Fuuu! Right after Tang Long's words subsided, he heard a gust of wind.
In the next second, the copper-faced man grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up into the air with one hand.
Then, something happened out of nowhere.
The copper-faced man punched Tang Long's face. "What's the point? Remember that Tang Ling is your little brother. Isn't the kinship of blood worth a chance? "
After that, the copper-faced man tossed Tang Long on the ground. He looked at him and waved his fist. "Sometimes, I think fists are more useful than words to muddle-headed people. You'll always make mistakes, so I don't mind teaching you a lesson. "
The wind blew, Tang Long's long hair fluttered. He curled his lips into a cold grin as he touched the corner of his mouth.
He did not hurt his tendons or bones, but he should be bruised. The copper-faced man was quite interesting. If he had the guts, shouldn't he have killed Tang Ling?
However, the copper-faced man did not want to waste his breath anymore. He tossed Tang Long aside and walked away.
Tang Long stood up. Even though he was arrogant, he could not feel any hatred from the copper-faced man's rough treatment. All he felt was a sense of loss and heart-wrenching pain.
"Isn't the kinship of blood worth a chance?"
The words echoed in his head repeatedly, but his expression slowly calmed down.
Tang Long had developed a habit of forgetting things that he did not want to face over the years.
Give Tang Ling a chance? Wouldn't that be driving him to his death? The hatred, pain, indignation, and heartache would sweep over him.
Therefore, he could not give Tang Ling a chance.
**
"It's useless." When Jian Fei said that, his tone was filled with sympathy, but his face was gloating. How could this guy be so impulsive? What's more, he clearly knew the result.
"I know." The copper-faced man appeared in Jian Fei's office in less than three minutes.
Under the Floating Ice Black Market.
Only God knew how he could move so fast.
"Why are you doing this if you know?" Jian Fei passed a glass of wine to the copper-faced man. He was very interested in studying the copper-faced man's mental journey and using it as a reference, even though it might be a little off.
"At least I planted a seed." The copper-faced man accepted Jian Fei's wine. He lifted the lower half of his mask and drained it in one gulp. "Draconic Twelve is like a venomous snake. Unfortunately, if we do anything without evidence, the Stardust Council will fall out with us. "
"Planted a seed? Hehehehe … "Jian Fei laughed a little presumptuously before he shook his head and said," Do you think a few simple words from you can plant the seed of brotherhood in Tang Long's heart? Then he won't trust the Stardust Sixteen anymore? "
"Oh, especially that Draconic Twelve. Even you and I can't see through him … "
Faced with Jian Fei's sharp words, the copper-faced man said, "Draconic Twelve should be the real one from the Stardust Council. He should be the one behind everything that happened a year ago."
"You also know that this requires evidence. At least, the intelligence in the world acknowledged that the insignificant zombie attack in Safety Sector No. 17 was the work of the Stardust Council's Dark Shadow Division. "Jian Fei's expression turned calm and heavy.
That incident might have seemed insignificant, but it was actually a butterfly flapping its wings and the storm was already forming.
"Hmm, evidence." The copper-faced man looked up at the ceiling and stopped talking.
Who would have thought that the two powerful men could not simply lay a finger on Draconic Twelve? It was similar to how the complexity of the world would never be revealed to the commoners.
The undercurrents in the dark were surging violently, but the new generation was still too young. They were so young that they did not even know who the person who should be leading them was.
**
At the Hell Ledge Observatory.
The atmosphere had reached an unusually lively level. Everyone thought that those who were in the audience were people of status, so the atmosphere should be calm and reserved.
Who would have thought that the young geniuses of this generation would be so outstanding?
What was even more surprising was that the stingy Darkness Port actually offered a reward!
The Simpering Pierrot admitted that the three items on the big screen were the rewards.
As soon as the contestants returned to their resting rooms, they would immediately receive this encouraging news.
As for what the three items were?
Any adult with the slightest bit of knowledge would have a vague impression of them because they were very famous in Darkness Port. They were considered the specialty of Darkness Port. Even if they were not, they had a strong Darkness Port style, so how could they be unfamiliar with them?
The first item was given to all the contestants who could clear stage 12.
What was it? It had a famous name in Darkness Port: the Captain's Inner Armor.
The inner armor's defense might not be the best, but it was considered one of the best.
However, if it was just that, it would not be as famous as it was. The key was that it was engraved with super-technological lines!
Indeed, the super high-tech lines were released by the Darkness Port officials. As for the mysterious officials of Darkness Port, who were they? The Darkness Court? Or some other organization? No one cared.
