Chapter 314: General Ye Ming, Crisis of Collapse (Seeking Monthly Votes)

The Primordial Sacrifice Altar.

Li Zheng had been closely monitoring the entire revival process of the Mingwu Clan.

In fact, even if the explorers did not spend any sacrificial power, he would have actively consumed his own to investigate this race.

He sought to understand what had once transpired in these seas.

Among all the races he had encountered in the Monster World, the Mingwu Clan was the first faction where the leader had given up on a rotten situation, only for their subordinates to rise against the odds.

The General's strategic layout could be described as utterly brilliant.

What the players in the livestream did not see was the immense effort the General had expended to bring about this day.

According to analytical findings, the Mingwu Clan was once the absolute hegemon of the Three Seas.

However, the arrival of a descending faction shattered the Mingwu Emperor's plans and strategies for the future.

This was the "Death Whisper Clan" mentioned in the replayed light projections.

The descent of the Death Whisper Clan was like a meteorite wrapped in war, smashing violently through the Northern Sea ruled by the Mingwu Clan.

Their point of descent was precisely the Sea of Death, which is now one of the territories controlled by the Ancient God Clan.

Before the Mingwu Clan could even initiate war, an aura of death swept across like a plague, instantly dyeing the azure seas into an abyss of despair.

Switching the perspective to the Death Whisper Clan, they too were rather unlucky.

Facing the colossal entity of the Mingwu Clan, which dominated the three seas, the Death Whisper Clan had only two choices: retreat to their homeland or crush every obstacle before them.

The Death Whisper Clan was not a refugee group fleeing exile, but conquerors harboring the ambition to reach the peak of the Monster World.

Their choice was to continue their aggressive occupation of the Sea of Death (formerly the Mingwu Northern Sea), renaming it the "Ghost Shadow Sea" to challenge the Mingwu Clan's rule.

[PS: The chronological naming of the sea is: Mingwu Northern Sea, Ghost Shadow Sea (Death Whisper Clan), Sea of Death (Ancient God Clan - Death Arena).]

Although the comprehensive strength of the Mingwu Clan had significantly increased during their development within the Monster World.

When the Death Whisper Clan entered the Monster World, they possessed even greater martial power.

This was a powerful race hailing from a Greater World.

The Death Whisper Rules they wielded possessed the power to revive the dead; holders could inject energy derived from these rules into their clansmen or even other living beings, allowing those bearing the derived brand to synchronize with the rule holder in reviving the dead.

In a war of attrition, the Death Whisper Clan held a significant advantage.

In this battle, the Death Whisper Clan paid a terrible price, but the ultimate result was the near extinction of the Mingwu Clan, with the Mingwu Emperor succumbing to Death Whisper poison and dying within his mausoleum.

In the moment before his death and the dissipation of his Dao, the Mingwu Emperor let go of the obsessions in his heart.

He knew deeply that the path to climbing to the peak of the Monster World seemed to have no end in sight.

While the Mingwu Clan were god-like beings capable of formulating rules in their homeland world, in the Monster World, there were too many races with higher growth potential than them.

There were even calamity-level factions like the Black Black Tide, which required them to look up in awe merely upon their appearance.

At the moment his life hung by a thread, the Emperor chose to let go, realizing that the path he had pursued was ultimately in vain.

He also persuaded the surviving General to return to their homeland and inherit his position.

He advised them never to return, believing that the path of climbing to the peak of the Monster World held no future for the Mingwu Clan.

But the surviving General did not give up.

He did not agree with the Emperor's thoughts, nor was he willing to negate the goal for which his clansmen had struggled their entire lives.

He believed the Mingwu Clan had not yet lost everything; at the very least, he himself still survived, and he was the chip to continue the gamble.

Furthermore, their homeland world had accumulated and developed a large military force; although far inferior to the war legions in the Monster World, it remained an important chip for fighting again in the Monster World.

As long as there were still chips on the table, how could one speak of failure?

And the key to victory in the General's eyes was this very Monster World that had brought them despair.

Because in this world, anything was possible.

Behind endless despair lay endless hope.

Even if weak at this moment, one could obtain growth speeds surpassing logic through various opportunities.

After bowing before the crystal coffin burying the Emperor, the General left a spatial coordinate within the mausoleum and departed, embarking on a path to seek immense power.

