Gulp

Warm organs, a pulsing heart, and vivid, tragic blood poured onto the ground, burning deep into Zhang Yuanqing's eyes and mind. He knew this expedition into the underground palace was fraught with danger, and that any of them could die at any moment. Yet watching Zhao Chenghuang die right before his eyes was still difficult to accept. A storm of emotions surged within him—anger, shock, fear, and guilt. Even though he had repeatedly warned everyone of the perils beforehand, and even though they were all seasoned Spirit Realm walkers accustomed to death, Zhao Chenghuang's demise was still inextricably tied to him. Because he had chosen his teammates; he had led Zhao Chenghuang down this path of death. The gruesome scene also registered in the eyes of Sun Miaomiao, Tianxia Guihuo, and Xiahou Aotian as they recovered their wits, sending a tremendous chill rising through everyone's hearts. Level 6?! Killing Zhao Chenghuang in a single blow—the combat prowess of this giant terracotta warrior had undoubtedly reached the peak of the Saint stage. However, it likely had not reached Dominator level; otherwise, Zhao Chenghuang wouldn't be the only one dead right now—they all would be. "Fuck!" Zhang Yuanqing roared. As if provoked beyond reason, he leaped into the air, swinging the Leigu Purple Gold Hammer straight at the giant terracotta warrior's head. He was exceptionally fast, like a grasshopper snapping its powerful hind legs. A flash of afterimages, and he was right before the giant terracotta warrior, smashing down the Leigu Purple Gold Hammer with all his might. The giant terracotta warrior tilted its head slightly. *Bang! Crack!* The Leigu Purple Gold Hammer struck its right shoulder, shattering it into dense, hairline fissures. Under attack, the giant warrior swung its arm. The bronze sword swept across, swift as lightning. Suspended midair, Zhang Yuanqing had no way to evade, and in that split second, there wasn't even time to cast Star Escape. The sword light flashed and vanished. Amid the shattering of a murky halo, the Unyielding Visor worn on his chest was cleaved in two, ruined on the spot. A dramatic splash of water burst from Zhang Yuanqing's body. He should have been bisected by that single strike, but the Yin-Yang Robe saved his life. Naturally, it was also precisely because he possessed this item that he had dared to take such a risk. The splashing water coalesced in an instant, reverting back into flesh and blood. A chill gripped Zhang Yuanqing's heart, his fury instantly extinguished. Without time to mourn his damaged item, he hurriedly cast Star Escape. Turning into starlight, he reformed beneath the memorial archway. The webbing of his right hand holding the Leigu Purple Gold Hammer was torn open, blood pouring freely, and his forearm bone was fractured. This forced him to terminate the usage time of Little Pumpkin prematurely. The resonance ability of the Leigu Purple Gold Hammer affected its wielder just as it did the enemy, which was why it could only be used for ten minutes. Exceeding ten minutes, the body would turn to dust under the resonance. Now with a fractured forearm, using the Leigu Purple Gold Hammer any further would scrap his entire arm on the spot. Zhang Yuanqing swept his gaze across the area just in time to see Commandery Princess Yinyao hoisted high into the air by a spear, and Sun Miaomiao and Tianxia Guihuo sent flying—the former's right arm twisted unnaturally, the latter's chest caved in. The team was thoroughly routed in an instant! Just then, he heard Zhao Chenghuang's solemn voice from behind him: "You were too reckless. If not for that robe, you'd be a corpse right now." Looking back, he saw Zhao Chenghuang, dressed in black pants and a black shirt. "You're not dead?!" Zhang Yuanqing was both surprised and delighted. Looking back at the corpse where it had fallen, the warm viscera and vivid blood had turned into a pile of black ash on the ground. Seeing Yuanshi Tianzun's delighted expression, Zhao Chenghuang's face softened with rare warmth. "My great-grandfather gave me a scapegoat item—a consumable from the Witch Doctor class." Having said that, his facial muscles twitched as he added, "A consumable worth thirty million..." An item like that would be impossible for him to obtain again for a very long time, meaning he had squandered an entire life for nothing. Anyway, as long as he wasn't dead, that was all that mattered! Zhang Yuanqing immediately shouted to Commandery Princess Yinyao and the others, "Zhao Chenghuang is alive! Retreat first!" He took the lead in turning into starlight and fleeing. Tianxia