A Night of Desperation

Chapter 376: Action 374 Four

"Unharmed! How is that possible?!" Yu Hong heard someone exclaim in shock.

He landed lightly, his body drifting like a falling leaf, nimbly vanishing from the spot.

When he reappeared, he was already in front of the three silver-faced individuals.

Leading them was a silver-faced lioness, a woman who bizarrely wore a male lion mask. She had a graceful figure, and her robe was loosely draped, revealing a large expanse of creamy white skin across her chest, utterly mismatched with the ferocity of a lion.

She reacted extremely quickly, noticing Yu Hong’s approach and clapping her hands together, unleashing a circle of black light around her that transformed into a tangible wave of Spiritual Shock, attempting to push Yu Hong back.

But when the shock wave hit Yu Hong’s white light, it was ineffectual, instantly neutralized.

Snap.

Her neck was seized by Yu Hong’s hand, countless beams of Spirit Light surging into her body like it cost nothing.

The woman’s body trembled and convulsed, feeling as if her physical qualities were skyrocketing like a rocket.

However, before she could comprehend what was happening, the silver Spirit Light was rapidly siphoned away, and along with it, her entire Life Force, Essence Qi, spirit...

Hiss.

Yu Hong held the silver-faced lioness by the neck, suspending her in the air, absorbing back the vast amounts of Spirit Light he had released.

If the output of Spirit Light was one, then the amount now being reabsorbed was ten.

Having devoured the complete Essence Qi, blood, flesh, and Life Force of a Temple Master Level Magician, this strand of Spirit Light was now enhanced by more than tenfold.

As the last wisp of Spirit Light was reabsorbed, Yu Hong loosened his grip, letting the now withered, emaciated corpse drop to the ground.

Clang, clatter.

The silver lion mask rolled away, revealing an aged, shriveled, white face beneath the mask.

The face resembled a mummified corpse, dead from desiccation, its flesh completely devoid of luster and moisture.

"!!!"

The remaining five onlookers quickly widened the distance between themselves and Yu Hong, frightened.

From the moment Yu Hong seized the silver-faced lioness to the instance he killed her, it all took just two seconds.

It was like pouring water from one cup into another. They had just enough time to activate their defensive Techniques to protect themselves. Then it was all over.

Puff.

Yu Hong casually dispersed a black fireball aimed at his eyes with one hand.

No matter what Technique, if it couldn’t penetrate his Inner Strength defense, it was all in vain.

"You have three seconds, surrender, or die."

He scanned the remaining five, sensing the intense fear emanating from them.

Snap.

Without a second word, the five of them dropped their weapons onto the ground, and those without weapons raised their hands and knelt down immediately.

"We surrender! We surrender!"

Instantly kneeling!

Qing Huang, who had just leapt down enveloped in silver Spirit Light, couldn’t help but cover his face in speechlessness at the scene.

Such a loss of honor.

Before his arrival, he had taken great care to remind Yu Hong to be cautious... And yet, the disciples of the Seven Evil Alliance had surrendered so quickly.

He landed steadily and rose to his feet, observing the five already kneeling neatly before Yu Hong.

Yu Hong flicked a finger, sending a strand of Spirit Light to each person, which clung to their bodies, and in the blink of an eye transformed into silver threads that burrowed into their skin and disappeared from view.

"You handle them." Without further words, Yu Hong stomped his foot again.

Boom!

The ground once more exploded open, and he continued to plummet downwards.

Qing Huang hurriedly gave the five a few instructions before following suit.

Jumping down three levels in succession.

Finally, he saw Yu Hong’s figure in a dark, oval-shaped chamber at the very bottom.

At this moment, he was surrounded by numerous black and purple rune chains.

At least hundreds of rune chains densely ensnared him, immobilizing him completely.

On one side of the chamber’s black walls stood a heavy, three-meter-tall silver metal door, firmly set in place.

On the other walls, mysterious patterns of nine suns and nine moons were each engraved.

Surrounding the nine suns and nine moons, four magnificently carved four-winged strange bird statues in black bronze were each knelt as if praying toward the sun and moon before them.

Waves of immense spiritual fluctuations continuously spread out from them.

