The barbarian Kaqi's words represented the sentiments of all the attackers. If they were to retreat shamefully because of Li Xi's single sentence, their reputations would be ruined, and they would lose all face in this circle. However, even in a chaotic battle involving thousands, it was still possible to sneak in and snatch a few more spoils. Anyway, they could just avoid Li Xi during the main engagement. Li Xi couldn't possibly go on a indiscriminate killing spree, regardless of friend or foe.
Li Xi wasn't angered by his challenge being rejected. Instead, he smiled, as his objective had been achieved. The previously chaotic battle had now clearly separated into two distinct groups.
"Since you've decided against a one-on-one, don't blame me for taking action against you."
Li Xi's benevolent smile sent a chill down the barbarian Kaqi's spine. How could Li Xi smile after they rejected his challenge? Shouldn't he be disappointed? He couldn't comprehend what Li Xi's smile meant in this situation.
But in the next moment, he understood.
As the attackers, as a group, were rejecting the one-on-one, over a dozen Li Xi clones suddenly appeared around them. The moment each clone materialized, they had already prepared themselves, slamming their hands onto the ground.
A familiar scene flooded everyone's minds. The last time Li Xi used this move was against the Base Subterranean Dragon Beast, which had been knocked unconscious by this very attack.
"It's over. He's not playing by the rules. He used the one-on-one to stall us, and then he secretly attacked. Shameless."
This was the barbarian Kaqi's thought. Li Xi, a person with such prestige and power, resorting to sneak attacks? His level of shamelessness surpassed theirs. How could they possibly fight back?
"Ninjutsu: Summoning Jutsu: Rashomon!"
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
Accompanied by the crisp sound of wind chimes, over a dozen thick, metallic demon-faced gates, thirty meters high, erupted from the ground, encircling most of the gathered attackers. Li Xi even sealed the gaps between the Rashomon gates with his Earth-Style Wall, completely cutting off any possibility of the attackers breaking through from the ground.
As the earth shook and the mountains trembled, all the attackers trapped in the middle looked up at the sky. The several-meter-thick metal gates were truly despair-inducing. This thickness far surpassed even the gates of Titans. In this situation, they all remembered Li Xi's exceptional skill in water magic.
Some attackers, unwilling to give up, crouched slightly and shot into the sky. Thirty meters was a height they could cross in mere moments. But the barbarian Kaqi didn't move. He knew that the moment they were surrounded, their fate was sealed. Struggling to break free was futile; it was better to wait and see.
"Water Style: Torrential Wave!" x10
Rushing torrents of water descended like the waters of the Milky Way. The attackers who had flown only a dozen meters into the air were instantly slammed back to the ground by tens of tons of water. Without any suspense, they were all driven back.
As the churning floodwaters reached him, the barbarian Kaqi's body was enveloped in a thick layer of battle qi, deflecting the water in front of him. The other professionals followed suit. The ground within the encirclement instantly became a beautiful display of colorful neon lights. These mere waters posed no threat to their safety.
But Li Xi's voice echoed from above again.
"Water Style: Water Shark Bomb!"
Over a thousand sharks, with grinning mouths filled with saw-like sharp teeth, charged towards the attackers below.
Li Xi: "Do you surrender?"
The trapped attackers roared in unison, "No!"
"Water Style: Water Shark Bomb!" x10
Over ten thousand sharks, each over three meters long, wagged their tails and charged downwards like arrows towards the attackers.
The last time Li Xi employed such a tactic was against vampires, where he had easily annihilated the vampire army of varying strengths. Now, facing over a thousand attackers, he hadn't even injured a single person, and the first wave of Water Shark Bomb sharks had been completely destroyed.
The strength of these attackers was undeniable, especially the high-level professionals represented by the barbarian Kaqi. Their battle qi steamed, creating water vortexes that churned the water. The sharks created by the Water Shark Bomb were pulverized into pieces by the rapidly churning water before they could even get close.
However, not all attackers possessed the strength of the barbarian Kaqi. Many of the third-level professionals who had come to pick up scraps, realizing they were no match for the second wave of over ten thousand sharks, treated their earlier righteous refusal of Li Xi like used toilet paper and threw it away. They shouted at Li Xi, "I surrender, I surrender! Please spare my life, Lord Li Xi!"
