With Li Long's ferocious Ice Snow Domain blanketing the area, both sides, locked in fierce combat, felt as if cold water had been thrown over them. They came to their senses in an instant.
"What's going on?" someone asked.
"Something big happened. Li Long's younger brother, Li Hu, was punched to death by an Earth Grade fighter from Thunder Star Mountain!" someone whispered in reply.
"That's huge! Weren't the major forces forbidden from killing core disciples and core elites during the Blood Trial? How did Li Hu get killed?" The speaker sounded excited.
"Who knows? We're on the side of Blood Sun City and the Nine Spirits Society, so we can just watch the show," the other person said gleefully.
"I've got a little suggestion. Li Long's bound to go berserk in a bit. Let's use the chance to take a few more cheap shots. Maybe we can collect a whole lot of battle suits this time!" The speaker suddenly thought of something and quietly told his companion.
"Good idea. Thunder Star Mountain's in for a terrible time. Even if we don't take advantage of the chaos, we should still cut down a few more of them and reduce the competition."
Just as the Thunder Star Mountain Trial Takers were alarmed and those on the Nine Spirits Society's side were itching to act...
"Everyone, listen up! Prioritize killing the Thunder Star Mountain Trial Takers. Kill an Earth Grade elite and you'll get ten million Cosmic Crystals. Kill a Sky Grade elite and you'll get a hundred million. Whoever can kill Kadi will get a hundred billion from me. And whoever can capture alive the man who dared to kill my brother will also receive a hundred-billion bounty."
"Kill to your heart's content. I'll take responsibility for whatever happens!"
Li Long's domineering voice carried across the land, reaching everyone loud and clear.
"Li Long, how dare you!" Leo roared.
Leo could ignore the others, but Kadi was a Special Elite of Thunder Star Mountain. Although Kadi wasn't born into Thunder Star Mountain's Imperial Clan, he was still a rare genius among the outsiders.
Li Long was clearly demanding that everyone from Thunder Star Mountain be buried alongside his younger brother, Li Hu!
"Hmph. You broke the rules first, so don't blame me! I'm not just going to kill them. You won't get away either."
Li Long charged in again with his spear, overwhelming Leo and forcing him back step by step.
This time, though, Li Long was clearly targeting Kadi, while Leo resolutely stood in front of him and bore the brunt of Li Long's fiercest attacks.
The situation was similar to before, but their intentions had clearly changed.
"Li Long, who do you think you are? You want to kill me?"
Kadi looked like a pangolin and was over two meters long. His brown scales glinted, and a pale yellow Domain enveloped his body. A hint of madness showed in his round little eyes.
"This is a desert. It'll greatly weaken your Ice Snow Domain, while my strength has risen to Sky Grade Two. In this terrain, my Domain can match a Second Layer Domain. You don't have much of an advantage there. At most, your energy is one level higher than mine. You can't kill me!"
Kadi roared madly, using the power of his Domain to raise his strength to its peak. To go any further, he would have to burn his soul.
Sure enough, after Kadi's strength surged, with Leo and Cang Ge backing him up, Li Long had little chance of making much progress in the short term.
But on another battlefield, the Trial Takers from Blood Sun City and the Nine Spirits Society attacked the Thunder Star Mountain Sky Grade fighter like madmen.
As the saying went, great rewards brought out the brave. Ordinary sums of money, even tens of millions of Cosmic Crystals, wouldn't tempt these Trial Takers much.
But a bounty of a hundred billion would make anyone's eyes turn red. Even most Domain Lords would struggle to pay that much!
If Li Long hadn't ordered them to capture the man alive, he would have been dead already.
"Don't fight me for him. He's mine!"
"Damn it, who knocked away my Telekinetic Weapon, the Golden Silk Net?"
"Damn! I almost caught him!"
The Prison Clan Members were like starving wolves. To them, the man was a huge, delicious roast, and every one of them wanted to claim him for themselves.
Just then, Wu Sheng let out a long howl and quickly rushed in front of everyone, his eyes sweeping wildly with red light.
At first, many people paid him no mind. They thought he was some Earth Grade Ninth Order elite who couldn't resist the temptation and had come to grab an easy prize, despite the danger.
But as one person after another was struck by the red light and suddenly froze in place, the others finally realized what was happening.
"Damn, he's an illusionist!"
"Impressive! His soul attack swept over them, and even those Sky Grade elites couldn't withstand it!"
"Forget Sky Grade fighters—even those Sky Grade Spirit Readers can't resist him. How is that possible?"
Seeing Wu Sheng unleash his power, everyone was shocked again.
Only Special Elites who had also advanced to Sky Grade and possessed a Domain could leave Sky Grade elites completely helpless!
Could this short Green-Robed Youth really be a match for Kadi and Cang Ge?
"Look, he's about to face Zhe Luo and Anji. They don't have souls, so they're not afraid of his Soul Illusion!"
Someone shouted.
Fortunately, Wu Sheng knew the weakness of illusionists himself.
In recent years, he had focused on cultivating Soul Confusion and Soul Thorn, but he had also put considerable effort into mastering the Flowing Cloud Needle.
His strength lay in his willpower, bolstered by his Cosmic Level will. Although his use of Telekinetic Weapons was a weakness, that was only in comparison to his Soul Illusion.
Besides, he had another advantage.
"Man Gu!"
Wu Sheng bellowed, and a gigantic black "triceratops" came charging through the crowd. It had two enormous horns above its head, another on the tip of its nose, and a huge, bony frill behind its head.
With Wu Sheng's consent, Man Gu had now been released from the Mind Control mark and had regained some freedom. However, deep within his soul, Wu Sheng had also planted a Soul Spider mark.
Furthermore, with treasures such as the Mystic Spirit Fruits from Li Hu's Space Ring, Man Gu had broken through all the way to Stellar Level One.
His strength was still a level below Zhe Luo's and the others, but with his physical advantage, he was confident he could hold Zhe Luo off for now.
"Quack!"
Bai Yu flew through the air, controlling a large green net to temporarily hold Anji back.
His Spiritual Force had also broken through to Stellar Level One. He wasn't even as strong as Man Gu, but he had the advantage of being able to attack from a distance. And since Wu Sheng had only asked him to hold Anji back as best he could, not fight to the death, it was naturally easy enough.
"Hmph. Break!"
Wu Sheng transformed the Flowing Cloud Needle into a blue pillar about a foot thick and easily sent the remaining soulless Trial Takers flying, breaking their combined attack.
Then Wu Sheng went straight to the Thunder Star Mountain Sky Grade fighter.
"You—you're going to do what?"
The Thunder Star Mountain Sky Grade fighter looked as if he were about to cry. Even now, he had no idea how Li Hu had been so easily killed by him. But when such a ferocious man charged right up to him, he still felt his heart pounding, even though he knew he wouldn't escape death.
"Heh, a walking hundred billion! That was easy!"
Wu Sheng unleashed a Soul Confusion attack, sending the man straight into an illusion. Then he quickly took him away from the area.
"Ah, he's on a whole different level. I can't believe someone at mere Earth Grade Ninth Order could fight on par with a Sky Grade One Special Elite!"
"There are still three years until the Trial ends. If he breaks through to Sky Grade, he'll probably be second only to Li Long and Leo!"
"Once he reaches Sky Grade, he'll definitely be stronger than Cang Ge and the others!"
"Yeah. I've heard that every Blood Trial produces a few monsters. Could this Trial Ground have another dark horse alongside Li Long and Leo?"
"The more powerful people there are, the lower our chances of making it through!"
"Being in the same Trial Ground as someone like him is tough, even if we're on the same side!"