บท 5: conflict

 Instantly, the people around were extremely wary of this mysterious Alice, with their eyes full of vigilance and inquisitiveness, as if she were a mysterious monster emerging from the dark abyss. Yesterday, when Alice broke the seal, she actually advanced to the seventh level of the Spirit Adept in one go. The surging spiritual power within her was like a raging river. The reason why everyone couldn't see through her cultivation level was that Caesar had given her a bracelet. That bracelet was like a magical treasure, possessing the wonderful power to conceal her cultivation level, perfectly hiding her true strength. Generally speaking, if one couldn't see through a person's cultivation level, either that person was an ordinary mortal without any spiritual power, or their cultivation level was so profound that it was far above others'. Since there was spiritual power fluctuation on Alice, everyone naturally guessed that her strength must be unfathomable and at least far surpassed theirs. And this was exactly the effect Alice desired! Alice coldly glanced at the furious and beautiful girl, her eyes like sharp blades, and said with contempt, "Who do you think you are? How dare you be so rude to me?" Her voice echoed in the air, bone - chillingly cold, as if carrying the chill from the Nine Nether Hells. The girl was immediately at a loss for words, as if her throat was being choked, and couldn't say a thing for a long while. The look she gave Alice was full of venom, as if she wanted to devour Alice alive and tear her bones apart to relieve her hatred. "Don't be so arrogant, miss. My father is the head of the Sullivan family, one of the three great families in the Augustus Empire, and I am the legitimate daughter of the Sullivan family, Irina! If I'm nothing, then what are you?" Irina gritted her teeth, her eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and pride. She tried to suppress Alice with the glory of her family and regain her dignity. Alice sneered and said with disdain, "What is it? The Sullivan family? Hmph, never heard of it." Her tone was full of contempt, as if the Sullivan family was just an insignificant existence in her eyes. After saying that, Alice raised her hand and waved it. Several tender green leaves seemed to come to life, hovering side by side in the air, trembling slightly and emitting a mysterious aura. She casually looked around at everyone, her eyes like a haughty queen surveying her subjects, and said slowly, "I was wandering around here and sensed the signs of a divine beast about to be born, so I came to investigate. But there are some reckless people who are so rude to me..." Suddenly, her eyes turned cold like the harshest winter wind, making people shudder. "If anyone dares to make me unhappy again, don't blame me for being ruthless. Destroying the Sullivan family in the Augustus Empire is just a piece of cake for me." Her words were like a cold judgment, each word carrying endless authority and murderous intent. After finishing speaking, Alice snapped her fingers lightly, with a "click" sound that was particularly abrupt in the tense atmosphere. In an instant, those several tender green leaves shot towards Mr. Sullivan and Irina like arrows leaving the bow, immediately surrounding them and forming a green encirclement, emitting a dangerous aura. Mr. Sullivan was horrified, his face turning as pale as paper in an instant. He just wanted to quickly pull Irina away, but it was already too late. The leaves were as fast as lightning. "Boom! Boom! Boom!" A deafening series of intense explosions rang out, and flames shot up into the sky as if they were going to tear the sky apart. The brilliant flames were like the claws of a devil, wantonly devouring everything around. As the thick smoke gradually dissipated, Mr. Sullivan and Irina were seen in a sorry state. Their robes were burned black and tattered, like rags that had been burned by fire. Their hair was also scorched and curled, sticking together and emitting a pungent smell of burning. They used their arms to protect their faces, but their arms were also blackened, faintly showing signs of burns. Mr. Sullivan had the cultivation level of the eighth level of the Spirit King. Under this wave of attacks, his injuries weren't too serious. But Irina only had the cultivation level of the sixth level of the Spirit Master. She was as fragile as a delicate flower facing a violent storm, and her injuries were much more serious. She was on the verge of fainting, as if she would pass out at any moment. Alice looked at this scene and couldn't help but feel a bit regretful. It seemed that the spiritual power in this world was really wonderful and powerful. She originally thought that this ultimate move could have taken most of their lives, but unexpectedly, it only left them injured. This made her determination to become stronger even firmer, like a burning flame in her heart that would never go out. Hidden in a corner, Caesar saw this scene and couldn't help but slightly raise his eyebrows. A trace of surprise flashed in his deep eyes. The corner of his cold mouth slightly curved up in an imperceptible arc, as if he was a bit surprised and appreciative of Alice's means. But in the next moment, his brows suddenly furrowed again, as