Chapter 1696: Fight back if hit

The scene fell into silence.

The situation on the light screen was clear—everyone could see it.

Yet at the same time, no one truly understood.

The Guardian Beast’s strength was undeniable. They had watched it being selected, upgraded, and forcing Gyanendra to back down.

And under the Difficulty Surge Card, its power had doubled.

Nearly everyone believed this was a place where those who stepped forward would never return—that this Guardian Beast was already beyond what human evolved could handle at this stage.

But…this woman holding a cat had ended the battle so quickly?

How long had it even been?!

Just how strong was she?!

Amidst their shock, the most exceptional evolved began analyzing and assessing the Talking Lady’s strength and combat style.

Cloud Peak was no different. Most couldn’t decipher much, only knowing that the Talking Lady was a mental-type lifeform. Yet everything that had just happened completely overturned their understanding of such evolved beings.

After reaching level nine, it seemed the Talking Lady’s skills were no longer purely mental-based!

"They still are."

Ye Zhongming answered the question in everyone’s minds.

"Whether it’s her whispers, humming, or screams—they’re all manifestations of mental attacks. The same goes for the black cat’s meows. The difference is, after reaching level nine, their power has ascended to a level we can’t even fathom. If I’m not mistaken, those crystals are a materialized form of psychic energy."

In that short time, Ye Zhongming had seen the black cat and the Talking Lady use at least eight skills—five from her, three from the cat.

The black cat’s meow, claw projections, and the final spinning charge.

The Talking Lady’s crystal spike, crystal imprisonment, crystal detonation, wound-tearing, and that final skill that yanked out the Guardian Beast’s soul.

Eight skills, flawlessly coordinated, leaving the Guardian Beast utterly suppressed.

Of course, this didn’t mean they were overwhelmingly stronger than the Guardian Beast. Mental attacks were inherently unpredictable—if the target’s mental resilience were lacking or far inferior to the attacker’s, they’d end up restrained and unable to fight back.

This Guardian Beast was likely a pure physical combatant, weak in mental defense.

The Talking Lady’s power was staggering. Ye Zhongming glanced at Red Hair beside him, prompting a faint smile from this nearly-human puppet.

"If suppressed, victory is easy. If not suppressed, danger lurks at every turn." Red Hair tilted her head. "Did I use the idiom right?"

The nearby Cloud Peak higher-ups chuckled. They understood her point.

The Talking Lady was undoubtedly powerful, but her strengths and weaknesses were too pronounced. Against a foe resistant to mental attacks, her combat efficiency would plummet, easily dragging her into a grueling battle.

The reason they didn’t say she’d outright lose was that the black cat, while also psychic-based, excelled in direct combat—its agility and speed were unmatched, leaving few able to keep up.

In short, The Talking Lady had clear pros and cons, but defeating her was still an immense challenge.

Yet Red Hair’s words suggested she had some confidence.

Ye Zhongming’s gaze drifted to the motionless Undead Dragon-fish. Once it awoke, it would surely be level nine—likely a top-tier one at that, having inherited the legacy of a lifeform on par with the Holy Father.

After Cloud Peak’s challenge, it was the Mechanical Genius’s turn. He also chose not to purchase anything, instead conquering the Cannibal Chain’s planet in one go.

The third round ended amid such breathtaking scenes.

A new round was about to begin.

In the first three rounds, though both Cloud Peak and the Mechanical Genius faced challenges, they remained in the lead. The other factions had their wins and losses, but with each passing round, their hopes of victory dwindled.

The Cannibal Chain struck the crystal. Having opted for a full-team battle last round, they now advanced only two steps, landing on Bright Star No. 8—Cloud Peak’s territory. After paying the toll, they settled there, seemingly content to watch the battle unfold from the sidelines.

Next was Greater America. The crowd’s barely settled nerves tensed again. Last round, Greater America had struck hard at Cloud Peak. Would they do so again this round? Keep targeting them?

From Bright Star No. 13, Governor Spade didn’t use any cards. Instead, he advanced two stars, landing on Bright Star No. 15—another Cannibal Chain territory.

Wu Xiu shrugged helplessly. This stretch—from Bright Star No. 12 to No. 20—had three of their stars: No. 13, 15, and 17. Greater America had already taken No. 13, and now they occupied No. 15. Next round, they’d likely target No. 17.

The Cannibal Chain’s second-in-command regretted not purchasing stronger Guardian Beasts earlier, like Cloud Peak had.

The tolls paid to pass their ally’s stars pained Wu Xiu. If not for Ye Zhongming’s promise to reimburse her afterward, she might’ve been tempted to challenge them once or twice.

As expected, Spade chose to challenge—with his full team—and won, even purchasing a new Guardian Beast.

This stretch was critical to his plan of crushing Cloud Peak, so he’d spare no effort in setting up obstacles. Yet this round, he remained silent.

The Talking Lady’s appearance had shaken him deeply, leaving him uncertain.

After Greater America, it was Cloud Peak’s turn again.

If the previous round had merely piqued the crowd’s interest, now, as Cloud Peak stepped up, excitement surged.

Would Cloud Peak…continue down this death-path set by Greater America, Gyanendra, and the Mechanical Genius?

Ye Zhongming stood before the stone platform, hammer in hand.

As if aware that everyone was watching through the light screen, he paused before lifting his head, just enough to let the spectators see his face.

"This Star Path has all sorts of strategies, cards, alliances, and schemes."

His wrist twisted, rotating the hammer without striking yet.

"But in the end, do you know what this game is really about?"

Faced with the Cloud Peak King’s sudden question, the crowd exchanged puzzled glances.

Ye Zhongming sighed.

"Still don’t get it? Fine, I’ll tell you."

A level nine demon crystal appeared in his hand.

"It’s about…money."

With that, he swung the hammer.

The Soaring Crystal landed precisely on Bright Star No. 15—Greater America’s position last round.

"At Cloud Peak, I’ve always taught my comrades one thing: If you’re hit, hit back."

As Ye Zhongming’s voice faded, the spatial announcement boomed—

"Cloud Peak has activated the Major King Card!"