The moment the crimson light completely claimed the formation plate, the restraints on both combatants' puppets vanished!
Yet what Li Guanqi did next left everyone utterly dumbfounded.
His figure blurred, warping as he vanished from the formation dais and reappeared directly upon the Thousand Mechanism Formation Plate below.
Meanwhile, the black-armored puppet appeared where Li Guanqi had just stood.
In the blink of an eye, the two had traded places!
Zhou Zhi and the others felt a jolt of shock. Anyone could see that the black soldier armor was extraordinary; whether in offense or defense, its prowess was easily comparable to a late Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Yet Li Guanqi had chosen to take the field in person!
"Junior Brother Li, what are you doing?!"
Even Zhou Zhi thought Li Guanqi had lost his mind—first destroying three of his own stone statues, and now stepping into the fray himself.
Li Guanqi flexed his numb soles. Though his feet had been pierced through, the instant he sensed danger, he had forced his bones apart, suffering only superficial flesh wounds.
Looking around, he finally realized how colossal these ballistas and mechanism engines truly were, while the silver-armored figures in the distance towered more than three heads taller than him.
Taking a deep breath, Li Guanqi looked up at Wei Kun and licked his dry, chapped lips.
*Thump!!!*
A succession of thunderous booms erupted across the arena, followed immediately by a blurred silhouette shooting forward with explosive speed!
Wei Kun now understood what was happening, yet looking into Li Guanqi's eyes, an involuntary chill crept up from the depths of his heart.
Cowardly and terrified of death, Wei Kun slammed his hand—still clutching the jade plaque—violently onto the formation dais!
*Rumble!!*
"Die!!!"
In an instant, four identical silver-armored puppets materialized on the board.
Rather than retreating, Li Guanqi advanced, mentally commanding the puppet up on the dais to press down another jade plaque.
*Rumble, crash!!*
Six stone dragon sculptures suddenly rose across the Thousand Mechanism Formation Plate.
The instant a crimson gleam flashed in their eyes, the dragons unleashed torrents of blazing red fire from their maw!
The six plumes of flame engulfed all thirty squares where the silver armors stood.
Driven to madness, Wei Kun sneered with wild arrogance. "Mere flames? You honestly think fire can reduce mithril soldier armor to ash?!"
"Kill him for me!!!"
*Clack! Clack-clack!*
Metal clattered against the ground as Li Guanqi charged relentlessly toward the stone statues!
At the same time, the black-armored puppet pressed the final jade plaque.
Li Guanqi murmured softly under his breath, "Let's see how you enjoy a taste of ice and fire!"
The crimson glow in the six carved stone dragons' eyes shifted into an icy blue.
In the next instant, towering torrents of water blasted from their jaws!
Amidst the inferno, five glowing red figures had slowly stepped out, their armor baked scorching hot by the fire.
Yet what met them next was an overwhelming deluge of ice-cold water.
*Sizzle!! Hiss!!*
Before everyone's stunned gazes, the five silver-armored puppets were swallowed by billows of thick steam.
*Crack!*
The sharp sound of fracturing metal rang out.
Moving like the wind, Li Guanqi tore into the midst of the puppets.
Cold light flickered from Canglang in his grip, the blade slicing through the puppets with astonishing ease!
Sword light flashed in rapid succession, accompanied by a string of resounding crashes.
As fragmented armor plates flew into the air, Li Guanqi snatched a longsword dropped by one of the shattered puppets and hurled it violently forward!
"No!!!"
*Thwack!!*
The blade impaled the chest of a black-robed man.
With his right hand, Canglang swept horizontally in a lethal slash!
Yet just as he turned with the momentum of his strike, a burly figure blocked his path!
*Clang!!!*
Unable to hold back any longer, Wei Kun had descended onto the Thousand Mechanism Formation Plate.
Inside the barrier containing the black-robed figures, chaos had erupted. The captives battered furiously against the light screen.
They knew all too well that, with things having escalated to this point, the next to die would be them!
Their frantic struggles sent ripples of unease through the Great Xia Sword Sect disciples.
Everyone looked at Zhou Zhi's grim face, yet no one spoke, and no one made a move.
The clash between Li Guanqi and Wei Kun had reached a fever pitch.
Both sides had only a single stone statue left. Sparks showered in all directions as their blades collided.
Without hesitation, Wei Kun shouted, "Replenish to three statues!!"
*Whoosh!*
Two more black-robed figures were instantly bound beside the statues.
Li Guanqi sneered. As he darted about in close combat, he muttered coldly, "You really are ruthless, aren't you?"
With a furious surge of origin energy, his sword momentum grew sharper still!
His left-handed sword abruptly quickened as his stance shifted!
*Thwack!!*
The sword plunged straight into Wei Kun's throat!
Yet Wei Kun sprang backward as if completely unharmed and wrenched the blade out.
Though the wound remained in his throat, not a single drop of blood escaped it.
Instead, blood gushed violently from the throat of one of the bound black-robed men behind him!
Leaping back several fathoms, Li Guanqi's heart sank.
He had not expected the Thousand Mechanism Formation Plate to possess such a rule!
Wei Kun tore a strip from his black robe and bound his hilt tightly to his hand.
With madness in his eyes, he whispered hoarsely, "Didn't you want to protect everyone?"
"Then let's see if you can truly save them in the end!!!"
With that, Wei Kun produced three blood-red pills and swallowed them whole!
Instantly, Wei Kun's aura surged wildly, breaking through the shackles of late Foundation Establishment in the blink of an eye to reach the Foundation Establishment Great Circle!
Yet his aura continued to climb, stopping just a hair's breadth shy of half-step Core Formation.
Bloodshot eyes bulging, Wei Kun's blood and qi surged in a violent tempest, turning his entire skin a scorching crimson.
"Aaaaargh!!!"
A shrill, agonizing roar pierced the air, as though he were enduring unspeakable torment.
Like a ravenous beast, he lunged at Li Guanqi!
*Slash! Slash!!*
*Clang! Clang! Clang!!*
The blades in their hands moved so fast they blurred into ribbons of steel; the onlookers could see only scattered sparks and hear a continuous, deafening din.
The two silhouettes shifted positions across the arena at blistering speed, and Li Guanqi felt an unprecedented weight of pressure bearing down upon him.
Wei Kun's reckless style made it clear he intended to trade life for life!
Li Guanqi had no choice but to evade the brunt of his assault. For now, the man's sword speed was practically on par with his own.
Moreover, having consumed three Scarlet Firmament Pills, Wei Kun's strength had grown terrifyingly immense.
Yet the beads of blood seeping across Wei Kun's body revealed that he was nothing more than an arrow at the end of its flight.
As long as Li Guanqi held out, victory would be his!
Dodging and deflecting, Li Guanqi called out, "What on earth lies beneath this Thousand Mechanism Formation Plate that's worth you going this insane?!"
At this point, Wei Kun was like a beast stripped of all reason.
"What is it? A chance to defy the heavens and rewrite my destiny, of course!"
"As long as I obtain the Heavenly Soul Lightning Root, I can replace my impure spiritual root!!"
"So... every last one of you must die here!!!"
A chill ran through Li Guanqi's heart. He had never imagined the man would go to such lengths simply to secure a single heaven-and-earth treasure to replace his impure spiritual root.
Fighting while retreating, Li Guanqi soon found himself beside his own stone statue.
Watching Li Guanqi fight with his hands tied, Zhou Zhi suddenly looked up!
Chapter 99