All the people knew was that as long as the captain of the inner hunting ground or the captain of a long-distance voyage in Darkness Port could apply for such an inner armor.
Aside from its defense, the inner armor had two biggest benefits.
First, it could maintain a constant body temperature. No matter how hot or cold the weather was, as long as the inner armor was on, the body would always be in a warm comfort zone.
Never underestimate the function of the inner armor. Anyone who had sailed in the sea knew how scary the extreme weather was.
Second, the inner armor could provide a constant buoyancy. If a person fell into the sea, the inner armor would be a more reliable floating tool than any life jacket.
As for how practical the inner armor was on the sea, there was no need to elaborate.
Without a doubt, the two practical functions were provided by the mysterious super-technological lines. Since they were simple functions, the inner armor did not need to provide any energy. As long as the human body provided kinetic energy, the inner armor could maintain its function.
It was crazy, right?
Indeed! Regardless of whether one was sailing or not, as long as one was involved in something related to water, one would dream of owning a Captain's Inner Armor.
Unfortunately, the market for the Captain's Inner Armor was monopolized by Darkness Port. Without the detailed blueprint of the super-technological lines, unless a great scientist made a move, the inner armor would never be replicated.
Therefore, whenever a Captain's Inner Armor appeared on the black market, the price would usually be raised to more than 50,000 True Capital coins.
This time, as long as a teenager passed the 12th stage, he or she would get a Captain's Inner Armor. How could Darkness Port not be generous?
"The Captain's Inner Armor is just a small token of our appreciation. What about the second item? I believe everyone's eyes have recognized it! How do you get it? As long as you can enter the 15th stage, regardless of whether you pass it or not, you'll get it. "That was what the Simpering Pierrot said.
The crowd was shocked. Did Darkness Port become a superpower?
What was this tiny crystal ball? The answer was simple — the underwater breathing apparatus.
It was still a super-technological product, and it must have originated from that mysterious place.
However, Darkness Port was powerful. Somehow, they managed to replicate the underwater breathing apparatus.
Although the functions were slightly weaker than the original, it was enough to shock the world.
If the Captain's Inner Armor was only a little eye-catching, it would make people jealous. However, the mass production of the underwater breathing apparatus made everyone acknowledge Darkness Port's powerful soft power, which was the power of technology.
Therefore, the underwater breathing apparatus was a world-renowned product.
What was its use? As long as a Universal Source Rock or any kind of good quality crystal was placed in it, it could be activated.
After it was activated, it would turn into a 2-meter transparent ball that could fit a single person.
After entering, the breathing apparatus would automatically dive into the water.
It could withstand water pressure up to a depth of 1,500 meters and would not cause any discomfort to the person inside.
Some even said that the maximum depth of the underwater breathing apparatus was 2,000 meters, but beyond 1,500 meters, it would lose its advantage in speed.
Indeed, the underwater breathing apparatus had speed. It could maintain a certain speed underwater and was comparable to the nuclear submarines of the old civilization.
The nuclear submarines of the old civilization could travel at an average speed of 30 knots underwater, which was around 50 kilometers per hour, but the underwater breathing apparatus could reach 40 knots without considering the energy consumption.
Lastly, it had another powerful function. During the most critical moment, it would release all its energy and allow the person to return to the surface in 20 seconds as long as they were no deeper than 1,500 meters.
As for the problem of breathing underwater, it was no longer a problem. As long as the person stayed inside the ball, there would always be sufficient oxygen.
Super technology was indeed heaven-defying. All the relevant scientists wanted to replicate this thing that seemed to ignore water pressure, especially the ability to instantly return to the surface. It was … Unfortunately, Darkness Port would never reveal this secret to the public.
According to Darkness Port, there was no such thing as benefiting all of mankind in this era. Or rather, it was not time to benefit all of mankind yet. Humans were not qualified yet.
What the f * ck was that?
Regardless, the fact that the underwater breathing apparatus was used to reward the young geniuses was no longer a question of generosity!
Dripping blood and cutting flesh?! Although it was a mass production, the production was limited. Rumor had it that Darkness Port could only produce 20 underwater breathing apparatus a year.
If that was the case, it was reasonable for the 15th stage to be the Blazing Path. The reward did not require the young geniuses to pass the Blazing Path. As long as they could enter the fifth stage, they would be qualified to receive the underwater breathing apparatus.
