Chapter 1205-1208
Chapter 1205 – Demonstration of Authority
While Zhao Hai and the others were speaking, they suddenly heard someone's shout outside, "Machine Field thieves, come out here!"
Zhao Hai and the others were stunned. The loud voice had a hint of imposing aura in it, obviously coming from an expert. The expression on everyone's faces changed. Then they stood up and went to the front courtyard.
When a team leader saw Zhao Hai's movement, he immediately said, "Don't move, you don't have any business with this. Be good and just stay put." The team leader didn't go to the front courtyard and just looked at Zhao Hai and the others.
Upon seeing this person, Zhao Hai and the others paused. And since this was the rule, they just sat back down.
At this time, Ma Rulong's voice was heard, "Who's yelling here? Don't you know that this is the Machine Field's courtyard?"
The person outside loudly replied, "Is the Machine Field that prestigious? You actually dared to kill someone from the Seamount Faction for no reason? Come out here and give me an explanation."
"Hahaha. Who does the Seamount Faction think they are? You're not worth explaining to. This grandpa can kill whoever he wants!" Domineering, too domineering. As soon as Zhao Hai and the others heard Ma Rulong say this, they knew that a fight would happen soon. The other side needed to save their face.
Zhao Hai quickly released his spiritual force and before long his expression changed. He discovered that the courtyard has actually been surrounded. Zhao Hai turned his head to look at the team leaders whose expressions were the same. Naturally they also discovered the issue.
Zhao Hai turned his head to Xiong Li and the others and said, "Boss Xiong, get ready. Those people from the Seamount Faction has us surrounded. It seems like they that young man earlier wasn't really the end. They're going to attack us." As soon as they heard Zhao Hai, Xiong Li and the other's faces changed. But since they had considered this possibility, they nodded before they took their weapons out.
Sure enough, just as they were armed, the person outside shouted, "Good Machine Field, Good. But this isn't your realm. You can't just kill anyone in the Cultivation Realm. Everyone, I want these people from the Machine Field to know that we cannot be bullied. Attack them! Make sure that not even chickens or dogs survive." Just as the man's voice fell, a war cry was heard all around the courtyard. Then soon after that, the attackers began flooding in.
When the team leaders saw this, they knew that the situation wasn't good. The other side was really prepared for this attack. It didn't take long before the team leaders began to fight back.
When Zhao Hai saw the situation, he coldly snorted and then waved his hand. Liquid Silver appeared and then a 100-layer formation materialized. The formation turned into over ten thousand golden red arrows and then shot towards the attackers.
This move was the Ten thousand fiery arrows, however, this was different to Zhao Hai's usual 100-layer formation spell. This specific one had more arrows and held more power.
The attackers didn't expect to meet a rain of arrows just after entering the courtyard. They were immediately caught off-guard. The explosion caused by Zhao Hai's ten thousand arrows quickly injured several people on the spot.
At this time, the other people in the courtyard responded. They were all skilled and experienced people, so their combat sense was very rich. Since people came to cause trouble, then they would have to be impolite. It didn't take long before various attacks flew towards every direction.
Zhao Hai's group of five composed one team as they attacked the enemies together. Once the exchange began, Zhao Hai and the others found out that their enemies weren't weak. And most of the attackers were a bit stronger than them.
At this time, Ma Rulong moved to the front and then attacked their uninvited visitors. Explosions were soon heard, officially starting the clash between the two sides.
Zhao Hai looked around and found out the possibility that these attackers weren't all from the Seamount Faction. There must be other people joining in. It was impossible for the Seamount Faction to have this much experts.
Although Ma Rulong's previous behavior looked crude, Zhao Hai believed that the man wasn't stupid. If the Seamount Faction was a huge sect, then Ma Rulong should have endured. However, he didn't, which explains the strength of the faction.
But now, it seems like the Seamount Faction was itself being incited by another group. It might be everyone in this place planning to use this ruse to demonstrate their authority.
As Zhao Hai continued to observe, he discovered that Ma Rulong and the others had been tied down. Meanwhile, the people that Zhao Hai and the others were fighting seems to be holding back. Otherwise, the casualties here should be very huge. Instead, the Machine Field group had yet to suffer some losses.
Once he saw this, Zhao Hai was certain that the Seamount Faction had been incited by someone. However, it seems like they cannot act too excessively. They just want the Machine Field's people to know their place. Besides this, it was possible that they were also here to probe the Machine Field's participants.
After having thought through this point, Zhao Hai felt relieved. If they wanted to probe, then let them probe. Zhao Hai dealt with every attack coming his way, but he didn't kill anyone. He understood that once he got ruthless, then the other party might return the gesture. This means that the Machine Field would suffer losses even after the competition began.
And just like what Zhao Hai thought, after the two groups clashed for about an hour, someone arrived. A long howl was first heard before a voice said, "Stop, everyone. Friend, this one is a member of the Six Realm Beginner Competition's preparation committee, Fan Yi. Is this the residence of the Machine Field's representatives?"
