Chapter 503: Panic
While some were despairing, thinking their treasures had been stolen, some cultivators who were not as brain-dead as the rest understood that whatever was happening was part of the test.
They had to survive with whatever resources they were given. Just when they were thinking that they might still pass somehow with the help of their powerful techniques and other methods, they realized another thing that made them despair!
"Wait…"
"What happened to my cultivation?!"
"What? Indeed, my cultivation is also lowered."
"Why am I merely a foundation establishment nobody?! Are they planning to let us kill the beast with merely this power?"
While the people who were above the foundation-building realm were despairing, thinking that their chances of winning were lowered, those who were in the Qi condensation realm were over the moon, feeling the power welling up inside their bodies.
They could not help but feel that they were invincible in the world with such a power boost.
"No wonder that sadistic old man said that cultivation was useless in this realm."
"Haha!! This is good! I can finally show those core formation realm bastards who are their daddy!"
The tension in several groups reached its peak as those with ulterior motives and drunk on power made some devious plans in their minds.
*Roar!*
At the very same moment, the illusionary realm shook, bringing their ideas to a halt. They could feel the aura of beasts coming from the depths of the forest, rushing in their direction at a tremendous speed.
Ignoring everything, they all rushed to prepare for the attack.
Although the audience in the arena was amused after seeing their reactions, they could not help but be amazed by a few groups that were acting like professionals and did not lose sight of their target.
Among such teams was Team 69, the very team Noah was part of.
…
As soon as they appeared in the dense forest, except Han Lu, they immediately scanned their surroundings sharply. From the corner of his eyes, Noah gauged everyone's reactions, and the one that surprised him the most was none other than Ming Ming.
He saw a sharpness in her eyes that could make one think that her previous bubbly nature was nothing but an illusion. Although this change would have put someone else on guard, Noah did not care about it at all.
As if feeling Noah's gaze, Ming Ming hurriedly regained her previous nature, only for Noah to ignore her.
"My cultivation!?" Han Lu expressed his shock and joy upon noticing his cultivation, but that changed soon when he noticed his outfit and the sword hanging on his waist, "Wait, where is my peak quality Tier 3 sword?"
"Since we will be facing the beast tide in a forest filled with tall and sturdy trees, we have the advantage of the terrain." Ignoring the cries of the pitiful boy, Zhong Hua shared her thoughts with Noah.
Consciously or unconsciously, she treated him in high regard and started preparing battle plans immediately.
Hearing her words, Noah shook his head, which puzzled the woman. "What you are saying will only work in an ideal situation. There are many factors that could prove this terrain to be dangerous for us."
"If the beasts we face are nimble with this area, like monkey gorillas or air-type spirit beasts, or worse, if they have fire attributes, they could prove to be difficult to deal with."
Hearing Noah's words brought a solemn look to the faces of both girls while the last boy stayed quiet, his thoughts unknown.
"There is no need to feel discouraged." Seeing them looking depressed, Noah relieved their worries by adding, "Beasts are not smart by nature. Even though they have the advantage, we have our own advantage, which is our intelligence."
Seeing them nod, Noah changed the topic, "We only have an incense stick worth of time to prepare for our combat strategy. But… before we move on, we should set some ground rules so our team can work efficiently."
"What do you mean?" Ming Ming could not help but express her confusion upon hearing Noah's words. She could not think about why they would need rules; they just had to kill the highest number of beasts.
The other two also had the same confusion and looked at the young man, waiting for his response.
"Do you feel your power? At this moment, we have the same power. It does not matter what kind of physique you have or how high your foundation is. At this moment, we are all the same in terms of our strength.
What sets us apart from each other is our techniques and experiences. Without any power advantage, we need a leader that would make sure our team does not fall apart due to inconvenience and that everyone listens to each order without hesitation."
The atmosphere turned solemn as Noah could feel their gazes changing.
"Are you saying that you will be the leader?" Zhong Hua asked with her eyes narrowed. Ming Ming kept her smile as if she was watching an interesting show.
Noah smirked behind the mask and did not bother hiding his intention. "So what if I am?"
"What if I want to be the one who leads the team?" The frown on Zhong Hua's face deepened as she asked sharply.
"If it's big sister, then I am willing to follow any of your orders~" Ming Ming chimed in with a sultry voice, looking at Noah from the corner of her eyes.
Before Noah could say anything, someone else spoke up, "Wait!"
Everyone looked at the person who spoke up; it was none other than Han Lu, who had been silent for a while.
"If we all have the same cultivation, why can't I be the team leader? I don't think any of you would have skills that could match the level of the skills I am practicing!" Since everyone had the same cultivation, Han Lu did not bother to hide his contempt for the rest.
Although he was wary of them before, that was because they were stronger than him. But now…
Hehe, ~ things were different! He was no weaker than any of them!
He believed that with the difference in their backgrounds, they could not have practiced better or higher-level skills than him.
'Maybe being the leader can get me in the eyes of the emperor.' The boy started daydreaming with a grin on his face. 'If that happened, won't my life be set? I cannot let them take this position as the leader.
After all, he was bound to rise!'
While he was lost in his thoughts, Han Lu failed to see the look on the faces of his teammates. They were looking at him as if he was an… idiot!