The first thing visible was the glow of skills and the distinct sound of crystal weapons firing.
At this point, everyone knew the camp was under attack.
Yet neither Ye Zhongming, Xiao Min, nor Xia Bai moved.
Since the sentries hadnât signaled for reinforcements, it meant the threat wasnât serious. Cloud Peak had a well-established system for handling such situations.
Ruan Xiao and Wu Xiu, accompanied by a few guards, emerged upon hearing the noise and spotted Ye Zhongming standing nearby. They exchanged greetings before turning their attention toward the direction of the fight.
"Seems someone finds us inconvenient and wants to clear us out before the wheel space opens," Ruan Xiao remarked coldly, his words making it clear that he stood firmly with Cloud Peak.
This wasnât surprisingâCannibal Chain had always maintained excellent relations with Cloud Peak. Their collaboration was mutually beneficial, allowing both sides to gain advantages they couldnât achieve alone.
For example, Ye Zhongming needed materials, while Cannibal Chain required potions or equipment.
And, of course, there was the fact that Ye Zhongming, as a major client, helped solidify Ruan Xiaoâs unshakable position within his organization.
Now, gathered beneath the Mountain Crown Wheel to compete for this supreme equipment, they were technically rivals. But as fellow members of the country, there was an unspoken bond between themâa shared understanding that, when not competing for the Mountain Crown, they stood on the same side.
The attack on Cloud Peakâs camp was clearly an attempt to push out outsiders from the country. Ruan Xiaoâs anger and empathy were understandable.
Wu Xiu shook her head without speaking, but she knew full well that these attackers had miscalculated. Though Cloud Peak had the smallest numbers, their strength was among the greatestâjust the Female Guard alone could crush countless so-called "major factions."
Reality quickly confirmed Wu Xiuâs thoughts. The battle ended within minutes, with the attacking force retreating after leaving dozens of corpses behind. Cloud Peak didnât even suffer a single injury.
The report soon came inâthe attackers were from an organization called "Z-Type Vengeance Squad," who had assumed Cloud Peak was an easy target and sent over a thousand fighters.
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It couldnât be helped. Yangos was off somewhere playing, Yellow Ball was sleeping in a tent, Nine Treasures had stayed on the other side of the Bering Strait as backup, Ice Bird was resting in the hive, and the undead dragon-fish was busy growing fleshâŚ
Without these obvious deterrents, Cloud Peak appeared to outsiders as just a group of women and teenagers, who wouldnât want to bully them?
The major factions hadnât made a move in the past two days simply because they didnât see Cloud Peak as a threat, fearing that attacking them might expose weaknesses to other opportunistic forces.
Only mid-tier organizations like the Z-Type Vengeance Squadâwell-informed, sizable but not superpowers, always looking to grab easy advantagesâwould dare target people from the country without hesitation.
Unfortunately for them, theyâd slammed into a brick wall.
The Z-Type Vengeance Squad had enough sense to retreat the moment they realized their target wasnât some weakling but a razor-sharp dagger.
Cloud Peak didnât pursue. An organization like this wasnât even worth the attention of the average female guard warriorâa single squad could carve through the thousand whoâd just attacked.
Still, indifference aside, though Ye Zhongming and Xia Bai said nothing, the women of the Female Guards would undoubtedly show no mercy if they reencountered this group.
After all, to outsiders, they were nothing but a pack of "psychopaths" and "murderous demons."
The group returned to the tent, where Xia Bai served teaâa detail that told Ruan Xiao and Wu Xiu Cloud Peak possessed an abundance of spatial equipment. Otherwise, they wouldnât be carrying such luxuries in the apocalypse.
"Still about the previous collaboration?" Ye Zhongming cut straight to the point without waiting for the Cannibal Chain leaders to speak.
At this stage, both Cannibal Chain and Ye Zhongming had realized something: the secret Alamos had revealed might have been confidential in North America, but it was far from top-secret. Every faction with the qualifications had gathered hereâno fewer than fifty groups, large and small. If there were a power ranking here, the top fifty were likely all present.
Faced with this invisible pressure, Cloud Peak and Cannibal Chain, both from the country, naturally gravitated toward each other.
Under these circumstances, a limited alliance would only bring benefits.
"Yes," Wu Xiu replied bluntly. "But now, only one form of cooperation remains viable."
Ye Zhongming understood. Most of the collaboration methods discussed earlier by the Bering Strait were no longer feasibleâonly one still worked.
"Weâve received reliable intel. Once the Mountain Crown Wheelâs space opens, the rewards wonât just include the disk itself but many other high-tier artifacts. The competition will be fierce." Wu Xiu took a sip of tea and was mildly surprisedâthe flavor was unexpectedly rich, and a warm current spread through her limbs, restoring her stamina and nourishing her body. Clearly, this was no ordinary tea.