"Who dares to fight me, you mere scoundrels!"
After Lü Bu appeared, he arrogantly raised his Fangtian Huaji. He danced with his halberd in the air, single-handedly blocking two powerful individuals summoned by the pirate strongmen. Both of them were at the seventy-eighth heaven.
Yet, Lü Bu, fighting two against one, showed no signs of being at a disadvantage. His Fangtian Huaji was wielded with formidable might, executed with grand, sweeping movements that commanded awe. Every strike shimmered with incredibly potent thunderous power.
While Lü Bu might not have matched Li Yuanba and Li Cunxiao in sheer strength, he embodied the balanced type of powerhouse, excelling in all aspects. His strength, speed, and defense were all remarkably congruent.
He suppressed the two great strongmen, forcing them into a constant retreat, completely stripping them of any ability to attack, leaving them with only the capacity to defend.
Upon his arrival, Zhao Yun transformed into a dragon in the wind, his speed being absolutely astonishing. Wielding his spear, he charged towards the enemy and, in an instant, pierced through an opponent who had only just reached the seventieth heaven.
He swept across the battlefield, engaging four to five strongmen at the seventy-something heaven level alone. Employing the "Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix Spear Technique" and the "Seven Probes of the Coiled Dragon Spear Technique," his spear skills were sharp, decisive, and cunningly swift. Especially notable was the sheer speed of his movements.
"Pfft!"
Before two enemies could even react, their necks were already impaled by Zhao Yun's spear. Zhao Yun's strikes were so rapid that none of these foes could possibly track his movements.
Dian Wei, Zhang Xiu, Wen Ping, Yan Chixia, Wu Song, and other powerhouses each intercepted their own opponents, launching fierce assaults upon them.
The entire sky became a battleground. These strongmen continuously engaged in combat, unleashing waves of terrifying and potent skills. The sky reverberated with a dense barrage of explosions.
Periodically, bodies would plummet from the sky. Without exception, these fallen enemies were all from the pirate strongmen's side.
Zhou Yan now commanded countless powerhouses. These insignificant foot soldiers were hardly worthy of his personal attention.
Hai Ning, now also capable of communicating with her territory, saw the enemies and likewise communicated with her domain, summoning over a dozen powerful generals to confront the pirates.
Witnessing the awe-inspiring and indomitable might of Zhou Yan's forces, Hai Ning once again exclaimed in astonishment, "I never imagined Zhou Yan's territory would possess so many strong individuals. Look at how powerful each of them is."
"This is definitely not the full extent of Zhou Yan's power; his true foundation cannot be this simple. He hasn't even summoned any demigod-level experts." Yang Yi observed the aerial battlefield. Zhou Yan's generals were ceaselessly felling enemies, yet not a single one of them suffered any casualties.
"Perhaps these individuals aren't enough to warrant Zhou Yan deploying his full strength. With his own power, he could easily handle everything," Hai Ning mused.
"Locke can no longer remain seated. He's heading towards Zhou Yan," Yang Yi pointed ahead.
Dozens of figures appeared in the sky. They were the leader of the Locke Pirate Organization, Locke himself, and the core strongmen surrounding him.
"So it's you. You're still alive, and you've appeared before me."
Locke was also greatly shocked upon seeing Zhou Yan, never having expected Zhou Yan to be alive and standing before him.
"Boss, this guy isn't dead! Doesn't that mean we can make a huge profit? His bounty isn't low!" the second-in-command of the Locke Pirates said greedily.
"Yes, Boss. Many people are after this guy. Last time, we mobilized so many people and gained nothing. This time, it's just us, and we can definitely take him down!"
The third-in-command of the Locke Pirates also harbored no desire to let Zhou Yan escape. If they could capture Zhou Yan, they could retire from their piratical ways and live out the rest of their lives in comfort.
"I understand that, but this guy is not easy to deal with. So many people couldn't capture him last time. This time, with just us, it might be difficult," Locke said.
Locke narrowed his eyes, gazing at Zhou Yan. As a pirate, he certainly wouldn't pass up such a plump target. However, Locke was acutely aware of how difficult Zhou Yan was to capture.
It might even require a tremendous cost to apprehend him. He was weighing the pros and cons. Yet, his subordinates had a point; such a golden opportunity couldn't be missed. If it slipped away, there might not be another.
"You must be Locke. Were you perhaps disappointed not to meet last time?" Zhou Yan asked, arms crossed, exuding confidence.
"Leader, this guy is so arrogant! Watch me capture him!" one of Locke's subordinates declared.
"No rush," Locke transmitted mentally to his subordinates, instructing them to make preparations.
Upon receiving the instructions, his subordinates began to act covertly.
Several individuals produced numerous scrolls and surreptitiously released them.
Others summoned the strongmen from their respective territories, bringing forth all their available forces. These were all powerhouses at the seventieth heaven level, numbering over a thousand.
Scrolls unfurled, unleashing immense energy that spread throughout the heavens and earth.
Spatial scrolls sealed the heavens and earth, locking down the very void in the sky.
Formation scrolls established a colossal barrier, enveloping them all.
Interference scrolls were directed towards Zhou Yan, intending to sever his connection with his territory.
However, they were unaware that such scrolls were utterly useless against Zhou Yan. As the energy from these scrolls surged into Zhou Yan's body, it was immediately annihilated by the mysterious power within him.
Locke had made extensive preparations. Dozens of such scrolls, each of R-grade or higher quality, were used with the sole purpose of completely incapacitating Zhou Yan.
The entire realm was once again sealed. The space was locked down, and they believed they had definitively trapped Zhou Yan.
They were all jubilant, convinced that Zhou Yan was now their prey, ready to be hunted at any moment.
But Zhou Yan looked at them with utter contempt. Locke's mental transmissions were, in Zhou Yan's eyes, utterly laughable. None of it had escaped Zhou Yan's notice; he even knew precisely what they were saying.
Yet, Zhou Yan made no move to stop them, allowing them to carry out their every plan.
When they finally realized that their actions had not only failed to entrap him but had instead become a self-imposed restriction, they would understand their own foolishness.
Killing is one thing; crushing the spirit is another.
Zhou Yan found it immensely satisfying to watch these individuals dance like clowns before him.
"Haha, Zhou Yan, you can't escape now!" Locke exclaimed with laughter, seeing that all preparations were complete.
He had expected Zhou Yan to resist or at least attempt to thwart their efforts. However, Zhou Yan had done nothing. Everything had proceeded far too smoothly.
Over a thousand powerhouses at the seventieth heaven level surrounded Zhou Yan. They saw no means by which Zhou Yan could possibly escape.