Chapter 820: Let Bygones Be Bygones

The elders were seething with rage.

If the disappearance of the demon cores was due to some other reason, they might have been able to accept it. But if it was done by someone, they absolutely could not tolerate it.

"Who could have done this?" one of the elders couldn't help but ask.

"Hmph, no matter who it is, anyone daring to snatch food from our mouths deserves to die," said the elder from the Tianbi Sect, his face filled with killing intent.

"Could it be that other sects, also investigating the disappearance of the demonic creatures, came across these demon cores and took them?" another elder speculated.

"Hmph! So what if it was another sect?" the Tianbi Sect elder said coldly. "If they’ve taken so many of our demon cores and don’t return them, they can prepare for war!"

"Listen to my command. Hurry to the next location and secure the remaining demon cores first. We’ll deal with them later."

Everyone nodded in agreement. The priority was not to find the culprit but to secure the remaining demon cores.

The spirit ship sped through the air, heading toward the cremation site of the Mondo Beasts. When they arrived, they noticed several figures collecting the demon cores from the Mondo Beasts.

"It seems to be a person with a few demon beasts. Who are they?" one elder asked, squinting through the hazy view ahead.

"Hmph, no matter who they are, they’ve got some nerve!" the Tianbi Sect elder said, his anger flaring.

"We were just wondering how to find them, and here they are, right in front of us."

"They’ve got guts, taking the demon cores from one location and now continuing here. They’ll pay for their audacity!"

Hearing this, the other elders were also furious, their killing intent surging.

As for Lou Benwei and his group, standing alone in the black mist, they didn’t seem concerned. After dealing with the black mist for so many years, the major sects had developed methods to survive in it for short periods, so this was nothing unusual.

"Load the cannon. Blast them to death," the Tianbi Sect elder ordered.

"Elder Zhao Qi, isn’t it a bit rash to attack them directly without knowing their identity? Isn’t it inappropriate to kill them so hastily?" the representative from the Yunjie Sect voiced his concern.

"Hmph, I don’t think it’s rash at all. Anyone who dares to take our demon cores has already sealed their fate," Zhao Qi said with a fierce expression.

"But..."

The Yunjie Sect elder wanted to say more, but Zhao Qi cut him off. "Your Yunjie Sect has always been timid. No wonder you never achieve anything significant. In this black mist, we don’t need to know their identity. If they don’t provoke us, we can ignore them. But if they dare to cross us, they’ll be killed, even if they’re from the Dao Sect."

"Fire the cannon!"

Zhao Qi made the decision firmly. The other elders mostly agreed with him.

The spirit ship, as a combat tool of the major sects, was naturally equipped with such capabilities. The cannon was powered by a massive energy reserve within the ship’s formation, and the energy source was none other than the demon cores.

A single shot would consume thousands of demon cores, but the power it unleashed was immense—enough to ensure that any elder hit by it would be annihilated.

After loading thousands of demon cores, the cannon at the front of the spirit ship began to gather energy, ready to fire.

Without even a warning to Lou Benwei and his group, a powerful shockwave erupted as the spirit cannon fired directly at them.

"Boom!"

The massive energy briefly dispersed the black mist, and the air itself seemed to shatter.

"Hmph, daring to steal from us? Die!" the elders on the spirit ship shouted through gritted teeth.

As the spirit cannon’s energy approached, the humanoid figure among the demon cores suddenly turned its head, revealing a skeletal face devoid of flesh.

Of course, the elders couldn’t see the details clearly.

"Where did these ants come from, daring to ambush this scoundrel?" Lou Benwei stretched out a hand and casually grabbed the massive energy blast, crushing it into a ball.

This scene left the elders on the spirit ship dumbfounded, their jaws dropping wide enough to fit an egg. They felt a chill run down their spines.

What kind of terrifying power was this? To catch the spirit cannon’s blast with bare hands?

Even the strongest among them couldn’t withstand a single shot from the cannon, let alone catch it bare-handed. Could this be a high-level劫境 (Jie Realm) expert?

If so, things had just gotten much more complicated. A high-level劫境 expert was on par with the strongest members of their sects.

"What do we do?" The elders panicked, all turning to Zhao Qi for guidance.

The Tianbi Sect was the main organizer of this expedition into the black mist, and they were also the owners of the spirit ship. Even among the sects, having a spirit ship was a sign of immense power and resources. So, naturally, everyone looked to Zhao Qi for leadership.

"What’s there to panic about?" Zhao Qi said with a dark expression. "Even if he’s a high-level劫境 expert, he’s just a bit more troublesome to deal with. He can’t do anything to us as long as we’re on this spirit ship. The ship is impregnable. Unless a Dao Realm expert attacks with full force, we have nothing to fear."

Hearing this, the other elders breathed a sigh of relief and couldn’t help but give Zhao Qi a thumbs-up.

Only a sect like the Tianbi Sect, with its spirit ship, could have the confidence to face a high-level劫境 expert without fear.

Of course, their spirit ship wasn’t like the ordinary ones from the past. Regular spirit ships were merely transportation tools, used to save energy for sect disciples during travel.

But this spirit ship was a true treasure, built at great cost, combining both defense and offense. In the world of Yunxing, the presence of a spirit ship was a measure of a sect’s strength.

Spirit ships were divided into nine grades, with one being the lowest and nine the highest. Even though the Tianbi Sect’s ship was only a first-grade spirit ship, as long as they were inside it, they could retreat safely from anyone below the Dao Realm.

As for ninth-grade spirit ships, they existed only in theory. It was said that such ships could travel freely between worlds, and a single attack from one could destroy Yunxing.

With the spirit ship as their backing, Zhao Qi was only slightly surprised by Lou Benwei’s ability to catch the cannon blast but not afraid. He stepped forward and spoke, his voice infused with energy:

"Sir, it’s not that we wanted to attack you, but your actions were rather discourteous. These demon cores, as well as the ones from the valley earlier, were stored by us. You took them without our permission, so you can’t blame us for attacking."

"Of course, given your strength, it’s better to resolve this peacefully. If you hand over the demon cores you’ve taken and leave immediately, we can let bygones be bygones."

Zhao Qi’s voice boomed, reaching Lou Benwei and his group.

"???"

Lou Benwei was baffled.

"Let bygones be bygones? Who do you think you are? How dare you speak to this scoundrel about letting bygones be bygones?"

Hearing this, Zhao Qi’s brow furrowed, and his anger flared.

"It seems you’re refusing a friendly offer. While I acknowledge your strength, you should consider the power of this spirit ship. If I decide to attack with full force, even a Dao Realm expert wouldn’t dare to face it head-on. Do you really think you’re stronger than a Dao Realm expert?"

Zhao Qi’s words were heavy with threat.