Chapter 280 Don’t waste your time

A crying child gets the milk.

While stalling is one thing, it eventually turned into a feast of everything, with the Holy Sanctuary even sending a special magic train to Aurora City to pick them up. The treatment was truly unparalleled.

"President Wang Feng, stay awesome in Dragon City!"

"Fantasy, I'll agree to go on a date with you when I get back!"

"Kela, don't worry, I'll train hard and become stronger!"

"Senior Brother Wang Feng, I'll be waiting for your return!"

"Miss! Remember to dress warmly and don't lose your temper in the camp. Also, Master asked me to convey his greetings to Lord Yakeri..."

As the magic train started, many people ran alongside it, and everyone in the team was touched by this warmth. Hei Wu Kai, however, felt nothing and simply closed his eyes to rest in the carriage.

Fantasy had half his body hanging out the window, while Old Wang, Kela, and Mo Tong kept waving from outside the train. Only Winnie's face was a bit red, so she pulled down her hat and drew her head back inside. Robert was such an embarrassment; the atmosphere was fine until he started rambling about dressing warmly and not losing her temper, making her feel like a three-year-old... Humph, she was mature now, not like before.

After a long while, when the people behind the train were no longer visible, Fantasy finally pulled his body back inside, looking regretful. If only he had known Famier would say such things today, he wouldn't have wasted time last night, sitting on A Feng's living room sofa all night. How stupid could he be!

"Regretting it, huh?" Old Wang had just been waving for show, knowing they would return.

This carriage was reserved for their group, and he had already changed to a comfortable lying position, his feet propped up on the table, grinning at Fantasy: "What a great opportunity last night. If you had seized it, you might even be a father by the time we get back. To waste it at my place..."

"Whoa! What's going on?" Mo Tong, looking both confused and excited, leaned over. At his age, he was particularly interested in such topics. He eagerly asked, "Did Xi Ba get a girlfriend? Who?"

"You didn't see the deep affection during the farewell?" Old Wang gave him a disdainful look, thinking that calling him a blockhead was too kind: "Are you blind or just dumb?"

Mo Tong slapped his head.

"Famier?" He gaped at Fantasi, disbelief written all over his face. "Oh my God! No way, Famier is great, I hear she has a lot of admirers. How could someone like her even look at you, fatty?"

Fantasi usually tolerated Mo Tong's teasing, but when it came to matters of the heart, a man couldn't back down: "Hey, Mo Tong, I don't like what you're saying. What do you mean 'just because I'm fat'? Being a bit heavier means I have a good physique, okay? It's called different strokes for different folks. You might not like how I look, but Famier sure does."

"There's no justice in this world!" Mo Tong's eyes widened. "Why should a fatty like you get a girlfriend while I, so handsome, remain single?"

"You just don't get it," Old Wang chuckled. "A pretty face is a dime a dozen, but an interesting soul is one in a million. Junior, what you lack is a fascinating soul like Ah Xi's."

"Good buddy!" Fantasi grinned. "Still, Wang Feng understands me!"

"Likewise!"

"Cough, cough, cough, alright, alright, stop talking about love and romance, let's be more mature!" Without Robert's nagging, Winnie finally regained some of her composure and said bluntly, "We're here to accomplish something big. Old Wang, as the leader, shouldn't you say something more serious?"

"Of course, a few words are in order." Old Wang smiled. "But first, I need to correct one thing. We're not here to do anything grand. Fate is predetermined; if it's meant to be, it will be. If not, there's no point in forcing it.

So, our team has one central idea: stay alive and don't take unnecessary risks. The longer we survive, the better. When everyone else is gone, we can pick up the pieces." "And then what?"

"Junior, your comprehension skills... Didn't I just say, stay alive and pick up the pieces?"

"What about tactics, plans, or information on our opponents?"

"Plans can't keep up with changes, why bother straining your brain?" Old Wang stretched out comfortably, looking quite at ease. "As for information on our opponents, we have an intelligence expert right here. Why should I show off? Come on, let's welcome our intelligence expert, Winnie, with applause!"

When it comes to intelligence, no one in the League of Blades can match the Li family. Even if Rose and the others tried their hardest to gather information, they wouldn't come close to what Winnie could find with a casual glance at home.

Everyone's gaze immediately turned to Winnie. Fantasi and Kela clapped along with Old Wang, while Mo Tong watched with wide eyes.