During this period, the General returned to his homeland world, leading the homeland legions to come back once more.

Wanting to turn the tables against the wind, the General believed the worst thing to do was adopt a stable development model, as this would only widen the significant combat power gap with the Death Whisper Clan.

He chose the most radical development model, constantly exploring the Monster World to seek powers that could help the Mingwu Clan rise.

In fact, many races, upon entering the Monster World and realizing the gap in strength between their own kind and other races in this world, chose to do the same.

However, the vast majority of these races accelerated their own extinction in the process.

The Mingwu Clan led by the General was one of the lucky ones; under his leadership, the clan rose with astonishing speed.

During this time, after accidentally learning a piece of news, he even sought out the sealed Fate Clan, using the "Mist Realm" rule in his possession as a chip to engage in a final gamble with the Fate Clan, who had voluntarily hidden underground.

The Fate Clan agreed to this wager and gave the General a chance.

The final result was that the General won.

The Fate Clan, which never cheated, bestowed upon the General immense power in accordance with their agreement.

This was a long journey of exile; the General grew through opportunity after opportunity, eventually leading the Mingwu Clan back to the Cangxing Sea Region to launch a civilization war against the Death Whisper Clan.

This battle lasted for several years, and the Death Whisper Clan, who had not yet recovered their vitality, ultimately met extinction at the General's hands.

But in the final moments, the Death Whisper Clan also unleashed a desperate strike.

All remaining forces of the Mingwu Clan perished, and the General himself suffered heavy injuries.

The Sea of Death today, perpetually shrouded in black mist, is formed from the Mingwu warriors who died in that battle.

(PS: Early plot points described the environment of the Ghost Shadow Sea, which is the mist that never dissipates year-round in the current Sea of Death, as well as the gales tearing at the sea surface, creating wailing sounds like weeping spirits. Specific content can be found in Chapter 138, where players, after using controlled soul spirits to contain heavenly soldiers, went to the Ancient God Clan's territory to seek refuge.)

The environment of the Sea of Death is very similar to the current Wuyindao, both being shrouded and covered by black mist.

After the war ended, the heavily injured General obtained the Divine Artifact of the Death Whisper Clan, which was the Rule: Death Whisperer.

Relying on sheer willpower to hold his crumbling body together, the General began laying out plans for the future before his life expired.

Transforming Wuyindao was the first step of the plan.

He knew clearly that clansmen revived through the Death Whisperer would fall into an extremely weak state and must quickly devour large amounts of living flesh and blood to forge bodies of Death Whisper.

Therefore, he completely transformed Wuyindao, burying vast resources and wealth underground and connecting them to the crystal coffin.

Using the crystal coffin as the center, he arranged a Spirit-Collecting Formation that covered the entire island.

The mist formed by the deceased Mingwu warriors gathered around the island and refused to scatter, ensuring that spiritual energy could not leak out.

Through accumulation over long years, underground resources became increasingly abundant, attracting large groups of alien races and monsters to gather there.

Secondly, to ensure the "Death Whisperer" could be triggered, the General left numerous hints on the island.

For example, murals, stone pillar carvings, and so on.

All clues informed intelligent beings that unimaginable wealth was buried on this island, waiting for them to explore.

Next was to welcome death.

During his years exploring the Monster World, the General knew deeply that this world held too many unimaginable rule powers.

Some races could even deduce what had happened in the past based on information remaining in the current scene.

To ensure the plan was foolproof, he staged a play before his death.

This play might not have any audience.

But perhaps it would become the crucial step to reverse the situation.

Facts proved that the General's layout worked.

Finally, the General placed the Death Whisperer rule into the crystal coffin, died in the posture of a tomb guardian, and entered the modification state of the Death Whisper rule.

He looked forward to a future day when the dispersed mist would gather once more.

And that day arrived as scheduled.

Cangxing Sea Region, Wuyindao.

The earth veins trembled.

The Spirit-Collecting Formation, silent for long years, shattered, and the life energy accumulated underground surged like a breached flood, crazily rushing into the Death Whisper body of the Mingwu Emperor.

The surface of the crystal coffin beneath burst forth with cobweb-like trails of dark blue light.

Standing nearby, the General's withered body trembled slightly, and within his already crystallized eye sockets, two balls of dark purple soul fire suddenly ignited.

