Novels online

Chapter 163: Ambush and Alliance

Three days later, the Secret Forest Hut reopened as scheduled.

Hunter informed everyone about the location of the Eternal Life Society's ambush.

To everyone's surprise, the ambush site was selected in the Underworld, specifically in a cave about two hundred kilometers north of the Star Alliance.

This was good news for Su Nan, as it was near his own territory. He suspected that Hunter might have considered this factor as well.

If the ambush on the Eternal Life Society failed, they could still retreat to Su Nan's territory for shelter.

With the ambush location determined, the operation didn't commence immediately. After all, the members of the Secret Forest Hut were scattered far and wide, and it would take considerable time for them to gather.

After some discussion, it was ultimately decided to implement the plan five days later.

Being nearby, Su Nan saved himself the travel time and decided to use these five days for preparations. Although he felt confident with the Secret Puppet by his side, his opponent was, after all, the infamous Eternal Life Society. It was always wise to make thorough preparations.

Inside the Meditation Room, Su Nan checked his personal panel.

With his four Metamagic Techniques, and without using any of his various trump cards, his true combat power was sufficient to rank in the upper-middle tier of Level Three Wizard Apprentices.

"Without any trump cards, I should now be able to contend with someone like Demon Hand Bloodmaw."

"In other words, I stand at the Third Circle Legend level."

"If I utilize the Magic Pattern Core and various Magic Items, handling a Fourth Circle Legend shouldn't be a problem."

Su Nan lowered his gaze to the back of his hand, where five bright red marks were engraved.

The Funeral Bell Mark!

This Bloodline Mark was created using the Bloodline of the Death Knell Striker.

In addition to that, he had over a hundred High Rune Gems stored in his Space Ring.

As his Spiritual Power grew, the energy level that Su Nan could endure also increased accordingly.

Because of this, the number of High Rune Gems he could synthesize had now skyrocketed to 37, significantly enhancing their power.

“It’s been tested. One High Rune Gem from Su Nan is enough to break through the defenses of an Extreme Protection Ring! Its power is roughly equivalent to the combined force of more than ten attack-type Second Circle Spells! It could even instantly destroy a Higher Stone Golem!

With numerous trump cards at his disposal, Su Nan felt confident that even if he encountered the most powerful Level Three Wizard Apprentice, he would have a strong chance of victory. Nevertheless, just to be safe, Su Nan stuffed an entire Small Golem Legion into his Magic Cube, filling more than half of its slots. Additionally, he ordered the Magic Knight Order to stand by at Giant Eye City, ready to strike at any moment.

After preparing everything, Su Nan finally felt at ease, remaining in Giant Eye City as he awaited the operation’s commencement.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye. Su Nan arrived at the ambush location as planned. Before him lay a vast cave, exceptionally spacious with an unusually smooth ceiling, unlike other areas filled with dense stalactites. This also meant that the cave had no other entrances or exits at its top. The depths of the cave were similarly sealed off, presenting only thick rock walls. Apart from the entrance they had used, the enormous cave was entirely enclosed.

Su Nan understood the trap implicitly. By luring the members of the Eternal Life Society into the cave and blocking the exit, they would become like turtles trapped in a jar.

"Not a bad place," Night Owl commented.

When Su Nan arrived, all of the Secret Forest Hut members, except for Hunter, were already present. It is worth mentioning that everyone was wearing long robes and masks, just as they did in the Secret Forest Hut, completely concealing their identities. Only Su Nan remained unmasked, openly displaying his true appearance.

When they first saw him like this, everyone was taken aback. Recovering from their surprise, Scepter smiled and said, "You're quite candid."

Traveler laughed and added, "After all, he has the confidence to do so."

The true identity of the Player was no longer a secret among the Secret Forest Hut members. However, out of respect for Su Nan, no one had actively revealed his identity, steering clear of the topic.”

However, now that Su Nan had openly revealed himself, it was clear that he no longer cared about discretion; the others followed suit, shedding their secrecy.

Listening to Traveler's words, the crowd's gazes toward Su Nan were tinged with admiration.

Only Su Nan could be so honest and open.

With his current power and influence, even if he exposed his true identity, he had no fear of becoming a target.

Setting aside everything else, his Mithril Golem alone was enough to deter many with ill intentions.

"Hunter?" Su Nan asked, looking around.

"Judging by the time, they should arrive soon."

As Night Owl finished speaking, his gaze suddenly narrowed, and he turned toward the cave entrance.

"They're here."

