CHAPTER 1672: CHAPTER 64: STARTING THE WAR

The Conquerors cautiously scanned their surroundings. Even a fool would know that an extremely dangerous boss battle was imminent. They kept their distance from the main entrance and maintained silence, communicating with eye gestures to form a defensive formation.

Boom! In the blue sky under the daylight, thunder suddenly roared, as if a silver snake twisted wildly, or like a master calligrapher wielding their brush to splash ink, leaving mottled traces around the Heavenly Buddha Palace.

Crack! Crack! The lightning grew denser and its range rapidly expanded. Within less than half a minute, the entire platform was enveloped.

"Activate shields!" shouted the strategy experts commanding the battle.

Though the lightning packed immense power, it only scorched the surface of the stone platform—made of unknown materials—leaving charred marks without causing any real damage.

"What are we waiting for? Let’s break through the main entrance first!" The Nuclear Flame, stifling rage in his chest, made his move. He mimicked a handgun with his right hand, stretched his arm forward, and aimed at the main entrance.

Buzz! Crackle! Red scorching light beams fired in rapid succession at the entrance. Their extreme heat roasted the surrounding air, causing variations in density and warping the light as it passed through.

Within three seconds, a hundred beams struck the door, all hitting the same precise spot.

The entrance didn’t budge, but the group leaders’ expressions turned grim. Yan Chiyang’s power was truly formidable—each strike capable of penetrating a 3S-grade protective suit. The warped light added a deceptive visual effect, making it easy for someone to fall prey due to a moment of negligence.

"Damn it!" Yan Chiyang ignored the shock he had caused to those around him. He was only concerned with the embarrassment of failing to blast open the door, so he began charging energy for an ultimate ability.

Yan Chiyang extended his left arm forward and pulled his right arm back, mimicking the motion of drawing a bow and arrow.

Immediately, a massive flaming bow, entirely red and burning with fire, materialized in his hands. Countless solar fire sparks bloomed, condensing into an arrow.

The arrow dazzled with shimmering light, growing ever brighter—it was as radiant as a star, dazzling to the point of being impossible to look at directly.

Powered by nuclear abilities, Yan Chiyang could imbue most of his attacks with blinding brightness, making battles against him exceptionally agonizing.

After all, most people rely on their vision to locate targets. Even experts like Bingxu and Vasily would find their combat effectiveness momentarily reduced if they were suddenly blinded. Against an enemy of Yan Chiyang’s caliber, even fractions of a second of distraction could determine victory or defeat.

The Blade Empress had initially planned to strike the entrance herself but held back upon witnessing Nuclear Flame’s action. Seeds maintained a baseline respect for one another; intervening at this moment, especially in front of the team, would seem disrespectful.

"You capable or not? If you can’t open it, let our leader Di do it!" Li Yuan boasted arrogantly, disregarding the Nuclear Flame entirely.

"Looking to die, are you?" the ESP Superpower Team retorted, escalating the tension between the two factions to the brink of drawing weapons.

"Shut up!" Di Jingfei commanded sharply.

Whoosh! Nuclear Flame released the blazing arrow, glowing brilliantly as it streaked forward like a meteor, crashing fiercely into the entrance.

Boom! The entire platform reverberated with intense tremors, and cracks appeared on the door.

Nuclear Flame’s expression darkened. He prepared for another strike, but the door seemed unwilling to endure more damage—it slowly creaked open.

"The door is open!" The Americans celebrated triumphantly, but in the next moment, their faces drastically changed.

Clusters of black light spheres shot out from the gaps in the door, covering the platform. They expanded into three-meter-diameter circles.

One after another, dark Buddha statues leapt from the circles, moving with grace as light as feathers. After mid-air flipping, they landed silently and then launched forward like war chariots.

Boom! Boom! Over three hundred dark statues broke the sound barrier, creating explosive sonic booms as they charged toward the Conquerors.

This was the world boss’s ultimate ability, "Dark Heavenly Realm." By leveraging the Mandala Array, it could summon numerous Dark Buddhas, Kings of Light, and various monsters to attack its enemies.

Tang Zheng neither dodged nor wavered as a black-gold statue lunged at him. Twisting his waist and swinging his arm, he landed a powerful punch.

Bang! The statue’s skull exploded, spraying a three-meter-high column of blood from its neck cavity. The headless corpse surged forward a short distance due to its momentum before collapsing lifelessly.

Vasily’s upper body transformed into dozens of gun muzzles, unleashing gunfire upon the statue and reducing it to flying fragments of flesh. The bullets, infused with life energy, inflicted far greater damage than ordinary ones.

Bingxu, as the most powerful psychic type, showcased fluid and seamless attacks, utterly devoid of any smoke or fire. Even individuals like Nuclear Flame couldn’t discern Bingxu’s methods—statues rushing toward him simply erupted and died abruptly.

"This is why I hate psychics the most," Zhu Xiaolei muttered. Weapons of team battles had peculiar attack styles that were extremely hard to defend against.

The Blade Empress didn’t rely on her abilities, fighting instead like a righteous knight straight out of a Middle Ages painting. With precise and deliberate swings of her blades, she methodically cleaved through the statues.

No one would dare to think of Elizabeth as weak. Even the likes of the Yaksha King couldn’t last a single move against her and were instantly dispatched.

Nuclear Flame swung heavy punches. Any statue he struck burst into flames, becoming a torch before exploding into fiery death.

Di Jingfei crossed his arms and remained motionless while a golden-armored martial deity stood steadfastly before him, ensuring no enemies could advance a single step past.

