1052: Chapter 1051 Want to fight? Then follow me!

The Earth-attribute Divine Ability "Feng Xiao Mountain Forest" smashed into the Wild Barren Mountains, triggering an earthquake.

A bald, burly man built like an iron tower from the Houtu Sect, nearly merging with the mountain range, displayed astonishing defense and strength. He withstood countless attacks and stepped toward the earthy-yellow stone talisman formed by the Divine Ability, pulling it up.

He himself resembled a stone statue that had been shattered and then forcibly glued back together, covered in cracks, yet he remained standing firm.

At this point, the seven Minor Divine Abilities finally found their owners one after another, though at the cost of countless blood and lives.

However, the struggle had not fully subsided. Those factions that failed to obtain anything, especially those who suffered heavy losses, turned their gazes toward the ones who had secured the Divine Abilities, secretly plotting even more sinister ambushes and schemes.

In the core area of the Secret Realm, the scent of blood mingled with lingering fluctuations of spiritual energy, shrouding the place in a bleak and murderous atmosphere.

Those who obtained the Divine Abilities immediately sought out secluded spots, racing against time to begin their comprehension, hoping to condense the prototype of the Divine Ability within the three-month time limit.

Many more were licking their wounds or lurking like venomous snakes, waiting for the next opportunity to strike.

The figure of the Spirit of the Canglan Legacy had long since vanished. Only deep within the gray firmament did the massive phantom of the staircase known as the "Canglan Heavenly Stairs" seem to exist eternally, silently watching the cycle of life and death below, waiting for a figure worthy of treading upon it to appear.

On the hillside, Li Wuji's figure reappeared. He toyed with the azure Jade Slip in his hand, his Divine Sense perceiving the brutal battles remaining throughout the Secret Realm.

The gaze beneath his mask was calm and rippleless, with only a faint, almost imperceptible curl at the corner of his mouth, as if he had seen through the rules of some game.

With a flicker of his body, he transformed into a wisp of clear breeze and completely vanished from the spot, seeking a place to comprehend that Divine Ability which might not even be important to him.

...

"Out... we're out! We're really out!"

"Quick, the exit is right ahead, charge!"

Deep within the Chaotic Star Domain, Wu Zhankong shattered several layers of spatial barriers in succession, breaking through obstacles all the way, and finally arrived at the first floor of the Dark Star Auction House.

Behind him, at some point, tens of thousands of slaves from various races had gathered.

Looking at the door leading to the outside world not far away, some people could no longer restrain themselves and rushed out like mad.

They craved freedom and were no longer willing to return to those dark, sunless cages where they only waited to be sold.

"Thank you, My Lord!"

Thunder Horn, Jade Scale, Stone Mountain, and the experts from the previous slave group did not lose their composure.

They steadied themselves and bowed respectfully to Wu Zhankong.

"You're not leaving?"

Wu Zhankong's gaze swept over everyone as he asked with interest. Thunder Horn shook his head without hesitation, his tone firm.

"My Lord has saved our lives. If not for My Lord, we would still be trapped in cages. How could we abandon My Lord and flee for our lives alone?"

"Exactly. The crisis is not yet over. Although our strength is not equal to My Lord's, at a critical moment, we can at least buy some time for My Lord."

After Thunder Horn finished speaking, the others chimed in.

These people were all experts at the Peak of the Third Rank or even the Fourth Rank; none of them were short-sighted.

They knew that although they had escaped the Auction House's special space, the true crisis was far from over.

Not only the guard forces of the Dark Star Auction House itself, but the major factions at the core of the entire Chaotic Star Domain had likely already noticed the disturbance here.

Fleeing alone would likely mean jumping from one cage into another.

As if to confirm their judgment, several shrill screams suddenly came from the direction of the door.

The first few people who lunged toward the exit were pierced through their bodies by several cold rays before they could even touch the door.

Wild joy froze on their faces, turning into horror and resentment, until their eyes finally grew dim, and they collapsed dead.

"Why... I just want to live... why is it so hard..."

"We shouldn't have come out... coming out only leads to death..."

"Charge out! They can't kill all of us!"

Witnessing the tragic state of their kind, some among the slaves wept in despair, some trembled in fear, and some roared, wanting to fight to the death.

Wu Zhankong remained calm. His gaze swept over the dozens of determined faces before him, and he suddenly burst into long laughter.

"Want to fight? Then follow me!"

With that, he took large strides and walked straight toward the door. The slaves along the way gave way, parting a path for him.

Thunder Horn and the others looked at each other and, without further hesitation, gripped their weapons tightly and followed closely behind.

Before they could even get close, hundreds of high-energy rays as thick as bowls shot toward them. Wu Zhankong did not dodge or evade, still striding forward as if he hadn't seen them.

"Don't even think about it!"

Thunder Horn and the others acted immediately without hesitation. Since they had decided to follow Wu Zhankong, they naturally had to demonstrate their value.

Furthermore, they knew that the upcoming major battle would depend on Wu Zhankong, so how could they let him waste energy on such trivial matters?

Rubble and energy embers splashed around Wu Zhankong's feet. Those dozens of high-energy rays, capable of melting through battleship armor, were all blocked by the barrier of flesh and weapons built by Thunder Horn and the others.

Charred marks appeared on Jade Scale's scales, cracks broke across Stone Mountain's rocky skin, and electric arcs crackled wildly on Thunder Horn's curved horns. But they did not retreat half a step, guarding both sides of the red-haired figure like the most loyal honor guard.

The door shattered completely, and light and sound from the outside world rushed in.

It was no longer the oppressive crystal-wall fluorescence inside the Auction House, but the eerie celestial light of the Chaotic Star Domain's core area, forever permeated with energy dust and haze.

But at this moment, this light was cut into fragments by denser, colder things—thousands of muzzles, energy focusers, and lethal red dots flashing on hovering vehicles.

Every inch of the street's ground was covered by fully armed combat personnel, their heavy combat boots crushing the debris left behind by the once-bustling market.

The sky was even more locked down. Shuttle-shaped combat airships patrolled silently like schools of metal fish, their turrets slowly rotating, locking onto the island-like exit below.

Even more suffocating were the dozen or so figures standing in mid-air.

They were of various forms: some were shrouded in flowing energy halos, some had bodies embedded with obvious mechanical augmentations, and some emitted non-human biological field fluctuations.

The only thing they shared was the undisguised, majestic pressure of experts, weighing down on the hearts of every breakout attempt like a dozen invisible mountains.

Their gazes, filled with inquiry, amusement, and a hint of cat-and-mouse cruelty, were mainly focused on Wu Zhankong.

"Is it him? The one who caused such a commotion and punched through Dark Star's 'warehouse'?"

"His aura is somewhat interesting... doesn't seem like the usual Star Domain style."

"The trash below couldn't stop him, but to be able to make it here shows some skill. A pity he doesn't know the rules."

The whispers echoed at the level of the Divine Soul, not intentionally hidden.