Chapter 159: The Number One Figure

Ling Yi’s face subtly changed. Ding Shijie’s right hand wrenched the crystal sword, and his left fist slammed toward Ling Yi’s chest.

At this moment, Su Li controlled his raft to the outer edge of the crowded rafts. Su Li leaped onto one of the rafts and pushed forward. He saw Ling Yi grunt, holding his crystal sword, as he staggered backward. He had been struck in the chest by Ding Shijie’s fist.

Ding Shijie released his right hand, allowing Ling Yi to pull back the crystal sword. Ding Shijie’s left punch was powerful enough to kill a wild bull instantly, but Ling Yi had preemptively crystallized the skin over his chest, which neutralized the attack. The blow only caused him pain. He retreated several steps, creating distance between himself and Ding Shijie. His face was grim; he knew he had encountered a master.

On the 31st-floor balcony, Jiang Shuijue’s eyes flashed with a hint of surprise. She had noticed Su Li and was astonished.

She never expected Su Li and Ding Shijie to appear together. And Ding Shijie had just attacked Ling Yi to save the intruders on the rafts. This made her deeply uneasy. She immediately and naturally assumed Su Li was complicit with these invaders.

A thought crossed her mind, and she subtly bit her lip, regretting that she had helped Su Li fight the Blood Crystal Beast. I ended up helping a white-eyed wolf, she thought.

“Boss, you finally arrived.” The men on the large raft greeted Ding Shijie. The man whose chest was sliced by Ling Yi’s sword was pale, clutching his wound. He said through gritted teeth, “Boss, these women are ungrateful. Not only do they refuse to join us, but they were also disrespectful and ambushed us! I wasn’t just wounded; Old Zhang was hurt too.”

“Old Zhang” was the man in his thirties who had climbed onto the other raft. His chest was also cut by Ling Yi’s sword. He was the source of the first scream Su Li had heard.

Hearing the report, Ding Shijie’s face completely darkened. He looked at Ling Yi, then up at Jiang Shuijue and the others on the 31st-floor balcony.

Gu Mingfeng, who had been knocked into the water, climbed onto another raft. He had his rock-skin defense, so he was unharmed despite the two blows. He gripped his gigantic iron hammer, ready to strike.

Jiang Shuijue’s men, seeing the situation, immediately descended from the balcony and occupied the surrounding rafts. Each man held a weapon. They looked fiercely at Ding Shijie and Su Li’s group. Clearly, they were Jiang Shuijue’s loyal followers.

In terms of numbers, Jiang Shuijue’s side had the advantage, with a total of twelve people.

Ding Shijie’s side had only seven, two of whom were wounded by Ling Yi’s sword. They were left with only five capable fighters.

Su Li saw the surprise and disappointment on Jiang Shuijue’s face. She glanced at him briefly, then ignored him. Su Li realized she had mistaken him for one of Ding Shijie’s men. Gu Mingfeng glared at him and spat, clearly viewing him as an ungrateful traitor and unwilling to speak to him.

Su Li, seeing his position was awkward, had planned to greet Jiang Shuijue and explain. But he decided against it, choosing to observe the situation instead.

The men didn’t recognize Su Li but assumed he was Ding Shijie’s subordinate.

Ding Shijie ignored Jiang Shuijue’s group. He first nodded to his men, then pointed at Su Li. “This is my brother, Su Li. You can call him Brother Su.”

“Hello, Brother Su!” The men, seeing Ding Shijie’s formal introduction, knew Su Li was important. They greeted him respectfully.

Su Li felt even more awkward. He had come to help Jiang Shuijue, but now he was seen as a comrade of the opposition. He offered an awkward smile but said nothing.

Jiang Shuijue’s face returned to normal. She ignored Su Li and stared at Ding Shijie. “Are you the leader of the Golden Eagle Alliance?”

Ding Shijie smiled. “With everyone’s support, yes, I am.”

Su Li showed no surprise. He had already guessed Ding Shijie’s identity. Ding Shijie was stronger than Gao Shupeng, the leader of “Gold Eagle One A-Building,” so he was likely the true number one figure of the “Golden Eagle Alliance.” His confirmed identity was unsurprising.

