Li Luo’s toying words made Zhao Ziyang and the other squad leaders narrow their eyes.
There were about 20 to 30 teams here, close to 100 people. If everyone had a bite of the Golden Dragon Qi, it would be meaningless.
Just like Li Luo had said—it couldn’t feed them all.
“What are you thinking?” Zhao Ziyang asked.
Li Luo took some time to dust off a large boulder, then he sat down on it and made himself comfortable. He stretched out four fingers. “Four teams. I’m only willing to share it with four teams. Any more, and the qi will be too faint to do anything.”
“As for who these four teams will be…” He looked around indifferently. “I couldn’t care less.”
The hungry teams started to look around at each other warily.
This kid was a monster.
He wanted them to turn on each other, and he would share the bounty with the top four teams?
“Brilliant strategist, this Xia Kingdom friend.”
Cold laughter rang out, and Li Luo turned to see a slender and s.e.xy girl stride forth. Her skin was a dusty bronze that gave her an exotic look, as though she were a female leopard fresh from the mountains.
s.e.xy. And savage.
Her short-cropped hair framed an arrogant expression that was turned against Li Luo presently. “You want us to fight among ourselves and use the chance to escape?” she accused him.
“Besides, you might have dual resonances, but you’re only at the Pattern Genesis Tier. As if you could beat Zhao Ziyang in a straight fight!
“Perhaps… I should test that.” She took another small step forward, resonant power curling forth in a forest-green leopard silhouette.
Li Luo was looking at the badge on her chest. “Rainforest Dynasty?”
“Rainforest Dynasty, Gu Ying,” she said coolly.
Li Luo nodded. This Gu Ying was strong, perhaps as strong as Zhao Ziyang. And given that he was weakened and no longer had resonant bubbles, he would be at a severe disadvantage if they fought.
“Well, Miss, if you have no interest in my suggestion, you’re welcome not to partic.i.p.ate.” Li Luo yawned.
“Like a fish on the chopping block challenging the knife,” Gu Ying hissed. “Little boy, this is no place for you Pattern Genesis babies.”
Before Li Luo could speak, Lu Qing’er stepped forwards with an icy expression. “An interesting comparison. Another one I’ve heard is the fish struggles until death, or the net breaks. We do not want to leave the Golden Dragon Dao Fields either, but if you force us to, we will.”
She twirled her fingers and fas.h.i.+oned a long, sharp icicle, pincering it like a cigar between index and middle finger.
“If I get severely injured, the Golden Dragon Secret Key triggers, and I leave.”
She reversed the grip, now holding the icicle like a dagger.
Zhao Ziyang and Gu Ying paled. They hadn’t come all the way here just to see the Golden Dragon Qi fade away right before their eyes.
This ice girl was a plucky one.
Li Luo was equally shocked by her movement, and he frowned at her. “What are you doing?” he whispered urgently.
Lu Qing’er heard the dismay in his voice and turned to him, puzzled.
“Put it down,” he instructed quietly.
“I promised President Yu that I would protect you. Before I collapse on the ground, I don’t want to see you try that sort of thing. If you trust me…”
“Of course I trust you!” Lu Qing’er quickly replied.
She hesitated, then let the icicle fall to the ground.
Li Luo took a step forward and looked squarely into the eyes of Zhao Ziyang, Gu Ying, and the others. “My proposal remains unchanged. Four teams. That is the limit of what I will accept. If you don’t like the idea, the talks are off. Come at me as you will, and I will deal with you.”
His words were stated with a quiet confidence that radiated from his eyes. He was in a tough situation, but he was supremely confident that he could get out of it as he wished.
He raised his hand, letting his sleeve fall away to reveal the demonic red-seal.
Zhao Ziyang stared at it with some worry. He was not angry, but curious. Why would Li Luo be so confident while surrounded by such strong opponents?
Was it the dual resonances?
That was not enough to turn the tables. Not with only Pattern Genesis power backing it.
Although he did not know the source of Li Luo’s confidence, at least Lu Qing’er’s threat was one he could understand. She could ensure that no one of them got it.
That alone meant that they had to approach this situation cautiously.
Gu Ying was silent as well, frowning to herself.
Silence fell again, but this silence was fraught with tension and uncertainty.
Some of the weaker squads were looking belligerent. They knew that if Li Luo’s plan was accepted, they would be the first to lose out.
The b.a.s.t.a.r.d really knew how to stir up trouble.
The tense atmosphere dragged on.
Suddenly, someone could hold it back no longer, flying towards Lu Qing’er in an attempt to spring an unexpected kidnapping.
It caught them all by surprise, and many froze, unsure of what to do.
Li Luo stood there calmly, showing no signs of responding.
The would-be kidnapper was closing in on Lu Qing’er.
A wicked smirk on his face, he reached out with his hand.
BOOM!
A magma punch fell on his head from the sky, crus.h.i.+ng him into the ground.
His back arched backwards with a sickening crack, and he vomited fresh blood.
“ROAR!”
Zhao Ziyang’s foot was on the attacker’s head.
He looked up, flaming power cloaking his body.
“Sc.u.m, begone!” he growled, his voice radiating with power.
Many of the squads’ faces fell. They knew that Zhao Ziyang attacking meant that he had decided to back Li Luo’s plan.
Golden Dragon Qi was a tasty, tasty cake, and only four squads could get a slice.
If they wanted to be one of the privileged four… then they would have to see who could survive until the end.
Like a dam breaking, bursts of resonant power filled the air all of a sudden, and the squads duked it out in a royal rumble. The wolf pack was fighting among itself.