Chapter 887: Smoke Clears

Xu Fu, who had been watching the scene with a relaxed attitude, finally changed his expression. The reason he hadn't rushed to act earlier was that he had sensed Ying Zheng's power was severely diminished, posing no threat to him.

Recalling the once mighty Qin Shi Huang, who had filled him with fear, Xu Fu longed to see terror and apprehension on the emperor's face now that their positions were reversed. It would be even better if Ying Zheng knelt and begged for mercy.

The memory of having to offer his beloved woman to the emperor years ago had always been a thorn in his side.

Although his conspiracy had succeeded, that particular incident made him feel like a loser in Ying Zheng's presence. Now was the time to completely reverse their roles.

He even glanced at Mi Li, thinking, "You slept with my beloved woman back then; should I get my revenge now?"

Even though Mi Li was currently a spirit body, a spiritual connection wasn't impossible.

Unexpectedly, the situation took a sudden turn when Ying Zheng summoned reinforcements!

Though he didn't believe anyone Ying Zheng summoned could defeat him, Xu Fu no longer dared to be overconfident. He immediately unleashed a barrage of tentacles, transforming into a swirling mist of blood, and lunged towards his opponent.

Even from a distance, Bi Linglong could smell the potent stench of blood, finding it so repulsive it made her nauseous. It wasn't merely the smell of fresh blood, but a concoction infused with the resentment of countless beings. If affected by it, one could be transformed into one of the myriad vengeful spirits.

With a wave of Zu An's sleeve, the scene abruptly shifted. They were no longer in the previous room, but on a massive platform.

Bi Linglong, with her sharp eyes, immediately recognized it as the plaza in front of the main hall, which they had passed earlier upon their arrival.

Xu Fu's previous attack, of course, missed its target. As he surveyed his surroundings, his brow furrowed deeper. Did his opponent possess the ability to alter space?

No, he realized. It must be that Ying Zheng had set up some mechanisms within the palace in advance to achieve this.

Soon, a warning sign flared in his mind. He suddenly looked up and saw that the previously empty space around Zu An and the others was now filled with numerous black-armored soldiers. Each stood with a solemn expression, their neat formation exuding an overwhelming aura of lethal intent.

What struck him even more was that the two leading generals were holding a powerful bow and a giant scythe, respectively. He immediately recognized them as Wang Jian and Bai Qi.

"Terracotta Warriors!" Xu Fu muttered through gritted teeth. In that instant, he finally understood why Qin Shi Huang had expended such immense effort to build the Terracotta Army. Many had secretly scoffed at the idea of these soldiers protecting him in the afterlife, never imagining it would actually come to pass.

"Long live our Emperor, long live!" The Terracotta Warriors, holding their halberds, knelt uniformly before Zu An in salute.

Though Terracotta Warriors could not speak, the plaza now reverberated with a sound like a mountain roaring and a tsunami crashing.

Mi Li, standing nearby, seemed lost in thought. At that moment, she felt as if she had dreamed herself back to the Great Qin Dynasty, when during the Empress's wedding, countless civil and military officials and soldiers had similarly paid their respects to the pair.

As Crown Princess, Bi Linglong had experienced similar spectacles, but none had possessed the sheer number or intimidating aura of the present scene.

She gazed blankly at Zu An's profile, thinking, *This guy is quite handsome when he's serious.*

At this, Xu Fu burst into laughter. "I thought you had some ultimate trump card! You're going to rely on these clay figures to fight me?"

Bi Linglong also looked worried. Previously, these Terracotta Warriors had only severely wounded Zhao Ruizhi. Now, Xu Fu had absorbed a fragment of Zhao Ruizhi's soul, clearly making him even stronger. These Terracotta Warriors might...

Zu An, expressionless, pointed his sword forward. "Kill him!"

The light from the Tai'a Sword, like scattered starlight, completely enveloped the countless soldiers around them.

The kneeling Terracotta Warriors rose in unison, then uniformly turned towards Xu Fu.

Heavy footsteps echoed, and simultaneously, the Terracotta Warriors, as they advanced, continuously struck their swords against their shields. It sounded like the war drums of Death, or the call of a soul-reaper, and an aura of lethal intent instantly filled the air.

Xu Fu's expression immediately changed. He sensed that these Terracotta Warriors seemed different from before.

He dared not delay, immediately unleashing a storm of tentacles and charging forward. He intended to break through their defenses and directly eliminate Ying Zheng.

The Terracotta Warriors in the front row were instantly pulverized by the lashing tentacles, but the ranks behind them immediately filled the gaps, pressing forward like an unstoppable iron tide.

Initially, Xu Fu was unstoppable; wherever his tentacles reached, everything was destroyed.

