Ling Yi's expression shifted slightly. Ding Shijie grabbed the crystalline sword with his right hand while throwing a punch at Ling Yi's chest with his left.
At that moment, Liu Jiande steered the raft to the outskirts of the large cluster of rafts. Su Li leaped onto one of them and moved forward along the rafts. He saw Ling Yi grunt, stumbling backward while clutching the crystalline sword, his chest having taken Ding Shijie's punch.
Ding Shijie released his right hand, letting Ling Yi pull back the crystalline sword. The force of his left punch was considerable, enough to easily kill a wild ox. However, Ling Yi had already crystallized the skin on his chest in advance, neutralizing the attack. The blow only caused pain without injury, and he retreated a few steps to widen the distance from Ding Shijie, his face grim as he realized he was facing an expert.
On the thirty-first-floor balcony, Jiang Shuijue's eyes flickered with a hint of surprise. She had noticed Su Li and felt quite astonished.
She never expected Su Li and Ding Shijie to appear together here, and Ding Shijie had just struck Ling Yi back, saving the intruders on the raft. This made her deeply uncomfortable, and she naturally assumed Su Li was also an accomplice of these invaders.
With that thought, she bit her lip slightly, feeling she shouldn't have helped Su Li against the Blood Crystal Beast earlier. She hadn't expected to aid an ingrate.
"Boss, you're finally here." The people on the large raft greeted Ding Shijie respectfully. Among them, a man with a long sword wound across his chest, pale and frowning, clutched his chest and gritted his teeth. "Boss, this woman doesn't know what's good for her. She refused to join us and even spoke rudely, attacking us by surprise. Not only did she wound me, but Old Zhang was also hurt by them earlier."
The man called Old Zhang was the one who had climbed onto another raft earlier, around thirty years old, with a long sword wound across his chest. The first scream Su Li had heard came from him.
That sword wound was also Ling Yi's doing.
Hearing this, Ding Shijie's face darkened completely. He glanced at Ling Yi, then looked up at Jiang Shuijue and the others standing on the thirty-first-floor balcony.
Gu Mingfeng, who had fallen into the water, climbed back onto another raft. Protected by his rock-like skin, he had taken two hits but remained uninjured.
Jiang Shuijue exerted a little force with her hands, vaulting over the thirty-first-floor balcony and landing steadily on a raft. Ling Yi retreated to her side, and Gu Mingfeng, who had just gotten up, moved to her other side, gripping his giant iron hammer tightly, ready for battle.
On the large balcony above, the others saw the situation turning sour and jumped down, occupying three rafts in front. Each held a weapon, staring warily at Ding Shijie, Su Li, and the others. Clearly, they were from the Jinhui Center Building, Jiang Shuijue's subordinates.
In terms of numbers, Jiang Shuijue's side had the advantage, with twelve people in total.
Ding Shijie's side, including him, had only seven, two of whom were wounded by Ling Yi's sword. Only five were truly capable of fighting.
Su Li noticed Jiang Shuijue's expression of surprise and disappointment. She gave him a deep look but then looked away, clearly mistaking him for one of Ding Shijie's men. Gu Mingfeng even glared at him and spat, obviously considering him an ungrateful turncoat, unwilling to speak to him.
Watching this, Su Li felt awkward in his position. He had initially wanted to greet Jiang Shuijue and explain, but after a moment's thought, he held back, deciding to wait and see how things unfolded.
These people didn't know Su Li, but seeing him arrive with Ding Shijie, they assumed he was Ding Shijie's follower. They glanced at him but said nothing.
Ding Shijie ignored Jiang Shuijue and the others, first nodding to his men, then pointing at Su Li. "This is my brother, Su Li. Just call him Brother Su."
"Hello, Brother Su!" The men, seeing Ding Shijie introduce Su Li so seriously, understood his importance and greeted him respectfully in unison.
Su Li felt even more awkward being addressed this way. He had come intending to help Jiang Shuijue, but now he seemed to be on the opposing side. He smiled awkwardly and said nothing.
Jiang Shuijue's expression returned to normal. She didn't look at Su Li again, focusing on Ding Shijie. "Are you the leader of the Golden Eagle Alliance?"
Ding Shijie smiled. "With everyone's support, I suppose so."