Crack!

The crystal coffin exploded with a roar, and black mist shot skyward like a volcanic eruption.

The General's body transformed into a wisp of mist, following the Mingwu Emperor as they broke through the rock layers and flew toward the sky above the island.

His body twisted and condensed in the air, finally reshaping into an undead form composed of pure Mingwu mist.

Mist flowed between the contours of the armor, while dark purple soul fire burned deep within the helmet, like a pair of eyes from the abyss.

The black mist surrounding the entire Wuyindao boiled at this moment.

The alien races and living beings surviving on the island became nutrients in the revival of the Mingwu Clan.

The gifts bestowed by fate had long been secretly marked with a price.

The underground world of Wuyindao, which they saw as rich in resources, was like a trap that had now reached its trigger point.

The mist churning around the island tangled and condensed like a living creature.

Those Mingwu warriors who had died in the past returned in the form of mist spirits.

Without bones, without flesh and blood, only churning mist outlined vague human silhouettes; fiery soul flames burned in their eye sockets, and low moans issued from their throats, as if thousands of wronged souls were whispering simultaneously.

As memories surged upward, an intense hunger drove them to activate predatory Cultivation Mode.

The entire island underwent earth-shaking changes during this process; plants on the island withered rapidly, leaves turned to flying ash, and sap was extracted into dark blue mist, devoured by the Mingwu warriors.

Countless monsters and alien races were gnawed down to white bones amidst wails, turning the entire island into a domain of Mingwu undead.

But the revival of the Mingwu Clan was not yet complete.

The Mingwu General, holder of the Mist Realm rules, turned his gaze toward the Mingwu Emperor at this moment.

"Your Majesty, lend me the rules for a moment."

The Emperor nodded, and the "Death Speaker" rule branded on his forehead detached, flying toward the General:

"This was always yours."

After receiving the rules, the Mingwu General stepped into the void, hovering at the highest point of the island, his deep soul fire gazing toward the Death Sea.

He raised his arm; the Death Speaker rule condensed in his palm, transforming into a dark purple rune, which he slammed fiercely against the void.

"Warriors of my clan, awaken!"

Invisible ripples of rules spread toward the direction of the Death Sea.

The black mist that lingered year-round over the Death Sea suddenly contracted, as if gripped tightly by some invisible force.

Amidst the churning and twisting fog, countless blurry figures took shape.

The Mingwu warriors who had fallen in battle at the Ghost Shadow Sea years ago also awakened at this moment, manifesting within the surging black mist.

Clad in armor condensed from mist and wielding mist blades, their vast numbers caused the entire sea to tremble.

Hovering beneath the sky canopy, the General's figure grew ever taller under the cleansing power of the rules.

As the mist on his body churned, a colossal mist blade spanning the horizon condensed in his hand; he suddenly waved his finger, pointing toward the Death Sea.

"The mist of our clan shall never disperse for eternity."

The General's domineering declaration formally announced the return of the Mingwu Clan.

Responding to the summons, the mist shrouding the Death Sea swept across the Cangxing Sea like a tsunami, joining the devouring of the living beings on Wuyindao.

This overlord, who once ruled the three great seas, made his reappearance in the current era with an even more powerful stance.

This was what the General meant by: anything is possible.

Next came the resumption of conquest.

As more and more black mist enveloped Wuyindao, the General's roar shattered the clouds for hundreds of miles; countless undead soldiers stepped out of the fog, their armor flowing with Black Tide-like dark patterns as they assembled in formation around the island's outer perimeter.

From the ancient battlefield ruins sleeping beneath the seabed, countless skeletal warships slowly rose, the bone ramming prows on their bows writhing like living creatures.

"General, the current layout of the seas is still unclear; wait until a detailed investigation is completed before deciding how to proceed," the Emperor's voice rang beside the war-frenzied Mingwu General.

Hearing this, the sharpness in the Mingwu General's eyes receded slightly.

Although the Mingwu Legion had revived and the memories of the clansmen were rapidly awakening,

this was the Monster World; even with the boost from the Death Speaker Clan's rules granting them greater strength than in years past, the Mingwu Clan still had to learn restraint.

Rash action would only plunge them once again into an irredeemable predicament.

Just then, the sea surface suddenly split open, revealing a pitch-black fissure.

