Chapter 7: The Yuanke Alliance (Part 2)

Suddenly, a giant talisman gate appeared, from which dozens of professionals rushed out. Eagle Demon exclaimed in surprise, “Whoa, dozens of professionals at the seventh or eighth level of the altar? That’s way too much!”
Immediately after, two people flew out, both sitting on altars. Guo Shier glanced at them and said in shock, “Damn it, ninth-level altars! Two professionals at the ninth level!”
The giant talisman gate suddenly glowed brightly, as if someone had stung a wasp nest. Tens of thousands of altar-level professionals poured out of it—those at the lowest level were already at the fourth level of the altar, with most being at the sixth or seventh level.
Li Ran also narrowed his eyes. Zhen Wuji said, “There are actually two professionals at the ninth level of the altar…”
Li Ran added, “They probably aren’t from our region. They must be professionals from another continent. Take a closer look at them… Do you recognize anyone?”
Zhen Wuji observed carefully and shook his head. “Their clothing and styles are all unfamiliar… Hm, their speech is also strange. Yes… They must be outsiders from the Yaqi Dami Tian continent. I don’t know which continent they’re from. Hmm, no—what are they doing?”
The giant talisman gate glowed again, and tens of thousands more altar-level professionals emerged, most of them at the third or fourth level. Then several more groups arrived, quickly outnumbering the local professionals. Moreover, they came in an organized manner, giving them a vastly superior strength.
The difference in strength between a scattered group and an organized force was simply incomparable.
Teams quickly sealed off the surroundings. The two professionals at the ninth level of the altar shouted, “Set up the sealing talisman array!” Immediately, hundreds of professionals erected talisman pillars as thick as arms, driving them straight into the ground. The two professionals began to create numerous virtual talismans, and with a rumbling sound, thousands of talisman pillars sprang up.
In less than a few minutes, those pillars formed a large talisman array. Many of the professional teams started shouting.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“Who are you?”
“Damn bastards! They’re setting up a sealing talisman array… The talisman gate is useless now!”
The atmosphere instantly became tense. These professionals clearly intended to take control of this place. They didn’t care about anyone else and used the talisman array to seal off the space. Anyone who tried to use the talisman gate would be blocked, rendering it completely useless.

A massive number of symbols were emitted, filling the sky with red glows as countless messages were sent out. The group there didn’t stop them, seemingly unafraid at all. At that moment, a team tried to leave but was blocked. Guo Shier recognized that team—it was the same one that had entered first.

Yan Fei’s angry voice rang out, “Can’t we just withdraw? Why are you stopping us?”

“Leave behind the materials you’ve collected, and you can go!”

Immediately, the professionals from various ancient clans erupted in outrage. Someone shouted, “You’re too domineering! These things here don’t belong to you!”

Li Ran and Zhen Wuji both darkened their expressions. Feng Miluo and Hai Miluo exchanged a glance, showing signs of unease. They had collected the most and best materials; if they were robbed, it would be devastating. Guo Shier sneered, “Hmph, do you think numbers make you strong? These bastards…”

Ying Mo and Luo Zhan calmly hovered behind Guo Shier. Ying Mo said indifferently, “Shier, we don’t need to fear them. After all, we also have two super experts here—one at the ninth-tier altar and one beyond it. The other side relies only on two professionals at the ninth-tier altar. The only difference is that they have many professionals at the sixth, seventh, and eighth tiers, so many that even Li Ran and Zhen Wuji feel wary.”

Everyone wondered: Where did this team come from, or which ancient clan did it belong to, to possess such terrifying strength? An ancient clan usually only had a few hundred altar-level professionals, with only a few being of high rank. Yet this massive group of professionals was beyond everyone’s comprehension. If they were part of an ancient clan, it would be terrifying.

Among the two professionals at the ninth-tier altar, one was young and handsome, but his gaze carried a hint of malice. He stood at the top of the altar, arms crossed, scanning the crowd coldly.

The other professional at the ninth-tier altar was middle-aged, with a distinctive horse-like face that reminded Guo Shier of his old friend Nan You. The two had some similarities in appearance, but this man exuded a terrifying aura. His chin jutted outward, making it appear particularly long, and his small eyes the size of mung beans sparkled with faint magical light. He sat on top of the altar, one hand resting on his chin and the other on the altar, looking utterly relaxed.

Guo Shier couldn’t help but curse, “Pretending to be tough, huh?”

Li Ran turned to look at him, a faint smile on his face.

