Chapter 125: The Eight-Thousand-Star Night Veil

The hundred or so martial artists holding purple flames now wore expressions of utter despair. The others, who lacked the flames, gloated; they were satisfied that since they could not obtain the prize, these people would not be allowed to keep it either.

"Do not harbor any illusions. All martial artists in possession of purple flames must surrender them immediately." Elder Luo Feng’s voice boomed from above, echoing in all directions. Every martial artist near the Gate of Thunder heard him clearly.

Some, sensing the danger, attempted to flee, but they had barely taken a few steps before beams of light struck them, tearing their bodies into fragments.

"No one is permitted to leave until I have spoken. It seems many have forgotten that I have not acted in quite some time," Elder Luo Feng added with a cold snort.

At this, everyone realized the situation was dire. Luo Feng was preventing them all from leaving, though his true intentions remained unknown.

High above, Luo Feng looked down at the ground with a sneer. These low-level martial artists were beneath his notice, even though he had once been one of them. Yet, once one reached the Star Pill Realm, the gap compared to the Spirit Gathering Realm was like that between heaven and earth; they were simply incomparable.

"They are as good as dead; there is no need for you to be so angry, Elder Luo," said another Star Pill Realm practitioner, Chen Ling. His aura was even more formidable, with two shimmering rivers of stars circling his body. He was a Second-Stage Star Pill Realm expert.

Luo Feng replied, "Chen Ling, I have dealt with these people often. If you treat them with any courtesy, they will try to climb all over you. There is no need to be polite; if they dare to defy my orders, kill them on the spot."

"Enough. Stop talking. Time is running out; finish them off quickly. With their souls, the Heaven-Shattering Artifact should be completed soon." The speaker was a middle-aged man whose features were obscured, and around him, three distinct rivers of stars pulsed with power.

"As you command, My Lord!" Chen Ling, Luo Feng, and two other Star Pill Realm experts replied in unison.

On the ground, the hundred-plus people holding purple flames had completely abandoned resistance, placing the flames beside them. Had there been only one Star Pill Realm expert, they might have fought back, but the sudden appearance of five such powerful beings extinguished any hope of rebellion. Furthermore, they believed that surrendering the flames would allow them to survive; they did not think these experts would slaughter them all.

However, a few were deeply uneasy, sensing a premonition of disaster—a sixth sense common among those facing a great calamity. Chu Jie’s expression was grim; he had a feeling that these five experts were planning something far more sinister than simply seizing the flames.

"Everyone, be careful. If anything unusual happens, prioritize survival above all else. Stay close to me," Chu Jie whispered to Duan Kun and the others. "We may have to force our way into the Gate of Thunder. I will take out the purple flames when the time comes, but for now, I cannot, or we will be targeted by those people in the sky."

Duan Kun nodded. "Understood."

"We follow your lead, Boss," the seven members of the Wu Long group added. Their voices were low, ensuring they went unheard.

While they spoke, Luo Feng began to move, sending down beams of light that swept away the purple flames from the hundred people. Suddenly, the sky turned pitch black, as if night had fallen in an instant, yet there was not a single star in the dark canopy.

The darkness enveloped the Gate of Thunder as well, leaving the glow of the gate as the only source of light.

"Oh no, we are trapped!" someone cried out.

"Those Star Pill Realm experts mean to kill us; why else would they trap us?" another roared.

Chaos erupted among the thousands of people, each desperately trying to find a way to escape certain death. Chu Jie watched the sky, wondering what techniques or artifacts they had used to shroud the area in such impenetrable darkness. They were trapped in a void; no matter which direction they fled, they found no exit. They were completely contained.

Just then, a hearty laugh echoed from above. "The Eight-Thousand Star Night Shield is indeed effective. With this artifact in hand, not a single person here can escape!"

"What are you trying to do?" someone shouted in fury.

There were many Spirit Gathering and Body Tempering Realm martial artists present, all filled with indignation as they stared toward the source of the voice.

