Marvel: The other side of the double-passing door is Devouring the Stars

Chapter 410 Alliance Agreement!

"Their level of combat is beyond the capabilities of ordinary exploration teams," Thomas analyzed. "It feels more like an elite force from some major power."

Rowan nodded in agreement. Judging from the strength displayed by the two teams, they were definitely not ordinary exploration groups. Both their equipment and combat skills showed the characteristics of a professional army.

As the battle intensified, both sides began employing more dangerous attack methods. Suddenly, a metal-element warrior from the Blazing Flame Legion launched a flanking attack, his metal-elemental battle blade radiating a blinding light under the enhancement of the Blazing Flame Domain.

"Armor-Piercing Slash!" the metal-elemental warrior roared, his battle blade carrying earth-shattering power as it slashed directly at the formation of the Tide Exploration Team.

But the Tide Exploration Team was no pushover. Two earth-elemental warriors attacked simultaneously, causing massive amounts of earth and rocks to rise from the seabed, forming a thick defensive wall. The clash of their swords against the stone wall produced a deafening explosion.

“These people are very experienced in combat,” Rowan commented inwardly, “and their teamwork is excellent; they've clearly undergone extensive training.”

As the battle continued, casualties began to appear on both sides. A fire-type warrior from the Blazing Flame Legion was struck by a water tornado from the Tide Exploration Team; although not fatally wounded, he was rendered incapacitated. Meanwhile, two members of the Tide Exploration Team were severely injured by a combined attack from the Blazing Flame Legion.

“If they keep fighting like this, they'll only both suffer losses,” Amy said with some reluctance. “Is it worth fighting so fiercely just to explore opportunities?”

"Few can remain rational in the face of enormous profits," Rex sighed. "The treasure of immortality is an irresistible temptation for anyone."

Just then, the battle took a dramatic turn. The captain of the Tide Exploration Team seemed to be preparing to use some powerful secret technique. He began chanting complex incantations, and the surrounding seawater began to form eerie whirlpools.

"Oh no, he's about to use a forbidden skill!" Sensing the danger, the captain of the Flame Legion immediately shouted a warning to the other members, "Everyone retreat and prepare to defend!"

"Wrath of the Sea God," the captain of the Tide Exploration Team completed the incantation, and a massive illusion of water-based laws appeared in the sky above the battlefield.

This illusion appeared to be a projection of some ancient sea god, standing tens of meters tall and radiating terrifying fluctuations of law. As the sea god illusion appeared, the entire sea began to churn violently, as if a true deity had descended.

"What kind of skill is that?" Jack stared in shock at the scene in the distance. "I've never seen a law-based attack of this level before."

“It must be some kind of ancient secret technique,” ​​Rex’s expression turned serious. “The power of this skill is approaching that of an attack from a cosmic-level martial artist.”

Rowan was also shocked by the power of this skill. Although his true strength far surpassed everyone present, this ancient secret technique was indeed rare, and the mysteries of the laws it contained were well worth studying.

Faced with such a terrifying attack, the captain of the Blazing Flame Legion dared not be careless. He immediately gathered all his team members and began preparing for a collective defense.

"Blazing Shield Array!" the captain of the Blazing Battle Group shouted. "Everyone, concentrate your power of law here on me!"

The members of the seventeen Flame Legions simultaneously released their own laws of power. Under the guidance of their captains, these energies of different attributes merged together to form a massive fire barrier.

The illusion of Poseidon waved its arm, and a column of water descended from the sky, crashing directly into the barrier of flames. The energy burst from this collision was terrifying; the entire fog was dispersed, revealing the clear surface of the sea.

“Look,” Amy pointed into the distance, “there are other ships.”

As the fog dissipated, Rowan and his group discovered five or six other ships from other teams nearby, clearly observers drawn by the battle.

“It seems we’re not the only ones interested in this battle,” Thomas said nervously. “What if we’re exposed now?”

"It doesn't matter, everyone's just watching anyway," Rex said calmly. "As long as we don't actively get involved, there won't be any problems."

At this moment, the battle between the Poseidon Illusion and the Flame Shield Array entered its most intense phase. The collision of water and fire generated massive amounts of steam, turning the entire battlefield into a living hell. The captains of both teams were fighting with all their might, resulting in an enormous depletion of their legal power.

