a few moves before shattering the frozen statues into countless fragments, leaving not even a complete corpse behind.
Originally, these Frost Werewolves were already incapable of blocking Lu Sheng's Tier 6 army.
Now, with the addition of three Tier 8 monsters, the outcome was even more lopsided.
With a mere wave of a Tier 8 Frost Werewolf's hand, accompanied by the unleashing of high-tier Law powers, large swathes of Frost Werewolves were transformed into ice sculptures.
Then, those sculptures were crushed to pieces, causing the Frost Werewolves trapped inside to shatter along with them.
In less than half an hour, the entire battlefield went silent.
This marked the complete elimination of the Frost Werewolves.
He ordered his subordinates to clear the battlefield, and merely sweeping the area consumed another full half-hour.
Meanwhile, high up on the Floating Continent, the Frost Wolf King had also learned of the battle's outcome down below.
The Frost Wolf King slammed his fist furiously against his throne. "Dammit!"
A frigid, murderous intent flickered within his eyes, yet a trace of hidden cowardice lurked beneath the surface.
He knew he was no match for this enemy, but he was deeply unwilling to simply tuck tail and run.
Even if he couldn't defeat the foe, he had to leave a mark on this enemy.
When he returned in the future, he would demand that his Imperial Father dispatch an entire army to encircle and annihilate this human!
Since his campaign had suffered an initial setback, he wouldn't let this human die a quick, painless death!
He had to capture him and subject him to endless torture!
Countless thoughts flashed through the Frost Wolf King's mind.
None of them, however, involved going toe-to-toe with Lu Sheng right now.
He saw no reason to fight Lu Sheng to the death at this moment. As the youngest son of the Frost Wolf Emperor, he possessed no shortage of treasures, most of which were geared toward self-preservation.
In his eyes, only by staying alive could one speak of the future. Thus, every time he selected treasures, he invariably chose items dedicated to keeping him alive.
Among them was a Realm-Breaking Pearl, which would allow him to return safely to the Blood Moon World.
A month from now, he could return alongside his Imperial Father to exact his vengeance. But before that, he needed to leave a tracking imprint on this human; otherwise, tracking him down later would prove impossible.
Gathering his remaining commanders, he planned to set up an ambush at the transit point linking the Floating Continent to the ground below, disrupt the battlefield chaos, and plant the tracker onto the enemy.
As one command after another was issued by the Frost Wolf King, the entire Floating Continent surged with restless activity.
Squads of Frost Werewolves geared up and stood ready, preparing to meet the incoming enemy.
Little did they know that their very own Wolf King was already making preparations to flee.
...
After waiting on the ground for his subordinates to finish clearing the battlefield, Lu Sheng recalled all his troops. Then, mounting the White Flame Blue-Scale Bird, he took flight toward the Floating Continent.
It was time to deal with the final remnants of the enemy.
The monsters in District 13 had been completely purged by him, leaving only the Floating Continent itself.
Once the Frost Werewolves on the Floating Continent were dealt with, the entirety of District 13 would officially belong to him.
Yet, Lu Sheng remained unaware of just how massive a sensation his actions had created across District 13.
Although he himself had not personally made a public appearance—
His monstrous subordinates had indeed been witnessed by numerous individuals.
These unfolding scenes were widely circulated throughout the intelligence networks of District 13.
Synthesizing the intelligence gathered by all observers, the inhabitants of District 13 arrived at a stunning realization:
Someone, or some faction, was controlling over a thousand Tier 6 monsters to sweep through District 13 and clear out the local monster population!
If no one had been aware of Lu Sheng's existence, or if no one knew those monsters were under his command, it would have been one thing.
Lu Sheng's reputation wouldn't have spread, and the people of District 13 would remain ignorant of him.
However, let us not forget that Lu Sheng had taken in eleven Tier 6 individuals.
They were also natives of District 13 and were naturally well-acquainted with District 13's intelligence networks.
