Chapter 167 - 166: The Hopeless People of West Mansion?
Elder Lu was plummeting toward the ground!
His face was pale, his eyes were shut, and a trickle of blood stained the corner of his mouth. He appeared to have suffered extremely grievous injuries.
’Is Elder Lu...’
’Defeated?’
Tang Yi looked up. On the other side of the explosion’s epicenter, a Martial Artist in a golden mask stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He gazed down on Elder Lu from high above, an air of superiority about him. A faint, disdainful smile seemed to play on his lips.
At this moment, he cut a majestic figure, exuding an aura that seemed to look down upon the entire World, as if heaven and earth themselves had to obey his commands. It was an aura that inspired an urge to worship him.
That’s right. Elder Lu had been defeated!
Defeated by the opposing Battle Emperor Powerhouse in the golden mask!
Moreover, the opponent seemed a cut above, having won with a completely overwhelming victory, not a narrow one.
"Damn it all!"
Tang Yi cursed under his breath. Then, with a flash of movement, he shot toward the spot where Elder Lu was falling.
At the same time, the West Mansion’s numerous Chief Examiners exchanged a final, fierce blow with the enemy Battle Kings before disengaging and rushing in the same direction, all trying to aid Elder Lu.
Elder Lu was falling fast, but Tang Yi’s flight Speed was even faster. In a matter of moments, he was the first to reach the Elder, catching him just before he could crash into the ground.
"Elder Lu! Elder Lu, how are you?" Tang Yi cried out.
But Elder Lu’s eyes remained shut, his breathing faint and shallow. He gave Tang Yi no response.
Receiving no answer, Tang Yi quickly checked Elder Lu’s injuries. He immediately discovered a tremendously Frenzied Energy wreaking havoc within the Elder’s body. It had pulverized his internal organs and thrown his meridians into complete disarray. The situation was grim.
Even though Elder Lu was a Battle Emperor Powerhouse, and his immense strength was allowing him to cling to a single thread of life, it was clear he wasn’t far from death.
’That masked Martial Artist is terrifyingly strong. How could he beat a Battle Emperor like Elder Lu into this state?’
Tang Yi was stunned.
Just then, the others from the West Mansion arrived.
"Elder Lu!"
"Elder Lu, are you okay?!"
"Young friend, how is Elder Lu? Tell us, quickly!"
"Oh my god! Elder Lu was actually defeated!"
Everyone grew tense. Seeing the unconscious Elder Lu, their faces darkened, and their expressions filled with despair.
Thanks to Tang Yi’s powerful intervention, the West Mansion’s situation had seemed promising. He had slaughtered all the Battle Spirit Level masked Martial Artists, securing a complete victory in the battle around the Void Warships. He had also killed dozens of Battle Kings, turning the tide of the Battle King Level conflict from defeat to victory. It looked as though the West Mansion had successfully repelled the Heaven-Devouring Thieves’ assault.
But in reality, that wasn’t the case at all.
The key to victory didn’t lie with the Battle Spirits or even the Battle Kings. It rested upon the shoulders of the strongest combatants on each side: the Battle Emperors.
This was why the members of the West Mansion hadn’t feared or fled before, even when they saw they were outnumbered.
They all knew that as long as Elder Lu, their Battle Emperor, could win, they would all survive. They would win this war.
A single Battle Emperor Level powerhouse was worth an army of thousands; their power was terrifying!
But now, if Elder Lu died, even with twenty or thirty West Mansion Chief Examiners at the Battle King Level still present, they would all face defeat.
None of them were a match for that Battle Emperor Powerhouse.
A single Battle Emperor Powerhouse could kill every last one of them!
The worst-case scenario wasn’t the annihilation of all the West Mansion’s Battle Spirit Level experts, nor was it the death of all the Chief Examiners. The true disaster was the death of Elder Lu. That was the most unfavorable outcome imaginable.
If Elder Lu died, everyone would die!
"It’s over, it’s all over. Looking at Elder Lu, I’m afraid he can’t hold on for much longer."
"I’ve already sent a request for aid, but it will be another double hour before they can get here. It looks like we’ll all be killed before the reinforcements arrive."
"Sigh... to think we’d run into the Heaven-Devouring Thieves here, and such a powerful contingent at that. I still have so many ambitions I haven’t fulfilled. I really don’t want to die."
"Who wants to die? Sigh... you can’t blame anyone. We can only blame our own bad luck for running into such a powerful foe."
Seeing Elder Lu on the verge of death, the despair on the faces of the West Mansion Chief Examiners deepened. They sighed one after another, and a pall of sorrow fell over everyone.
Aboard the Void Warships, countless people had witnessed Elder Lu being sent flying. The examinees and West Mansion experts alike knew that the high-level Combat Power decided their fates. With Elder Lu defeated, what came next would be their own deaths—they would all be buried alongside him.
"Elder Lu lost!!!"
"SOB, SOB... I don’t want to die!"
"SOB... I haven’t even gotten into the West Mansion yet. I haven’t had a chance to train hard or become a powerhouse... and now I’m going to die here. I can’t accept this!"
"Damn it! If only I’d been born ten-odd years earlier! I could have trained hard and become a Battle Emperor Powerhouse. Maybe then I’d be useful right now, instead of just standing around waiting to die."
"Is there nothing we can do? If I had known, I never would have taken this stupid exam. I would have just stayed safely with my Clan... SOB, SOB..."
"Is this how it ends for us? It’s so hopeless."
"..."
Sorrow is contagious. When one examinee fell into despair, a second, third, and fourth quickly followed...
Everyone expressed their despair differently. Some wept, some laughed hysterically, some were filled with regret, and some simply went mad.
At this moment, everyone on the Void Warships was lost, not knowing what to do or where to go. They didn’t want to die; they feared death. But what could they do? Nothing. All they could do was watch helplessly as death approached.
Of course, whether it was the West Mansion Chief Examiners, the other West Mansion personnel, or the examinees on the Warships, they could all try to flee before the Heaven-Devouring Thieves began their slaughter. But...
Could they outrun a Battle Emperor?
Could they outrun the Skeleton Warship?
They couldn’t!
Besides, they were 3,000 meters up in the air. Other than the Battle Kings, who could fly away, where could anyone else possibly run?
It would be utterly futile!
"Sigh..."
In the sky, Wang Zongyao had now come to Elder Lu’s side. Seeing the Elder on the brink of death, he felt an immense sorrow. Like everyone else, his face was a mask of despair.
However, when he turned and saw Tang Yi, a strange impulse took hold of him. Even though Wang Zongyao knew a miracle was impossible, he couldn’t help but ask, "Tang Yi, do you have a plan?"
Wang Zongyao hadn’t expected anything; it was just a casual question born of desperation. But then, he saw Tang Yi frown in thought for a moment before actually nodding. "I might have something, but I’ve never tried it before. I don’t know if it will work."