Chapter 1667: Gathering of All Worthies and Luminaries

Naturally, it was Sha Ming who had kicked the man over the edge.

Just because he hadn't said a word didn't mean he was content to stand there and watch a one-man show.

Clearly, he didn't mind using his own methods to casually apply a little pressure.

Even after delivering that kick, he remained entirely silent, making no further movements.

Yet it was precisely this reaction that left no doubt in anyone's mind: he would kick another person down at any moment.

This time, the victim was the team member standing closest to Sha Ming, second only to Old Man Huang.

And even Old Man Huang clearly hadn't expected him to do such a thing, leaving him with absolutely no time to intervene.

"Are you out of your mind?!"

Fortunately, driven by genuine shared suffering, the other bleeding members managed to push past their shock and forcefully intercept the victim before he plummeted.

Watching this scene, Huang Leji let out a breath of relief, but he finally lost control and roared at Sha Ming.

"Of course not. But judging by your reactions, you clearly haven't realized your true situation."

Seemingly infected by Fu Qian's style, Sha Ming merely glanced up after viciously striking his teammate, his tone entirely flat.

"And while that wasn't directed at you specifically, I believe my actions just now should help correct some of your excessive optimism—"

As he spoke, Sha Ming even mimicked Fu Qian, pressing a hand to his face and slowly sweeping it across his features.

With that gesture, his withered face similarly blossomed with renewed vitality.

Of course, even with that, the visual difference between the two remained staggeringly vast.

"Such as the true weight of your bargaining chips."

Using a voice that had recovered in tandem with his face, Sha Ming slowly offered this final addendum.

...

This was probably what it meant for morale to plunge straight through the floor, wasn't it?

Fu Qian, who was also bleeding profusely due to the shared connection, naturally hadn't missed their exchange.

However, he didn't care about Sha Ming's plagiarism; he was merely offering a silent critique of Huang Leji and his group's reaction.

He completely understood what Sha Ming meant by "excessive optimism."

Even though the entire rescue team had now been reduced to mere extras in this scene, it didn't mean their will to live had been extinguished.

And as previously stated, their only bargaining chip in this entire affair was their "bond."

Working together, finding the right moment, using self-harm as a threat—all to fight for a sliver of survival.

This had been Old Man Huang's ultimate source of confidence when he ordered them to rush down earlier.

Reality, however, was cruel. They had quickly realized that he, the mysterious figure before them, was actually a demigod, instantly rendering their threat of self-mutilation entirely worthless.

But the thirst for life never vanished so easily. The team members still hadn't given up their restless scheming, because besides him, there was one other target they could threaten.

Especially since Brother Sha Ming appeared to have far better control over the situation.

It was just a pity... whether it was kicking people or restoring his own face, Sha Ming used actual actions to show the audience that his resistance to threats was no weaker than Fu Qian's, and perhaps even—

"You're a demigod too?"

Huang Leji's cry was almost shrill. He had completely abandoned any concern for how his outburst would affect morale.

"Now that is an interesting question. But how should I put this... strictly speaking, half an hour ago, I was."

Surprisingly, when faced with this question, Sha Ming displayed an uncharacteristic level of patience and detail.

Even though he was looking straight at Fu Qian when he answered.

...

"This mental projection, and even the exploration itself, is helping you grow? So now you've surpassed the Demigod Realm?"

Like a teacher's most trusted student, seeing that Huang Leji had lost his ability to speak under the heavy blow, Fu Qian didn't disappoint. He casually picked up the conversation.

"Correct."

Teacher Sha was clearly very satisfied with this, offering immediate praise.

"It seems your state of existence is truly special."

Fu Qian looked thoughtful.

"You don't believe me?"

"No, I believe you. I even believe you're not bringing this up just to show off, but to urge me to work harder. After all, if you're already beyond the Demigod Realm now, there's no telling what you'll turn into if this drags on."

Gesturing for the other not to think so shallowly of him, Fu Qian directly exposed Teacher Sha's earnest intentions, successfully provoking a burst of hearty laughter.

Though the laughter didn't belong to Sha Ming.

"An evolving guy like this looks like way more trouble than I am. You guys aren't going to deal with him first?"

Fu Qian looked at the chuckling Sanxun, expressing confusion at their actions without worrying in the slightest that Sha Ming might hear him.

"That is naturally because we will be growing together."

Unfortunately, His Excellency Sanxun sounded completely unmoved.

"Although he's merely a self-righteous opportunist, without him, you wouldn't have reached this place so quickly, would you?"

"And how do you know no one is dealing with him?"

...

They truly were colleagues of a sort, weren't they?

It was apparent that while His Excellency Sanxun wouldn't be provoked, he also had no intention of keeping secrets for Sha Ming.

Quite a bit could be gleaned from the details he casually revealed.

Although Sha Ming didn't become a direct avatar like the Followers, his power was clearly closely intertwined with the Truth.

Any struggle to break free from this cage would simultaneously benefit them.

And their current objective was completely unified: him.

The reason Brother Sanxun had laughed was simple. Fu Qian had ignored his summons and turned to converse with the others, only to be met with yet another layer of pressure.

His last sentence also proved Fu Qian's previous guess to some extent: within Sha Ming's field of vision, there was very likely a Follower that Fu Qian couldn't see.

It was just that Sha Ming was handling it far too effortlessly.

Now this was a real scheme. The Blood Lion's amateurish tricks were merely expendable fodder, barely worth mentioning.

"Brilliant."

Fu Qian even clapped his hands twice. His gaze swept over the faces of Huang Leji and his group, reaping one numb stare after another.

They had clearly grasped the essence of the situation. They understood that their sole, unavoidable fate was to stand right where they were, serving as nothing more than the material Sha Ming used to pressure him.

There had never been any room to struggle.

"So, does Miranda know the real plan?"

Old Man Huang looked as if he faintly wanted to say something, but unfortunately, Fu Qian ignored him entirely, abruptly pivoting to a rather jarring topic.

"Heh... it's quite rare for you to care about something like that. But even if I told you she was simply being used, I'm afraid you wouldn't believe me, would you?"

Sha Ming acted quite cooperatively, even offering a suggestion with great self-knowledge.

"Why don't you go ask her yourself?"

"Good idea."

Surprisingly, Fu Qian actually sounded like he was readily accepting good advice. In the very next moment, he turned around directly, looking back the way they had come.

"So, do you know you're being used?"

"I..."

The brief silence was shattered a second later by a somewhat familiar voice.

Miranda's slender figure emerged from not too far away.