The donkey had learned its lesson and grown smarter. Perhaps it had finally understood the darkness and evils present in this world after Wang Baole’s repeated thrashings and scoldings. It had no choice but to shed its original naivety and learn to be cunning.
It learned to conceal itself, to sneak up on others, to wait patiently for the perfect ambush…
Like what it was doing now. After the food had appeared and it had discovered it, the donkey had become so excited it had started to tremble. But it had worried that it would frighten its food off. That was why it had hidden itself and concealed its tracks. After racing out of the Eternal Fortress, it had predicted that the food would come after Wang Baole. That was why it had practiced patience and quietly hid in a corner. It hadn’t even dared to blink.
Indeed, heaven smiled upon those who put in the effort. After some time, it finally saw the arrival of its food. The boy approached Wang Baole. Before he could slip through Wang Baole’s physical form, at the same time that Wang Baole realized something was amiss, the donkey cried excitedly and dashed forward with a sudden burst of speed.
The donkey seemed to have unleashed its full potential as its speed surpassed that of lightning. When Wang Baole looked over, he saw but an afterimage of the donkey. In the blink of an eye, the donkey got itself between Wang Baole and the boy. Excitement shone in its eyes. It widened its jaw at the boy who seemed to have walked straight into its mouth, and took a loud, crunchy bite.
Everything had happened too quickly. The boy was stunned. A moment ago, a fatty had stood before him, and the next moment, the world seemed to have turned upside down. The fatty had disappeared, and in his place was the hateful and terrifying monster!
The monster’s eyes were glowing brightly. The boy thought he was hearing things. He seemed to hear the monster laughing maniacally as it asked him…
Are you surprised? Are you thrilled…
These thoughts flashed across the boy’s mind as the donkey appeared suddenly and bit him. Before he could react, his newly grown right arm was bitten clean off by the donkey. Then, the donkey charged forward again and opened its mouth. It was going to swallow the boy’s head whole.
The donkey’s speed was extraordinary, its movements fluid. There was a great possibility that it had rehearsed this before. The boy was no simple creature though. He let loose a pained shriek that no one could hear after his arm was bitten off and blood-red light suddenly erupted from his person. He retreated instantly, narrowly dodging the lethal bite from the approaching donkey.
The boy fled into the distance. He was on the verge of tears as he stared at his twice-lost arm and the donkey still frantically searching for him. He was furious. He was about to go mad, but in the end, he clamped everything down. He stared at the empty space where his arm had been, then, with great sorrow and anger, turned and raced away.
Wang Baole had immediately felt the Dark Fire stir inside his body. It quieted after the donkey arrived in a sudden blur and crunched on something. His eyes flashed. He tilted his head and studied the donkey. The donkey had a contradictory look of satisfaction and regret on its face.
Its mouth was still chewing. It seemed to sense Wang Baole’s stare and shuddered. It chewed more quickly and hastily swallowed. Then, it turned and gave Wang Baole an innocent-looking stare, its tail wagging.
“What did you eat this time?” Wang Baole was speechless.
The donkey blinked and pretended it didn’t understand what Wang Baole was saying. It brayed a few times. Wang Baole got annoyed and kicked it away, sending the donkey flying.
It hit the ground and rolled to its feet, uninjured. It couldn’t hide the look of immense satisfaction in its eyes. It felt that it had once again stopped food from running into Wang Baole’s arms. It felt the same as stealing Wang Baole’s snacks from him. The donkey was extremely pleased, and its longing for the food grew.
It was clear that its pure and simple-minded brain had decided that what had eaten… had simply been too delicious. It was more delicious than anything it had ever eaten!
The sudden appearance of the boy had led to Kong Dao’s elimination in the trial. At present, only two parties remained who continued to hold their ground against the Beast Tide. One was Wang Baole, and the other, Li Yi!
What this meant was… the four Dao Colleges were the clear victors in the contest for the New Mars Region. They had fought and won against the other political forces. They would definitely hold an edge over the others when the Divine Armament was uncovered and up for grabs.
