Chapter 351: Apex Battle!
In the blink of an eye, nine days had passed, and the Fate Ocean Battle Royale was drawing to a close. Those cultivators who had been resting in the guest palaces found themselves, as the end approached, gravitating back to the vicinity of the arena, eager to witness the climax of this titanic struggle in the Nine Hells.
The arena was encircled by thousands of individuals from the Nine Hells, their gazes flickering with uncertainty. Many among them had been embroiled in the fray, bearing the brunt of heavy losses, especially after the Blood Oath Curse incident. Following this, both the Reverie Abyss and the Sword Ruins opted out of combat, leaving the six hells to continuously vie for dominance, a struggle that resulted in no small number of casualties.
After 900 battles, at least a thousand fighters in the Fate Ocean Realm lost their lives, with the wounded numbering over 3,000. This grim tally spoke volumes. Their united front against Yun Xiao did not dampen their individual thirst for the title of Nine Hells Conqueror. If anything, their battles only deepened the enmity between them, a storm yet to reach the higher echelons in the Heaven Sanctuary Realm.
"The Talisman Emperor and the Wick Devil's attempts at assassination have failed twice now, losing us the Reverie Abyss and that Pale Revenant. Whether Yun Xiao lives or dies hinges on the upcoming Apex Battle."
"Have you heard? If Yun Xiao isn't taken down this time, there's talk of launching a full blown war!"
"Is it really that serious?"
"It might just be a ploy to pressure Yun Xiao into the apex battle."
"But considering the Talisman Emperor, Wick Devil, and Phoenix Empress' vendetta against Yun Xiao, rallying an army of millions from the Dao Heart Realm to attack the Eternal Sword Prison wouldn't be surprising..."
Even as the Fate Ocean Battle Royale neared its end, whispers and rumors swirled among the power players of the Nine Hells.
"The Fate Ocean Battle Royale is almost over. Has everyone arrived?"
"The moment of truth has come!"
Eyes darted about, taking in the sight of the realm's overlordsthe Talisman Emperor, Wick Devil, Phoenix Empress, and othersall in place with a deadly seriousness in their gaze. A chilling intent to kill permeated the battlefield.
Yet, Yun Xiao was nowhere to be seen. They could only wait.
With nearly a thousand battles fought, the initial victors of the eight hells were emerging. The Calamity Seal Purgatory was in the lead, with the Undead Depths and the Rising Sun Inferno trailing close behind, the gap between them was within 20 victories. Along with the Primeval Demon Hell, these four were in a prime position to clinch the top spot.
The Leviathan Ravine and the Endless Netherworld, however, lagged too far behind, their chances of victory all but dashed. But, as always, the final outcome would depend on how the Immortal Asylum orchestrated the apex battle.
"What exactly are the rules of this apex battle?" the crowd murmured, their eyes collectively drawn to the imposing figures of Mo Jianzhi and the other three delegates from the Immortal Asylum on the high platform. The memory of their ruthless obliteration of Fu Liuli and the Sea Dragon Emperor was still vivid in their minds, casting a long shadow over the Nine Hells.
At that moment, Mo Jianzhi stepped forward, his voice calm, yet carrying across the gathered crowd, "Since most have arrived, it's time I declare the rules of the apex battle."
At his words, a hush fell over the crowd, every ear straining to catch the decree that would dictate the terms of their combata matter of grave importance given the fearsome authority of the Immortal Asylum. After all, with the Talisman Emperor himself holding his tongue even after personal loss, who dared question the Immortal Asylum's edicts?
Mo Jianzhi's gaze swept over the assembly, his tone unchanged, "The apex battle will involve all fighters in the Heaven Sanctuary Realm or above. Those below may also join if they wish."
This initial statement raised no eyebrows; it was what came next that sent murmurs rippling through the crowd.
"This battle shall be known as The Convergence of the Eight Trigrams. All participants will enter the battlefield simultaneously, each bearing a token. The fray will span the four corners, limited to half an hour. When the time's up, we'll tally the Trigram count for each side. Just like in the Fate Ocean Battle Royale, a complete set of eight different tokens constitutes one Trigram."
