The stage was set.
All the players were in place, and it was time for the castle to fall.
In the Guardian Tower, Zhong Feng was alone in the server room with unusual intensity in his eyes. Lines of code flew across the screen as he sat in an ergonomic chair. If anyone saw him, they would not believe that he was one of the most powerful men in the world.
At this moment, he was a hacker. His only focus was digging through the secrets of Martial Island. He wanted to unravel all their channels and make sure that no skeleton was left in the closet.
If Hu Lei were at the scene, she would be tempted to pounce on Zhong Feng. No, she would definitely pounce on him. She could not resist his appearance when he was concentrating on something important, especially his techie stuff.
Zhong Feng's lips quirked into a small smile as he continued taking apart the data hidden by the elite families and the Guardians. The information was covertly sent to his liaisons in a few world government agencies.
He believed that Taiki's plan to involve the international court would work. The plan was quite solid because it was meant to force the elite families and other key individuals on Martial Island to take responsibility for their crimes against humanity.
However, Zhong Feng was not naïve enough to believe that things would go well.
He had dealt with the international court when he was trying to destroy the International Health Alliance. He put a lot of effort, skill and money into making sure that the crooks paid for their part in Hu Lei's suffering.
But he failed.
Even without Yuan Haoran's protection, the board members were able to escape from the international court. The only good thing that happened was the death of those vile people at the hands of Frank. Of course, it would have been better if they were prosecuted first.
Therefore, Zhong Feng was not willing to put his eggs in one basket.
If the international court failed, Martial Island would still not be able to recover under the watchful eye of numerous government agencies. And Zhong Feng was kind enough to provide complete details about countless issues, including the geographical position of Martial Island.
Sadly, he could not find anything about the secondary island. It seemed that it was a closely guarded secret, even for the Guardians.
Zhong Feng did not know why he was invested in this little project, even though it had nothing to do with him. Moreover, he was also technically helping his enemy, even though they somewhat resolved their differences.
Perhaps, he had been infected by the Hu Lei adventure bug. His smile widened, creating an ethereal image. It was a shame that no one was there to see the magnificent appearance.
In another place, Hu Lei was facing off three people while a few of Yuan Haoran's minions ushered a few famous reporters into a chopper.
The three people were special Guardians who were only summoned during the Triennial Championships. Their work was to prevent the exposure of Martial Island to the world. And more importantly, they were the ones who took charge of the secondary island.
Simply speaking, once the championships ended, they were responsible for making sure that the losers were sent to be miners on the radioactive rock. They would also exchange favours with elite families if they needed to dispose of someone cleanly.
They had once done it to Yuan Haoran by making a deal with his father. Jiang Yinuo was taken in because she was at the wrong place and at the wrong time.
"You are not a match for us." One of the Guardians looked at Hu Lei with contempt.
Hu Lei was not fazed. "You will not know until you try."
"You are a mere child from the inferior outside world." Another Guardian added with equal disgust as his companion.
"I know you are trying to act dignified, but you are just being pathetic. If you think that you can fight me and stop the people behind, you should go ahead and do it." Hu Lei said.
A long moment passed before the woman who spoke contemptuously at Hu Lei moved like a flash and appeared beside Hu Lei. She had a complacent expression as if she expected to finish off her opponent with a single blow.
She did not use a weapon, just her powerful fist.
The ominous fist came directly at Hu Lei's face. It seemed like the woman intended to end Hu Lei while disfiguring her. Her face even turned into a smile just as she was about to hit her opponent in the face.
The sight was frightening for both Yuan Haoran's men and the reporters. The other two Guardians did not move because they believed that their companion would resolve the situation posthaste, and they would deal with the reporters as they did with other problems in the past.
However, things did not go as anyone expected.
At the final moment, Hu Lei turned her body to the side, causing the Guardian to miss her target. Moreover, the slight movement by Hu Lei forced the other woman to move forward with the momentum.
Before she could recover as expected, Hu Lei kicked her right on her bottom with a firm foot. She was wearing tough black boots and she did not hold back her strength. Therefore, her kick was tough on the Guardian's coccyx.
But more than anything, the entire scene was humiliating for this regal and powerful woman.
Of course, the biggest movement on Martial Island was on the competition grounds.
The Arena was silent as the men in black walked through the large space with weapons. They looked ready to shoot anyone who moved or even looked at them in the wrong way. Their faces were exposed, showing that they were unafraid of retaliation.