Upon reaching this place, Qing Huang was shocked to discover that the collective spiritual power of these four statues, permeating this not-so-large space, was already far beyond his own spiritual power!

It was an exaggerated spiritual strength that dwarfed his own by dozens of times, like an ocean.

Faced with these densely packed strange bird statues, it felt like the terror and pressure he experienced when facing the Seven Evils.

"What is this?" Yu Hong was also observing the statues and patterns, clearly interested.

"Not sure. But it looks like it might have been personally arranged by Long Qingzi." Qing Huang speculated.

"How can you tell?" Yu Hong looked toward him, awaiting an explanation.

"Ever since Long Qingzi defected from the Primordial Heavenly Master Mansion, the Daoist Magic Techniques he practiced have been unpredictable. Inside the Seven Evil Alliance, one often sees strange four-winged black bird apparitions accompanying the release of his Magic. I suspect that this might be some kind of special totem."

"Can you open this level of protection?" Yu Hong asked.

"Don’t joke about it." Qing Huang replied helplessly, "At my level, if I input the wrong code, the next second, I’d be brain dead from the impact. Facing such a vast disparity of pure spiritual power, no Technique would work."

Yu Hong stopped talking, simply staring at these statues.

In terms of spiritual power, he couldn’t even compare with Qing Huang, so certainly he couldn’t manage. Therefore...

Roar!!!

Instantly, his body erupted with white light, his Inner Strength flaring up like flames reaching for the sky, burning fiercely.

Facing the warehouse’s metal door, he threw a fierce punch forward.

As the punch traveled through the air, it was intercepted by a transparent force field emanated by the surrounding statues and patterns, solidifying his motions.

But the transparent force field only held for an instant before it was forcibly shattered.

Crack, crack, crack, crack!

Following a series of crisp sounds, Yu Hong’s punch struck the center of the silver metal door.

Everything came to stillness.

Boom!!

The metal door burst inwardly, twisting and exploding, creating a circular hole.

Inside the hole were stacks of blue plastic bins filled to the brim.

The bins were labeled with various texts.

’Dao Artifact’, ’Food’, ’Secret Medicine’, ’Array’, ’Ancient Books’, ’Exotic Items’, and more.

Aside from these items, there was also a person who walked out slowly from the right side, greeting Yu Hong with a stiff smile and a cupped-fist salute.

"I was wondering who it might be, it turns out to be Master Yu, the Alliance Hierarch of the Spirit Light Mutual Aid Alliance in person. My apologies for not greeting you from afar, how disrespectful."

The person had blue hair cascading down to their shoulders, wearing a moon-white robe with a Jade Pendant at their waist, carrying twin swords on their back.

Like a combination of an ancient scholar and a knight-errant.

Most crucially, this individual possessed delicate features, indistinguishable as male or female, and at a glance one could tell they must have undergone countless modifications. Their features were so refined they gave a terrifying, almost model-like impression.

"So it is Vice Alliance Hierarch Zhao Jingtang." Qing Huang glanced at the dimming four-winged black bird statue and immediately understood who activated this Array.

"Young Qing Huang, it was you who brought such a distinguished guest as Master Yu to visit? I have long heard about Spirit Light and had wanted to visit Taizhou personally, but alas, my inability to travel has been a great regret. Now to my surprise, you have actually done me a great favor." Despite the unwavering rigidity of his face, his tone shifted quickly.

"You no longer need to feel regretful now." Yu Hong stretched out his hand, with a silver light glowing in his palm.

"Come, I am now giving you the opportunity to join our alliance."

"...." Zhao Jingtang’s eyes sharpened, and he fell silent.

Behind him, his hands were frantically forming Seals, calculating a way to survive.

However, no matter how he calculated, he saw not a sliver of hope in front of him at this moment.

To fight or not? That was a choice.

After a few breaths.

His body relaxed.

"Since Master Yu has personally invited me, I am greatly honored!"

He bowed slightly and stretched out his hand, palm facing upward.

Hiss!

A streak of silver light shot out from Yu Hong’s palm, landing precisely in his hand, then merged into his body like a living thing.

"Alright, now we are all one family. Please trouble you to introduce me to what resources are in the warehouse..."