"Charlie, hit them hard!" Mirene encouraged from within the team, waving her small fists enthusiastically at Charlie, the butler. She even clutched a Tyrant Teddy Bear in her hands, ready to throw it, but was stopped by a blonde, busty teammate.

"It’s useless—those black circles can’t be destroyed." Abilities aimed at the portal circles passed directly through without effect.

Each Buddha statue possessed roughly the combat capabilities of a Level 1 Hero. However, the Conquerors present excelled in experience, and leveraging their group formation, they gained the upper hand for the time being.

Only when more advanced Dark Arhats and Kings of Light appeared did they finally begin to feel the pressure mount.

"Ruan Feifei, focus on offense!" Dantai instructed, assigning the defense responsibilities to Qin Yan, Ai Yixin, and the veterans.

"Dear, be careful," Chu Baichuan worried about Ai Yixin, stepping in front of her to act as a meat shield—despite the fact that his wife’s Platinum-tier physique provided superior defense. He still refused to switch places.

"Get back. Stop messing around!" Ai Yixin grew impatient and lightly kicked Chu Baichuan’s calf.

Chu Baichuan grinned foolishly but stubbornly held his ground.

Dantai decided not to bother intervening; he knew it was futile. Chu Baichuan was simply that type of person: obstinate as an ox, sticking to his chosen path no matter what.

The sky lit up with thunder strikes, converting the platform into a battleground for the streamer. She manipulated her abilities to redirect the lightning toward the statues.

The statues were charred and smoked, with black fumes rising into the air.

"Hey, Dantai Vice Leader, lend us a hand clearing these out!" Someone called for the special agents, seeking to tap into Ruan Feifei’s powers. For smaller teams, conserving their own resources and saving them for critical moments was a primary concern.

"I can help, but you need to supply potions," Dantai responded without outright refusal, instead making a condition for assistance.

Sure enough, the others fell silent. They were a minor outfit, and stockpiling resources wasn’t easy.

Dantai smirked, unconcerned. If they provided potions, he’d have the streamer attack regardless—the statues were enemies after all. But if they were stingy, his faction wouldn’t appear selfish by withholding aid.

"Seriously, how cheap can you get?" Zhu Xiaolei bluntly mocked them. "Trying to take advantage—when does that ever work in the world?"

"Everyone, the statues are growing stronger. This isn’t a sustainable strategy. We should work together to break through the main entrance instead!" proposed Nuclear Flame.

Yan Chiyang’s suggestion was directed at the six Seeds. As for Tang Zheng, he intentionally disregarded him, savoring this moment of reasserting his position.

"You don’t have the qualifications to compete with me," Yan Chiyang sneered at Tang Zheng, his challenge heavy with provocation.

"Idiot," Tang Zheng remarked, looked away, and stayed on the sidelines. He preferred playing the role of the opportunistic predator behind the scenes—the sparrow to their mantis.

Di Jingfei and the others remained proud and aloof, neither disagreeing nor calling upon the other group leaders to assist.

"Wait, Tang Zheng, step up as well," Vasily demanded, glaring at Tang Zheng. "Don’t shirk—your abilities are decent enough to make a difference."

The King of War always prioritized teamwork over personal glory.

"I don’t have the qualifications!" Tang Zheng deflected as he struck down another statue, shrugging his hands. "Come on, get it done already—it’s up to you to kill the boss."

Other Level 3 leaders glanced at Tang Zheng with mixed feelings. His strength had silently earned their respect, especially after Vasily’s endorsement. No longer dismissing him, they now saw him in a whole new light.

If Tang Zheng knew this, he’d probably spit blood out of frustration.

The Blade Empress barred Mirene from acting impulsively. Together, the six Seeds united their powers for a combined strike, an effort capable of shaking the heavens.

Seeds, after all, disdained sneaky behavior. Even if they attempted it, it would be obvious. The six unleashed their ultimate abilities in dazzling unison, directed at the entrance.

Boom! With the impact, debris scattered in all directions as a shockwave rippled outward. The door shattered, revealing a vortex of black clouds with streaks of blue lightning flashing inside.

"Should we proceed inside?"

Just as Nuclear Flame finished speaking, a black beam shot from the clouds into the sky and dispersed like a fountain.

The entire sky seemed to be coated with thick ink, dimming instantly as the clouds churned like turbulent seawater rising with the tide.

A gigantic arm stretched out from the black cloud vortex, clutching a war halberd. Without waiting long, it turned into a streak of light and bolted forward.

A Level 1 Hero Conqueror’s shield shattered immediately, followed by the individual being sliced in half. Instant death.

Without needing orders, the Conquerors launched an attack at the arm.

Hum! A Buddhist chant echoed as a black aura radiated from the arm, neutralizing the torrent of incoming abilities.

Three more arms emerged, each wielding a different weapon. Among them was an empty Vajra Circle, the most domineering of all. It emitted a golden beam that instantly reduced its target to golden dust particles—not even bone fragments remained.

Even Level 2 Hero defenses were obliterated, leaving targets one-hit-killed. Whenever the Vajra Circle locked onto someone, every adjacent Conqueror would urgently flee in terror.

The various Trojan squads found themselves in disarray. The world boss’s upper half emerged from the black cloud vortex—a ten-meter-tall, female-bodied entity clad in ink-colored scales. It bore eight arms and three skulls, the central one adorned with a crown.

Its six eyes glinted with electricity, exuding an oppressive aura as it opened its mouth to unleash a tornado-like storm! (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian [qidian.com] to cast your recommendation and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)