"Heavens, that lightning is heading straight for us! Run, everyone, run!!!"
In that moment, the people gathered around the altar turned pale with fear, scrambling in every direction with their heads in their hands.
"No, it's no use — it's too late. None of us can escape it." However, people like Ma Yue did not run.
It was not that they didn't want to flee. They had already seen the might of that lightning. This was a tribulation none of them could avoid.
And that lightning was simply too powerful. Not only was its presence overwhelming, but its speed was terrifying as well. In the blink of an eye, it had already come crashing down.
However, when that horrifying bolt of lightning descended from the heavens and fell into the Hundred-Forged Arena, it did not cause any terrible destruction.
Everyone was stunned, completely baffled.
They couldn't understand how such a terrifying bolt of lightning could come crashing down without causing any damage at all.
Even the Guardian Barrier above the Hundred-Forged Arena wasn't damaged in the slightest. The lightning had passed through it as though it were nothing more than a projection of light.
But if anyone was the most shocked, it was Ma Yue and the others who were standing near the altar.
One by one, they sat there with their jaws hanging open, staring at the Hundred-Forged Jade Stone that had fallen to the ground, their eyes filled with utter disbelief.
"Did you see that? Did you just see what happened?" Zhou Zongzhi couldn't believe his own eyes and turned to the others for confirmation.
"We saw it. That lightning… just like Chu Feng, was absorbed into the Hundred-Forged Jade Stone," the crowd replied.
"What's going on? Did that Hundred-Forged Jade Stone save us, or… was the lightning summoned by the Jade Stone itself as a warning — that it is sacred and inviolable, and no one may touch it?"
"Frightening… far too frightening. As expected of an ancient relic — it's truly not something we mere mortals can provoke. That reckless fool really has brought disaster upon us all." Still shaken, the crowd rose to their feet, wanting to flee, because they all believed the Hundred-Forged Jade Stone was the root cause of everything.
"Stay where you are! No one is to leave — no one touches the Hundred-Forged Jade Stone!" However, at that moment, Zhou Zongzhi suddenly spoke up.
"Brother Zhou, it's far too dangerous here. We have to leave," someone urged.
"Foolish. If that lightning had wanted to hurt us, we wouldn't have been able to escape even in our sleep. As long as we're inside the Hundred-Forged Arena, it doesn't matter where we run — the result is the same. It's death," Zhou Zongzhi said.
"So are we just supposed to sit here and wait to die?" someone asked.
"We're not waiting to die. We're waiting for the elders to arrive."
"A situation like this can't have gone unnoticed by us alone. The elders of the Guardian Clan must have noticed as well. They'll be here soon — not just them, but even the Clan Chief, who has never shown himself, will likely come."
"After all, what just happened was truly terrifying."
"And they won't understand what caused it — they'll be completely in the dark. But we know exactly what happened to trigger this disaster."
"So we need to stay here and report everything to the elders truthfully."
"When the time comes, we'll have performed a great service and will surely be richly rewarded," Zhou Zongzhi said.
"Brother Zhou is truly brilliant!" At last, the crowd understood Zhou Zongzhi's intentions, and looks of admiration appeared on their faces.
"We can't let that senior get captured by the Guardian Clan. We have to help," Ma Yue said after learning of the plan.
"But how are we supposed to help? We don't even know if that senior is alive or dead," Tian Yi said, somewhat bewildered.
"Regardless, we have to try." With those words, Ma Yue shot toward the altar and reached for the Hundred-Forged Jade Stone, intending to take it away.
However, the seemingly ordinary Hundred-Forged Jade Stone was something Ma Yue simply could not budge. No matter how much strength she exerted, she couldn't move it even a fraction of an inch.