Almost 99% of the specters attacked that huge army in the center of the arena, lost in a frenzy.
The number of specters didn’t increase; if someone focused on them, they’d notice that their numbers were decreasing as the cultivators also dwindled. But the level of their power was definitely increasing gradually. Alm and Bruno were practically the only ones who noticed this, confirming their theories.
The heroic disciples from seven of the biggest sects in the universe were able to defend themselves without much trouble, but the blood of the soldiers who accompanied them was spilling everywhere, creating a fog of death. The smaller sects tried to hold on, but even their heroic disciples were quickly succumbing, being taken out one by one.
The whale’s army watched the scene, taking a deep breath and seriously facing the round figure. He never really needed their help and could have resolved the situation earlier.
"You... you made a fool of me..." murmured the Azure Dragon, visibly irritated, toward the whale.
The whale turned to her with a sigh. "I was hoping you all would actually come to help me. It wasn’t my intention to make fools of you, but rather to see who was truly trustworthy and fair."
She huffed beside her brother, and both shone, transforming back into human form. As they approached the whale, the man spoke calmly.
"Nice to meet you, I’m Yuan. This is my sister, Yue." He introduced himself while the woman next to him huffed in irritation.
The whale nodded slightly and then turned to the ground, gently kicking.
"Hey!"
Suddenly, a colossal figure rose. "Rocky was sleeping so well... you didn’t need help... don’t be mean."
The whale narrowed his eyes, and that huge man looked down. Then he turned to the two Azure Dragons, speaking calmly:
"This convention won’t end anytime soon, much less without a great bloodbath; unfortunately."
The two, along with everyone behind, heard and nodded. No one was foolish enough not to notice the gravity of the situation.
The whale continued: "I already have an idea of the ultimate goal of this test. There will be a hundred cultivators who gain the karmic blessings, while everyone else... none of them will return alive."
Upon hearing this conclusion, which seemed accurate given everything they had seen in this convention, everyone sighed. The two Azure Dragons turned to the whale, and under his gaze, Alm and Bruno felt satisfied.
If it had been any cultivator from the number one sect, they would have taken the lead for themselves without caring about anything else. But at this moment, both accepted that the whale would decide the path forward.
It wasn’t that they weren’t arrogant or proud of their power; their instincts were sharp, and they realized they didn’t compare to that figure in many aspects.
"I deliberately separated you to save as many as possible because I only see one way out. I know it’s not the most acceptable, but I lack the power to resolve this differently. I can save you, but not everyone." The whale spoke, and everyone stared at him anxiously.
"The whole test was designed to divide people, and the only way to survive is by forming groups. The power of the specters hasn’t diminished; it’s only increasing. Their numbers remain the same in relation to the living cultivators; no matter how many you kill, more always appear to maintain the count. This will continue until only the 100 winners are left; all the dead will serve as fertilizer to replenish what was taken. I dare say that all tests with this blessing at stake will follow a similar pattern."
Everyone swallowed hard; it was a cruel and bloody test. But the world of cultivation was like that. Death was always alongside power.
All the weaker ones who had been protected, as well as the soldiers accompanying the heroic disciples, had pale faces. They understood they had no chance of returning alive from this place. They came to this convention filled with excitement, wanting to toughen up in an adventure... but they jumped straight into the mortal abyss.
The whale waited a moment and continued: "As I said before, I can save you, but not everyone."
They lifted their gazes to him filled with hope; nothing could save them, and their lives depended on it. "But I also mentioned that my power is limited, which is why I tested and chose you. In short: everyone in the center must die."
The two Azure Dragons narrowed their eyes as the whale continued. "When they die, the number of specters above should decrease. And something logical, if it weren’t the case, all the disciples would be quickly massacred. I need their numbers to fall by a third. For that, I’ve given many opportunities to those who wanted to live. If you’re in doubt, when many of them die, the numbers of the specters will drop sharply; that will be the confirmation."
"Hmf, I understand, but how do you plan to save our side?" Yue questioned dryly.
"You know the origins of the technique I used just now, right? I’m a disciple of the Yinblood sect, and you can imagine how I got this technique." The whale replied, looking into their eyes.
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"The whole test was programmed in the formation by the heroes; when there are only 100 winners left, the specters would be destroyed and stop coming. It should be impossible for all the specters to die before only 100 cultivators remain; after all, their power only increases over time. Formations are programmed systems; there’s always something the creator didn’t foresee. This is my plan: I can use this technique at full force and wipe out all the specters at once. At that moment, it will be the end of the test, and we’ll all be able to leave."
The two widened their eyes. "That’s a cheat! The heroes will be furious if it works!" Yue exclaimed quickly.