The revelation sparked an uproar. With over 200 top powerhouses in the Heaven Sanctuary Realm and above, each a force to be reckoned with in their own right, the Immortal Asylum was proposing to throw them all into a single, frenzied melee.
"Such blunt and brutal rules are unprecedented..."
"This Immortal Asylum is indeed peculiar."
Despite the oddity, the precedent set by a display of power meant no voices of dissent arose.
"This means that despite the battle lasting only half an hour, the ferocity and brutality could surpass that of the Fate Ocean Battle Royale!"
"In such a short span, won't it drive everyone to a frenzy? With so many contenders, won't it be a mad scramble?"
"Even those hells that fared poorly in the Fate Ocean Battle Royale could potentially turn the tables and emerge victorious..."
As everyone pondered this new rule, a chill of apprehension ran down the spines of the contenders. The rules were indeed merciless.
Yet amidst this, none forgot their primary objective within the Nine Hells Conquest Clashto eliminate Yun Xiao, the Exiled Sword Immortal.
Within the crowd, the Wick Devil turned to the Talisman Emperor, his voice low, "As expected, the stakes have been raised."
"By intensifying our internal strife, they've also presented us with the prime opportunity to eliminate Yun Xiao," the Talisman Emperor replied, his gaze coldly fixed on Mo Jianzhi.
"Exactly!" The Wick Devil peered intently at the group of Sword Cultivators. "Once they and the merfolk enter the fray, it'll be six against two?"
"It's more like 200 vs 40. That's more than five times the number," the Talisman Emperor replied with a chill in his voice.
"So, crude as these rules may be, they work in our favor... We could take out Yun Xiao first, then vie for supremacy fairly. If we can't take him down, let's hold off on the infighting," the Wick Devil suggested.
"Are you fearing the Eternal Sword Prison might bow out again?" The Talisman Emperor glanced disdainfully at the Sword Warden. "Lack of spine isn't new for these Sword Cultivators."
No sooner had he spoken these words than Mo Jianzhi, as if having overheard, declared in a decidedly frosty tone, "This battle mandates the participation of all eligible contenders! Those who forsake the fight will face the collective wrath of the eight hells!"
At this, the faces of the Sword Cultivators and the merfolk turned as cold as ice.
It was clear the message was meant for them.
The other fighters of the other hells couldn't help but burst into laughter, their delight unmistakable.
"Is the Immortal Asylum sending the Sword Cultivators and merfolk to their doom?"
"Should the Heaven Sanctuary Realm fighters from both sides perish, guess what happens?"
"The Nine Hells might well become the Seven Hells!"
The Inscription Cultivators, Yang Devils, sea dragons, and resentment demons alike all wore smug, cold smirks.
"Who'd have thought the Immortal Asylum's authority could actually be a boon?"
"At least, there's no escape for the cowards now."
Jeers and laughter spread across the arena.
"Pray tell, Immortal Asylum," the Talisman Emperor suddenly raised his voice, asking formally, "You once said the outcomes of the Fate Ocean Battle Royale and the apex battle would contribute 60 and 40 percent, respectively. But with far fewer Heaven Sanctuary Realm participants than Fate Ocean Realm ones, and considering it's all about the Trigram count, how many Trigrams can a mere 200 or so people make?"
Among the eight hells, the merfolk had the fewest in the Heaven Sanctuary Realm or above, with only 21, including their Empress.
That meant, only 21 Trigrams could be obtained in this apex battle at most.
"A single Trigram in the apex battle will be worth 40 Trigrams overall," Mo Jianzhi explained with composure.
"40 each?"
"That means, if one hell were to secure all the tokens, just from the apex battle alone, they'd amass just over 800 Trigrams."
"The current leader, the Calamity Seal Purgatory, has only around 200 Trigrams."
The maximum Trigram count in the Fate Ocean Battle Royale also hinged on the number of participants from the Reverie Abyss. In theory, if a single hell were to win every battle, the highest achievable count would be 900 Trigrams.
