Free Web NovelChapter 497: Chapter 114: Ace Tower Defense Lineup
Yan Zizai hung up the phone, then made a call to Xie Xingzhi.
After hanging up, Xie Xingzhi’s reaction was much like Yan Zizai’s; he began to rush toward the intersection leading to the fifth level, anxiously.
They met at the intersection with the booming sounds of the huge elevator hastening their heartbeats.
With Bai Wu gone, many things had become complicated.
While he was alive, as the ruler, Yan Zizai, and as the Xie Family Guardian and the person in charge of the shelter, Xie Xingzhi, both understood the significance of Bai Wu.
But after Bai Wu’s death, they realized even more the irreplaceability of this man.
Facing an overwhelming amount of issues, both men were overcome by a sense of helplessness.
Suddenly, the news that "Vice-Captain Bai" had returned to the High Tower gave them a sense of loss and gain.
They were worried it might be a false hope.
Finally, the elevator reached the fifth level, and upon seeing two figures atop it, Yan Zizai suddenly felt surreal.
The taller one, although he hadn’t seen the body, the news came from Zero, and besides, Zero was now indifferent to humans, could there be a mistake?
The shorter one was stubborn, taking everything too seriously; the death had been too much for him to move on from, insisting on seeing the living or the dead body himself, so he went to the perilous Denglin City.
Yan Zizai thought he would never see these two men, these two legendary figures of the High Tower, again.
Yet at this moment, the two figures reappeared in front of him, and his first impulse was to slap Xie Xingzhi to see if he was dreaming.
"What’s wrong, don’t you recognize me?"
These two men, of course, were Bai Wu and Wu Jiu.
Their return to the High Tower also brought Bai Wu a sense of nostalgia.
Xie Xingzhi was the first to snap out of it:
"Damn it!"
He couldn’t help but curse; as an Eternal Being, his mother had died several hundred years ago.
Yan Zizai also accepted the reality, although his first reaction was not joy, but confusion:
"You two... need to give me a good explanation of just what happened!"
Bai Wu said:
"There isn’t much time, and I need to understand what has happened during this period. Let’s find a place to talk."
There were no unnecessary pleasantries between the four men.
Because of the shock, even joy was a luxury Xie and Yan couldn’t afford at the moment.
While Bai Wu constantly observed along the way, he also confirmed that some manpower had been dispatched from the High Tower, which helped him quickly grasp some of the situations.
The joy of their reunion was suppressed by the several men.
In the meeting room of the Yan Family Manor, Yan Zizai recounted the events of the past few days and the difficulties faced—specifically mentioning Zero’s lack of cooperation.
Without Zero’s cooperation, all sorts of information beyond the mist had been cut off.
After fully understanding the situation, Bai Wu also briefly described his experience.
"So, you... basically had a miraculous escape from death?"
"Yes, under those circumstances, it was normal for Zero to think I had died. Although his fragments can preserve a soul, the probability isn’t one hundred percent, and the destination of the soul could be Huangquan Island."
Thinking of Zero, Bai Wu smiled and continued:
"It’s sensible he thought I was dead, because my first reaction when I opened my eyes was that I had died too."
It was in front of Jing Si that he had banished Jing Liu to an unknown place, almost equivalent to killing Jing Liu.
The chance of surviving that was incredibly slim.
"Anyway, I’m not dead. A narrow escape from death can bring unexpected blessings."
Xie Xingzhi had already noticed Bai Wu’s equipment—a pot on his back, a broadsword, daggers tucked into his shoes, and a Knight’s Sword at his waist.
"Is your ’unexpected blessing’ these pieces of equipment?"
"You could say that."
The greatest fortune may well be being on the same starting line as the Well Level monsters.
Yan Zizai nodded, lamenting that he had underestimated Bai Wu and Wu Jiu.
Bai Wu had experienced a transformation, and Wu Jiu had done the same.
The old Wu Jiu had limited means, but now Wu Jiu’s methods could be described as numerous and varied.
However, when Wu Jiu earnestly recounted his experiences with a certain Evil Fallen, the expressions on Yan Zizai and Xie Xingzhi’s faces were quite odd.
Because of Ruan Qingyun, who was arranged to stay at the Yan Family Manor, Ruan Qingyun would often ask about Wu Jiu’s condition.
Yan Zizai always shared the good news but not the worries, so now that Wu Jiu had returned, it was certainly good news.
But the idea of shared senses... gave Yan Zizai a feeling that was just so awkward?
"Are you and that cat really just ordinary friends?"
In the end, Yan Zizai couldn’t hold back and asked an irrelevant question.
Wu Jiu was puzzled:
"Otherwise? But she can be considered half my teacher. She’s saved me no less than a hundred times, and without her, I wouldn’t have survived to this day."
