Meanwhile.
Nanjiang. Auspicious Peace.
December 21st. Fang Ping and the rest entered the Catacombs.
Now, it was already the afternoon of December 23rd.
Although it had only been two days, these two days went back in the blink of an eye for many. For many people in Auspicious Peace, those two days had been a torment.
What was the situation in the Catacombs?
Did they build a stronghold and secured the passageway?
Did anyone sacrifice his or her life?
Among those who entered, who survived and who did not?
It had been two days. The passageway would stabilize for the second time. Would someone return from the other end to send news?
Now, there was already an alloy building built at the entrance of the vortex.
Outside the alloy building, a few Grandmaster powerhouses stood like clay sculptures. They had been standing here for a long time, not moving a single hair. It was as if they had turned into stone.
Seven High Grandmasters entered the Catacombs, more than ten Rank-6 powerhouses followed along, even a few geniuses of the present era went in together.
It was hard to tell whether they were dead or alive!
Not knowing how long it had been, a white-haired old man suddenly soared into the sky, shouting madly, “Perfect timing!”
As soon as he said those words, a saber glow flashed across the sky and came over. A thousand meters away, the top of a mountain exploded instantly, turning into dust!
Amidst the explosion, an almost inaudible faint humph was heard.
“Humph!”
The white-haired elderly humphed loudly. Without even taking a look, he employed Midair Step and landed on the ground, saying coldly, “A buffoon that performs antics!”
“Elder Zhao is getting stronger and stronger!”
Among the Grandmasters, someone exclaimed. From a thousand meters away, he slashed a Rank-7 to death in one move!
Yes. Rank-7!
Unbelievable!
Rank-7s were not weak at all, especially for cults. Rank-7 was definitely the higher-ups of the higher-ups.
Right now, the other party did not come near. Instead, he was hiding nearby. Perhaps he was only trying to scout for information.
A Rank-7 powerhouse that came to scout for information was enough to prove the other party’s cautiousness.
Even if he was discovered, the other party would also have the confidence to escape.
The cults might not have expected that Zhao Xingwu’s ability was much stronger than before. He discovered the other party from a thousand meters away. With one slash, he killed the Rank-7 powerhouse on the spot! Now, the cult’s higher-ups’ hearts must be aching. What a wimp to be dying just like that!
In recent days, many high ranks were being killed consecutively. It had even exceeded the number of powerhouses deaths over the years.
...
“Has Elder Zhao achieved Rank-9 paragon?”
A few Grandmasters were slightly shocked, with a hint of admiration.
A Rank-9 killing a Rank-7 like slaughtering a chicken. This was enough to prove just how strong Zhao Xingwu was. At least the Rank-9 city lord who fought Wu Kuishan and the rest in those days was far from attaining seckill.
Rank-9 and Rank-9 were entirely different!
Zhao Xingwu shook his head slightly, saying softly, “How can it be so easy? I’m still far from that.”
Even though the old master said so, they knew that he was only being humble.
Even if Wu Chuan wanted to kill a Rank-7, employing his Divine Weapon, he would need to spare some effort at least.
But, with one slash, Zhao Xingwu smashed up the top of the mountain straightaway. Even if he was not a Rank-9 paragon yet, he was not too far away now.
The sect could remain a certain status since the rise of martial arts university was all because of Zhao Xingwu.
This powerhouse who was ranked 8th in the Rank-9 ranking was only one rank higher than Wu Chuan, yet his ability was clearly much stronger.
In the crowd was a man clad in a military uniform. He was also Nanjiang’s Military Department’s commander. Currently, he looked grim, saying, “It’s Nanjiang’s honor to have Elder Zhao making this trip to Nanjiang this time! If I may be so bold to ask a favor...”
“Go ahead, Commander Bai.”
“If... If things don’t go as planned, I hope Elder Zhao can bring the governor back...”
The man clad in the military uniform forced the words out. Entering the Catacombs this time, Zhang Dingnan’s ability was not the strongest nor his status the highest.
