After reaching level two, "Scarlet Ambush" not only increased its ambush range but also significantly boosted the follow-up damage of its second phase.
Ignoring Xie Shaoning, whose face had flushed with frustration, Qi Xu, Kissing Ember Starlight Moon, and Cheese Milk Cap with 80% Sugar advanced simultaneously three seconds later, each instinctively targeting the nearest opponent.
Xie Shaoning froze momentarily, baffled by the trio's unspoken coordination. Weren't they supposed to gang up on Invincible Black Whirlwind? Why did it suddenly feel like he was the one being targeted?
Since when did you three agree to strike together?!
Seeing the opponents get serious, the four burly men didn’t fight back—instead, they turned tail and fled. Sweet Girl seized the moment, darting forward and biting one of the men’s calves.
A true serpent never looks back at the explosion. After the bite, she immediately retreated, only stopping at a safe distance to assess the situation.
Disappointingly, the man had only shattered a protective item.
The victim was equally stunned—what the hell? His item broke just like that?!
Panicked, he sprinted even faster, with no intention of fighting back.
Qi Xu observed the scene and said calmly, "No rush."
Kissing Ember Starlight Moon and Cheese Milk Cap with 80% Sugar replied in unison, "Got it."
Xie Shaoning scoffed, "Just kill them. Trash like this? I could handle them alone."
Qi Xu glanced back at him, wondering how this kid had managed to defeat War Wolf 009 repeatedly in the previous round. There must be someone capable acting as his brain—otherwise, with his intellect, he’d never have climbed so high. No wonder he’s only second on the national leaderboard, completely outclassed by the 444th District crew. Sure, they talk trash, but at least they have brains.
Above them, the tree canopy swayed violently as disturbed owls flapped past, their wings stirring an eerie tension in the air.
Even when they occasionally stumbled upon supply crates along the way, none of the eight spared them a glance.
Then, as they burst out of the dense forest into an open clearing, everyone froze in their tracks...
It was like stepping into a galaxy. The dirt beneath their feet cracked with intricate silver-blue veins of light, while the leaves overhead had transformed into a flowing celestial tapestry. Countless stars cascaded down, coalescing midair into glowing sigils before dissolving into shimmering motes.
Ahead stood a silver bridge, with a small boat moored beside it.
Instinctively, Qi Xu’s group closed ranks, standing back-to-back as they surveyed their surroundings.
"You’re the other team that activated the treasure map’s hidden realm, right? We weren’t trying to fight earlier—just provoking you was part of the rules."
Cheese Milk Cap with 80% Sugar sneered. "Rules? Provoking people means resorting to crude jokes? How pathetic."
The opposing team glanced dejectedly at the stone pillar by the bridge.
"Dammit, their rage meter’s only at 21!"
Qi Xu’s group moved closer and saw the new rule displayed:
To cross the Stellar Bridge or board the Star Raft, one must first incite the opposing treasure hunters to 80% fury. Once their rage reaches this threshold, they will be instantly eliminated, forever barred from the competition. Additionally, all forms of combat are strictly forbidden in this realm.
Qi Xu frowned. "Annoying people? Not my strong suit..."
The real challenge was that once the opponents knew the rule, they’d consciously suppress their anger to avoid hitting the threshold.
The other team was equally frustrated. Before the rule was revealed, provoking them had been easier—now, it was nearly impossible.
But the treasure realm seemed obsessed with "fairness." The team that discovered this rule first had to successfully lure the opposing group here within an hour.
"What kind of garbage rule is this? Let’s just kill them and be done with it," Xie Shaoning blurted out.
Seven pairs of eyes immediately turned to him, all conveying the same thought: This guy’s an idiot. The rules explicitly forbade fighting, yet here he was, still itching for blood.
Seizing the moment, Qi Xu asked, "Xiao Xie, do you have any close friends who play this game?"
Whoever carried this fool so far must be incredibly skilled—worth recruiting.
Xie Shaoning bristled at the nickname but answered anyway. "No."
Qi Xu sighed inwardly.
Both sides then attempted to taunt each other, but the results were lackluster. This was a job for Zhu Fu...
Instead, Qi Xu pulled out a dining set and began laying out a feast: pineapple ribs, braised prawns, beef with chili peppers, garlic chicken wings, crab roth soup dumplings...
Noticing the lack of greens, she added a weight-loss salad she’d once perfected, dressed in a savory sauce that rivaled the meat dishes.
To round out the spread, she added fruit platters and uncorked a bottle of Old White Dragon’s latest vintage.
Perfect.
While Qi Xu often shared meals with allies, this wasn’t the time.
How could people plotting your demise be considered allies? Let them drool instead.
Ironically, this backfired. As she ate alone, the other seven watched, their rage meters creeping upward.
Xie Shaoning caved and bought two dishes. Not one to miss an opportunity for upgrade cards, Qi Xu happily obliged.
The opposing team never expected such a tactic. The rich aromas of oil and meat flooded their senses, their throats bobbing involuntarily.
Especially those soup dumplings—plump, golden folds bursting with steaming, fragrant broth, the scent carried by the breeze until it was all they could smell.
"200 upgrade cards per dish, right? Can we buy some too?"
Qi Xu nodded. The men’s eyes lit up—they hadn’t eaten like this since entering the survival game!
But before they could celebrate, she added, "Except for you, it’s not 200. It’s 2000. And you’ll have to wait until I’m done."
Xie Shaoning gleefully peeled a prawn and jeered, "Dream on. If you get a bite, I’ll eat sht!"
"Damn it, 2000 it is! Let’s see if you keep your word when I’m chewing!"
The men were partly motivated by spite, but mostly... it smelled too good.
2000 upgrade cards was steep, but opportunities like this were rare. Split four ways, it was only 500 each—doable!
Qi Xu’s eyes sparkled with inspiration. She patted Little Seven’s head and handed over a serving of crab roth soup dumplings—twelve in total, three per person.
Just as they reached for the plate, Little Seven rocketed forward like a cannonball, not to attack but to knock the dish over...
Then lifted a leg, urinated on the spilled food, and squeezed out a turd—mimicking the dumpling’s sauce as it splattered evenly across the ruined feast.
...........
