Chapter 449: Killing the Mule

Chapter 449: Killing the Mule

At Elder Mountain.

A grand celebration was underway.

To commemorate the eradication of Li Wu.

Li Wu probably never imagined that one day, he would influence the entire world.

Although the way he impacted the world was beyond his expectations, he had indeed affected the world.

As for the celebration at Elder Mountain, Zhao Xue'en and several other Elders didn't indulge in the festivities endlessly.

While Li Wu's death was a joyful event for them, as elders, they maintained a high level of self-discipline.

They were also well aware that Li Wu was just one of the threats they faced.

Getting rid of Li Wu was indeed a cause for celebration, but it didn't mean they could rest easy after his demise.

After all, in this messed-up world, who could predict when another giant, noisy creature might charge up Elder Mountain with a fragment in its hands?

So, Li Wu's death didn't make Elder Mountain feel much safer.

They still believed their safety was at risk.

And the solution to this problem, didn't Li Wu leave it for them from the very beginning?

When Li Wu was dealing with Fei Yinghao, he had once altered the refinement method for the Gateway Shard and even performed a refinement in front of them.

The results were excellent, and the refinement was successful.

This was great news for both Li Wu and Elder Mountain.

The experimental data that Li Wu didn't modify or destroy was even more valuable to Elder Mountain.

Now that Li Wu was finally taken care of, they had Zhang Chen, an Epic 3-Star cultivator, in their hands.

They had the method, and they had the resources.

The elders led by Zhao Xue En didn't waste any time. Amidst the joyous atmosphere of the celebration, they began a new round of Gateway Shard refinement.

Zhang Chen was placed in the laboratory.

Various restraining devices were attached to him.

He was bound in a crucifixion position, and one hundred and eight legendary-quality steel needles were driven into his body, securing him tightly.

These needles not only restrained Zhang Chen but also stimulated his mental state.

Under the influence of these needles, Zhang Chen's mind became clearer than ever before, even more so than usual.

Of course, this wasn't a good thing. It made him acutely aware of the pain he was enduring, which was indescribable.

But no one cared.

To Zhao Xue En and the others, Zhang Chen was merely a tool.

They only cared about whether this tool could serve its purpose. As for the tool's pain?

Who cared about that!

"Begin!"

With Zhao Xue En's command, the experiment officially started.

The elders at Elder Mountain had analyzed Li Wu's experiment with Fei Yinghao.

After a simple summary, they concluded that Li Wu's experiment could be divided into three main parts.

One was the method, another was the refiner, and the last was the guide.

The method and the refiner were obvious, referring to the set of tools and resources left by Zhang Chen and Li Wu. As for the guide, it was the role Li Wu had played during the refinement process.

Elder Mountain believed that the role Li Wu had played was crucial to the successful refinement of the fragment.

So, for this refinement experiment, they also prepared someone to play that role.

However, the person they initially prepared for this role didn't show up.

Instead, they started the refinement first.

It wasn't until Zhang Chen's mental state was thoroughly agitated that the guide appeared.

This guide was someone Elder Mountain had found, a person extremely similar to Zhang Chen's wife.

They intended to use Zhang Chen's greatest weakness as a guide, an idea they had gleaned from Li Wu's previous refinement process.

It must be said that the elders of Elder Mountain were indeed a group of excellent students.

Aside from their other abilities, they were exceptionally capable and diligent in learning.

They had almost perfectly replicated Li Wu's previous experiment.

In less than a day, Zhang Chen successfully refined a Gateway Shard.

Although this shard was much smaller than the one Li Wu had refined before.

But when it was successfully refined, the eyes of Zhao Xue En and the other elders lit up.

"It worked! It really worked!"

"Not only have we refined a shard, but most importantly, we've obtained the refinement method!"

...

A surge of joy overwhelmed the elders.

This joy was even more intense than the satisfaction they felt when they had eliminated Li Wu.

"After all, dealing with Lu Wu only solves one problem. The successful refinement of the fragment before us will truly secure our safety and even offer us a future."

The four Elders carefully passed around the refined fragment, its mysterious power and aura enchanting everyone present.

"What a profound and powerful force!"

"Speaking of which, we should thank Lu Wu. Without him, we might not have been able to refine this fragment."

"But the focus isn't on refining this particular fragment. It's not that powerful, and it won't entirely guarantee our safety. Remember, Tie Hong still has another fragment!"

"To ensure our safety, we need more fragments!"

"That shouldn't be a problem. Now that we know how to refine them, we can create as many as we need!" Fire Old Ghost and Water Old Ghost couldn't contain their smiles.

However, they didn't notice the lack of enthusiasm on Zhao Xue'en and Zhang Mingrui's faces.

"No!"

"You're wrong. We can't just refine these fragments at will," Zhang Mingrui shook his head.

"Hmm?"

Zhao Xue'en glanced at Zhang Chen, who was lying on the crucifix, barely breathing after the refinement. "Because refining fragments requires a special material. Zhang Chen has already been used once, and although he can be used again, he'll need a long time to recuperate."

"If we rely solely on him, refining the next fragment will take at least a year or two, maybe even longer."

Fire Old Ghost and Water Old Ghost were taken aback. "What should we do?"

Zhang Mingrui and Zhao Xue'en exchanged a glance, and seeing the understanding in each other's eyes, they smiled. The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

The tension spread to Fire Old Ghost and Water Old Ghost.

