Chapter 542 - 516: Fierce Competition

Chapter 542: Chapter 516: Fierce Competition

In the King of Mountains and Rivers’ line of sight, a man in Black Gold Battle Armor brandished his greatspear, unleashing Golden Spear Gang.

The surrounding Fifth- and Sixth-Level Calamity Beasts were run through one after another, their massive bodies crashing to the ground.

Amidst explosions, blood sprayed wildly!

A single thrust of his spear easily slew any Calamity Beast.

The person the King of Mountains and Rivers was watching was, of course, Lin Qi.

’This kid is even stronger than I imagined!’

The King of Mountains and Rivers stroked his beard and smiled.

He knew full well what it meant to comprehend the cultivation method of a Twelfth-Level Calamity Beast from the Ten Thousand Beasts Blood Pillar.

It was by comprehending a High-Level cultivation method from a Twelfth-Level Calamity Beast that he had become one of the top five experts in Xia Country.

And that didn’t even account for the six most supreme among the Twelfth-Level Calamity Beasts.

Those who managed to comprehend their methods were now all ranked among the top ten experts in the world.

He vividly remembered Overlord and Emperor Red stepping onto the battlefield the moment they first cultivated Gang Power.

They went on a rampage against Seventh-Level Calamity Beasts, slaughtering countless High-Level ones.

Their success gave countless people in Xia Country hope for victory.

And now, Lin Qi was just like them.

’The Giant Steel Tiger and the Iron Armor Rhinoceros... they’re some of the most powerful among the Seventh-Level Calamity Beasts.’

’And he killed them just like that!’

’Lin Qi has the makings of another Emperor Red or Overlord!’

And this genius was his own grand-disciple, filling him with an uncontrollable sense of pride.

He had accepted many disciples before, but in terms of talent, they were always a cut below the likes of Emperor Red and Overlord.

"Elder Huo, that must be Lin Qi, right?"

"His power is truly impressive!"

A tall, slender woman in Blue Battle Armor with captivating features remarked in awe from beside him.

The King of Mountains and Rivers nodded with a smile.

"That’s right. He’s my grand-disciple!"

...

「Several hours passed in what felt like the blink of an eye.」

The Disaster Beast Tide had started around 8:30 in the morning.

Seven hours had now passed.

It was now afternoon.

The battlefield remained chaotic, filled with the sounds of artillery fire and the roars of Calamity Beasts.

The stench of gunpowder and blood hung heavy in the air.

Compared to a few hours ago, the Disaster Beast Tide had begun to recede—or rather, so many had been killed that they could no longer form a cohesive wave.

Calamity Beast corpses were strewn everywhere!

SHLICK!

His senior brother, Liang Tai, brandished his Silver Greatspear and swiftly pierced through the body of a Bronze Bull.

HUFF!!

He was drenched in blood, covered from head to toe in the gore of Calamity Beasts.

Intense fatigue washed over him, and he couldn’t stop himself from gasping for breath.

THUD! THUD!

Looking around, there were no living Calamity Beasts left in sight.

Wang Zixuan, Xiao Yu, and Xi Jing had also finished their fights.

Exhaustion was etched onto their faces.

Xiao Yu even plopped down right on top of a Bronze Bull’s corpse.

Not far away, about a hundred meters out, the figure in Black Armor thrust out his long spear, firing off blasts of Spear Gang like arrows from a bow.

All the surrounding Calamity Beasts were pierced through.

The number of Calamity Beasts he killed alone was equal to that of dozens of Sixth Realm Martial Artists combined.

The four of them combined hadn’t even killed half as many Calamity Beasts as Lin Qi.

For him, fighting Mid-Level Calamity Beasts was an absolute slaughter.

By sticking with Lin Qi, Liang Tai had also reaped considerable benefits.

The Merit Points he earned in just a few hours were equivalent to what he’d normally earn in several days.

Liang Tai was the first to speak up.

"The Disaster Beast Tide is winding down. We’re running on fumes; we can head back!"

Lin Qi came over. He had gained a great deal in the last few hours, saving many people and killing a ton of Calamity Beasts.

His Merit Points had been steadily climbing. He hadn’t checked the exact number yet, but he guessed it was substantial.

’My ranking has probably gone up, too.’

Liang Tai continued,

"Out here at the base, once you start feeling tired, you must never force yourself to keep going."

"Head back to the base to rest as soon as you can. A typical Disaster Beast Tide can last for a day or two."

"Many Martial Artists return to the base to rest when they’re tired, then head back out to hunt again."

"Besides, everyone here is fast, and the battlefield is only about ten kilometers deep!"

Lin Qi nodded. It was time to reap the rewards.

And so, the group quickly headed back.

BOOM! BOOM!

They soon reached the defensive line, along with quite a few others.

RAT-A-TAT-TAT!!!

Gatling-style machine guns mounted on black armored vehicles unleashed a torrent of bullets on the charging Low-Level Calamity Beasts!

Slightly stronger ones required tanks to blast them directly. A single cannon shell was more than a Low-Level Calamity Beast could withstand.

Their bodies would be blown to bits, rendering the materials useless.

Only a Mid-Level Calamity Beast’s body could remain intact enough to be sold for money.

That was why, by comparison, the military preferred having Martial Artists hunt the Calamity Beasts.

Heavy weaponry was simply too crude.

SHLICK! SHLICK!

On their way back, Lin Qi and the other Martial Artists casually dispatched numerous Low-Level Calamity Beasts, easing the pressure on the defensive line.

After entering the main gate, Liang Tai led the group to a large lounge just beside it.

The lounge was already filled with weary Martial Artists drinking water and resting. The thick aura of killing intent and the stench of blood hung about them.

"ARGH!!"