“They can’t hold out for long like this,” Rowan analyzed. “Skills of this level consume far too much of the power of the laws.”

Sure enough, a few minutes later, the intensity of the attacks from both sides began to decrease significantly. The Poseidon illusion became increasingly blurry, and cracks began to appear in the Flame Shield Array.

"Enough," a dignified voice suddenly rang out on the sea, "If you continue fighting like this, you'll only benefit others."

The crowd turned to look and found that the speaker was a martial artist from another ship. He was a middle-aged man who looked to be about fifty years old, and he exuded a powerful aura, clearly indicating that he was quite strong.

"It's Kurak, the leader of the 'Iron Fortress' exploration team, the Iron-Blooded War God," someone recognized the middle-aged man, "a legendary ninth-tier stellar-level powerhouse."

Upon hearing that the martial artist was at the ninth level of the Stellar Realm, everyone present was shocked. A martial artist at this level had already reached the pinnacle of the Stellar Realm, and was only one step away from the Cosmic Realm.

Kurak slowly stepped off the ship, his feet treading on the void, and walked step by step towards the center of the battlefield. Each step he took left a metallic gleam in the air, demonstrating his powerful control over the laws of metal.

"Blazing Legion, Tide Exploration Team, I acknowledge the strength of both your teams," Kurak's voice echoed across the sea, "but now is not the time for infighting. We have a common enemy."

"What enemy?" The captain of the Flame Legion stopped attacking and asked warily.

“The Shadow Blade Legion of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire and the Thunder Legion of the Qianwu Empire,” Kurak explained, “have already established a blockade in the target area, preventing any outside exploration teams from entering.”

This news was like a bombshell, shocking everyone present. The intervention of the legions of two great empires meant that the nature of this exploration mission had fundamentally changed.

"What right do they have to blockade high seas?" the captain of the Ocean Tide Exploration Team asked angrily.

"Power?" Kurak sneered. "In a place like this, strength equals power. The Shadow Blade Legion has three King-level Immortals, and the Thunder Legion has two. What do we, a bunch of scattered soldiers, have to fight them?"

Upon hearing the number of powerful figures at the King-level Immortal realm, Rowan was secretly astonished. It seemed the situation was more complex than he and Silver Moon had anticipated, with both empires deploying their top-tier forces.

"Then what do we do?" someone asked desperately. "Are we just going to give up like this?" "Of course not," Kurak's eyes sharpened. "I suggest that all the exploration teams present form a temporary alliance and concentrate their efforts to break through the blockade."

"An alliance?" The captain of the Flame Chapter hesitated. "We're used to fighting alone; suddenly we're supposed to cooperate?"

“If we don’t cooperate, we’ll only be waiting to die,” Kurak said bluntly. “A single team has no chance of breaking through the Imperial Legion’s blockade; only by uniting do we have a glimmer of hope.”

This proposal sparked heated debate among the teams. Some supported it, believing it was the only way out; others opposed it, fearing betrayal and infighting within the alliance.

"Captain Rex, what do you think?" Amy asked Rex for his opinion.

Rex pondered for a moment. "Theoretically, the alliance is indeed the best way to break the blockade. But the key question is, can we trust these people?"

"And even if the blockade is broken, there will be endless disputes during the subsequent exploration," Thomas added. "Profit sharing, command, and the timing of retreat are all potential points of conflict."

Rowan listened to his teammates' discussion while observing the reactions of the other teams. He noticed that most team captains were seriously considering the proposal; clearly, the threat from the Imperial Legion had put pressure on everyone.

“Gentlemen, I know your concerns,” Kurak continued, “but we have no choice. If we don’t unite now, we won’t even get a share of the spoils once the Imperial Legion has complete control of the target area.”

"Who has command of the alliance?" The captain of the Tide Exploration Team raised the core question.

“I suggest establishing a command committee, with the strongest captains making decisions together,” Kurak replied. “This will prevent arbitrary decisions and ensure the interests of each team.”

After nearly an hour of discussion, the eight exploration teams present reached a provisional alliance agreement. Although many details still need to be discussed, the general direction has been determined.

