Chapter 334: Crushed With One Hand
“What exactly does the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall want to do?”
“With such a huge army, are they planning to counterattack the Smiling Skull?”
“Surely they are not planning to wipe out this Smiling Skull stronghold, right?”
The people of Mist Mountain Domain City stared at the two approaching sky battleships and the hundreds of flying transport vehicles, all of them utterly shocked.
The grey-robed disciples of the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall were now famous throughout the Four Regions. It could be said that there was no faction in the Four Regions that did not know that the grey-robed disciples of the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall could undergo transformation, and that disciples in the Bone Forging Realm could fight against Blood Condensation Realm masters.
Over a thousand Bone Forging Realm disciples were equivalent to over a thousand Blood Condensation Realm masters.
Although Mist Mountain Domain City could muster such a number of Blood Condensation Realm experts, no one in the city had ever truly seen such a grand gathering of a thousand Blood Condensation Realm experts. At most they had only seen records left from the massive monster tide decades ago.
At this moment inside the Smiling Skull stronghold, not only were the people of Mist Mountain Domain City dumbfounded, but even the members of the Smiling Skull within the stronghold were staring with their mouths agape.
“Damn it! Did the Four Great Domain Cities not say that our matter with the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall ended here? What is the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall doing here?” In the temporary stronghold, the leader, a Mountain Ridge Race middle-aged man over six meters tall, stared at the approaching Obsidian army, cold sweat uncontrollably dripping down his forehead.
As Bazé the Unmoving, one of the seven guardians of the Smiling Skull, he had been stationed at the temporary stronghold outside the forbidden zone. Although he had not participated in the last great battle, he knew very clearly that without Heavenly Human Realm grandmasters taking action, the Smiling Skull alone could not possibly contend with the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
And that was when the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall had only a little more than five hundred Bone Forging Realm grey-robed disciples. Now, with over a thousand Bone Forging Realm grey-robed disciples, he did not even dare to imagine how he would escape if they launched an attack.
“How could the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall deploy so many people?” Mond glanced at the Obsidian army in the sky, then directly turned to Xie Feina and asked, “Xie Feina, did you not inform the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall of Lord City Lord and the others’ decision beforehand?”
A force equivalent to over a thousand Blood Condensation Realm experts was enough to destroy any faction under the Four Great Domain Cities, not to mention that previously, relying on just over five hundred Bone Forging Realm grey-robed disciples, the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall had crushed the nearly thousand Blood Condensation Realm experts of the Smiling Skull, the Red Moon Merchant Guild, and Earth Star Pharmaceuticals.
Now that over a thousand Bone Forging Realm grey-robed disciples of the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall had come to the Mountain of the Dead, it was hard not to believe that the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall intended to exterminate the Smiling Skull.
But if the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall were to do so, the four Heavenly Human Realm grandmasters of the Smiling Skull would definitely go mad. This was a result that Mist Mountain Domain City absolutely did not want to see, which was precisely why they had specifically reminded the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall not to continue seeking revenge.
“Senior Brother Mond, I personally went to tell Hall Master Lin about Lord City Lord and the others’ decision before. Hall Master Lin also expressed understanding and said that as long as the three factions did not take the initiative again, they would not kill people from the three factions anymore. As for the current situation, I truly do not know.” Xie Feina looked at Mond, who was questioning her, and gave a bitter smile.
She did not dare to neglect the teacher’s instructions in the slightest, so she had gone to find Lin Qi at the first possible moment and informed him of Lord City Lord and the others’ decision.
Now that the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall had dispatched such a large-scale army, she herself was bewildered and did not understand what the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall was thinking.
Just as Mond wanted to ask more, the two sky battleships and hundreds of flying transport vehicles above them flew straight over the Smiling Skull’s temporary stronghold without the slightest intention of stopping.
“They left?”
Everyone inside the Smiling Skull temporary stronghold was stunned, unable to understand what move the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall was trying to make.
“Could it be that they just wanted to display their strength and scare the Smiling Skull people a little?” Mond watched the departing Obsidian Martial Arts Hall army, feeling very puzzled.
Such an army, capable of annihilating a top-tier faction, had suddenly come to the Smiling Skull’s side and yet not attacked. In his view, the only possibility was to intimidate the Smiling Skull.
However, such an action was truly making a big fuss over nothing and wasting effort.
As long as Heavenly Human Realm grandmasters did not act, the people of the three factions allied with the Smiling Skull would not dare to move against the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall. After all, the battle at the Mountain of the Dead had fully proven the strength of the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall. To target them again would only be courting death.