Su Li showed no surprise. He had already guessed Ding Shijie's identity, given that he was stronger than Gao Shupeng, the leader of "Golden Eagle Building 1A." Someone stronger than Gao Shupeng was likely the top figure of the Golden Eagle Alliance. Confirmation didn't surprise him.
"We have no interest in joining the Golden Eagle Alliance. Please leave." Jiang Shuijue refused him coldly.
Earlier, these men had come on behalf of the Golden Eagle Alliance, hoping the survivors of the Jinhui Center Building would join. They proposed forming an alliance to face the dangerous situation together and find a way out. Jiang Shuijue had been somewhat tempted but hesitated, asking for details about joining—rights, obligations, and so on.
When she learned that joining meant relocating from the Jinhui Center Building, with everyone split into three groups to live in Golden Eagle Building 1A, 1B, and the Shimao Center Building, she flatly refused.
During their time at the Jinhui Center Building, though there were only about twenty survivors, they had grown familiar with each other. With strong support from Gu Mingfeng and Ling Yi, Jiang Shuijue, despite being a woman, had become the leader of the building.
Now, learning that joining the Golden Eagle Alliance would scatter their group, she saw it as a clear attempt to dismantle their faction. This immediately sparked her resistance.
When Jiang Shuijue refused, the men dropped their politeness and became aggressive. Knowing Ding Shijie was nearby and would arrive soon, they felt emboldened. Seeing Jiang Shuijue's delicate appearance, they underestimated her, and the situation escalated. Old Zhang even made flirtatious remarks, prompting Ling Yi to strike, leaving a wound across his chest that nearly split it open.
Su Li had heard the first scream when Old Zhang was injured.
Jiang Shuijue, seeing Ding Shijie as the Golden Eagle Alliance leader and witnessing his skill in forcing Ling Yi back, wasn't intimidated. She had confidence in her group's strength. Her only concern was Su Li.
From the Blood Crystal Beast incident, she knew Su Li was formidable and had considered befriending him. Now, seeing him as Ding Shijie's ally, likely here to support the Golden Eagle Alliance, she felt furious but suppressed it.
After all, she had helped Su Li before, but since he seemed ungrateful, she chose not to dwell on it.
Ding Shijie, hearing Jiang Shuijue's refusal, frowned slightly, then laughed. "Are you the leader of the Jinhui Center? Can you speak for everyone?"
Gu Mingfeng interjected, "That's right. Sister Jue is our leader. Her words speak for all of us. Kid, if you know what's good for you, get lost. We won't make trouble for you. Otherwise, we'll settle this. No one in the Jinhui Center is a coward."
He tightened his grip on the giant iron hammer, exuding killing intent.
Su Li observed Jiang Shuijue and her group. They were still at level 6, not yet breaking through to level 7. He thought that if someone among them reached level 7, they might have a chance against Ding Shijie. As it stood, they likely couldn't withstand him.
Once someone reached level 7, their spirit source technique entered a second form, granting a qualitative leap in power. The gap between level 6 and level 7 was immense.
"Even if you don't want to join the Golden Eagle Alliance, there's no need to harm my brothers so severely. You're quite domineering, huh..." Ding Shijie's eyes grew cold.
Gu Mingfeng roared, "Blame your brothers for running their mouths! Ling Yi showed mercy. If it were me, I'd have smashed their heads with my hammer!"
Ding Shijie ignored him, fixing his gaze on Jiang Shuijue. "The Golden Eagle Alliance aims to unite as many forces as possible. Together, we can find a way out. It benefits everyone. Why won't you agree?"
Jiang Shuijue took a deep breath. "If it's an alliance, it should respect the other party's wishes. I've never seen anyone force others to join with violence. Please take your men and leave."
Ding Shijie sighed. "Your answer is disappointing. I don't want to use force, but time is running out. This is no longer the peaceful world it once was. These monsters grow stronger every day. No one knows what the future holds, or if the flood will become more terrifying. Tomorrow, it might completely submerge all buildings. I don't have time to drag this out. I need to consolidate as many people as possible in the shortest time."
"So... little girl, I'm sorry. I have to use force. It might be violent, bloody, and some might even die. But to achieve my goal quickly and ensure most people survive, sacrificing a few is worth it."