Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent

Chapter 83: Plundering the Entire City

The Master of the Heart Shadow Sect stood atop the mountain peak, gazing down at the vast Huyang City. His eyes turned cold as he saw the dark formation enveloping the entire city. He calmly said, “Commence the plundering plan. Let’s make a good profit from Huyang City.”

“Yes.”

The three elders behind him responded excitedly and immediately left to carry out the plundering plan.

The Heart Shadow Sect Master looked at the city and murmured to himself, “Since we lost our sect’s foundational grounds, the Heart Shadow Sect has had no income. We’ve been relying on the sect’s past savings all this time.”

A powerful sect, with thousands of Eternal True Gods, countless Void True Gods, and innumerable True God disciples, had enormous expenses each era.

In the short term, they could endure, but over time, as resources depleted, the Heart Shadow Sect would continue to fragment.

“A massive city like Huyang City, plundered ruthlessly just once, is worth decades of slowly collecting residence fees,” the Heart Shadow Sect Master pondered. “Though our chances of victory in this war are quite high, if Jiugang Marquis brings in sufficiently powerful reinforcements, our Heart Shadow Sect could still lose.”

Indeed, the forces under Jiugang Marquis alone were no match for the Heart Shadow Sect.

But if a Divine King from Yuguo dispatched elite forces to support Jiugang Marquis, it would be a major problem.

“Secure the elites of the Heart Shadow Sect and plunder ruthlessly. Even if we lose, it would still be profitable,” the Heart Shadow Sect Master thought.

When the sect was weak, it didn’t matter if ordinary disciples died. He didn’t care.

If ordinary disciples died, it would even save on expenses.

“I wonder how much we can plunder from all of Huyang City,” the Heart Shadow Sect Master thought with great anticipation in his eyes.

…

Nine colossal mechanical treasures, accompanied by over a hundred large flying boats, arrived at a bustling commercial area of Huyang City. This area housed branches of major powers, weapon and treasure shops, stores of rare bloodlines and exotic items, as well as many places of entertainment.

“Besides the eight major power branches and Divine Lord Luo He’s mansion, don’t spare any Eternal True Gods or Void True Gods,” a voice commanded. “Anyone who dares to resist, kill them!”

“Yes.” The numerous disciples on the over a hundred large flying boats responded with excitement.

They knew that while True Gods seemed to be the most numerous in the city, they were also the poorest. After painstakingly saving a few chaos crystals, they would refrain from taking risks and only start earning again once the chaos crystals were used up.

Plundering all the True Gods in the city? Firstly, their numbers were too large, making plundering a hassle. Secondly, the spoils would be small, with each True God only possessing a few chaos crystals on average. Thirdly, the Heart Shadow Sect might eventually rule Huyang City, and the countless True Gods in the city would become their citizens.

For many reasons, they refrained from attacking the True Gods.

But apart from the eight major power branches and Divine Lord Luo He’s mansion, the Heart Shadow Sect would not spare any Eternal True Gods or Void True Gods.

In a city, the majority of the wealth was held by Eternal True Gods and Void True Gods.

“Seal it all off.” A large number of disciples quickly sealed off a major power branch, the ‘Yunbao Tower.’ Yunbao Tower occupied a vast area, with numerous pavilions filled with countless treasures.

“What are you doing?”

“We are the Yunbao Tower branch in Huyang City. Are you really going to attack us?”

Yunbao Tower’s branch had three Eternal True Gods and numerous Void True God members, all of whom were shocked as they watched the Heart Shadow Sect’s many disciples surround them.

“Yunbao Tower branch?” A woman in blood-red clothing from the Heart Shadow Sect entered, sighing softly. “Our Heart Shadow Sect has been poor for too long, so we ask Yunbao Tower to help us a little. All the treasures in the Yunbao Tower branch, including all the treasures on your persons… hand them all over.”

Her voice was soft, but what she said sent chills through the Yunbao Tower’s branch leader, vice leaders, and all other members.

“Not a single chaos stone can be left,” the woman in blood-red clothing said coldly. “Our Heart Shadow Sect will personally search every one of you. Anyone who resists will be killed!”

The Yunbao Tower’s branch leader, the two vice leaders, and the numerous Void True God members trembled in despair upon hearing this.

They worked for Yunbao Tower to gather resources.

Now, all their resources would be plundered?

“The Yunbao Tower branch belongs to my Lord Marquis.” The branch leader urgently stated, his large single eye filled with anxiety. “My Lord Marquis will definitely learn of this.”

“Even if your Lord Marquis knows, I’m sure he will understand our Heart Shadow Sect’s situation,” the woman in blood-red replied.