Ma Rulong knew that more trouble would come if this continued on, so he didn't make another move as he replied, "This one is Ma Rulong, I lead the participants from the Machine Field."
When Fan Yi heard Ma Rulong he quickly said, "So it is Master Skybreaker Blade Ma Rulong. This one has been disrespectful. People from the Seamount Faction, stop immediately. We're all friends here."
At this time, the person leading the attackers opened his mouth and said, "Brothers, stop."
The people from the Seamount Faction also stopped. As for the team leaders, they proceeded to stop the participants from attacking. After that, they went to where Ma Rulong was in order to discuss something in secret.
Zhao Hai and the others went back to the ground. They looked all around them and saw that the fight destroyed the courtyard. Fortunately, the damage wasn't that severe. Moreover, there weren't many casualties, only very few participants died. There were also many people who were injured, but they wouldn't be dying from their wounds.
After looking around him, Xiong Li coldly snorted and said, "Good, Seamount Faction, good. I will not forget this. Just wait and see."
Zhao Hai smiled faintly and said, "The actions of the Seamount Faction seems to be directed by someone. They came here to show their power and also probe our bottom line. Hehe, that person from the preparation committee came at a very good time. I think he's just waiting, only coming out when it is time."
Xiong Li and the others thought about it and immediately understood what Zhao Hai was saying. Their expressions turned difficult. Dongfang Yu coldly snorted and said, "Shameless. I didn't expect the Cultivation Realm's people to resort to these methods. Too shameless."
Li Kuangren huffed angrily, but he didn't rush out in order to fight the Seamount Faction. At this time, Zhao Hai opened his mouth and said, "It looks like the Cultivators had found out that we're quite strong. Therefore, they came here to see how strong we really were. Hmph. If they want to probe, then let them probe. When the competition begins, I'll clean them up properly."
Xiong Li and the others bitterly smiled. Of those present here, it seems like only Zhao Hai could say those words. During the earlier fight, all of them were exerting great effort to fend off the enemy. On the other hand, Zhao Hai accomplished this task with ease. They were once again reminded about their strength gap with Zhao Hai.
Although the fight was over, many people were still very alert and were prepared to fight against the Seamount Faction once more. Meanwhile, Zhao Hai and the others returned to their stone table. Zhao Hai took out some wine and food as the group proceeded to drink and eat.
Zhao Hai's actions caused everyone in the courtyard to stare. Not only the participants, but even the team leaders were shocked. They didn't expect Zhao Hai and the others to be this nonchalant about the current situation.
And just like what Zhao Hai thought, everything was just an act. Both sides wouldn't dare to go all out. The Seamount Faction withdrew their troops while Ma Rulong and his group sent for people to repair the courtyard. Nothing noteworthy happened after that.
When Zhao Hai entered the Space that evening, Laura and the others immediately led him to the living room and showed him the video of Ma Rulong and Fan Yi's conversation. There was nothing special about the recording, just Fan Yi being an ordinary peacemaker. He mediated for both sides and urged them to let matters go.
Although Ma Rulong knew what was exactly going on, the only thing he could do at this time was to swallow his anger. After everyone left, Ma Rulong smashed the table as he said to the Mage next to him, "Every time the Six Realm Beginner Competition happens, those bastards always come causing trouble. Aren't they tired of using the same tricks? Damn, they are really looking down on us."
The Mage beside him bitterly smiled and said, "Those Cultivators are used to being arrogant. They would never change their methods. To be honest, it's good for us if they repeat this trick every time. This way they wouldn't come here and give us a direct challenge."
Ma Rulong coldly snorted, then he calmed down and said, "The participants of the Machine Field this time is the strongest we've had. There must be no incidents. Especially Zhao Hai, you need to make sure that he's safe at all times."
The Mage nodded, but then he said, "Or make sure that Zhao Hai doesn't leave the courtyard. Just let him practice here."
Ma Rulong shook his head and said, "No need, just send for people to protect him in secret. It wouldn't be good if we restrict him. Think about what others would say if we did that, not to say Zhao Hai's own thoughts. Zhao Hai's strength is good, he will certainly get a good ranking in the competition. The Machine Field relies on him to get good resources."
The Mage nodded and said, "Alright, but what about Streep and the others? Should we send people to protect them as well?"
Ma Rulong shook his head and said, "Streep's strength can't reach even half of Zhao Hai. I don't know if it's me going crazy, but I feel that Zhao Hai isn't any weaker than me. We need to protect him."
The Mage was startled, "Are you sure? Is Zhao Hai that strong?"
Ma Rulong sighed, "Let's just hope I'm right. If he's really that strong, then he would be a blessing for the Machine Field!"
Chapter 1206 – Asking a Favor
Zhao Hai didn't really expect Ma Rulong to have this high of an appraisal for him. He couldn't help but smile bitterly. It seems like the Machine Field is truly placing their hopes on him. They wouldn't have done this if Zhao Hai didn't have any real skills.
