The Blood Sun Tribe had six major factions. Each had sent nearly seventy Elite Trial Takers to Trial Ground CKHX-3819. Including loners like Wu Sheng, there were around 450 in total.
The Elite Trial Takers from these factions formed their main forces, so they weren't randomly scattered across the four regions of Trial Ground like Wu Sheng and the others. Instead, behind-the-scenes arrangements had placed them in fixed locations.
The main force from Thunder Star Mountain was concentrated in the Northern Domain, with a few scattered across the Eastern and Western Domains. Blood Sun City's forces were concentrated in the Southern Domain, with a few in the Eastern and Western Domains.
The Nine Spirits Society and Cangming Valley were focused mainly on the Eastern Domain, while Extreme Flame Realm and the Realm Lord Clans were focused mainly on the Western Domain.
In other words, these Elite Trial Takers could usually last until the end, making them strong contenders for the final roster.
However, there were at most 100 places on the roster. Before the Central Domain opened, they needed to eliminate as many of their opponents' contenders as possible.
That was why the Nine Spirits Society had teamed up with Blood River Squad to wipe out Yu Yan, Xuan Tong, and Xuan Ming.
At that moment, Wu Sheng, dressed in blue, sat atop Man Gu's broad back. He gazed at the dark swamp around them, his guard rising.
Man Gu plodded through the marsh like a hardworking black water buffalo, his four hooves sinking at different depths with a squelch.
Not far behind him, Li Hu and the others followed close on their heels.
"Tch, a country bumpkin's still a country bumpkin. He's got only two pieces of trash to send out, so now he has to lead the way himself because he doesn't have enough people." Li Hu sat atop a mammoth-shaped Prison Clan Member, one arm around the masked Fishman woman. He stared at Wu Sheng's short figure up ahead, never letting up with the taunts.
"Taylor, have all the people I asked for arrived?" Li Hu asked the Sky Grade Trial Taker behind him.
"They're all here. Everyone was excited when they heard that Young Master Li Hu needed help. They're now with the people Young Master arranged in advance, lying in wait near another entrance to the Swamp Forest. Once both sides attack the Thunder Star Mountain gathering point, they'll be able to join up with you, Young Master Li Hu."
Taylor spoke with a hint of deference.
Good!
Only then did Li Hu truly relax. He knew most of them were after the Mystic Spirit Fruits he had, but as long as they showed up, that was enough.
If he remembered correctly, among the remaining twenty, Anji and Zhe Luo were both soulless and naturally immune to Soul Attacks. Zhe Luo had even reached Sky Grade, making him Wu Sheng's perfect nemesis.
"There's one thing, though. Young Master already knows what you're up to, Young Master Li Hu. His urgent priority is to wipe out the enemy Trial Takers at this gathering point and unify the Eastern Domain. So he doesn't want you causing trouble until the operation is over!"
Taylor thought it over before adding this.
"Yeah, got it!" Li Hu waved a hand dismissively.
His big brother knew exactly what he was like. Besides, all he wanted this time was to kill a Trial Taker who hadn't reached Sky Grade and had no backing. It wasn't as though he'd bring the sky down.
Whatever trouble came up, he could settle it just by talking to his big brother.
Why make such a fuss?
Suddenly, Bai Yu came flying swiftly from the horizon as a streak of white light. He landed steadily on Man Gu's back and said:
"Things over there seem to check out. There are fewer than two hundred Trial Takers in the camp, and probably fewer than thirty Elite Trial Takers. I couldn't confirm how many were Sky Grade. I'm too weak—I could only observe from a distance before coming straight back."
After hearing this, Wu Sheng thought it over briefly. Seeing nothing particularly amiss, he relayed Bai Yu's findings to those behind him.
"Haha, what are we waiting for? Let's hurry over and kill them! I'll notify my big brother right away."
Li Hu shouted excitedly.
Among Blood River Squad, apart from Di Fei and He Na, he now held the highest status. Before Li Long had left, he'd also assigned Taylor to serve at Li Hu's side. So Li Hu's words carried considerable weight.
Killing Wu Sheng was certainly his own idea, but if he could distinguish himself in this Blood Trial, he'd win even more support from the clan elders when he got out.
