Chapter 372: Attacked
But the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce truly lived up to its name as the number one chamber of commerce in Great Hong. The Forbidden Arrays laid out on the tower ship were clearly the work of Array Masters.
As the experts poured all their power into them, the might of the Forbidden Arrays stacked, erupting with immense force. The intense fluctuations of power formed a vast torrent that swept the surrounding clouds clean.
The Cloud Mist Tower Ship successfully broke free from the pull of the storm's eye and charted a new course forward.
"Wonderful!"
Everyone was overjoyed. The Cultivators aboard the tower ship breathed a collective sigh of relief, realizing they had narrowly averted disaster.
"With the Chamber's capabilities, there's no disaster in these skies that can threaten our ship!"
Murong Dai chuckled softly, her gaze imperious, her voice filled with unshakable confidence.
However, the celebratory atmosphere didn't last long. A cold voice suddenly descended upon them, like a bucket of ice water dumped on their heads.
"Oh, really?"
"In that case, your Chamber of Commerce is far too naive."
The voice echoed endlessly through the fore-cabin. Startled, everyone whipped their heads around in astonishment.
A devilishly handsome man stood in the doorway, a mocking look on his face as he watched the powerful experts hidden within.
"Who are you?"
He Daoyun's expression darkened as he demanded coldly.
'At a time this dangerous, someone actually dares to just wander about?'
'And from the looks of it, his intentions are anything but good!'
"Who am I?"
The devilishly handsome man sneered. "I'm a guest of Celestial Suite One. One of your Chamber's own experts personally escorted me there, and now you have the nerve to ask who I am?"
At his words, everyone present froze, exchanging uncertain glances.
Murong Dai's face remained cold and she said nothing.
He Daoyun, however, said grimly, "Even if you are a guest of Celestial Suite One, you have no right to act so presumptuously on our Chamber's tower ship!"
Just then, however, another Elder seemed to recall something. "I... I remember now," he said, his voice laced with shock. "I think I was the one who personally escorted this guest."
"Elder Xu, you personally escorted this guest?" He Daoyun's brow furrowed. "Who is he?"
"I... I can't remember!"
But Elder Xu's face suddenly contorted in pain.
He gripped his head with both hands, his entire body trembling as if his skull were about to split open.
The bizarre sight sent a chill down everyone's spines.
"Hmph!" Murong Dai snorted and acted without hesitation.
With a flick of her finger, a streak of light shot into Elder Xu's Divine Soul.
Elder Xu slowly calmed, the color returning to his face.
"It seems you're a stowaway."
Murong Dai looked coolly at the devilishly handsome man, her voice as frigid as ancient Profound Ice. "I suggest you start talking. Tell me who you are and why you've snuck aboard our ship."
"Otherwise, the consequences of provoking the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce are more than you can bear."
The others all watched the devilishly handsome man warily.
It was obvious to everyone that this man had tampered with Elder Xu's Divine Soul, manipulating him into bringing him aboard.
"Oh, really?"
Yet, despite being the focus of so many powerful experts, the man remained perfectly unruffled. He smiled calmly. "I'd advise you to worry about surviving this current disaster first."
"Do you really think a mere thunderstorm can harm our ship?" Murong Dai chuckled, shaking her head. Her voice was filled with contempt.
They had managed to escape the eye of the storm, after all.
'For the rest of the voyage, as long as they operated the Arrays methodically and remained cautious, nothing else could possibly go wrong.'
"A thunderstorm?"
"Wrong. Your greatest threat could never be something as simple as a thunderstorm."
The man's words, however, left everyone stunned. "To be blunt, how many people on this ship survive today will depend on how you all perform."
"Are you threatening us?" Murong Dai's brow furrowed in confusion.
'Who is this man?'
'He's all alone. What gives him the audacity to threaten this entire ship?'
"You'll find out soon enough," the man said with a sinister smile.
The next moment, as if to prove his words, a tremendous roar erupted from somewhere on the ship.
The entire Cloud Mist Tower Ship shuddered as if from a powerful blow. Countless Forbidden Arrays let out a CREAKING sound and rippled with energy. The ship itself began to sway, causing many of the Cultivators aboard to cry out in alarm.
"Wh-what's going on?"
Inside the fore-cabin, the experts from the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce finally lost their composure.
Even Murong Dai's expression was now one of shock and uncertainty.
"Quickly! Send someone to see what's happened!"
He Daoyun was the first to react, shouting the order.
"There's no need."
Zhong Quanming's figure suddenly appeared in the fore-cabin. He let out a soft sigh, his voice heavy.
The others exchanged glances, clearly confused by his words.
"They're already here. Just look out the window and you'll understand."
As Zhong Quanming finished speaking, everyone rushed to the window. What they saw was a sight they would never forget.
A colossal hand made of white bone was reaching out from the thick, churning thunderclouds.
A terrifying aura of calamity emanated from the hand, exuding an intimidating power. This was what had struck the Cloud Mist Tower Ship, causing it to shudder so violently.
"Wh... what is that?!"
Everyone was frozen in place, their eyes wide with disbelief, as if they were seeing a ghost.
The hand was impossibly large, blotting out the sky. As its five fingers spread, they threatened to envelop the entire ship.
And the Cloud Mist Tower Ship was the size of a small town.
Yet beneath that massive bone hand, it looked as small and fragile as a toy.
At the same time, the clouds ahead of the ship were parted as if by an unseen blade, and countless raging thunderbolts crackled and dissipated.
A gaunt-faced, withered old man appeared, standing atop the thunderclouds and blocking the Cloud Mist Tower Ship's path.
"Halt!"
He glanced at the Cloud Mist Tower Ship before him, his body wreathed in an aura of calamity. A flicker of mockery crossed his murky eyes.
Then, he simply stretched out his withered arms and reached for the Cloud Mist Tower Ship.
BOOM!
The Cloud Mist Tower Ship's hull met with immense resistance. Unable to withstand the pressure, countless Forbidden Arrays shattered. The entire vessel rocked violently, its hull tilting so severely that it nearly capsized.
The sight left everyone stunned and speechless. The severe tilt of the deck sent them staggering, unable to keep their footing.