Laura and the others looked at Zhao Hai and quickly knew what he was thinking. Laura smiled and said, "Brother Hai, it seems like you're being treated as a precious gem by the Machine Field."
Zhao Hai smiled bitterly and said, "The more they do that, the more in danger I will be. It seems like I'll be in for quite some trouble. However, I must say, this place is really good for cultivation. The energy here is very abundant, much more than in the Machine Field."
Margaret nodded, "I heard that the Cultivation Realm has a lot of spirit veins. Places with spirit veins have more abundant spiritual qi, sometimes a hundred times more than other places. If you can cultivate there, then you'll be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort."
Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Rest assured, we'll have an opportunity later on. I believe that there are other places other than the Cultivation Realm that has spirit veins. We just don't know where these veins are in the Machine Field."
Margaret forced a smile and said, "The Machine Field has some spirit veins. However, they are very scarce. I'm afraid the amount can be counted using one hand. Moreover, the density in those veins fall short compared to veins found in the Cultivation Realm. If not for this, then the Cultivators would have already taken it from us. We will never be able to enjoy such luxury."
Zhao Hai couldn't help but bitterly smile. After learning about the Machine Field's situation, he couldn't help but recognize how much worse it was compared to the Cultivation Realm. In the Cultivation Realm, the strength of each major sect wasn't any weaker than the entirety of the Machine Field. For those in the Cultivation Realm, the Machine Field was a huge wasteland, a useless place. But even if the Machine Field was quite weak, once it retaliated, then it would bring forth heavy losses to the Cultivators. Because of this, nobody took control of the Machine Field.
If the Cultivation Realm really decided to end the Machine Field, then the Machine Field would have been destroyed 800 times over.
The Machine Field's strength was equal to a sect in the Cultivation Realm. Yes, the Machine Field controls a bigger territory than the Cultivation Realm's sects, but its territory had nothing of significant value.
After he thought of this, Zhao Hai couldn't help but knit his brows. Then he turned his head to Margaret and said, "If, say, I win first place and get a large number of resource planets. Then wouldn't the Cultivation Realm go to war with the Machine Field? If this really happens, and the Cultivation Realm and the Machine Field goes to war, then we might be bringing a calamity instead of a gift."
As soon as they heard Zhao Hai, Margaret and the others immediately frowned. Their expressions turned difficult. They haven't thought of this before. Now that Zhao Hai pointed it out, they couldn't help but feel that there was a possibility of this happening.
Margaret turned anxious as he said, "Then what do we do? Brother Hai, will the Cultivation Realm really attack us?"
Zhao Hai smiled bitterly, then he patted Margaret's hand and said, "Alright, thinking about this at this time is useless. And even if this is the case, we wouldn't have any ability to change anything. Then only thing we can do is take one step at a time."
Margaret and the others nodded. Although their moods had turned heavy, it was just like what Zhao Hai said, they needed to do what they can. Currently, they don't have any ability to change anything. The Machine Field wouldn't listen to anything they say.
The group turned silent for some time before Margaret said, "Brother Hai, I want to ask for a favor."
Zhao Hai stared, he looked at Margaret in confusion as he asked, "What's the problem? Do you really need to ask?"
Margaret didn't smile and instead turned serious as she said, "Brother Hai, if the day comes where the Cultivation Realm really eliminates the Machine Field, then I hope that you can move the Ashley Family to the Space and give them their own background to settle in."
When Zhao Hai heard this, he couldn't help but frown. To be honest, this request made him feel awkward.
The Space was Zhao Hai's biggest secret. Upon arriving at the World of Cultivation, Zhao Hai's main goal was to keep the Space as secret as possible. But if he made the Ashley Family enter the Space, then this secret would be discovered. Who knows what would happen then.
Margaret waited for Zhao Hai's response. She was also aware about how important the Space was for Zhao Hai. The Space was truly strange. It allowed Zhao Hai to develop his strength bit by bit. But if others were to know about it, then it would be troublesome for Zhao Hai. This would make it very difficult for him to gain a foothold in the World of Cultivation.
Margaret was afraid that Zhao Hai would decline. However, she didn't force him. So she just sat there silently as her eyes began to tear up. Laura and the others looked at Zhao Hai and knew that he was currently feeling embarrassed. Actually, they didn't want Zhao Hai to let the Ashley Family in. But everything depended on Zhao Hai in the end. So all of them were waiting for him to respond.
Zhao Hai looked at everyone before he turned to Margaret who was tearing up and then said, "Margaret, I can only promise to help the Ashley Family as much as I could. However, I cannot let them know that the Space exists."
When Margaret heard Zhao Hai, her face lit up, then she immediately said, "Alright. Brother Hai, rest assured, I won't reveal anything. When the time comes, I'll tell them that you want to relocate to another planet. Is that ok?"