These tentacles, formed from a special blood pool, could absorb the vital energy and even souls of living beings, inherently making them invincible. However, these Terracotta Warriors were not living entities and had no life essence for him to absorb and replenish himself.

Conversely, precisely because of this, they lacked the fear of human soldiers. Even as Xu Fu wreaked havoc, they remained expressionless, mechanically carrying out their generals' orders,

always maintaining an impenetrable formation.

Xu Fu glanced at Bai Qi and Wang Jian, who were directing the troops. As someone from their era, he naturally knew how incredibly skilled these two were at commanding armies.

If it had been any other generals, even with so many Terracotta Warriors, he would have long since broken through a gap and escaped. Unfortunately, under the command of these two renowned generals, the Terracotta Army was inexhaustible and unbreakable, always maintaining a perfect formation to attack him in unison.

Fear gradually crept into his heart, and he could no longer hold his ground, continuously retreating. But a retreat meant a rout, and he was immediately overwhelmed by the Terracotta Army.

Xu Fu roared, erupting with a terrifying aura, and his entire body transformed back into the form of a giant octopus. Clearly, he was fighting for his life.

A single sweep of his massive tentacles sent a large number of Terracotta Warriors toppling, while many other tentacles lashed out towards Zu An's location.

Bi Linglong's face turned pale. She couldn't help but recall how the arrogant Zhao Ruizhi had also been devoured by Xu Fu in this very form.

Mi Li, standing nearby, comforted her: "Don't worry. No matter how high one's individual cultivation, facing an army only leads to defeat."

No sooner had she spoken than Wang Jian drew his bow and notched an arrow. Streaks of light shot out, severing each of the opponent's extending tentacles.

At the same time, his archer and crossbow units unleashed a synchronized volley, a dense rain of arrows pouring down directly onto the giant octopus.

When Xu Fu had appeared in human form, he was too small and fast for arrows to be effective. But now, transformed into such a large octopus, he was practically a living target.

The giant octopus roared continuously, but unfortunately, these were no ordinary arrows; they all possessed magic-breaking capabilities.

In no time, he could no longer bear it and transformed back into his human form.

"He's been deflated," Bi Linglong chuckled, seeing Xu Fu's disheveled appearance. The anxiety that had gripped her finally eased a little.

"Ying Zheng, if you have the guts, duel me fair and square!" Xu Fu roared, both shocked and enraged.

Zu An remained expressionless. "With the Emperor's Sword in My hand, why would I engage in a petty duel with you?"

Xu Fu's breath caught. As the Son of Heaven, it would be foolish for Ying Zheng to fight him one-on-one.

He couldn't help but lament that the tables had turned. He had once devised a plan to use superior numbers against Ying Zheng, only to find it returned to him twofold today.

Naturally, he wasn't content to simply await his fate. His entire body transformed into a puddle of blood, flowing in all directions. No matter how dense the Terracotta Warriors' formation, it couldn't stop something as pervasive as water.

Just then, Bai Qi, who had been commanding the troops, moved. His entire body transformed into a swirling black mist and plunged directly into the puddle of blood.

Soon, the blood and black mist intertwined, making it impossible for anyone else to intervene.

Bi Linglong looked worried. "Master, you mentioned before that this Bai... Bai Qi's cultivation is far from what it was in his lifetime. He might not be a match for that villain in a one-on-one fight."

Hearing her address her as "Master," just as Zu An did, Mi Li's expression was peculiar, but she still replied, "Xu Fu has already expended a lot of energy fighting the army for so long. And as for Bai Qi, for some reason, he seems to have recovered his peak strength. It's strange."

Not long after she spoke, a black figure suddenly leaped out. Its dark scythe swept into the blood, hooking out a frantic soul desperately clutching its neck. Who else could it be but Xu Fu?

With a flash of the scythe, the soul's head fell, and then the entire being vanished into thin air.

Bai Qi approached Zu An and saluted. "Your Majesty, I have not failed my mission!"

Zu An nodded. "You have fulfilled your millennia-long mission. Rest in peace."

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" Led by Bai Qi, all the Terracotta Warriors knelt before Zu An in salute. Then, a gentle breeze swept through, and they all crumbled into yellow dust, scattering with the wind. The entire plaza became exceptionally desolate and quiet.

The surrounding environment distorted, and everyone found themselves back in the original altar room.

Zu An turned to look at the two women beside him. Bi Linglong tremblingly asked, "Ah Zu, is that you?"

Zu An did not answer, instead quietly looking at Mi Li.

Mi Li sneered. "What, are you going to kill me next? Continue activating this Grand Array of Yin-Yang and Five Elements to seek eternal life?"