A giant ship constructed from mist and bones burst through the waves; standing at its bow was an elder clad in tattered battle robes, his Iron Face like withered bark, yet his eyes burned with You blue flames.

"General Ye Ming, it has been many long years; you are still as impulsive as ever," the elder said with a hoarse voice, lightly tapping the deck with his bone staff, causing clusters of the Mingwu fleet behind him to surface immediately.

Seeing the newcomer, a hint of a smile appeared in the General's eyes:

"Cang Hai, has your memory recovered?"

The elder known as Cang Hai nodded:

"It seems our clan won the war against the Death Speaker Clan; the Death Speaker rule brand within my body must have been placed there by the General."

"Not just you, but us as well."

Surging mist swept over, and the sea surface exploded consecutively as several figures emerged from within.

To the left, a burly figure entangled in chains slowly materialized; with every step he took, the sea surface froze into gray-white ice crystals.

This was "Frost Prison," one of the Eight Generals of the Mingwu Clan, wielding the power of "Ming Ji" within the Mingwu cultivation system.

To the right, the mist twisted, forming the silhouette of a enchanting woman, her laughter ringing like silver bells.

This was similarly one of the Eight Mingwu Generals, "Mist Lady."

Behind them all, the seawater parted as a colossal beast formed from pure black mist slowly rose.

Atop the beast, a mistified figure spoke lazily:

"My Grand General Ye Ming, what mistake have you made this time to be criticized by His Majesty? And... exactly how many years have we been asleep?"

When everyone's gaze focused on the Mingwu Emperor, they all dropped to one knee:

"Your Majesty."

The Mingwu Emperor slowly raised his hand:

"Rise. This world is no longer the environment we know; our enemies are no longer the Death Speaker Clan."

Speaking thus, his gaze turned toward the deep sea, as if piercing through distance to stare directly at those terrifying existences lurking in the shadows:

"First, gather all awakened clansmen and rebuild the Mingwu Council; for now, focus on investigation and probing attacks." Just as Ye Ming, the leader of the Eight Generals, was about to nod, he suddenly sensed a fluctuation of power approaching from afar and whipped his head toward the Death Sea:

"It seems we do not need to go out to probe; the faction wishing to probe our strength has appeared first."

All eyes turned toward the direction of the Death Sea.

A crimson meteor streaked across the sky, forcibly tearing a burning rift through the thick mist.

The roar emitted during its flight caused the sea to continuously erupt in water columns, as if the entire ocean was trembling under its oppressive aura.

Ye Ming's expression turned grave.

The newcomer was shrouded in substantial flames of qi and blood; along his flight path, lingering blood-colored cracks remained, like wounds torn open in the sky.

As their vision drew closer, they saw the approaching figure clearly.

It was a burly being enveloped in boiling qi and blood, his bronze skin resembling cast molten rock, his muscle fibers like coiling dragons and pythons, every tendon radiating terrifying power capable of crushing mountains and severing seas.

Even every heartbeat caused the air to vibrate, the resulting shockwaves evaporating the seawater in his path directly into mist; most striking of all were the flames of battle intent dancing within his pupils.

Judging solely by the fluctuations of qi and blood, Ye Ming could determine that this fellow needed no weapon whatsoever.

For this body itself was the most terrifying deadly weapon.

And the one attacking was precisely the Champion Fighter under the command of the Ancient God Clan.

"Interesting; it seems that during the years we slept, some interesting things have been born in the nearby seas," the Mingwu Emperor said with a laugh, similarly sensing the surging fluctuations of qi and blood.

"I will handle it." Ye Ming stepped forward, staring directly at the approaching figure.

The crimson meteor attacked straight on; Ye Ming did not dodge or evade, while figures like the Mingwu Emperor actively retreated.

They too wished to see just how strong the factions in the nearby seas were.

The Champion Fighter's right fist shot out at this moment without any fancy techniques.

The hurricane raised by a single punch plowed a thousand-meter trench into the sea; before the fist even arrived, the island behind Ye Ming began to tremble.

Boom!

Ye Ming did not dodge or evade, allowing the punch to pierce straight through his chest.

But the Champion Fighter's expression changed, for his fist felt as though it had struck thick liquid; the part of Ye Ming that was hit transformed into flowing mist, which instead coiled up along his arm.

"Is it only brute force?"