However, just as Mond was preparing to lead everyone toward the forbidden zone, the two sky battleships and hundreds of flying transport vehicles of the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall that had flown past suddenly stopped less than two kilometers away from the forbidden zone. Large numbers of grey-robed disciples of the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall disembarked from the sky battleships and flying transport vehicles and began carrying something unknown.
“Hurry up! Move faster, the limited-time event duration is short. After we set up the resurrection devices, we must build the beginner mental secret tower as quickly as possible.” Yi Ye Fu Yun, who had stepped off the sky battleship, looked around and commanded the members of the Azure Sky Defense Group to carry energy ore. “Exploration teams, follow the plan and locate the nearby energy veins. Move quickly. All subsequent energy ore will depend entirely on these energy veins.”
For a while, all the members of the Azure Sky Defense Group were moving rapidly. At the same time, the other teams were doing almost the same thing: building a stronghold, dispatching exploration teams, and searching for the nearest energy veins.
“This land is truly a good place. The town we build here in the future will absolutely surpass Chiyue Town.” Fang Zhen gazed at the vast plain before him, surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, with free-flowing energy in the air far surpassing the barren Crimson Moon Mountain of the past.
“Indeed, the energy density here is far better than expected. If we can establish a beginner cultivation tower here, the town’s energy density will definitely exceed Chiyue Town by a large margin.” Lu Fanchen, who walked up beside him, said with a smile. “Also, the three of us have already conducted a rough investigation of the situation here. In an underground cave less than one kilometer from the forbidden zone over there, we discovered traces of mining and found an abandoned medium-sized energy vein. If we build the town over there, we will not lack energy ore for a good while.”
“A medium-sized energy vein less than one kilometer from the forbidden zone?” Fang Zhen’s eyes lit up when he heard this, and his breathing grew slightly rapid.
The reserves of a medium-sized energy vein were at least fifty million tons of energy ore, normally over a hundred million tons. Even if they built the entire town out of energy ore, it probably would not be a problem.
However, Fang Zhen quickly calmed down.
When their major teams had arrived, they discovered that all parties wanted to build strongholds by the forbidden zone and eventually upgrade them into towns. But considering the issue of town profitability, they decided to jointly construct a stronghold and jointly operate this town beside the forbidden zone. Otherwise, if each faction built its own town next to the forbidden zone, no one could guarantee that their town would be able to develop well, and it would also greatly waste the hard-earned town building orders obtained as event rewards.
The team that took first place in this event could claim the largest share, that is, 30 percent of the shares, and would also provide the town building order.
As for the remaining three factions and the newly risen Free Alliance, whose team had the most Bone Forging Realm players and was led by Dark Judgment, the four sides would equally divide the remaining 70 percent of the shares, each holding 5 percent, jointly investing in and maintaining the new town.
The competition was extremely intense. Each side had its own advantages, and seizing ownership of the new town and the 30 percent stake was no easy task.
While the players were launching large-scale construction outside the forbidden zone, everyone in the Smiling Skull temporary stronghold was dumbfounded.
“What are they trying to do? Are they planning to establish a stronghold beside the forbidden zone?”
A four-winged woman of the Winged Tribe from Mist Mountain Domain City looked in surprise at the busy Obsidian Martial Arts Hall members.
“Xie Feina, what is the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall thinking? Building a stronghold in a place controlled by the Smiling Skull, are they insane?” Mond watched nearly twenty thousand people engaging in massive construction beside the forbidden zone and could not help asking Xie Feina, who was familiar with the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
At this moment, Xie Feina could only look on in speechless silence, feeling a headache coming on.
Although the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall had not directly attacked the Smiling Skull, which was somewhat comforting and showed they had heeded Lord City Lord’s notice, building a stronghold in a place controlled by the Smiling Skull—how was that any different from slapping the faces of the Smiling Skull’s Heavenly Human Realm grandmasters?
“Forget it. This is beyond our control. Send this information back to the domain city. The rest has nothing to do with us.” Mond sighed.
With Mist Mountain Domain City already trying to protect the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, if the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall wanted to court death, they could not stop them.
After Mond and the others sent people back to Mist Mountain Domain City with this news, they directly carried their supplies into the forbidden zone of the Mountain of the Dead. At the same time, the core disciples of the five major teams all bound their resurrection devices. Leaving behind only the necessary combat power to guard the stronghold under construction, they entered the forbidden zone one after another.