But Zhang Dingnan was Nanjiang people’s beacon of hope!
If Nanjiang’s situation worsened and Zhang Dingnan died in the Catacombs, then that would be one disaster after another.
Many people disapproved of Zhang Dingnan entering the Catacombs.
Even the central government did not actually approve.
However, Zhang Dingnan insisted on going. Nothing could hold him back.
It would still be fine if they could build a stronghold in the Catacombs. If they could not, and Nanjiang’s situation worsened, without Zhang Dingnan to lead, Nanjiang’s future might be bleak.
Zhang Xingwu replied with a guttural voice, “I will certainly do my best!”
The distance between Nanjiang to Chungchou was not too far either. If Nanjiang’s situation worsened, Chungchou would be affected too.
This time, Zhao Xingwu did not guard Chungchou Catacombs. Instead, he went to Nanjiang to hold the fort, to build a stronghold in the Catacombs, and to prevent the battlefield from extending to the ground surface.
To put it bluntly, compared to a few other Grandmasters, Wu Chuan would not die in battle so easily. Even if the rest died in battle, they would only affect a small area. But, if Zhang Dingnan died in battle, the effect would be catastrophic.
Zhao Xingwu was still speaking when someone behind him asked worriedly, “Grandfather Zhao, can you bring Fang Ping back with you?”
Zhao Xingwu turned his head to take a look. There were many people behind him at this moment. These guys had also been keeping watch here ever since the first batch of martial artists entered.
Zhao Xingwu knew about Chen Yaoting’s granddaughter. Both parties had visited each other before.
When he heard what she said, Zhao Xingwu sighed in his heart. He had also heard about the young prodigies entering.
His grandson had even lost to Yao Chengjun earlier. Whereas Yao Chengjun lost to Fang Ping.
The old master also regarded these prodigy martial artists as important.
But, it was indeed risky for these guys to go in this time.
It was hard enough to predict the life and death of Grandmaster powerhouses. Would these Rank-4 and 5 prodigies still be alive?
The old master was actually quite pessimistic. But, facing these young people in front of him now, the old master’s mouth broadened into a smile, saying, “Don’t worry, nothing big will happen. With Guardian Wu leading the team, unless the Catacombs went all out with full force, they won’t do anything to them...”
As soon as the old master was done speaking, the vortex in the alloy building shook for a bit.
Everyone’s expression changed. Very quickly, Zhao Xingwu said in a low voice, “The passageway has stabilized for the second time!”
“Will someone return?”
“Wait!”
“Step back, the rest of you. Prepare for battle!”
The Grandmasters shouted one after another. Now, maybe the person who came out was the person who would bring news, maybe it would be the people from the Catacombs. No one knew exactly who it would be.
Of course, there was also the possibility whereby no one would come out.
If there was still no one coming out after a long time, that would mean that the first batch could not return to report what happened. The situation would not look too good.
If it were the Catacombs martial artists however, they might be lying in wait.
At the back, the middle and low-ranked martial artists stepped back one after another. In front, Grandmasters surrounded the alloy building tightly. Far away, huge amounts of military equipment were aimed at this spot. If the situation had gone to an uncontrollable extent, this place would be razed to the ground!
Time was ticking.
The crowd who had retreated far away looked anxious and hopeful at the same time. They seemed nervous and uneasy.
What exactly happened to the people who went in as the first batch?
Every Grandmaster ahead looked solemn, completely focused at guarding. A dull and lackluster dadao appeared out of nowhere in Zhao Xingwu’s hands.
Although his ability was strong, he would still not be able to defend if a Rank-9 paragon powerhouse charged out.
Whereas for other Sino Nation’s Rank-9 paragon powerhouses, they had their own missions to attend to.
Some were currently moving into the depths of the Catacombs while others were in charge of guarding a strategic location. Even if they were to provide aid, they might not be able to make it in time.
The old master sighed in his heart. His ability was not a match for others. Otherwise, this would not happen!