"Alright, I won’t ask anymore."
Proud as Yan Zizai was, he suddenly felt his question was very foolish.
Wu Jiu, being such an open and forthright person, shouldn’t have been asked such a question.
His mind returned to the main topic:
"What do you plan to do now?"
This question was intended for Bai Wu, and now that Bai Wu had returned, he could take on these vexing questions.
After all, the three people present—Wu Jiu, Yan Zizai, and Xie Xingzhi—all agreed on one thing—Bai Wu was really useful.
Bai Wu said:
"The cross-sea team formed by Lin Wurou, Yin Shuang, and Zheng Yue is definitely not up to par, with Zheng Yue and Wang Su being the strongest among them."
"They were somewhat significant figures in the World Beyond the Mist, but that was before the High Tower appeared."
"Now, with the distortion density in the World Beyond the Mist having greatly increased, it can be said that Evil Fallen are everywhere outside, and the foundations of the farms are definitely beyond imagination."
The three nodded, and Yan Zizai said:
"The seventh team of the Investigation Corps and several team leaders, along with Zheng Yue and Wang Su, aim to find the High Tower in the World Beyond the Mist and establish a coordinate system."
Xie Xingzhi added:
"But what Bai Wu said is not wrong, their combat abilities are too low. Although it’s not nice to say this, apart from Zheng Yue and Wang Su, the others, whether it’s the team leaders or the members of the seventh team like Lin Wurou and Yin Shuang... in front of a real powerhouse, they are no different from lowly minions."
In such a world, it is indeed sometimes very helpless.
The so-called fourth-tier Innate Force, in normal times at the High Tower, one would be considered a master.
But such masters, when facing the dangers outside the Tower, when facing ruler-level masters, are like ants.
Although Yan Zizai had put together these masters before, whether these masters could cross over black regions or even red regions to reach the World Beyond the Mist was a question mark.
"If they encounter danger, they will use the Return Roulette to come back, but the matter of going to the World Beyond the Mist cannot be delayed," Xie Xingzhi looked at Bai Wu.
Bai Wu, stroking his chin, said:
"What needs to be done in the World Beyond the Mist is to contact the Ark forces and prepare for the worst-case scenario."
"What’s the worst-case scenario?" Yan Zizai had an uneasy premonition.
Bai Wu pointed to the ceiling:
"The worst-case scenario is the destruction of the High Tower, and the monster above us being rescued by Jing Yi."
The destruction of the High Tower.
As these words were spoken, all three felt a heavy and distant feeling, but the reality was... it was not far off at all.
It was even imminent.
"So the Sanctuary, Mechanical City, and Ark are our last avenues of retreat. Of course, it would be best if we could hold the High Tower and not need these escape routes, but that likelihood is not high, not even now that my strength has greatly improved, I still don’t have confidence."
After returning from Denglin City, Bai Wu realized one thing: futile hope is terrifying.
He now had to make his companions aware of the gravity of the situation.
"So now, the most important thing is to assemble a top-tier team for the High Tower and head to the World Beyond the Mist. On one hand, we need to make contact with the Ark, and on the other, we need to guard the High Tower."
"During this process, Yan Zizai, you and the Xie Family will continue to be responsible for guarding the High Tower, while also preparing for its possible destruction—that is, preparing for evacuation—in the shortest time possible."
Listening to Bai Wu’s words, Yan Zizai realized the gravity of the situation. Bai Wu was not one to cry wolf. He asked:
"Then, how should we arrange the people heading to the World Beyond the Mist? If I’m not going out..."
Bai Wu smiled and said:
"I’ve already chosen the candidates. I, as the captain, Nie Chongshan, Liu Mu."
Hearing these names, Yan Zizai had to admit that, indeed, this was the pinnacle lineup of the current stage.
"There’s another key figure I need to meet later."
"Who?"
"Cain."
At the mention of Cain, Wu Jiu instinctively felt revulsion. He had never forgotten what this man had done to Liu Mu and Ruan Qingyun.
Bai Wu knew the importance of the captain to Liu Mu and the landlady. He said:
"Captain, rest assured, I am merely making the best use of everything we have. Right now, what we need to do is gather the strongest forces we know of."
"Cain’s powers are not to be underestimated, but no matter how he performs, in my eyes, he can never be absolved. The time will come for debts to be settled."
Wu Jiu nodded.
If it were not for the fact that—in a sense—the Evil Fallen Transformation had also given Liu Mu a bigger stage, Wu Jiu would not have agreed.
Bai Wu felt the same.
However, at this very moment, the High Tower was simply too short of hands.
"Oh, I forgot someone who might play a special role in the upcoming High Tower defense battle."
"Who?"
"A small leader from a shelter, Qian Yixin. I will also arrange for him to join when the time comes. His strength is obviously less than any of ours, but perhaps... well, perhaps he might prove to be a surprise."
