Before these bats could descend, the jutsu of the other three shadow clones began to unleash.
"Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning"
"Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning"
Like the autumn morning mist blanketing the sky, combustible ash covered the entire crater. When the bats appeared in the greatest numbers, the two shadow clones bit down hard. Two sparks appeared, and the crater instantly ignited. Countless bats, their wings instantly burned, spiraled down screaming.
The third shadow clone,
"Earth Style: Tremor Top"
A gigantic lid, just large enough to cover the crater, descended from the sky. Together with the blazing fire and the numerous bats trying to escape, it was sealed back down, effectively smothering the bats.
Li Xi estimated that this combo attack could eliminate at least a hundred minor vampires. However, this number likely wouldn't even scratch the surface of the overall vampire population.
To put it all together, within Cado City, Drabant, the local kingpin, provided the Assassin's Alliance with living people. Li Xi had initially thought it was for sacrificing to an evil god. But upon learning that the people behind the Assassin's Alliance were Dracula, Li Xi understood that Drabant was capturing people not for sacrifice, but for conversion into vampires.
Coupled with the bandits who had been lurking outside Cado City for years, who were also part of the Assassin's Alliance, and the unknown number of people they had abducted, it was no wonder no one had ever discovered the bandits' whereabouts. They were in cahoots with the higher-ups, colluding from both inside and out. It would be strange if anyone *could* find them. If not for Li Xi's sudden appearance, the vampire numbers might have been even higher.
Moreover, vampires were immortal. Their ancestor, Dracula, had lived since ancient times. No one knew how many more vampires they had hidden. When you added it all up, the sheer number of vampires made Li Xi's scalp tingle and his mouth go dry.
Of course, one shouldn't only dwell on the negatives. There was some good news. Drabant and the bandits were only capturing low-level individuals, those of Rank 1 or 2, or those with no power at all. When these people were converted into vampires, they would only become the lowest-tier vampires.
Higher-tier vampires had to be converted from high-level professionals. Their future progression would be extremely slow, and they would be bound by rigid chains of command. It would be difficult for them to experience the joy of leveling up.
Furthermore, the fact that they were now hiding in the shadows, seizing this opportunity furtively, indicated that there was still a power they feared.
Of course, in the face of eternal life, the various shortcomings of vampires were negligible.
Such a major event happening within the military camp alerted the remaining soldiers. However, upon seeing Sun Er Dai, clad in heavy armor and wielding a staff taller than the city gates, and Li Xi in his dragon form, they dared not approach without understanding what was happening.
Li Xi looked back at these ordinary soldiers, his presence imposing and upright. "I am Mourinho the Dragonborn. This is the lair of vampires. You should leave quickly. When the fighting starts later, I won't be able to spare you any attention."
Upon hearing the words "lair of vampires," which in folk legends were extremely evil beings that specialized in infiltrating homes at night to drain humans of their blood, and were the primary target of all benevolent deities, the soldiers didn't hesitate. They turned and fled as fast as their legs could carry them, wishing they could ask their mothers why they hadn't been born with four legs.
As the soldiers scattered in panic, a dragon's roar echoed from beneath the descending lid. However, instead of the awe-inspiring majesty of a dragon's cry, it was filled with a deep, chilling killing intent.
A blood-red giant dragon with protruding fangs burst forth from beneath the crater's lid. Li Xi, based on his own dragonborn identity, immediately recognized the dragon's origin.
His pupils contracted in shock. "You dare even convert giant dragons into vampires? You're tired of living."
It wasn't just humans who could be converted into vampires; other life forms could too. However, humans were the most common subjects because there were many human experts, and their blood volume was relatively less. It might take the energy to convert one giant dragon to convert ten humans. Of course, the gap between a dragon and a human of the same level wasn't something that could be bridged by a mere tenfold difference.
Let's call the vampire dragon a Blood Dragon. The Blood Dragon let out an enraged roar towards the sky as soon as it emerged, causing the entire Cado City to tremble. This roar contained both its anger towards Li Xi and its own venting of being turned into a vampire. Of course, such a massive disturbance would also awaken others within Cado City. Li Xi wouldn't need to bother warning them.
As the Blood Dragon shattered the descending lid, the crater erupted with an explosion of small bats, like an oil well being struck, spewing forth thick, black, viscous crude oil.
Coupled with the advanced vampires with bat wings, each emerging one looked at Li Xi as if he were a mortal enemy who had killed their father, wishing they could devour every inch of Li Xi's flesh and pull his soul from his body to light a lantern.
It seemed Li Xi had disrupted their imminent plan, enraging them.
But Li Xi was pleased. If he had done all this and still couldn't stop them beforehand, he might as well have cleaned himself up and waited for the Assassin's Alliance to come knocking. What revenge would there be to speak of?
A man in a black cloak, surrounded by numerous advanced vampires, slowly ascended into the sky. The cold aura emanating from his slender figure was even stronger than that of the Blood Dragon. His appearance immediately caused all the roaring vampires and bats to fall silent, as if a pause button had been pressed.