“Hand over all your treasures? Not a single chaos stone left? Isn’t that excessive?” A nearby Void True God couldn’t help but speak up. They had spent countless years accumulating their wealth, and now it was all being taken? They were all ready to fight to the death.

The woman in blood-red glanced at them, and instantly, the group of Void True Gods in that area turned to dust, their lives extinguished, leaving only their weapons and treasures behind.

“A mere Void True God dares to speak out?” The woman in blood-red looked at the three leaders of Yunbao Tower. “Are you going to resist?”

“I’ll hand it over.” One of the vice leaders immediately said urgently. “I’m willing to hand it over. Can I avoid being searched?”

“You must be searched.” The woman in blood-red stared at the three of them. “Those who resist will still die!”

The so-called body search meant allowing the other party to use their divine power to inspect every part of their body, including their True God’s Heart, which meant entrusting their lives completely to the other party. Few Eternal True Gods were willing to do that.

But faced with the threat of death, the three leaders of Yunbao Tower ultimately lowered their heads.

…

“Must I be searched?” An elderly man dressed in simple clothing looked at the Heart Shadow Sect disciples in front of him, then glanced at the colossal mechanical treasures in the sky. “I’m willing to hand over all my accumulated treasures, isn’t that enough?”

“You must be searched,” an Eternal True God from the Heart Shadow Sect said, looking at him.

If it were left up to the individual, most cultivators would likely hide their treasures, and it would be fortunate if they handed over even half.

“Sigh, I just wanted to live a peaceful life in my hometown, but you have forced my hand,” the elderly man sighed. In an instant, he transformed into a black shadow that swiftly passed through the area, leaving behind nothing but death in his wake. The Eternal True God and dozens of disciples were instantly killed.

“Hmm?” The colossal mechanical treasure in the sky was immediately alarmed. “Kill him!”

“Buzz!”

The dark formation in the sky erupted, with terrifying dark forces enveloping the black shadow.

“Heart Shadow Sect, in all my travels across the Origin Continent, no one has ever searched me!” The elderly man’s voice echoed madly as the black shadow vanished without a trace.

“Escaped? I didn’t expect there to be a hidden expert in Huyang City other than Divine Lord Luo He,” the colossal mechanical treasure in the sky reported to the Heart Shadow Sect Master immediately. “Sect Master, we’ve discovered a formidable enemy. We need to track him down using causal tracing to lock onto the culprit.”

The Heart Shadow Sect immediately mobilized, beginning the hunt for the elderly man. With such a deep grudge, and with him being locked onto by the sect’s formation, it would be easy for the Heart Shadow Sect to trace him through causality.

In just a moment.

The colossal mechanical treasure led by the elder—a massive plant lifeform—wielded countless vines, which twisted and entangled the black shadow like a sky-covering net. The black shadow struggled and resisted fiercely.

“So be it, dying in my hometown. Killing over a thousand Heart Shadow Sect disciples before my death is worth it.”

Eventually, the black shadow was completely obliterated, leaving behind only some remaining treasures.

“Hmph, not everyone is qualified to challenge the Heart Shadow Sect,” the massive plant lifeform said coldly. With the colossal mechanical treasure, as one of the Eighteen Elders, his burst of power was already on par with Elder Xin Yan.

…

At the headquarters of the dark force, the ‘Qianshan Tower.’

“The treasures of all our Qianshan Tower leaders, we must hand them all over to you?” Faced with two colossal mechanical treasures hovering in the sky and the numerous Heart Shadow Sect disciples surrounding them, the seven leaders of Qianshan Tower and their many Void True Gods were both shocked and furious.

As a dark force, they had only ever been the ones doing the plundering. When had they ever been plundered like this?

“Hand everything over, and you must also be searched,” a man in green clothing said.

“Even searched?” The seven leaders were furious. “Even the Five Great Families ruling the city would still give us some face.”

“In the future, Huyang City will be ruled by the Heart Shadow Sect. In the Heart Shadow Sect’s domain, no dark forces are needed,” the man in green said calmly.

In a city ruled by the Heart Shadow Sect.

Apart from the branches of major powers, all other commercial forces and local family forces were established entirely by Heart Shadow Sect disciples!

Forces like

the Black Butcher, Dream Flower Pavilion Master, and the Zhu Clan, who could exist relatively independently, were impossible to exist in the Heart Shadow Sect’s territory. The Heart Shadow Sect’s control over a city was far greater than that of the City Lord’s Mansion.

The seven leaders of Qianshan Tower exchanged glances.

“We are willing to hand over everything, but we refuse to be searched,” one leader said.

The man in green lightly smiled and glanced to his left. Immediately, a large group of Qianshan Tower members turned to dust, including Suo Yun.