Guihuo, Sun Miaomiao, and Commandery Princess Yinyao all had escape techniques, leaving the moment the order was given. Xiahou Aotian, who lacked an escape technique, had long since strapped on his jetpack and leaped down from the hundred-meter-tall white marble terrace. This battered, defeated crew dared not look back, fleeing in ignominious haste back to the edge of the pool. Seeing that the two terracotta warriors hadn't pursued them, they finally stopped to catch their breath. "Where did your great-grandfather get a scapegoat item? I'll ask my grandfather to get one too." Despite her injuries, Sun Miaomiao was all smiles. "No idea," Zhao Chenghuang answered truthfully. While the two exchanged small talk, Zhang Yuanqing took out the Mountain God Scepter to heal Tianxia Guihuo and Sun Miaomiao's injuries, then pressed a palm against Commandery Princess Yinyao's shoulder, infusing lunar energy to nourish her. "Those two terracotta warriors are Level 6, and most likely peak Level 6." Xiahou Aotian paced back and forth anxiously. "This isn't something we can handle. Let's run." Sun Miaomiao was unwilling to give up. "Is forty-eight million just going to be thrown into the water? No, thrown into the terracotta warriors?" Xiahou Aotian's mouth twitched violently, heartache making it hard for him to breathe. He snapped, "Don't bring that up!" Tianxia Guihuo sat cross-legged by the pool and said slowly, "I lost a Saint-tier item, Xiahou Aotian lost forty-eight million, Zhao Chenghuang lost a life, and Yuanshi Tianzun lost an item... If we give up now, are you willing to accept that? I, for one, am not." Xiahou Aotian went frantic. "I said stop talking about money! I haven't even repaid the eighty million yet, and now I owe another forty-eight million. I haven't gained anything, yet I'm in debt to my family for a hundred and twenty million! But what good is being unwilling? Level 6 can slaughter you all as easily as butchering dogs, and the Living Soil content in their bodies is even higher—no matter how many times they're smashed, they'll reconstitute! Let's go. Owing money is still better than losing our lives." "Aren't you the protagonist? How can the protagonist be such a coward?" Sun Miaomiao taunted. "Protagonists are precisely the ones who judge the situation carefully! The brainless ones all died, unworthy of being protagonists," Xiahou Aotian scoffed. Amid the arguing, a loud, crisp slap suddenly interrupted everyone. Looking toward the sound, they saw Yuanshi Tianzun's right cheek swelling high—he had just been slapped by his own yin corpse. "What the hell are you doing?" Xiahou Aotian barked in exasperation. "Nothing. A slap to refresh the mind," Zhang Yuanqing casually brushed it off. Silently, he put some distance between himself and Commandery Princess Yinyao. There was a reason he had gotten slapped. Using the Mountain God Scepter twice in short succession had stoked the fires of lust within him. He had found the princess increasingly delicate, lovely, and ravishing to behold, and unable to restrain himself, had groped Commandery Princess Yinyao's chest and butt. Just as he was about to press up against her and nuzzle, a slap had brought him back to his senses. It hurt like hell, but the lust had subsided considerably. *I can't use the Mountain God Scepter again anytime soon, or a slap won't be enough to wake me up. By then, I'd probably force myself on her and say: Where the Demon Lord could go, so can I! And then my teammates would witness the spectacle of Yuanshi Tianzun being hunted down by his own yin corpse. Of course, the Elvis speaker hasn't played any stories about the princess and Demon Lord to this day, so I'm not even sure if Demon Lord ever did corpse-driving...* Zhang Yuanqing muttered to himself. "Really?" Sun Miaomiao clearly didn't buy that excuse. She leaned in, scrutinizing Commandery Princess Yinyao. "This yin corpse of yours is no ordinary specimen. I saw her use Star Escape earlier." "That was thanks to an item," Zhang Yuanqing lied, then quickly steered the conversation away: "Earlier, I noticed that the two terracotta warriors are higher-tier than the ones on the stairs. They have skills, but incomplete ones. That's good news. If they were legitimate, full-fledged peak Level 6s, we might as well retreat. "Destroying those two terracotta warriors isn't hard. We have the cannon, plus my Thunderstorm Cannon—our destructive power is sufficient. The hard part is preventing them from regenerating. Zhao Chenghuang, can your Puppet Storage Box suppress those two terracotta warriors?" Zhao Chenghuang shook his