Chapter 653 - 218: The Oriole Behind the Fearsome Scheme

Chapter 653: Chapter 218: The Oriole Behind the Fearsome Scheme

Qin Feng’s figure left a faint afterimage as it streaked through the void. He landed silently at the entrance to the secret realm within the crater, a place already abuzz with a massive crowd.

He didn’t intentionally release his aura. But after twenty years in seclusion, his power had increased tenfold. The resulting presence, a heavy, abyss-like aura that emanated from him naturally, was like a giant boulder dropped into a calm lake. It instantly sent massive ripples through the hundred thousand-plus contestants gathered there.

"What a terrifying aura... Who is that?"

"He doesn’t have any Warband markings. He’s a lone wolf!"

"That level of pressure... He has to be one of the monsters from the top of the Combat Power rankings!"

Innumerable gazes from the crowd—filled with shock, apprehension, or scrutiny—all focused on Qin Feng.

He simply stood there, calm and still, yet he became the center of everything. The noisy chatter of the crowd died down on its own.

It didn’t take long for someone to recognize him.

"It’s Qin Feng! ’Madman’ Qin Feng!"

"I remember now! Number forty-two on the Combat Power list! Twenty years ago, he was the one who single-handedly faced and killed Lang Qi and Wolf Ten of the Shadow Moon Grey Wolf!"

"So it’s him! I haven’t seen him in twenty years, and his aura... it seems even more terrifying than the legends say!"

"..."

The revelation sent shockwaves through the crowd.

The name "Qin Feng" was like a thunderclap, electrifying the entire crowd.

That clean, decisive, and utterly domineering battle of vengeance from twenty years ago had already made him famous.

Now that he had appeared in the flesh, he immediately captured everyone’s attention.

Many other equally powerful experts looked toward Qin Feng, their eyes gleaming with intensity.

This was a stellar-level opportunity, one widely believed to require teamwork to seize. A top-tier expert like Qin Feng, whose strength had been proven in the crucible of battle, was undoubtedly the most ideal temporary teammate imaginable.

As everyone’s minds raced and some even prepared to approach him, a calm yet majestic voice echoed without warning, easily drowning out all the noise.

"Everyone."

The crowd turned toward the voice and saw a powerful figure clad in ornate purple power armor. He stood at the highest point before the secret realm’s entrance, though no one knew when he had gotten there.

His power armor was engraved with intricate falcon totems. His bearing was regal, like that of a natural-born monarch.

He merely stood there and became the center of the world, as if even light itself bent in submission to him.

It was Cang—the top prodigy, number one on both the Combat Power and Points lists of this star system!

Qin Feng’s pupils constricted. He felt a pressure from this man that was several times more terrifying than that of Lang Qi and Wolf Ten combined.

He made no rash moves. With a flicker, his form landed atop a large boulder. He, too, fixed his gaze upon the King who had spoken and began to listen in silence.

Cang’s voice rang out, reaching everyone’s ears with an air of undeniable authority.

"I’m sure you all know that I, Cang, currently hold the number one spot on both the Combat Power and Points lists. My words should carry some weight."

"The situation inside the secret realm has been mostly ascertained, thanks to the sacrifices of countless trailblazers.

The number of Insect Race members is incalculable, enough to exhaust the strength of any small squad.

Even an elite squad of a hundred would be annihilated if they went in alone."

Cang swept his gaze across the crowd, his eyes calm and profound.

"Therefore, I propose that the hundred thousand-plus Martial Artists gathered here form a temporary alliance. We will charge into the Insect Nest together and use our absolute numerical superiority to wipe out all the Insect Race guards within."

"As for the final prize—the stellar-level Mother Nest Will—its ownership will be up for grabs. We will each compete for it with our own abilities. What do you say?"

His words immediately sent the crowd into an even more heated debate.

On the surface, Cang’s proposal sounded like the only viable solution, as well as the fairest one.

However, no one who had fought their way this far and survived in the bloody Trial Ground was a simple-minded fool.

Many among them were ruthless individuals who had died seven or eight times, only to fight their way back from the Hunting Stage. Their minds and willpower far surpassed those of ordinary people.

After a moment of unrest, a booming laugh filled with mockery and disdain suddenly echoed through the air.

"HAHAHAHA! Cang, you really know how to make things sound noble!"

Everyone turned to see a burly, powerful-looking expert step out from the crowd, exuding an equally potent aura.

He shouldered a massive War Axe, an unconcealed sneer on his face.

Qin Feng recognized him. His name was Mobi, another expert from the top ten of the Combat Power list. He possessed a Sealing King legacy and was famous for his arrogant personality.

Mobi pointed the handle of his War Axe at Cang, who stood on high, and roared, "Your plan sounds simple enough, and you make it seem like it’s for everyone’s benefit.

But the truth is, you don’t have the slightest confidence you can break through that endless insect tide on your own! That’s why you want to trick all of us into being your free labor to clear the path for you!"

His voice was like a thunderclap, striking a chord in everyone’s heart.

"And what happens when only the Mother Nest Will is left? Everyone will be blood-crazed, overcome by greed, and it’ll be every man for himself!"

Mobi’s contempt was plain to see. "When that time comes, who here will be able to compete with you, the number one on the Combat Power list?!"

He scanned the crowd, shouting to all the contestants, "That stellar-level Mother Nest Will isn’t a cake that can be sliced into a hundred thousand pieces and shared among us! There is only one! Whoever gets it, keeps it!