fictionpage Chapter 72 The Conspiracy Becomes Clear
Chapter 72 The Conspiracy Becomes Clear
"what!"
A piercing scream tore through the night sky.
The sound came from the outer edge of the square; it was sharp and piercing, sending chills down one's spine.
Everyone turned to look in the direction from which the sound came.
Then, they witnessed a scene they would never forget.
A self-media anchor, the same big influencer who was just now spitting and cursing the Night Watchers in front of the camera.
Standing there, his body seemed to have been drained dry, rapidly shriveling up.
His skin went from rosy to pale, from pale to grayish-black, and then cracked and peeled off like withered tree bark.
The entire process lasted less than ten seconds.
Ten seconds later, the once lively and energetic influencer turned into a dried-up corpse.
His eyes were still open, and his mouth was still agape, as if he were screaming silently.
"what!"
Another scream.
Another journalist has fallen.
They died the same way.
The body quickly shriveled up and turned into a dried corpse.
Then came the third, the fourth, the fifth...
Not just a few, but dozens.
Those reporters, those self-media anchors, those photographers carrying cameras, all turned into dried corpses in just over ten seconds.
Their vital energy and spiritual power were completely drained by the Devouring Array.
"What...what's going on?!"
"What are they doing?"
"Run!"
The square was in complete chaos.
The powerful figures from those aristocratic families watched in horror as their companions fell one after another, completely unaware of what had happened.
But they don't need to know what happened.
Because they will be the next ones to fall.
A second-tier martial artist suddenly screamed in pain, clutching his chest and collapsing to his knees.
His body began to shrivel up, at a slower rate than that of an average person, but the trend was unstoppable.
"The great formation... it's the great formation absorbing our life force!" Someone finally realized, "Li Wanshan! You lied to us!"
"Li Wanshan! What are you doing?!"
"Run! Get out of the square!"
The experts scattered and fled, but the engulfing range of the great formation was 500 meters in radius, and it would take at least ten seconds to run out of that range.
A dozen seconds is enough for the formation to kill them ten times over.
One expert after another fell.
Second-order, third-order, fourth-order.
Before this devouring array, one's cultivation level only determines the speed of death, not the outcome.
"Li Wanshan! You'll die a horrible death!"
A fourth-tier expert uttered a final curse before dying, and then turned into a dried-up corpse.
Li Wanshan stood on the steps, watching all of this with a blank expression.
"Patriarch Li?" Zhao Wuji's voice trembled slightly. "This... how can this formation even kill our own people?"
"They're not one of us," Li Wanshan said calmly.
"They are pawns. Pawns are meant to be sacrificed."
Zhao Wuji opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he said nothing.
He was merely an ally of the Clan Alliance; he was not a follower of the Heavenly Demon Clan.
He wasn't as crazy as Li Wanshan.
But there's no turning back now; we can only follow Li Wanshan down this dark path.
"Li Wanshan!"
A roar came from the crowd.
Three old men rushed out from the crowd.
They are the three heads of the aristocratic families alliance, all of whom are powerful individuals at the early stage of the fifth rank.
Instead of scattering and fleeing like the others, they headed straight for Li Wanshan.
"You traitor! You actually colluded with the Heavenly Demon Clan to kill everyone in Jiangcheng!"
"If I don't kill you today, I swear I'm not a human being!"
"Li Wanshan, prepare to die!"
Three early-stage fifth-tier experts attacked simultaneously, unleashing three fierce strikes straight at Li Wanshan.
Li Wanshan did not move.
Zhao Wuji did not move.
Because they don't need to move.
"court death."
A chilling voice came from the sky.
A dark figure descended from the sky and landed in front of the three heads of powerful families.
Heavenly Demon Messenger.
Its body was covered in black scales, and its blood-red eyes stared at the three early-stage fifth-tier martial artists, a cruel smile appearing on its lips.
"Early stage of fifth rank? You dare to make a move in front of me?"
Its right hand rose, and its black claws drew five cold streaks in the air.
puff!puff!puff!
The chests of the three family heads, all at the early stage of the fifth rank, were pierced simultaneously.
Their bodies seemed to be pierced by an invisible blade, and blood gushed from the wounds.
But they did not fall.
Because the Heavenly Demon Messenger did not kill them.
"Your vital energy is still useful."
With a wave of his right hand, the Heavenly Demon Envoy threw the bodies of the three family heads into the air, hovering above the core of the Devouring Array.
Their vital energy and spiritual power were frantically drained by the great formation, and the three early-stage fifth-tier experts became the best nourishment for the great formation.
"No!"
A patriarch of a powerful family made a faint sound, but his power was quickly drained by the great formation, turning him into a dried-up corpse.
Three powerful individuals at the early stage of the fifth rank died right before everyone's eyes.
"Li Wanshan! You!"
Cao Keyuan finally realized what was happening.
He drew his sword from his waist and charged toward Li Wanshan.
But Li Wanshan was faster than him.
At this moment, Li Wanshan's strength at the half-step sixth level was fully unleashed. His figure left an afterimage in the air as he punched Cao Keyuan.
Cao Keyuan raised his knife to parry.
boom!
Cao Keyuan was knocked back more than ten steps, his tiger's mouth split open, and blood flowed freely.
The difference between a half-step sixth-tier and a peak fifth-tier is not large, but it still exists.
"Guard Cao," Li Wanshan withdrew his fist, a ferocious smile appearing on his face.
"You think you can stop me?"
"The grand formation is complete."
"All of you will be sacrifices to the army of the Heavenly Demons."
He spread his arms, looked up at the blood-red light in the sky, and spoke in a frenzied voice.
"Come forth! Great Demon Clan! Descend!"
"Millions of people in Jiangcheng are your sacrifices!"