"You will know soon enough," the voice replied indifferently.

Several beams of light cascaded from the sky, attacking the martial artists below with savage intensity. The initial strike split the crowd in two, with the hundred who had surrendered their purple flames being the first to be slaughtered. As they died, their faces were twisted with rage—they had surrendered their flames only to be killed anyway; they died with deep resentment.

Seeing the slaughter begin, Chu Jie immediately contacted Zhou Jie. Even though the Eight-Thousand Star Night Shield had plunged them into darkness, it could not sever the connection between the Blood Dragon Ring and Zhou Jie. Chu Jie’s plan was simple: have Zhou Jie cause chaos from the outside to distract the Star Pill Realm experts, creating a sliver of hope for them to enter the Gate of Thunder.

After killing over a hundred people, Luo Feng paused and said, "All of you must die. Only your soul energy can accelerate the maturation of this artifact."

Panic seized the thousands present. They realized that it was not the Golden-Armored warriors who would kill them, but the people from the Blood Slaughter City. It felt like a betrayal. Driven to madness, the martial artists launched their own treasures at the experts in the sky, but before their attacks could reach the targets, they were struck down by a more powerful red light.

"Hurry up," the man referred to as "My Lord" said impatiently. The desperate counterattack of so many martial artists, while harmless, clearly annoyed him.

"Yes, My Lord," Luo Feng replied in a deep voice.

This time, he transformed into a streak of starlight and dove down, two crescent-shaped weapons spinning around him. Everywhere he passed, martial artists were cut down.

"You will not have a good end! You have killed so many of us; if I escape, I will surely kill you!" someone screamed.

"You will have no such chance," Luo Feng replied coldly.

Bloody light bloomed in the darkness. Neither Body Tempering nor Spirit Gathering Realm martial artists could block the attacks of the Star Pill Realm experts. All except the one called "My Lord" began a frantic slaughter. In mere moments, hundreds had died, and the death toll climbed rapidly. To the Star Pill Realm experts, killing these people was as easy as crushing ants.

Chu Jie stood on the edge of the crowd, so the experts had not yet reached him. He was tense; if they approached, he had no effective way to stop them.

The crowd was in total disarray. Some, even without purple flames, charged toward the Gate of Thunder in a desperate bid for survival, only to be killed instantly. After several such attempts, no one else dared to charge. Furthermore, to prevent anyone from sneaking into the gate, Chen Ling remained near it, cutting down anyone who approached with a purple flame.

"Just accept your deaths; do not waste our time," Chen Ling called out from the air, his aura surging with overwhelming spiritual power.

Just then, Luo Feng began to head toward Chu Jie’s position.

"Everyone, get ready. If it becomes too dangerous, put on the golden armor!" Chu Jie told Duan Kun and the others. Survival took priority; there was no longer any room to worry about exposure.

Suddenly, the entire dark shroud trembled. A ripple emanated from the edge of the Eight-Thousand Star Night Shield. Although the barrier was powerful, the tremor had been significant.

All the Star Pill Realm experts stopped their slaughter and looked toward the disturbance.

"Someone is attacking the shield, but it is useless, it cannot be..." The man in the sky had not even finished his sentence when a blood-red light pierced the darkness.

It was Zhou Jie, arriving just in time. Luo Feng, who had been heading toward Chu Jie, diverted his path.

As the blood-red light cut through, the dark night seemed to shatter, flickering with eerie brilliance. Seeing the rift, many martial artists scrambled toward it.

The gap was near the Gate of Thunder, and Chu Jie led his group toward it, shouting, "There is someone rescuing us from the outside! Everyone, attack that spot! If we break it, we can escape!"

Many saw that it was Chu Jie who had called out.

"Thanks for the reminder, Young Master Chu! Everyone, charge!" someone yelled.

Following Chu Jie’s lead, the panicked martial artists seemed to regain their senses and surged toward the rift.