Chapter 373: Besieged
It all happened too suddenly, too unexpectedly.
The aura emanating from the old man was simply terrifying, tearing through the surrounding thunderclouds. Deafening roars echoed in all directions, creating a shocking scene.
"Quick! Activate the protective Forbidden Arrays!"
He Daoyun was stunned for a moment. As one of the few Chamber of Commerce Elders on the tower ship, he quickly recovered and barked out the order.
Piles upon piles of Spirit Crystals were thrown into the various Forbidden Arrays as if they were worthless. The Chamber of Commerce's experts, drenched in sweat, desperately worked to keep the arrays operational.
But just then, another unexpected event occurred.
The clouds on the other side of the tower ship suddenly burst open, and a figure appeared before them, treading upon a sky full of thunder.
His face was as handsome as jade, giving him the appearance of a young man, but his eyes were filled with the vicissitudes of time. It was as if endless ages had ebbed and flowed within them. He was clearly another old monster.
"Such a big prize... it would be a real shame to let it slip away right under our noses."
The young man laughed heartily, but his voice was as hoarse as an old man's. With a flick of his finger, the clouds churned violently. Countless bolts of lightning coiled around his fingertips like toys, held firmly in his grasp.
Then, the rampaging lightning seemed to coalesce into a long spear, which he launched from his hand to strike the tower ship heavily.
"BOOM!"
The entire Cloud Mist Tower Ship shuddered violently as if it had crashed into an eternal Divine Mountain. Countless Forbidden Arrays exploded from the impact, dissolving into a rain of light that scattered downward.
The Chamber of Commerce experts controlling the Forbidden Arrays were all caught in the backlash. Their faces turned pale as paper as they coughed up mouthfuls of blood, staggering and collapsing to the ground, their auras rapidly weakening.
"Interesting, interesting!"
Looking at the wounded scattered on the ground, the sinister-looking man laughed wantonly, as if he had just witnessed something hilarious.
"Damn it! Who are these people!? Why are they attacking us!?"
He Daoyun was overcome with rage. He could no longer sit still and began to personally maintain one of the Forbidden Arrays.
Murong Dai's face was also pale.
She was a Divine Might Realm expert, yet now she could feel an aura from the old man and the youth that made her heart tremble. How could she not be shocked?
"Steward Zhong, what in the world is..." Murong Dai looked at Zhong Quanming and saw a hint of helplessness and bitterness in his eyes.
"I thought our operation was secretive enough. I never expected we'd attract these fiends from the Hall of Yama."
Zhong Quanming let out a long sigh, his tone incredibly heavy.
"The Hall of Yama?"
Murong Dai cried out in alarm, He Daoyun's face drained of color, and the expressions of all the Chamber of Commerce experts present changed drastically.
"Steward Zhong truly lives up to his reputation as the leader of the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce in the eastern part of the dynasty. Could it be that you recognized those two old fiends, Jue Yun and Xiesha, from the very beginning?"
The sinister man said with a mocking smile.
"Old Demon Jue Yun and the Xiesha Demon Venerable... how could I not recognize two such infamous evil cultivators?"
Zhong Quanming gave the sinister man a complicated look. "I presume your status in the Hall of Yama is not low, either?"
"Wait... Old Demon Jue Yun and the Xiesha Demon Venerable?"
Hearing Zhong Quanming's words, everyone present sucked in a sharp breath, their eyes filled with horror.
Even Murong Dai was no exception!
These were two devils who had committed countless massacres on the borders of the Central Province. They had once been hunted by a joint force of the Central Province's great powers, after which they vanished for a long time. Many believed they had been killed by those top-tier Great Powers from the Central Province.
But who would have thought they were still alive!
Not only were they alive, but they were here now, attacking the tower ship!
"Heh." The sinister man chuckled. "I'm just a nobody, nothing worth mentioning."
"But, Steward Zhong, since you've recognized those two old fiends, I'm sure you know what you must do, don't you?"
In the face of the sinister man's threat, the scene fell silent. Only Zhong Quanming's expression flickered, and he finally gritted his teeth and said, "This place isn't far from Dongxuan Province. I've already called for reinforcements."
"If you truly want a war, we are more than willing to oblige!"
His tone was heavy and his gaze firm. It was clear he wasn't intimidated by the Hall of Yama's lineup and had decided to resist to the very end!
Everyone was somewhat inspired by Zhong Quanming's courage, and much of their nervousness dissipated.
"Tsk. Why is it so difficult to get you to hand that thing over obediently?"
The sinister man shook his head with a hint of exasperation. "Surely you don't believe this tower ship of yours can actually hold out until your reinforcements arrive, do you, Steward Zhong?"
"How will we know if we don't try?" Zhong Quanming said in a low voice.
"Try? Then I'm afraid rivers of blood will have to flow here."
"I've said it before: how many people on this tower ship survive today depends entirely on your attitude."
"And right now, your attitude is very disappointing."
The sinister man licked the corner of his mouth, a grim, cold light flickering in his dark eyes.
A stifling atmosphere filled the fore-cabin, and many of the Chamber of Commerce experts found it difficult to breathe.
"You devils must be dreaming if you think our Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce will just meekly hand over its treasure!"
Zhong Quanming was enraged by the sinister man's flagrant attitude. A powerful aura erupted from his body, and his voice took on a stern edge.
"Then there's nothing left to discuss. Let's do this!"
The sinister man's patience seemed to have finally run out. He took a step forward, and the void behind him churned as the massive phantom of an abyss appeared.
The abyss looked like a tunnel leading straight to hell, from which countless violent and malevolent auras surged forth!
"Then let's do it!"
Not to be outdone, Zhong Quanming also made his move!
At the same time, he ordered the others, "Put all your energy into operating the ship's Forbidden Arrays and hold back those other devils! I'll deal with this one!"
"As long as we hold out until reinforcements arrive, we can survive this disaster!"
"BOOM!"
A terrifying torrent of power swept through the fore-cabin.
All the Forbidden Arrays inside the fore-cabin shattered, and the entire space was reduced to ruins from the clash between the sinister man and Zhong Quanming.
If Murong Dai hadn't done her utmost to protect the others, many of the Chamber of Commerce experts would have likely perished in the aftershocks of their battle.
* * *
"Old Demon Jue Yun and the Xiesha Demon Venerable?"
"Two devils who have reached the Divine Might Realm. They once caused chaos on the borders of the Central Province and were eventually driven out while fleeing for their lives?"
After listening to Hongyu Pill Venerable's explanation, Ye Chen finally realized just what a perilous situation the Cloud Mist Tower Ship was in.
He couldn't help but click his tongue in astonishment.
"Those two devils are powerful, but in truth, they aren't the most dangerous ones here."
Hongyu Pill Venerable said suddenly.