Accompanied by the sound of light footsteps, seven or eight figures entered the cave.

Leading them was Hunter.

Following closely behind were six men clad in heavy armor, their auras refined and powerful.

Su Nan took a brief glance and immediately recognized that all six were at the Legendary Knight level. Their armor and the long swords at their waists were of Enchanted Weapon quality.

"Sorry to have kept you all waiting."

As he approached, Hunter apologized first and then gestured to the individuals behind him, introducing them:

"These are Puvidor and Moss, high-ranking members of the Holy Fist. Both are Second-Ring Legendary Knights with extensive combat experience."

"And these are Ke Te and Bo Jie."

Hunter continued, introducing the remaining four individuals one by one.

However, aside from giving a slight nod as a greeting to Puvidor and Moss, Night Owl and the others reacted lukewarmly to the other four.

In their eyes, cultivators at the First Ring of the Legendary Knight level were little more than cannon fodder; only Second-Ring Legendary Knights warranted a second glance.

Hunter understood this dynamic. After the introductions, he skipped the small talk and got straight to the point.

"I deliberately left some traces along the way. I believe the members of the Eternal Life Society will soon catch up. Everyone, please proceed to set up your ambushes."

The specifics of the operation had been discussed beforehand, so upon hearing this, they wasted no time and immediately took action.

Except for Hunter, Night Owl, Scepter, and the members of the Holy Fist organization who remained inside the cave, everyone else exited, pairing up to find concealed locations. After the individuals from the Eternal Life Society entered the cave, they would reappear to block the entrance.

With Su Nan was Rose.

The two of them simultaneously activated the Invisibility Technique and scattered some odor-eliminating Potion, preparing to wait.

"Holy Fist is finished," Rose suddenly said softly.

Su Nan glanced at her and nodded slightly.

The enormous Legendary Knight organization had been decimated by the Eternal Life Society, leaving only a meager six members remaining.

Who knew how many would be left after this battle? Even if they managed to overcome the threat posed by the Eternal Life Society, the Holy Fist, with only a handful of members, would exist in name only.

However, Su Nan was preoccupied with other thoughts.

According to the information gathered so far, there were only two Level Three Wizard Apprentice organizations in the Southeast Region: the Secret Forest Hut and the Eternal Life Society.

Combined, the Level Three Wizard Apprentices from these two organizations accounted for at least half of the total in the Southeast Region.

After today's battle, it was inevitable that only one of the two would remain.

The number of Level Three Wizard Apprentices in the Southeast Region would also decline sharply.

"Speaking of which, I've killed four Level Three Wizard Apprentices so far," Su Nan suddenly realized, noting that he had made a significant contribution to the reduction of Level Three Wizard Apprentices in the Southeast Region.

But this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Resources in the mainland were limited, and having fewer Level Three Wizard Apprentices would be beneficial.

"The Azure Gold Empire has been making frequent military movements recently, subtly hinting at targeting the Starry Sky Empire. Are you aware of this?" Rose changed the topic abruptly.

Su Nan glanced at Rose and raised an eyebrow, saying, "What? Did the Thorn Flower Principality send you as a negotiator?"

"A negotiator isn't quite the right term; this also concerns my interests," Rose admitted candidly. "The Azure Gold Empire has dominated the Southeast Region for hundreds of years, continually exploiting the surrounding countries and using them to fuel its own growth. Many nations harbor deep resentment, but they dare not resist due to the Azure Gold Empire's formidable military strength."

"If the Starry Sky Empire takes the lead in rebelling against the Azure Gold Empire, I believe many countries will respond."

Su Nan's expression turned strange. "We're currently cooperating to deal with the Eternal Life Society, yet you're plotting against the Scepter behind our backs?"

Rose shrugged, not taking it to heart, and said, "I'm not sure about others, but Scepter had some encounters with the royal family when he was young, so he never felt much loyalty to the Azure Gold Empire. If you were to take action, I believe he would not hesitate to abandon the Azure Gold Empire and align with another country. After all, with his strength, he could be a valued guest wherever he goes."

Su Nan's eyes flickered slightly as he pondered for a moment.

Just as Rose had said, aside from a few like Scepter, the interests of most royal family members are closely tied to their nation.

The prosperity and growth of the Starry Sky Empire would also benefit him and the development of the Star Alliance.

Not to mention, if the Starry Sky Empire were to expand outward, they would undoubtedly need to purchase large quantities of potions, puppets, and weapons from the Star Alliance, from which the Alliance could reap substantial profits.

