Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 580
However, the opponents of the gladiators were mostly demon beasts of the thunder class. They were not scared of the electric arcs at all, and they could even absorb the energy of the electric arcs and release it in the next moment!
Huala!
After all the new gladiators had entered the field, the bronze gate slowly closed behind them. Then, a few workers poured thick, stinky blood all over their bodies.
The blood was mixed with a lot of irritative drugs that were designed to draw the attention of demon beasts. Otherwise, the flocks of demon beasts might have attacked each other instead of them.
Dozens of bronze gates were established all around the circular arena, through which hundreds of hesitant new gladiators were forced out by the guards from inside. They were immediately at a loss when they saw the frantic audience all around them.
A guard of the Skeleton Island announced the rules to them.
As newly-arrived gladiators, they were not qualified to fight a game alone, nor did they have any shining points that the audience might find interesting. Therefore, they were not really heroes of the show but merely jesters who were responsible for warming up the atmosphere before the heroes ascended.
Since they were all jesters, nobody was expecting a marvelous performance. It was mainly for the fun of liveliness as there were a lot of them.
The rule was simple. The new gladiators were all on the south side of the arena, and a lot of demon beasts of the thunder class would be released from the north. Their goal was to pass through the blockade of the demon beasts and enter the only bronze gate to the north.
But Li Yao knew the difficulty of the challenge.
The most crucial part of the game was not how to fight the demon beasts of the thunder class in a battlefield full of electric arcs but how to enter the bronze gate after they arrived at the north of the arena.
The gate was very narrow and could allow few demons to pass at one time.
Even if a large batch of demons successfully crossed the arena, they would still be crammed out of the bronze gate. If they were all in a hurry to go into the bronze gate without making concession, it was inevitable that they would start attacking each other, and those who might have a chance to get away would be captured and slaughtered by the demon beasts at the last moment.
Wu—
Prolonged horns sounded all around the arena. The dozen bronze gates in the north were pulled open by chains that were as thick as arms, from which countless confused demon beasts staggered out.
Among them, there were 'Thunder Snakes', which had a rooster head and a snake body with wings on the abdomen. There were also 'Soul-Splitting Behemoths', which were as tall as mountains with sharp spikes on their back. For most of the demon beasts, Li Yao did now know their names at all!
Chi!
Invisible webs were released from above the arena in case the infuriated beasts jumped to the auditorium.
However, it was unspoken rule for the entertainment of arena games that every audience should be prepared to fight a demon beast or a gladiator because the auditorium entailed a certain degree of danger.
For the demon race, the unexpected danger was also one of the reasons why such an activity was so thrilling.
The demon beasts were probably at the mercy of the tamers because of the narcotic drugs injected into them. However, right now, the stinky smell of blood on the bodies of the gladiators woke up the lust for killing deep inside their hearts. Shaking their heads slightly, all the demon beasts uttered bloodthirsty roars while they accelerated under the stimulation of the electric arcs and rushed toward their prey!
"Hoooooooooo!"
The feast of slaughtering had begun!
Chapter 872: Precise Control |
Watching the beast tide that was surging close like a tsunami and feeling the earth that was shaking under the stomping hoofs, the faces of many new gladiators blanched.
They were faced with a tough decision.
To enter the bronze gate at the north, they had to pass through the infuriated demon beasts, but those who led the charge would certain be attacked by the demon beasts collectively.
However, if they simply stayed behind, hoping that other gladiators would take the blow for them, those in the lead might pass through the bronze gate earlier than them, and as there were fewer and fewer gladiators in the arena, those who stayed behind would be the only prey for the demon beasts.
The more they hesitated, the less likely they could survive!
Finally—
The dozen bull-horned muscular demons could not hold it any longer. Under the command of their leader, they tensed their muscles and summoned the most furious auras around them. They lowered their magnificent bodies and accelerated to the maximum, having a head-on clash with the beast tide like a dozen heavy crystal tanks!
The electric arcs that were dancing crazily on the ground whipped them brutally, breaking their skin and making them bleed. Yet, they seemed to feel none of the pain, and their speed was barely affected. Li Yao secretly clicked his tongue in amazement. The talents of the demons were indeed much more impressive than those of human beings.
BOOM!
The collision of the bull-horned muscular demons and the demon beasts resulted in a series of earsplitting explosions. Dozens of demon beasts were knocked into the sky. Several of them were even blown to the auditorium, only to be ripped into shreds by the bloodthirsty bronze-blood demons, the more uncivilized of whom were even biting the meat of the demon beasts on the spot. It was indeed an appalling scene.
"Let's go! Move forward!"
Encouraged by the bull-horned muscular demons, the other new gladiators felt their blood boiling, too, knowing that the only outcome if they waited was death and that they could only fight for their survival by marching forward unstoppably!
Those who were selected to be gladiators were the disobedient ones among the slaves in the first place. Now that they all made up their mind to fight, they looked even more daunting than the demon beasts.
In that moment, all the new gladiators charged at the enemies at the highest speed possible like arrows just released from a bow!
