*Bang!!*
The bowstrings snapped forward, unleashing a relentless barrage of shrill shrieks through the air.
Scores of arrows shot furiously toward the puppet's retreat path!
Nearly every bolt aimed straight for the joints of the puppet Li Guanqi controlled.
Steering the puppet with divine sense was no different from moving his own limbs.
Stamping hard against the floor, the puppet leapt into the air.
Twisting continuously in midair, the twin swords flashed, spinning into a shimmering screen of blades before it.
Deflecting every bolt aimed its way, the puppet used the immense kinetic force to glide back down toward the rear.
*Clack-clack-clack-clack-clack!*
The twelve contraptions around the perimeter immediately hurled countless silver throwing darts. In an instant, sparks rained incessantly across the arena of the Thousand Mechanism Formation Plate.
*Whoosh! Clang! Whoosh!*
*Whoosh! Clang-clang!*
Sharp bursts crackled constantly in the air.
The exchange between both sides' ballistas and concealed weapons had reached extreme velocities.
Only streaks and afterimages could be seen darting across the air; hardly anyone could follow them with the naked eye.
The puppet bobbed and weaved through the storm of concealed weapons, making the Great Xia Sword Sect disciples watching from behind break into a cold sweat on his behalf.
Seeing this, the scar-faced man was so furious his eyes nearly split, his expression twisting into hideous rage.
Yet he could only watch helplessly as the pitch-black puppet drew closer and closer!
The instant the puppet flashed into the scar-faced man's encampment once more, the twin swords twirled into several dazzling florets of blade light!
Wherever it passed, every single ballista was sheared into pieces.
The puppet slammed a foot into the floor and leapt high, its crimson eyes locking with his.
Both swords plunged violently into two of the stone statues!!
*Bang! Bang!!*
The statues exploded!
The scar-faced man shrieked in piercing agony, but his cries soon cut short.
His vocal cords had torn apart, and blood sprayed from his mouth.
A mysterious force suddenly descended, yanking up his left arm.
Then, before his terror-stricken gaze, the entire arm was violently twisted into a mangled braid!!
His bulging eyes looked ready to pop out of their sockets, and the sound of shattering bone made the blood run cold.
Splintered bones pierced through his flesh, exposing long jagged shards of pale bone.
Yet through it all, his right hand still clutched the final jade plaque with a death grip!
He was waiting…
Behind them, the Great Xia Sword Sect disciples were struck dumb with awe.
"Is this Junior Brother Li's true strength? Even while controlling a puppet, he can weave through a tempest of hidden weapons like that!!"
Zhou Zhi pumped his fist in excitement, his voice deep with admiration. "Those flourishes with the twin blades were brilliant!"
He then turned to the others and issued a stern warning. "If we make it through today unscathed, our lives will all belong to Junior Brother Li! If anyone dares to leak the secret of his left-handed sword, don't blame me for turning on you!"
The others nodded in solemn agreement.
By now, only two stone statues remained beneath the scar-faced man.
Li Guanqi still had four whole statues left!
The scar-faced man's voice carried across to Li Guanqi, likely channeled through the formation's inner workings.
"You wretched brat… Twin swords let you bypass the restriction and strike two statues at once?!"
Li Guanqi sneered. "Seems you aren't completely stupid."
Yet a vicious look twisted across the scar-faced man's face, and he muttered with wild, crazed eyes.
"You little bastard, do you know… why the Thousand Mechanism Formation Plate trapped everyone inside the barrier?"
Hearing that, an ominous foreboding seized Li Guanqi's heart.
Sure enough!
A mechanical voice rang out within the barrier.
"Silver has only two statues remaining. Replenish to three?"
Without hesitation, the scar-faced man roared, "Replenish!"
*Boom!!*
The moment his words fell, a spike abruptly shot out within the barrier where the black-robed men were trapped!
It pierced straight through one man's right shoulder blade, then violently dragged him down into the floor!
When the black-robed man reemerged, he was standing directly on the formation dais below!!
His limbs were pinned firmly in place, and no matter how he thrashed, it was entirely in vain.
In that instant, the man's sanity completely shattered.
Looking up at the scar-faced man on the high platform with venomous eyes, he screamed curses, "Fuck your ancestors, Wei Kun!! You won't die an easy death!!!"
"Let me go!! Let me go!! I don't want to die!!"
"Wei Kun!! I'm your brother!!!"
Wei Kun extended his tongue to lick his lips, his face hideous as he murmured, "There. Now I have three lives again. Let's continue!"
Li Guanqi's throat tightened. He had never imagined this was what Wei Kun meant by twelve against nineteen!
He glanced back at his fellow sect members, whose tension also mounted.
One of the more timid disciples began to tremble, his voice shaking. "If… if Junior Brother Li is also left with only two statues… would he…"
Though he did not finish, everyone present knew exactly what he was insinuating.
This was a test of human nature!
Given the prowess Li Guanqi had displayed, they believed he would undoubtedly win if each side had only five statues.
Yet if Wei Kun sacrificed the lives of all his companions to replenish his own…
Li Guanqi might still win, but people among them would surely die!
And not just one or two.
Zhou Zhi clenched his teeth, falling completely silent.
Looking at the conflicted faces around him, Zhou Zhi turned a resolute gaze toward Li Guanqi's back and said solemnly, "If someone has to die, then let me be the first!"
The woman in his arms snapped her head up to look at the plain-featured young man, her lips trembling and her eyes reddening.
Silence fell over the barrier. The disciple who had spoken earlier murmured with deep guilt, "Eldest Senior Brother…"
"Enough! Say no more. My mind is made up!"
As if sensing something, Li Guanqi turned slightly and looked back at Zhou Zhi within the light barrier.
His lips moved silently.
Yet Zhou Zhi understood the unvoiced words.
*I won't let a single one of you die!*
Turning back, a spark of madness flared in the depths of Li Guanqi's eyes. Reaching out, he slowly pressed down on three of his four remaining statues.
The instant his fingers made contact, the three statues behind his puppet blew apart with a deafening blast!!
Everyone was stunned by what Li Guanqi had just done.
Zhou Zhi cried out in shock, "Li Guanqi, are you mad?! What are you doing?!"
Across the arena, Wei Kun's face distorted into manic glee.
He jeered arrogantly, "Hahahaha! Are you preparing to die?!!"
"Can't bear to buy your life with others' blood, so you'd rather drag everyone down with you?"
"Hahaha! Since that's your choice, I'll grant your wish!!"
Yet Li Guanqi remained utterly calm, his voice quiet.
"Activate unrestricted round!!"
*Buzz!!!*
The crimson barrier grew immensely dense, darkening into a deep, ominous scarlet.
The mechanical voice sounded once more.
"Black has sacrificed three statues to initiate an unrestricted round!"
*Buzz!!*
In an instant, all the luminous lines across the Thousand Mechanism Formation Plate's platform turned a bloody scarlet.
Though Li Guanqi still held only four hundred squares, the turn-based restriction had vanished.
Which meant that as long as Li Guanqi was strong enough, he could relentlessly advance and wage an unending assault upon Wei Kun's board!!
Chapter 98