Just as this thought emerged in his mind, the vortex started shaking slightly.
“Someone has come out!”
Sensing the tremors of the vortex, the old master’s face twitched, the changdao in his hands unleashed a faint golden glow, preparing to attack anytime.
A split-second later, an aura emerged.
Zhao Xingwu breathed a sigh of relief, announcing immediately, “He’s one of our own!”
“It’s Old Zheng!”
Amongst the Grandmasters, someone sensed the aura, looking completely delighted. One of their own had returned.
However, in the next second, their expression changed again and again.
The martial artist whom they addressed as Old Zheng had a weak and unstable aura. It was clear that he was critically injured. This was not a good situation.
Nanjiang’s Commander Bai was in no rush to open up the alloy building gates. Instead, he waited for a moment before saying, “Open up the gates!”
Outside the alloy building, two Rank-6 martial artists heard his orders before opening up the alloy gates from the outside.
Once the gates opened, an elderly drenched in blood stumbled out with tottering steps.
“Two Rank-9s, five to six Rank-8s, and roughly twenty Rank-7s! Tomorrow at dawn, Guardian Wu and Commander Zhou will pin down the enemy, join forces and build a stronghold!”
The old man reported as soon as he walked out. Then, crimson blood spilled out of his mouth ceaselessly.
He had spent a period of time in the passageway. Earlier, the passageway’s energy was not stable, so he nearly died inside. He managed with effort and pushed himself to hold on until the energy had stabilized before charging out of the passageway, returning to the ground surface.
As soon as the words left his lips, many people’s expressions changed.
Two Rank-9s!
Two cities’ forces!
The worst-case scenario had happened!
For so many years, when a passageway opened, typically only one city would dispatch forces. Furthermore, it was rare to see a city turning out in full force.
Zhao Xingwu took a deep breath and said quickly, “Heal your injuries first and tell us the specifics later.”
Others wanted to say something but stopped. They wanted to ask about the situation, yet worried that they would hear news that they dreaded to hear.
At least the situation had not deteriorated to the worst-case scenario. At least Wu Chuan and Zhou Dingguo were still alive.
What about the rest?
Old Zheng was in no hurry to heal his wounds. When he saw the young people at the back walking toward him, he said under his breath, “Ask them to leave first.”
Everyone’s expression changed once more. Commander Bai turned around and shouted, “Don’t come near us!”
As soon as the command left his lips, numerous military powerhouses stepped forward and barred the way.
Outside the circle, many of them looked restless. The situation did not seem so good.
“Old Zheng, what exactly happened?”
“We were besieged by a Rank-9, three Rank-8s, and nine Rank-7s as soon as we exited the passageway.
“Director Zhou self-destructed his Divine Weapon, blowing himself up in the end, dying on the spot.
“Li Changsheng crushed his half golden body in the end and slashed with his Longevity Sword. He cooperated with Governor-General Zhang and the rest to kill a Rank-8, dying as well.
“In order to save Governor-General Zhang, Vice-chancellor Chen perished in battle too. Most of Governor-General Zhang’s Mentality is obliterated and he is critically injured... I’m afraid he won’t be able to recover his combat strength as a Grandmaster anymore.
“Vice-chancellor Liu is also critically injured, unable to fight anymore.
“Minister Hu is also heavily injured. Now, he’s bringing Governor-General Zhang and Vice-chancellor Liu into hiding...
“As for the rest, all the Rank-6s has perished in battle except for me... the young people... after breaking the siege, they disappeared too... maybe...”
After hearing what Old Zheng said, a hint of sorrow flashed across everyone’s face!
Out of five High Grandmasters in Nanjiang, three of them entered the Catacombs and two of them perished in battle. Even a huge part of Zhang Dingnan’s Mentality had been obliterated. This was grievous for Nanjiang!
Out of 18 Rank-6s, 17 died in battle. Out of all the Catacombs opening over the years, this might be the first time in which the most number of people had died!