A chaotic battle was thus begun.
There were almost a thousand demon beasts of the thunder class, and the environment of the Lightning Dungeon was most in their favor. The Thunder Snakes, the Lightning Salamanders, and the Soul-Splitting Behemoths were all releasing dazzling electric arcs incessantly, casting the new gladiators into shock, before they waved their sharp claws and teeth and ripped their prey into pieces.
The new gladiators went on a rampage, too. They fully utilized the battle experience that they had just perceived last night and threw themselves into the beast tide like nails!
The intense stench of blood soared into the sky, stimulating the nerves of the audience. All the bronze-blood demons were intoxicated. Hideous grins and cheers mixed with each other and rose up, turning into bloody, dark clouds that were wriggling and twisting in midair.
Li Yao was among the last few demons to move forward.
In his eyes, the demon beasts of the thunder class were merely a bunch of hens and hares that were not worth mentioning at all.
However, seeing such a chaotic battle, he suddenly thought of something and decided to try a new fighting technique.
My combat ability is on par with that of the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators and the demon emperors, but in the war between the Heaven's Origin Sector and the Blood Demon Sector, and even in the great war between the Heaven's Origin Sector, the Flying Star Sector, and the Imperium of True Human Beings, the decisive factor will be the confrontation of billions of soldiers.
On the land, below the ocean, and in the endless sea of stars, countless warriors and warships will be engaged in fierce battles. Even the demon emperors and the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators might not be able to change the outcome of a battle!
Therefore, my own strength is far from enough, and it is vital for me to precisely control the entire battlefield and absolutely control all the factors around me!
I should train myself more in that regard!
Li Yao narrowed his eyes and tried his best to conceal his glittering eyes while his computational ability stretched out deep inside his brain like an invisible octopus.
In the messy battlefield, thirty square meters around him, every demon beast and every gladiator suddenly had a bright golden outline, and a series of bright gold numbers popped up.
That was the data of their speed, distance, position, and strength.
Li Yao condensed two cores of computation inside his brain. One was responsible for the calculation of the moves and attacks that he should make right now, and the other was dedicated to predicting the possible scenarios of the other gladiators and demon beasts thirty square meters around him.
The bright golden numbers were built into nonexistent virtual battlefields as he deducted the outcomes of the battle under different choices.
When the numbers crashed into dazzling sparks, Li Yao suddenly slid leftward and extended the short bone spear hidden inside his palm quietly, piercing deep into the left eye of a Thunder Snake and passing through its entire cerebrum.
The central nerves of the Thunder Snake, however, were somewhere else. Damaging its cerebrum was not enough to rid it of all its combat ability.
If it were in his past, Li Yao would have possibly pierced through the central nerves of the demon beast and cut off its spine, making it completely paralyzed and unable to spurt out any electric arcs at all.
However, the Thunder Snake whose cerebrum had been destroyed shrieked in agony, manipulated by the central nerves, only to jerk up and land on the back of a Lightning Crocodile next to it.
The cerebrum of the Thunder Snake had lost all functions. It was taking action based on its most primitive natural instincts. Therefore, it simply tied up the Lightning Crocodile and exerted all its strength, releasing all the electric arcs it had crazily!
The Lightning Crocodile was, of course, not afraid of the electric arcs, but the excruciating pain resulting from being tied up was unstoppable!
The Lightning Crocodile was going to bite one of the bull-horned muscular demons, but it was now writhing on the ground and struggling hard.
The bull-horned muscular demon was slightly dazed. He immediately waved the giant iron hammer that was packed with sharp thorns and bashed the enemy hard. After a heavy sound, the head of the Lightning Crocodile was broken apart, and it was killed immediately!
I've done it!
Li Yao cheered in his heart. His precise attack had changed the outcome of a battle near him.
However, it was not enough!
Li Yao's eyes were both shining, especially his left eye, where interconnected bloody lines were appearing and turning the muddled arena into a chess board.
The demon beasts and the new gladiators all turned into his chess pieces!
Now, I will try to manipulate the more complicated battles!
Li Yao sensed that an electric arc was being condensed below his feet.
He could have jumped away easily in less than half a second, but he saw that a Soul-Splitting Behemoth was running toward him. His computation ability blossomed like fireworks and helped him to make the decision to stay where he was!
In a moment, an electric arc tied him up like venomous vines. He pretended to grimace as if he was being electrocuted, and he was blown away by the heavy clash of the Soul-Splitting Behemoth!
Li Yao waved his hands and feet crazily in midair, 'struggling' to adjust his posture, only to crash into a demon beast with white hair all over its body that looked like an enormous gorilla. The demon beast was almost knocked over!
Chi!
A chainsword immediately cut into the main artery of the demon beast.
But the new gladiator who was holding the chainsword was confused. His target was not the gorilla in the first place. Yet, the enemy somehow sent itself to the tip of his sword.