Winnie shot Old Wang a glare, knowing he was too lazy to handle these things. She had intended to tease him, but Wang Feng had beaten her to it. Reluctantly, she said, "You're just lazy! But you're right, no one knows more about the experts on both sides than I do. Watch me show you all today. Let's start with our side, the League of Blades!"

"Five hundred Holy Sanctuary disciples are indeed the cream of the crop, selected from thousands, but even among these elites, there are rankings. Our intelligence department has made a rough estimate and ranked the top ten experts participating in the Dragon City conflict from the Blade Holy Sanctuary."

Everyone listened with great interest, and Mo Tong’s ears perked up instantly.

Top ten experts? One of the top ten experts from the Holy Sanctuary, Mo Tong! The title sounded quite impressive.

"Ye Dun, the Sword of Truth from the Zenith Holy Sanctuary; Jiaoxi, the Blood Moon Maiden from the Moon Worship Sect; Maxwell from the Endless Abyss; Zhao Ziyue, the Eternal Spear from the West Peak Holy Sanctuary; Gule, the Thunder Demon from the Sakuman Holy Sanctuary; and Aota, the Son of Winter from the Ice Spirit Holy Sanctuary," Winnie rattled off five or six names at once: "These are all well-known experts in the Holy Sanctuary, leaders of the younger generation, so I don’t need to elaborate much..."

For anyone who frequently follows the Light of the Holy Sanctuary, these are familiar names. Ye Dun, the Sword of Truth, is the spiritual leader of the Holy Sanctuary disciples, with an undefeated record in three consecutive 'Hero Tournaments' and two overall championships, making him the undisputed top expert among the younger generation of the Holy Sanctuary.

The others are also frequent victors in the Hero Tournaments. The Moon Worship Sect and the Endless Abyss are similar to Dark Magic Island, both branches of the Holy Sanctuary under its jurisdiction but not named as such. Jiaoxi, the Blood Moon Maiden, and Maxwell are the leaders of their respective factions and old rivals of the Sword of Truth in the Hero Tournaments. Their personal strength is on par with the Sword of Truth, but they often fall short due to the overwhelming power of the Zenith Holy Sanctuary as a whole.

The fame of these Holy Sanctuary disciples has traditionally been built through their performances in the Hero Tournaments. When the Li family compiled this ranking, they clearly considered it a crucial factor.

When he heard the name Aota, the Son of Winter, Old Wang felt a twinge of discomfort.

Aota, the Son of Winter? One of the top ten experts in the Holy Sanctuary?

To be honest, during his time in Ice Spirit, Old Wang never saw Aota in action. During the final Ice Bee battle, when Aota was fighting in the city, Old Wang was still outside. In terms of soul power reactions, the strong ones are all about the same, but the true measure of strength lies in the control of soul power and overall ability.

Therefore, Old Wang had no clear assessment of Aota’s strength, but he knew Aota’s goofy nature all too well. He seemed more like someone who liked to act cute.

Damn, if this is the level of the strongest in the Holy Sanctuary… then I must be in serious danger?

"Compared to the well-known figures mentioned earlier, the remaining four are a bit special," Winnie said with a slight grimace, mentioning a name that gave her goosebumps: "The most unique is Dark Magic Island. This is exclusive information from our Li family. Lei Gui De Broglie and Momo Sang, the Soul Locking Ghost Hand. According to the intelligence system’s evaluation, both have the strength to rank among the top ten experts of the Holy Sanctuary. For one Holy Sanctuary to produce two top-tier experts is a rare honor, even the top-ranked Zenith Holy Sanctuary hasn’t achieved this. Dark Magic Island truly lives up to its reputation as the most mysterious and bizarre academy of our Blade, and it’s the place I fear the most."

"What about the other two?" Mo Tong asked, eyes wide. They were already at eight, and it hadn’t been his turn yet?

"Our team’s Hei Wu Kai," Winnie said proudly: "And he ranks quite high, third among the top ten experts, with only Ye Dun and Lei Gui De Broglie ahead of him."

"Can you believe it? Those two guys could be stronger than our Black Brother?" Fantasi opened his mouth wide, hardly believing it. Hei Wu Kai was like a god to him, the top expert of the Eightfold Assembly, the king of one-on-one battles, and yet someone was supposedly even stronger.

