Once the chaos had started, it wouldn’t stop in a short time. More and more superiors got into Changdao in different ways. The ambush to the outer defense line around Changdao on the first day wasn’t the end, on the contrary, it was only the prelude. As a large number of superiors from the Dark World got into Changdao, there were fighting and killing every day on the edges around Changdao. All the dark power group seemed to have the same plan in mind: made East Island bleed first.
Even if a large number of elites from East Island were now trapped in Zhongzhou State.
Even if all the dark power group in the world were now gathering in Changdao.
But no one could deny that this was East Island’s home court after all. If they were to fight face to face, no one could be sure if all the power groups could stick together. Even if they could stick together, they couldn’t necessarily beat East Island. To say the least, even if they won, it would be a bitter victory. Every power group would face great loss, and this was a result that n.o.body wanted to see.
Now, most of the elites from East Island were gathered in Changdao and set defense line around Changdao. It would be impossible for all the power groups to miss out the chance to attack such an easy target.
Almost at the same time, everybody started to break the special warfare defense line around Changdao, again and again.
The intense and frequent attacks didn’t leave East Island a chance to reorganize. East Island was too tired to fight back, resulting in hundreds and thousands of death.
On the last day of June, the third day after Li Tianlan woke up, East Island stuck to their defense line finally started to realize the real situation, withdrew the defense line and retreated inward Changdao.
The East Island elites that had been confronting all the superpowers from the Dark World had started to reorganize themselves. Changdao, where there were days of fighting and killing, seemed calm and quiet, but the undercurrents were surging wildly underneath the surface.
The elites from Zhongzhou State all had entered Changdao in 72 hours after Li Tianlan had woken up, and they had settled down through the special channels of Samsara.
The six hundred elites of Zhongzhou State led by the Azure Dragon of Zhongzhou State, Gongsun Qi, had reached Changdao. East Island might have noticed it, or they might not. But from first to last, East Island had been silent since all the dark power groups entered Changdao.
The silent undercurrents were surging wildly in Changdao. With every minute and second pa.s.sing, this city seemed to be more depressed.
The big battle was extremely urgent and might happen anytime.
In the most depressed yet quiet time before the big battle, everyone had the chance to prepare themselves.
All the dark power groups started to transfer the manpower and get into the real situation.
The elites from Zhongzhou State were resting.
The first group of elites of Zhongzhou State that got into East Island had nearly two thousand people. And when they reached Changdao, there were still two thousand people including the six hundred elites in the second group, and a big part of them was injured. This showed how hard and cruel it was to break into Changdao.
While East Island was sorting out the resources and intelligence. Obviously, East Island had to prepare the most. But they would be quick because the whole nation was focusing on the battle. In the current situation, once any of the groups got fully ready for the battle, the battle of Changdao that whole Dark World had been looking forward to would break out completely.
So everyone was nervous.
Li Tianlan focused on healing.
Ever since he got into Changdao, this period of time had been the most peaceful for him. After all his injuries from the past completely broke out in the battle of Zhongjing, he had been unprecedentedly weak. It had been almost a week after the battle of Zhongjing, and many wounds on Li Tianlan’s body had healed up, but the internal injury was still bad. The powerful vitality in the Immortality Potion made him heal a lot more quickly than other people, but the potion and the daily routine care had only made his injury recover for a small half in about a week.
Li Tianlan was well aware of his current injury. If he wanted to recover fully, it would need at least another half a month, or even twenty days.
But the general trend wouldn’t change based on his willpower. Right now Li Tianlan could only hope that the final battle could be delayed as much as possible.
The heavy rain that swallowed the whole East Island reached Changdao three days ago and the heavy rain and the violent wind were causing big havoc between heaven and earth. There was no summer heat in the summer season, and the whole courtyard felt cold.
Inside the pavilion of ancient style, Li Tianlan stood in silence and watched the rain fell on the clear pond, and his face looked calm and peaceful.