At first, the people in the Arena thought that the attack was by a small group that hoped to make a spectacle during the Triennial Championships. Even Martial Island was not lacking in political activists, although they were not dramatic.
However, the competitors, the guests and the residents quickly realised that the attack was well-planned and orchestrated. The men who appeared from the main entrance were not alone.
As soon as they entered the internal area, they were joined by their companions in a similar style of dress from the side entrances. Within moments, the entire place was crawling with the intruders.
Moreover, the intruders were quite organised and efficient.
Before anyone could react, they had each taken control of all the sections of the Arena. Their careful planning made sure that no one could make a move without the fear of losing their lives. It was clear that the occurrence was not a spur of the moment decision.
They were prepared to take down Martial Island.
However, not everyone was worried about the current predicament of the island, despite the bleak state of things. People like the heads of the elite clans had weathered a lot of storms and believed that their proud land would stand.
In the history of Martial Island, there had been times when their security was threatened. It was impossible for a place with an invaluable resource like the elixir of life to be always safe and secure. After all, everyone wanted power, health and long life.
The threats were both internal and external.
And through it all, Martial Island remained without shaking.
At one point, one of the founding families, the Ji clan, had decided that they deserved more power than they were afforded. Their legacy was like that of a wuxia novel, with all the twists and turns of a cultivation world.
Their role in the establishment of Martial Island was not small.
The Ji clan was responsible for discovering the secondary island and the rare material. It was serendipitous for them, but they believed that luck was also part of one's power. Of course, the true story was not so simple.
At the time, Martial Island was just an entertainment spot where gladiators and other champions fought for life and money. The affluent people funded the activities and the poor came to try their luck.
The Ji clan was among those that funded the place for entertainment. The patriarch at the time was obsessed with martial arts and required all his descendants to train. Therefore, he was at the forefront of promoting Martial Island.
As for how they found the secondary island, the information came from a small village that was once native to Martial Island. The small group did not bother with external activities, even when their home transformed.
They were content to live their lives as free and untethered people, rejecting the vicissitudes of life.
However, someone from the Ji clan learned about their secret when he was injured and taken to the village for care. He realised that the villagers looked young and vibrant, and their strength was almost inhuman.
His suspicions grew as he had an inkling that he was talking to immortals.
The stage was set.
All the players were in place, and it was time for the castle to fall.
In the Guardian Tower, Zhong Feng was alone in the server room with unusual intensity in his eyes. Lines of code flew across the screen as he sat in an ergonomic chair. If anyone saw him, they would not believe that he was one of the most powerful men in the world.
At this moment, he was a hacker. His only focus was digging through the secrets of Martial Island. He wanted to unravel all their channels and make sure that no skeleton was left in the closet.
If Hu Lei were at the scene, she would be tempted to pounce on Zhong Feng. No, she would definitely pounce on him. She could not resist his appearance when he was concentrating on something important, especially his techie stuff.
Zhong Feng's lips quirked into a small smile as he continued taking apart the data hidden by the elite families and the Guardians. The information was covertly sent to his liaisons in a few world government agencies.
He believed that Taiki's plan to involve the international court would work. The plan was quite solid because it was meant to force the elite families and other key individuals on Martial Island to take responsibility for their crimes against humanity.
However, Zhong Feng was not naïve enough to believe that things would go well.
He had dealt with the international court when he was trying to destroy the International Health Alliance. He put a lot of effort, skill and money into making sure that the crooks paid for their part in Hu Lei's suffering.
But he failed.
Even without Yuan Haoran's protection, the board members were able to escape from the international court. The only good thing that happened was the death of those vile people at the hands of Frank. Of course, it would have been better if they were prosecuted first.
Therefore, Zhong Feng was not willing to put his eggs in one basket.
If the international court failed, Martial Island would still not be able to recover under the watchful eye of numerous government agencies. And Zhong Feng was kind enough to provide complete details about countless issues, including the geographical position of Martial Island.
Sadly, he could not find anything about the secondary island. It seemed that it was a closely guarded secret, even for the Guardians.
Zhong Feng did not know why he was invested in this little project, even though it had nothing to do with him. Moreover, he was also technically helping his enemy, even though they somewhat resolved their differences.
Perhaps, he had been infected by the Hu Lei adventure bug. His smile widened, creating an ethereal image. It was a shame that no one was there to see the magnificent appearance.
In another place, Hu Lei was facing off three people while a few of Yuan Haoran's minions ushered a few famous reporters into a chopper.