"The rankings are what they are. The intelligence from Old Li’s family must have its reasons; it won’t be wrong."

"What about the other one? What about the other one?" Mo Tong rubbed his hands excitedly beside them. If Black could rank third, he figured he might place fourth or fifth.

"Xiao Bang, the Dragon Child of the Dragon Moon Holy Sanctuary," Winnie said. "This guy is a recent up-and-comer. Although he was considered skilled in the Holy Sanctuary before, he was far from being at the top. After disappearing for half a year, he returned with greatly improved cultivation. His ranking is quite high, just behind Hei Wu Kai, placing him fourth."

"I know this one!" Fantasi added from the side. "The third prince of the Dragon Moon Principality! Not long ago, all the news from the Light of the Holy Sanctuary was about him, leading an expedition into the Beast Mountain Range that ended in total annihilation. I remember people saying he had brains of straw... tsk tsk, and now he’s turned things around."

At the mention of 'brains of straw,' Old Wang looked at Mo Tong with a playful expression.

Mo Tong, not hearing his name among the top ten experts, was stunned. Seeing Old Wang’s gaze, he snapped out of it, glaring fiercely at Old Wang. Then he turned to Winnie, his face twisted in annoyance. "Even Hei Wu Kai can rank third, and there’s no mention of me, Mo Tong? Even if I’m not as strong as Hei Wu Kai, I’m not that far behind. I should at least be ranked somewhere between fifth and eighth... Hmph, I don’t really care about your rankings anyway; they sound fake enough!"

Winnie ignored him, smirking. "Our Rose Squad has Hei Wu Kai, the third strongest expert, and a goddess like myself, plus Kela and Mo Tong who barely qualify as first-rate experts. Although the two of you drag us down a bit, overall we’re still pretty strong. Among all the Holy Sanctuary teams, we should easily make the top twenty. With a bit of effort, we might even crack the top ten. So, we don’t need to be afraid; we just need to go all out. There are plenty of opportunities to make a name for ourselves in Dragon City. Don’t listen to Wang Feng’s constant talk about hiding; I can’t afford to lose face like that."

"What about the War Academy of the Nine Gods?" Hei Wu Kai was clearly more interested in their enemies.

Winnie tossed a list, which contained ten names, each with detailed descriptions below. "Here you go. I won’t go through them one by one. The rules in the Dragon City Soul Illusion Realm are essentially no rules. Life and death are left to fate, and success or failure is determined by heaven. Top against top, both sides are roughly equal; it mainly comes down to performance and luck. As for the rest, it’s all about destiny."

Old Wang was looking at the list, names like Heavenly Sword Long Feixue, Shadow Warrior Fazang, Blood Demon Manku, and Golden Left Hand Ming Ji, all sounded impressive, and the descriptions were equally daunting, but he wondered if they lived up to their reputations.

Feeling Winnie’s gaze, he rubbed his nose. "If it’s about destiny, then why are you looking at me?"

"You’re the one who needs to worry about destiny the most." Winnie grinned mischievously. "Didn’t Karida tell you? You’ve made it onto the War Academy’s must-kill blacklist, and you’re ranked quite high..."

"So what?" Old Wang said nonchalantly. "It’s not like they’d let anyone off without this hit list. It’s all about luck once we’re inside, whoever we run into is just bad luck..."

"No, no, no." Winnie shook her head, grinning wickedly. "Opportunity is the biggest factor, but the problem is that so many people are vying for it, making it the most dangerous. But hunting you down will be much simpler. Can you guess what the War Academy folks are thinking?"

Fan Tansi slapped his thigh. "They'll come at us like cats smelling fish!"

Old Wang opened his mouth, realizing he hadn't thought of it that way before. What a mess...

Mo Tong patted his chest reassuringly beside him. "Don't worry, what's there to be afraid of? When the time comes, just follow me; I, Mo Tong, will protect you! Hmph, those so-called top ten experts, I don't fear any of them. If they dare to show up, I'll take them all down."

"Good junior brother!" Old Wang praised with relief.

Beside them, Hei Wu Kai was looking at the list of experts from the War Academy, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "I saw an old acquaintance, and their ranking is surprisingly low... Hey, this is going to be interesting! Everyone, stay alert. The War Academy is deep waters. Once we reach Dragon City, whatever we do, let's not split up. Old Wang is right, don't get reckless!"