"Kill them all! Eat them all! Turn this city into a hunting ground for the Demon Clan!"
His voice echoed in the air like the roar of a demon.
"Li Wanshan!"
Director Zhou also rushed up.
He drew his long sword from his waist and thrust it towards Li Wanshan's throat.
Li Wanshan dodged to the side and struck the sword with his palm.
The longsword was deflected, and Director Zhou's body also tilted.
Taking advantage of the opening, Zhao Wuji punched Director Zhou in the back.
Director Zhou groaned, and a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth.
"Old Zhou!" Zhang Laoda exclaimed in shock, rushing forward to support Director Zhou. "Are you alright?"
"It's nothing." Director Zhou wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "This Zhao Wuji is hiding his true colors too well."
Zhao Wuji withdrew his fist and looked at Director Zhou expressionlessly.
"Lord Zhao!" Cao Keyuan roared, "Do you know what you're doing? You are the Lord of Jiangcheng! You are betraying Jiangcheng!"
"Betrayal?" Zhao Wuji laughed. "Commander Cao, you've got it wrong. I haven't betrayed Jiangcheng. I'm saving Jiangcheng."
"You call this salvation?" Cao Zhenshou's eyes were bloodshot with rage.
"That's right," Zhao Wuji said. "Jiangcheng needs to change. And change will come at a price."
"The price is the deaths of millions?"
"Millions of people?" Zhao Wuji shook his head. "Commander Cao, you still don't understand. In this world, nothing is ever without a price."
"For Jiangcheng to survive, someone has to die."
"You're insane," Cao Keyuan gritted his teeth. "You're crazy."
"Perhaps," Zhao Wuji smiled, "but the line between madness and genius is always very thin."
In the sky, the Heavenly Demon Envoy hovered in mid-air, arms outstretched, eyes closed, frantically absorbing the blood and qi power gathered by the Devouring Array.
Its strength is constantly increasing.
Peak of the early stage of the sixth rank.
Mid-stage of the sixth rank.
Peak of mid-stage sixth rank.
Late stage of the sixth rank.
With each level it ascends, the aura emanating from it becomes more terrifying.
Upon reaching the late stage of the sixth rank, the aura had become almost tangible, making everyone in the square feel suffocated.
"Hahaha!"
The Demon Messenger opened his eyes and let out a burst of wild laughter.
"Late stage of Tier 6! I've finally broken through to the late stage of Tier 6!"
"Ye Feng! You severed my arm, now I'll make you pay with your entire Jiangcheng!"
It raised its right arm, its black claws gleaming coldly in the blood-red light.
"Just you wait, Ye Feng."
"Once I turn Jiangcheng into a living hell, you'll be the next one to die."
On the ground, Cao Keyuan and the others wore expressions of despair.
Late stage of the sixth rank.
That was an existence they simply couldn't contend with.
Even three peak fifth-tier individuals combined couldn't defeat one early-stage sixth-tier individual.
Let alone the late stage of the sixth rank?
"It's over." Meng Hu's voice was bitter. "Jiangcheng is finished."
"No," Han Lie gritted his teeth, "it's not over yet."
"What hope is there?"
"Ye Feng".
"Ye Feng?" Meng Hu smiled wryly. "No matter how strong Ye Feng is, he's only a fourth-tier cultivator. Can he defeat a late-stage sixth-tier Heavenly Demon Envoy?"
"I don't know," Han Lie said, "but he has never lost."
Meng Hu fell silent.
Yes, Ye Feng has never lost.
However, he has never faced an enemy at the late stage of the sixth tier.
"Commander Cao," Director Zhou suddenly spoke up, "the live stream is still running."
Cao Keyuan was taken aback and turned to look at the cameras and cell phones abandoned on the ground.
Some of the equipment is still running.
Some live streams are still running.
The scene depicts the crimson light of the Devouring Array, the ferocious figure of the Heavenly Demon Envoy, Li Wanshan's maniacal smile, and the desiccated corpses scattered across the ground.
In the live stream, all the comments that were just cursing the Night Watchers disappeared.
Instead, there was fear, despair, and pleas for help.
"This isn't an internal struggle; this is the real end of the world."
"Who will save us?"
"Mom, I'm scared..."
"Jiangcheng is finished, completely finished."
These comments, like snowflakes, drifted by, representing the sentiments of millions of people in Jiangcheng.
Just then, a comment appeared on the screen.
"I am the garrison commander of Xuanwu Fortress. I have dispatched elite troops to Jiangcheng. Xuanwu Fortress will perish with Jiangcheng!"
Immediately following, another comment appeared.
"I am Qin Zhentian from Fortress No. 3. Our great hero Ye Feng has already headed to Jiangcheng."
"He has already broken through to the fifth level of martial artist."
"Jiangcheng will not be finished."
"Jiangcheng, we swear to defend it to the death!"
The appearance of these two comments was like a lighthouse in the darkness, bringing hope to people in despair.
"Ye Feng? The Ye Feng who single-handedly defeated the beast horde?"
"Yes, yes, yes! It's him! He killed six fourth-tier beast kings all by himself!"
"He even killed a fifth-tier early-stage alien beast with a single strike!"
"That's right! Ye Feng, at only level three, can kill a level five Beast King with a single strike!"
"He's at the fifth rank now, so he can definitely kill a sixth-rank Heavenly Demon Envoy with a single strike!"
"He can definitely save Jiangcheng!"
The tide in the live stream shifted again, but this time, it wasn't the online trolls stirring things up, but rather people's heartfelt hope.
"Ye Feng, come quickly and save us!"
"Ye Yingxiong, Jiangcheng needs you!"
"Ye Feng, you are our only hope!"
These bullet comments, like prayers and calls, traveled across the internet and spread throughout Jiangcheng and Shanhefu.