Many political forces in the Federation fell into a dead silence. It was clear they felt sore about their defeat. The Five Generation Sky Clan, especially, gnashed their teeth as they watched Wang Baole. Zhuo Yixian’s preparation might not compare to Li Yi’s, but if he had been able to survive the early stages of the trial and complete his city model in the later stages of the trial, he still stood a good chance of winning.
Unfortunately… lifetimes of accumulated bad karma made him neighbors with Wang Baole. He had been sabotaged and his city model completely demolished and taken apart. He had been eliminated. The factors resulting in the other candidates’ defeat were many, but Wang Baole was undeniably involved in their eventual elimination from the trials. He had disappeared and pretended he hadn’t existed. His megaphones. That mysterious mystic technique that he used to terrorize the Beast Tide. All these antics he had conjured had driven the monsters headed for his zone into the zones of others.
From the beginning of the trial, the other candidates had been placed under stress much greater than that of Wang Baole. Li Yi and Kong Dao had been luckier than the rest. Their zones were further away from Wang Baole, and, as a result, they hadn’t suffered as much collateral damage.
Kong Dao’s luck had run out though. That was why only Wang Baole and Li Yi remained. If Wang Baole chose to give up now, Li Yi would become the new city zone’s mayor.
The White Deer Dao College immediately contacted the Sect Lord of the Ethereal Dao College. Their tone was no longer as harsh as it had been before. It toned down considerably. They tried to negotiate tactfully for Wang Baole to throw in the towel… in exchange, the White Deer Dao College was willing to arrange a posting for Wang Baole in the Federation Capital that was at the same Primary Rank Four Noble.
The Sect Lord of the Ethereal Dao College didn’t even consider the proposal. He turned it down instantly. He knew Wang Baole’s character. The young man wouldn’t agree to something like that. A Primary Rank Four Noble in the capital city would be a mere deputy to the head of a key department. This couldn’t compare with being the mayor of the New Mars Region. They were worlds apart.
He knew that if he presented the proposal to Wang Baole, he would lose his integrity as a Sect Lord! He would have been undeserving of his title!
The significance of him turning down the offer and Wang Baole turning down the offer was different. The consequences were different. He would rather the White Deer Dao College be displeased with him. He was, to a certain degree, trying to protect Wang Baole.
The conflict between White Deer Dao College and Ethereal Dao College played out. At the same time, on the battlefields of the New Mars Region, explosions rang in the air as the eighth wave of Beast Tide began!
The sixth wave hadn’t yet been completely decimated, while the seventh wave was still going strong and attacking relentlessly. Li Yi and Wang Baole struggled to hold the fort, but the arrival of the eighth wave immediately turned the battlefield into a critical situation. Victory seemed to be in sight. The outcome of the trial was going to be decided!
Li Yi started to panic. She poured her full concentration into keeping the city running. With the aid of her servants, the city’s array formation suddenly unfurled to reveal three gigantic rings inside. They were intertwined with one another and spun ceaselessly!
The three giant rings spun rapidly and let loose an immense power. It seemed to be able to cut through anything. The surging Beast Tide was immediately stopped in its tracks. This didn’t last for long, though. The outermost ring soon showed signs of cracking.
That’s alright. I just have to hold on longer than the fatty! Li Yi gritted her teeth in the face of danger. She couldn’t stop herself from sneaking a glance at Wang Baole. The sight that greeted her sent her trembling with shock. Her eyes widened. There was an incredulous look on her face.
This… this is simply…
Li Yi wasn’t the only one stunned. Her servants, the anxious Federation residents watching the live stream, the powerful figures from the various political forces, and even the Martian Colony Governor and the giant tree were all… in shock. Many rose to their feet, gasping.
“Heavens. Wang Baole’s Eternal Fortress…”
“This is…”
Tens of thousands of eyes stared in shock as Wang Baole stood atop his stronghold and pressed his fingers together into a series of hand seals. With a wave of his hands, his stronghold suddenly started rumbling. As countless monsters in the series of Beast Tides charged at him madly… the earth quaked and his stronghold… rose to the skies!