Many members who came to Cloud Peak with their leaders would never forget that sunny afternoon, nor the dragon that descended from the sky, radiating killing intent.
They would especially never forget the chilling silence that filled the room.
"Xia Lei!"
Li Daqian abruptly stood up.
He hadnât interacted much with this womanâhis connections were more tied to Ye Zhongming. Now, the master of Thousand Beast Villa was already in a battle-ready state.
Cloud Peak was clearly using force to suppress themâwhat else could they do but resist?
Level nine? Yes, it was strong. Extremely strong. Li Daqian alone couldnât handle it.
But his companions, who had come here with him, were not far away. If he could regroup with them, they would have a fighting chance. Moreover, by his side were two powerful figures from the Chinese regionâCommander Mu and Deacon Water. Mu Xinfei had also become a level-eight evolved. With such a lineup, breaking out of Cloud Peak was highly possible.
The room suddenly felt dampâclearly, Deacon Water was also preparing for battle.
In the apocalypse, none of these leaders were willing to submit to others, even if that person was Ye Zhongming. Just think: Deacon Water had left the Five Ring Money, and Commander Mu had rebelled against the Resistance Zoneâboth actions proved they had proud hearts.
"You are allies, so Iâve given you a choice. If it were anyone else..."
Commander Mu stood up and laughed. "Xia Lei, by that logic, youâre doing us a favor?"
This man made Xia Lei take him more seriouslyâafter all, up until now, no one outside their own circle had ever seen him fight.
"Yes. At the very least, we genuinely hope youâll join us."
"And if we refuse?"
Faced with this question, Xia Lei said nothing.
She simply waved her hand, and Miya, standing to the side, turned on a large TV that had been placed against the wall. The screen was split into four quadrants, and the first three immediately put everyone in the room on edge.
They all recognized those locationsâthey were near their own bases.
And in the footage were Cloud Peakâs fully assembled troops, ready for battle.
Each unit appeared to consist of at least four battle teams, totaling around 40,000 soldiers. Beyond that, a significant number of gene-enhanced warriors and crystal weapons could faintly be seen.
This number wasnât particularly terrifying for major factions at this point. Take Thousand Beast Villa, for exampleâthey had over 100,000 combat-ready individuals, not even counting their equally powerful war beasts.
But everyone knew what Cloud Peakâs combat strength was like. Their 40,000 soldiers could easily match 100,000 or more. And when they had come here, they hadnât expected this woman and this mountain stronghold to be so insane. Their own bases werenât prepared. Against a surprise attack, they likely wouldnât hold.
The last quadrant showed footage from outside a valley. Though the angle made it impossible to see the full picture, after a moment of thought, the Chinese regionâs leaders recognized it. Cloud Peak had shared intelligence with them, including detailed information and photos of this place.
The Black Starâs strongholdâSakagami Valley.
A super base they had built using a certain piece of equipment and manpower.
Black Star had first appeared on the country rankings at the same time Cloud Peak took the top spot, placing tenth. Later, as the Pin Palace moved away, the God Hall and Soul Merchant suffered heavy losses, and Black Star collaborated with the Resistance Zone and others to reap huge benefits; they had now risen to seventh place.
In terms of strength, they might be slightly weaker than Thousand Beast Villa, but they were at least on par withâif not stronger thanâthe forces of Deacon Water and Commander Mu.
Everyone in the Chinese region knew this faction wasnât particularly fond of Cloud Peakâs faction, always carrying a faint sense of competition, even hostility. At the lower levels, there had even been some friction.
Now, outside Black Starâs stronghold, Cloud Peak had also deployed battle teamsâanother 40,000 soldiers, along with gene-enhanced warriors and magic crystal weapon battalions.
"Watch this, then make your decision."
Mo Ye appeared in the room, speaking calmly. Her words weakened the resolve of Deacon Water, Commander Mu, Li Daqian, and the others, filling them with bitterness.
No matter how unwilling they had been earlier, they all knew nowâthere was no peaceful resolution today.
Ye Zhongming wasnât here, but the level-nine Death King Tree, the Talking Lady and her black cat, and the now level-nine Mo Ye meant their high-tier combat power was utterly overwhelming.
And now, with the addition of a level-nine fire dragon, the situation had become hopeless.
If Mo Ye and Yangos were here to suppress them, where were the Death King Tree and the Talking Lady? Could they be leading the attacks on their bases?
The roar of magic crystal cannons snapped everyone back to attention. The real-time footage from the Exquisite Floating Ball showed that Cloud Peak had just casually launched an attack on a major faction in the Chinese region.
Then, under the cover of artillery fire, the gene-enhanced army charged toward Sakagami Valley.
There was no denying itâBlack Starâs headquarters was unique, sturdy, and formidable. They had fully utilized the terrain and wheel technology to turn it into an impregnable fortress.
But under the bombardment of Annihilation Ultimate-Type magic crystal cannons and the assault of the versatile gene-enhanced warriors, the outer defenses didnât even last half an hour.
If even Holy City had fallen, how could this place hold?
When Guang Yao, the commander leading this force, gave the order for the final assaultâand when the Death King Tree revealed its true form, occupying half the screenâeveryone in the room knew the outcome was decided.
"You know what? The moment all of you came here, you lost any choice." Xia Lei looked at them. "Not because you were trapped here, but because none of you were in the middle of evolving."
They suddenly understood. Of courseâsince they were all at Cloud Peak, none of them could be in the process of evolving to level nine. That meant they had no top-tier power to oppose Cloud Peak.
This invitation had also been a test.
"And as for level eight..." Xia Lei smiled, walking to another window and pulling open the curtains.
Outside stood a squad of several hundred women.
They all recognized themâthe Female Guards, Ye Zhongmingâs most loyal protectors.
When their gazes fell upon them, the entire squad suddenly emitted a golden light.
It was the radiance of their equipment, no longer concealed.
"They are all level eightâjust like you. Their equipment is all gold-grade. Their war beasts are all level seven."
"Right now, even without counting my man, Cloud Peak has five highest-level existences. In the near future, that number will rise to seven. The number of level-eight lives is close to six hundred. So let me ask youâwith strength like this, shouldnât we go all out? With strength like this, shouldnât we demand your submission? With strength like this, shouldnât we..."
"...make this entire planet bow before us?!"