The first two rewards were already exciting enough, so how could the last one be bad? Indeed, it was not bad at all. It could even be described as heaven-defying.
"Do I need to introduce the last one? Those who know it, please shout its name out loud! " As the Simpering Pierrot spoke, he extended the microphone and a chorus of voices came from the crowd. "It's the Great Captain's Belt!"
Yes, the Great Captain's Belt. It was the treasure that represented Darkness Port and was also a world-renowned life-saving artifact. Its true nature was the tactical movement belt!
Legend had it that the original version of the belt was a treasure that the master of Darkness Port had retrieved from a mysterious place. Even in that place, the belt was considered a great treasure.
After that, the master of Darkness Port had reached a certain level, so the belt that was similar to the tactical movement disk was no longer useful to him. He needed something of a higher level.
Therefore, the master of Darkness Port contributed the belt.
It was said that Darkness Port was a place with crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Therefore, it was unknown which big shot among the great scientists had actually made five replicas of this belt.
Why were there only five? If the master of Darkness Port did not say, only God knew.
In short, the five replicas of the belts had been kept in the Glory Museum of Darkness Port for a long time. Only the Great Captain who had contributed greatly to Darkness Port could obtain them.
There was no need to explain what a Great Captain was. They were all from the Darkness Court.
Until now, only two Great Captains had obtained the belt, so it was also named the Great Captain's Belt.
How heaven-defying was the belt? The people did not know much about it. All they knew was that the Great Captain was at least a rank 4 Purple Moon Warrior and above, so they treated it like a treasure.
Other than that, the normal tactical movement disk only had one movement rope, but the belt was rumored to have eight. It could perform the most complicated tactical movement and coordinate with the user in battle.
Why would such a belt be used as a reward? Were they out of their minds?!
To put it bluntly, if it had been a normal safety sector, the belt would have been the top combat weapon of the entire sector. Only the castellan would have the right to use it.
Even if it was a safety city, the price of the belt would be painful for a year. Yes, at least a year.
"Is it crazy? Yes, it's that crazy! Due to the value of the Great Captain's Belt, even the powerful Darkness Port could only offer one as a reward. So, who would the reward be? The answer was obvious! The champion of the Hell Ledge Challenge! "The Simpering Pierrot was very excited when he said that. He could not help but raise his hands in the air.
What answered him was the fiery cheers from the audience.
It was obvious that Darkness Port valued the champion of the Hell Ledge Challenge very much. Was the Great Captain's Belt meant to rope him in and befriend him?
In fact, was the meaning behind it that simple?
Among the VIP rooms, there was an old man sitting alone in one of the VIP rooms. Upon a closer look, the old man was none other than the old man who fished alone at sea for a long time.
The people were talking about how Darkness Port wanted to rope in the young king of the Hell Ledge Challenge.
The old man seemed to have heard the discussion from the soundproof box. He only smiled faintly in the face of such discussions.
Rope him in? No, Darkness Port was a place of freedom. Everyone who lived in Darkness Port could only stay if they wanted to. There was no such thing as being roped in.
The belt represented an obscure statement that only the higher-ups could understand. What was it trying to express? It meant that the free Darkness Port would have a side in the future and would not stay out of this.
But what was the side? Who was it? The belt clearly stated that Darkness Port would only choose the strong! The principle would never change! However, it would also change at any time because the strong would change at any time!
However, one day, Darkness Port would become extremely determined and would follow the strong even if it meant sacrificing everything.
In every era, there would be a true powerhouse who would rise to the top in the ever-changing situation and no one would be able to surpass him.
That person would be the king of Darkness Port! He would sacrifice everything to follow the strong!
Time was running out.
The old man finished the wine in his glass and looked further away as if his gaze could see through everything and landed on the faraway sky.
**
After the announcement of the three treasures, the competition in the Hell Ledge Challenge became even fiercer.
There were many participants in the resting lounge, so there would be some who received the latest news every minute.
A few of the Stardust Sixteen looked anxious. Why was their Young Master Long not back yet?
There was no specific order, but this time, the Stardust Sixteen wanted to wait for Tang Long to lead them into Hell Ledge.
However, Tang Long was not back yet. As the competition continued, the first person to clear the 12th stage had appeared.
The answer was expected yet unexpected at the same time — Ro Li!
Ro Li had cleared the 12th stage. The kid who was regarded as a dark horse by the people with miraculous talents had revealed his other trump card — the puppet!
He could control the puppet?! It was a very obscure skill. It was not a talent but an ability, but the practical value of the ability was immeasurable.