Li Xi naturally wouldn't trouble those who actively begged for mercy. "Good. You have good judgment. Swim up slowly. If you have any wicked intentions, I guarantee you won't see tomorrow's sun."
"Is there anyone else who wishes to surrender? No? Then I shall continue."
"Tricks of the trade. Is this all Lord Li Xi is capable of?" The fourth-level and above professionals had no problem dealing with Li Xi's combined ninjutsu and naturally dared to speak boastfully. Especially since Li Xi, a powerful expert, had resorted to sneak attacks. The awe that Li Xi had previously commanded in their hearts plummeted, much like seeing your goddess squatting to relieve herself.
"Fine, fine. Let's see who's tougher – your mouths or my methods."
"Water Style: Water Shark Bomb!"
"Water Style: Water Shark Bomb!"
.............
Li Xi repeatedly used this one ninjutsu. The sharks covered the water surface, the water column, and the depths, filling every available space. There were sharks everywhere—above, below, between their legs—almost greeting them face-to-face.
This guaranteed the attackers would have a satisfying battle. For every one they killed, another group would be waiting. Li Xi possessed the chakra of the Three-Tails Isobu, allowing for continuous ninjutsu attacks for three days and three nights.
The strategy was simple: "exhaustion." Li Xi was confident that these attackers could not outlast him for even an hour. No one's battle qi was infinite. They had already fought a major battle, and now their battle qi was only half-depleted.
On top of the Earth-Style Wall created by Li Xi, Princess Fimo and Adler appeared, watching Li Xi battle all the attackers below.
"Your Highness the Princess, look, look! See how powerful Li Xi is? Such potent magic that he can cast it continuously, unprecedented, rare, and utterly unreasonable. Now, the Magic Guild and the Magic Temple look at Li Xi like hungry wolves eyeing a tasty piece of meat, wishing they could recruit him and devour him whole."
"Whichever of these two powers manages to recruit Li Xi and uncover his secrets will gain an overwhelming advantage. This conflict between humans and gods, which has existed since the birth of magic, is likely to be decided."
The Princess, though not familiar with detailed professional skills, understood the "human-god conflict" Adler spoke of. This was a divergence in the mages' perception of magic. One side believed magic was a divine gift, and thus they bowed to the Goddess of Magic, seeking divine blessings. These individuals eventually formed the Magic Temple.
The other side believed magic was a natural law summarized by ancient sages, not a divine gift. Gods were merely more powerful spellcasters, and with diligent study, anyone could become a magic god. These individuals eventually formed the Magic Guild.
These two views represented fundamental differences in spellcasting philosophy, like parallel lines that could never intersect, an irreconcilable conflict. This was the root of the struggle between the Magic Guild and the Magic Temple.
Originally, the two forces were evenly matched. The Magic Temple had the Goddess of Magic, but the Magic Guild had floating islands—both considered strategic deterrents. Their numbers and overall strength were roughly equal, and they had fought for tens of thousands of years without a victor. Now, with Li Xi's appearance, there was an opportunity to break the balance. It wasn't just Li Xi's immense strength, but the rapid casting techniques he possessed that both sides desperately needed. Whichever side mastered them would ensure the annihilation of the other.
"We surrender, we surrender! We surrender!" Sultan Novel Network.
Another group of fourth-level professionals couldn't withstand Li Xi's repeated ninjutsu attacks. The sharks themselves weren't powerful, but they were endless, and escape was impossible. If this continued, once their battle qi was depleted, they would drown in the water. They also realized that Li Xi had no intention of killing them, so they simply surrendered.
As more and more attackers surrendered from underwater, the remaining ones dwindled. However, their reduced numbers did not signify weakness; on the contrary, the remaining individuals were powerful, like the barbarian Kaqi, against whom Li Xi's Water Shark Bomb had no effect.
"I'll say it one last time, surrender. You cannot defeat me. If you continue to fight, I will no longer go easy on you."
Among the remaining few, many looked at each other. Their original force of over a thousand had dwindled to less than thirty percent. The hope of defeating Li Xi was even slimmer. After a moment of hesitation,
"I surrender."
"I surrender too."
This was the greatest disadvantage of a ragtag group. If these individuals had been united, Li Xi would certainly not have dared to challenge them so boldly. However, Li Xi had correctly assessed their internal conflicts and disunity. After several displays of his power, coupled with his considerate offer of surrender without killing, these individuals began to harbor hopes of avoiding a death match with Li Xi.
