Published: February 13, 2025
The shadow of the last defeat once again loomed over everyone's hearts with Xia Lei's words.
It is true that Cloud Summit is strong now, with a number of top-tier existences that are unmatched not only in the national district but also across the globe. No other power can look down upon the world like Cloud Summit Villa does.
However, every high-level member of Cloud Summit knows that their strength is built on the solid foundation laid down by the boss. Even after Ye Zhongming left, the surge of top-tier life forms was a result of the immense wealth he left behind.
Looking at the current situation, while the number of top-tier beings is still increasing, the speed of growth has clearly slowed down.
Of course, this is mainly due to everyone's focus being diverted to the coastal issues, but it is also a fact that without the boss's magical hand, the probability of obtaining the evolution potion has decreased significantly.
Additionally, high-level magic crystals are hard currency in the apocalypse. When Ye Zhongming was on Earth, many things did not require spending magic crystals, such as various types of equipment. Now, however, they must allocate large sums of money for these, which has simultaneously drained a lot of wealth.
Moreover, the establishment of the Cloud Summit Technology Department is another money-burning endeavor. The advanced knowledge Ye Zhongming brought from the heavens has cost a fortune in the learning, research, and manufacturing processes.
This expenditure is even greater than that of the gene life laboratory and the magic crystal weapon laboratory combined.
Only the wealthy of Cloud Summit can afford this; if it were another organization, they would likely have been crushed by astronomical research costs long ago.
At present, everyone has not seen significant results, but it is expected that Master Le will soon present a batch of cutting-edge technology. However, this cannot instill confidence in the entire battle.
After all, the demon whale is not an ordinary monster; it is an entity capable of defeating powerful life forms of the same level as Cloud Summit in just minutes, and it is recognized as the most formidable existence on Earth today.
Engaging such an entity does not guarantee a win; even if they emerge victorious, the losses could be immense, and many lives could be lost.
This persistent anxiety is felt by everyone.
Another point that cannot be ignored is that the number of sea monsters is vast, many times more than humans, and there are plenty of high-level beings among them—definitely not fewer than those in Cloud Summit. Otherwise, they would not have been delayed in rescuing Chisel Fang.
Since the demon whale was able to take down a top-tier life form through such means the first time, it can do the same in the next battle.
They might even create opportunities if none exist; the lives of those under the demon whale are far less precious than those in Cloud Summit.
Seeing the atmosphere turn silent, Xia Lei realized everyone's concerns and lightly clapped her hands, saying, "Let's talk about the potions first. If Uncle Da Qian doesn’t want it, then who should receive it?"
The members who had not become core members of the nine-star evolvers were naturally tempted, but no one spoke up. Firstly, they felt their contributions were similar, and no one dared to claim they could stand out. Secondly, Xia Lei is known for her fairness; whoever she chooses will have her reasons, and everyone will simply listen.
The room fell silent again until Xia Lei smiled and said, "Then I’ve decided to give it to Teacher Park. I’m actually looking forward to how terrifying a top-tier medical practitioner will be after receiving the nine-star evolution potion."
Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, feeling it was the best decision. Park Soo-young was one of the earliest members of Cloud Summit, quietly providing various medical assistance on the battlefield over the years. She and her medical team had saved countless lives, and such a person deserves a bottle of the nine-star evolution potion.