Chapter 349: Too Late For Regrets
The great elder was perplexed when he saw how calm Nozawa was. In the next moment, however, his attention was completely drawn by Gu Xiqiao and her Peacekeeper squad.
Since j.a.pan was on the other side of the globe, it was 9 in the morning on the next day when they arrived, despite it being night time when they left America.
The sun was already high up in the sky at this point, meaning visibility was fairly high. With a wave of his arm, a barrier was erected between them and the outside world. Upon doing so, he turned towards Gu Xiqiao and her team, observing them as they worked.
“Nozawa, how long do you reckon it would take them to finish their job?” asked Cecily, after slapping the day-dreaming man in order to get him back to reality.
“I have no idea, but I’m guessing it would take less than half an hour?” Nozawa pinched himself awake before leaping into battle.
The great elder, who stood behind them, was baffled by their interaction. What sort of relations.h.i.+p was going on between Young Master Nozawa and Miss Cecily?
In the next second, all eyes were on Gu Xiqiao and her team.
Gu Xiqiao had brought over the most effective killing machine the Peacekeepers had in their a.r.s.enal, Yao Jiamu. One after another, they struck down the beings that were no longer human mercilessly and with brutal effectiveness. After all, the Peacekeepers specialized in doing such dirty jobs!
It had only been a couple of seconds after the battle had started but a great deal of the undead had already been wiped out.
Boom! In comparison to Gu Xiqiao, this squad wasn’t particularly powerful. This time, she took matters into her own hands, striking the enemy with pillars of purple lightning. The ones who were brought down by Yao Jiamu and his team were reduced into piles of dust.
Although there wasn’t much verbal communication going on, the Peacekeepers were working in perfect synchrony. None of them did anything that was in excess but it was clear that there was bloodl.u.s.t in their eyes. From time to time, they would utter something under their breath but that was it. Whenever the squad members tried to achieve a glory kill, the enemy would be reduced to ashes by Gu Xiqiao’s lightning without hesitation.
The monsters, which the j.a.panese thought were unkillable, were being slaughtered at an unG.o.dly pace by the Peacekeepers. It felt almost like they were ma.s.sacring a bunch of helpless infants!
The young ones from the j.a.panese supernatural world looked over out of curiosity upon hearing the commotion from the battle.
Those who partic.i.p.ated in the last ranking compet.i.tion recognized instantly that iconic purple lightning. Thrilled, they yelled out, “That’s Miss Gu! Miss Gu!”
What followed was the sound of their jaws. .h.i.tting the ground. They held their breaths as they muttered to themselves, “F-F*ck…that’s…”
Way too terrifying!
The degree of carnage was on a whole other level!
They were stunned. “Hey, watch out you.” Wu Hongwen suddenly appeared next to one of them and slammed a creature that was about to pounce on him, into the ground.
His face was beet red upon realizing what had happened. Gripping his weapon tightly, he smashed it against the monster on the ground with all of his might.
Suddenly, his mind cleared up as realization set in. ‘These monsters… they aren’t that scary.’ The fear in their hearts had been wiped away as soon as the Peacekeepers joined their ranks. Their waning fighting spirit, on the other hand, was rekindled. Their will to end this fight was finally solidified.
This, of course, was partly due to the knowledge that the magical Peacekeepers were being led by the one-and-only, Gu Xiqiao!
To the elders’ surprise, the young people who, prior to the Peacekeepers’ arrival, seemed to have been castrated, with zero will to fight, were suddenly acting so aggressively on the battlefield that it almost seemed like they had been injected with steroids. It felt like the group of defenders had been swapped out for a new one, with much higher effectiveness than what was previously seen.
“Great Elder, what’s happening?” The other elders asked out of confusion.
The great elder peered in Gu Xiqiao’s direction and inhaled deeply. It was at this moment that he finally understood what Nozawa was trying to tell him. So this was the most terrifying squad from the ancient martial arts world and coincidentally, it was under Miss Gu’s leaders.h.i.+p?
Boom! Yet another swathe of enemies collapsed following this loud explosion.
And I thought that Young Master Nozawa was already plenty strong, out of this exceptional batch of youngsters.” The great elder said as he observed the battlefield with thoughts running through his mind. “I never expected the ancient martial arts world to be able to produce such powerful figures. Not just a single person, but an entire team of powerful figures.”
The rest of the elders went silent. They were relieved but also amazed when they saw how quickly the morale of the juniors returned following the Peacekeepers’ arrival. “To be able to do so much at such a young age. I say the rise of the ancient martial arts world in the future is inevitable.”
The rest of the elders remained silent, but this sudden realization definitely made them start contemplating.
They, however, had no idea the period of time in which Gu Xiqiao and her team were exposed to ancient martial arts. If they had known about this, they would not have agreed to that statement!
“No, we don’t have to wait until the future to witness their rise,” replied Nozawa, who had returned from the battlefield upon seeing that Gu Xiqiao and her team had the situation under their control. “They are already insanely powerful now. Great Elder, can we even form a team of people who can defeat them?”