Zhao Hai nodded, then he turned to Laura and said, "Laura, in the next few days, take note of any special planets in the Machine Field, especially around Rainbow Meteorite Field and the Quicksand Starfield. Even if their environment is bad, we can just terraform it later on. We'll make a base of operations there. This way, we can guarantee that the Space's existence wouldn't be leaked."
When Laura and the others heard Zhao Hai, they paused for a moment before immediately agreeing. A flash of delight was seeing in their eyes, as though they had just found something amusing to do. Upon seeing this, Zhao Hai could only force a smile.
Meanwhile, Margaret's heart was moved. She didn't expect Zhao Hai to actually help her. Actually, looking for a planet suitable for a base wasn't an easy thing to do.
The next morning, Zhao Hai went out of the Space and returned to his room. It must be said that his room was very neat. It was enough for a single person to live with and not something made for multiple people. It was very cozy.
When Zhao Hai came out, he discovered that Xiong Li and the others were already sitting in the stone bench and chatting. Zhao Hai walked over and said, "Brothers, you're up early."
Xiong Li smiled and said, "We just got up. Little Hai, we're planning to head out to explore, how about we go together? We can find a place to drink along the way."
At this moment, Sun Fei chuckled as he said, "Boss Xiong, it seems like you don't know much about the Cultivation Realm. If we talk about shops, then they have a lot. But as for restaurants, there's actually very few of them around."
Xiong Li asked, "Why is that?"
Sun Fei smiled and said, "People in the Cultivation Realm believe that consuming food produces impurities and isn't helpful in cultivation. Therefore, a lot of people don't eat food. Instead, they eat something called a fasting pill. This pill is very interesting. It allows you to not eat for several days. Naturally, this thing is flavorless and is just like any other pill. Since people from the Cultivation Realm liked to use these fasting pills, restaurants became rare. Especially in a big city like this. Only places where commoners live can we find restaurants. However, the Cultivation Realm has a rule that forbids commoners from living inside big cities. Because of this, it would be very difficult for us to find somewhere to drink in this city."
Upon hearing Sun Fei, Xiong Li couldn't help but stare. Then he angrily responded, "Your mother. What kind of rule is that? If they don't like to eat and drink, then what is there to enjoy in life? The people in the Cultivation Realm are really weird."
Li Kuangren laughed and said, "Boss Xiong, those who desire immortality will no longer drink. They also couldn’t eat large amounts of meat. Living like that is more painful than death. Such people will suffer for tens of thousands of years. Even if I have only ten years left to live, I would still be happier than them."
Xiong Li and the others laughed. Zhao Hai smiled and said, "Alright, let's head out and explore. However, we need to be careful. We're currently inside the territory of the Cultivators. If those Cultivators wants to deal with us, then they would have a lot of methods to do it with. We need to endure, endure. Let's just wait for an opportunity later on."
Dongfang Yu nodded, then he sighed and said, "I just have to say, the Ascenders in the Cultivation Realm are just the same as us when they arrived here. But in the Cultivation Realm, the cultivation methods they use are much better than ours. This allowed them to be stronger. If we learn the same methods as them, I reckon we'll be able to face them on equal grounds."
When Zhao Hai looked at Xiong Li and the others, he saw them nodding in agreement. He couldn't help but smile faintly before he leaned his head forward and then whispered, "Actually, if you want to practice cultivation methods, there's a way to do that. In fact, right now is the best opportunity to do so."
Upon hearing Zhao Hai, Xiong Li and the others stared. Then their eyes shone as they moved their heads in as well. After that, Sun Fei asked in a hushed tone, "Big Brother Hai, what do you mean?"
Zhao Hai replied, "Don't forget, the beginning stage of the Six Realm Beginner Competition is an elimination round. In this round, we can kill anyone we want. Some Cultivators will certainly bring their cultivation methods along with them. As long as we kill a few of them and grab their cultivation methods, then wouldn't we be able to practice?"
Upon hearing what Zhao Hai said, everyone nodded. But then Xiong Li said, "That's a good plan if it succeeds. But Little Hai, you need to think more into it. It's useless. Those Cultivators have storage belts on their bodies. Moreover, their cultivation methods are inscribed inside jade slips with spiritual restrictions. If we aren't masters in using spiritual force, then that jade slip will shatter. If what you said is that simple, then the Machine Field would have already been practicing cultivation methods."
Dongfang Yu and the others heard this and nodded. Zhao Hai smiled faintly and said, "Naturally, I have a solution for this. Brothers, don't worry about it. As long as we get a cultivation method, I'll make sure that we can practice it. What do you think?"
When they heard Zhao Hai, the others couldn't help but feel excited. Dongfang Yu immediately replied, "Are you telling the truth? Little Hai, you must know that the Cultivation Realm's spiritual restrictions aren't easily broken through. You might even injure yourself."
Zhao Hai smiled faintly and said, "Brothers, don't worry, I can do it. Because of this, we need to kill as many Cultivators as possible in this elimination round. As long as we get their cultivation methods, then we can begin our practice."