"Yeah, yeah; but the heroes aren’t here anymore to complain, right?" the whale said with a sly little smile.
Alm and Bruno were sure the formation’s programming didn’t foresee this situation; destroying all the specters in one move was impossible for cultivators at their level. Even with the original Devouring God Spatial Technique, it would be unfeasible.
However, they had methods considered impossible. The devouring ability of the technique, combined with the Manifestation of Gluttony from the Soul Eaters, could pull in anything non-physical at a high cost of soul power—something they had in abundance. Besides, they weren’t destroying the specters; they were luring them into a confined space. And within that space, with the fusion of those two techniques, they could easily remove the mental control over those souls.
Yuan grew serious, but Yue started laughing excitedly. "Hehehe, great, I like you. It’s an acceptable plan; if it fails, I don’t care if those bastards die, they deserve it. At least we’ll try to save the billions who are worth it."
Her brother sighed; indeed, they didn’t have any concrete plan. But leaving this place alive over the corpses of so many was unacceptable.
"We’ll trust your plan," Yuan said, turning his attention back to the fight in the center of the arena. "You plan to wait for the specters to kill them?"
The whale shook its head. "That strange effect doesn’t last forever, and they’re strong enough to survive until the end. If we don’t take advantage of them being attacked, a fight will be unavoidable later, and many of us will die."
Yue smiled excitedly, while her brother sighed. Everyone behind them listening to the exchange clenched their fists. It wasn’t the time to show mercy; it was kill or be killed. If they didn’t take them out now, they’d have to fight to eliminate them anyway later. They had already shown themselves as enemies and were shameless scum; it would be a favor to the world if they didn’t exist.
The whale turned to the dwarves behind and spoke loudly: "I’ve made you wait too long; I know you’re eager to show the world your power. The time has come, use 100%! Show your strength!"
"WE WILL SHOW THE POWER OF THE FORGING GOD!" all the dwarves roared.
Suddenly, all the dwarves nodded, and the arena shook. A colossal weight immediately collided with the ground, accompanied by the sound of rocks cracking.
The army members, along with everyone outside the arena, widened their eyes. Suddenly, a hundred thousand complete armors and an army of metal monsters, each two meters tall, appeared.
"KILL!!"
Robotic shouts reverberated powerfully throughout the arena.
All the dwarves split up, with Zaimo in command. Some focused on defense, like him, others on firearms, like Thea, and those who learned to create, making war armors with their unique features.
They all advanced toward the center of the arena. Chaos was already present among those disciples, with heavy losses occurring. Now, they were being attacked by a new group... even more challenging.
The whale’s group positioned themselves as close as possible, avoiding entering the area and drawing the attention of the specters. They formed a siege, and then all the dwarves’ armors lit up like stars, activating the greatest technological force.
*BANG! CRACK! BOOM!*
Everything began to be destroyed, whether cultivators or specters. The Dragon brothers were completely stunned; the offensive power of each of those dwarves was no less than theirs. A hundred thousand of them? They could wipe everyone in the arena out easily if they wanted to.
They realized, completely terrified: the whale had never been in any danger in this convention; in fact, it was all of them dancing on the edge of a precipice while dealing with it. Yet, it chose to help and gather people to save. Not the strongest, but those who were reliable.
Upon realizing this, they snorted; they couldn’t fall behind. All the beasts beside the whale took on their true forms and attacked from a distance, unleashing a rain of destructive power on the enemies mercilessly.
Being attacked by the specters and now by an extra force, thousands began to die every second with no chance of retaliation.
Outside the arena, several shouts echoed.
"THIS IS A DECLARATION OF WAR!!!"
The representatives of the seven greatest sects in the universe roared in frenzy.
"Oh? Before, you said the cultivation world was the law of the strongest, right? The world turns, doesn’t it?" Some Dragons from the Dragon Ascent Sect spoke sarcastically, provoking the fury of the others.
Then, suddenly, all the cultivators felt the world petrify. They were at the peak of the divine realm, considered the pinnacle of cultivation power, but were immediately suffocated and suppressed.
Everyone turned their gazes to a distant point and saw a spatial distortion emerge, accompanied by a dense demonic power.
Two pairs of red eyes appeared in the void...
"S-Shadow God..." someone murmured, completely shocked.
But on the other side, other distortions emerged.
Soon, someone panicked and murmured: "Sniper God... Warlock God..."
Then, another person, turning to another spot, said tremulously: "Heavenly Spirit God..."
Four gods appeared simultaneously in that place, heralding a great storm.
Suddenly, a guttural voice echoed from the Shadow God, reverberating and making all the cultivators tremble from head to toe.
"At this convention, we, the Divine Gods, declare that we will be the impartial judges!"