Close to the territory of the sky tribe. Lofa was watching a scene in front of her trying her best not to laugh.
'Just how did it turn out like this?'
Ao and Arlan, on the other hand, were feeling very indignant. They wanted to refuse this idea back then, but Krune didn't give them a chance. Every time they remembered the purple Tribulation Lightning sparks gathered on Krune's hands, they felt a chill on their backs.
"Traitors have no right to chose! If you don't comply, I don't mind frying you two right here and right now."
After receiving such a 'friendly' request, how could they complain? They immediately put their hearts into the act.
The people that lived in the sky tribe were, in its majority, descendants of bandits from the Hadine Planet. Their leader was one of the very few who really came from there. He is a 4th stage Core Formation Realm cultivator called Hil Argen. Lately, he's been busy because of the cultivators doing the test. By using superiority in numbers and some traps, he was successful in gathering six black tokens already. He will be able to exchange them for excellent rewards with the Divine path Sect later.
Hil was having some rest when one of his subordinates came to report something.
"Boss Hil, we found another group."
"How many?"
"Only four."
Hil Argen was surprised, so far, the smallest team he found had at least five members, and it was only one group. The rest usually had ten or more. But then he sighed, such a small group probably doesn't even have a single black token. Unfortunately, the blood contract states that he can't ignore any contestant, so he could only set forward and start the attack.
"Have you found who the leader is between the four?"
The subordinate nodded.
"Their group had three men and one woman, and it seems like the woman is the leader."
Hil's attention was picked.
"When we used our Divine Sense to scan the area, we just so happened to see her scolding them while they were kneeling with their heads down. By the looks of it, it seems that they don't dare to talk back at all."
Hil was taken aback now, it's not every day that you see a situation like that.
"It's just..."
Hil urged his subordinate.
"What is it? Say it."
"From what we could pry, the three men seemed much stronger than her."
Hil was delighted with that information. He couldn't help but think that the woman probably had some great background. In that case, she might really have some black tokens on her!
"Have you tested their strength?"
His subordinate nodded.
"We sent three peak Foundation Establishment cultivators over, although they lost and fled in the end, the battle took more than ten minutes to finish. Not to mention that they suffered a few injuries while trying to protect the girl."
Hil was even surer now.
"Very good, we are leaving immediately!"
"Aren't we waiting for everyone to be back first?"
They sky tribe had sent several scouts around their territory to find the contestants, so there was almost no one behind.
"Wait your head! If we take too long and they escape to another territory, I might lose quite a few precious black tokens. Not to mention, with the combat prowess that they showed, it will be way too easy if I take action."
His subordinate thought that it really made sense. At the very least, they shouldn't have a problem to flee if things go south.
And just like that, Krune was successful in making Lofa become the perfect bait while avoiding too many enemies. As for feeling embarrassed about that situation? Krune has never cared about what others would think anyway. Much for Ao and Arlan's sadness.
Krune's group was hidden close to a mountain range while waiting for their guests to arrive. Although they were pretending that to be safe, Krune had already told everyone that someone was observing them from afar. Their plan was to have Krune pay attention to how many enemies will come. If there are too many, they will leave. If not, they will use Lofa to bait the Core Formation Realm cultivator out.
Lofa looked into her hand and could see the Runestone Formation that Krune had given her. It was a protective barrier that Yusa prepared for them before they started the first phase. It had the power to stop a Middle stages Core Formation Realm cultivator attack for a second.
According to Krune, that would be all that they need. So she just had to be calm and... let the Core Formation guy attack her head-on while pretending to be too scared to move. Lofa was already regretting the decision back then. Why couldn't she be satisfied with helping Krune to cook? Turns out that there wasn't even need to act, her soul almost left her body every time that she thought in receiving that attack.
Suddenly, they received a Divine Sense message from Krune.
"Seems like the big boss is here."
Lofa's heart skipped a bit at that moment. Sometime later, another message.
"Great! There are only four more guys with him. My plan was really perfect!"
Ao and Arlan almost vomited blood after hearing that. Perfect your head! Can't you think about a better way to do it?
But since the play was going already, they might as ell finish it. Not to mention that Krune was right about one thing, the big boss really came out without an army.
Hil used his Divine Sense to probe, and as he expected, they didn't show any reaction, which means that the group ahead couldn't feel it. It gave him more confidence that they are his match at all. After ordering the other four guys that came with him to encircle the arena, he and the other immediately attacked.
Krune noticed that and said.
"They are coming, they will be in front of us soon."
Ao and Arlan got prepared to take the swords in their spatial ring. Lofa concentrated in the Renustone Formation in her hand. As for Krune, he started to accumulate Tribulation Lightning power to attack.
As soon as Hil appeared, Krune's group immediately got up while pretending to be alarmed.
"Protect her!"
The three men immediately entered in front of Lofa and launched an attack against the Core Formation Realm cultivator. As for the enemy's subordinates, they were stationed around to prevent Krune's group from escaping.
Hil noticed those attacks and simply laughed, he used his spiritual energy to gather wind and fire elements and launched his own attack.
"Fire Blast!"
The attack didn't hit Krune and his group, but the ground right in front of them. An explosion went out, and the three were blasted away. Hil's main target was Lofa. When he got close to Krune's group, he used his own black token to check who between them had black tokens as well. Turn's out that krune had passed their black tokens to her even before their plan initiated.
Because of this, Hil didn't think twice about making Lofa his first target. Once he secures the black tokens, he will take his time to deal with all of them. He didn't hold back, he was planning to get rid of her in a single strike! But just as his attack was about to reach her, something started to shine on her hands. Immediately, a white barrier appeared around her body.