Everyone's eyes shone. They saw the power of the Cultivators, but they don't think that they were any worse than those people. Those cultivators had also ascended in the last five years. Thinking that those cultivators would be used as stepping stones for their future, Xiong Li and the others couldn't help but feel excited.
Hearing that there was a possibility for them to practice the Cultivation Realm's methods, Dongfang Yu and the others felt energized. They believed that they weren't any different in calibre compared to the Cultivation Realm's ascenders.
Zhao Hai looked at his brothers and then said, "Actually, the Machine Field's method is also very good. However, the Machine Field focused on mechs and battleships. Because of this, research towards magic formations as well as training Mages and Warriors weren't given priority."
Sun Fei looked puzzled at Zhao Hai, he asked, "Brother Hai, are you sure? Can the Machine Field's methods really compete against the Cultivation Realm's methods?"
Zhao Hai nodded, "Of course it can. Didn't I just block Li Chuchen's three swords? Little Fei, don't you wonder why the formations I use are much better than ordinary formations?"
Sun Fei nodded and said, "Of course I wonder. Your 5-layer formations seem to be stronger than most 10-layer formations."
Zhao Hai smiled faintly and said, "There's actually a reason for that. First, I have very strong spiritual force. Spiritual force is the foundation of a Mage. If you have strong spiritual force, then your formations would be stronger as well. The second reason is the formation set that I use. The formation sets I use are mostly my own creations. These formation sets don't only contain offensive and defensive formations, I also put in supporting formations that are usually used in mechs and battleships. A lot of people think that mixing supporting formations to formation sets would cause that formation set to become weaker. In fact, this isn't the case. If you can use supporting formations the right way, you could vastly improve your formation set."
Upon hearing Zhao Hai, everyone's minds turned blank, especially Sun Fei. His face was looking at Zhao Hai in disbelief. He couldn't wrap his head around what Zhao Hai just said.
Chapter 1207 – Not Today
Sun Fei looked at Zhao Hai with his mouth open, he couldn't say a word. It took a while before Sun Fei was able to return to clarity. He suddenly exclaimed out loud as he stood up. His two eyes were completely fixed on Zhao Hai. His mouth was moving up and down, mumblin incomprehensible sounds.
Dongfang Yu, who was sitting besides Sun Fei, patted him on the shoulder and then led him back down to take a seat. Then he said, "Little Fei, calm down. Little Hai told you this because he wanted to teach you. But don't tell it to other people, or else Little Hai will be in trouble."
Upon hearing Dongfang Yu, Sun Fei completely recovered. He let out a long breath, then he looked at Zhao Hai as he nodded and said, "Rest assured, Brother Hai, I will not tell anyone, even the people from the temple."
Zhao Hai smiled faintly as he patted Sun Fei on the shoulder. Then he said, "It's no big deal. In fact, I would announce this discovery sooner or later. This is a huge benefit to the Machine Field's Mages and Warriors. Presently, there are a lot of magic formations in the Machine Field. If we add them all up, nobody would be able to count them. This caused a problem where we don't know which formation is compatible with which. And if we add supporting formations to the mix, then things would become more confusing."
Everyone nodded. Even a Warrior like Xiong Li agreed. In the Machine Field, whether they be Warriors or Mages, they would have some understanding regarding magic formations. After all, the Machine Field relied on formations to support their way of life. It didn't matter if it was a mech or a battleship, or it was an electric lamp or a computer, all of these things had magic formations inscribed in them. It would be very difficult if one doesn't know anything about magic formations.
Zhao Hai then said, "Other than me, the only other person that is well-versed in magic formations in Little Fei. Since Little Fei is a fire Mage, I will use a normal 5-layer fire shield. Little Fei, take a look and find out what's different about my formation." After he said that, Zhao Hai waved his hand and a 5-layer formation appeared in front of him. And when it appeared, it didn't absorb any fire element in the surroundings, causing the formation to look like a child's toy.
Sun Fei was called Fire Saint because of his deep understanding with regards to fire element formations. So there was no need to wonder about his mastery about the 5-layer formation fire shield. Because of this, Zhao Hai showed him this basic magic formation to let him see what's special about it.
A level 1 fire shield consists of five magic formations; a solidifying formation, a spirit formation, a fire element formation, a reinforcement formation, and a directional formation. The solidifying formation would be next to the reinforcement formation. The first formation would fix the formation into a shield shape while the latter would strengthen its form, making it stronger and defensively better. Meanwhile, the spirit formation had the most important function, which was to connect and help the formation in absorbing the surrounding spiritual qi, allowing the formation to truly materialize. As for the fire element formation, it was there to provide the elemental aspect of the formation.
Naturally, if the fire element formation was changed to say, a water element formation, then the formation would become a water shield. But if this part of the formation was swapped, the formation set wouldn't be able to be used by fire element mages.
The directional formation had a simpler function. It didn't facilitate in the energy consumption of the formation nor did it assist in the elemental aspect. Instead, it allowed the shield to be moved around. Otherwise, the fire shield would just stay in place.
