The loud roar above the arena echoed, the sky and the ground trembled, making everyone look up. No one knew exactly when it started, but the golden runes disappeared, giving way to countless lines of blood intertwining like spiderwebs.
The vast web of blood covered the entire sky above the arena, with its center aimed at the middle of the challenge arena. A massive halo appeared in the central area, resembling the eyes of a demon.
The blood carried the life force and bloodline of the cultivator, a power that couldn’t be underestimated, used for many sinister purposes. The massive accumulation of blood above created immense pressure.
All the cultivators felt that the web was made of blood, and the energy from that blood was clearly moving toward the center. The roar continued to echo, and the aura seemed to be building strength.
"The convention’s rules must have changed. The weak don’t deserve to live in this world," someone shouted in the arena.
"The weak will always serve as stepping stones for the strong. Their blood is the energy used to activate the next test," another person said, radiating a bloody aura.
Although it was just a guess, no one could refute it, as the accumulation of blood and power was evident. It was clear that the blood of those who died on the stairs had been extracted.
When those shouts rang out, the faces of the weaker ones behind the whale turned pale. If it weren’t for his protection, they would’ve died long ago.
They came just to train, without any ambition to win anything. They just wanted to attend the convention, a significant event for young masters like them.
Everyone was aware of the convention’s rules, which had been applied hundreds of times before. If they were eliminated, they would just be expelled from the arena and lose their qualification to compete. But the rules suddenly changed, killing people. They almost died here and had no chance of surviving on their own.
*Boom!*
At that moment, the aura of blood above suddenly exploded. With a deafening noise, the entire sky seemed to fracture like an eggshell. There was a second boom, signaling that the competition was about to restart.
But after that turmoil, everything stopped abruptly, as if the process had been interrupted. The center of the arena, where that demonic eye was, seemed to be the weakest point, about to break.
The strongest cultivators in the arena saw the situation and rushed en masse to the center of the challenge arena, like a tidal wave. If that broke, the passage to where the karmic blessings were would open.
"Hurry, don’t let other sects get into the challenge arena first. We must seize the opportunity!"
Some shouted to their allies. Now that the rules had changed, no one knew what would come next, but it was always wise to take the lead.
They all rushed like arrows shot from a bow. However, the winged beasts had a speed advantage; they reached the center more quickly.
*Boom! Boom!*
As they approached, they attacked to try and open a passage. But the attack didn’t shake the area that seemed the weakest. Even some immortal weapons were destroyed. No one hesitated; all the races and sects continued to attack furiously.
"How is this possible?" someone said, astonished.
"This must be a test to see which group is the most powerful. It’s impossible with the power of a single sect. Let’s do it together!" someone shouted.
The weaker and intermediate groups formed temporary alliances. But under the attack of these people, the barrier didn’t budge; it seemed barely touched, and everyone was perplexed.
It took several minutes for everyone to realize that it wasn’t leading anywhere. Then, some quickly turned to the whale’s huge group, which was standing still and silent. They began informing those who were further away in the arena about what had happened.
Within minutes, almost no one was attacking the sky anymore. Countless people were staring at the whale’s group, specifically at the weak ones he had brought along.
"You bastard! You’re the one who broke the rules and stopped the next test from opening!"
At that moment, it was precisely the humans from the Three Sovereign Gods Sect who pointed at the whale and shouted.
As soon as a human made this accusation, the weak ones rescued by the whale were shocked and terrified. Many people from various races and sects were looking at the whale and his companions with cold eyes. The human’s voice was loud enough to spread throughout the arena.
At that moment, Alm smiled inwardly. The cruelty and disregard of this idiot were remarkable. It was understandable that they wanted to kill him, but those behind him weren’t at fault for it. Several shouts arose from all sides:
"Kill them!"
"If they don’t die, the next challenge won’t open."
"Yes, they must die. It’s the will of the heroes. The weak have no right to live."
"Everything the heroes do is calculated and perfect. Half-human! You interfered and broke the convention’s new rules. Do you think it’s right for all the sects and races to pay for your mistakes?"
There was no response from the whale. His eyes and expression remained calm and indifferent as always.
But the weak behind him were terrified, shocked to realize that even those of their own races wanted them dead; they felt completely discarded as if they were worthless.
They were scared, angry, and terrified. But there, no one could help them; not even their families or status could offer any protection.
"I’ll give you a chance to kill these useless people and make up for your mistakes. Maybe everyone will give you a chance to live after that." Among the crowd, the red-haired human’s voice echoed loudly.
His voice was full of malice, and the faces of the disciples behind the whale twisted in anguish. Instinctively, they took a few steps back, and many began to secretly prepare for a possible confrontation.
All the weak ones looked at the whale; everyone in the arena, even the spectators outside, turned their attention to him. The whale’s face, previously indifferent, now showed a slight, sarcastic smile.
"They’re a bunch of idiots. I’ve got nothing to say. I’ve already decided I’ll protect them. No god, hero, or even the celestial laws can change what I decide."
His words struck like lightning, piercing through everyone’s minds. No one could believe the crazy words they were hearing.
"Since I dare to help, I also dare to face all the consequences. Anyone who doesn’t agree with me can come directly at me. Looks like to open the place, the blood of cultivators is needed. But I think it’s more appropriate to use the blood of bastards who get swept up in the herd mentality." The whale’s voice was dry and laced with malice.
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions. If you agree to kill the weaker ones for nothing, there won’t be a second chance, and I’ll make sure you don’t leave this convention alive. Think for yourselves about what’s right or wrong."
Sharp laughs echoed from the human sect. "Hahaha, how arrogant! Why don’t you try fighting all the races and sects with your own strength? You’re just looking for allies? No one here is that foolish!"
Outside the arena, people watching from smaller sects were anxious. But their concern was useless because, although they could see what was happening inside, their voices and influence couldn’t affect the situation.
"Three Sovereign Gods Sect! Are you idiots who only want to kill the weaker disciples? You have no honor?" Finally, someone couldn’t hold back and shouted from outside. It was a powerful cultivator whose grandson was behind the whale. He was more worried than anyone because that grandson was his only descendant.
"Are you blind? It was that human-whale who broke the rules and stopped the arena of challenges from opening." A voice retorted. "If the next test can’t be opened, how can you earn the karmic blessing? The law of the world is the law of the jungle. No one can change that. What kind of benevolent saint does that idiot think he is?"
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A furious argument broke out in the space. Everyone was exasperated, but the smaller sects had no power to fight against the overwhelming majority that supported the death of the weak. In the end, they just cursed and didn’t really fight.
Until someone noticed that the dwarves, who were the most involved in this event, were standing silently in a corner. They seemed completely unfazed.
They want to defeat the God of the Forge? It was such an absurd idea that none of them were even slightly worried.
However, secretly, they were extremely focused and attentive to another task. In a distant corner of the space, there was an open spatial channel leading directly to the hive of the God of Wealth’s worshipers.
The dwarves remained standing on the surface while the whale’s plans were gradually being put into action.