1044: Chapter 1043 Blood Slaughter - Grom

When Wu Zhankong emerged from the exit at the other end, he left behind a devastated warehouse and smoldering mechanical wreckage.

Without a moment's pause, he charged straight toward the direction where the energy readings were strongest.

Meanwhile, on the seventy-third floor of the auction house.

The chaos had spread to an uncontrollable level.

The spatial rift triggered by Kalanduo's self-detonation was still expanding, and blue-white energy turbulence eroded the surroundings like venomous snakes.

Emergency teams attempted to establish isolation barriers, but the "Ethereal Erosion Resonance" effect made the task exceptionally difficult.

Every energy barrier was destabilized by the resonance frequency as soon as it was established.

On the lower floors, the trio consisting of the one-horned man, the green-scaled woman, and the rock giant was creating a second wave of chaos.

"Over here! Open all the cages!"

The one-horned man—who called himself "Thunder Horn"—shattered a row of energy locks on the cages with a single punch.

The cages held all sorts of bizarre creatures, some of which were on the verge of death.

The moment they regained their freedom, most of the slaves froze for a second before erupting into roars of ecstatic joy.

"Go! Now's our chance!"

The green-scaled woman, "Jade Scale," shouted loudly while her hands formed seals, carving acceleration runes into the ground.

The slaves snapped back to their senses and began charging outward frantically.

Some of the stronger ones even took the initiative to attack the arriving guards to exact their revenge.

The rock giant, "Stone Mountain," took on the heaviest defensive duties.

He stood at the passage entrance, using his massive body to block the firepower of an entire squad of auction house guards.

Energy beams struck his rock-like skin, leaving only faint white marks.

"Too weak."

Stone Mountain spoke in a muffled, booming voice, then slammed his fist into the ground.

The ground cracked, and a shockwave sent over a dozen guards flying.

However, more guards were arriving.

From the surveillance monitors, at least five full combat squads were converging on the area.

"Time to retreat!" Jade Scale urged. "If we don't leave now, it'll be too late!"

Thunder Horn glanced in the direction where Wu Zhankong had gone and gritted his teeth. "Release three more sectors!"

"Are you crazy? The auction house's suppression forces have already been deployed, led by 'Blood Slaughterer' Grom! That guy is a Rank Four Peak monster!" Jade Scale said anxiously.

At the mention of the "Blood Slaughterer," even Stone Mountain paused slightly.

Grom, one of the three Great Executives of the Dark Star Auction House, was notorious for his cruelty and bloodthirstiness.

For prisoners who fell into his hands, death was actually a mercy.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Thunder Horn's eyes, but he ultimately shook his head. "If we leave now, the firepower that Lord attracted will have been for nothing.

At least... at least we have to give him enough time."

Jade Scale fell silent for two seconds, then sighed. "You're really going to be the death of me."

She stopped trying to persuade him and instead turned to the surging prisoners, shouting, "Listen up! If you want to live, follow us!

We know a relatively safe escape route! But we'll have to fight our way through!"

The smarter ones among the slaves immediately realized that fighting alone meant certain death, while sticking together might offer a slim chance of survival.

"I'm with you!"

"Count me in!"

"Damn it, we're dead either way, let's fight!"

Soon, a makeshift team of over two hundred people assembled. Although most were a motley crew, there were no shortage of Rank Four experts among them.

Driven by the desire to survive, this group erupted with startling combat power.

They were like a violent torrent, slaughtering their way through the auction house's intricate corridors.

Wherever they went, guards were routed, cages were opened, and more slaves joined the fray.

When the group reached the connecting passage between the seventy-second and seventy-first floors, they finally encountered a true obstacle.

Thirty warriors covered in black heavy armor, holding massive shields and spears, blocked their path.

They were as silent as mountains and moved in perfect unison; they were clearly the elite of the elite.

"Dark Star Heavy Guard..." Jade Scale's expression darkened.

This unit was one of the auction house's trump cards, specifically designed to deal with large-scale riots.

Every member was at least Rank Three, well-equipped, and possessed flawless coordination.

"I'll clear the way!"

Thunder Horn growled, and the single horn on his forehead began to gather blinding lightning.

But just then, heavy footsteps suddenly echoed from the other side of the passage.

Thump, thump, thump...

Each step made the ground vibrate slightly.

A massive figure stepped out from the shadows.

He was over three meters tall, wearing simple armor stitched from unknown beast hides. His exposed arms were knotted with muscle and covered in scars.

Most striking was his face—half of it was a normal human face, while the other half was covered in dark red scales. One eye was a normal brownish-tan, while the other was a reptilian vertical slit.

"Blood Slaughterer" Grom.

He carried no weapons, standing there empty-handed, yet the terrifying pressure he radiated made the air in the entire corridor almost solidify.

"A bunch of ants."

Grom spoke, his voice raspy and harsh. "Who gave you the courage to run wild on my turf?"

His gaze swept over the crowd before finally locking onto the trio of Thunder Horn and his companions.

"Three special prisoners... good. Taking you back and retraining you should fetch a good price."

Grom cracked his neck, making a series of popping sounds.

"As for the rest... kill them."

As the last word fell, his figure suddenly vanished.

A second later, a cloud of blood mist exploded at the very front of the slave group.

Three Rank Four prisoners were torn to shreds before they could even see what had happened.

Grom stood in the center of the blood mist, licking the blood off his hand, his vertical pupil glinting with cruel light.

"The first ones."

While all this was happening, Wu Zhankong had already reached one of the core areas of the auction house—the B-Grade Precious Goods Storage Zone.

The defensive strength here far exceeded that of Sector C.

Not only did every item have its own independent five-layer shield, but the entire area was also enveloped in a massive spatial stabilization field. Any spatial techniques would be heavily suppressed here.

More importantly, there were true powerhouses guarding this place.

When Wu Zhankong forced open the storage zone's gates, three figures were already waiting for him.

In the center was an old man in white robes, holding a staff inlaid with a blue gemstone.

To the left was a freak wrapped entirely in bandages, showing only a pair of deathly gray eyes.

To the right was a seductive woman with nine fox tails made of energy floating behind her.

"One Rank Four Peak, and two at the Rank Four Late Stage."

Wu Zhankong saw through their strength at a glance. "Finally, some decent opponents."

The white-robed old man took a step forward and tapped his staff on the ground. "Intruder, state your name. I am 'Ice Staff' Morris, and I do not kill nameless nobodies."

Wu Zhankong smiled.

It was a smile of genuine amusement.

"You think you're worthy of asking my name?"

Before he had even finished speaking, his figure abruptly blurred.