This was the only waterscape in the courtyard, and it was located in front of the gate of the villa at the center of the courtyard. It was a deep pond with a diameter of twenty to thirty meters. Inside there were hundreds of ornamental fishes with different colors and patterns. The rain fell on the clear pond heavily, and the fishes underwater kept emerging on the surface then going down into the water. The whole pond was shaking and rippling, but the water couldn’t overturn, just like Li Tianlan’s churning ambition and desire.
The whistling wind taking away the last bit of warmth in the pavilion, Li Tianlan, who was wearing a thin windbreaker, wrapped the clothes closer, and then stopped moving.
The pond was in front of him, and the table and chairs were behind him.
There was a pot of tea on the light brown marble table, some teacups were scattered on the table, and on the center, there was an ashtray with some cigarette b.u.t.ts in it. It seemed some people had a conversation in the pavilion earlier.
But he didn’t know when this conversation ended. The smoke floated around in the pavilion, and the tea was cold.
Li Tianlan stood there in silence. His heart was surging like the rain and wind, but he looked calm and temperate.
Another group of fish jumped out of the water and went down again.
Li Tianlan’s focused eyes in most of the time went dull, and they lost focus like he was zoning out.
For the past few days, he had been healing his wounds and also waiting.
He was waiting for a chance that might or might not happen to him.
In almost a month that he had been in East Island, battles, blood, corpses, heavy rain, and wind, fire and thunder had been filling up Li Tianlan’s mind. But Li Tianlan still didn’t understand the point of everything.
Zhongzhou State worked with Samsara and used the whole nation’s resources for this battle, and they were still investing in this. Countless special warfare elites of East Island had died in this, and Zhongzhou had also paid a great price. But what was the meaning behind all those fights?
They had killed the people, but they were on East Island. What was the point in killing special warfare elites when East Island was still there?
Zhongzhou State and Samsara wanted East Island’s control over the Dark World. But judging from the current situation, Li Tianlan didn’t see any possibility that East Island might give in.
Why would Zhongzhou State think that they could have all the resources and lands of East Island after the battle?
Horsewoman said he would soon find out why.
But Li Tianlan still had no clue.
Feeling confused, Li Tianlan kept thinking, and his eyes were getting dull and numb.
The heavy rain and wind were still attacking Changdao and the pond in front of him. The weather was dark and gloomy like always. Time felt still, but half an afternoon had pa.s.sed in the blink of an eye.
At a moment, Li Tianlan, who stood silently, suddenly focused his eyes.
At the same time, a soft, laughing voice rang out. “This is a nice place.”
Li Tianlan’s eyes flickered, and he turned around and said calmly, “Indeed. You can stay here if you like.”
The courtyard was at the center area of the club, which was built in the mountain area. The club was very quiet, the well-protected courtyard inside the club had an even quieter atmosphere. If you looked closely, there were green gra.s.s and clear water, and if you looked from afar, there was a mountain range that went up and down. This was considered the most high-cla.s.s club in Changdao, and people could feel its charm and beauty.
Duke arranged this courtyard for him, and Saint gave his approval after see it. Samsara wanted to express something simple yet complicated by putting him in the most luxury courtyard in this club. Li Tianlan already understood some of the subtle meanings when the elites of Zhongzhou State reached Changdao.
There was only one villa in the courtyard, but Li Tianlan wasn’t living alone. The people from East Emperor Palace and Dongcheng Rushi all lived here for the past few days. But these people were either meditating or resting and healing. They didn’t talk much, and it was the same as living alone.
“Me? Never mind.”
The guest who invited himself smiled with honesty and kindness, which was confusing. “This is Samsara trying to improve your status. Why would I move in here? Besides…”
He stopped, and the smile was still sincere on his handsome, soft face. Then he said, “If I live here, aren’t you worried that I’ll kill you while you’re meditating?”
“Would you?”
Li Tianlan’s tone became more and more indifferent.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
w.a.n.g Shengxiao, who didn’t hold an umbrella but still kept his body dry and clean, walked into the pavilion, laughed and said softly, “From the perspective of w.a.n.g family of Beihai, from my own perspective, I don’t even need to find a reason to kill you, because there are too many reasons.”