Yu Hong smiled slightly, feeling more relaxed in his heart.

"After all, I also need to understand how much reserves are still left on my ship."

"...."

The other two were at a loss for words.

It became his ship so quickly... this one is completely different from Long Qingzi...

After a few breaths.

The surviving Seven Evil Alliance experts who hadn’t been killed were herded into the uppermost grand hall.

Yu Hong casually scattered the Spirit Light into these people.

Minutes later, the surviving hundred plus elite Magicians of the Seven Evil Alliance, including Vice Alliance Hierarch Zhao Jingtang and Dark Sky Master Ouyang Chengtao along with the five masked Magicians, all successfully completed the Spirit Light integration.

From this point, the headquarters ship of the Seven Evil Alliance was thoroughly taken over.

Yu Hong’s plan to take advantage of their weakness was exceptionally successful.

If Long Qingzi and the Seven Evils were still around, it wouldn’t be so easy for him.

An arduous and deadly battle would have been inevitable.

And the outcome would not be certain, as nobody truly understood the specifics of Long Qingzi’s capabilities.

But now, with Qing Huang leading the way, everything was much easier.

Next stop, Yu Hong headed straight for the convalescent clinic.

Judging by the time, the progress there should mean that both Quan He Monarch and Taoists Golden Light and Lian Yun would have finished their bodily reconstruction.

Quan He Monarch was the last one.

Once all the experts at the clinic completed their transformations, the high-end power of the Mutual Aid Alliance would be greatly strengthened once more.

For Quan He, one of the strongest at the top of the world, it was natural and appropriate for him, as the Alliance Hierarch and a junior, to go and receive them in person to show importance.

*

*

*

On Fushou Mountain, the Sealing and Sacrifice Platform.

A streak of Golden Light suddenly plummeted, fiercely crashing into the ground, splitting the land, and the Golden Light began to slowly dim and disappear.

Xu Chong, the Heavenly Master, looked pale and bloodless, holding a horsetail whisk, a Dao Artifact, and knelt on the ground, unable to suppress a coughing fit.

Seeing the flickering dim Golden Light beside him, he knew his time was running short.

"So be it...." He looked up at Zuo Yunfeng, who was fighting fiercely with Long Qing.

Long Qing had used all his power, with a halo around him raging like the sun, with four black wings behind, fluttering continuously. Each sprint he made left behind a dense aura of shadowy afterimages.

These afterimages would turn into four-winged black birds, charging at Zuo Yunfeng from every direction to self-destruct.

The power of the self-destruction was no weaker than a formal Technique of Heavenly Master Level.

Each explosion would tear open a terrifying wave in midair.

Below the Temple Master Level, none who dared to stay within a hundred meters were untouched by this self-destructive force; their spirits would collapse in an instant, falling to the ground in a vegetative state.

As for Zuo Yunfeng.

Shadows of darkness, like ink, continuously spread behind him.

The shadow grew larger and larger, and as time passed, it seemed to contaminate the surrounding world.

He floated in midair, motionless, casually thwarting every attack flying towards him from Long Qing–

Be it Techniques or fists or Inheritance Dao Artifacts before him were all treated the same.

With just a bare hand.

Everything would be corroded by the shadow, neutralized, dissipated.

"Heaven’s cycle is everlasting, my heart remains forever pure, staying clear, without a single mark."

Zuo Yunfeng chanted a spell, his other hand swiftly forming Seals, then pointing to the sky.

Hiss!!

A Golden Light shot out from his fingertip, entering the sky.

"Wait! What are you trying to do!?" Xu Chong suddenly remembered the function of this spell and roared with a drastic change in expression.

"I am breaking the barriers of the old era." Zuo Yunfeng said softly, his eyes filled with clear anticipation.

Crack.

The sky turned rapidly dark.

It was no longer just enveloped in fog, but utterly shifted from day to night.

Streaks of white lightning crossed the canopy, thundering loudly.

At this moment, within the Nine Sects’ Taoist Sects, all of the remaining Sky Stabilizing Plates silently surfaced with extensive cracks.

The cracks multiplied quickly, becoming dense.

And then.

Crash!!

All the Sky Stabilizing Plates shattered simultaneously.