350: Chapter 350 The Forbidden Zone Appears: Panic Among the Major Forces of the Eastern Wilderness

"Dong—"

"Dong—"

"Dong—"

The ancient and heavy tolling of a bell echoed over the Xu Family in the Di Prefecture. The sound waves pierced through the clouds, and even the Extreme Dao Imperial Formation covering the Xu Family Manor trembled slightly in response.

The bell tolled nine times.

The entire Central Prefecture was in an absolute uproar.

Countless Elders in seclusion emerged, and squads of Imperial Guards clad in heavy armor manifested from the Void Realm, guarding the various formation eyes of the Xu Family Manor as if facing a formidable enemy.

Inside the Xu Family discussion hall, the lights blazed brightly.

The floor tiles in the center of the hall were paved with whole pieces of Absolute Beginning Spirit Jade, yet at this moment, they seemed to be covered in a layer of frost, and the atmosphere was oppressive to the extreme. Dozens of core high-level members of the Xu Family and powerful Elders from various halls were lined up on both sides, each of their faces bearing ill-concealed alarm and solemnity.

Xu Chen sat boldly in the primary seat, dressed in his dark gold casual robes. He did not speak, merely listening quietly to the report from the Intelligence Elder in the center of the hall.

In the less than one incense stick of time since the Dragon-Startling Bell tolled, the situation in the Eastern Desolation had deteriorated to an appalling degree.

"Young Lord, Elders."

The Intelligence Elder clutched a handful of urgent ten-thousand-mile sound transmission talismans, his voice turning somewhat sharp due to extreme fear.

"Just now, eight first-rate powers on the border of the Eastern Desolation, including the Purple Sun Holy Land and the Azure Cloud Sword Sect, have completely lost contact with the outside world. The hidden guards stationed there risked their lives to send back one final image..."

With a wave of the Intelligence Elder's hand, a blurred light screen appeared in the air at the center of the hall.

In the light screen, a sky-covering black mist rolled like a living thing, instantly swallowing a ten-thousand-zhang tall sect-protecting formation.

Those Holy Land Elders and Disciples, usually high and mighty, didn't even have time to scream; as soon as they were touched by a wisp of the black mist, they immediately turned into a pool of black water.

What was most bone-chilling was that within that black water, countless white skeletons actually stood up shakily. Ghostly green nether-fires flickered in their eye sockets, like a most loyal army of death, following the black mist as it continued to advance into the heart of the Eastern Desolation.

"This... what kind of evil technique is this!" A hot-tempered Punishment Elder gasped, the veins on the back of his hand bulging as he gripped the armrest of his chair.

"This is not an evil technique; these are the death rules of the Forbidden Zone of Life."

The Intelligence Elder gave a bitter smile and repeated the records from the ancient texts to everyone.

Hearing that the black mist was actually formed from the skeletal Death Qi of a fallen Great Emperor, and that anyone below the Saint realm would surely die upon contact—while even a Saint could not last more than three hours inside—the entire discussion hall fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone understood what this meant.

This wasn't some struggle for territory or resources; it was a world-ending catastrophe beyond all reason! The tens of billions of living beings in the Eastern Desolation were nothing more than lambs to the slaughter before this Forbidden Zone of Life.

"Young Lord!"

The Grand Elder, leaning on his dragon-headed cane, walked out tremulously from the crowd. This Quasi-Emperor powerhouse, who had witnessed the Xu Family weather countless storms, now had a face full of determination on his wrinkled skin.

"This kind of natural disaster is simply not something human strength can withstand! The death Law within that Forbidden Zone of Life is enough to corrode all vitality."

The Grand Elder thumped his cane heavily and looked up, his eyes burning as he stared at Xu Chen in the primary seat.

"This old man suggests immediately recalling all Family Disciples training outside and fully activating the Extreme Dao Imperial Formation to completely seal the mountain gate! With our Xu Family's heritage and the protection of the Imperial Formation, even that Great Emperor's Death Qi won't be able to penetrate for a while. As long as we hold our ground and wait for this storm to pass..."

"Wait?"

Xu Chen leaned back in his chair, his finger lightly tapping the red sandalwood table, letting out a cold sneer.

"Grand Elder, do you think a Forbidden Zone of Life of this level will just blow over like a gust of wind? The more living beings that black mist swallows, the stronger the derived Death Qi and Corpse Ghouls will become. Once it turns the entire Central Prefecture and Eastern Desolation into a deathly wasteland, how long can our Xu Family's Extreme Dao Imperial Formation last?"

The Grand Elder was speechless. He knew Xu Chen was speaking the truth, but in the face of such a hopeless natural disaster, sealing the mountain for self-preservation was the instinct of almost all those in power to seek benefit and avoid harm.

Xu Chen stood up.

He ignored the uneasy gazes in the hall and walked to the floating map of the Eastern Desolation in the center of the room.

"What is the reaction of those so-called righteous sects in the Eastern Desolation now?" Xu Chen asked indifferently, his back to the crowd.

The Intelligence Elder stepped forward quickly, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.

"Young Lord, it's already a complete mess! Those Ancient Clans and Holy Lands are running faster than rabbits. Those with heritage are directly activating cross-domain teleportation arrays to flee to the Central Prefecture or the Demon Realm; those without are left to activate their sect-protecting formations and wait for death. Right now, the Eastern Desolation is filled with panic and lamentations. There are even many Holy Lords of various forces kneeling outside our Xu Family mountain gate, crying and begging the Young Lord to show mercy and let them into the Xu Family for refuge."

"Refuge?"

Xu Chen turned around, an extremely cold and domineering look flashing in his deep eyes.

"Although my Xu Family has a great business and vast assets, we certainly do not support useless people, nor are we a charity."

He strode back to the primary seat and sat down firmly under the reverent gazes of the Elders.

In an era of great conflict, crises are often accompanied by Heaven-Defying Opportunities beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Although that Forbidden Zone of Life was extremely perilous and even a Quasi-Emperor might perish within, since it was a battlefield of Primeval Gods and Demons and a burial ground for Great Emperors, the fortunes nurtured within were definitely worth taking a risk for.

Moreover, since when was he, Xu Chen, someone who would hide in a turtle shell and wait to die?

"Grand Elder." Xu Chen's voice echoed in the hall, carrying an unquestionable authority.

"This old man is here," the Grand Elder hurriedly bowed.

"Fully activate the Extreme Dao Imperial Formation and put the Family into a state of primary combat readiness. In the inner residence, let Qingge and Mingkong take more care; tell them not to panic. My Xu Family's base is rock-solid, and that bit of Death Qi won't be able to reach them."

Xu Chen issued his orders methodically, showing great decisiveness.

"The intelligence network should continue to monitor the Restricted Zone's advancement speed and corrosion patterns. Bring out everything from the Family treasury that is extremely Yang and can suppress Death Qi and poison, as well as evil-warding Divine Pills."

Hearing this, the Grand Elder suddenly looked up, a glimmer of disbelief flashing in his cloudy old eyes.

"Young Lord... you are going to..."

A wild and arrogant curve hooked the corner of Xu Chen's mouth.

"Those trash Holy Lords only know how to run, treating the Restricted Zone that hides Great Emperor treasures as a plague. Since they have no appetite for it, then I, Xu Chen, will gladly accept the fortunes within this Forbidden Zone of Life."

Xu Chen slapped the armrest and stood up, an overbearingly peerless Saint King pressure instantly sweeping through the entire discussion hall.

"This Young Master wants to personally see what kind of man-eating hell this so-called Primeval Restricted Zone really is!"