The arguing grew louder, until the young Ninth-Level Altar Priest suddenly let out a deafening roar that shook people’s souls. Instantly, everything around became quiet. Only then did he say coldly, “I am Ruowangtian, a Ninth-Level Altar Priest.”
The middle-aged Ninth-Level Altar Priest lowered his hand from his chin and said calmly, “Yaozebusong, a Ninth-Level Altar Priest.”
Guo Shieru said among the crowd, “This guy is a dog.”
Eagle Demon asked, “He’s a dog? What do you mean?”
Guo Shieru replied, “If he clings tightly and won’t let go, what else could he be but a dog?”
Pfft! Pfft! A few people nearby couldn’t help but laugh. Eagle Demon chuckled, “He really does hold on tightly. Strange, why is this guy’s name so weird… Yaozebusong—sounds like a Yuanke person…”
Li Ran exclaimed in surprise, “Yuanke people… Ah, no wonder it’s so strange. It really is a Yuanke person… How did these lunatics end up here?”
Guo Shieru asked, “Yuanke people? What are they?”
Li Ran replied, “Yuanke people represent violence, plunder, bloodshed, and tyranny. Heh, it’s amazing there are still Yuanke people around. I’ve been to so many places, but this is the first time I’ve seen them. Things have been strange lately—things I never saw before have all shown up. Is it my good luck, or is it because I’m about to leave that they won’t let me be at peace?”
Guo Shieru asked, “Aren’t Yuanke people just one family?”
Eagle Demon said, “Of course not. They’re an alliance, a way of thinking—the so-called Yuanke model. They believe in bullying the weak and the strong oppressing the weak. As long as you agree, you can join them.”
Sure enough, Ruowangtian said, “We are the Yuanke Alliance. I believe many people must have heard of it. Even if they haven’t, it’s recorded in the ancestral memories. So I won’t explain what Yuanke people are. It’s simple: either leave behind the materials we need or join us.”
Guo Shieru detested such coercive orders deeply. This was what he hated the most. After being captured by the Guxilong family last time, he swore he would never allow something similar to happen again. He cursed, “What kind of logic is this, damn it?”
Li Ran said calmly, “It’s simple—those who follow me will thrive; those who oppose me will perish! It’s not that serious yet, but it’s roughly the same idea.”
Yang Miluo said, “Once you join their alliance… you won’t be able to get out. They’ll probably cast some control spells on you.”
Li Ran replied, “Of course. Once you join, you become their enforcers and tools.”

The giant talisman gate flickered again, and another group of professionals emerged—about five to six thousand, most of them high-level professionals. Just one alliance of the Yuanke people had brought out around sixty to seventy thousand professionals, an overwhelming force that crushed the professionals from other families, leaving them barely able to breathe.
The giant talisman gate gradually dissipated in the air, and almost all the troops assembled by the Yuanke people had arrived.
Ruo Wangtian and Yao Zebusong whispered to each other, their faces filled with ecstasy. It was rare to be able to trap so many professionals, most of them high-level ones. They weren’t afraid of these people rebelling—how could scattered professionals resist such an organized, disciplined, and coordinated force?
Li Ran sighed and said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve fought seriously. This time… I might have to show some real strength.”
Zhen Wuji also sighed and said, “Professionals can’t avoid fighting. I’m used to it.”
Silence reigned around them. After a moment, a buzzing sound arose. No professional from the ancient families wanted to join the Yuanke Alliance; they hated such organizations deeply. They were like locusts—wherever they went, they brought disaster.
In fact, Li Ran and the others didn’t know that the Yuanke Alliance also had its own rules to follow—it wasn’t an alliance that sought to destroy everything. Though they were domineering, they still left a path for survival. For example, this time, they offered two options. If they handed over the materials, they would allow the professionals to leave without being exterminated. If they really wanted to wipe them out, their alliance wouldn’t have lasted this long.
Of course, if they refused to comply, the Yuanke Alliance wouldn’t hesitate to use ruthless methods to eliminate them.
After realizing the opponents were professionals from the Yuanke Alliance, Li Ran knew he couldn’t leave peacefully, as he still had a large group of professionals to lead out. He couldn’t leave alone.
Guo Shier was somewhat excited because his new sacrificial artifact was extremely powerful, and he wanted to find someone to test just how strong the Soul-Stabilizing Cauldron really was.
Li Ran said, “Feng Miluo, you go and negotiate.”