Inside the forbidden zone of the Mountain of the Dead.
Mond led the Blood Condensation Realm masters of Mist Mountain Domain City cautiously through the mountains. Normally, Blood Condensation Realm experts could run faster than the speed of sound on land, but under Mond’s lead they were only moving at twenty to thirty meters per second, advancing at an extremely slow pace.
For first-timers in the forbidden zone like Xie Feina, each of them was shocked by the sights before their eyes.
In most people’s minds, a forbidden zone was a land of death and should look like hell, yet what unfolded before Xie Feina was a world bursting with vitality.
Not only were the trees in the forbidden zone abnormally huge, generally several hundred meters tall and requiring several people to encircle one trunk, but even a single insect in the forbidden zone could be four or five meters long. The gravity here was thirty to forty times that of the outside world, and the density of everything in the forbidden zone was astonishingly high. Even a single falling leaf could land like a missile, blasting a pit into the ground that was harder than B6-grade alloy.
Xie Feina and the others in the Blood Condensation Realm could feel their blood being stirred just by being in the forbidden zone. Under the violent and dense energy, their bodies were slowly improving. They did not dare to imagine how fast they would improve if they actually cultivated here.
This helped Xie Feina somewhat understand why Mond had said that bringing her into the forbidden zone would help her reach the peak high-level Blood Condensation Realm more quickly.
“The teams I invited should be just ahead. Once we arrive, the energy density there will be high and you will have one day to cultivate before we head to the ruins we discovered last time.” Mond looked seriously at the curious Xie Feina and the others. “Although I have said this many times, I have to repeat it one last time. You must maintain at least two meters of distance from each other and pay constant attention to every move of the people around you. If anything seems off, notify us half-step heavenly humans immediately. If someone who has been eroded and turned into an abnormal mixes into the team, less than ten percent of us might make it back alive. You must be extremely cautious.”
For a moment, the expressions on the faces of first-timers like Xie Feina grew heavy.
“Senior Brother Mond, don’t scare them. Abnormals are terrifying, yes, but sudden erosion cases are very rare. Normally, it is only when abnormals approach someone that they slowly erode them. We just have to stay together and be careful of outsiders.” The deputy leader, the four-winged Winged Tribe woman, looked at the frightened Xie Feina and the others and said with a chuckle.
Abnormals were indeed the most troublesome existence in the forbidden zone, but they were not everywhere. After many years of exploration, all the major factions had already developed some methods to guard against abnormals. As long as it was not a case where someone in the team was directly eroded into an abnormal, it was hard for an abnormal to infiltrate a team. More often, both sides faced each other openly and people were killed by abnormals in battle.
Once someone in the forbidden zone was eroded and turned into an abnormal, their strength would surge. If a teammate suddenly turned into an abnormal, it would be devastating to the team. Moreover, abnormals could summon other abnormals. If they could not be quickly eliminated, the abnormals would call over countless abnormals that had existed in the forbidden zone for who knew how many years. But such summoning was usually a last resort when an abnormal knew it could not win or was about to be killed.
Because of this, although many had died in forbidden zone explorations over the years, many had also been tempered there and grown into experts. Combined with the various benefits gained from the forbidden zone, the top-tier factions were all enthusiastic about exploring it.
The Four Great Domain Cities had even made it mandatory for Blood Condensation Realm martial artists to explore the forbidden zone at least once a year.
Hearing this, Xie Feina and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. What deputy leader Emilia described did not sound as terrifying and unsolvable as they had imagined.
Mond only shot a glare at deputy leader Emilia and said nothing more, clearly indicating that what Emilia said was true.
But just as Mond’s group had advanced for only a few more seconds, more than a dozen figures came running from the distance, putting everyone on edge.
“No need to be nervous, they are the people Senior Brother Mond invited.” Deputy leader Emilia, recognizing their appearances, quickly explained.
After hearing Emilia’s explanation, everyone let out a breath and started observing the newcomers.
“No way! Isn’t that the Son of Storm Tania, currently ranked eleventh among half-step heavenly humans in the forbidden zone?”
“And that one looks like Titan King Kong Fendi, ranked eighth among half-step heavenly humans!”
“Senior Brother Mond is amazing, he actually invited these two.”
Seeing their faces, Xie Feina and the others, especially those who had entered the forbidden zone multiple times, could not help but gasp. They had not expected to be able to travel with such figures on this expedition.
