Chapter 651: Disappear

Chapter 651: Not to Be Seen

The capital was not only home to Gao Zhijian, but also to the Celestial Observing Bureau, which had also taken root here.

It seemed that many lives had been lost this time, and the capital had been thrown into chaos. Yet more followers of the Law Sect had perished than anyone else.

After such an upheaval, all hidden tumors burst forth. Though terrifying, it appeared the Law Sect in Great Li would never rise again.

No matter how he tried, Li Huowang could not fathom what the other party's intentions were.

"There’s something else... wasn’t this supposed to be a natural disaster? Where is the heavenly calamity? Which celestial path has changed? Why do I feel nothing?"

As Li Huowang pondered these thoughts, a faint trembling emanated from the nearby city wall.

At the moment he raised his head to look up at the wall, a green brick fell down with a tremor. Then two, then three.

In the next instant, the entire wall cracked open, and a colossal stone statue—taller than ten zhangs, with the head of a tiger—emerged from outside.

Just as it broke through the gate, the statue slammed its foot heavily onto the ground, sending a wave of yellow smoke from beneath its base spreading rapidly in all directions.

Anything touched by the yellow smoke instantly turned to stone, becoming a statue.

Whether living beings or black smoke dancing above flames.

Seeing the yellow smoke about to engulf the entire capital, a sound rang out from within the imperial palace in the distance.

"ꆪꇍꇱꈍꈩꈿꉭꉿꊌꊡꋃꋡ..."

With that voice, the area where the yellow smoke originated suddenly caved inward, unable to spread further despite piling up endlessly in place.

Just when Li Huowang thought the Celestial Observing Bureau’s method had restrained them, a synchronized chorus echoed, and rows of stone figures emerged from the yellow mist.

They held identical stone spears and halberds, wearing unified stone helmets and armor.

Their earthy hue, combined with their synchronized movements, made Li Huowang recall something obscurely familiar.

"What are these things? Terracotta Warriors?"

When one of the chariot warriors raised his right hand, these stone figures began advancing forward, charging wildly toward the front.

You Zixiong, standing among the crowd, charged ahead first. With a backflip, he flung his four heavy nodachi from his back.

The thick blades flew out, piercing into the stone warriors.

With the chains taut and a sudden pull, a large portion of the warriors were cleanly bisected.

Yet no matter how many You Zixiong cut down, seemingly endless waves of warriors continued emerging from the yellow fog.

That stone statue was the key! If they didn’t destroy it, these soldiers would never truly end!

Li Huowang took a deep breath and stood up, shaking his dizzy head. Peng Longteng, who was beside him, grabbed him and hurled him toward the stone statue.

As Li Huowang drew closer to the statue, he pulled out the Spine Bone Sword and slashed fiercely at it.

A fissure shot out, and just as Li Huowang thought this crack would sever the statue's head, an unexpected situation occurred.

Various misshapen, dark-colored metallic liquids gushed out like flowing water.

"What’s going on?! What happened in Great Qi?!"

This was something Li Huowang had never seen before. It seemed that during this period, some inexplicable changes had occurred in Great Qi.

But soon, Li Huowang had no time to think about Great Qi. Those dark-colored liquids dripped and splashed onto the statue, blooming flower-like, sprouting lotuses everywhere.

Yet these flowers and lotuses constantly shifted in color, rotting hues that made one dizzy and nauseous upon a single glance.

The statue's body was mostly covered in these substances, making it even more terrifying than before.

"Retreat!" Peng Longteng reappeared beside Li Huowang, grabbing him and throwing him back.

Li Huowang, retreating, refused to give up so easily. Drawing his Purple Ear Sword brimming with aura, he slashed forcefully at the massive head of the statue, the size of a house.

A surge of killing intent sliced through the statue like a curved blade.

Those strange-colored flowers and lotuses were cleaved apart, and the same-colored liquid flowed along the statue's veins downward.

As the liquid spread along the veins, the statue suddenly began moving with a rumble of earth and mountains.

At that moment, Qiji Si Tianjian Zhengbo Qiao descended from the red clouds in the sky.

Mid-air, he held a spell with one hand, and gently exhaled toward the moving statue, a white smoke spewing from his mouth wrapping around the statue's head.

Seeing the Grand Master charging toward them on a sword, Li Huowang realized this was his chance and rushed forward again.

"Supreme Jade Purity King, Unifying Heaven, Thirty-Six Heavens, Universal Transformation Middle! Manifesting in Ten Directions, Hair Disheveled, Riding a Qilin, Barefoot on Layers of Ice! Holding Nine Heavens' Wind Whips, Thunder!"

Dozens of purple lightning bolts struck the statue directly as the Grand Master chanted.

Even so, the statue still moved, appearing unharmed.

Taking advantage of their distraction, Li Huowang approached the statue's body as closely as possible.

But for some reason, each time he got close, the statue would shift slightly, always keeping him just out of reach.

"Almost there! Just a little bit closer!" Li Huowang stretched his toes, reaching toward the balloon floating in the tree.

When he felt his hand nearly touching the string, he leaped with all his might, like dunking a basketball, snatching the colorful balloon down.

However, just as he clutched the balloon to his chest, a soft pop echoed—"Pop!"

Li Huowang scratched his head, embarrassedly looking at the two siblings in school uniforms nearby. "Sorry, I guess I used too much force. How much is this balloon? I’ll pay you back."

Seeing them walk away without a word, face full of grievance, Li Huowang shook his head, picked up his handheld console, and sat by the flower bed to continue playing. But he found the game had ended.

Within the capital, everyone stared at the shattered head of the statue, unsure of what to say.

Li Huowang looked at the object before him, thinking for a moment, and cautiously asked, "Ji Zai?"

"Mm," came a familiar voice in Li Huowang's ear.

Hearing that, a flame ignited in Li Huowang's heart.

"You still have the nerve to show your face! Tell me! Where were you just now?"

"I disappeared."

"Disappeared? What does that mean! The Law Sect entered the capital, and you vanished! Do you know how many people died because of you? The Lü Family Clan is completely wiped out!!" Li Huowang roared loudly.

"No, I didn't cause their deaths. The karma lies entirely with you."

"Bullshit!!"

"Think carefully. What did you tell the Celestial Observing Bureau earlier?"

"I told them—"

At that point, Li Huowang suddenly stopped. He understood why Ji Zai had vanished.

And the “natural disaster” mentioned by the Celestial Observing Bureau—If he wasn’t mistaken, the previous natural disaster must have been caused by the confusion of Ji Zai.

He had said that Ji Zai was merely a figment of his imagination, and thus Ji Zai disappeared.

(End of Chapter)