This battle had crippled Nanjiang’s ability greatly, undermining their battle strength. Could they still defend Nanjiang’s Catacombs?
“Vice-chancellor Chen and Director Zhou... have both died in battle?”
Commander Bai mumbled. NMAU’s vice-chancellor had died in battle. The director who owned the highest number of martial arts dojo in Nanjiang had died in battle. Nanjiang’s governor was seriously injured, perhaps unable to recover his combat strength as a Grandmaster.
Now, apart from him, only Nanjiang’s chamber of commerce’s chairman was a Grandmaster powerhouse. But, that chairman’s combat strength was only average.
What would happen to Nanjiang’s Catacombs in the future?
They had just entered. In the future, plenty of fights were waiting for them!
“Nanjiang...”
Nanjiang had suffered a great loss in this battle!
Everyone was weighed down by anxiety. They had no time to feel grief.
Now, the situation was out of control. Based on what Old Zheng described, the other party had deployed one city’s full force. This rarely happened in the past.
Zhao Xingwu took a deep breath and asked, “How’s Guardian Wu doing?”
“Guardian Wu is currently fighting and keeping another Rank-9 busy. Initially, there was another Rank-9 outside the passageway. But, he went off early this morning in a rush. It was then that I got the chance to enter...”
“He has gone to kill Guardian Wu in a siege?”
Zhao Xingwu’s complexion changed slightly, saying, “The situation doesn’t seem so good. Everyone, let’s discuss. Should we follow the plan and enter tomorrow or enter now to provide aid?”
“Let’s enter now!” Commander Bai continued, “No matter what happens, whether the Rank-9 will come back or not, entering now can relieve the burden of others. If we wait another night, we can’t predict how terrible the situation will be...”
“It’s just worrying to think that if we don’t follow what we’ve planned, what if the other party had given up hunting Guardian Wu, and there are two Rank-9s guarding outside the passageway now...”
Someone said worryingly. If two Rank-9s were guarding outside, Zhao Xingwu might not be able to handle two of them even though he was powerful.
If that happened, the rest would be in danger.
A Rank-9 might not be able to kill Rank-7 and 8 too quickly. But, if there was a delay in time, one could definitely kill the other party.
By entering according to the agreed time, Wu Chuan would definitely think of ways to keep the other party busy, cooperating with Zhao Xingwu in opening up new possibilities.
But, what if Wu Chuan was killed in a siege after they waited for a night?
Now, too many powerhouses had perished. If another Rank-9 died, the loss would be beyond bearable.
Needless to say, there were still a few critically injured Grandmasters in hiding right now. If they were discovered, they would be in grave danger too.
Everyone started pondering. Zhao Xingwu said suddenly, “The rest of you don’t have to go in. I’ll go alone this time. Even if there are two Rank-9s on the other end whom I can’t kill, I can still make an escape and work with Guardian Wu to launch a counterattack!”
“Elder Zhao, this is too dangerous!”
There might be more than just two Rank-9s!
After being held up by two Rank-9s, even Rank-7 and 8 martial artists would pose a threat to a Rank-9.
If Zhao Xingwu could not make an escape and was unlucky, it would not be unexpected for him to be killed in a siege.
Commander Bai asked in a low voice, “Elder Zhao, can the passageway support two Rank-9s right now?”
Zhao Xingwu shook his head gently. Then, he continued, “Even if it could, it won’t be necessary. When there are too many Rank-9s going in at the same time, the number on the other end will increase as well. A battle that’s between two cities originally may spread. Even if we win this time, we’ll have a hard time guarding Nanjiang in the future.”
Right now it was two cities’ forces. If two more Rank-9s entered on Nanjiang’s end, another city would join the battle in the Catacombs in no time.
When that happens, Nanjiang Catacombs would be facing three cities’ forces.
When fighting in the Catacombs, the Catacombs could fight the minority as the majority. But, humans could not. This was miserable for the weak.
