"Won Guard."
The mont these words were spoken, an uproar erupted among the listeners.
Everyone had assud Ye Zhongming would direct his ally to target Great Arica.
After all, while Great Arica's Bright Star count lagged behind Cloud Peak and the chanical Genius, they still ranked third. It was easy to imagine that as the top two factions fought fiercely, their star counts would plumt, giving third-ranked Great Arica an opportunity.
In such a scenario, wouldn't it be better to have an ally eliminate this potential threat? Why choose the Won Guard, who stood little chance anyway?
Moreover, the Won Guard had maintained a relatively peaceful stance throughout, especially toward Cloud Peak.
Yet Ye Zhongming had chosen them?
Even Wu Xiu was montarily stunned. She, too, had expected Ye Zhongming to instruct her to challenge Great Arica.
"Boss."
Xiao Min, standing behind him, couldn't hide her urgency. She shared the sa thoughts as the others.
The Cannibal Chain's performance in the later stages had surprised many, revealing them as an extraordinarily powerful mage team—one even Cloud Peak couldn't confidently withstand.
Shouldn't such a team be deployed to snipe more valuable targets?
This was no ti for courtesy. While the Cannibal Chain would suffer greater losses, Cloud Peak had promised compensation. Besides, their alliance was built on mutual benefit—why shy away from hard battles?
Ye Zhongming shook his head and reaffird Wu Xiu's choice.
"Mr. Ye, we've shown you nothing but respect along the way. Your actions now chill our hearts. And given the many won by your side, you should understand that our gender ans we can be far more ruthless than n when pushed."
The black female leader of the Won Guard spoke coldly, her face dark as she raised her chin slightly, addressing Ye Zhongming across the distance.
They had indeed been exceedingly courteous to Cloud Peak, always paying tolls when encountering their stars—a stark contrast to Great Arica and the chanical Genius, who opted for occupation.
With the Won Guard not being a primary rival, Cloud Peak's provocation seed anything but wise.
No matter how strong the Cannibal Chain was, occupying the Won Guard's star would only reduce their count by one, a negligible impact. Yet it would earn Cloud Peak another enemy. The cost-benefit ratio was abysmal.
This was the prevailing sentint among onlookers.
"I just want to simplify the situation."
Ye Zhongming's calm reply carried a hint of despair.
What did "simplify the situation" an? It ant forcing those with no real hope to withdraw from the competition entirely!
Turning their disappointnt into utter despair!
In blunt terms, the Cloud Peak King was telling the unqualified to step aside and stop cluttering the field.
For powerful factions accustod to respect—if not outright reverence—outside this space, these words struck like a hamr, shattering their pride.
"Don't go too far!"
The white female leader's voice was icy, her fists clenched so tightly they trembled. The humiliation she felt rivaled even the ti she'd spent with Spade to obtain intel on the Mountain King Crown.
A fierce desire surged within her—to challenge this Eastern man.
"Save your money. Save your strength. Complete the ten rounds. Even if you gain nothing, you'll leave alive." Ye Zhongming's words silenced the entire starry expanse. "But once you join the fray, it becos a fight to the death."
"Sotis, knowing when to yield is also a survival skill in this apocalyptic world. Forcing things often leads to poor outcos."
This was Ye Zhongming's hard-earned wisdom, the rational decision-making honed through two lifetis.
Fight when you can, persevere with unyielding determination.
But if the odds are truly insurmountable, know when to retreat.
In this regard, Ye Zhongming felt Gyanendra had done well.
"Our fate is ours to decide."
After a mont of silence, the white female leader responded thus before falling quiet.
Seeing no further drama, Wu Xiu tilted her head thoughtfully, then stepped forward and lightly struck the Soaring Crystal, landing precisely on the Won Guard's Star No. 4.
To widespread surprise, Wu Xiu—this woman—chose to fight personally!
Ye Zhongming smiled. Working with smart people was truly effortless.
Why the Won Guard? Beyond the stated reason of thinning the herd, there was a more critical factor:
The Won Guard had spent too much on tolls!
Buying stars cost money. Paying passage cost money. Purchasing guardian beasts cost money... Even if they'd gained so rewards on the stars, Ye Zhongming refused to believe a faction holding only a dozen or so stars could afford to keep this up.
Their only hope for the ultimate prize lay in the top factions mutually annihilating each other or being weakened enough for an opening.
Either way, they had to wait until the final rounds, when they'd make their move based on the situation.
Apart from Cloud Peak and the chanical Genius, all other factions shared this mindset. The difference was that factions like Great Arica or Gyanendra would still fight hard, while the Won Guard relied entirely on luck.
Thus, Ye Zhongming deduced they wouldn't—or couldn't—spend much on guardian beasts, let alone upgrades.
Another clue ca from the timing of guardian beast disappearances in earlier rounds, allowing Ye Zhongming to roughly gauge which factions had chosen which tier of beasts.
While not precise, it gave the Cloud Peak King a general idea.
If Ye Zhongming could figure this out, so could Wu Xiu.
Clearly, despite abandoning the Mountain King Crown pursuit, she hadn't slacked off. She maintained a sharp understanding of the situation and each faction's status.
Of course, Wu Xiu also realized that advancing just two stars at a ti made them easy targets. If the Won Guard's guardian beast was indeed weak, fighting it herself was manageable.
This confidence stemd from her belief in her own strength.
Ye Zhongming was genuinely curious: How powerful was this second-in-command of the Cannibal Chain? What he'd seen before might have been just a glimpse.
Wu Xiu stood before a guardian beast. As predicted, the Won Guard hadn't invested much in it—a bottom-tier creature, the weakest of its kind.
The Cannibal Chain's deputy manager activated her bloodline and throughout the battle, shifted between three different forms!
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