However, Zhao Hai's fire shield was somewhat different. It still had the same four formations; the solidifying formation, the spirit formation, the fire element formation, and the directional formation. What it didn't have was the reinforcement formation. Instead, what Zhao Hai had was a formation that Sun Fei didn’t recognize.
Zhao Hai pointed at the new magic formation and said, "This magic formation isn't something that is used by Mages. Instead, it is often seen on defensive formations in battleships. This formation is called the shipscale formation, since this formation can be seen outside the ships and looks like the scales of a fish. It's main function is to increase the defensive capability of a battleship. This formation is much better compared to the reinforcement formation. It can increase defense by about three points."
Upon hearing Zhao Hai, Sun Fei couldn't help but stare. Three point increase in defense? What kind of logic is that? This was almost equivalent to a 7-layer formation set. However, 7-layer formation sets demand more spiritual force from a Mage. Increasing defense while still keeping the spiritual force requirement the same was a godsend to Mages.
Zhao Hai waved his hand and the fire shield immediately started the attract the energy around it. But since Zhao Hai was just demonstrating, the shield was very small, only about the size of his palm.
It was at this time that Sun Fei saw the clear difference in Zhao Hai's fire shield. Ordinary fire shields used fire to cause an imposing image. However, Sun Fei and other Mages knew that these flames were the exact weakness of the formation.
The burning of these flames dispersed the energy of the formation and thus preventing it from achieving the best defensive effect. Zhao Hai's shield looked very defensive, but not as imposing.
Zhao Hai's fire shield just lit up with red light and didn't emit any flame. This meant that it used most if not all of its energy in defense. This caused the formation to be more defensively effective.
Zhao Hai waved his hand once more as the shield disappeared. Then he said, "A lot of new formations had appeared in the past few years. The reason why people thought that supporting formations couldn't be used alongside offensive and defensive formations was because past tests showed them that adding supporting formations reduces the power of formation sets. But after so many years of development, whether it be offensive, defensive, or supporting formations, there are now a lot more of them in existence. Take this shipscale formation as an example. It has only been developed in recent years and it is now starting to replace commonly used formations and is even being used by mechs. I believe it's time for us to revisit the idea of adding supporting formations to our formation sets. This will certainly give us great benefits in the future."
Sun Fei vigorously nodded, his expression showed that he was moved by Zhao Hai's words. Then he looked at Zhao Hai and said, "Big Brother Hai, please give me that formation. I want to study it."
Zhao Hai smiled faintly and said, "Alright, I'll give it to you. But not now, it's already late. We still have to go out and play, right Boss Xiong?"
Xiong Li shook his head and said, "Let's not head out today. Little Hai, I'm more curious about your magic formations. How long has it been since you ascended? How could you know more than Little Fei?"
Zhao Hai had already thought the answer for this, so when he heard Xiong Li he smiled and said, "You might not know, but back in the lower realms, I was already researching magic formations. However, the research of magic formations in the lower realms isn't as comprehensive as the Machine Field. So after arriving at the Machine Field and learning about magic runes, my magic formation research leveled up."
Xiong Li nodded, then he looked around them and then said, "Let's head indoors. We won't be heading out today. Little Hai, let's talk more about your magic formations. Have you researched about magic formations in weapons?"
Upon hearing Xiong Li, Zhao Hai knew where the conversation was heading towards, he nodded and said, "I have, as long as it's about magic formations, I've researched it. Boss Xiong, your two sledgehammers have about 70 formations inside them, yes?"
Xiong Li was shocked when he heard Zhao Hai, he immediately replied, "Correct, fantastic. I didn't expect your research to reach this point. Let's go inside and talk more about these formations. It would be great if you could improve our weapons."
Zhao Hai gave a slight nod. For Xiong Li and the others, weapon magic formations are very handy. Like in mechs and battleships, these formations were mostly comprised of supporting formations. The formations inside Warrior weapons all had something to do with offense. The most important role of these formations was to amplify the attacks made by their users.
Because of Zhao Hai's relationship with Liquid Silver, he was able to conduct research on formations used in weapons. And with Karen and the others as well as the Universal Scanner, Zhao Hai's understanding of weapon magic formations wasn't any less than his knowledge about formation sets. Therefore, he was happy to help Xiong Li and the others.
Once everyone had entered Xiong Li's room, Xiong Li immediately took his chained sledgehammers out and then placed it on the ground before saying, "Little Hai, take a look."
Zhao Hai nodded, then he squatted and inspected Xiong Li's hammers. The workmanship of the hammer was very good. The materials used in making it was also well selected. Zhao Hai could see in these hammers how much the Wu Family cares about Xiong Li. He used his spiritual force to inspect the hammers and saw the formations carved inside. These Formations were small and mithril was used as a conductor for spiritual qi. If others inspected Xiong Li's hammers, then they might think that it was a perfect product. However, in Zhao Hai's eyes, there were some flaws here and there, ranging from the arrangement of formations to the actual formations used.