Ye Ming's voice came from all directions.

The Champion Fighter whipped around abruptly, discovering six identical Ye Mings walking out of the mist, each holding a different mistified weapon.

The Champion Fighter roared in anger, his battle markings erupting with sunlight-bright radiance.

He raised both fists and clashed them together; the resulting shockwave of qi and blood instantly shattered three of the mist clones, the aftermath exploding into a thousand-meter-high wall of water on the sea surface.

But the real Ye Ming had already appeared above his head, a condensed mist blade lightly sweeping across the back of the Champion Fighter's neck.

A blood mark appeared.

The Champion Fighter spun around fiercely, unleashing a charged punch.

Like a sun exploding, the burst of qi and blood energy instantly churned Ye Ming's body into fragments.

But the dispersing mist recondensed nearby, and Ye Ming's silhouette emerged from within.

Neither side attacked again this time; their gazes locked.

Ye Ming saw burning battle intent and desire in the Champion Fighter's eyes.

The Champion Fighter saw in Ye Ming's eyes a steadfastness he had never felt before, like an unshakable mountain range.

The momentum of both sides soared at this moment.

"You are not a match; die, or retreat."

Ye Ming's voice exploded in the Champion Fighter's mind, conveying the thought via mental communication.

"Kill!" the Champion Fighter responded with a roar.

The nearby seawater was instantly evaporated into white mist by the burning qi and blood.

The Champion Fighter became like a meteor of qi and blood, closing the distance to Ye Ming in an instant.

His bare chest heaved violently, every blood vessel bulging beneath his skin as if thousands of fire pythons were rampaging within his body.

The flames of battle intent burned his pupils crimson; the moment he locked onto Ye Ming, the entire sky was dyed blood-red.

As the Champion Fighter drove the power within his body, he triggered a tsunami; the muscles of his right arm bulged like a volcanic eruption, and the wind from his punch condensed into a giant fist phantom in the air.

Ye Ming's pupils constricted sharply; his entire person dispersed like green smoke, and the moment the giant fist struck the sea, the water was compressed downward, exploding into a crater ten thousand meters in diameter.

A light laugh came from within the mist, and Ye Ming's figure suddenly appeared behind the Champion Fighter.

The Champion Fighter reacted with extreme speed; while still in his punching posture, he yanked his right arm back, twisted his hips and turned, changing to a rear elbow strike.

Boom!

Rolling waves of qi and blood heat surged, but this strike still failed to cause substantial harm to Ye Ming, merely blasting him into dispersing gray mist.

At this moment, an arm condensed from the scattered mist.

Where the fingertips passed, the air rippled; the sharp claws grazed the Champion Fighter's neck, eliciting a series of metallic clangs, yet leaving only faint white marks on his bronze skin.

"The physical body has reached great completion. Not bad."

Before General Ye Ming's voice had faded, the Champion Gladiator suddenly spun around, his knee shooting out like a heavy cannon.

But General Ye Ming mistified once again, the mist scattering and reassembling amidst the shockwave.

He keenly seized the gap in the opponent's attack, then transformed into a streak of light to strike straight for the Iron Face.

The Champion Gladiator bared his forest-white fangs in a grin, actively meeting the blow, colliding his forehead against General Ye Ming's sharp claws to spark a myriad of sparks.

"Shatter!"

The Champion Gladiator's qi and blood surged explosively throughout his body; flames erupted from his pores, turning the entire sea area into a smelting furnace.

General Ye Ming's mist sizzled under the scorching high temperatures, yet this did not prevent him from reassembling his body once more.

With the mistification ability granted by the Mist Realm rules plus his Death-Whisper Body, General Ye Ming's physical form had reached a state of being nearly indestructible.

Any offensive launched by the Champion Gladiator failed to inflict effective damage.

When General Ye Ming scattered once more into mist filling the sky.

The Champion Gladiator's punches became frenzied, each strike carrying the might to collapse mountains and split the earth, smashing the nearby sea waters into fragments.

Giant waves were evaporated into mist before they could even fall, making the entire battlefield resemble a boiling steamer basket.

At this moment, the melon-eating players had already arrived at the battlefield.

In the words of the forum players: If there were a rule stating that eating melons grants power, every player would inevitably embed it.

