Chapter 1245 – The Anxious Ma Rulong
Chapter 1245 - The Anxious Ma Rulong
Zhao Hai and the others stared, then they all cheered. Zhao Hai said, “Good, now that the transmission formation can be used, we can head back. But if we head back now, I’m afraid they wouldn’t calculate our scores. Let’s wait for a couple of hours before returning.” Xiong Li and the others nodded. They weren’t worried about returning. In any case, they weren’t in immediate danger. It would be no problem if they took a few hours before heading back.
Zhao Hai looked at everyone, then he smiled and said, “Alright, let’s go eat something. Let’s just leave everything else to the Undead.” Then he waved his hand and released some humanoid Undead. These Undead took on the task of cleaning up the bugs that were able to pass through the defense line. Meanwhile, Xiong Li and the others sat in the transmission formation and ate crabs while pouring each other drinks.
Now that the transmission formation has been activated, people from Base Number 5 could use it to enter the cave system and vice versa. But this was given that nobody was in the transmission formation. Since Zhao Hai and the others were sitting inside the transmission formation, then this was akin to the formation becoming useless.
But what Zhao Hai and the others didn’t think was that the transmission formation activated because Base Number 5 intentionally opened it. Zhao Hai and the others thought that they would be mocked by the Cultivators if they came out early. Therefore, they decided to wait a couple of hours before returning. However, this decision caused Ma Rulong to turn anxious.
Actually, the transmission formation has been activated ahead of time. This wasn’t only because they wanted the participants to head back, they also wanted to send reinforcements in.
The bases had already known about the bug tide that was happening. To ensure the safety of the competition’s participants, they decided to end the elimination round ahead of time then send support to get rid of the bugs. In fact, the moment the transmission formations were activated, the elimination round was over.
Zhao Hai and his brothers were completely oblivious to this. At the same time, since Laura and the others were monitoring the cave system, they didn’t have the time to care about what happened in the base. Therefore, nobody from their group knew that the elimination round was over, and that they were waiting for nothing.
On the other hand, Ma Rulong was too anxious that he looked like ants in a heated pan. The moment he discovered that a bug tide was ravaging through the cave systems, Ma Rulong knew that things weren’t doing so well. People would die from each realm, and the Machine Field might as well be annihilated, but it wouldn’t be a big deal since they were rookies. However, Ma Rulong was very worried about Zhao Hai.
Zhao Hai blocked Li Chuchen’s three swords, killed Gongsun Zheng, and even managed to demonstrate his strength against the silverback gold-winged bug. This caused Ma Rulong to expect Zhao Hai to bring great results. If Zhao Hai perished because of this bug tide, then the Machine Field would certainly make Ma Rulong answer for it.
Because of this, the moment the transmission formation was activated, he immediately thought of going through it to aid Zhao Hai. However, even if the formation has been activated, it couldn’t be used.
The transmission formation designed by the Cultivation Realm was very clever. It had a function where if someone was standing on either side of the formation, then neither side could be used. Naturally, it wasn’t just people, any living thing standing on it could trigger this function.
Of course, when the people from the Cultivation Realm set up this transmission formation, they also thought about the possibility that other living beings would render it useless. Therefore, when they were making the formation, a special material was added. The name of this material was repellent incense. This material was a kind of wood that emits an odor that was disliked by the bugs and other beasts. In this way, the Cultivators were able to make sure that bugs and other beasts won’t occupy the formation.
It was also because of this setup that when Zhao Hai and the others were entering the caves for the first time, the formation wasn’t blocked by the bugs and was just surrounded.
Originally, Ma Rulong thought that when the formation has been activated, they could immediately head in and use it. However, it seems like the formation cannot be used. This caused Ma Rulong to be confused. Could it be that someone was standing in the formation? Moreover, this person was alive. It should be said that if a deceased person was on top of the formation, the formation would still work.
Ma Rulong doesn’t know what was going on. Bugs don’t like being around the transmission formation. Dead people cannot block the formation. Therefore, there shouldn’t be any problems in using it. Since this is the case, then there’s only one reason. Living people are standing in the formation. But if living people were in the formation, then they should know that it has been activated. If so, then why didn’t they head back immediately when they saw the light?
