181: Chapter 181 Team Building for Ten Thousand People

Azure Alliance Headquarters.

On the dark-blue stone throne that originally belonged to the Alliance Leader, a burly man with hair as red as fire and a face that screamed "don't mess with me" sat sprawled arrogantly.

Luo Gao.

Meanwhile, the actual Alliance Leader, along with Situ Baichuan and the rest of the Azure Alliance's core members, were all standing stiffly below.

Luo Gao sat with his legs crossed, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the throne's armrest as he scanned the crowd below with a disdainful gaze.

"In this gods-forsaken place, you guys are the only faction left that's even worth looking at."

"Originally, I was in a good mood and planned to throw you a few bones, let you help me with some small errands. But you lot had to go and be difficult, making excuses and hesitating."

"What's the matter? Is the 'dog food' I'm offering not tasty enough?"

"You want to do this the hard way, then?"

"Now, you have two paths—"

He held up a finger as thick as a carrot.

"Tomorrow, take everyone you have and wipe out that newly emerged Returner Tribe for me."

Then he held up a second finger, his smile turning hideous.

"Or, right now, immediately, this very second, go head-to-head with us, 'Calamity'. Choose."

The moment the word 'Calamity' was uttered, the faces of every core member of the Azure Alliance turned three shades paler.

That was one of the truly top-tier powers in the Land of Beginning, notorious and feared. They were on a completely different level compared to a 'local bully' like them.

The veins on Situ Baichuan's forehead bulged, and his fists cracked as he took a step forward.

Damn it! Sitting in the boss's seat on my turf and still acting this arrogant?! You really think I'm that easily scared?!

The Alliance Leader was quick to react, grabbing Situ Baichuan's arm in a death grip and whispering urgently.

"Baichuan! Calm down! Don't be impulsive! We really can't afford to provoke these people!"

Situ Baichuan struggled but couldn't break free. Seeing the anxious look in the Alliance Leader's eyes, his chest heaved violently a few times before he finally gritted his teeth and forced down his burning rage.

Seeing that he had stabilized Situ Baichuan, the Alliance Leader took a deep breath, stepped forward half a pace, and lowered his posture significantly.

"May I ask, Lord Luo Gao, how that Tribe has offended you? We... we just want to know what we're dealing with."

Luo Gao glanced sideways at him and sneered, "You may not."

Short, blunt, and leaving no room for negotiation.

The Alliance Leader choked on his words, his expression becoming even more strained.

He understood. The other party didn't care to explain at all; they just wanted them to be cannon fodder, pawns to test the waters.

Now, the Azure Alliance was faced with a deadly multiple-choice question:

A. Follow Calamity's orders and go tomorrow to besiege the Tribe that supposedly has the 'Natural Disaster' Li sitting in its ranks.

B. Refuse Calamity and start a war now. Be immediately slaughtered by Calamity, resulting in the alliance's destruction.

It seemed like both options led to death.

The Alliance Leader struggled internally for two seconds.

Finally, under Luo Gao's increasingly impatient gaze, he swallowed hard and said:

"We will follow your arrangements, my lord."

"Alliance Leader!" Situ Baichuan couldn't help but growl.

The Alliance Leader whipped his head around, silencing him with a sharp glare. That look was filled with helplessness, warning, and a hint of pleading.

Situ Baichuan understood the look. His fists were clenched tight, but he eventually let go dejectedly and turned his head away.

"Very good. You know how to adapt to the situation." Luo Gao nodded with satisfaction, waving his hand as if shooing away flies.

"Then all of you get out. Don't be an eyesore here. I'm requisitioning this place. Wait for my notice tomorrow morning."

Kicking them out? And seizing the headquarters' main building?

Situ Baichuan was about to explode with rage.

Once they were outside and the night wind blew, Situ Baichuan felt the suffocating frustration ease slightly.

"Alliance Leader! Are we just going to take this?!" Situ Baichuan growled.

"What else can we do?" The Alliance Leader's face was also written with exhaustion and anger, but mostly helplessness.

"The squad sent by Calamity... their leader Luo Gao is at least Level 55 or higher, and none of the people he brought are below Level 50! What do we have to fight them with? Do we use our brothers' lives to fill the gap?"

"But..."

"No buts!" the Alliance Leader interrupted, his gaze turning sharp. "Baichuan, I know you're frustrated, and I don't feel good about it either! But right now, we can only go along with them! We'll play it by ear tomorrow."

Inside the hall, the area had been cleared.

One of Luo Gao's subordinates, a tall and thin man, leaned in and asked in a low voice:

"Boss, when do we make our move?"

Luo Gao stroked his chin, watching the direction where the Azure Alliance members had departed through the window, and gave a cold laugh.

"What's the rush? Let these people test the waters first."

"We'll move in once they're mostly dead. Let these cannon fodder find out how much of Li's strength has recovered."

He paused and added:

"Notify the brothers stationed on the perimeter to keep a tight watch on this area. Tomorrow, anyone who dares to desert will be executed on the spot."

"What I want is for these cannon fodder to provide their maximum 'value'."

"Yes, sir!"

...

Early morning.

When the first ray of pale morning light fell upon the messy carpet and the girls who had fallen into deep sleep in various difficult positions—

"Enemy attack! Everyone, prepare for battle!"

Qi Yun sprang up from the carpet as if he had springs in his legs. His roar was incredibly piercing, instantly waking the room full of "sleeping beauties."

"Mm... what's happening?"

"Is it light out already?"

"Qi Bao, let me sleep for five more minutes..."

"Enemy attack? Where? Where?"

The girls were bleary-eyed, rubbing their eyes and mumbling groggily.

Last night's labor had consumed a great deal of their mental and physical energy; right now was when they were sleeping the soundest.

But Qi Yun's grave expression and the faint energy fluctuations in the air caused them to snap awake.

"To the third-floor terrace! Fast!"

Qi Yun was the first to charge out.

The girls followed Qi Yun in a swarm up to the third-floor open-air terrace.

Then, they saw a sight that made everyone gasp and completely wake up—

At the edge of the jungle outside the outpost, and even on the distant hillsides...

It was a sea of black, densely packed, stretching as far as the eye could see.

It was all people!

They held a variety of weapons, and their bodies emitted energy fluctuations and killing intent of varying strengths.

By a rough estimate, there were at least ten thousand of them.

These people were like industrious ants, frantically attacking the translucent energy shield that enveloped the Returners' outpost.

This shield was one of the rewards obtained yesterday after the large-scale triggering of the "clan leaders blessing."

Boom! Bang! Swish—!

The sounds of various energy attacks, physical impacts, and arrows piercing the air mixed together. Although they were temporarily blocked by the shield,

the continuous onslaught still caused violent ripples to dance across the shield's surface, and several cracks had even appeared!

"I... holy crap!" Chen Xiaolin's eyes widened.

"What's the situation? A team-building event this early? And they specifically came to our front door?"

"So many people... I can finally slash to my heart's content?" Xia Jin licked her lips. There was no fear in her crimson eyes, only the flickering fire of eagerness.