Li Tianlan looked at him with a fake smile, but there was deep, deathly stillness in his eyes.
w.a.n.g Shengxiao came to the club through the breakthrough yesterday, and he was followed by Black Pupil and Firmament, who was seriously injured. Li Tianlan didn’t see any of them, but he got the general idea of what happened. Samsara saved the three of them at the most desperate moment by the cooperative partner’s special channel. From this point of view, the three of them all owned Li Tianlan a big favor, a life-saving favor.
w.a.n.g Shengxiao didn’t meet Li Tianlan the minute he got there, but he didn’t take long to find him. After arriving last night and a short rest, the successor of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai hurried to see him.
Li Tianlan didn’t say a word but just stared at w.a.n.g Shengxiao’s eyes in silence.
w.a.n.g Shengxiao was in a great mental state. His face looked pale, but his eyes looked energetic. He was wearing a set of simple, neat, light suit, with a long box in his hand. He said he wanted to kill him, but he didn’t look like he would do it at all.
“And if I were to kill you, I might have done it already.”
w.a.n.g Shengxiao stopped, and then said something with deep meaning.
“I’m still alive.”
Li Tianlan spoke in a calm tone. Facing w.a.n.g Shengxiao, he felt a bit complicated. But this weird, soft conversation didn’t feel like a conversation between a pair of brothers-in-law. Realizing the situation, Li Tianlan naturally considered w.a.n.g Shengxiao as an opponent, even an enemy. “As long as I’m alive, I’ll find out what you did sooner or later.”
“Yeah, you’re still alive.”
w.a.n.g Shengxiao sighed softly and said in a complicated and weird tone, “To be honest, this is what surprises me the most. You’re alive and you saved my life. Is this your kindness for my family?”
Li Tianlan shook his head with no expression on his face, and then said coldly, “You’re Yuetong’s brother.”
w.a.n.g Shengxiao stared at Li Tianlan in silence and didn’t say a word.
After a long while, he handed the box in his hand to Li Tianlan and said with a smile, “There’s some misunderstanding between us. This is my compensation for you. It’s pretty nice.”
Li Tianlan was a bit confused, for he didn’t know there was any misunderstanding between w.a.n.g Shengxiao and him. He casually took the box and opened it. There was a sniper rifle with a ferocious and weird shape in the box.
The rifle looked ferocious yet exquisite, and it was all in black, radiating a sense of heat and death. It looked very familiar.
Li Tianlan’s pupils contracted, and at that moment, the cold, sharp killing intent rapidly burst out from his body.
“Nice gun.”
He was silent for a moment before he said in a cold tone.
Of course, this was a nice gun, and this was the nice gun that almost killed him several times.
Grim Smile!
It was Heavenly Calamity’s Grim Smile!
All of a sudden, Li Tianlan came up with all kinds of thoughts, and his head was in a mess.
“This is Heavenly Calamity saying sorry.”
w.a.n.g Shengxiao said in a soft voice, “I can say this entirely on his behalf, I hope the animosity between you two can stop right here. This gun, you can see it as a gift from him.”
Heavenly Calamity!
Heavenly Calamity, who ranked number five on the killer list in the Dark World, was actually from the w.a.n.g family of Beihai?
The experts in the w.a.n.g family of Beihai were really as common as the clouds.
Li Tianlan sneered inside, but his eyes looked colder and more gloomy.
He didn’t ask about the exact relationship between Heavenly Calamity and the w.a.n.g family of Beihai. Some questions better stayed unanswered.
Unanswered questions could leave some leeway.
He casually touched the gun, then handed the box straight back to w.a.n.g Shengxiao and said with a smile, “This is a very powerful gun, I’ve seen it myself. But I think this is too much for me, please give it back to him for me.”
w.a.n.g Shengxiao’s face obviously froze.
He looked at Li Tianlan’s smile seriously, and then looked at his hand.
Li Tianlan’s expression didn’t change a bit.
“Do you know what you just turn down?”
w.a.n.g Shengxiao looked at Li Tianlan and asked in a serious tone.