“We are not interested in joining the Golden Eagle Alliance. Please take your leave,” Jiang Shuijue calmly refused him.

Earlier, the men had explained their purpose—representing the Golden Eagle Alliance and inviting the survivors of the Golden Convergence Center Building to join the alliance to confront the present dangers and find a way out. Jiang Shuijue had been somewhat tempted but was undecided. She had asked many questions about the rights and obligations of joining.

When she learned that joining the alliance meant relocating and splitting their twenty-plus people into three groups across “Gold Eagle One A-Building,” “B-Building,” and the “Shimao Center Building,” Jiang Shuijue flatly refused.

It was clear that the alliance intended to dismantle the Golden Convergence Center Building as a separate entity. This immediately provoked Jiang Shuijue’s resistance.

Seeing Jiang Shuijue’s refusal, the men’s friendly demeanor vanished. They grew aggressive. They knew Ding Shijie was nearby, giving them courage. Seeing Jiang Shuijue’s beauty and her outwardly gentle appearance, they underestimated her, thinking she was easily bullied. The conflict escalated, culminating in Old Zhang making a crude comment toward Jiang Shuijue, prompting Ling Yi to strike him with his sword, nearly gutting him.

Su Li had heard the first scream from Old Zhang’s mouth.

Jiang Shuijue saw Ding Shijie was the alliance’s leader and had just overpowered Ling Yi. Her respect for his strength was high, but she was unafraid. She was confident in her three-person team. Her only concern was Su Li.

She had seen Su Li’s terrifying combat skill during the Blood Crystal Beast incident and had planned to befriend him. She never expected him to side with the Golden Eagle Alliance. This infuriated her, but she suppressed her anger. She was unwilling to say more, as she believed he had already betrayed their goodwill.

Ding Shijie heard Jiang Shuijue’s refusal. His face darkened, then he laughed heartily. “So you’re the leader of this Golden Convergence Center? Can you speak for everyone here?”

Gu Mingfeng interjected, “That’s right! Sister Jue is our leader! Her word is our command! Get lost, you brat! We won’t trouble you, but we won’t put up with your nonsense either! Otherwise, we’ll teach you a lesson. There are no cowards in the Golden Convergence Center!”

As he spoke, he gripped his massive iron hammer, radiating killing intent.

Su Li looked at Jiang Shuijue’s group. They were all still Level 6. They hadn’t broken through to Level 7. Su Li thought that even if they teamed up, they couldn’t withstand Ding Shijie.

The gap between Level 6 and Level 7 was massive. Advancing to Level 7 meant the Spiritual Source Technique entered its second form, a qualitative leap in power.

“Even if you refuse to join the Golden Eagle Alliance, there’s no need to hurt my men. You’re the truly tyrannical ones, aren’t you? Heh heh…” Ding Shijie’s eyes slowly turned cold.

Gu Mingfeng roared, “That’s because your men spoke crudely! Ling Yi held back! If it were me, I’d have smashed their heads with my hammer!”

Ding Shijie ignored him. He looked at Jiang Shuijue and said solemnly, “The Golden Eagle Alliance only wants to unite all forces possible. Only by working together can we find a way out. This is for everyone’s benefit. Why do you refuse?”

Jiang Shuijue took a quiet breath. “If it’s an alliance, you should respect the other party’s will. I have never seen anyone force others to join through violence. Sir, please take your men and leave.”

Ding Shijie sighed. “Your answer is disappointing. I don’t want to use violence to force people to join, but time is running out. This is no longer the peaceful world it once was. The monsters are growing stronger every day. No one knows what the future holds, or if this flood will become even more terrifying. It might even submerge all the buildings tomorrow. I don’t have time to slowly persuade you.”

“So… I apologize, little girl. I have no choice but to use force. It will be violent, there will be bloodshed, injuries, and even death. But to achieve my goal in the shortest time possible, and for the sake of the majority who deserve to survive, the price is worth it.”

(End of Chapter)