Ma Rulong was burning with impatience. He was completely clueless about the state of Fabio Planet’s underworld. He was afraid that Zhao Hai and the others had been annihilated. Although he already had that idea before, Zhao Hai had given him hope. If people don’t expect anything, then they won’t be disappointed. However, if they were given hope, and that hope was broken, then their disappointment would be doubled. Ma Rulong was in this state.
While Ma Rulong was impatiently circling around the transmission formation, Zheng Li’s face was stuck on the formation. Zheng Li hasn’t been in Base Number 5 for a day or two, he had been here for several years. The battle with the silverback gold-winged bug was actually the most dangerous time he experienced here. If it weren’t for Zhao Hai, then even Zheng Li couldn’t guarantee the salvation of the base. Zheng Li wasn’t a person with no conscience, so he was also hoping for Zhao Hai’s good outcome.
However, he was left not knowing what to do at this time. The transmission formation wouldn’t function. He can only contact people from other places to see Base Number 5’s transmission formation underground. But Zheng Li knew that the success of this request was very unlikely. Now that a bug tide was happening underground, people already had their hands full. Fighting through the caves in order to reach Base Number 5’s formation was almost impossible.
Time passed by, and in a blink of an eye eight hours went past. Ma Rulong didn’t leave the transmission formation and continued to wait. And as time passed, the more and more convinced he was that the formation was faulty.
Then at this time, the transmission formation suddenly flashed. Ma Rulong and Zheng Li who had been waiting for a long time were stunned. Then they stared at the formation without blinking. This was a large formation that allowed the transfer of 300 people at a time. They wanted to see how many people would go through this formation.
When the light vanished, only a handful of people appeared on the platform. But upon seeing these people, Ma Rulong couldn’t help but laugh. And at the same time, Zheng Li relaxed. It was Zhao Hai’s group who appeared on the formation.
However, it didn’t take long before Ma Rulong gasped. This was because Zhao Hai and the others had flushed faces. It was as though they had been drinking. Ma Rulong quickly approached Zhao Hai and the others, followed by Zheng Li. When Zhao Hai and the others saw Ma Rulong, they immediately gave a salute.
Ma Rulong waved his hand, then he looked at Zhao Hai and said, “How come you’re only back now? Did the formation experience some problems?”
Zhao Hai couldn’t help but stare, then he said, “There’s nothing wrong about the formation. We saw the formation activate, but since the elimination round has a seven-day duration, we decided to wait the time out.”
Ma Rulong was shocked by this response, his head couldn’t help but turn dizzy. Then after some time he said, “You mean to say, you waited even though you saw the formation activate?”
Zhao Hai nodded and said, “If we returned before the proper time, then our points might not be calculated. Therefore, we waited in the formation before heading back.”
Ma Rulong looked at Zhao Hai blankly. But at this moment, Zheng Li opened his mouth and said, “Zhao Hai, did you meet the bug tide below?’
Zhao Hai nodded and said, “We did. We’re fighting them as we waited.”
As soon as he heard Zheng Li’s question, Zhao Hai knew that the people aboveground were already aware of the bug tide. This also explains why the transmission formation was activated in advance.
Hearing Zhao Hai’s reply, Ma Rulong sighed and said, “So the others weren’t able to hold on for long because they waited?”
Zhao Hai knew what Ma Rulong was talking about. He didn’t plan to hide anything so he shook his head and said, “That’s not it. The moment we arrived underground, we were suddenly assaulted by a horde of bugs. I fought my way out and then turned around to help them. However, who knew that Streep would claim that I had snatched their loot. He even allied with everyone and Li Chuchen to kill me. In the end, I had no choice but to kill them all. Team Leader, am I guilty of a crime?”
Ma Rulong and Zheng Li stared at Zhao Hai, then they looked at each other. Ma Rulong said, “You mean to tell me that besides your group, everyone else was killed by you? And Li Chuchen? Where’s Li Chuchen?”