Of course, even in his excitement, he didn't forget to issue an order:
"Wu Sheng, get out front and lead the way! My big brother's already speeding things up. We'll attack from both sides this time. Those few people from Thunder Star Mountain and Cangming Valley won't get away!"
Wu Sheng's expression darkened at Li Hu's words. According to the usual scouting procedure, he should've been able to return to the rear long ago.
But Li Hu kept ordering him to stay at the very front. It was obvious he wanted Wu Sheng to go die first!
Fine. Even without those ten billion Cosmic Crystals, I'd still take your life!
Wu Sheng stopped thinking about it and urged Man Gu to move faster.
Strangely, though, their surroundings remained quiet, as if no one had ever been there.
"Something's wrong. This Trial Ground has seen two years of slaughter already. What's left is competition between the various factions. So how come we haven't seen a single sentry along the way?"
"Besides, Yu Yan and the others learned that lesson the hard way. Do they really think they can hide in the mountains and forests and be completely safe?"
The farther Wu Sheng went, the more uneasy he became. Then he spotted a crude camp ahead, with room for fewer than two hundred people, and hurriedly ordered Man Gu to stop.
"No, there's an ambush!"
Drawing on his experience with numerous assassinations, Wu Sheng sensed that this wasn't a proper gathering point at all. It seemed more like bait placed in a spider's web, waiting for prey to wander in.
"Haha, charge! My big brother's drawn their main force to the other side. We'll take this place first, then meet up with him and wipe out the enemy!"
Li Hu rose to his feet on the back of the mammoth-shaped Prison Clan Member and began giving orders. "Kill! The more you kill, the greater your contribution. You'll earn enough battle armor to leave Trial Ground safely and claim a place of unparalleled status!"
The roughly two hundred members of Blood River Squad heard this, their eyes red with greed. They charged forward with howls.
This was the fate they could hardly escape. Now that they had a chance to earn a great deal of battle armor, none of them would be foolish enough to pass it up.
"Master, we..."
Bai Yu dug his sharp claws into the hard neck shield on Man Gu's back and beat his wings restlessly. Watching the others charge ahead, slaughter their way through the enemy, and claim battle armor and Space Rings while he got nothing, he could only anxiously urge Wu Sheng.
Wu Sheng had spent the past year and a half in seclusion, while Bai Yu had been stuck guarding the gate. He hadn't gotten a single piece of battle armor! If he didn't risk his life a few times, even if he survived to the end, he'd still be executed.
"Something's not right. There are too few of them, and they're not strong. That guy Yu Yan has already gone through three Blood Trials. He wouldn't make such a stupid move."
Wu Sheng remained unmoved.
Last time, he'd lured an entire White Moon Grey Wolf Pack there and joined forces with Jin An to wipe out the gathering point where Yu Yan was staying.
That had only worked because Yu Yan had happened to take his people out to cause trouble for Di Fei and He Na.
How could it be this easy to succeed this time?
Sure enough, the next moment, hearty laughter rang out from the entrance Wu Sheng had used to arrive:
"Di Fei, He Na, you two haven't improved at all. Did you really think I'd be stupid enough to wait in this dump for you to ambush me?"
"This time, it's anyone's guess who's ambushing whom!"
"Brother Lei, show them your true form! Give them a little shock!"
At the entrance, Yu Yan—three meters tall, with a pair of huge pincers for arms—spoke respectfully to the Blue Armor Giant at the front, who stood less than two meters tall.
Rumble!
A thunderous boom erupted from inside the Blue Armor Giant. A thick Azure Wind Pillar appeared around him.
Within the pillar, his body swelled rapidly, like a balloon being filled with an ocean of air.
He grew until he stood over ninety meters tall, then finally stopped.
Whoosh!
A pair of purple wings appeared on the Azure Wind Pillar's back. They were covered in dense, deep-purple lightning marks, and purple arcs occasionally leaped from them, making the surrounding air crackle.
"My name is Leo. I came here to wipe you all out!"
Armor covered every inch of the Azure Wind Pillar's body. His voice boomed, and as he spoke, his half-meter-wide, bone-white teeth ground together from time to time.