Chapter 1297: Are All the People Here?

"Heh, I didn't expect you to be so direct and to the point. In that case, I won't beat around the bush either. I understand the purpose of your visit: you covet the Beast Emperor's power legacy within me.

However, there's one thing I don't understand. You are not one of my beast kin, nor are you a native cultivator of the extreme northern wilderness. Why would you desire the Beast Emperor's power within me? This power doesn't seem capable of providing you with a significant enough boost, as you don't possess a beast bloodline. You wouldn't be able to absorb this power of mine.

Moreover, this power contains a part of my unique memories and is maintained by the Beast Emperor lineage. Even if you forcibly extract this power from my body, the Beast Emperor clan would immediately sense it if my spiritual power were shattered. You wouldn't succeed in your scheme, nor would you be able to absorb this power into your own body.

So, I'm very curious: why exactly do you want this power? If you intend to use it to threaten the entire Beast Emperor clan's dominion, I will absolutely not let you succeed. Even if I have to immolate myself and destroy this inherited power right here, I would never allow an outsider like you to seize it."

Crocodile King Venerable put on a composed facade, but to Xu Yang's team, it was nothing more than a joke. Faced with the overwhelming strength of Xu Yang's team, even the previously fierce Tiger King Venerable had eventually been forced to bow his head. The Crocodile King Venerable, however, likely still didn't fully grasp the extent of Xu Yang's team's power. Consequently, he harbored special illusions about his host status, vainly hoping to repel Xu Yang's team by leveraging his perceived advantages of timing and terrain. Xu Yang, of course, saw through his psychology. He chose the opportune moment to stop talking, opting instead for a more effective display of deterrence.

As expected, in the very next moment, Xu Yang gently closed his eyes. The boundless aquatic energy within the lake beneath his feet began to surge wildly. All the water currents and waves started to respond to Xu Yang's spiritual energy fluctuations, undergoing astonishing transformations. Under the guidance of this energy and soul power, they rapidly converged beneath Xu Yang's feet, then lifted him into the air. This single action completely stunned everyone present, including the Crocodile King Venerable and the powerful warriors of the crocodile clan he had brought with him. They were all utterly petrified by the sight.

"No! This is impossible! This is our territory; the entire lake is supported by our unique bloodline power. How could it be controlled by this individual?" Seeing Xu Yang's action, the Crocodile King Venerable instinctively grew serious. "It seems this human truly possesses strength that cannot be underestimated. His method suggests fundamental control over water elements, which greatly deviates from our previous expectations. We might not be able to rely on our territorial advantage to exert sufficient pressure on him. We must change our battle strategy. Convey my order: gather all combat forces within the region; powerful tribal warriors are to assemble here and launch an encirclement attack against these foreign invaders. Furthermore, we must be prepared for any eventuality. If their combat strength surpasses our imagination, crocodile warriors must take precautionary measures and withdraw from the battlefield in advance if necessary. Even if I must sacrifice myself in the end, our crocodile clan's leadership within this region absolutely cannot be jeopardized. We must ensure that enough warriors survive and leave the battlefield."

It must be said that the Crocodile King Venerable's words at that moment somewhat astonished Xu Yang. He truly hadn't expected that the Crocodile King Venerable, facing death, could maintain such a clear mind and plan for his team's future. This quality alone far surpassed the opportunistic second and third leaders of the Tiger King clan, earning him Xu Yang's well-deserved respect.

"I must admit, you are a competent leader," Xu Yang stated. "However, I must warn you: it would be best not to make a wrong decision in front of us. Such a choice would doom the future of all races in your entire region. You need to carefully consider the consequences of provoking me."

Xu Yang's words posed a significant threat to the surrounding aquatic warriors, yet they did not give up. Instead, they all lined up one by one as per the Crocodile King Venerable's command. In the center of the lake region, they formed circle after circle of unique battle formations. Each layer of the formation encompassed a powerful aquatic race. Looking out, at least hundreds of thousands of aquatic warriors surrounded the central, vast lake battlefield, completely encircling Xu Yang's small team.

"Our individual strength naturally can't compare to you human prodigies," the Crocodile King Venerable declared with a hint of pride. "But our strength lies in our numbers; this advantage is something you cannot possibly overcome." He was quite confident in his charisma and leadership. After all, under his guidance as one of the Ten King Venerables, the entire lake region had flourished considerably in recent years. The Crocodile King Venerable was deeply supported and beloved by the various races. Otherwise, so many aquatic warriors wouldn't have quickly assembled at his command in such a short time. These aquatic warriors also understood the principle of "when the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold" (interdependence). If the Crocodile King Venerable fell first, it would be a fatal catastrophe for them, who sought allegiance, as he undeniably represented the strongest fighting force in the area. Warriors from these aquatic races generally weren't individually powerful. If they lost a sufficiently strong leader, they would likely fall into disarray, like scattered sand. Once in such a predicament, it would be a deadly disaster for every aquatic race.

"Heh, are all your people here now? If so, let me know anytime. I'm ready to begin, and before that, I certainly won't take advantage of you. You must assemble your strongest combat lineup. Otherwise, this battle will be a catastrophe for every single one of your races."