if he had sensed something was wrong. Looking from a distance, a trace of blood could be seen oozing from the corner of Alice's mouth under the face scarf. The bright red color was particularly eye - catching on the white face scarf, like a red plum blossom blooming on the snow. Injured... Caesar's heart tightened. Presumably, using such a powerful spell would come at a certain cost. This reckless woman didn't cherish her own body at all! He felt a bit stuffy in his heart for no reason, as if a huge rock was pressing on it, making it a bit difficult for him to breathe. It must be because she didn't cherish her own body that he had this strange feeling. The more Caesar thought about it, the more he felt it was the case. Finally, he put on a solemn face, emitting a cold air all over his body, as if the air around him was going to freeze. Mercury, who was behind him, felt this cold air and couldn't help but silently rub his hands, trying to dispel the chill. At this moment, Alice was standing with her hands behind her back, her posture as straight as a pine tree, looking haughtily at the embarrassed Mr. Sullivan and his daughter, her eyes full of contempt and ridicule. "I just used a little trick and you two are in such a mess. You useless people, do you think you're worthy of my attention?" Her voice was like a cold sword, stabbing directly at the dignity of the Sullivan father and daughter. A trace of sinister look flashed in Mr. Sullivan's eyes. He bit his teeth, slightly lowered his头, and clasped his hands respectfully in a junior's salute. His attitude became extremely respectful, as if his previous anger and pride had been thrown out of the window. "I was overestimating myself and offended you, miss. I hope you can be magnanimous and not bother with a small person like me." His voice carried a trace of tremor, obviously still in fear of Alice's手段. Alice heard this and gave a cold laugh, the sound of which was like the hooting of a night owl, making people's hair stand on end. She sharply swept her eyes like lightning towards Irina, and the oppressive feeling in her eyes made Irina almost unable to breathe. "Is this how you educate your daughter?" Her implication was obvious, that is, she wanted Irina to apologize to her as well. Mr. Sullivan immediately understood and gave Irina a fierce glare, giving her a stern look. Irina bit her lip, a trace of humiliation and unwillingness flashing in her eyes. But under her father's coercion, she could only say weakly, "I was reckless and offended you, miss. I'm sorry." Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzzing, but it was clearly audible in the quiet environment. "Kneel down." Alice's voice, which was indistinguishable between male and female, rang out, with an air of indisputable authority, as if it were an order from a god that could not be disobeyed. Irina tightly clenched her hand hidden under her sleeve, her nails digging deeply into her flesh, and blood slowly seeped out, but she didn't feel any pain. How could she kneel down in front of so many people? If she did, her dignity and face would be completely gone. How could she ever hold her head up in front of others in the future? Alice's gaze swept towards Irina like a knife, her eyes getting even colder. "Kneel or not?" Her voice was like the whisper of the Grim Reaper, each word hitting Irina's soul. Mr. Sullivan sensed the undisguised murderous intent in Alice's eyes and felt a chill in his heart. He gritted his teeth, hardened his heart, and pushed Irina down. With a "plop" sound, Irina knelt heavily on the ground, as if it was the sound of her dignity shattering. "My daughter is young and ignorant and offended you. Please forgive her, miss." Mr. Sullivan put on a forced smile, but that smile was uglier than crying. Irina knelt on the ground, her face full of humiliation, her eyes burning with angry flames, but she dared not say a word. Her body was slightly trembling, and the hatred for Alice in her heart was growing like wild grass. Alice saw her expression and couldn't help but feel some of her resentment dissipate, like a gust of wind blowing away some of the haze. She slightly lowered her eyes, a trace of ruthlessness flashing in them. Irina, this is just the beginning, just the interest you deserve. There's more to come for you. "Hmm." Alice casually hummed and then slowly walked to a big tree not far away. She leaned against the tree, crossed her arms, bent her right leg, and leaned lazily on the tree, as if what had just happened had nothing to do with her. She was just a bystander. At this time, many people rolled their eyes, each with their own ulterior motives. After hesitating for a while, they finally summoned up the courage to step forward and ask. "Judging from your tone, you're not from our Augustus Empire, are you?" A seemingly clever young man asked carefully, his eyes full of curiosity and temptation. Alice casually glanced at him and said in a flat tone, "Naturally." Her answer was concise and clear, without any extra information. Many people wanted to extract some useful information from Alice, but Alice skillfully evaded their questions without showing any signs, and also gave them a warning, making their eager thoughts calm down like a flame being extinguished by cold water. Just