Eating melons on the forum, eating melons via live stream, eating melons on-site... for players, danger did not exist; nothing could stop their hearts from eating melons.

The players who approached the battlefield first immediately activated their live streams, causing the popularity in the streaming rooms to skyrocket instantly.

Zooming the lens (the guidance avatar) closer, they discovered that the one fighting the Mingwu Clan was actually the Champion Gladiator, and the players' enthusiasm for eating melons burned fiercely.

In all the major on-site live streaming rooms, bullet comments flew everywhere.

"Front row selling melon seeds, beer, and cigarettes; the battle has ignited, how can we lack snacks? Mall item code: xxx, welcome to purchase snacks."

"Holy crap, it's actually the Champion Gladiator; his opponent seems incredibly fierce too."

"They all say warriors are awesome, but facts prove assassins crush warriors; new assassin friends, keep it up, use your strength to prove that we, the Assassin Sect, are the strongest sect."

"Just arrived; why is everyone in the comments discussing whether assassins or warriors are stronger? What does this have to do with us players' profession sects? Why is your sense of immersion so strong?"

For the players, this was merely a movie.

No matter who won, they would not be affected in the slightest.

Yet, there were still many players in the various live streaming rooms who had picked sides.

Warrior Sect players generally sided with the Champion Gladiator, while Assassin Sect players generally stood firmly with General Ye Ming.

While General Ye Ming and the Champion Gladiator fought fiercely outside, players from the two sects in the live stream comment sections were also arguing in a chaotic mess.

At this time, the battle in the sky above Wuyindao continued.

General Ye Ming's figure vanished like a ghost, transforming into thousands of strands of gray mist that weaved and darted through the gaps in the fist shadows.

Whenever the fist wind brushed past, the mist would twist and deform like light smoke, only to reaggregate in the blink of an eye.

The Champion Gladiator's offensive seemed domineering and unmatched, yet it could not harm General Ye Ming in the slightest, instead churning the surrounding seawater into a surging blood-red vortex.

Although the Champion Gladiator appeared to be the one actively attacking, in terms of actual combat power comparison, General Ye Ming was stronger by more than one notch.

In fact, throughout the entire process, it was General Ye Ming who was probing the series of abilities mastered by the Champion Gladiator.

Helpless, the Champion Gladiator's fighting intent in his eyes grew even more intense.

He took a deep breath, his body rapidly expanding three times in size, the blood vessels beneath his skin writhing crazily like crimson giant pythons.

The next second, he leaped into the air, gathering all his strength into his right fist, and slammed it down forcefully toward the sea surface where General Ye Ming stood, carrying the power of the Battle Soul.

Instantly, a pitch-black fissure spread from the tip of his fist; wherever it passed, seawater, air, and even light were devoured completely.

General Ye Ming's mist contracted rapidly the moment the fissure appeared, dodging quickly, unwilling to make direct contact with the Battle Soul power.

The instant his form recondensed into a solid entity, his toes lightly tapped the seawater, and he shot toward the Champion Gladiator like an arrow leaving the string.

At the critical moment just before being swallowed by the fissure, General Ye Ming mistified again, transforming into a wisp of fine mist that drilled into the Champion Gladiator's body through his pores.

The Champion Gladiator trembled violently as if struck by lightning.

He attempted to use the qi and blood power within his body to force the mist out, but discovered that the mist transformed from General Ye Ming was like a disease clinging to the bone, roaming freely through his meridians and constantly eroding his qi and blood.

He let out a roar of unwillingness, yet he could not stop the loss of power.

Just then, a player who recklessly approached managed to obtain first-hand analysis intelligence on General Ye Ming and posted it in the regional channel and live streaming rooms.

[General Ye Ming]:

Hunting Rank: Ban Shen Jing.

Target Introduction: Head of the Eight Generals of the Mingwu Clan, Second Seat of the Mingwu Council, commander of all Mingwu Clan legions, possessing the strongest power below the Mingwu Emperor, with the 'Mist Realm' rules integrated into his body.

Upon seeing General Ye Ming's Hunting Rank, the arguing in the live streaming rooms ceased.

All players now knew that General Ye Ming had not yet exerted his full strength.

In this battle, the Champion Gladiator had absolutely no possibility of victory.

Leaving aside the fact that the power used by the Champion Gladiator was merely derivative power granted by an Ancient God's rules, General Ye Ming himself had a set of rules empowering him.