head. "A higher probability is that the storage box breaks, and all the terracotta warriors burst out together." That made things tricky. Judging by that warrior's attack power just now, the Yin-Yang Robe's formation couldn't trap the two of them. While Little Red Riding Hood had its own pocket space, it couldn't store entities of a higher status than itself. The Yata Mirror was a Dominator-tier item, but its function wasn't sealing... Zhang Yuanqing was stumped for a moment. None of them possessed top-tier items capable of suppressing a Level 6. Tianxia Guihuo said, "Xiahou Aotian, you're a Fangshi. This kind of problem is for you to solve." Everyone thought to themselves: *What a masterful buck-pass.* "Let me think, let me think..." Xiahou Aotian furrowed his brows and patted his head, analyzing as if muttering to himself. "They're practically unkillable. They possess souls, but the souls are evenly distributed throughout their bodies and nourished by the Living Soil, so a Night Walker's methods can barely affect them. We probably don't have items that can seal or suppress Level 6 Saints. To defeat the strong with the weak, we have to find another angle." "What do you mean?" Everyone perked up, thinking that although this fellow had severe personality flaws, his professional expertise was indeed commendable. "Using the principle of mutual generation and overcoming of the Five Elements. Living Soil may be a supreme material, but it's still restrained by Wood-attribute power. So theoretically speaking, we only need a Beast King item of sufficiently high quality to counter them. Um, the function must be plant-based," Xiahou Aotian explained. "For instance, having plants grow all over the Living Soil. The plants will absorb and devour the power of the Living Soil, thereby weakening them." "Would something from the Mountain God class work? Plant-based," Zhang Yuanqing asked. He did have a Beast King Bracelet, but its quality was only above average, and its function wasn't plant-based. "The point isn't just plants, but plants capable of absorbing the Living Soil's energy. The Mountain God belongs to the Earth Monster class; plants accelerated by it don't possess that kind of power," Xiahou Aotian replied. "Ah, I do!" The big-eyed Sun Miaomiao raised her hand. "I have Ghost Face Vine seeds! They were cultivated by the Grand Elder of Baihui. They grow the moment they touch the ground, are bloodthirsty, and excel at binding enemies. I exchanged for them originally to make up for a Star Officer's lack of area-of-effect skills." Baihui was on the closest terms with the Taiyi Sect. Zhao Chenghuang said flatly, "The quality of Ghost Face Vines isn't enough to suppress Level 6 terracotta warriors." "No, it can!" Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up. "My Mountain God Scepter can mutate plants, giving them an immense boost. Of course, that alone isn't enough. With the warriors' strength, the Ghost Face Vines would be wiped out the moment they sprout. So we need to scatter the seeds after shattering the warriors." The Ghost Face Vines couldn't deal with intact terracotta warriors, but dealing with fragmented rubble all over the ground shouldn't be a problem. Xiahou Aotian clapped his hands loudly. "Feasible!" Thus, after formulating a detailed battle plan, the group embarked once again. Xiahou Aotian led the way with martial vigor, while Tianxia Guihuo and Zhao Chenghuang carried the heavy cannon mount, bringing up the rear. Walking in the middle, Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself that if the Elvis speaker were here, it would surely play thrilling background music to hype them up. A pity it wasn't. At this moment, he was draped in the Yin-Yang Robe, wearing the Houtu Boots on his feet, the Lucky Necklace around his neck, the Gale Gloves on both hands, and holding the Purple Gold Shield. Returning before the Hall of Longevity, the two towering terracotta warriors stood silently before the palace doors, guarding the empty royal bedchamber just as they had throughout countless ages past. *Thud!