Chapter 1656.5- Mechanical genius

"Congratulations to the Women Guard for securing passage rights!"

Many were stunned.

They knew the Women Guard’s strength—respectable, but not top-tier. Compared to the Great Americas (a coalition led by Governor Spade), they were far inferior. Among the twenty factions, they definitely didn’t rank in the top ten.

How had they passed the trial?

A thought took root: If they can do it, so can we.

The battle escalated to new heights.

"Boss Ye, we’ve passed 4,000 too!"

Soon after, Wu Xiu called Ye Zhongming over to deliver the news. With Cloud Peak’s help, they’d unleashed two large-scale spells in quick succession. Their kill count had surged to over 4,500—even higher than Cloud Peak’s 4,400+.

"Go ahead."

Ye Zhongming’s response was brief. Wu Xiu nodded.

Shortly after, the Cannibal Chain hit 5,000 kills, becoming the third faction to secure passage rights.

Meanwhile, Cloud Peak’s kill count exceeded 4,600 from assisting.

By now, the large-scale melee had reduced the number of evolved on the ring-shaped path to a fraction of its original size.

Corpses littered the ground. Blood soaked the soles of their shoes. The stench of death hung thick in the air.

Cloud Peak wasn’t deliberately holding back, but the closer they got to 5,000, the slower the kills came.

It couldn’t be helped. The chaos had been too great. Twenty factions packed into a narrow, ring-shaped path, slaughtering each other; only the hardiest survivors remained.

Ye Zhongming was mildly curious. Given the intensity of the fighting, the death toll must be staggering. Between the Cannibal Chain and Cloud Peak, nearly 10,000 had been killed. How many factions could possibly remain?

With three already having passed, were there still more than four left?

But up ahead… There were hardly any people left.

It was then that Ye Zhongming spotted Gyanendra and his squad.

The Saint from West Asia looked thoroughly disheveled.

It made sense. As outsiders from West Asia, they were natural targets for the American factions. The moment conflict broke out, they’d have been the first to be purged. One could only imagine what the Saint had endured since the chaos began.

That he’d survived this long was a testament to his strength and tactical acumen.

When their eyes met, Gyanendra’s mood couldn’t have been worse.

He wasn’t naive enough to think shared Eastern origins made them allies. He simply cursed his luck.

Amid the ring-shaped path’s dwindling battles, Gyanendra had tried to seize a passage. Even if his kills fell short, holding it for five minutes would grant him passage rights. But after repeated attempts, he realized—this passage must have been "assigned" to one of the factions that had already passed.

He’d rushed to find a second passage, only to hit the same wall. By the time he was searching for a third, he’d run into Ye Zhongming and Cloud Peak.

The Saint of West Asia felt jinxed.

But foul mood aside, one glance told him Cloud Peak’s ranks were still orderly, almost unscathed.

Damn evolved and their perfect memories. Compared to his recollection of Cloud Peak before this trial, their losses were negligible.

Fighting was out of the question. Even going all-out, the best he could do was wound them—his own side would be annihilated.

"Mr. Ye, don’t you find this strange?"

Gyanendra’s opener was unconventional.

He had no choice. He’d seen Cloud Peak readying their assault. If he didn’t pique Ye Zhongming’s interest, the next moment would bring a storm of skills and energy weapons.

True to form, Ye Zhongming held his hand.

"I’ve covered the distance of two passages already. Aside from us, there’s hardly anyone left alive."

Gyanendra opened his mouth to continue—

"Congratulations to the Motley Crusaders for securing passage rights."

The fourth.

Gyanendra felt a crushing sense of futility.

But survival was at stake. He pressed on: "Four factions have already passed. That leaves three slots. Yet here we are—two relatively intact forces—blocking each other. If we clash, factions on the other side might seize the remaining passages while we’re distracted. If all seven are taken, we both get eliminated."

The Saint of West Asia kept his guard up even as he pleaded his case: "Why not turn back separately, seek out unclaimed passages, and pass this trial together? Once we’re up there, we can compete for the Mountain King Wheel fairly!"

"Even if I lose, then, I’ll accept it as fate."

Ye Zhongming chuckled. "Since when do West Asians believe in fate?"

Gyanendra and his squad tensed, interpreting this as rejection.

"I agree."

The two words left Gyanendra dumbfounded.

Cloud Peak—clearly holding the advantage—was letting them go?

He wasn’t about to question it. Ordering his squad to retreat cautiously, he only sped up once Cloud Peak was out of sight.

"Boss…"

Xiao Min couldn’t understand why Ye Zhongming had spared Gyanendra. If he changed his mind now, they could still give chase.

Ye Zhongming said, "They only have a little over 300 left."

That explained it. Even if they wiped Gyanendra out, Cloud Peak’s kill count would only reach 4,900—still short of 5,000.

"But we could’ve killed a few more. Just a few dozen, and we’d have hit the mark."

Dai Zhi still felt they shouldn’t have let them go.

"Let’s head back." Ye Zhongming gave the order first, then explained as they moved:

"First, Gyanendra’s relying on those mechanical units this time. He brought few evolved, and after earlier losses, they weren’t enough for our needs."

They reached a passage. Someone tested it—like Gyanendra’s experience, it was already assigned.

"Second, though his losses were heavy, wiping them out wouldn’t be easy. We’d lose too many of our own."

The squad warmed at his concern.

"Finally, didn’t you notice? Someone’s been tailing us. At this stage, few factions have the manpower for that. I’d rather not play the mantis to their sparrow. Compared to the ‘West Asian cicada’ focused on finding a passage, I’d rather flush out the ‘sparrow’ thinking itself the hunter. And if I’m right, it’s that all-mechanical squad."

Within moments of his words, they spotted the very squad, as if waiting for them.

The Cloud Peak King studied the mechanical units before him, inwardly shaken. These were nothing like Gyanendra’s. They felt alive. Their aura was far more menacing.

He also noticed living humans strapped to some units. What was that about?

"Allow me to introduce myself," a voice boomed from the mechanical ranks. "I am the Mechanical Prodigy!"