158 is not a number that can be achieved easily, nor could it be obtained through peaceful means. After all, persuading someone to give up the game and surrender is sometimes harder than killing them.
"So, this Cang Yue, like Chu Ling, is also a very warlike person?" Qi Ling frowned. "But she doesn't seem like the type to do that."
"You're right, Bai Di. I didn't expect you to have such a good eye for people," Kurumi said with a smile. " The Queen of Ice disdains to lay a hand on such insignificant enemies, but unfortunately, her enemies don't think so."
"You mean, the enemy handed over these points to her?" Qi Ling asked.
"That's right, it's not just us who want to win. Everyone participating in the competition naturally hopes that the final victory will belong to them," Kurumi said. "So, when there's a chance to defeat a strong opponent, no one will let that opportunity slip by."
"So these people came up with this terrible idea to deal with Cang Yue, the strongest one, intending to use sheer numbers to overwhelm her, only to end up being completely wiped out?" Qi Ling said speechlessly, "What kind of ridiculous plot is this? It's so brainless."
But Kurumi shook her head and said, "No, Bai Di, things aren't as simple as you think. Although these people didn't kill Cang Yue, they've actually achieved their goal! The Queen of Ice Cang Yue is actually in an extremely weak state right now, it's just that others can't see it."
Qi Ling was startled, and then looked at Cang Yue again, only to find that even she couldn't see through Cang Yue's true nature, and couldn't sense her true situation at all, so naturally others would be even less able to do so.
"But... she doesn't look weak at all!" Qi Ling couldn't help but ask.
"That was just a special method she used to protect herself. If anyone tries to harm her, they will face her fiercest counterattack," Kurumi said. "After all, the queen's dignity cannot be violated, so she is always prepared to die with anyone."
Qi Ling couldn't help but gasp in astonishment. It was indeed a ruthless and icy approach. Given this, Qi Ling could roughly guess what method Cang Yue was using to conceal her information. She had most likely used extreme cold to Ice Seal all her information and cut off communication with the outside world, which was why no one could find out her true situation.
However, this approach obviously has significant drawbacks. As a result, Cang Yue will be unable to absorb spiritual energy from the outside world, so her recovery speed will inevitably be extremely slow. In addition, she herself has already consumed too much energy and is extremely weak, so her condition must be worse than she imagined, which is why she resorted to this method.
"158 people? That's unbelievably powerful!" Qi Ling exclaimed, "These aren't 158 ordinary people, but people qualified to participate in the Demon God Contention Battle! This is just too incredible!"
Kurumi laughed and said, "That's right, it's a great achievement. But with such a large number of people, these people certainly couldn't be unorganized rabble. Bai Di, do you want to know who organized them to launch the attack on Cang Yue?"
Qi Ling said, "Oh? Someone actually managed to organize such a force in such a random competition? Who is it?"
"Here, that's him." Kurumi said, pointing in a direction to Qi Ling.
The person Kurumi was pointing to was surrounded by a group of people, and he looked like their leader. He had short silver hair, seemingly perpetually squinting eyes, and a smiling face that revealed no hidden motives.
Seemingly sensing Qi Ling's gaze, the man actually looked at Qi Ling and then revealed a very amiable smile. If it were just that, he would undoubtedly be the most approachable person among everyone present.
"Don't be fooled by his appearance, Bai Di," Kurumi said. " Qian Jiyin is the only one whose strength hasn't reached the True God level, yet his chances of winning the championship are exceptionally high! It's all thanks to his intellect."
"Oh? Is that so?" Qi Ling looked at the people around Qian Jiyin and found that they all seemed to trust him completely. This reminded Qi Ling of the people in Dragon's Glory. They had something in common: unreserved trust.
"So, this Qian Jiyin is someone who understands human nature very well, or rather, someone who is very cunning, right?" Qi Ling said.
Kurumi then nodded and said, "That's right. Among the hundreds of people killed by Cang Yue, not one was his subordinate. They were all people he had instigated at the last minute, and they actually escaped unscathed in this battle."
"Furthermore, although I didn't witness the scene firsthand, one thing is certain: Cang Yue definitely used something Qian Jiyin hadn't anticipated. Otherwise, Qian Jiyin wouldn't have acted without being certain of victory."
"I see. Qian Jiyin, Cang Yue, Chu Ling," Qi Ling muttered to herself. "Sigh, but, Kurumi, there's a problem. You said there are three people at the True God level, but since Qian Jiyin hasn't reached the True God level, who is the other one?"
"Hehe, I knew you'd ask that question, but she's very mysterious. She seems to have appeared out of nowhere; nobody knows much about her," Kurumi said helplessly. "Even I only know that her name is Zhen Hong."
" Zhen Hong?" Qi Ling frowned slightly upon hearing the name. For some reason, he felt a strange sense of familiarity upon hearing it.
"Yes, and this person is not only incredibly strong and low-key, but also has a very unpredictable style," Kurumi said. "For example, everyone is gathered here now, but she's the only one missing."
"Really? Could it be that she was eliminated in the last round?" Qi Ling asked.
"Hehe, impossible! Bai Di, how could someone like that lose to an opponent of this caliber?" Kurumi said. "You'll understand when you see her. If Qian Jiyin were in the same group as her, he would never have attacked her."
Kurumi's words immediately piqued Qi Ling's curiosity even more. Just who was this Zhen Hong? But one thing was certain: since she possessed the strength of True God, she was definitely not someone to be trifled with.
"This is really interesting. The world is far more vast than I imagined, and I'm definitely not the only genius in the world," Qi Ling said at this moment. "That's what makes competitions interesting!"
"Hehe, I didn't expect you to have such a good attitude!" Kurumi said with a smile. "Then guess who among everyone is the most popular candidate to win the championship, or rather, who everyone thinks is the most likely to win?"
Qi Ling thought for a moment and said, "Both are possible, but since this match is a comparison of strength, I think Chu Ling or Zhen Hong might have a better chance. Cang Yue is injured, so her chances might be lower."
But Kurumi shook her head and laughed, "You're wrong. Actually, the one with the highest chance of winning isn't any of them, but the man personally chosen by the Demon God, the one who possesses the power of the Demon God!"
"Yes, that's right, it's you, Qi Ling!" Kurumi suddenly looked intently at Qi Ling and said something that surprised him greatly.