Others were treating their injuries. Their Combat Suits were torn, revealing bleeding gashes on their skin.

In this environment, some people were still eating nutrient meals, their appetites completely unaffected by the scene.

In the spacious hall, numerous counters sold medical supplies, Healing Potions, and other goods.

In a corner stood rows of metal lockers, opened via passcode and filled with various items.

With practiced ease, Liang Tai opened his locker, took out several sports drinks, and handed them to the group.

"Thanks, Captain!"

The others took out towels, and after taking a few gulps of their drinks, began to wipe the blood and dust off themselves.

GLUG, GLUG, GLUG.

As Lin Qi drank his water, Liang Tai started explaining again.

"Junior Brother, this is the main lounge. Since the living quarters are too far away,"

"most of us just rest here. It’s much closer and more convenient."

"You can rent one of these lockers to store your things, so they’re ready for you the moment you come back to rest."

Lin Qi nodded. ’Resting on the battlefield is just asking to die,’ he thought.

’You have to return to the base for true safety.’

"Junior Brother, we’re planning to hunt more Calamity Beasts this afternoon. Do you want to come with us?"

Liang Tai asked.

Thanks to Lin Qi’s help all morning, they had earned a good number of Merit Points.

It would be fine even if Lin Qi decided to leave now.

Lin Qi shook his head. "Let’s stick together for now."

"I’ll go on my own during the next Disaster Beast Tide."

Liang Tai nodded, feeling a swell of gratitude.

He knew his junior brother was trying to help them earn more Merit Points.

Without Lin Qi, hunting Calamity Beasts wouldn’t be nearly as easy.

Next, the group ordered nutrient meals, preparing to eat before continuing their hunt.

"Let me tell you!"

"I was just up at the front line and saw the High Realm Martial Artists in action."

"The intensity of their fighting was just insane. I didn’t dare get anywhere near."

A few people in a group started chatting, drawing a lot of attention.

High Realm Martial Artists were rarely seen in the lounge.

Their physical conditioning was on a completely different level.

With no High Realm Martial Artists around, the Sixth Realm Martial Artists were the strongest presence.

A tall, burly man with rugged features spoke up, exuding an intense killing aura.

His face bore several scars, and he carried himself with the air of a veteran.

"That’s Zhang Chuan, an old-timer at Black Dragon Base. I heard he’s been stationed here for fifteen years, fighting his way up from the Middle Realm."

"He’s at the Peak of the Sixth Realm, close to breaking through to the Seventh."

"You could say his squad is the strongest at Black Dragon Base; all of them are at the Peak of the Sixth Realm."

Liang Tai explained in a low voice. Lin Qi nodded; he could already sense the man’s powerful aura.

Zhang Chuan spoke with a sigh of admiration,

"You have to admit, these Seventh Realm geniuses are on another level."

"Earlier, I saw Gu Cheng get surrounded by a pack of Seventh-Level Calamity Beasts. At one point, he killed ten of them in a row."

"His power is terrifying. It looked easier for him than it is for me to kill a single Sixth-Level Calamity Beast."

"And Gu Cheng has only been at Black Dragon Base for a few months."

A teammate beside him added,

"Fire Dragon Saber Gu Cheng is an SSS-level genius. He’s not like us ordinary folks."

"He’s already ranked 100th on the Seventh Realm leaderboard. Give him a few more months, and he might even make a run for the top ten."

"The top ten will be difficult, though. Xu Qin is also an SSS-level genius."

"She arrived at the base around the same time as Gu Cheng and is already ranked 80th."

"Not to mention Sun Saint and Li Tianxing, who still hold the first and second spots."

"To this day, no one has been able to surpass them."

"They’re absolute monsters capable of killing Eighth-Level Calamity Beasts!"

Hearing this, the veteran recalled two terrifying figures.

Two figures surfaced in Zhang Chuan’s mind as well. In his fifteen years at Black Dragon Base, he had never seen such terrifying geniuses.

Suddenly, someone else piped up.

"Speaking of which, this morning I saw Gu Cheng’s younger brother, Gu Ming, get forced to his knees."

"I bet his kneecaps were shattered, weren’t they?"

This immediately piqued Zhang Chuan’s curiosity.

From a distance, Liang Tai and his group all turned to look at Lin Qi.

"I know who it was! Lin Qi did it!" someone exclaimed.

"Lin Qi is a Top-Level genius, too. Rumor is he’s only twenty and already in the Seventh Realm."

"His brother was publicly humiliated by Lin Qi. Gu Cheng will most likely come looking for trouble."

"Who do you think is stronger if those two fight?" someone asked.

"Gu Cheng, for sure. He was also a champion of the Global Martial Arts Tournament, and he broke through to the Seventh Realm earlier."

The crowd began to discuss who was stronger, Gu Cheng or Lin Qi.

Lin Qi sat in his corner, his expression calm.

Liang Tai and the other three, however, looked worried. They were concerned Gu Cheng would cause trouble for Lin Qi.

Noticing their expressions, Lin Qi smiled. "Don’t worry about me."

"He’s just Gu Cheng."

Seeing Lin Qi so composed, Liang Tai relaxed, though he still planned to report the incident to their teacher, Mu Hong, later that evening.

A few moments later, their nutrient meals arrived.

Meanwhile, Lin Qi had Little Chan open his Personal Center, projecting it as a small panel.

He glanced at it as he began to eat:

[Name: Lin Qi (Black Dragon Base)]

[Realm: Seventh Realm Blood Exchange]

[Merit Points: 32,000]

[Base Ranking: 406 → 404]

[Overall Ranking: 3,600 → 3,580]

...

Lin Qi looked at his rankings and couldn’t help but shake his head.

’The competition in the Seventh Realm rankings is just too fierce.’

’I fought all morning and only moved up two spots.’

...