"Ahhhh~~~"
When that eerie sound rang out once more, the terrified screams from the crowd multiplied several times over.
Those piercing shrieks and wailing cries managed to wake every last sleeping person. In that instant, this entire region was completely overtaken by an eerie, ghastly atmosphere of sheer terror.
Yet even as everyone struggled desperately to break free or screamed in horror, Chu Feng kept his gaze locked tightly on the direction from which that chilling sound had come.
At last, from the pitch-black corner, a figure appeared within Chu Feng's line of sight. It stood roughly two meters tall, its entire body blanketed in water weeds and seaweed.
There was no way to make out its appearance — all that could be seen were a pair of blood-red eyes. Although by outward appearance this terrifying creature was far less fearsome than some demon beasts or Fierce Beasts, the aura it exuded was enough to make one's blood run cold. Fifth-rank Martial King — this formidable creature was actually a fifth-rank Martial King.
The creature moved forward at a leisurely pace, seemingly savoring the screams and terror of the people around it. It only came to a stop when it reached a middle-aged man, at which point it cast its frigid gaze upon him.
"Hummm—"
The moment its gaze fell upon the man, a faint halo of light emanated from around his body. He then began to float upward, drifting until he hovered directly in front of the creature.
"Don't kill me, don't kill me! I have parents above and a wife and children below — my entire family depends on me alone. I can't die, I can't die! Please, I'm begging you, show mercy and let me go!" The man was terrified beyond words, begging over and over again.
"Aoooo~~~"
But the creature paid him no attention. Instead, a piercing roar erupted from its maw, and then a visible wave of suction force surged outward, wrapping around the man.
"Ahhhhh~~~~"
Once enveloped by that suction force, the man let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered. At the same time, every person present had their faces drain of color at the sight before them. Even Chu Feng couldn't help but furrow his brow, cold beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
Because that suction force was devouring everything about the man. From outside in, it first stripped away his skin, then drained his muscles, then refined his meridians — and only after the man had been reduced to nothing but a bare skeleton did the suction finally cease. By then, the man had long since lost all signs of life, his very essence consumed entirely.
Though the refining process was incredibly swift, the man had undoubtedly endured indescribable agony. His death was horrific — so horrific that even cultivators who had weathered countless bloody battles turned pale. Some were so shaken that they fainted on the spot.
"Ahhhhh~~~~"
But this was only the beginning. The moment the man's skeleton hit the ground, a woman standing beside him was seized by the creature and began to be absorbed and refined.
In the end, she met the same fate as the man before her — absorbed and refined in the blink of an eye, leaving behind nothing but a bare skeleton.
"Ahhhhh~~~~"
Immediately after, another person was snatched up by the creature and refined. In the span of mere moments, dozens of people had already been devoured and refined, meeting gruesome deaths at its hands.
"It's over, it's over — we're all dead! We're all going to die! He's going to refine every last one of us alive!"
By this point, many people were on the verge of complete breakdown. They finally understood the creature's cruel methods — first strip the skin, then carve away the flesh, and finally absorb the very essence. It was one of the cruelest forms of torture imaginable, as if the creature harbored some deep grudge against humanity, deliberately ensuring that its victims suffered unimaginable pain during the refining process.
"No, no, no — I won't let it refine me! I won't die like that! I'd rather kill myself than be refined by that thing!"
Some were so broken that they lost all will to fight and chose to end their own lives. But having already lost their power, they didn't even have the ability to commit suicide — all they could do was wait for the creature's slaughter.
"Hey, kid — if you don't want to die, sneak over here quietly. I have a way to save your life."
Just then, a voice transmission suddenly entered Chu Feng's ear. Turning to look, he saw that it was the elder from the Immortal Execution Archipelago — a cultivator at the third-rank Martial King level.
And he wasn't alone. Unbeknownst to anyone, the wild-looking brawny man and the delicate, fair-skinned young man had already sidled up next to the elder.
Seeing that the man could still use voice transmission, Chu Feng realized that although their physical power had been stripped away, their ability to communicate via sound transmission remained intact. He quickly replied: "What method do you have? Why not let me hear it first."
"You — you're a Spirit World Master, aren't you? Just answer yes or no. If the answer is yes, I can save you." The elder's question was blunt and direct.
"Yes." Chu Feng nodded.
"Then get over here right now. If you don't hurry, we're all going to die," the elder said. He then shifted his gaze toward not far away, where a black-haired elder stood. The man appeared to be well over a hundred years old, possessed a cultivation at the ninth level of the Heaven Martial realm, and wore a blue Spirit World Master's robe.
Chu Feng could tell at a glance that the Immortal Execution Archipelago's third-rank Martial King was transmitting his voice to that blue-robed Spirit World Master. Though he didn't know exactly what scheme the elder was cooking up, it was clear the man had some kind of plan — and it required Spirit World Master involvement.
Given the dire circumstances, Chu Feng didn't hesitate. He quietly shifted his body and gradually made his way over to where the three from the Immortal Execution Archipelago had gathered.
At the same time, several other people had also made their way over without drawing any attention. Chu Feng didn't need to guess — they were all Spirit World Masters with formidable Mental Power.
"Listen carefully. I have a treasure in my possession — it can break through this formation. However, it requires powerful Mental Power to activate. Time is short. That creature may be refining people one by one..."
"But with its strength, even going one at a time, it can absolutely refine every last person here within a single hour. So we need to move fast. Stop overthinking — project your Mental Power into my treasure. If we don't act now, we're all dead."
As the third-rank Martial King spoke, he produced a small awl from his robes. The tool looked ordinary enough, but it was covered in arcane runes. Chu Feng could tell that this was indeed a genuine treasure — but it needed to be charged with power before it could be unleashed. Since everyone had already lost their physical strength, Mental Power was the only energy they could still tap into, which was why the elder had called them over here.
Honestly, Chu Feng didn't trust the three from the Immortal Execution Archipelago. But seeing that everyone who had been summoned was already beginning to project their Mental Power into the awl, he felt he couldn't just stand by and do nothing. After all, whether this was legitimate or not, it was quite possibly the only chance they had to survive.