They could only wait passively. Wait for the other party to deploy a corresponding number of powerhouses before humans could increase the corresponding number of powerhouses to deal with them!
As soon as Zhao Xingwu said those words, indignation, and resentment were evident in everyone’s faces.
Someone said through gritted teeth, “At worst, we’ll just die in battle! This time... the seniors are already prepared and so are we!”
When the Nanjiang Catacombs opened, many senior Grandmasters were already prepared to risk their lives for the battle!
Back then, MCMAU old vice-chancellor was one of them.
Unfortunately, there was a commotion in Magic City’s Catacombs first. Under a helpless situation, a few Grandmasters had participated in Magic City Catacombs’ battle before everyone else.
There were still many senior Grandmasters who were prepared to fight a deathmatch, though the government had stopped them from doing so. When it was not their turn to give it their all, the seniors’ feelings were understandable. But, if the battle was too intense, then a great battle similar to the Capital City’s would break out.
Now, Sino Nation could not afford to fight such a battle.
More than ten Grandmasters would die. Perhaps even more. Maybe they might even inspire Monster Life Clan to resist. This would not be beneficial for all.
In those days, there was no well-established awareness toward the Catacombs, hence the outbreak of the Capital City’s great war. In the end, what happened over at the Capital City was, it brought Monster Life Clan and Monster Plant Clan together. The higher-ups were worried that if such changes happened again, humans would be placed in a much difficult situation.
The ones on the spot were all Grandmasters. They knew a lot more about these situations as well.
Even though they were unwilling to accept it, they knew that initiating a large-scale battle would be much more troublesome, making the situation worse.
Zhao Xingwu did not say too much. After a while, he said, “I’ll go in alone. The rest must continue waiting. Unless another person returns, none of you can enter without permission!”
All of them could only agree. This was also the best option so far.
Zhao Xingwu wasted no time either. Very quickly, he stepped into the alloy building and took a step into the vortex.
As soon as he left, there were no longer any cordons around the passageway. The people outside the circle rushed in immediately.
Everyone surrounded the Grandmasters one after another. Chen Yunxi asked hurriedly, “What happened to Fang Ping?”
Commander Bai and the rest kept a straight face, answering in a low voice, “Everything’s fine. Don’t worry!”
Now, this news must not be spread out. If they knew that almost everyone under Rank-7 was annihilated in the Catacombs, the people’s will would be shaken.
Although Commander Bai said so, the crowd still found it difficult to shake off the restless feeling. They turned their attention to Old Zheng.
But, Old Zheng’s injuries were too critical now. He was nearly unconscious. The military doctor was carrying him to the military camp. There was no way for them to ask about the situation anymore.
After Commander Bai and the rest sent these guys away, they exchanged glances with each other, looking slightly pained.
There was no hope for Nanjiang Catacombs anymore.
...
In the Catacombs.
Fang Ping changed into a new set of clothes, announcing confidently, “This time, Nanjiang Catacombs will be stable with me around!”
Old Man Li did not utter a word.
“Old Li, let’s work and destroy a city together. Let’s show them what we can do!”
Old Man Li darted him a look, saying mildly, “I don’t have that capability.”
“But I do!”
Fang Ping beamed, saying, “Now that you’re not a burden anymore, watch me sneak into the rear and destroy them!”
“Are you really going?”
“Of course.”
As he said, Fang Ping said with a strong sense of righteousness, “At least we have to create chaos at their headquarters to prevent their powerhouses from sealing off the passageway. At least, let our people come in safely.”
Old Man Li said nothing more. Fang Ping mulled it over, and said, “But, it’s best if we can lure Willow Tree Monster away. Old Li, why don’t you try it?”
Old Man Li held his tongue. ‘It’s too early for me to die.’
“What a pity.”
Fang Ping shook his head after seeing his reaction. ‘Forget it. I won’t go into the inner city. I’ll just wreak havoc outside the city. But, I still need to be careful. If Willow Tree Monster is lured out, then it’ll be the death of me for sure.’