Boom!
Hil obviously noticed what that was.
"Runestone Formation!"
Runestone Formations need time to gather spiritual energy. Considering that his attack happened in an instant, it shouldn't be possible for Lofa to charge a Runestone Formation that can resist an attack of his level. In that case, it means that they had already been expecting him to come, which means this is a trap!
Sure enough, as soon as his attack rebounded on the barrier, Ao and Arlan appeared on his side. They aimed their swords directly at his heart. But Hil wasn't a 4th stage Core Formation Realm cultivator for nothing. Even in that split of a second, he was still able to back jump by using the remaining energy from the shield rebound, which made the swords hit him but miss the critical points.
He was just about to let out a sigh of relief when suddenly, he noticed several purple-colored Hexagonal Shields all around him, thirty-eight to be exact. Immediately, he felt an extreme sense of danger and tried to move away from that area straight away!
Krune smiled at that sight. It was too late!
"Heavens Chain Lightning Fall!"
Brrroooommmm!
The entire area covered by the shields became an enormous dome of purple lightning! It was a union of his strongest skill, the Heavens Fall, and all his shields previously charged with tribulation lighting as well. The Tribulation Lightning plus Krune's spiritual energy in the shields conducted the power of the Heavens Fall between each other. That created an attack as powerful as the Heavens Fall while increasing its effect radius several times!
When the Tribulation Lightning finally disappeared, everything inside the shield's area was burnt to charcoal. One could see quite a few sparks from the remaining energy on the ground. It was hard to say if Hil was able to survive or not. As for his subordinates, they wouldn't dare to get close at all! They are not idiot, it was easy to see that Krune's group had been faking their real strength all along.
Suddenly, a flash of red fire dashed out of the Heavens Chain Lightning Fall zone! It was none other than Hil Argen! It's hard to find a Core Formation or higher Realm cultivator without their own life-saving techniques. It was like this for Guild Head Yulie, for the Fire Eagle, and now for Hil Argen as well.
But usually, those techniques have a heavy price to be paid, and it was no different for him. Worst of all, he had to use almost all the boost in energy from the technique to resist the previous attack. He knew that once the effect was over, he would be so weak that even ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators could kill him. So he only had once chance, he needs a hostage!
He isn't a Core Formation Realm cultivator for nothing. He understood that Lofa was the weakness of this group. Different from Ao, Arlan, and Krune, she would not be able to resist a second attack like the first one.
Ao and Arlan were just about to intercept him when they heard Krune's Divine Sense.
"Wait! Don't stop him."
Ao and Arlan were taken aback, Krune would never give up on her. So why did he hold them back?
There was more time. Now that they missed the chance to intervene, Lofa is fully open for an attack, and she doesn't have the Runestone Barrier anymore!
It was at that moment that they heard another Divine Sense message that reached everyone on this battlefield.
"STOP LOOKING DOWN ON MEEEEEEE!"
After all that happened, it was too obvious what that Core Formation Realm cultivator in front of her wanted. Instead of running away, he thought that it would be much easier to kidnap her. For Lofa, that was the last straw!
Yes, she was afraid! Yes, She isn't a match for Ao, Arlan, and even less Krune! But she isn't weak! She also had her pride! If she couldn't even show that in a moment of Life and Death like this one, then all the training she had gone through during her entire life would have been for nothing!
As a cultivator from the Ice Continent, Water and Ice element was her specialty.
The temperature around her body immediately plummeted! Her trembling hands came forward and opened, Water and Ice element gathered at high speeds, all the spiritual energy of her body concentrate right in front of her body, and she was ready to release her strongest attack!
"ICE RAY!"
A powerful beam of icy light shot forward! Because of her cultivation, she still couldn't control this attack's trajectory, but there was no need for that to start with. Hil Argen was already right in front of her and had no time to dodge.
In fact, he saw the moment that she was about to do that, but he completely ignored that. Not for even a moment, he thought that this girl would be able to stop him. Not to mention that if he delayed his plans for even a second, Krune and the other might caught up to him.
"What?!"
Both his and Lofa's attack hit it other at point blank. An explosion of Blue and Red, Ice and Fire, blasted everything away. Both sides were sent flying and crashed on the ground over a hundred meters away. As for the point of the explosion, a half-frozen, and half-burnt crater appeared!
Ao and Arlan were taken aback with that exchange, Lofa counter-attacked a full-power strike of a 4th Stage Core Formation Realm cultivator. Even if it was them, they weren't sure if they could resist that clash.
As for Krune, there was just a faint smile on his face.
Lofa ended passing out after that attack, but Krune and the others could confirm that she wasn't seriously injured. As for Hil Argen, he slowly got back of his feat and looked at Lofa in hatred. He had already lost all reason.
"You fuc*ing ant, I'll kill you!"
Well, at least that was what he wanted to do.
"I don't think you can, though."
Out of nowhere, a hand had appeared on his shoulder. It was then that he looked back and saw Krune brilliantly smiling at him. Hil Argen was immediately frozen on the spot, Krune approached his mouth close to Hil's ear and whispered.
"Lightning Touch!"
Boom!
Purple and blue lightning sparks flew everywhere! In the end, just a half-dead, half-living body fell on the ground.
Ao and Arlan felt like they were put inside an ice lake. Wasn't that the same lightning that Krune wanted to use on them if they didn't cooperate?
Suddenly, their play from before didn't look so embarrassing anymore. That's right, Ao and Arlan did it for the sake of luring the boss out, it's not because they were afraid of Krune's Lightning Touch at all!