Chapter 7015
Cooperation and Confrontation
Chapter 7015 Cooperation and Confrontation
The cold, unequivocal warning, like a chilling wind blowing from the abyss, instantly froze the wizards' emotions.
The fear did not stem from the dread of death itself, but from the devastating ending that was a thousand times more tragic than death.
They become puppets and servants who have lost their sense of self and whose forms are distorted, becoming beings no different from those monstrous creatures that writhe in the water and reek of stench, eternally driven and enslaved by a false god who rose from the ranks of monsters.
Just imagining that scene is enough to break any rational soul, leaving them feeling utterly disgusted and terrified.
To avoid humiliation and destruction, we must escape at all costs and find a way to survive before this gradually forming pseudo-divine kingdom is completely sealed off!
A sliver of hope flickered faintly in the wizards' hearts.
It is believed that by this moment, relevant external forces should have received the news and will certainly try their best to provide assistance.
In particular, the massive organizations represented by those ninth-tier wizards will inevitably go all out to protect their top combat power and important assets.
However, the perilous external situation made the wizards increasingly worried.
The current Astral Realm is in turmoil due to internal strife within the Wizarding Alliance. Many regional alliances have become mere shells, each acting independently and even fighting against each other.
Expecting an official organization mired in internal strife to lend a helping hand in times of crisis is nothing short of wishful thinking.
It's better to rely on yourself than on others; ultimately, your only hope lies within yourself.
Realizing their dire situation, everyone's mood grew increasingly heavy, as if a massive boulder were pressing down on them.
The faint joy that had just arisen from escaping the underwater cave was washed away without a trace by the cold, despairing reality.
Under such extreme pressure, a clear consensus formed in the minds of the surviving cultivators, especially the few ninth-tier powerhouses.
To escape their current predicament, they have no choice but to turn to Tang Zhen; he may be their only hope at the moment.
Several ninth-level cultivators quickly exchanged glances; their past fear and competitive spirit seemed so pale in the face of survival.
They made a quick decision and elected a ninth-level cultivator as their representative to communicate with Tang Zhen, despite their reluctance.
They had all heard about Tang Zhen's amazing performances and terrifying strength, and deep down they always harbored a deep sense of apprehension.
When they entered the secret realm to compete for the divine remains, they had already regarded Tang Zhen as one of the strongest competitors, secretly labeling him as an "enemy," and harboring vigilance and hidden hostility from the very beginning.
However, there is one thing they have to admit: in such a desperate predicament, having a "partner" like Tang Zhen, whose strength is unfathomable, would undoubtedly greatly increase their chances of survival.
Faced with the ultimate test of life and death, these shrewd wizards made the choice that best served their own interests.
Team up with this former "rival" to fight against their current predicament and try to escape from the secret realm.
Although the wizards would never say it out loud, they knew perfectly well that the premise of this cooperation was simply because Tang Zhen was stronger than them, so strong that they had no choice but to submit.
Otherwise, given the wizards' typically cold-blooded and profit-driven nature, how could they possibly waste even a fraction of their time on a "weakling"?
They wouldn't even bother to pay attention, just as humans wouldn't care about the life or death of the ants under their feet.
Therefore, in this collaboration, they did not have the initiative at all.
Whether cooperation can be achieved, and in what form, depends entirely on Tang Zhen's attitude and mood.
The ninth-tier wizard in charge of the negotiations was filled with trepidation. He was completely unsure of Tang Zhen's attitude and feared that the other party might coldly refuse due to previous hostility. If the cooperation failed, not only would the group of low-level explorers below be in danger, but even they, the usually high and mighty ninth-tier cultivators, would be destined for a miserable end.
No one thought Tang Zhen was exaggerating. Based on their own investigation, the strangeness and danger of this place seemed to be even more serious than Tang Zhen described.
At this moment, Tang Zhen was their only hope.
Upon hearing the wizard representative's sincere request for cooperation, Tang Zhen remained calm and did not answer immediately, but pondered for a moment.
This brief silence was an ordeal and a source of shame for the wizard awaiting an answer.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before Tang Zhen slowly nodded, indicating his agreement to cooperate.
But he made a clear demand: "Cooperation is possible. But everyone must unconditionally obey my commands and cooperate with the operation. Only if this is done can there be a basis for cooperation between the two sides."
How could a ninth-level cultivator refuse such a request?
Even if they were given command, they would have no idea where to begin when faced with such a dangerous predicament involving rules.
Tang Zhen taking on this hot potato was exactly what they wanted.
With the cooperation agreement reached, Tang Zhen gave an order, and the chaotic explorers below, as if they had found a pillar of support, quickly gathered in the area he designated.
Immediately afterwards, Tang Zhen and several ninth-level cultivators attacked simultaneously. Powerful energy intertwined, instantly forming a hemispherical protective barrier shimmering with runic light, temporarily sheltering everyone within it.
But this was just the beginning. Tang Zhen's gaze swept over the surrounding towering stalagmites, which resembled the fangs of giant beasts, as he casually swung his long sword.
As invisible sword energies swept past, giant stalagmites that required several people to encircle were severed at the root!
These heavy stalagmites did not fall; instead, they floated up under the pull of an invisible force, suspended in mid-air.
Centered on the barrier where everyone was, they began to circle around, following a pre-deduced trajectory, and their speed increased.
At first, the outline of the stalagmite could still be seen, but it quickly turned into a series of blurry, yellowish-brown lights, like a rapidly spinning death storm made of rock, guarding the outer edge of the barrier!
The wizards and monks inside the barrier also received clear instructions: they needed to work together to continuously channel their magical power into a floating sphere of light in the center of the barrier.
The light sphere is connected to the magic array, belongs to the core control system, and is also the energy source for continuous operation.
The effects were quickly apparent!
Some fearless water monsters, driven by instinct, still charged madly toward the place where the wizards were gathered.
However, as soon as they got close, the rapidly spinning stalagmite rings took effect, like fragile pottery hitting a high-speed rotating grinding wheel, instantly being torn apart by the terrifying force!
With a series of teeth-grinding "plop plop" sounds, the numerous ferocious water monsters didn't even have time to scream before they were instantly pulverized, turning into pools of flesh and mud that splashed everywhere, staining the surrounding rocks with filth!
What excited everyone even more was that the more magic they poured into the sphere, the faster the stalagmite flying around became, and the more terrifying its power grew.
Soon, a giant water monster, relying on its thick hide and thick flesh, tried to force its way through the storm of stalagmites, but the moment it entered the storm, it was struck repeatedly by several stalagmites that swept past in turn.
Its massive body was repeatedly struck as if by an invisible giant hammer, its carapace shattered, its internal organs turned to mush, and it was finally torn apart with a mournful howl!
There was also an even stronger divine skeleton puppet monster that tried to force its way in with its powerful defenses, but it was also hit in the chest by a thick stalagmite that had accelerated to its maximum speed.
The body, which could easily withstand magical attacks, was actually smashed open, leaving a shockingly huge blood hole, from which dark golden blood and fragments of broken internal organs sprayed out.
The monster roared in pain, staggered backward, and dared not advance any further.
Witnessing the astonishing power of the stalagmite formation, especially seeing even the powerful divine skeleton puppets injured by it, the wizards and explorers inside the barrier were stunned at first, and then burst into a burst of cheers!