“The Wings of Liberty expedition is willing to join the Alliance,” Rex finally decided, “but we reserve the right to retreat independently in dangerous situations.”

“This condition is acceptable,” Kurak nodded. “All teams have this right.”

The alliance agreement had just been signed, and the teams were discussing their specific action plans when a deep roar suddenly echoed from beneath the sea. The sound, like the fury of an ancient beast, instilled a sense of inexplicable fear in everyone.

“It’s a sea monster,” Kurak immediately judged, “and it’s not low-level.”

As soon as the words were spoken, the sea began to churn violently, and large amounts of bubbles surged from the depths. Immediately afterward, a huge dark shadow moved rapidly underwater, each movement creating enormous waves.

"Everyone on alert," Rex immediately ordered the Wings of Freedom exploration team, "Prepare for battle."

The captains of the other teams reacted similarly, and the martial artists who had just been discussing the details of their cooperation instantly entered battle mode. Various laws of power began to fluctuate in the air, and the atmosphere across the entire sea became tense.

"Judging from the energy fluctuations, it should be a sixth-tier sea monster," analyzed Morris, the captain of the Tide Exploration Team, "equivalent to the strength of a sixth-tier stellar-level martial artist."

"A sixth-tier sea monster? That's not too dangerous," Brad, captain of the Flame Legion, breathed a sigh of relief. "With the strength of our alliance, we should be able to handle it easily."

But Kurak's expression grew even more serious. "No, the energy fluctuations I'm sensing are far more than just sixth-tier. Everyone be careful; there might be more than one sea monster."

Sure enough, just as Kurak finished speaking, another roar came from beneath the sea, this time deeper and more terrifying. Then, a third and a fourth roar followed.

“Damn it, it’s a horde of sea monsters,” a pale-faced captain from the 'Star Explorers' alliance said. “There are at least four large sea monsters.”

Luo Wen used his mental power to probe the seabed and quickly discovered the specifics of these sea monsters. Indeed, as others had said, there were four large sea monsters in the ocean, the largest of which had reached the seventh rank, equivalent to a seventh-rank stellar-level martial artist. The other three were all sixth-rank, with strength equivalent to a sixth-rank stellar-level martial artist.

“These sea monsters were alerted by our battle just now,” Morris analyzed. “Sea monsters are very sensitive to fluctuations in the power of laws, and the confrontation between the Flame Legion and us must have caught their attention.”

“Analyzing the reasons now is pointless,” Brad said impatiently. “The important thing is how to deal with these beasts.”

“I suggest we proceed according to the previously agreed-upon alliance agreement,” Kurak proposed. “We should work together to deal with these sea monsters, and then distribute the spoils according to our contributions.”

The spoils of sea monsters are valuable resources for martial artists. Their scales can be used to craft defensive equipment, their cores to refine potions, and their blood a precious cultivation material. Four large sea monsters are worth at least tens of millions of credits.

“Agreed,” Morris nodded. “Our Tide Exploration Team is willing to participate in the joint operation.”

“The Flame Legion is fine with it too,” Brad agreed.

The captains of the other teams also agreed. But just as everyone was preparing to begin their operation, the sea suddenly exploded, and a huge sea monster leaped out of the water.

This sea monster appears to be a hybrid of a giant octopus and a sea serpent, exceeding fifty meters in length. Its body is covered in jet-black scales, and eight enormous tentacles, each as thick as a bucket, wave through the air. Most striking are its eyes, like two enormous rubies, gleaming with a bloodthirsty light.

“A seventh-tier deep-sea demonic serpent,” Kurak recognized the type of sea monster. “This kind of sea monster is very powerful and quite intelligent. Everyone be careful.”

The moment the Deep Sea Demon Octopus appeared, it displayed terrifying offensive power. Its eight tentacles simultaneously lashed out at ships in different directions, each strike carrying immense force, enough to destroy an ordinary vessel in an instant.

"Spread out, don't huddle together," Kurak shouted. "Use the ships' maneuverability to outmaneuver it."

The teams immediately sprang into action. The three ships of the Wings of Liberty expedition quickly dispersed, using high-speed movement to evade the Deepsea Octopus's attacks. The other teams adopted similar tactics.

(End of this chapter)