As long as there was a glimmer of hope for survival, no one would foolishly seek out a fight with someone as unbeatable as Li Xi. Since no one else stepped forward, why continue fighting? This was the most common sentiment.
As the surrendering attackers slowly emerged, less than a hundred remained below. Li Xi looked at the barbarian Kaqi. Within this remaining group of less than a hundred, Kaqi was the linchpin. If he surrendered, the rest would follow. If he refused, they would not.
"What do you say?"
The barbarian Kaqi met Li Xi's gaze, his face filled with the resentment of a child who had been tricked out of a toy. "I'm not convinced. You attacked us by surprise. We had agreed not to duel, and then you suddenly attacked and trapped us."
Li Xi chuckled sheepishly, admitting to his slight guilt for the sneak attack. However, without it, he couldn't have dealt with them so quickly. Furthermore, in his career, how many battles had been straightforward confrontations? Most of the time, he relied on surprise attacks. Why act like a gentleman and throw down a gauntlet when a surprise attack could win? Warfare is the way of deception.
"If you're not convinced, we can still duel. I'll beat you until you are convinced."
The barbarian Kaqi shook his head. "Although I'm not convinced, I'm not stupid. I know I can't beat you, so why would I fight you?"
"Heh, just for that statement, I can let you go. But you cannot return during the mission period." Li Xi then addressed the attackers who had already surrendered below. "The same applies to you. I can let you go, but if any of you return during the mission period, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Those who had surrendered long ago had no desire to fight Li Xi and all promised,
"Lord Li Xi, don't worry, I guarantee I won't come back."
"We're the same."
"Only a fool would come back."
Li Xi's gaze returned to the barbarian Kaqi. "What about you?"
The barbarian Kaqi remained silent. He felt deeply wronged. He had put the most effort into this mission, yet he hadn't even reached the wall, and he had sustained the most injuries.
As everyone waited for the barbarian Kaqi's reply, someone from outside spoke for him. "Alright, I represent them in surrendering. I guarantee they will not return during the mission period."
Everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice. A golden-haired giant was rubbing his head, where a clear fist imprint had not yet faded. It turned out Adrian had awakened at some point. As expected of a seven-star peak Twin-Headed Golden Dragon, he had taken two punches from the Five-Gate Lotus Combo and was now unharmed and fully recovered.
Adrian smiled at Li Xi, completely devoid of the fierce demeanor from their life-or-death duel moments ago. He said jokingly, "Those two punches of yours were really powerful. In all my years, I've never taken such a hard hit. You're a truly formidable opponent."
"Do you want to fight again?"
"No, a loss is a loss. These people were brought by me, so I will take them back." Adrian waved his hand towards all the attackers. "My subordinates, we've lost, so we must accept it. I'm going back to sleep now. Those who want to leave, come with me. Those who want to stay, I won't stop them."
Adrian, a seven-star peak Golden Dragon, knew he was defeated and decided to leave. How could anyone else stay? Moreover, Li Xi had truly defeated all of them single-handedly, even if his methods weren't entirely honorable. Now, staying meant waiting for death.
The attackers, in twos and threes, gathered behind Adrian. Li Xi dispelled all his ninjutsu, allowing the barbarian Kaqi and others, who had suffered greatly from the water ninjutsu, to emerge.
Though these individuals were only tough in their words, they were deeply impressed by Li Xi's character of letting them go when he said he would. They were all wanted in the mercenary hall, each a bounty, each a mission level. If captured, Li Xi could reach S-rank within a day. Li Xi letting them go today showed he was truly a model mercenary, with such broadmindedness, he would surely achieve greatness in the future.
To have fought a battle against someone destined for greatness, before reaching a level where they could admire him, was also an honorable occasion.
Adrian turned to leave, but hesitated and casually took out a token from his spatial ring, shooting it towards Li Xi. Li Xi caught it with one hand.
"This is our proof of identity. If you ever need us, you are always welcome. The missions here are different from those in the mercenary guild. I believe you will be interested."
"Alright, if I need to, I will come."
Li Xi was becoming somewhat numb to receiving tokens wherever he went. Despite having so many, he hadn't used a single one yet.