The three people were special Guardians who were only summoned during the Triennial Championships. Their work was to prevent the exposure of Martial Island to the world. And more importantly, they were the ones who took charge of the secondary island.
Simply speaking, once the championships ended, they were responsible for making sure that the losers were sent to be miners on the radioactive rock. They would also exchange favours with elite families if they needed to dispose of someone cleanly.
They had once done it to Yuan Haoran by making a deal with his father. Jiang Yinuo was taken in because she was at the wrong place and at the wrong time.
"You are not a match for us." One of the Guardians looked at Hu Lei with contempt.
Hu Lei was not fazed. "You will not know until you try."
"You are a mere child from the inferior outside world." Another Guardian added with equal disgust as his companion.
"I know you are trying to act dignified, but you are just being pathetic. If you think that you can fight me and stop the people behind, you should go ahead and do it." Hu Lei said.
A long moment passed before the woman who spoke contemptuously at Hu Lei moved like a flash and appeared beside Hu Lei. She had a complacent expression as if she expected to finish off her opponent with a single blow.
She did not use a weapon, just her powerful fist.
The ominous fist came directly at Hu Lei's face. It seemed like the woman intended to end Hu Lei while disfiguring her. Her face even turned into a smile just as she was about to hit her opponent in the face.
The sight was frightening for both Yuan Haoran's men and the reporters. The other two Guardians did not move because they believed that their companion would resolve the situation posthaste, and they would deal with the reporters as they did with other problems in the past.
However, things did not go as anyone expected.
At the final moment, Hu Lei turned her body to the side, causing the Guardian to miss her target. Moreover, the slight movement by Hu Lei forced the other woman to move forward with the momentum.
Before she could recover as expected, Hu Lei kicked her right on her bottom with a firm foot. She was wearing tough black boots and she did not hold back her strength. Therefore, her kick was tough on the Guardian's coccyx.
But more than anything, the entire scene was humiliating for this regal and powerful woman.
Of course, the biggest movement on Martial Island was on the competition grounds.
The Arena was silent as the men in black walked through the large space with weapons. They looked ready to shoot anyone who moved or even looked at them in the wrong way. Their faces were exposed, showing that they were unafraid of retaliation.
At first, the people in the Arena thought that the attack was by a small group that hoped to make a spectacle during the Triennial Championships. Even Martial Island was not lacking in political activists, although they were not dramatic.
However, the competitors, the guests and the residents quickly realised that the attack was well-planned and orchestrated. The men who appeared from the main entrance were not alone.
As soon as they entered the internal area, they were joined by their companions in a similar style of dress from the side entrances. Within moments, the entire place was crawling with the intruders.
Moreover, the intruders were quite organised and efficient.
Before anyone could react, they had each taken control of all the sections of the Arena. Their careful planning made sure that no one could make a move without the fear of losing their lives. It was clear that the occurrence was not a spur of the moment decision.
They were prepared to take down Martial Island.
However, not everyone was worried about the current predicament of the island, despite the bleak state of things. People like the heads of the elite clans had weathered a lot of storms and believed that their proud land would stand.
In the history of Martial Island, there had been times when their security was threatened. It was impossible for a place with an invaluable resource like the elixir of life to be always safe and secure. After all, everyone wanted power, health and long life.
The threats were both internal and external.
And through it all, Martial Island remained without shaking.
At one point, one of the founding families, the Ji clan, had decided that they deserved more power than they were afforded. Their legacy was like that of a wuxia novel, with all the twists and turns of a cultivation world.
Their role in the establishment of Martial Island was not small.
The Ji clan was responsible for discovering the secondary island and the rare material. It was serendipitous for them, but they believed that luck was also part of one's power. Of course, the true story was not so simple.
At the time, Martial Island was just an entertainment spot where gladiators and other champions fought for life and money. The affluent people funded the activities and the poor came to try their luck.
The Ji clan was among those that funded the place for entertainment. The patriarch at the time was obsessed with martial arts and required all his descendants to train. Therefore, he was at the forefront of promoting Martial Island.
As for how they found the secondary island, the information came from a small village that was once native to Martial Island. The small group did not bother with external activities, even when their home transformed.
They were content to live their lives as free and untethered people, rejecting the vicissitudes of life.
However, someone from the Ji clan learned about their secret when he was injured and taken to the village for care. He realised that the villagers looked young and vibrant, and their strength was almost inhuman.
His suspicions grew as he had an inkling that he was talking to immortals.