The heavily wounded gorilla burst into fury and waved its arms crazily, but Li Yao simply pierced his fingers into the back of the beast and clenched its spine hard. The gorilla roared and raged forward, triggering yet another series of chain reactions. All the demon beasts and the new gladiators who were affected by the wounded gorilla found the directions of their weapons, claws, and teeth changed uncannily.
The weapons that were aimed at the critical parts of the gladiators brush past them, however closely. The sabers, swords, and bone blades that were supposed to be blocked by the demon beasts, after a series of inexplicable collisions and squeezes, hit the most vulnerable parts of the demon beasts precisely!
Seeing the demon beasts that were writhing on the ground in pain and his fellow demons who were all wearing a confused expression, Li Yao thought quickly and felt that he was getting the hang of it.
In a team fight, what matters most is not how many enemies I can kill personally, but how much of a positive influence I can have on my team.
The spiritual energy and potential in the cells of an expert are limited after all. They cannot burn their life and soul and cells in every battle randomly. If that was the case, after only several battles, they would surely die of exhaustion!
Guiding the situation of a battle precisely at the consumption of the least strength and triggering all the potential of a team is the most cost-effective way of fighting in a chaotic war with countless participants!
Everybody is a chess piece except me; I'm the player!
Li Yao was more and more relaxed, and his countenance was calmer and calmer. The indifference in his left eye and the casualness in his right eye were mixed together, giving him a subtle air that he was above the chess board.
Through the precise movement, inconspicuous attacks, and appropriate dodging and pushing, he completely controlled the battles thirty square meters around him.
Thirty meters around him, all the new gladiators were overjoyed.
They felt that they were helped by a god. The demon beasts that they were best to deal with would always show up in front of them in the most appropriate position with the worst posture so that they could take their time and aim at the critical parts of the demon beasts!
When a new demon beast appeared on their flank, a new gladiator would always appear in time and help them resolve the trouble!
Even the spluttering electric arcs from the ground seemed to be helping them. The hinderances either missed them at a close distance or hit them only when they were not surrounded by demon beasts so that they could pass the few seconds of paralysis safely.
For a moment, the field was empty of demon beasts in the thirty square meters around Li Yao—all the demon beasts had been slain by the gladiators!
Chapter 873: Laughter of the Scumbags |
Most of the silver-blood demons did not pay much attention to the 'warm-up' before the real game. Even Yuchi Ba, the master of the Skeleton Island, was merely chitchatting with his bodyguards at first.
But the odd changes of the battle soon attracted his attention. After an exclamation of surprise, he started observing the two swirls of blood in the Lightning Prison with great interest.
One of the swirls was the battle formation made of fifteen bull-horned muscular demons.
The giants from the same tribe were moving in an orderly fashion under the command of their leader. They were not charging forward blindly, and occasionally, they would turn around and crush the demon beasts that had formed a group.
The demon beasts boasted some sort of wisdom, too. They knew the feeling of fear when they were under huge pressure. After being scattered and crushed by the bull-horned muscular demons, it would take a long time before they could regroup.
The gladiators who were relatively smart took the opportunity to follow the bull-horned muscular demons and launched remote attacks under their cover.
At first glance, it was very similar to the cover-and-assault strategy that human beings often utilized with crystal tanks and dispersed soldiers.
Gradually, more and more gladiators gathered around the bull-horned muscular demons. Eventually, there were almost seventy of them.
Beside Yuchi Ba, a leopard demon with eye-catching stripes all over her body smiled and said, "The leader of the Red Blood Bronze Bulls knows how to command. He has formed his own team so quickly."
Although she was smiling, her curled eyes looked like two sabers and gave the unmistakable feeling of coldness.
Yuchi Ba nodded. His mouth was broad, but his voice was rather high-pitched. "A gladiator with leadership is not easy to find. I hope he can demonstrate a few good performances in the battles to come!"
Deep brilliance beamed out of his eyes that were as small as beans. There was no telling what was on the mind of the master of the Skeleton Island.
However, when his eyes turned to the other swirl, he could not help but crane his neck in great suspicion.
The dozen or so gladiators in the second swirl were neither as physically strong as the Red Blood Bronze Bulls nor had an obvious leader to coordinate and command them. Judging from the appearance, they were all fighting on their own in an utter mess.
But for some reason, their efficiency was particularly high. Any demon beast that stepped into their circle seemed to be mired in an invisible swamp. Their movement was slow, and they were even pushing each other. Eventually, they were merely feeding themselves to the claws and blades of the gladiators.
At first glance, the gladiators in the second swirl were just a random mob, not even close to the neat organization of the Red Blood Bronze Bulls.
But as for the outcome, the demon beasts killed by them were far more than those slain by the Red Blood Bronze Bulls.
"What is going on here?"
Even Yuchi Ba was slightly dazed. He scratched his enormous horn with his thick fingers and chuckled in amusement. "How did those guys catch a break today?"
The rest of the gladiators were certainly no fools. They soon discovered the anomaly of the two 'swirls' and tried their best to join the two amalgamations.
