Behind it, his face twisted in frustration.
This was a one-time-use item—something he’d hoarded until now.
The Director, meanwhile, produced an ancient metal cup. Tipped upside down, it spilled a misty liquid that pooled around his waist, blocked by the lockdown’s boundaries.
Their attacks, however, were far more spectacular.
The Director’s ruler morphed into a brush, scribbling two giant characters in the air: (Harmony). The ink-splashed words should have shot toward Ye Zhongming, but they stalled mid-flight after expanding slightly.
The Chairman’s ten rings each emitted a wisp of smoke, coiling upward until the lockdown’s walls flickered ominously. But the smoke burned out too quickly to break free.
Then—
Ye Zhongming struck back.
Twin bursts of black bullets erupted from his guns, each streaking toward a target. Upon hitting their defenses, the rounds detonated—not with fire, but with frigid devastation.
This was the skill’s name.
By all logic, these guns shouldn’t have another ability—”Extreme Lockdown” was already their signature move.
However, this ability would be much less useful to Ye Zhongming if that were the case.
But the downgrade to gold-grade had created an opportunity.
Ye Zhongming had one more trick:
The Reincarnation Clip.
Acquired long ago, this item had seen little use as Ye Zhongming’s arsenal outgrew it. Even after two upgrades, it only reached “Clear” grade—the third of five ranks (Chaos, Mist, Clear, Pure, Perfect).
At this level, it could modify gold-grade equipment—which was why Ye Zhongming had attached it to one of the split guns.
What followed was a happy accident.
Because the two guns were originally one, the Reincarnation Clip’s effects spread to both.
At Clear grade, it not only enhanced two existing abilities but also added two new skills.
“Fireworks Cold” was the first.
The split guns turned from a very useful rifle into two big handguns that were suitable for close combat. The thick barrel was enough to call them hand cannons.
The bullets they fired had a thick explosive aura to them.
This shot shattered their defenses, and the ice element energies hit their bodies.
The two of them felt a bone cutting coldness, and their various body stats were quickly dropping.
Extreme Lockdown reduced their movement space, and the ice element caused them to slow down.
Ye Zhongming’s gun barrels glowed ominously as the icy explosions faded, charging the next strike.
He knew that the first skill couldn’t kill the two of them, so the second one was prepared right after he used the first. Before the first even ended, the second arrived.
The light disappeared, no, it was fired. Two meteor-like projectiles blasted forth, crossing the short distance in an instant.
At this range, with no room to dodge, hits were guaranteed.
Still, Ye Zhongming’s impaired vision made headshots risky. He aimed for center mass.
Impact.
Both leaders convulsed violently before being catapulted backward.
The Extreme Lockdown shattered at that moment.
Ye Zhongming stood firm, but his gun-wielding hands trembled visibly.
“Flowing Fire Twin Stars.”
Though “Flowing Fire Twin Stars” didn’t drain stamina, it consumed mental energy—and Ye Zhongming was running on fumes.
Even his bottomless reserves were strained after Cloud Slice, the Bone Shattering Staff, and countless other skills. The emptiness he felt now usually only appeared after marathon crafting sessions.
He gulped a mental energy potion and palmed the Secret Realm Key.
If these two attacks hadn’t killed the leaders, he’d have to activate his last resort early.
The “Extreme Lockdown” had been his best shot. If they survived, the Demon Vine and three-headed tiger would rejoin the fight—and in his current state, Ye Zhongming couldn’t handle that.
So—
Were they dead?