To be honest, despite the Blood Dragon's overwhelming presence and seemingly world-destroying aura upon its appearance, Li Xi didn't take it seriously. Its less than twenty-meter size indicated it was not yet Rank 7, perhaps barely breaking through Rank 5 or just reaching Rank 6. It would be Li Xi doing it a favor to last a few rounds against him.
But the appearance of this slender figure was truly different. He stood out from the crowd, possessing exceptional talent and appearance. Li Xi scrutinized him carefully. The man's physique was as perfect as the golden ratio, coupled with a sickly pale complexion and naturally crimson eyes. His handsome face would have made him the dream of billions of girls in his previous life, and the wealthy women who wanted to keep him could have formed a reinforced division.
However, Li Xi's eyes widened slightly when he noticed the man's ears. Those long, slender, and uniquely characteristic ears made Li Xi pause for a moment.
"Elf?"
If one were to ask which race on the continent was the most arrogant, elves would claim second place, and no other race would dare to claim first. Not even dragons. The arrogance of elves was etched into their bones. Although their strength on the continent was only second-rate, unable to defeat humans or beastmen, they always held their heads high, looking down on this and that, wishing the Creator had placed elves' eyes on top of their heads during creation.
Li Xi never expected these vampires to dare convert elves. Those long-eared folk usually ignored outsiders, looking down on this and that. If one of their own kind were converted into a dark creature like a vampire, Dracula, that ancient bone that had endured for who knows how many years, would surely be torn apart by the Elven God and used as firewood.
Most importantly, this elf was clearly no ordinary elf. The Rank 7 aura radiating from him was like a blatant declaration to Li Xi that he was a high elf. This meant that this elf was Rank 7 even before conversion. Such an elf would likely hold a prominent position in the elven kingdom. For vampires to dare convert such an elf was truly courting death.
After the elf appeared, all the vampires, including the previously imposing Blood Dragon, stood silently behind this vampire elf, like soldiers awaiting orders behind their general.
The vampire elf looked at the dragon-formed Li Xi, a look of confusion on his face.
"Mourinho the Dragonborn, you are not..."
"I am not what? Captured by you, or no longer in Cado City?" Li Xi asked with a chuckle.
While outwardly relaxed and cheerful, he was inwardly terrified. Bats continued to erupt from the crater, showing no sign of diminishing. The vampire army behind the elf had already covered a tenth of Cado City like dark clouds. This number far exceeded Li Xi's expectations. Just how many people had these members of the Assassin's Alliance captured and converted into vampires?
Even if one low-level vampire could transform into a hundred small bats, this meant at least tens of thousands of low-level vampires. Cado City's resident population was less than 500,000, and professionals, including apprentices, accounted for only one-twentieth, or 25,000. This number was less than the vampires. How could they win?
Li Xi wasn't concerned about low-level vampires without bat wings. He saw approximately five to six hundred vampires with bat wings who could fly independently without transforming, with ranks ranging from three to five. Coupled with the Rank 6 Blood Dragon and the Rank 7 Blood Elf, it was no wonder they were so confident in sacrificing Cado City. With such power, not to mention one Cado City, even ten might not be able to withstand it.
Setting aside other matters, the Blood Dragon and the Blood Elf alone could destroy a city. At their level, those who could contend with them were either opponents of the same rank or a large-scale mage team. Everything else was merely food in their eyes.
Before, with Demanga, an ancient Archmage, they had been hesitant to act. Now, Demanga was preoccupied with experiments and completely ignored Cado City's affairs. And Bhuendi, having fallen into their trap, had used Lilith to expend his once-a-year divine descent technique. The remaining high-level power was no longer a concern; a gap of one rank was a world of difference.
Originally, such power would have been more than enough to overturn Cado City. But as fate would have it, they had offended Li Xi, a man with a cheat system.
"It's good that you're here. We are precisely lacking someone with enough weight to bear witness to my lord's greatness." Upon confirming that Mourinho the Dragonborn had not been captured, the vampire elf showed no anger but a strange calmness, as if hosting a distinguished guest.
"I hope it is not your lord's sorrow," Li Xi retorted, showing no weakness. Despite his fear, his demeanor could not falter.
The Blood Elf did not argue with Li Xi. Instead, he commanded the vampire army behind him, "Since the grand formation has been disrupted, you may proceed. Go and drain all living blood within the city."
A thick layer of clouds instantly spread out, covering the entire Cado City. The scene was exactly like the prelude to a heavy rain. Dark clouds pressed down as if to crush the city, obscuring all the starlight in the sky, as if night had suddenly fallen upon Cado City. The faint-hearted would tremble at such a sight.
Li Xi ignored the small bats. The people most important to him were not in Cado City. He wasn't so great as to risk his life for ordinary people. Besides, being able to disrupt the vampires' plan in advance was the greatest amount of survival time Li Xi could secure for Cado City.