“Wait, no! Run! We agreed to only rendezvous at that place. They would never break that agreement!” Mond looked at the smiling Son of Storm Tania and Titan King Kong Fendi, and his expression changed drastically, his heart filled with unspeakable dread.
His arrangement with the two had been made months ago, specifically to prevent issues such as abnormals.
Now that the two were charging over with people in tow, it could only mean the worst.
The Son of Storm Tania and Titan King Kong Fendi had become abnormals.
Upon hearing this, everyone from Mist Mountain Domain City instinctively fled backward with no reservations.
Titan King Kong, currently ranked eighth among half-step heavenly humans, and the Son of Storm, ranked eleventh, had already been immensely powerful. Now that they had become abnormals, it was an absolute disaster.
“Damn it! How did it turn out like this!”
“How could they?!”
Mond looked at the smiling Son of Storm Tania and Titan King Kong Fendi pursuing them from behind, his expression unspeakably grim.
Under normal circumstances, he was no match for either of them. Now that both had become abnormals, even setting aside the other Blood Condensation Realm experts from Mist Mountain Domain City, there was a very real chance that he himself would never leave the forbidden zone alive.
“The people up ahead look like members of the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall!” Deputy leader Emilia, fleeing at full speed, suddenly noticed a team of over a hundred people not far ahead, all wearing familiar silver-gray clothing, and recognized them immediately.
“We cannot worry about them.” Mond glanced at that Obsidian Martial Arts Hall team and shook his head.
At this moment, it was hard enough for them to shake off the abnormals. They had no energy left to care about the people of the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
The Son of Storm Tania and Titan King Kong Fendi, who were madly chasing Mond and the others, also noticed this Obsidian Martial Arts Hall team. After exchanging a look, the Son of Storm Tania led a few people and charged toward them while Titan King Kong Fendi continued the pursuit.
On the other side, Luo Wu Shang and the others, who were still exploring and enjoying the beautiful environment of the forbidden zone, also noticed several figures streaking through the air toward them.
“Wu Shang! That NPC looks like the big boss who escaped last time!” Zhang Qing Wei stared in surprise at the Son of Storm Tania charging at the front.
“This boss has gotten much stronger. Could he be here to take revenge for last time?” Zhao Hu, feeling the clearly increased pressure from the Son of Storm Tania, could not help but speak.
But while Zhang Qing Wei and Zhao Hu were talking, a low shout in the human tongue came from the distance.
“Run, quickly! Those people are abnormals!”
The one shouting was none other than Xie Feina.
Regarding the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, Xie Feina still felt that if she could help, she should. Although the grey-robed disciples of the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall before her were strong, at least possessing Blood Condensation Realm combat power, they were absolutely no match for the abnormal Son of Storm Tania.
“Abnormals?” Zhang Qing Wei looked at the Son of Storm Tania who had once attacked their stronghold and suddenly understood. “So he ascended through abnormal mutation. No wonder he dares come seeking revenge.”
At this moment, Zhang Qing Wei looked at the Son of Storm Tania, who was less than five hundred meters away, with only sympathy in his eyes.
Before the Son of Storm Tania could make a move, team leader Luo Wu Shang’s aura suddenly surged. The energy around her burned like flames. With a single step, she crossed the five hundred meters in less than the blink of an eye at a speed far beyond the speed of sound, appearing right in front of the over-four-meter-tall Son of Storm Tania.
Realizing the danger, the Son of Storm Tania swung his third-tier great axe, unleashing a storm that seemed to tear the sky as it cleaved toward Luo Wu Shang.
This strike was the Son of Storm Tania’s signature skill: the third level of the Sequence Transcendent Martial Skill, Storm Heavy Strike.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion echoed between heaven and earth, and the shockwave spread for several kilometers around.
“This is impossible!”
Both the fleeing Mond and Xie Feina almost had their eyes pop out.
This blow, enough to kill an ordinary half-step heavenly human, was now being stopped by a slender arm. The nearly five-meter-long great axe was immobilized in that delicate hand. Its blade, landing on her palm, only cut through skin and surface muscle, drawing some blood.
“You’re done. Now it’s my turn.”
Luo Wu Shang looked at the shocked Son of Storm Tania. Her other jade-like hand rose, and a nearly solid giant hand of blood qi formed and seized the Son of Storm Tania.
Her jade hand clenched.
Bang!
Under the blood qi phantom hand, the Son of Storm Tania burst like a watermelon, leaving only a twisted, deformed great axe falling from midair.
