Chapter 516

Chapter 516: Arrival of the Blue Lake City Team

"Since the sparring’s done, I’ll rest now," Midi said lightly.

After unleashing his strike, he didn’t even glance at the outcome before turning to walk back to camp.

Hopkins wanted to yell "Stay where you are!" Yet as he stared at Midi’s retreating silhouette, the words caught in his throat.

"Still want to continue sparring?" Alexis stepped forward with frost in his voice.

Being overshadowed by Midi left him bitter, his expression darkening.

But the gloomiest faces belonged to the City of Fierce Wind delegation.

"W-we must continue!" Hopkins sputtered, directing others to assist the unconscious Mills while signaling Feis to step forward.

After such a disastrous first match, retreating now would spell disaster when facing Mososbury City again at the Black Dragon Conference. Surrender outright? Impossible. The City of Fierce Wind had been backed into a corner – they had to fight this second round.

Hopkins judged Alexis inferior to Midi. When Midi casually nominated the deputy captain earlier, Alexis hadn’t dared object. The levels confirmed it – Alexis at peak-level 65 versus Midi’s master-level 65. With Feis at level 66’s small success stage, victory should be achievable, even if requiring desperate measures.

Hopkins shot Feis a covert "hold nothing back" look.

His deduction showed sharp observation – discerning Alexis’ weakness from brief interactions. Yet he overlooked one truth: even second-best to Midi, Alexis remained no pushover.

As an emotion-sensitive psychic user, Alexis burned with fury at being treated as easy prey. The outcome became inevitable.

Feis possessed skill, yet crumpled within two exchanges against Alexis’ unleashed mind-related abilities.

"This…" The City of Fierce Wind leader gaped, voiceless.

How? They should’ve controlled the matches, probed their rivals’ strengths. Instead, they’d been crushed without understanding how – two instant defeats.

Morale plummeted. Worse, Mills and Feis might not recover fully before the Black Dragon Conference in three weeks.

"Never imagined Mososbury City would emerge this powerful."

“Though we didn’t see those newcomers last year, they all seemed like formidable experts.”

“Where did they even find that human? I thought humans were supposed to be a weak race?”

“Humans are weak, but one who reached the fourth layer of the Shaded Realm can’t possibly be weak.”

“Their fighter captain Thor, the so-called ‘Warrior’, hasn’t even moved yet. Who knows how strong he really is?”

Midi and Alexis’s actions immediately drew attention from surrounding factions, all eyes turning toward them.

Many began treating the pair as potential enemies, mentally simulating battle scenarios.

Midi remained indifferent to these probing analyses.

The Mososbury City team showed no interest in testing others either.

Few teams here deserved attention from a top-tier faction like theirs.

Over the following days, as more city teams arrived at the cross-domain teleportation portal, the cavern became crowded with camps. Sparring matches and tests between factions multiplied.

These encounters followed strict hierarchies.

First-tier, second-tier, and third-tier factions operated in separate circles.

Second-tier factions wouldn’t dare challenge first-tier ones, while first-tier factions considered it beneath them to spar with weaker groups.

Each tier only tested within their own ranks.

First-tier factions were scarce to begin with, and major cities like Mososbury City stood out prominently.

Occasional fools challenged Midi, only to be instantly crushed by black flame.

After several such defeats, Midi’s fearsome reputation deterred further challenges.

Testing him proved pointless – no trump cards revealed, just guaranteed humiliation and crushed morale for challengers.

No one wanted to boost rivals’ prestige while damaging their own.

A delicate balance settled among top-tier factions.

This equilibrium shattered three days before the portal’s activation.

A new team stormed into the cavern.

“Blue Lake City…” Mason’s face twisted as he recognized their emblem.

“Will they trouble you?” Midi asked.

Mason gave a bitter chuckle. “Zaknavan could defect from City of Fierce Wind, but I’d be executed immediately for betraying Blue Lake City. I’m just a discard, not a traitor. They’d never let actual traitors live.”

“That strong?” Midi frowned.

“Undeniably.” Thor unexpectedly joined the conversation. “Calling them the strongest isn’t exaggeration.”

Coming from the proud “Warrior”, this admission spoke volumes.

Midi understood why when he saw Blue Lake City’s fighters.

“Look! Their captain Ingman’s reached level 68!” The crowd parted in awe as they entered.

Ingman matched the Death Scorpion family head’s level from Mososbury City.

“Their deputy’s just a level 67 woman,” someone scoffed, drawing immediate mockery.

“Fool! That’s Lilian – a psychic user! She could kill you with a thought!”

The crowd’s reverence for Lilian surpassed even their respect for Ingman.

Blue Lake City’s other fighters ranged between levels 67-66, with a few peak-level 65s.

Their ten Black Dragon warrior slots outnumbered Mososbury City’s seven.

Such a team could crush lesser cities’ forces singlehandedly – their strongest individuals barely reaching levels 68-67 with inferior bloodlines.

“Hope something interesting happens at this Black Dragon Conference,” came Lilian’s languid complaint.

The dark elf’s crystal-blue eyes and silver hair contrasted with her mysterious smile. Her psychic aura guaranteed admirers wherever she went, including lingering glances from Ingman himself.

Hearing her speak, Ingman smiled. “My guards are gathering intelligence. After days of sparring, the strong should’ve emerged. We’ll visit the noteworthy ones.”

Though only at level 68’s minor stage, Ingman towered above others. Personal participation would demean him, but he could send subordinates to amuse Lilian.

Shockingly, the guards returned within thirty minutes of setting camp.

“Already?” Ingman blinked. In this crowded portal zone, he’d expected hours-long searches.

All reports pointed to one team: Mososbury City’s fighters.

Their outsider member won every sparring match instantly.

“How delightful!” Lilian’s eyes glittered. “Let’s see this miraculous fighter!”