Xiong Li and the others were anxiously looking at Zhao Hai. After some time, Zhao Hai got up and then said, "Boss Xiong, the materials used for your hammers are very good, everything is high-grade. Moreover, the way it was forged was skillfully done. However, there is still room for improvement. I can't do it here. But after we return to the Machine Field, if you trust me, I can help you refine your hammers. I believe that after we are done, your offensive strength would increase from three to five points."[1]
Upon hearing Zhao Hai, everyone took in a breath of cold air. Increasing offensive strength by three to five points? Wasn't that an increase of 50%? This figure was too astonishing.
Xiong Li looked at Zhao Hai and said, "Little Hai, are you sure? Do you want me to ask the family to give you the blueprint of the weapon?"
- I really don't know what these 'points' are.
Chapter 1208 – Secret of the Axe
Zhao Hai smiled faintly, then he shook his head and said, "It's useless. I probably already know about the magic formations in your hammer. If others see them, then they may think that there's nothing wrong. However, I can guarantee that my formation sets would definitely perform better. And Boss Xiong, sorry for this, but your hammer isn't allowing you to exert all your power."
Xiong Li nodded and said, "That's true. My strength has improved a bit, so this hammer is no longer suitable for me. The family is making me a new one, but it isn't ready yet."
Zhao Hai nodded, "That's good. After we return to the Machine Field, I will make a better weapon for you. I believe it wouldn't be any worse than the one your family made."
Xiong Li laughed and said, "Of course, of course, hahaha. I believe you. Or I can tell tell the family to stop making my weapon."
Upon hearing XIong Li, Zhao Hai immediately said, "No, don't do it. Boss Xiong, don't do that. You should know that a lot of formations used in your hammers are secret formations of the Wu Family. If they find out that you allowed me to make a weapon using their formations, then they might not be happy. We don't want them to misunderstand and think that I stole their secret formations."
Xiong Li nodded, "Alright, but when the new weapon comes, they will have to take this weapon away."
Zhao Hai smiled faintly and said, "Just return it. When the time comes, I'll just modify your new weapon. Don't worry about it." Xiong Li nodded, "Alright, then we can only do it like that."
At this time, Dongfang Yu went forward as Xiong Li retreated. Then he took his fire dragon sword out and then handed it to Zhao Hai and said, "Little Hai, take a look at mine."
Zhao Hai smiled faintly before taking Dongfang Yu's fire dragon sword. But just as Zhao Hai tried inspecting it with his spiritual force, he didn't expect the fire dragon sword to emit a fierce flame to block his spiritual force. At the same time, the flame also proceeded to attack.
Zhao Hai stared, then he quickly released a defensive magic formation to block the fire. At the same time, he also withdrew his spiritual force, causing the fire dragon sword to calm down.
Dongfang Yu and the others stared at Zhao Hai, they didn't know what was going on. Zhao Hai looked at the fire dragon sword before he turned to Dongfang Yu and said, "Second Brother, your fire dragon sword isn't simple, it blocked my spiritual force. I didn't expect it to be this great, there's no need to modify it. It's a divine weapon. I reckon you still couldn't use all of its power?"
Dongfang Yu nodded as he took the fire dragon sword that Zhao Hai handed over. Then he sighed and said, "This fire dragon sword has been obtained by the Yan Family. Everyone who uses this sword needs to give it a drop of blood before they can be recognized as an owner. Because of this, no one else could use the sword before the owner dies. I always felt that this sword had a lot of abilities, so I wanted you to see them. However, I didn't expect the sword to have the ability to defend itself. It's unfortunate."
Zhao Hai nodded and said, "The sword is truly wonderful. If there's an opportunity, I'd like to research it in the future. This way, I'll be helpful to Second Brother." Then after he said that, he turned to look at Li Kuangren.
Li Kuangren didn't hesitate and quickly handed over his axe. Zhao Hai took the axe and immediately scanned it using his spiritual force. This time, there was no accident, his spiritual force penetrated smoothly and allowed Zhao Hai to see everything inside. But after a few moments, Zhao Hai was stunned before his expression changed. Then he looked up at Li Kuangren and said, "Third Brother, have you offended anyone from the Song Family?"
Li Kuangren stared, then he looked at Zhao Hai in confusion and said, "Offended anyone? I don't think so."
Seeing Zhao Hai's expression, Dongfang Yu knew that a problem had come up, so he immediately asked, "Little Hai, what is it? Is there a problem?" Zhao Hai let out a long breath and then said, "Third Brother's axe has a fatal weak point. Once the axe is under great pressure, it will have a risk of exploding. Moreover, the power of the explosion is no less than a small nuclear bomb!"
"What!" Xiong Li and the others called out in alarm. They looked at the two-handed axe in Zhao Hai's hands in disbelief. It seems like they saw a calamity or a savage beast.