However, the practical value of the ability was immeasurable. It could be said that it was the most valuable trump card in the Hell Ledge Challenge.
Ro Li's value skyrocketed! The people from various factions who came to watch the competition started to plan how to approach Ro Li after the competition ended and recruit him to their faction.
After all, he was already a top-tier genius after clearing the 12th stage. Moreover, he had a trump card that allowed him to control the puppet.
Seeing the crowd cheering for Ro Li, the younger members of the Stardust Sixteen could not help but curl their lips.
Ro Li might have conquered the hearts of the powerhouses in the audience, but he could not conquer the competitive hearts of the younger ones.
"Why don't we go in first? Young Master Long is safe. Who knows how long he'll have to deal with his matters? I think when he comes, he wants to see us achieve a good result and not stand here like an idiot, "Draconic Twelve said after a slight hesitation.
At this moment, he had already taken off his mask, put on a cloak, and pulled up the hood.
It was the outfit that he was most familiar with and felt the safest. When he said that, no one could see his expression clearly.
However, his words won the approval of more than half of the Stardust Sixteen.
As a matter of fact, Draconic Twelve was the most mysterious and distant, but he was the most dignified among the Stardust Sixteen other than Tang Long.
He might be low-key and a man of few words, but his words and actions were always useful during crucial moments. He was also very powerful, to the point that the other young ones could not see through him.
"Let's go in," Draconic Twelve said softly while half of the crowd was still hesitant.
His words were calm, natural, and logical.
Draconic Twelve was indeed a master at playing with people's hearts. He would not waste his time on meaningless arguments at a time like this. Instead, he calmly and naturally decided on the outcome, causing others to unconsciously follow him.
As he spoke, Draconic Twelve took the lead and walked into the passage. The others who could not hold back quickly followed.
The rest of them almost forgot to hesitate. Seeing that everyone had entered, they also followed them into the passageway, baffled.
It was expected. Draconic Twelve looked calm under the hood. It was not something to be proud of.
As a matter of fact, he did not mind waiting a little longer.
However, his heart started to feel uneasy. He was afraid that the whole plan would be ruined because of some small details.
For example, Tang Long's sudden departure and Tang Ling's absence until now were out of his expectations.
Therefore, he could not afford any more deviations.
Unbeknownst to the crowd, the 28th of April was Draconic Twelve's plan. He then spread the news and manipulated everything.
After all, he wanted Tang Long and Tang Ling to fight to the death, so he needed a chance that Tang Ling would not miss and make a solemn appearance.
The opportunity was destined to be intense from the start. It would be so intense that neither side would have time to explain or reveal anything.
It was Draconic Twelve's ideal outcome.
Tang Ling's death would be a logical outcome. Draconic Twelve truly understood Tang Long's strength. No matter how famous Tang Ling was, no matter how many miracles he created, he would never be a match for Tang Long.
Did he really think that the Stardust Council's years of nurturing and spending of resources on him was a waste?
Did he really think that Tang Long was not the top genius among the top geniuses?
Although Tang Ling might have the chance to surpass Tang Long in the future, the Stardust Council would never give him that chance.
After all, Tang Long wanted to be the world's number one in this era, and the Stardust Council would stand behind him.
Before he reached his goal, all obstacles would be pushed away!
With that in mind, Draconic Twelve lowered his head and curled his lips into a cold smile. He then stepped through the door and officially joined the Hell Ledge Challenge.
No one questioned his decision since Draconic Twelve had decided to join. After Tang Long agreed, his subordinates went to handle the matter.
It was then that Tang Long finally arrived at Hell Ledge.
Along the way, he forced himself to forget the strange encounter and conversation with the copper-faced man.
Unfortunately, some things could not be forgotten just because he wanted to, just like Higan. He could not forget it.
Therefore, Tang Long's emotions were complicated. He did not know how he should think about it. Only the words' kinship 'echoed in his mind.
However, he could not accept Tang Ling. Should he just ignore the copper-faced man's words and toss them all to the back of his mind?
Tang Long was also extremely smart. He knew that a supreme powerhouse would not purposely come over to talk nonsense with him …
Should he stop Draconic Twelve from joining the Hell Ledge Challenge for the time being? He would not lose anything by doing that! Although it was not to the extent of not trusting Draconic Twelve, at least he would be at ease.
Tang Long frowned. He could already see the Hell Ledge Spectator Platform when he looked up and saw the Stardust Sixteen enter the challenge passage.
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