Chapter 653: Not Seen

Gao Zhijian isn't the only significant presence in Shangjing City; the Sitianjian is also located here.

It seemed many people died this time, throwing Shangjing City into chaos, but even more cult followers perished.

After this incident, all the hidden festering sores were exposed. While frightening, it seemed unlikely the cults of Daliang would pose a significant threat anymore.

No matter how much Li Huowang thought about it, he couldn't discern the adversary's true objective.

"And... wasn't it supposed to be a natural disaster? Where is it? Which heavenly path has shifted? Why do I feel nothing at all?"

As Li Huowang was pondering this, the nearby city wall began to subtly vibrate.

The moment he looked up at the wall, a blue brick dislodged and fell amidst the tremors, followed quickly by two more, then three.

The next moment, the entire city wall instantly fractured, and a colossal stone statue, towering dozens of feet high and possessing a tiger's head, squeezed through from the outside.

As it breached the city gate, the statue slammed forcefully onto the ground, unleashing a cloud of yellow smoke that rapidly diffused outwards.

Anything the yellow smoke touched instantly petrified, transforming into a stone sculpture.

This included both living beings and the black smoke flickering above flames.

Just as the yellow smoke threatened to engulf the entire Shangjing City, a peculiar sound resonated from the distant imperial city.

As the sound echoed, the yellow smoke in that direction inexplicably caved inward, merely piling up in place and unable to advance further.

Just as Li Huowang assumed the Sitianjian's methods had restrained the adversary, rows of stone figures, moving with synchronized steps, emerged from the yellow smoke.

They bore identical stone spears and halberds, clad in uniform stone helmets and armor.

Their earthen coloration, combined with their perfectly synchronized movements, inexplicably reminded Li Huowang of something.

"What is this? Terracotta Warriors?"

As one of the chariot terracotta warriors extended its right arm, the stone figures began to advance relentlessly, charging wildly forward.

You Zixiong, standing within the crowd, was the first to charge. With a swift backflip, he powerfully swung the four longswords from his back.

The four heavy longswords soared through the air, embedding themselves into the terracotta warriors.

As the chains snapped taut and were forcefully swung, numerous terracotta warriors were instantly cleaved in half.

Yet, no matter how many You Zixiong cut down, seemingly endless terracotta warriors continuously poured out from the yellow mist.

That stone statue is the key! Unless that thing is destroyed, these stone soldiers will be unstoppable!

Li Huowang took a deep breath and rose, shaking his throbbing head. Peng Longteng materialized beside him, grabbed him, and hurled him directly towards the stone statue.

As Li Huowang drew nearer to the stone statue, he drew his Spine Sword and delivered a forceful slash towards it.

A rift flew forth. Just as Li Huowang believed this rift would sever the statue's head, an unexpected development occurred.

Various streams of dark, metallic-colored, deformed liquid sprayed out, spreading like water.

"What's going on?! What happened to Daqi?!"

Li Huowang had never witnessed such a phenomenon before. It seemed that during this time, inexplicable changes had occurred in Daqi.

However, Li Huowang soon had no time to dwell on matters concerning Daqi.

He watched as the dark, multi-colored liquids dripped and splattered onto the stone statue, blooming like flowers and lotuses everywhere they touched.

However, the decaying colors of these grotesque flowers and lotuses constantly shifted, causing dizziness and nausea with just a glance.

Most of the colossal stone statue's body became enveloped in these substances, making it even more terrifying than before.

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

Li Huowang, unwilling to simply retreat, drew his malevolent-energy-infused Purple Tassel Sword with one hand and powerfully slashed at the statue's house-sized head.

The soaring malevolent energy sliced into the statue's body like a scimitar.

The strangely colored flowers and lotuses were cleaved apart, and liquids of the same hue spread downwards along the statue's internal lines.

As the fluid spread along its internal lines to encompass the entire statue, it suddenly began to move, accompanied by earth-shaking tremors.

It was at this moment that Zheng Boqiao, the Sitianjian of Siqi, descended from the red clouds in the sky.

Mid-air, he formed a hand seal and gently exhaled towards the moving stone statue. A puff of white smoke shot from his mouth, enveloping the statue's head.

Upon seeing the Imperial Advisor charge towards them on a long sword, Li Huowang recognized a prime opportunity and rushed forward once more.

"Supreme Jade Pure King, governing the thirty-six and nine heavens, transforming universally! Manifesting in the ten directions, unbound hair, riding a Qilin, barefoot on layers of ice! Wielding the nine heavens, whipping wind and thunder!"

Over a dozen bolts of purple lightning struck the stone statue directly as the Imperial Advisor chanted.

Even after this, the stone statue surprisingly continued to move, appearing largely unharmed.

Capitalizing on their ongoing struggle, Li Huowang tried to get as close as possible to the stone statue's body.

However, as if the statue sensed his approach, each time Li Huowang was about to reach it, it would subtly shift, always keeping him just out of reach.

"Closer! Just a little closer!" Li Huowang strained, rising onto his tiptoes, his hand reaching for a balloon caught in a tree.

Feeling his hand about to brush the string, Li Huowang jumped with all his might, like performing a dunk, and snatched the colorful balloon down.

However, just as he clutched the balloon in his arms, it burst with a soft 'pop'.

Li Huowang scratched his head, glancing awkwardly at the two siblings in school uniforms nearby. "My apologies, I think I used a bit too much force," he mumbled. "How much was that balloon? I'll pay for it."

Watching them walk away silently, expressions of injustice on their faces, Li Huowang shook his head. He picked up his handheld console, sat on the edge of a flower bed, and just as he was about to resume his game, he realized it had ended.

Inside Shangjing City, everyone stared at the shattered head of the stone statue before them, unsure what to say.

Li Huowang looked at the object before him, pondered for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Jizai?"

"Hmm?" A familiar voice echoed in Li Huowang's ear.

Hearing this, a surge of anger flared within Li Huowang.

"You have the nerve to show yourself! I'm asking you! Where were you just now?!"

"I was gone."

"What do you mean, 'gone'?! The cultists invaded the capital, and you were gone! Do you know how many people died because of you? The entire Lu family troupe is dead!!" Li Huowang roared, his voice laced with fury.

"No, I didn't harm them. This karma lies with you."

"Nonsense!!"

"Think carefully. What did you tell the Sitianjian earlier?"

"I told him—"

At this, Li Huowang suddenly froze. He understood the reason for Jizai's disappearance.

And the natural disaster the Sitianjian just mentioned. If he wasn't mistaken, the previous natural disaster had occurred because Bewilderment had vanished.

He had told the Sitianjian that Jizai was a delusion he had imagined, and thus, Jizai had vanished.