Free Web NovelChapter 512: Chapter 509: Squeeze Dry (Part 2)
"You can always earn back what you’ve lost, but if you lose your life, you lose everything. Surely you all understand a simple principle like that, right?" Mo Qi said at the opportune moment.
"Make a decision, quickly. In another half-minute, my Illusion Array will set, and it’ll be impossible to expand it any further."
The crowd looked at the still-frenzied Abyssal Demon Swarm outside the Illusion Array and gritted their teeth.
"Members of the Zhang Family, listen up! Take everything out! Brother Qian is right—if we’re dead, we’ll have nothing left!"
A young man in a white robe led a group of people in matching attire forward and threw all their supplies into the golden halo.
"Members of the Ji Family, come on out. As long as the green hills remain, there will be wood to burn."
A dozen or so young people stepped out from the crowd. Daring not to hold anything back, they all handed over their private stashes.
"Brothers, what are you waiting for? Take everything out."
"Fine, fine. Just think of it as buying our lives with money."
"I hope we can really get out of here safely in the end."
Choosing between life and wealth was not a difficult decision at all.
Soon, aside from a small handful of people, everyone else had offered up all their belongings, leaving themselves with only the clothes on their backs.
Those who remained were the successors of top-tier powers. They had already given up everything they could part with; what they kept were their incomparably precious trump cards and ultimate treasures.
Parting with them was truly agonizing.
They wanted to wait a little longer. ’What if the resources the others have provided are already enough?’
However, with Mo Qi acting as the puppet master, whether it was enough or not was entirely up to him.
Until he had squeezed these people dry, the Illusion Array was never going to expand to the safe zone.
Under his control, the Illusion Array expanded significantly, but it ultimately stopped ten zhang short of the safe zone. frёeωebɳovel.com
"It’s not enough! We’re just a little bit short!" Mo Qi barked.
To create the illusion that the Array Formation was taking a great toll on him, he deliberately held his breath until his face was red, broke out in a sweat, and made his legs tremble and shiver.
Those who had already invested their entire fortunes could no longer stand by. One by one, they turned on the successors of the several top-tier powers.
"Young Master Feng Qing, we’ve contributed everything we have. Isn’t it a bit unreasonable for you all to still be holding back?"
"That’s right! Young Master of the Fortress Dai Zhen, Miss Yunyin, and Eldest Young Masters Zheng and Zhao, what’s there to hesitate about at a time like this? Do you want to hug your precious treasures all the way to Hell?"
"If you want to die, that’s fine, but don’t drag us down with you!"
Their words grew increasingly harsh.
Under normal circumstances, these people would never have dared to speak to Feng Qing and the others like this.
But now, with everyone’s lives on the line, they couldn’t afford to care about such things.
Feng Qing’s expression darkened. He knew that turning hostile right now would be unwise.
The crowd was clearly desperate. If he dared to act high and mighty, there was no telling what impulsive things they might do.
"There’s only ten zhang left. Why waste more resources? Wouldn’t it be better if we just charged out together?" Dai Zhen suddenly said.
Mo Qi shook his head. "Forget ten zhang. Even if it were only one zhang, we wouldn’t be able to charge out."
"Why not?"
"You don’t actually think these Abyssal Demons are mindless, do you? If we don’t trap all of them in the Illusion Realm, do you think they’ll just stand by and watch us leave?"
"Are you sure we won’t be surrounded a second time after revealing our position?"
The crowd fell silent.
"Ten seconds left. If no new resources are put in after ten seconds, the Array will immediately stop expanding," Mo Qi added.
"Alright, alright. Looks like I have no choice but to make a huge sacrifice." Dai Zhen gave a bitter smile and, with a pained expression, took out a Storage Ring and tossed it into the halo.
Compared to his treasures, he clearly cared more about his own life.
The others no longer held onto any wishful thinking and contributed all their trump cards and ultimate treasures.
Feng Qing was no exception. He unfastened the Storage Belt from his waist and threw it into the halo, along with the beast hide from before.
The Illusion Array expanded again, but in the end, it was still one zhang short.
"What’s going on? Why is it still one zhang short?" The crowd was dumbfounded.
"The resources are still not enough!" Mo Qi said again.
"But we don’t have anything left to offer!"
Mo Qi pretended to ponder this, then offered a "helpful" reminder. "It doesn’t necessarily have to be physical resources. Certain specific Energy Bodies also work. For example, an external special bloodline, an expert’s brand residing in one’s Sea of Consciousness, and so on. All of these can be used as a power source to fuel the Array."
The moment he finished speaking, Dai Zhen immediately looked at Feng Qing.
"Feng Qing, if I recall correctly, you possess the External Dragon Elephant Bloodline!"
A so-called external bloodline was a pseudo-special constitution formed by using a Secret Technique to strip the bloodline from another person and forcibly graft it onto one’s own body.
Feng Qing was exceptionally talented and greatly favored by the Feng Family’s old ancestor.
When he was young, the Feng Family’s old ancestor was overjoyed to discover that a servant actually possessed the Dragon Elephant Bloodline constitution, so he forcibly stripped it from the servant and bestowed it upon Feng Qing.
"Dai Zhen, what are you trying to say?" Feng Qing roared, furious.
The Dragon Elephant Bloodline was the foundation of his bid for the future position of the Feng Family Patriarch; he absolutely could not afford to lose it.
Very few people knew about this; even within the Feng Family, it was a major secret.
But as the saying goes, the one who knows you best is often your enemy.
He and Dai Zhen had fought for many years, experiencing no fewer than ten life-and-death situations in that time. He had long since revealed his Dragon Elephant Bloodline in front of Dai Zhen.
"I don’t mean anything by it. It’s just that for the safety of everyone here, you’ll have to contribute your Dragon Elephant Bloodline," Dai Zhen said with a wide grin, his tone filled with glee.
He knew the Dragon Elephant Bloodline was Feng Qing’s lifeline. Once it was severed, Feng Qing would no longer be qualified to compete with him and might even become a cripple.
He wasn’t about to miss such a perfect opportunity to strike at Feng Qing.
"Impossible! This is non-negotiable!" Feng Qing, naturally, would not compromise.
"Heh, that’s not up to you!" Dai Zhen sneered.
At some unknown point, the crowd had already surrounded Feng Qing and the people from his City Lord’s Mansion.
"Are you going to hand it over voluntarily, or are we going to have to forcibly strip it from you?"
Feng Qing’s face turned pale. Only then did he realize the gravity of the situation.
"What do you think you’re doing? I am the second young master of Yunfeng City’s City Lord’s Mansion! If you dare to act recklessly, the City Lord’s Mansion will not let you off!"
However, no one paid any mind to his threat.
It was obvious that, for the sake of survival, the crowd no longer cared about Feng Qing’s status.
Besides, the law does not punish the masses. There were over ten thousand people here, from hundreds of different families and powers.
No matter how strong the City Lord’s Mansion was, it couldn’t possibly wage war against hundreds of powers at the same time.
"You’re the one behind this!" Feng Qing realized something and glared at Mo Qi. "I have no grudge against you. Why are you trying to harm me?"
Mo Qi spread his hands innocently. "Young Master Feng Qing, I have no idea what you’re talking about. But if it were me, and I had the chance to save so many of my fellow cultivators, I would do it without a second thought, even if it cost me my life!"
"You..." Feng Qing was left speechless.
"Well said!" Dai Zhen clapped and laughed. "Brother Qian’s righteousness is truly admirable!"