The great elder laughed at the question. “Young Master Nozawa, our capabilities have never been on par with the ancient martial arts world.” At least, this was the consensus in the supernatural world.
“Great Elder, their power which you are seeing now, is merely the tip of the iceberg. You’ll have to see them unveil their true potential…” Nozawa was not smiling. He peered in Gu Xiqiao’s direction to find that they were already starting to retreat. They were leaving the rest of the fighting in j.a.panese hands. Speaking slowly, he continued, “I haven’t told you this, but the group of people you see at the moment is only a part of her men. There are actually fifteen squads in total. And, guess what? They had only been practicing ancient martial arts for six months.”
The great elder and the rest of his peers were stupefied.
They glared at Nozawa in disbelief.
His words were similar to a bomb, which exploded in their minds. They had no idea how they should react to such news. There was more than one squad?!
They had only been practicing ancient martial arts for six months?!
“Young Master Nozawa…” The great elder found it difficult to speak following Nozawa’s statement. “This isn’t something to joke about.”
“Do you think I would be joking around at this moment?” Nozawa’s expression was dead serious. “Let me ask you this, have you ever heard of Miss Gu’s name or her Peacekeepers in the past? If they are so strong, how could they possibly go unnoticed up until just six months ago?”
That’s right. Nozawa wasn’t the type of person to pull such pranks on them. There was no need for him to do so anyway.
The elders looked at each other in search of an answer. Their fingers were trembling following such a mortifying realization. They could practically see the fear in each others’ eyes.
They had only been practicing ancient martial arts for six months and yet they have already reached such a state of proficiency. If they were allowed more time to develop, G.o.d knows what would become of them.
“Miss Gu and her team have this magical ability.” Nozawa smiled excitedly at his j.a.panese brethren. “That wherever they go, they would bring with them a sense of rea.s.surance and hope. Great Elder, have our fellow disciples achieved this?”
The elders shook their heads. They have never seen the young ones act so decisively before. This, they a.s.sumed, was just an anomalous trait, special to Gu Xiqiao and her people who were blessed by the heavens with great power.
“With Miss Gu and her team, the ancient martial arts world is on their way towards tipping the balance of powers in the supernatural world,” said the great elder with a sigh. “The speed at which they are growing, it’s unbelievable.”
It really was unbelievable. Following the introduction of such a powerful force, the supernatural world was bound to change.
To them, tipping the balance of powers in the supernatural world was as simple a task as flicking the light switch.
Nozawa then asked, “Now, do you still wish to push them around?”
“How could we?” responded the great elder with a painful smile. “I am not the leader, speaking of him…” A frown appeared on his face instantly.
The leader of j.a.pan almost doomed his entire nation to death by letting emotions get in the way of policy-making.
“Leader?” Nozawa’s face remained largely expressionless. “Did you forget who he provoked in the past? Miss Gu will never let him slip away unpunished.”
“Young Master Nozawa.” The great elder sensed the confidence radiating from Nozawa, which surprised him. “You mean…but that matter was foiled, what can Miss Gu do about it?”
Nozawa did not reply when asked such a question. Cecil, who rushed back from the battlefield, smiled at them.
He had always been someone who disregarded conventions. Patting the shoulder of the great elder, as if they were buddies, he replied, “Great Elder, do not underestimate how capable Miss Gu is. Maybe you don’t know her well enough, but let me tell you this. Her memory is photographic, especially when she holds grudges. ”
Nozawa had spent a day over in the United States, where he learned about Gu Xiqiao’s adventures in detail. From there, he got a taste of how talented she really was.
From China to America, the people with whom she locked horns were all played like puppets in the end.
And it seems like the same outcome would be reached by the end of the day here in j.a.pan.
Nozawa let out a sigh.
The great elder’s body jolted when he heard Cecil’s response. So this was why the American prodigies were so obsessed with Gu Xiqiao?
“And you might not know this, but Miss Gu had just left America moments ago.” Cecil laughed. “In the beginning, Miss Gu had already reported the hotspots where disaster would strike. Fortunately, unlike you people, our leader has faith in her words which was why although the scale of destruction was mult.i.tudes greater than what’s happening here, we suffered zero casualties.”
So she even predicted that disaster would strike in the United States? The great elder stared in Gu Xiqiao’s direction with his jaw wide open. Looking at her s.h.i.+ning bright eyes, one could hardly sense the terrifying powers hidden behind that innocent facade.
“She has more than enough strength to lead us,” said Cecil to Nozawa, the great elder and the rest of the j.a.panese. “Nozawa, great elder, in the near future, we will be facing a calamity far greater than this incident. In fact, you might not even be able to comprehend how dire the situation will be. We, the Americans firmly believe in the ancient martial arts world and in Miss Gu. She has enough strength to change the course of fate. Now, I urge you to make a decision before it’s too late.”
He walked off right after saying that.
