A Gathering of the Strong

The shadow beneath Li Xiao's feet silently rose to its feet and sneered. "Just you?"

The atmosphere in the clearing suddenly grew tense, and quite a few people looked eager to watch the show.

Gao Bancheng was sweating with anxiety and hurriedly stepped forward.

"Wait! Mr. Nether Tiger, my father—"

Clang!

Before he could finish, a crisp sword cry cut him off.

Gao Bancheng turned around in astonishment, only to see Xiao Yi's treasured sword sweep over his head and fly toward Nether Tiger.

Nether Tiger and the others immediately took this as a declaration of war. Two hundred gene warriors raised their submachine guns in unison and aimed them at Gao Bancheng's group.

"Hey! Come back!" Xiao Yi lunged forward and grabbed Wait. He gave the crowd an awkward grin. "Would you believe me if I said this was a misunderstanding?"

His only response was two hundred pitch-black gun barrels.

Gao Bancheng was panicking. What kind of teammates did I find? Mr. Li is still the most reliable—he never says a word of nonsense. Huh?! Where are Mr. Li and Brother Bai?!

Just as battle was about to erupt, Gao Bancheng shouted, "My father is Gao Shanhe!!!"

A force known as Dad Way burst forth, plunging the entire scene into silence!

A flicker of surprise crossed Nether Tiger's eyes. He raised a hand, stopping his subordinates just before they fired.

"And you are?"

Gao Bancheng panted heavily. "I am Gao Bancheng, son of the president of the Fortune Commerce Association."

As he spoke, he frantically pulled out the Mountain-River Token.

"Mr. Nether Tiger, this is only a small misunderstanding. My friends have no intention of becoming enemies with Apocalypse Corporation. Please, give me some face."

Nether Tiger glanced at the Mountain-River Token, and his expression softened. "So you are President Gao's son. The company has worked with your association on many occasions, so naturally, I must give Young Master Gao face. Put the guns away."

Afterward, he sat back down on the boulder without another word, as though waiting for something.

Li Xiao, however, was still dissatisfied and wanted to continue provoking him. Gao Bancheng hastily stopped him and whispered, "Li Xiao, don't forget why you came to Black Mountain!"

"Hmph! Before killing the Ten Kings, I wouldn't mind teaching some insignificant rabble a lesson!"

Gao Bancheng wanted nothing more than to slap Li Xiao across the face. If the Zodiac were insignificant rabble, then there would be no strong people left in the world.

His small eyes darted around as an idea came to him. "Then Nether Tiger isn't even one of the Ten Kings. If you attacked him, wouldn't that lower your status for nothing?"

Li Xiao's expression eased somewhat, though he still said coldly, "That does make some sense. Fine, I'll spare him today."

Phew.

Gao Bancheng let out a breath of relief and quickly urged the people behind him, "Let's go. We're heading north."

More than three hundred people had gathered in the north, outnumbering Apocalypse Corporation, but they lacked discipline and were scattered into countless small groups.

They wore all kinds of clothing and carried a wide variety of weapons. There were bounty hunters, supernatural organizations, and people from various other major factions.

Apocalypse Corporation held the home-field advantage and far surpassed everyone else in both numbers and equipment. Therefore, these people from the various factions and organizations had temporarily united to prevent Apocalypse Corporation from monopolizing Shelter 189.

Bai Ye blended into the crowd and silently observed them.

Some gathered in groups of just a few, forming small circles. Others numbered in the dozens, while some stood entirely alone.

For example... the knight girl from the Silent Court!

Seeing her for the second time did not surprise Bai Ye. She had clearly come for Shelter 189, but because of her organization's beliefs or perhaps her own wishes, she had gone to save the wasteland settlements around Black Mountain.

The knight girl leaned against the mountainside, seemingly guarding against attacks from behind. Her jet-black hair swayed in the wind, while she held that slender silver cross sword in her arms.

She was dressed exactly as before, with only black and silver on her entire body.

There was no one within two meters of her. The people around her seemed to know she was not someone to provoke, and none dared approach.

At that moment, the knight girl seemed to sense something. Her light brown eyes turned toward Bai Ye. Her gaze was calm and still; she merely gave him a slight nod before looking away.

Bai Ye did not narcissistically assume that the girl had noticed him because he was handsome. He had not washed his face in three days, and after all that wind and sun, it was barely cleaner than the soles of his shoes.

He knew perfectly well that she had noticed him because of what he had done in Gray Soil Town.

Bai Ye also looked away and examined the others. Then, the bushes not far away suddenly trembled. A man emerged from them, smiled as he swept his gaze over the crowd, then entered the northern group and found himself a place to sit. He had clearly just arrived as well.

This lone man immediately drew plenty of attention. There was no other reason—he stood out far too much.

He wore a battered old suit, and his face was painted like a clown's. His vivid red lips stretched almost all the way to his ears.

There were plenty of people present in strange outfits—some wore masks, some had beast-like pupils, and some had faces made entirely of mechanical components—but there was only one clown.

After sitting down on the ground, the clown behaved even more strangely. Though no one was beside him, he laughed happily, and his mouth never stopped moving as he spoke to the air at his side, occasionally pulling a few faces.

He did not seem to have come to Black Mountain in search of a shelter. He seemed to have come to entertain everyone.

People looked at him as though he were insane, and many laughed at him. Yet he seemed unable to hear them, chatting merrily with the air.

"Gao Fatty, who's that?" Bai Ye asked curiously. Based on the law of supernatural madness he had concluded himself, he felt this clown had to be powerful. The crazier one was, the stronger one was; the more abnormal one was, the stronger one was.

Gao Bancheng's broad face darkened. He glanced at Li You and decided to swallow his anger. Then he followed the direction Bai Ye pointed and his expression immediately changed.

"Ghost Clown? That lunatic came too?"

"You know him?"

Gao Bancheng nodded. "This is my first time seeing him too, but his traits are too distinctive. There's no way I could mistake him."

"Is he a supernatural being too?"

"Probably not."

"Probably?" Bai Ye was immediately surprised.

"Ghost Clown is extremely strong, but he has never displayed supernatural powers, nor has he undergone genetic or mechanical modification."

"Vital-blood martial arts?"

"That's right. He made quite a name for himself through vital-blood martial arts alone. Even genetically modified people who have taken five injections are no match for him."

Bai Ye immediately gave Ghost Clown another look. He had not expected this seemingly frail man to have cultivated vital-blood martial arts to such a level, matching genetic technology with nothing but a mortal body.

"Then why do you say he's probably not a supernatural being?"

"Because he has an invisible girlfriend. Didn't you see him talking to the air the whole time? He's actually talking to his girlfriend."