Even in terms of life intensity, a Hunting Rank of Ban Shen Jing was something the Champion Gladiator could not contend with.

At this moment, the Champion Gladiator's body convulsed in mid-air, the qi and blood flames on his surface flickering like a candle in the wind.

After the probing concluded, General Ye Ming prepared to deliver the final strike.

Just then, within the layers of dark clouds in the sky, dark red lightning wound like spiritual snakes, and space emitted tearing sounds of being overburdened.

"General, be careful!"

Before the Mingwu Emperor's startled shout could land, a bronze giant arm that blocked out the sun and day burst through the cloud layer.

The surface of the giant arm was covered in gullies eroded by the ages, wrapped chains glowed with an eerie green light, each finger joint was the size of a mountain range, and dark golden runes flowed within the palm's lines.

When the giant arm fell, the seawater surrounding Wuyindao was forcibly pushed aside, forming an abyssal trench of unfathomable depth.

Even the air was compressed into a solid substance, emitting a piercing shriek.

Sensing imminent danger, the mist surrounding General Ye Ming churned crazily.

Without time to think further, he transformed into a wisp of gray mist, detached from the Champion Gladiator, and retreated.

The moment the giant arm smashed down, the emerging underwater mountain ranges collapsed instantly, raising a tsunami tens of thousands of feet high; within the reach of the aftermath, numerous melon-eating players turned into black mist, their souls returning to Dizhongcun.

The Mingwu Emperor's expression changed slightly; with a wave of his sleeve, he instantly erected a defensive barrier high in the sky.

The giant arm hovered above the sea surface without continuing its descent; the palm slowly turned over, sucking the heavily injured Champion Gladiator into its grasp.

The Champion Gladiator struggled weakly, but could no longer gather the strength to continue fighting.

On the other side, General Ye Ming recondensed his form above the island, his gaze fixed tightly on the giant arm, the mist around him solidifying into sharp blade shapes.

Just as General Ye Ming prepared to act again, the giant arm did not launch an attack; instead, the runes on its palm suddenly lit up, injecting power into the Champion Gladiator's body.

"Old fellow... you said a gladiator's fate is... to die in battle, so why save me?"

The Champion Gladiator, having recovered a slight amount of power, coughed with a hoarse voice.

"Dying in battle is fate, but not now." An old voice rang out like a great bell striking, echoing across this sea area.

Subsequently, the giant arm slowly lifted and retreated in the direction of the Death Sea; with every step back, space rippled, teleporting a distance.

Only after the giant arm had completely vanished did the fighting intent in General Ye Ming's eyes dissipate:

"It seems the enemy we are about to Iron Face is far more terrifying than imagined."

Gazing into the distance toward the Death Sea, General Ye Ming formed a preliminary understanding of this faction that had actively attacked.

The Mingwu Emperor fell silent for a moment, then spoke in a deep voice:

"Summon the Eight Generals, the Sixteen Leaders, and the Elder Council... convene the Mingwu Council immediately."

The great battle thus came to an end.

But the players all felt unsatisfied.

What they wanted to see was rivers of blood, fighting until one side was destroyed; the more tragic, the more exciting.

As a result, both sides only probed each other before choosing to retreat, which made them feel extremely uncomfortable.

It felt like eating a melon only halfway, with no follow-up.

Unlike the mindset of ordinary players, A Lan, who was also paying attention to this battle, had already sensed a crisis.

Prior to this, the Cangxing Sea Area had no absolutely dominant clan, maintaining a pattern of mixed warfare among various races.

Now, with the Mingwu Clan descending from above... or more accurately, the revival of an overlord from the old era, this meant the pattern of the Cangxing Sea Area would be reshuffled.

Although Dream Island, where the Jinbishang Society was located, was not far from the Colorful Mist Coast, it still fell within the radiation range of the Mingwu Clan's power.

Barring unexpected events, Dream Island would suffer a heavy blow.

If not handled properly, the Jinbishang Society would Iron Face its first bankruptcy since opening.

At the very least, before the Mingwu Clan withdrew from the Cangxing Sea Area, the Jinbishang Society would likely be unable to continue operating.

While feeling a headache, A Lan began to ponder how to resolve the imminent crisis of bankruptcy.

(End of Chapter)