If we had to name the most seriously injured person in this battle, it would be Cao Yang, who was now lying on the ground, bandaged like a mummy, barely clinging to life.
Although Cao Yang only took one hit from Escanor, that one hit almost killed him. These bandages were a last resort, in case Cao Yang was torn in two.
"What should we do about Cao Yang?" Qian Xunji asked. "Is there anyone here willing to take care of him?"
"I think I should take care of him," Xiao Die said. " Cao Yang and I are partners, and I know him quite well, so let me handle him."
Seeing Xiao Die's enthusiasm, Qian Xunji said, "In that case, I'll leave Cao Yang in your care."
Qi Ling couldn't help but laugh as she watched the theatrical instructions. If Cao Yang hadn't been handed over to Xiao Die, things would have been fine. Now that he was in her hands, he probably wouldn't even know how he died.
In the previous battle, Qi Ling had already witnessed Xiao Die's abilities. Although her abilities were ineffective against Escanor, they were a piece of cake for Cao Yang, who was practically a cripple.
The alliance's next course of action was naturally to continue searching for Qi Ling's whereabouts. This was also what Qian Xunji and Xue Qinghe cared about most; they would not give up until they achieved their goal.
Over the next three days, Qi Ling and her two companions continued to complete missions and earn rewards. With the help of Xiaoyu, Qi Ling also eliminated several S-class monsters, and their score reached a considerable level.
Meanwhile, the three of them also made considerable gains regarding the tokens. Qi Ling had successfully collected a level 5 Attack Token, while the other tokens were all around level 4.
A level 5 Attack Token grants Qi Ling a formidable attack capability, equivalent to 81 times that of a level 1 Attack Token! This is an astonishing number.
The reason these tokens are so difficult to obtain—even Qi Ling has only just acquired a Level 5 Attack Token —is because they can only be dropped by monsters!
While tokens can be exchanged in the Exchange Shop, the highest level you can exchange is level 3, and you can only exchange one token of each level! Trying to obtain powerful Attack Token using points is undoubtedly impossible.
This is why obtaining any of the four attribute tokens is extremely difficult; there are very few people who currently possess level 5 tokens.
At the same time, on the morning of this sixth day, something else happened that shocked everyone: the incredibly powerful aura that had been intimidating everyone suddenly disappeared!
This undoubtedly means that the first SSS-class monster to be touched has been defeated! But who could possibly possess such power?
Qi Ling turned to look at Kurumi and saw that she nodded, which undoubtedly meant that her judgment was correct and that the person who accomplished this feat was, in most cases, Zhen Hong.
"That's incredible! He single-handedly took down that monster?" Qi Ling exclaimed. "Doesn't that mean he's even more powerful than that monster? How come this competition is full of monsters?!"
Kurumi laughed and said, "Of course! This competition is specifically designed for monsters! Without that kind of awareness, you won't make it to the end."
Even so, Qi Ling had no better solution. He had considered that perhaps Zhen Hong had just gone through a major battle, which meant she must be in very poor condition, making it a good time to deal with her.
However, after having this thought, Qi Ling immediately rejected it. If you're going to fight, you should fight honorably. To take advantage of your opponent when they're weak is simply despicable and shameless.
Seeing Qi Ling's expression, Kurumi couldn't help but laugh and said, " Qi Ling, are you thinking that since Zhen Hong has just gone through a great battle and might be seriously injured, this is the best opportunity to finish her off?"
Qi Ling coughed awkwardly twice and said, "Ahem, uh... don't talk nonsense, I didn't think that, absolutely not! No!"
"Oh dear, don't deny it so quickly. After all, it's only natural to have such thoughts," Kurumi said with a smile. "But I can tell you for sure, many people have had these thoughts, and without exception, they all regretted it in the end!"
Qi Ling was taken aback and said, "Huh? Why is that? Could it be that..."
"That's right, that's exactly it," Kurumi laughed. " Zhen Hong's power far exceeds everyone's imagination!"
At the same moment, at the summit of that mountain, a group of contestants quietly lurked nearby. There were at least a dozen of them, including many experts at the Demigod level or above.
These people arrived in the vicinity the day before. They were a hastily assembled team, and their purpose was exactly as Qi Ling had imagined: to take advantage of her illness and kill her!
In this world, there are many people who like to take shortcuts, and when these people gather together, their purpose is very clear: whether it is Zhen Hong or a monster that falls, it is an opportunity for them to pick up the scraps.
So after sensing the monster's presence had vanished, the group immediately sprang into action. One person stayed outside to keep watch, while the others crossed the forest and headed towards the monster's location—a basin atop a mountain.
In terms of strength alone, this team was already incredibly powerful, which gave them the confidence to act this way. One of the leaders chuckled sinisterly, "Hehehe, no matter how strong you are, aren't you going to be outmaneuvered by us now? The legend of True God- level being will be shattered in a few days!"
After they went inside, the lookout waited for a long time, but they didn't come out. He couldn't help but wonder if they had escaped and he hadn't found them.
In his mind, he never even considered the possibility of their defeat. With such a lineup, if they couldn't even win against a woman who had just finished a major battle, it would be utterly unjust!
So as the man leisurely leaned against the tree, gazing at the scenery at the foot of the mountain, he was completely unaware that behind him, a woman slowly walked out, passed by him, and headed down the mountain.
The man was startled to see the woman walk past him without even turning her head, completely unaware of his presence. He quickly called out to her, "Hey, wait! Stop right there! Who are you? Where did you come from? I didn't see you go in!"
The woman stopped when she heard someone call her name. She turned around, her long hair, tied in a ponytail, tossing behind her, and said, "Of course I came from inside. As for why you didn't see me go in, perhaps it's because I've been inside the whole time."