“I—” Suo Yun had been carefully staying among the Qianshan Tower members, but when the man in green glanced over, he felt his True God’s Heart disintegrating. In that moment, he realized he was going to die.

He didn’t even have time to think before he was completely obliterated.

A weakling, without saying a word, without resisting, just died like that, caught in the crossfire.

Back then, when he and Suo Zhi left their tribe, they were saved by Luo Feng, allowing them to successfully reach Huyang City. In Huyang City, he and Suo Zhi walked different paths. He tried every way to seize any opportunity, even doing things that overstepped the rules, risking his life without hesitation.

Suo Zhi, on the other hand, peacefully learned the art of cooking at the Fire Realm Restaurant. Five eras ago, he even followed his master, Black Butcher, to the capital with Princess ‘Yu Shui Tianyu.’

And today, Suo Yun died without a sound.

No one even cared.

“You…” The seven leaders of Qianshan Tower were furious.

“This is a warning. Speak out again, and the seven of you will die,” the man in green said, staring at them.

The seven leaders of Qianshan Tower could only endure.

“Fine.” The seven leaders could only bow their heads, allowing the Heart Shadow Sect disciples to search them, taking all their treasures without leaving a single chaos stone.

******

Throughout all of Huyang City, aside from the City Lord’s Mansion, the eight major power branches, and Luo Feng’s mansion, every other Eternal True God and Void True God was being plundered, with none able to escape.

Those who resisted in anger were killed. Most could only endure being plundered, as the difference in strength was too vast.

“What’s happening?” Luo Feng, sitting atop his mansion’s peak, also noticed the Heart Shadow Sect disciples scattered throughout the city. One large flying boat after another, and one colossal treasure after another, were in action.

“Divine Lord Luo He.” Suddenly, the Dream Flower Pavilion Master contacted him. “The Heart Shadow Sect has sealed off the Dream Flower Pavilion. They intend to completely plunder the pavilion and even search my body.”

“Search your body?” Luo Feng was shocked.

To search an Eternal True God’s body naturally meant inspecting their True God’s Heart.

“First, mention my name and delay them for a while.” Luo Feng transmitted. “If it doesn’t work, don’t resist. I’m on my way now.”

“Alright.” At this moment, the Dream Flower Pavilion Master could only hope that Divine Lord Luo He would help.

He had cultivated the Seven Emotions Tempering Heart Technique and needed the Dream Flower Pavilion Master’s musical illusions. And given his relationship with Entropy Tianyan, he had to help the Dream Flower Pavilion Master.

“Master, Master.”

Moyu Qingyan suddenly rushed to the peak of the mountain, his eyes red with anxiety and despair. “Master, my brother Moyu Liuxing is dead.”

“Dead?” Luo Feng was shocked. He had met Moyu Liuxing, the third brother of the Moyu family, back in the Tianyan Sect. He had quite the talent for artifact refining.

Over the long years, Moyu Qingyan and his elder brother had occasionally visited, bringing gifts. Luo Feng was quite familiar with the three Moyu brothers.

“The Heart Shadow Sect is wantonly slaughtering former Tianyan Sect disciples, forcing the remaining Void True Gods to obediently submit and hand over their treasures. My brother merely spoke up, and he was killed,” Moyu Qingyan was dumbfounded.

The three brothers had grown up in Huyang City, and now, his younger brother was gone just like that?

Though he knew the path to growth was fraught with danger, when his brother truly died, Moyu Qingyan felt as though a part of his world had been torn away, leaving him empty.

“Divine Lord Luo He.” Luo Feng received another plea for help.

“Elder Qiu?” Luo Feng knew that Uncle Qiu was Entropy Tianyan’s old servant, handling many matters for the Tianyan Sect.

“Divine Lord Luo He, I beg you, save the disciples of the Tianyan Sect,” Uncle Qiu had always been reluctant to bother Divine Lord Luo He, but this time he was desperate. “When the Tianyan Sect disbanded, many disciples went their separate ways, some establishing artifact refining shops, with the largest being nine such shops.”

“This time, the Heart Shadow Sect is plundering all Void True Gods without exception, and even slightly dissatisfied ones are being slaughtered. Many disciples have been killed.” Uncle Qiu pleaded urgently, “I know it’s difficult for you, Divine Lord, but please save those nine artifact refining shops.”

Whoosh!

Morosa suddenly appeared beside him, looking at Moyu Qingyan. “What did you say? Your brother is dead? The one who brought us food last time?”

“Killed by the Heart Shadow Sect,” Moyu Qingyan nodded, still unable to accept it.

“Master, what are we waiting for!” Morosa looked at Luo Feng.