Furthermore, given the Azure Gold Empire's current aggressive stance, even if the Starry Sky Empire doesn't strike first, war will eventually come to them. It would be wiser to take advantage of the situation now, form alliances, and seize the initiative to control the outcome.

His mind raced with these thoughts, and Su Nan quickly made a decision.

"Alright, I will convey your intentions."

Hearing Su Nan's agreement, Rose's face lit up with joy.

Just then, her expression changed as she suddenly turned her gaze sharply toward the distance.

Su Nan had already noticed it.

Without warning, four figures appeared out of thin air before the cave.

Aside from the man leading them, who wore a long robe and appeared relatively normal, the other three had extremely unusual appearances.

There was a woman with a graceful figure and elegant demeanor, but her face had only a pair of eyes.

Another figure was composed entirely of flames, manifesting as a blurry humanoid outline, with an indeterminate gender.

The last was a man covered in obsidian carapace, revealing only a grayish-blue face. He also sported a multi-segmented tail extending from his back, with an open end that resembled a lamprey's mouth.

It was clear that these four were Saulo, Iro, Ember, and Stone Scorpion from the Eternal Life Society.

Su Nan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Including Wu Ge, Bloodmaw, and Magic Hand, who fell by his hands, the members of the Eternal Life Society truly manage to make themselves seem neither human nor ghost.

To them, a human body is merely a disposable object; for the sake of power, they are willing to cast it aside at any moment.

Only Saulo appeared somewhat normal, but that wasn’t necessarily true either. Who knew what lay hidden beneath that long robe? To hold dominion over a group of demons and monsters, Saulo himself might be an even more formidable demon or monster.

Perhaps fearing that the Hunter they had finally captured might escape, or perhaps feeling secure in their own strength, the four simply scanned the area with their eyes and then charged into the cave without hesitation.

However, upon entering the cave, they discovered that besides the Hunter, there were seven or eight other individuals present. A group of onlookers calmly watched them.

The four of Saulo quickly realized something was amiss. Turning around, they saw another group entering from the entrance, blocking their escape.

"Su Nan!"

Saulo recognized Su Nan, who was not wearing a mask, at once. After a moment of contemplation, he understood the situation.

"I see, so the Secret Forest Hut intends to start a war with us."

Night Owl spoke coldly, "This involves the Star Tower, the key to advancing to Wizard. No Wizard Apprentice can resist such a temptation."

"Indeed," Saulo replied calmly.

Despite being vastly outnumbered by their enemies, both Saulo and the other three remained remarkably composed.

"Enough with the nonsense."

Ember's mouth, forged from flames, curled into a mocking smile.

"Since we are all after the Star Tower Key, let’s have a fair fight. The strongest one standing will claim the spoils of war. Isn’t that fair?"

As soon as Ember finished speaking, his fiery form expanded, as if soaked in oil, transforming into a raging inferno that rushed toward Night Owl and the Hunter in front of him.

Night Owl’s eyes twitched, thinking to himself that this guy was truly a madman.

Before the ambush, the Hunter had shared all available information about the Eternal Life Society with the others.

One point was that most members of the Eternal Life Society had issues with Bloodline Rejection, leading to significant changes in their temperaments. They were prone to extremism, madness, and psychological distortion.

This included Ember.

He had fused with an ancient bloodline known as Magma Ghost Worship, which granted him the ability to manipulate fire and souls. His temperament was bloodthirsty and manic, finding pleasure in tormenting the souls of others.

He was truly a madman!

His current actions confirmed this.

Even when ambushed and surrounded, he boldly charged toward the enemy alone. Only a madman would do such a thing.

Despite their inner reservations, Night Owl and Hunter did not hesitate. Their prepared spells were unleashed simultaneously, focusing their firepower on Ember.

The battle officially began.

Meanwhile, the remaining members of Secret Forest Hut, along with those from Puvidor and other Holy Fist factions, rushed toward Saulo and the other two.

"Stone Scorpion!" Saulo suddenly shouted.

As soon as his voice echoed, Stone Scorpion, covered in an obsidian carapace, opened its mouth and emitted an ear-piercing shriek that nearly ruptured eardrums!

The shriek transformed into a tangible sound wave that radiated outward. Instantly, cracking sounds filled the air as dense fissures appeared on the surrounding rock walls and the cave ceiling. Pebbles and gravel fell in a rustling cascade.

Before anyone could react, a rumble echoed through the cave as it began to collapse!