Everyone in the Tiger Claw Gang was utterly stunned.
"99999 combat power... Is this for real? Could the leaderboard be glitched?"
"Where did this monster Guangcheng spring from? Our combined combat power might not even surpass his!"
"Are we any match for him? Maybe we should just surrender?"
The staggering combat power of 99999 sent shockwaves through the entire Sector, trial challengers worldwide, and especially through the ranks of the Tiger Claw Gang.
Faced with such overwhelming force, the Tiger Claw Gang's fighting spirit had plummeted to rock bottom.
Despite their numbers exceeding two thousand, they lacked the conviction of victory against such a formidable adversary.
"If we surrender now, we lose half our resources, a 50% loss, plus a 200-point deduction from our attributes. Can you live with that outcome?" Lee Fala grimaced as he spoke.
Lee Fala himself had lost his confidence in victory, yet he resolved to engage in battle, aiming at least for a stalemate.
He clung to the hope that perhaps there was an error in the rankings, that they had misjudged Chen Guo's combat power. Maybe, just maybe, Chen Guo wasn't as powerful as they thought. With two thousand of them against Chen Guo, surely they could take him down.
That was the only thought he could comfort himself with.
"Confidence is good. An hour has passed since my promise, and I've arrived on schedule. Are you ready to face me?" Out of nowhere, Chen Guo materialized amidst the Tiger Claw Gang members.
He deliberately stepped into the encirclement of the Tiger Claw Gang, allowing himself to be surrounded.
Chen Guo was clad in a golden Taoist robe, the fifth-level "Upper Clarity Wuji Taoist Robe" he had forged.
Atop his head sat a white jade Taoist crown, the sixth-level divine artifact "Kunlun Cloud Crown."
In his hand, he wielded the legendary sixth-level Kingslayer.
Standing there alone, he caused the two thousand five hundred members of the Tiger Claw Gang to back away in succession.
It was as though he was the one encircling the two thousand five hundred, not the other way around.
Chen Guo's presence as a formidable force was unmistakably on display.
It was as if the legendary immortal Guangcheng himself had come to life!
"This guy..."
"Us..."
"Should we attack?"
Members of the Tiger Claw Gang exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of their next move.
Their earlier bravado had vanished; Chen Guo's presence alone was suffocating them.
"Guangcheng, at first glance, you truly seem like a celestial being, but crossing the Tiger Claw Gang was a mistake!" Lee Fala declared. "You must've tampered with your combat power on the leaderboards. There's no way you're that strong!"
Chen Guo replied, "Words are pointless. If you're curious about my true strength, why not put it to the test in battle?"
"Let's go, all of us together! We're 2,500 strong. We refuse to believe we can't take down just one man. Today's our chance to cement the Tiger Claw Gang's reputation!" Lee Fala, ever the bold one, had a ruthless streak and, despite knowing the terror that was Chen Guo, he was the first to strike.
With Lee Fala leading the charge, over two thousand Tiger Claw Gang members sprang into action, unleashing a barrage of potent attacks at Chen Guo.
"If numbers mattered so much, what would be the point of extraordinary powers?" Chen Guo sneered. "Prepare to embrace the death I bring!"
With that, Chen Guo unleashed the Flying Thunder God Art.
He blazed like a streak of gold, instantly materializing behind a level 10 trial challenger. The Kingslayer pierced directly into the challenger's kidney.
"You have slain trial challenger Lin Miao, earning 2000 slaughter points!"
"What is this movement technique? We can't even track him!"
"Dear heavens, the vice-leader's been killed!"
"Lin Miao, as formidable as he was, just got taken out in a blink!"
The Tiger Claw Gang members were in an uproar, their cries filling the air.
"You—" Lee Fala, witnessing his trusted lieutenant Lin Miao being effortlessly dispatched by Chen Guo, was chilled to the bone.
"That was just the first; now for the second," Chen Guo said with a smile, once again invoking the Flying Thunder God Art to appear behind another level 10 trial challenger.
The Kingslayer thrust forward, claiming yet another life.
"You've slain trial challenger Wang Boyun and earned 2000 Slaughter Points!"
"Elder Wang Boyun has fallen too!"
"He's decapitating our leadership!"
"But he's just too swift; we can't even keep up with his shadow!"
"He's like a streak of golden lightning!"
Members of the Tiger Claw Gang were in utter panic, scattering in all directions like headless flies, casting their skills in desperation.
But to no avail.
Chen Guo relentlessly executed the Flying Thunder God Art, taking out the Tiger Claw Gang's top brass one by one. His goal was to instill a deep-seated terror, to suffuse their hearts with the dread of death.
"You've slain trial challenger Zhao Waner, earning 2000 Slaughter Points!"
"You've slain trial challenger Lin Dong, racking up another 2000 Slaughter Points!"
"You've taken down Xie Ding, gaining 2000 Slaughter Points!"
One by one, the Tiger Claw Gang's elite fell to Chen Guo's relentless onslaught, utterly powerless to resist.
The trial challengers attempting to encircle Chen Guo soon realized the futility of their efforts. His movements were too quick—vanishing and reappearing in the blink of an eye. They couldn't even catch sight of him, let alone land a hit.
Like an arrow attempting to strike a meteor—it's an impossible feat!
Chen Guo was that meteor!
The scent of death permeated the battlefield, and every member of the Tiger Claw Gang felt the chilling embrace of the grim reaper, their hearts pounding with the fear of imminent demise.
Chen Guo had become the embodiment of their utmost terror.
"Golden light, golden demon, we stand no chance against him. I want to go home, I need to go home!"
"Let's surrender, Boss! I just want to survive!"
"Boss Guangcheng, please forgive my transgressions. I dare not oppose you any longer!"
Many collapsed, weeping uncontrollably.
As Lee Fala watched his gang's leaders fall one by one, he knew his turn was approaching.
Lee Fala didn't want to die.
Nor did he want to lose.
But faced with the choice between death and defeat, he couldn't have it both ways. He had to decide.
And without surprise, he chose defeat.
"We surrender! I offer the surrender of Beginner Village No.10733!"
Lee Fala's voice boomed, and in that moment, time seemed to stand still.
"Beginner Village No. 10733 has elected to surrender!"
"Victory goes to Beginner Village No. 996!"
"Fifty percent of the resources from Beginner Village No. 10733 now belong to Beginner Village No. 996. The Explorer has been instrumental in this outcome, securing the lion's share of the spoils!"
"All members of Beginner Village No. 10733 will face the vanquished's penalty: a deduction of 200 attribute points. Those lacking sufficient attribute points will suffer a loss of life points. And for those without enough life points, annihilation awaits!"
"The bond between Beginner Village No. 996 and Beginner Village No. 10733 is severed. The merging of time and space has concluded!"