Thus, while the people of District 13 engaged in heated discussions without yielding any concrete answers, those eleven individuals proudly stepped forward. They revealed Lu Sheng's existence and, at the same time, publicized the formation of the World-Extinction Alliance.
Of course, they spoke out only with Xiong Dabiao's permission, and Xiong Dabiao had obtained Lu Sheng's consent beforehand.
If people wanted to broadcast how awesome he was, there was no reason to stop them. Lu Sheng more than welcomed everyone knowing about his immense power.
Walking the martial world in the future, carrying the aura of a grand reputation certainly had its perks.
As the revelations brought forth by those eleven individuals spread outward, all of District 13 erupted in an uproar. Some believed the rumors, some remained skeptical, and others simply watched the spectacle unfold out of amusement.
Regardless, this matter had now become the primary topic of conversation across District 13.
Meanwhile, upon the exposure of the World-Extinction Alliance's location, Wu Yongchang, the Vice Master of the Heavenly Feather Sect, fell into a deep silence.
If the intelligence they had gathered was accurate, then this so-called World-Extinction Alliance was precisely the group that had come looking for territory in their domain earlier.
Weren't those people refugees who had fled from District 21?
How had they turned around and transformed into such a colossal behemoth as the World-Extinction Alliance?
Deep down, Wu Yongchang was reluctant to believe in the existence of the World-Extinction Alliance, but that was merely his personal wishful thinking. In reality, things that could be verified through a simple investigation were never fabricated.
Therefore, Wu Yongchang knew in his heart that the World-Extinction Alliance unquestionably existed, and there was a ninety-nine percent chance it was the exact same group that had previously demanded territory.
The remaining one percent was merely his internal cope—he desperately hoped they weren't the same people.
If they were, and if they held a grudge over how he had previously exploited them to deal with the Wild Boar Forest, then he was completely finished.
Even though the other party had appeared indifferent at the time, Wu Yongchang could not shake his lingering anxiety.
Such was the invisible oppressive aura projected by the strong.
Every single word and action of theirs commanded the utmost attention of the weak.
For the time being, the entirety of District 13 merely knew of the World-Extinction Alliance's existence.
They knew that the leader of the World-Extinction Alliance commanded over a thousand Tier 6 monsters.
In essence, however, the only thing that genuinely impacted the people of District 13 was the fact that the World-Extinction Alliance had cleared out the monsters within the region, instantly turning District 13 into a safe zone.
There were zero other ramifications at the moment. No matter how powerful the World-Extinction Alliance was, they remained nothing more than dinner-table gossip for the inhabitants of District 13.
Unless the World-Extinction Alliance intended to absorb the entirety of District 13 and establish a massive ruling hegemony.
Yet, judging by all current intelligence, the leader of the World-Extinction Alliance showed no such ambitions.
Possessing such overwhelming strength, not a single piece of news regarding recruitment had leaked out.
From their perspective, gathering over a thousand Tier 6 subordinates must have required a prolonged period of accumulation.
Since no one had heard any intent to recruit members after all this time, it meant they had no plans to expand their ranks.
Little did they know that Lu Sheng had accomplished this feat over the span of just two days.
The waves stirred up by Lu Sheng, propagated by those eleven individuals, spread not only throughout District 13 but also internally within the World-Extinction Alliance itself.
Naturally, they refused to pass up such an incredible opportunity to brag, and those who listened to their boasting couldn't resist bragging to others in turn.
In this manner, the news propagated outward like wildfire.
In an instant, every single member of the World-Extinction Alliance became aware of one monumental fact:
They had just become the premier top-tier faction in District 13.
This revelation left everyone feeling somewhat dazed.
They hadn't done a single thing, and their faction had barely even been established.
Just like that, they had ascended to become a regional superpower?
A dreamlike sensation settled over the heart of every single member.
Only Xiong Dabiao felt a lingering sense of apprehension. Although, judging by external reports, they were indeed the current top-tier faction of District 13—
Xiong Dabiao knew better than anyone that this was entirely the merit of Lu Sheng alone.