Zhao Hai replied, “I killed him. Ever since I blocked his three swords, he has been holding a grudge against me. Before the elimination round began, he gave a piece of jade to Streep. So Streep delayed for time in order for Li Chuchen to arrive. Then they would kill me together. Unfortunately for them, they’re weaker than me. So I killed them.”
Zhao Hai’s tone made the event seem superficial, but Ma Rulong and Zheng Li were shocked by what he said. Li Chuchen was a pinnacle rookie of the Cultivation Realm. And now, Zhao Hai claimed to have killed him, and that he was weak.
Ma Rulong turned his head towards Xiong Li and the others. Then his gaze stopped at Lu Dingtian as he asked, “Lu Dingtian, is Zhao Hai telling the truth? Did he really kill Li Chuchen?”
Ma Rulong knew certain information about the participants, so he was very clear that even if Lu Dingtian was a man of few words, he was very honest and disliked lying. Therefore, Ma Rulong decided to ask Lu Dingtian.
Lu Dingtian just gave a nod and said, “Yes.” Nothing else. However, Ma Rulong knew from this response that Zhao Hai was indeed telling the truth.
Not only was Ma Rulong not angry, but instead he laughed and said, “That’s good. But Zhao Hai, how well did you do?”
This was what Ma Rulong cared the most. He already knew that the people from the other realms were receiving aid from their respective bases. However, this still meant that they had lost a lot due to the bug tide. Their results shouldn’t be that great. Even if you kill bugs, it still doesn’t guarantee that you would get their parts.
From Ma Rulong’s calculations, he reckons that the survivors this time only numbered about 300, probably less than that. This was the biggest loss that the World of Cultivation experienced in one instance.
Although the losses from this elimination round were large, Ma Rulong was still worried. From these 300 people, only 100 could proceed to the next segment of the competition. If Zhao Hai’s score was unsatisfactory, then his chance of entering the ranking tournament would be gone. Therefore, Ma Rulong was intent on knowing Zhao Hai’s result. He was afraid of Zhao Hai having less than the enough score needed.
Zhao Hai looked at Ma Rulong’s expression as he smiled and said, “Team Leader, rest assured. Entering the top 100 shouldn’t be an issue.” Hearing Zhao Hai, Ma Rulong let out a breath of relief. Then he turned to Xiong Li and the others and said, “How about the rest of you? It doesn’t matter if you don’t have great results, entering the top 300 of the competition is already a good achievement for the Machine Field.”
At this time, Zhao Hai chuckled and said, “Team Leader, you’re misunderstanding. I meant that all of us can reach top 100 no problem. Not just me.”
Ma Rulong stared, then his eyes widened as his gaze was frozen on Zhao Hai. It was only after Zheng Li coughed that Ma Rulong recovered. He looked at Zhao Hai and said, “Are you sure? All of you are really entering the top 100?”
Zhao Hai smiled faintly and said, “We should. We had a great harvest. We even managed to destroy an entire population of eight-legged bugs. Although we cannot take their nest back, all of its bugs have been killed by us. After dividing the spoils, it should be enough.”
Ma Rulong immediately asked, “How many eight-legged bugs are there inside one nest?”
Zhao Hai thought about it and said, “It should be in the tens of thousands. I can only remember that there were a lot.”
Ma Rulong let out a long breath as he nodded and said, “Alright. Then that’s good. Head back and take a rest first. Someone will come here in order to record your scores. Captain Zheng Li, I wonder if you can let us see the results of the other realms? This way, we can see an exact number for the bottom line.”
Actually, Ma Rulong already had a faint idea of the exact number. After all, the Machine Field had its own information network. But just to be sure, he wanted to see the figure that Zheng Li got. However, Ma Rulong already knew that as long as Zhao Hai and the others could present 10 thousand bugs each, then it’s certain that they would enter the top 100.
Naturally, Zheng Li wouldn’t decline. It was impossible for this matter to be hidden, so he nodded and said, “Alright, then everyone, please come with me.”