Small nuclear bombs, to people of their level, was akin to an ultimate weapon. Even Cultivators would see an explosion of this magnitude as fatal, they would be very lucky if they were able to escape.
And now, Li Kuangren's axe actually held a small nuclear bomb inside. This was too absurd!
Li Kuangren was also stunned.Then with blood red eyes, he said, "Those bastards, no wonder they took my axe back when I managed to get a place in the qualifiers. They told me that they would upgrade it. Shit, what an upgrade. Those bastards."
When they heard Li Kuangren, Xiong Li and the others also had difficult expressions on their faces. If Li Kuangren's axe explodes, then it would be impossible to escape from it. They looked at each other and could see a hint of shock in their eyes.
Zhao Hai looked at everyone and then said, "We aren't sure if this is meant for all of us or just Third Brother. This might mean that the Song Family has some spies in their internal circle. Moreover, it isn't a low status spy."
Things like what happened to the Zhang Family caused the Machine Field to be very sensitive. So when Zhao Hai discovered the mystery inside Li Kuangren's axe, he immediately thought of this.
During the qualifiers, everyone in the Machine Field knew that Li Kuangren and Zhao Hai were close, and almost inseparable at times.
Just like the realm qualifiers, the first round of the Six Realm Beginner Competition is an elimination round. But unlike the realm qualifiers which didn't allow the formation of teams, the Six Realm Beginner Competition allowed it.
Being able to form teams in the elimination round was very advantageous to Zhao Hai. The Brothers can form a team and move together. In this situation, if Li Kuangren's axe explodes during a fight, then they may all be killed. Because of this, Zhao Hai thought of the possibility that the rigging of the axe was aimed at their group, not just Li Kuangren.
Upon hearing this, Xiong Li and the others nodded, they understood what Zhao Hai was implying. Their expressions couldn't help but turn ugly.
Dongfang Yu appeased Li Kaungren before turning to Zhao Hai and saying, "I think it's best if we tell our families about this as soon as possible. But Third Brother shouldn't tell the Song Family, it might alert the spy inside."
Zhao Hai shook his head and said, "We still don't know how many traitors the Machine Field has. If we pass this information to our families, then a spy might be able to pick it up. We should keep it a secret." Dongfang Yu frowned and said, "So what should we do?"
Zhao Hai looked at the axe in his hands and then he turned to Li Kuangren and said, "Third Brother, I'll need to deal with your axe. I'll guarantee that I can give you a new one in a couple of days. Moreover, it's an axe that suit you the most. What do you think?" Li Kuangren nodded and said, "Take them. I believe you." Zhao Hai nodded then he sent the axe to the Space.
After dealing with the axe, Zhao Hai looked at everyone and said, "Let's return to our rooms. Don't tell anyone about this. We'll slowly investigate this matter."
Xiong Li and the others nodded. Then Zhao Hai left the room along with Dongfang Yu and the others. Their expressions were difficult to look at, this matter caused their hearts to burn with anger.
When Zhao Hai returned to his room, he immediately entered the Space. Then he took out Li Kuangren's axe to have it go through the Universal Scanner.
Laura and the others also went out and joined Zhao Hai beside the scanner. Once he arrived at the scanner, Zhao Hai placed the axe on a magic circle. The scanner started up and then swallowed the axe. A short while after that, the manufacturing method of the axe was printed out.
Then after a flash of light, a pile of materials appeared on a formation on the other side. These materials weren't metallic in nature, it seems to be a pile of powder.
Zhao Hai knew that this pile contained the components of the nuclear bomb. He let out a long breath before taking the materials. Then he turned to look at Laura and the others and then said, "I didn't expect something like this to come up. Interesting, very interesting."
Laura looked at Zhao Hai and said, "Brother Hai, you should remake the axe first. Will you add more materials?"
Zhao Hai read the manufacturing method for Li Kuangren's axe, he shook his head and said, "There's no need to add more. Third Brother's axe is already made with good materials. Let's head inside and discuss what magic formations to put inside."
Laura and the others nodded and then walked indoors with Zhao Hai. Upon entering the living room, Laura and the others quickly took their computers up and made some analysis.
Li Kuangren's offensive characteristics was akin to a tornado. He uses the enemy's strength against them by using rotational motion. Because of this, the axe cannot be too light but cannot be heavy either, or else it would be difficult to control. Moreover, the requirements for compatible magic formations was quite high.
After some time, a plan was finally made. Then they took these plans and then had it run under the Universal Scanner. The scanner would arrange the most suitable formation set for Li Kuangren's weapons.
Before this, Li Kuangren had 70 formations inside his axe, the same as Xiong Li's sledgehammers. The difference between the two lies on the axe's preference for sharpness and speed, compared to the sledgehammers’ preference for size and weight.
Once the scanner was done, Zhao Hai saw that the axe could be engraved with 80 formations, ten more than before. This would make Li Kuangren's attacks more powerful while reducing the energy he needed for combat.