* The cannon base landed heavily with a dull thud, shaking the entire ground. Simultaneously, the terracotta warrior turned its head, gazing toward this band of defeated foes, sending out mental ripples: "Those who trespass into the First Emperor's bedchamber shall be slain without mercy!" Intimidation again! Under level suppression, Sun Miaomiao and the others inevitably suffered a tremor in their consciousness, freezing in a daze. Only Zhang Yuanqing, before the Intimidation hit, tapped his forehead with a bent finger. All at once, blue paint appeared, rapidly spreading from his forehead across his entire face. Black and white traced out an untamed, unyielding opera mask around his eyes and mouth. Blue Face: stamina increased by 50%, immune to three mental-type attacks. Having resisted the Intimidation skill, Zhang Yuanqing watched the giant terracotta warrior charging toward him in a blur of afterimages. Unhurriedly, he grabbed the Yin-Yang Robe draped over his shoulders and whipped it into the sky. The Water-Fire Grand Formation descended, enclosing both sides within. From the fire formation, a crimson clay figurine arose holding the Purple Gold Shield, charging toward the giant terracotta warrior while yelling loudly: "Your death has arrived! We have a detailed plan!" On the other side, the pitch-black clay figurine, wearing the Gale Gloves on its hands, whipped up illusory waves and howling gales, surging toward the spear-wielding warrior. It succeeded in stalling its opponent for two seconds before being impaled by the spear, shattering with a clatter. Behind the crimson clay figurine, yin energy churned as the Ghost Bride in her wedding dress lunged at the bronze-sword warrior, attempting to halt its charge. Yet the moment she possessed it, she was repelled. The disparity in status between the two was too vast; possession was impossible. The sword-bearing warrior rushed up, swinging an unadorned slash downward. The fire clay figurine raised the Purple Gold Shield. *Skrrrrt—* Amid a gut-wrenching screech of twisting metal, half the Purple Gold Shield was sheared away, and half of the fire clay figurine's body blew apart. At that moment, overwhelming flames billowed from behind the crimson clay figurine. Blazing all over, Tianxia Guihuo vaulted over the clay figurine's head, slamming a lunging punch into the warrior's face. Right now, enhanced by the Wrathful and the Grand Fire Formation, his explosive power pressed close to the peak of Level 4. *Boom!* Flames detonated in overlapping waves across the warrior's face, making the three-meter-tall giant stumble. The immense recoil sent Tianxia Guihuo flying backward, the bone in his right arm snapping. Even as he flew backward, Sun Miaomiao dashed forward holding an illusory whip coiled in yin energy, condensed from spirit servants. Raising her arm, her fair wrist snapped violently. *Crack!* The whip lashed across the warrior's face, causing its frame to stiffen. The God-Striking Whip could strike anything possessing a soul. Although the warrior's soul was evenly dispersed through its Living Soil body, drastically reducing the effect, all Sun Miaomiao needed was a brief moment of crowd control. "Clear out!" Xiahou Aotian bellowed. The attacks from Zhang Yuanqing and the others had bought him enough time to aim. Sun Miaomiao and Tianxia Guihuo simultaneously executed escape techniques, while the crimson clay figurine threw itself recklessly at the three-meter-tall bronze-sword warrior, locking its arms around the warrior's legs. —The figurine's height was just right to grab hold there. The next second, a golden fireball resembling a miniature sun howled through the air, slamming into the bronze-sword warrior, followed immediately by a second. Layer upon layer of golden light surged and raged. The two figurines tore apart first, followed by the barrier erected by the Yin-Yang Formation. Under the bombardment powered by the Dominator-grade energy pack, the maiden voyage of the Yin-Yang Formation barrier was sacrificed just like that. Midair, the robe gently drifted down, draping itself over Zhang Yuanqing. Sharp, pitch-black ghost claws extended from Zhao Chenghuang's fingertips, his skin turning cyan-black as veins bulged. Boundless yin energy condensed into frost on the ground. He dissolved into starlight, reappearing behind the spear-wielding warrior, and slashed both hands violently across its back. Fine sand and gravel scattered downward. The spear warrior whipped around with a front kick squarely into Zhao Chenghuang's chest, instantly blasting him backward through the air. Just as it was about to pursue, Commandery Princess Yinyao descended from the sky holding the Mountain God Scepter. The vine-woven wooden staff swung downward in a vertical cleave, the air screeching. The warrior raised its spear horizontally. *Clang!