Li Tianlan’s sentence, his gesture, directly turned down the peace offering of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai!
How many years it was since the last time thing like this happened?
“He wanted to kill me.”
Li Tianlan had a calm expression, and he said softly with a smile, “I’ll kill whoever wants to kill me. This gun isn’t enough to solve this matter. I want the head of Heavenly Calamity. I’ll get this go when he’s dead.”
Looking at w.a.n.g Shengxiao’s eyes that suddenly dropped to freezing point, Li Tianlan continued. “Samsara can also let the whole thing go.”
A smile slowly bloomed at the corner of w.a.n.g Shengxiao’s mouth, and his voice sounded ice cold and piercing to the bone. “The w.a.n.g family of Beihai won’t take a threat. And, Samsara can’t protect you from everything.”
“Yeah.”
Li Tianlan answered, and then said directly, “There’s nothing left to say. That’s it.”
He turned around and walked straight out of the pavilion.
Resolute, straightforward and cold.
“Wait!”
w.a.n.g Shengxiao’s eyes twitched rapidly, and he gritted his teeth hard. Obviously, this was a bit awkward for the w.a.n.g family of Beihai which had been in powerful position all along. w.a.n.g Shengxiao’s expression looked a little uncomfortable, but he thought about Li Tianlan saving his life, then took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “Can’t we talk about this?”
Li Tianlan’s step paused.
“Yes.”
He said calmly, “Heavenly Calamity had tried to kill me twice. I don’t want his stupid gun, I want him dead, or I need him to work for me for two years.”
“This is such a high price to pay.”
w.a.n.g Shengxiao mocked. Heavenly Calamity was a super killer that ranked number five on the killer list. Everyone knew how expensive two years of his time would be. At least, Li Tianlan and his East Emperor Palace couldn’t afford to pay for that.
Li Tianlan turned back and faced w.a.n.g Shengxiao.
w.a.n.g Shengxiao took a deep breath, and suddenly said in a peaceful tone, “This time it wasn’t me who tried to kill you. Someone else hired Heavenly Calamity. But he reported to the w.a.n.g family of Beihai. To be exact, he reported to me. I knew about this and let him do it.”
Li Tianlan still didn’t say a word.
“I didn’t expect you would save me.”
w.a.n.g Shengxiao shook his head, then laughed in a self-mocking way and said, “On this, I admit that I was wrong. I’ll talk about it with Heavenly Calamity. But I can’t promise you anything.”
He took out a folded A4 paper from his inner pocket and handed it to Li Tianlan. “This is my compensation for you. The unique technique of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai, Against the Way of Heaven. You can use it to lift up combat capability by a realm by consuming latent capacity when you’re under the Invincible Realm. It’s not something nice, but it’s really rare outside. I think this might be useful to you.”
Li Tianlan’s face still looked calm. In front of the core unique technique of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai, even if it was the most useful core unique technique for him, his face didn’t change a bit.
He thought about it, then reached out his hand and took it. “We’re even now.”
“My life isn’t that cheap.”
w.a.n.g Shengxiao said calmly, “And your life is worth a fortune, too. Today you saved my life. In the future, if you were to lose to me, I’ll spare your life.”
Li Tianlan let out a cold laugh. “I only save you for Yuetong. That’s all. If I lose to you in the future, I don’t need you to spare my life. And I won’t spare yours, either. It is what it is.”
“You would rather die than lose?”
w.a.n.g Shengxiao’s laugh was worth ruminating. “You’re that confident?”
Li Tianlan turned around and looked at the rain and wind outside the window, and said peacefully, “In this life, I can’t lose!”
w.a.n.g Shengxiao took a deep look at him, then turned around and left the pavilion.
Behind him, Li Tianlan tore apart the paper on which Against the Way of Heaven was written, and then threw the pieces into the pond. He said blandly, “What’s the point in that?”
After the reconciliation.
The enemy would be enemy after all.
“Why is it pointless?”
An elegant, peaceful voice suddenly rang out behind him.
…