The two Elders were stunned, and their faces changed as they realized the seriousness of the situation. Each of them quickly positioned themselves behind their respective leaders.

One stood behind Zhang Mingrui, and the other behind Zhao Xue'en.

Just as both sides had taken their positions, ready for confrontation, Zhang Mingrui and Zhao Xue'en simultaneously turned and struck.

"Pffft!"

Two crisp sounds echoed, and Fire Old Ghost and Water Old Ghost stared in disbelief, their expressions incredulous.

They had always assumed their opponents would be each other, never expecting their own long-time leaders to turn on them.

The two loyal subordinates were swiftly subdued.

Water Old Ghost remained silent, while Fire Old Ghost, still unwilling to accept his fate, managed to ask his leader, whom he had followed for decades, perhaps even a century, "Why...?"

He wanted to know why.

Why had his trusted leader suddenly turned on him?

In the 1619th chapter, a shocking revelation!

"Because we need the material!" Zhao Xue'en replied calmly, and with a swift move, he rendered Fire Old Ghost unconscious. Zhang Mingrui did the same to Water Old Ghost.

With their subordinates dealt with, the two leaders exchanged a satisfied smile.

Their synchronized smiles and matching expressions made it hard to believe they were long-time rivals. No one would believe they were old friends, but in truth, they were.

They had been the best of friends from the very beginning.

Their rivalry was only a facade, a necessary act to maintain the balance.

If they didn't maintain this pretense, one of them would likely be eliminated by the Elder Council's leader. While their alliance might not threaten the leader, the council needed balance. And even if their alliance wasn't a threat, the leader wouldn't want to see his two powerful subordinates colluding.

So, they had no choice but to feign enmity for decades, perhaps even centuries.

Sometimes, they almost forgot they were the best of friends.

"Now we have two more materials."

"These two are inferior to Zhang Chen, but since they aren't Dark Cultivators, their mental state is better. The refinement results should be comparable to Zhang Chen's."

"In other words, we can expect two more fragments."

"But it's still not enough."

"Then let's get more materials!"

"We're on the same page!"

The two centenarian elders exchanged a knowing smile.

The scene was, to put it mildly, a bit of an eye-opener.

...

4th District, Dark Council.

While the 1st District was in full celebration, the 4th District also shared in the joy, albeit with a slightly more subdued atmosphere.

After all, they had successfully eliminated Lu Wu.

Moreover, Lu Wu's demise was a result of their meticulous planning, so it was only natural for the Dark Council to celebrate this achievement.

The Dark Council organized an event, and after a full day of festivities, it was finally coming to a close.

However, just as the event was about to end, a distinguished guest arrived at the Dark Council, reigniting the excitement.

This guest was none other than Zhao Xue'en, the vice-president of the Elder Council.

Despite his previous embarrassment in front of Lu Wu, Zhao Xue'en was still a vice-president of the Elder Council and an Epic 3-Star cultivator, a highly respected figure throughout the entire Alliance.

Even with the presence of the Nullifiers, Zhao Xue'en's strength was undeniable.

Dumerk personally welcomed him.

Zhao Xue'en's eyes lit up as he saw Dumerk, and he immediately grasped Dumerk's cold arm firmly, saying, "This time, we managed to take down Lu Wu thanks to your efforts. I've come here on behalf of the Elder Council to express our gratitude.

And also, I have the item I promised you!"

At these words, Dumerk couldn't help but smile.

To be honest, Dumerk was an elder himself, with a wealth of experience. In his long life, he had accomplished many impressive feats.

But if there was one thing he was most proud of, it was undoubtedly the elimination of Lu Wu.

He even believed that centuries later, this achievement would still be remembered.

Especially after the 1st District's Exorcism Festival, Dumerk felt like his name would be remembered for ages.

For someone like him, a prominent figure in the 1st District, there was nothing more important than this recognition.

Moreover, this operation not only brought him fame but also promised significant benefits.

Both the Elder Council and Senior Iron had agreed to reward him handsomely.

Putting aside Senior Iron for now, Dumerk wasn't holding his breath for any rewards from him.

But the Elder Council, on the other hand, had already delivered on their promise, showcasing their integrity.

As soon as the operation concluded, Zhao Xue'en arrived with the rewards.

Dumerk's mood was elated, but he maintained his composure, not wanting to appear too eager.

"President Zhao, it's too much trouble for you to come here personally..."

"It's my pleasure. I wouldn't feel at ease otherwise!"

Zhao Xue'en smiled warmly, grasping Dumerk's hand and shaking it vigorously, a gesture of power surging towards Dumerk.

Dumerk's expression changed, realizing too late that he couldn't break free.

Being an Epic 2-Star cultivator, he had no chance against Zhao Xue'en, an Epic 3-Star. Their handshake was a sign of trust, but it also left Dumerk vulnerable.

"Is there some misunderstanding, President Zhao?" Dumerk asked, perplexed by the sudden turn of events.

At the same time, the other leaders of the Dark Council were equally bewildered, their faces mirroring Dumerk's confusion.

Amidst their confusion, Zhao Xue'en chuckled.

"Misunderstanding? No, none at all. I merely wish to extend an invitation to the Elder Council. I have a small token for each of you!"

As he spoke, Zhao Xue'en unleashed his domain, engulfing the entire Dark Council.

Almost simultaneously, a similar situation unfolded in the 2nd District, with Zhang Mingrui and the Science Alliance taking the place of Zhao Xue'en and the Elder Council.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end