* Commandery Princess Yinyao was knocked flying, while the spear warrior also staggered backward repeatedly. The princess's own status, combined with the immense strength bestowed by the Mountain God Scepter, barely allowed her to fight this terrifying terracotta warrior to a standstill. Zhao Chenghuang charged back into the fray, tying down the spear warrior alongside Commandery Princess Yinyao. With the Beast King Bracelet's buffs to balance, agility, and strength, and the monstrous power from the Mountain God Scepter, he was astonished to discover that this yin corpse of Yuanshi Tianzun's could actually serve as the main vanguard. *So strong... Where on earth did Yuanshi Tianzun get this yin corpse?* Zhao Chenghuang felt a surge of envy, but quickly suppressed the ill-timed emotion to concentrate on support. The moment his physical body reconstituted, Zhang Yuanqing shouted toward the distance, "Zhao Chenghuang, back off! I'm going to activate mutation!" He was signaling Zhao Chenghuang that he was about to recall the yin corpse. By now, the golden flames had dispersed. Black fragments and fine sand littered the ground near and far, the largest remaining piece being a lower leg. The bronze-sword terracotta warrior was pulverized almost beyond recognition. Having prepared beforehand, Sun Miaomiao reached into her pocket, grabbed a handful of black seeds, and hurled them out. Like scattered beans, the black seeds scattered across the ground with pattering clatters. Automatically seeking out viable growth energy nearby, they clung to the warrior's shattered remains, rapidly taking root and sprouting. Within mere seconds, emerald-green vines carpeted the ground, sprouting leaves patterned with ghastly, demon-like black markings. The vines blanketing the floor shuddered violently—yet the source of the trembling was not the vines themselves, but the soil beneath them. The terracotta warrior was desperately trying to reconstitute its body, but the roots of the Ghost Face Vines restrained that instinct, locking both into a tug-of-war. Seeing this, Commandery Princess Yinyao immediately backed away, aimed the emerald gem atop the staff at the Ghost Face Vines from afar, and activated its mutation ability. Ripples of faint green light spread in concentric circles. Bathed in the green glow, the Ghost Face Vines grew rapidly and became increasingly lush, the black demon-face markings on their leaves growing all the more menacing. The black sand and fragments completely ceased their vibrations, as if completely frozen. "Great! It worked!" "Get away, quick!" The former voice belonged to Xiahou Aotian, while the latter came from Zhao Chenghuang. Free from Commandery Princess Yinyao's interference, the spear warrior forced Zhao Chenghuang back and charged menacingly toward the group. "This guy's intelligence is low! Pin him down, and I'll deal with him!" Zhang Yuanqing scrambled to kick off the Houtu Boots and take out the Sliding Tackle Shoes. Xiahou Aotian was also scrambling to swivel the cannon barrel. Sun Miaomiao turned into starlight and materialized behind the spear warrior, raising the illusory whip... The moment she began the motion, the warrior spun around abruptly, its spear delivering a razor-sharp turnaround thrust that drove clean through Sun Miaomiao's chest. The defensive item on her body barely functioned at all, obliterated instantly. The spear's dimensions were colossal, forged to match a three-meter-tall giant warrior. Consequently, being impaled didn't just pierce her heart— Her spine, heart, lungs, and stomach were completely blasted out of her body, leaving a hollow void. Sun Miaomiao's pupils dulled instantly. An injury of this magnitude would spell certain death even for a Star Officer with formidable vitality. Yet in the very next second, a brilliant light ignited within her eyes, burning with fierce resolve. Clutching the spear desperately with both hands, she cried out: "Fire the cannon! "Zhao Chenghuang, take my spirit body out of the academy and give it to my grandfather! I'm converting to a spirit servant!" She had no chance of pulling back. Perhaps due to a terminal surge of strength, Sun Miaomiao possessed monstrous force, gripping the spear so tightly that the warrior couldn't yank it free for a moment. "Good on you, Sun Miaomiao! I'll remember you forever!" With a tragic, heroic expression, Xiahou Aotian stomped on the trigger. "You actually fucking fired?!" Zhang Yuanqing reacted just in time, kicking the cannon muzzle upward. A golden light like a miniature sun shot toward the dome above, detonating across the ceiling and causing countless gems and pearls to rain down. Zhang Yuanqing then dissolved into starlight, reappearing beside Sun Miaomiao. Grabbing the spear with one hand to join the struggle, he raised his other hand. In the distance, half a shield whistled through the air, delivering itself into its master's hand. The Purple Gold Shield melted, reforming into a large-caliber hand cannon, its thirty-centimeter barrel radiating pure menace. Zhang Yuanqing pulled the trigger. Sizzling sounds crackled from the muzzle as purple arcs of lightning danced. A mass of deep-purple ball lightning surged forth, shooting toward the warrior. At that very moment, Sun Miaomiao lashed out with the God-Striking Whip. *Crack!