It was strange, however, that though these lone wolves had formed an ominous omen, they seemed to be able to restrain each other, forming a delicate balance.
And Lin Ran, at the center of this balance, though threatened by their eighteen sharp gazes, was able to benefit from it, absorbing the starlight essence of these eighteen lone wolves.
What was this all about…
Before Lin Ran could figure things out, a revelation and enlightenment, akin to a sudden flash of insight, flowed into his mind like a gushing spring.
Following this, Lin Ran was astonished to discover that his cultivation realm was advancing by leaps and bounds.
Originally at the mid-fifth tier, he had, with the help of this enlightenment, shot up to the peak of the sixth tier!
And Luo Qingyan, who also benefited through their shared contract, was growing in power at the same pace, not falling behind him at all…
What in the world…
Lin Ran was utterly dumbfounded.
Of course, he wasn't the only one.
Whether it was Luo Qingyan, who had returned from drawing lots after seeing Lin Ran remained motionless, or the contestants who had already drawn their lots and were excitedly discussing potential matchups between powerhouses, or even the spectators whose cultivation levels were not particularly outstanding, all of them had their eyes wide with disbelief.
What just happened?!
If they weren't mistaken, had this guy just inexplicably crossed an entire realm and a half?!
How was that possible?! Was he cheating?!
If they had cared about maintaining any semblance of composure, countless people would have erupted in protest.
To everyone except Luo Qingyan, it was even more shocking.
Because in their eyes, Luo Qingyan had also undergone a similar unprecedented breakthrough…
"How can people from the Dragon Country be this terrifying?!"
"Is this also a secret technique? A cultivation surge like a divine awakening, and for two people at once?"
"Their hidden strength, forged through such a long history, is simply monstrous…"
Dinu from the Rhine Federation forced a smile.
Margherita from the Australian Federation could only sigh,
"Indeed, people's physiques cannot be generalized…"
"Of course, you don't need to be too disheartened."
"These two are probably among the most monstrous existences within the entire Dragon Country."
"If they were representative of Dragon Country's average level, then the Dragon Country would have already conquered the world…"
Dinu shook his head,
"What I'm truly concerned about is another question…"
"That is, he, who was still in the fifth tier before, was able to kill Turing, who was at the peak of the seventh tier."
"Now that his strength has soared to the peak of the sixth tier, what will he do?"
Margherita was rendered speechless and could only press her forehead and smile helplessly.
Luo Qingyan quietly sat beside Lin Ran,
"What did you just do! Causing such a huge commotion…"
"My heavens! To have boosted our cultivation realms so much at once, are you really cheating?"
Lin Ran had already emerged from that profound state. He stretched his arms and said,
"Well… how should I put it…"
"That last move, I suppose I glimpsed a celestial secret, and thus received the favor of the Heavenly Dao."
"In any case, it's a good thing. Don't overthink anything else."
Although Luo Qingyan felt it wasn't that simple, since Lin Ran didn't elaborate, she didn't press further. Instead, she smiled and said,
"Alright, let's put that aside for now…"
"I saw you sitting there staring blankly earlier, so I went ahead and drew the lots myself."
"Here! Take a look, isn't my luck incredibly good?"
Lin Ran took the lot and a smile curved his lips:
"Kimchi Country? Fate really does have a way of bringing enemies together!"
"Alright then, the other eight are up to you…"
"As for Jin Taiguang… I'll finish him myself!"
…
Sakura Country.
Kyushu Island.
In a certain forest.
Three individuals dressed in very peculiar attire were walking side by side.
From their distinctly unusual appearances, it was evident that they were not normal humans, but rather three different kinds of异族 (yìzú - alien races).
The one on the left had large horns on his head, wings on his back, and characteristic skin features, making it easy to identify him as a demon.
The one on the right had only the whites of his eyes, no pupils, golden hair, and pointed ears with fair skin, clearly a blood elf.
The one in the middle was more interesting, with butterfly-like wings on his back, eyes that shone with exceptional depth and brilliance, and stardust flowing with his every movement. He was, in fact, a fairy!
The fairy race was an almost extinct rarity, their traces being almost impossible to find, even in foreign spatial rifts.
After the three had walked for a short while, the demon spoke first:
"Old Eleven, are you sure the location Seventh Brother mentioned is here?"
"Or, are we even going the right way?"
The fairy male chuckled,
"My memory is quite exceptional, so there's naturally no problem."
"Among our eighteen brothers, don't you always rely on me for everything?"
"When Seventh Brother was making arrangements, I listened more attentively than any of you…"
"Not to mention, Seventh Brother trusts me the most when it comes to getting things done."
"So, neither of you need to overthink things. Just follow along obediently."
The blood elf sighed,
"I never imagined that coming to Kyushu Island this time would turn into such a big affair…"
"Regardless of success or failure in this battle, we probably won't be able to live on in this world."
"The last forgotten ones of the world will perish because of this…"
"The decaying old ones simply cannot keep up with the development of the times!"
The demon chuckled,
"Old Twelve, when did you become so sentimental?"
"From the moment we were forced to bear our destiny, and endured the worst of the stars until today, wasn't it all to find an opportunity to change our fate?"
"My fate is mine to control, not Heaven's!"
"The heavens burdened us with these heavy chains, but we can break free through our own efforts!"
"The emergence of a chance to become a god is almost the best opportunity to achieve our goals."
"And also the best outcome we can achieve after accomplishing our goals."
"Not only will we be spared eternal reincarnation and suffering, but we can ascend to godhood in one step…"
"We should be celebrating such a tremendous good fortune!"
The blood elf nodded,
"That is true…"
"I was just reminded of our past glorious years and inadvertently let out a few more sighs…"
"Let's go, we need to continue our journey…"
"The first designated location for the Whirlwind of Gales should be right before us!"