then, more and more teams were rushing towards this side. The noisy footsteps and shouts intertwined, breaking the original silence. Alice slightly narrowed her eyes, calculating in her heart. The half an hour she had estimated had arrived, and the divine beast was about to be born! The moment she stood up straight, the beasts around seemed to be summoned by some mysterious force and began to riot crazily. They bared their fangs and brandished their claws, with bloodthirsty glints in their eyes, continuously launching fierce attacks on the human teams. In an instant, the originally peaceful forest was plunged into chaos. The shouts of killing, the roars of beasts, and the screams of people intertwined, as if playing a symphony of death. Alice saw this and lightly tapped her toes. Her figure leaped up like a flying swallow and landed steadily on the branch of a big tree. She crouched halfway, like a cheetah ready to pounce, quietly waiting for the further development of the situation. "Roar!" "Roar!" The successive roars of the beasts were deafening, as if they were going to shake the sky down. "Kill! The beast tide is coming, and the divine beast is about to appear!" Someone shouted loudly, with a mixture of excitement and nervousness in their voice. Suddenly, a huge snow wolf appeared in front of everyone. Its huge body was like a small mountain, and its snow - white fur shone dazzlingly in the sunlight. It raised its head and howled, "How dare you lowly ants covet my king!" The sound was like the ringing of a huge bell, echoing in the air. This is a sacred beast! Everyone was shocked. Sacred beasts already possess extremely high intelligence and can speak human language, and their strength is unfathomable. Many Spirit King powerhouses, and even some Spirit Emperor powerhouses, took action one after another. They cast various powerful spiritual spells, with colorful lights flashing in the air, attacking those several sacred beasts. Just when the two sides were in the heat of the battle, suddenly, a powerful and blinding white light burst out from the cave. The light was like the explosion of the sun, instantly blasting away the people and beasts around the cave. The powerful impact was like a surging wave, sweeping everything away. The sky was covered with dark clouds, like black huge waves rolling. The wind and clouds were surging, as if the whole world was sinking into a dark vortex. The crackling sound of thunder rang in the ears, and the sound was soul - shaking. Each bolt of lightning was like a whip wielded by a god, containing the power to destroy the heaven and the earth. The divine beast was about to undergo the thunder tribulation! Everyone felt a sense of awe in their hearts, and at the same time, they were full of anticipation. At this critical moment, the big tree where Alice was located was split by the strong gust of wind. The sharp wind blades were like the scythes of the Grim Reaper, mercilessly cutting the big tree. Alice's body instantly lost balance and fell straight towards the ground. Just when she was about to use her movement technique to land in the most appropriate way, a strong and muscular iron arm stretched out like lightning and tightly wrapped around her waist. She involuntarily fell into a pair of arms that emitted a fresh and unique scent. Alice subconsciously looked up and saw his perfectly chiseled jawline. That chin was like the chin of a god in ancient Greek mythology, firm and charming. "Caesar..." Alice was shocked. How could it be him? Wasn't he supposed to be staying at the bottom of the cliff? Caesar looked down at her, a trace of reproach flashing in his deep eyes, and said coldly, "With such a low cultivation level, you dare to come to this dangerous place? Do you think your life is too long and you're looking for death?" His voice was like a cold wind, blowing Alice a bit dizzy. Alice was just about to open her mouth to refute when Caesar pushed her away as if he was disgusted with her. Alice was speechless: "..." Seeing that she didn't say anything, Caesar coughed lightly to ease the awkward atmosphere. "Do you want the divine beast?" He had a trace of doubt in his eyes, not understanding what this seemingly weak but mysterious woman was planning. "I just came to have a look." Alice gave him a sideways glance, muttering to herself. She came here, first to see the divine beast's appearance, and second to teach that white lotus Irina a lesson. As for the divine beast, she didn't plan to have it. After all, raising a divine beast is not an easy thing. It requires a large amount of spirit herbs, spirit medicines, and miraculous pills. Others might be able to afford it, but she was as poor as a church mouse and couldn't afford it at all! Those were all precious things! Caesar frowned, a trace of confusion showing in his eyes, and asked, "Why not?" In his opinion, the divine beast was a coveted treasure for countless people, but this woman didn't seem interested in it, which surprised him. At this moment, Caesar was secretly speculating whether she wanted a more advanced super divine beast? Indeed, for some powerhouses, the divine beast might seem a bit low - level, but with her current cultivation level and spiritual power, she should not be able to match a super divine beast.