Cecily clicked her tongue when her brother walked over. “You’re being pretty friendly with the j.a.panese, aren’t you? Giving them warnings and all.”
“It is Nozawa’s luck that he got to train with us,” responded Cecil. “And don’t forget I’m just trying to help you fan the flames. The most pressing matter now is the unification of the supernatural world.”
“…you’re right.” There was a brief pause before Cecily replied. She was noticeably getting riled up when speaking about this matter.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how majestic Miss Gu would be when we manage to get the supernatural world behind her. I trust that she will not let us, nor the rest of the world down. In the end, she still stands on our side.” Cecily’s voice was hoa.r.s.e and shaky when she spoke.
Not far away, Jiang Shuxuan was staring in Cecil’s direction before he suddenly turned towards Gu Xiqiao, who was approaching him.
“I’m guessing you want to take part in the killings as well?” his eyes s.h.i.+fted to Alang, who was standing behind him.
Alang’s gaze, which was initially focused on Yao Jiamu and his team, s.h.i.+fted back over to Jiang Shuxuan. He balled up his fist upon hearing Jiang Shuxuan’s question. He did not like violence but witnessing the ma.s.sacre unfold strengthened his will to get stronger.
“Work harder and build your strength,” said Jiang Shuxuan. Seeing that the Peacekeepers had the situation under control, Jiang Shuxuan let down the barrier and turned towards Alang. “And then, you’ll finally be able to operate alongside these people.”
Alang nodded intensely.
“Brother Jiang,” Gu Xiqiao looked straight up at Jiang Shuxuan. “Do you feel…”
“An energy fluctuation?” interrupted Jiang Shuxuan with a smile.
Gu Xiqiao exhaled. Seems like there was nothing wrong with her senses. “What sort of energy is this? I’ve asked Jiji to investigate it but it came up with nothing.”
Did you forget what you’re standing on?” asked Jiang Shuxuan while staring up at the summit of the mountain. “We’re standing on an extinct volcano.”
“An extinct volcano?” Gu Xiqiao shut her eyes to get a sharper sense of the energy fluctuations.
Underneath the ground they were standing on, she did not sense the movements of magma. But still, the energy continued to s.h.i.+ft and fluctuate, which was why she was doubtful of Jiang Shuxuan’s statement.
“Someone’s trying to hide something from my and Jiji’s senses!” Gu Xiqiao looked up at him with a pair of glowing eyes.
Jiang Shuxuan was still thinking of what he was supposed to tell her but her reaction came earlier than expected. He chuckled to himself as a result.
“Let’s go over to Nozawa’s position.”
Fortunately, she believed him despite all the initial doubt.
As Jiang Shuxuan led her away, he stole one final glance at the summit of the mountain. This time, the look in his eyes was dark and hostile.
Yao Jiamu and the rest shuddered when they saw that look. They glanced at each other, confirming how equally terrifying it was for each one of them.
The people of j.a.pan’s supernatural world quickly regained control over Mount Apple with the help of Gu Xiqiao’s team.
Their hopelessness was wiped away and was now replaced by a rising fighting spirit.
The great elder and his peers were relieved when they witnessed this miracle. Soon, they ordered for a large-scale meeting to be held.
“Great Elder, where is Miss Gu? Did she request to meet me?” The leader of j.a.pan plopped down on his seat upon entering the meeting hall. The tone of his voice reflected how nervous he was feeling.
The great elder glanced at the leader from the corner of his eyes as a cold sneer appeared on his face. “Are you absolutely positive that you want to meet Miss Gu? Don’t forget how hostile you were initially. And don’t even get me started with how you hid the truth from the supernatural world, a foolish decision which almost cost us our lives.”
The great elder spoke calmly but it sent chills up the leader’s spine.
He was outside when the battle was raging on, meaning he had witnessed how powerful Gu Xiqiao and her Peacekeepers were. That of course, further fuelled the panic in his heart.
It was at that moment that he realized, he and Gu Xiqiao were people from completely different levels.
Back then, he was even planning to form a coalition with the rest of the supernatural world to crush the ancient martial arts world, to crush Gu Xiqiao. In retrospect, he realized how laughable and depressing his attempt was.
Perhaps, even if he managed to form that coalition, Gu Xiqiao would merely react as if she had been attacked by a harmless ant; the entire force of the supernatural world combined was no match for the Peacekeepers under her leaders.h.i.+p.
Maybe, just maybe, she was waiting for him to make the first move.
Such thoughts made the leader of j.a.pan sweat bullets. Suddenly, he recalled hearing a rumor.
It was a rumor that spread around the supernatural world, that Gu Xiqiao was the person who had triggered the downfall of the previous British leader. He dismissed that as mere speculation back then but now, upon seeing Gu Xiqiao’s capability, it seemed truer than never!
Subsequently, his face turned as pale as a sheet of bleached paper.
Nozawa glanced at him with a face completely devoid of expression. It’s too late for regrets at this point.