Without them, Lu Sheng would still remain the leader of a top-tier faction in District 13 all on his own.
Without Lu Sheng, while they wouldn't amount to absolute nothingness, they certainly wouldn't qualify as a top-tier faction in District 13.
While they did possess a fair number of Tier 6s among them, Zhang Tian道 was their sole Tier 7 powerhouse.
What worried Xiong Dabiao was that an unearned reputation and empty vanity would cause the members within the faction to lose touch with reality and overestimate themselves.
Therefore, he felt he had to take action.
Xiong Dabiao quickly summoned everyone together to hold a meeting.
The leadership figures sat atop an elevated platform, while the rank-and-file members stood assembled on the open ground below.
The atmosphere at the scene was joyous, with smiles beaming across everyone's faces, even extending to the leaders seated upon the dais.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Xiong Dabiao stepped forward to begin his address.
He rose from his seat and walked to the podium—a platform specifically designated for leadership speeches to ensure everyone below could both hear and see clearly.
"Hello, everyone! I am Xiong Dabiao, the Vice Leader of the World-Extinction Alliance. I trust most of you are quite familiar with me."
"I assume you all know by now that, thanks to the sheer momentum forged by our Leader Lu Sheng, our World-Extinction Alliance has officially become the top-tier faction of District 13, right?"
The moment Xiong Dabiao's question fell, a wave of earth-shattering cheers erupted from the crowd below.
"We know!"
A roar of voices, though not entirely uniform, echoed across the entire assembly hall.
Xiong Dabiao smiled broadly and continued, "Are you proud and happy to be members of such a top-tier faction?"
"Happy!"
Came the enthusiastic, joyful reply from below.
Hearing this, Xiong Dabiao pressed on. "Glad to hear it. Now let me ask you this: have any of you ever considered what contributions you have made toward this faction?"
Silence fell abruptly over the crowd below, until someone spoke up hesitantly, "We only just joined the World-Extinction Alliance, and the Alliance was just founded. Even if we wanted to contribute, there hasn't been time."
Xiong Dabiao smiled. "Good, well said. That means we haven't actually done a single thing yet. So, does this honor of being a top-tier faction truly belong to us?"
Silence descended once more upon the crowd, for Xiong Dabiao's words were undeniable—they truly hadn't contributed anything.
"This honor belongs solely to Lord Lu Sheng! The prestige of this top-tier faction was forged entirely by Lord Lu Sheng by his own hand!"
"Which means, even without us, Lord Lu Sheng alone still constitutes a top-tier faction in his own right!"
Xiong Dabiao's words left the entire assembly in hushed silence, instantly sweeping away the joyful atmosphere down to the last trace.
Noticing this, Xiong Dabiao knew the timing was right, and he delivered his final point:
"So, what should we be doing?"
Without waiting for the crowd below to answer, Xiong Dabiao raised his voice:
"Therefore, we too must make ourselves useful! We must truly become a part of this faction, becoming individuals who can actually assist Lord Lu Sheng! Rather than merely bearing the name of the World-Extinction Alliance while essentially doing nothing for it!"
Xiong Dabiao's words struck like a heavy blow, shattering whatever arrogance had just begun to swell within everyone's hearts and converting it entirely into driven motivation.
The meeting concluded quietly, yet every single person carried a burning determination in their hearts.
They needed to prove their value, transforming the World-Extinction Alliance into a genuine faction—a precision machine that functioned seamlessly whenever set into motion.
This was prime timing to rally and organize these people, but lacking instructions from Lu Sheng, Xiong Dabiao refrained from acting rashly and planned to wait for Lu Sheng's return to make arrangements.
The World-Extinction Alliance hadn't even been officially established yet, because Lu Sheng had yet to assign the various positions, appoint personnel, or grant Xiong Dabiao the authority to do so.
Before leaving, Lu Sheng had merely dropped a single sentence: wait for his return before making further arrangements.