Bai Wu quickly went over all the arrangements, and the meeting soon ended.
In this meeting, Yan Zizai was convinced that Bai Wu had already accepted the possibility of the High Tower’s destruction.
Bai Wu was basically planning for the worst and most dire scenarios.
Every one of them had a great deal to do.
Simply relocating the people living in the High Tower elsewhere was a massive undertaking.
Time was pressing.
And Bai Wu’s time was pressing too.
His first stop was to find Cain, which was not difficult.
Because during the last crisis, when the High Tower fell into darkness, Bai Wu had made an agreement with Cain.
At that time, Cain had taken the bodies of several rulers.
Pang Li, Liu Long.
Giving Cain the two strong Sequences, Demon Shadow Form and God of Destruction, and allowing him to kill the ruler he most despised...
This left Cain owing Bai Wu a great favor.
As a result, Cain had promised Bai Wu that, after completing the Three Souls Transmigration on Pang Li and Liu Long, turning them into vessels, he would do Bai Wu a favor.
Bai Wu went to the agreed location, the third floor of the High Tower, the noble school where he had his first encounter with Cain.
Since the place had been destroyed by Cain’s enlargement and had remained uninhabited, it had somehow not been affected during the dark period that befell the High Tower.
Three people appeared before Bai Wu: a blonde Cain, Liu Long, and Pang Li.
"If you hadn’t shown up soon, I was going to start treating you as a dead man, hehe."
The speaker was Liu Long.
Bai Wu said:
"I didn’t expect that you would actually succeed."
"Yes, taking over the bodies of Liu Long and Pang Li was very difficult,"
"During your absence, I have continuously worked to destabilize their wills, consuming both time and effort."
"Fortunately, I finally succeeded. The God of Destruction and Demon Shadow Form are now mine."
The voices of Liu Long and Pang Li spoke simultaneously, overlapping each other.
This was also Bai Wu’s first time seeing Cain control three bodies at once:
"Won’t you be overwhelmed?"
"At first I was, but over the past seven hundred years, I’ve conducted many experiments."
Bai Wu understood and was quite satisfied:
"Next, I will take you to your homeland, the lands beyond Sheng Country, as we previously agreed."
The golden-haired Cain suddenly opened his eyes wide with excitement:
"I have been waiting for these words."
"However, joining us on the trip will be Nie Chongshan, Liu Mu, and my superior—Gu Qingyu."
Cain shrugged, unconcerned.
Bai Wu said:
"I know you are not afraid of these people, especially now that you have a Sequence like the God of Destruction; you should feel even more confident."
Cain licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Bai Wu had always been clear that this guy was an antagonist, though their interests were aligned for the moment.
"They too, because of the situation, will not be your enemy for the time being, but Cain..."
Bai Wu’s presence suddenly erupted, and the typically windless High Tower burst into a flurry of air currents.
"If you dare to provoke them, I will not hesitate to kill you."
Bai Wu’s figure vanished, then instantly appeared to Cain’s right, standing alongside him, patting Cain’s shoulder.
It was as if they were two friends walking side by side.
Cain’s pupils constricted, his scalp tingled, and the chill made his real body break out in goosebumps.
"What... what have you been through?"
"You don’t need to know. You only need to know that this isn’t a year ago. Both I and the Captain have become existences that you cannot afford to provoke."
Bai Wu said with a smile, as if to signal to Cain not to be too tense.
The moment Bai Wu drew close, Cain sensed a powerful murderous intent.
His instinct was to defend himself, but Bai Wu had already appeared beside him. freewebnσvel.cøm
He had thought that with both the God of Destruction and Demon Shadow Form, rare Sequences in his possession, plus his original body, in a three-against-one situation...
He could at least gain some advantage over Bai Wu, but Bai Wu’s progress... was utterly unreasonable.
How long had it been?
His strength had climbed even higher than it was on the sixth level, as if there was no such thing as a limit to this person.
"I believe our journey beyond the mist will be very pleasant. Don’t you want to meet those from the farm, all those K’s and Q’s?"
"Wait for my call for the exact time; I need you to be available on demand."
After saying that, Bai Wu left.
Cain watched Bai Wu’s retreating figure, feeling somewhat unfamiliar with it.
At the same time, Bai Wu’s words stirred excitement in Cain.
A great battle was imminent, and the High Tower might even face destruction.
To guard the High Tower and confront the farm, whether the outcome was good or bad, the frenzy in his bones made him very excited.
The farm was an incredibly mysterious place.
It was a place that was finally revealing its secrets because of the appearance of the High Tower.
He was very curious to find out just how powerful the enemy was, one that even his teacher could not contend with.
At this thought, Cain was almost impatient.