The first round had 900 Trigrams up for grabs, and the second round would have 800 Trigrams. That barely fit the 60-40 split, albeit with a bit of wiggle room.
Still, that did affirm that the ceiling for the Fate Ocean Battle Royale was higher than the Convergence of the Eight Trigrams.
"However, given the rules of the apex battle, the chances of hitting the upper limit are much greater than in the Fate Ocean Battle Royale!"
With so many clashing, anything could happen.
"Does this mean the Sword Ruins, having forfeited earlier, still have a shot at the top?"
"The likelihood of that..."
People were inclined to say it was slim, but recalling the wildcard that was Yun Xiao and the numerous times their expectations were upended, they hesitated to make such claims.
"The Immortal Asylum's rules also seem to throw Yun Xiao a lifeline. I wonder if he'll take the bait?"
That was the burning question on everyone's minds.
Yun Xiao had already fought in the Fate Ocean Battle Royale. According to the rules, his tokens had already been converted into Trigrams, and he could opt out.
"Yun Xiao will definitely join!" someone asserted confidently.
"Exactly, if he doesn't, he'd have to watch as Mu Tianjian and the other 20 or so Overseers from the Sword Ruins get annihilated!"
"Now, this is getting exciting..." The Fate Ocean Realm participants were now the spectators of this unfolding drama.
All their discussions were not lost on the likes of the Talisman Emperor and the Wick Devil.
"Did the Immortal Asylum just do us a massive favor? Are they also wary of Yun Xiao's rise?" The Wick Devil's eyes blazed with intensity.
"It's hard to say..." The Talisman Emperor's expression was icy. "Regardless, the opportunity is in our hands. This battle is a must, and there's no room for underestimating the enemy! Each of the six hells must prepare thoroughly, using the most ruthless methods to annihilate the Sword Cultivators and the merfolk!"
"So, before we go into battle, our six-hell alliance must be solid, with no dissent... The Rising Sun Inferno has no issues," the Wick Devil assured.
After two failed assassination attempts, there was no turning back in his feud with Yun Xiao.
"The sea dragons and the resentment demons are also solid allies. As for the remaining two hells..." The Talisman Emperor's gaze swept towards the land demons and Yin Devils.
"The Phoenix Empress is not a problem, especially now that she has Moon Fairy by her side, though she might be preoccupied with future considerations... But as long as we give her assurances, she has no choice but to cooperate. The Yin Devils, though, heh..." The Wick Devil's face twisted into a grimace.
"The Yin Devils are not to be trusted. We don't fear their inaction as much as the possibility of them causing chaos at the critical moment. They're nothing but trouble," the Talisman Emperor said.
"Then, before we head into battle, we'll need to find leverage on the Netherworld Emperor to keep him in line!" the Wick Devil suggested.
Their strategy for the next move was shaped by the rules of the apex battle.
With the betrayal of the merfolk as a precedent, their trust in the Yin Devils was thin, given the deep-seated enmity between the Yin and Yang Devils, despite the latter's minimal grievances with the Sword Cultivators.
In contrast, the enmity between the land demons and the Sword Cultivators was as profound as that between the Yin and Yang Devils.
The Talisman Emperor and the Wick Devil shared a glance, both thinking the same thing.
"The War Princess?"
Their thoughts aligned. Securing the War Princess before the battle would be akin to holding the lifeblood of all Yin Devils.
"Subduing this little devil would mean subduing all the female Yin Devils, rendering the males of their kind irrelevant," the Wick Devil said with a venomous gleam in his eye.
The Talisman Emperor eyed the Eternal Sword Prison's lands, using Yun Xiao as a pretext for his ambitions.
The resentment demons and the sea dragons coveted the territories of the Reverie Abyss, even considering subjugating the land demons!
And the only desire of the Rising Sun Inferno was to absorb the Endless Netherworld, uniting the devil race under their rule, dominating the males, and enslaving the female Yin Devils.
And so, in the upcoming pinnacle battle, there was no room for error.
"Leave it to me." With a sinister laugh, the Wick Devil hurried off to make arrangements.
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