* *Boom!* A raging shockwave exploded outwards as arcs of lightning rippled across flat space. The warrior's upper torso blew to smithereens. In terms of raw destructive power, ball lightning was practically the ceiling of the Saint stage. Without pausing, Zhang Yuanqing fired a second and third ball of lightning, blasting the terracotta warrior completely into pieces. He stowed the Thunderstorm Cannon without missing a beat, scooped up the limp Sun Miaomiao with one arm, reached into her pocket with his other hand for the remaining handful of seeds, and threw them out. The seeds scattered across the ground, automatically seeking "nutrients," taking root on the black fragments and growing rapidly. On the other side, Commandery Princess Yinyao immediately triggered the scepter's mutation ability. Zhang Yuanqing didn't watch that unfold. Carefully laying Sun Miaomiao down, he whispered, "Don't be scared, don't be scared. I can save you..." He retrieved a vial of Life Source Fluid from his inventory. Sun Miaomiao struggled to lift a hand, pushing against his arm. "I... I wasn't scared. I..." "Scared or not, it doesn't matter." Zhang Yuanqing had no desire to hear her ramble. Brushing her hand aside, he quickly injected the vial of Life Source Fluid into her jugular vein. This vial of Life Source Fluid had been part of the payment from the Xie family. *This guy Yuanshi Tianzun can actually be quite gentle at times...* Sun Miaomiao's dark, bright eyes gazed at him silently. A few seconds later, color gradually returned to her pale cheeks. Inside her hollow chest cavity, cells divided rapidly, flesh and blood regrowing. As Zhang Yuanqing drew out the spear, her internal organs regrew and healed at a visible pace. Feeling her vitality steadily return, Sun Miaomiao remained lying there, looking at Yuanshi Tianzun, and said, "What I wanted to say just now was... I have my own Life Source Fluid." "...Fine. Pay me back with one." Sun Miaomiao tsundere-turned her head away, the corners of her mouth curving slightly. "Not giving it to you." Furious, Zhang Yuanqing was about to demand it when his gaze was suddenly caught by the view below. Staring down for a few seconds, he muttered: "Unbelievable..." Sun Miaomiao blinked, then realized what was happening. Hurriedly covering her chest, her face flushed crimson as she cursed, "You stinking pervert!" *Sun Miaomiao looks so young and petite in the face, who would've thought she's a C-cup...* Zhang Yuanqing calmly got to his feet and glanced over the two areas carpeted with Ghost Face Vines. The fragmented remains of the terracotta warriors had been thoroughly suppressed. "We did it! Ahahaha! A heaven-sent windfall awaits this protagonist!" The group rested briefly. Once Sun Miaomiao fully recovered, they approached the palace doors of the Palace of Longevity with cautious yet thrilled anticipation and pushed them open. What treasures would await within the First Emperor's royal bedchamber? *Creak—* The heavy palace doors swung open slowly, the aging hinges groaning with a teeth-grinding creak. A stale, decayed odor washed over them. Beyond the doors was a main hall supported by nine bronze pillars. Dust coated the floor of the vast, desolate chamber. At the far end stood an elevated dais, upon which sat a throne and a wide desk. Along the path leading to the throne stood nine bronze statues on either side, garbed in robes with wide sleeves and posed in bowing postures. Flanking the main hall were meditation rooms, warmed chambers, sleeping quarters, tea rooms, eunuch quarters, and the like. Zhang Yuanqing and the others circled the front hall but found nothing, moving toward the rear hall without hesitation. Two bronze doors sealed the rear hall. Zhang Yuanqing and Tianxia Guihuo took the left and right sides, planting their palms against the bronze doors and slowly pushing them open. *Rumble, groan...* The heavy bronze doors cracked open bit by bit until they swung fully ajar. Inside the hall, candlelight shone brightly. Dozens of oil lamps burned quietly, casting an orange glow that illuminated everything within. *Gulp...* *Gulp, gulp...* The sound of people swallowing their saliva echoed continuously at the entrance.