None of the people present could be considered weak. Their footing was naturally swift.
Before long, they had gathered on the foremost deck, gazing into the distance.
Then, they saw Tani Gawa Tadahiko, also standing at the forefront, and not far away on the sea horizon, the warships of the Sakura Nation.
These warships were desperately firing at an unknown colossal entity, as if strangling some large demonic beast.
Tani Gawa Tadahiko's face was full of panic:
"This is bad! Everyone! This is bad!"
"Our military has just received news that a lord-level eighth-tier fierce beast – the Sea-Turning Demon Whale – has suddenly been discovered on the sea ahead!"
"It is now causing havoc and blocking our necessary sea route."
"To ensure the safety of all you heavenly prodigies from various countries, we have dispatched the fleet at the fastest speed to exterminate it, and we are preparing to temporarily change the course for you heavenly prodigies to bypass this demon whale..."
"Otherwise, it would be rather unfortunate if it caused any mental or physical harm to you heavenly prodigies."
"After all, this is a ninth-tier lord-level fierce beast, far beyond ordinary fierce beasts, and something that none of us can resist!"
Tani Gawa Tadahiko's words, both spoken and implied, seemed to suggest that the participating contestants were incapable.
How could these proud individuals tolerate this?
"What are you afraid of? There's no need! Just charge forward, and we can take it down!"
"Exactly, a mere eighth-tier lord-level fierce beast, what is there to fear?"
"With our grand army of several thousand high-level awakened ones, won't that lord-level fierce beast be taken down in minutes?"
"To encounter a beast, and instead of eradicating it for humanity, you think of taking a detour. How will we be able to show our faces after this?"
"Not to mention the assistance of warships, taking down this Sea-Turning Demon Whale is simply a matter of lifting a finger."
"Heh, I've already thought about how to divide the whale oil and demon cores of the demon whale later, and you want to retreat?"
"..."
These people, relying on their numbers and their high cultivation, although most of them lacked experience dealing with fierce beasts, their words were fiercer than one another.
And those who were truly capable, such as Caesar and Arthur, maintained solemn silence.
In Caesar's mind, it was actually better to detour and leave.
One reason was that he really didn't want to create unnecessary trouble.
Secondly, lord-level fierce beasts were not as simple as these reckless youngsters thought.
With their powerful domain pressure, abnormally thick health bars, and infuriatingly strong resistances, their skills were often devastating.
If one did not have suitable countermeasures, with their current suppressed state, it would be a complete act of feeding themselves to the slaughter.
Especially since this group had no commander and lacked experience...
If they acted recklessly, many lives might be lost.
Beyond that, Caesar also vaguely felt that this suddenly encountered demon whale was problematic.
Let alone why it was such a coincidence...
Just Tani Gawa Tadahiko's provocative and leading words were highly suspicious.
Rubbing his chin, Caesar approached Arthur and whispered something to him.
Lin Ran, who was already aware of the inside story, leaned comfortably against a nearby mast, gently holding and caressing Luo Qing Yan in his arms.
At the same time, he didn't forget to divide his attention to observe a pair of brothers on the other side.
Those two brothers were the ones who had been hiding in the shadows earlier, saying random things.
Combined with what Tani Gawa Tadahiko had said, they were likely the ace contestants of the Sakura Nation this year – the Shimada brothers.
Lin Ran did not particularly agree with what the Shimada brothers had said.
In his opinion, these so-called samurai of the Sakura Nation regarded this thing a bit too fantastically.
Although, by chance, they overestimated themselves compared to others, Lin Ran would not be grateful for this.
Judging from the Shimada brothers' complete lack of surprise, it seemed they were well-prepared for this.
This meant that the Sakura Nation's team was also involved in Tani Gawa Tadahiko's so-called demon whale plan, or at least knew about it.
Then he would have to observe carefully what kind of tricks these people were planning.
So that he could deliver the most fatal blow at the most opportune moment!
They still wanted to use this opportunity to belittle others and elevate themselves? No way!
Although Lin Ran, with his strong nationalistic exclusion, did not have much affection for the Westerners over there.
However, compared to his neighbors from the Dragon Country who always wanted to find opportunities to disgust them, Lin Ran clearly disliked them more.
Therefore, letting them fight amongst themselves for a while might not be a bad idea.
With his thoughts rapidly churning, Lin Ran used his mind with three-fold concentration, pushing his Rinnegan and Eternal Mangekyo to their limits.
While his hands were busy with Luo Qing Yan, causing her to blush,
He diverted his attention to the serious-faced Shimada brothers, observing for an opportunity to strike;
And with the other half, he occasionally observed the Sea-Turning Demon Whale ahead, contemplating decisions for maximum profit.
Meanwhile, Tani Gawa Tadahiko, after a prolonged tug-of-war with the impassioned contestants, reluctantly agreed to their request and gave the order to advance.
Watching the ship inch closer to the encirclement of warships, Tani Gawa Tadahiko finally revealed a smug expression.
Just then, Lin Ran finally noticed something was amiss.
The so-called eighth-tier lord-level fierce beast, the Sea-Turning Demon Whale, did not seem to have a strong desire to attack.
Logically, the sea was its main battlefield. Even a slight, large-scale tempest could easily shatter some patrol ships.
Battleships might be a bit tougher, but they could still inflict considerable damage.
Yet, it showed no inclination to do so. Instead, it was playing around, performing only flashy, empty gestures.
For example, the Sea-Turning Demon Whale gave Lin Ran the feeling of a small seal obediently staring at a ball in front of a trainer, completely lacking the domineering aura of a lord-level fierce beast.
What in the world was going on?
Was it planning to cooperate with the Sakura Nation's contestants to act, creating a false impression of them being powerful?
It shouldn't be that ridiculous, right...
Lin Ran was speechless.
However, at this time, after a period of pitching and rolling, the Amakusa Taro had drifted to a very close proximity, almost within firing range of each other.
And countless contestants were there, excitedly rubbing their hands, preparing to pounce on what they saw as a lucrative prize.