Just then, the two suddenly felt a wave of tremors at the same time, and both their smiles faded, replaced by tension and on guard. Xie Lian wondered with a bit of nervousness, "What's going on? Is it this divine statue that's shaking? It's not going to collapse, is it?"
The sealed top of the Kiln were million tonned rocks filled with evil after all, and if this giant stone statue was going to fall apart because it broke through the entrance, then he was going to feel awful.
"Don't worry, it's fine. It's the mountain that's shaking." Hua Cheng said.
Sure enough, below them, a heavy layer of snow collapsed like a torrent, and some areas already had the body of the mountain exposed. It seemed, something was about to break through of the Kiln.
Hua Cheng shielded in front of Xie Lian, and Xie Lian remarked, "It's White No-Face."
Of course he didn't believe that a punch by this giant divine statue could knock White No-Face dead earlier, and at most it would make that creature falter for a moment, so Xie Lian was on high alert. However, not a moment later, both of them could sense scorching hot air come blowing in their faces.
That scalding air erupted from the mouth of the volcano with a bottom that couldn't be seen, and there was the smell of sulfur. Xie Lian instinctively sensed that danger was approaching, and Hua Cheng also said darkly, "Gege, leave!"
Xie Lian formed a hand seal, then soon after, with Hua Cheng in tow, they leapt onto that giant divine statue's wrist and ran up its arm, stopping and standing their ground at its shoulder. That divine statue obeyed his command and took off with a wide giant step, going along with the rolling current of snow. One slide was several miles, and its snow waves crashed around its body. Because both its arms were open, even though it was a body of a million tonnes, it still maintained good balance. However, they only slid to halfway down the mountain before the entire mountain was quaking even harder, and that divine statue also looked like it was staggering from the tremors. Xie Lian and Hua Cheng gazed up, and heard a giant rumbling sound. At the peak of the Kiln, a pitch black pillar of black smoke blew out!
This giant sound shook the heavens and the earth, plus that apocalyptic smoke pillar, Xie Lian was entirely dumbstruck. It only took an instant before the entire sky was enveloped by a thick black cloud of smoke. Within those sun-concealing black clouds, countless human faces, arms,
legs, and other limbs were tumbling and entangling, exceedingly horrifying. Xie Lian had only ever witnessed a scene like this hundreds of years ago, and now, he was seeing it again!
"That's?" Xie Lian gaped.
Hua Cheng replied solemnly, "The souls of the dead from the Kingdom of WuYong."
It seemed, every person of WuYong who were buried alive by volcanic eruption were all there. Suddenly, Hua Cheng alerted, "Gege, down below, about ten meters away!"
The words only just left his lips before Xie Lian had already directed that giant stone statue's right hand to smashed down.
About ten meters below in the snow, in that field of white, there stood the figure of a white clothed man, and it was White No-Face. He seemed to have melded into one with the snow, but he still couldn't deceive their eyes. Heavy, thick layers of snow blew like a giant white tsunami from that smash, but the strike did not hit its target.
Since he had already fallen for this move in the darkness once, White No-Face was naturally prepared. The white figure flashed away, and in the next second, its form appeared at the knee of that giant divine statue. That giant stone statue didn't hesitate before it smashed at its own kneecap. However, the slap was still midway before Xie Lian snapped to, and gritted his teeth to exert force, forcibly pulling it back, thinking, 'Whew, that was close!'
The sealed top of that Kiln was forcibly broken through by this giant stone statue, so if Xie Lian allowed it to smash against its own kneecap, if he didn't control the strength well then it just might lose a limb. Perhaps, that was the reason why White No-Face intentionally hopped on. Xie Lian instantly braked on this side, while on the other, Hua Cheng languidly pulled out the long and slender silver scimitar as he ordered White no-Face, "Get the hell down."
White No-Face looked up towards them. Hua Cheng said coldly, "This divine statue isn't for you to taint."
Suddenly, Xie Lian exclaimed, "SAN LANG!!!"
He pointed to above the summit of the Kiln. There was something behind that pillar of black smoke that was also blown out. Something crimson and gold, flowing and burning.
Lava!
That crimson gold lava rolled and mixed with the black smoke, enveloping the skies and the earth, and flowed downwards from the mouth of the Kiln. Using this chance, White No-Face leapt abruptly and disappeared in the snow. Xie Lian didn't have mind to catch him either, and shouted, "RUN!"
That giant divine statue heard his order, and took off in large steps, DONG! DONG! DONG! Thumping as it roaringly jumped down the Kiln, landing flat on its feet at the foot of the mountain. The ground moved, the mountain shook.
However, it might be fast but the speed of that lava and black smoke weren't slow either, and it was practically following right at its tail. After landing. Xie Lian didn't dare to stick around either, and directed that divine statue to stand up and continue to run while carrying them. As they ran, Xie Lian felt its speed seemed to be slowing down. While feeling dread and puzzled, just as he was wondering if he was just imagining it, Xie Lian suddenly felt his body pause, then along with the divine statue, he started plunging downwards. That divine statue actually stopped obeying his command and stopped, bending one knee on the ground.
After kneeling down, its body was also slowly falling forward, like it was physically exhausted and was about to faint. Xie Lian's heart instantly jumped to his throat.
Oh no! It was going to collapse!
And that fiery torrent of black smoke was going to catch up!
Just then, Xie Lian suddenly felt something tighten around his waist. With a simple yank, Hua Cheng pulled him over easily, a hand hugging his waist, raising another hand to lift his chin before he pressed his chilled lips against his.
"..."
Xie Lian's eyes bulged as a rush of cool and refreshing air instantly filled his lungs, flowing through all of his limbs, like his entire person had liven up again. This kiss was very short, and soon after, Hua Cheng parted his lips, "Gege, try standing up again!"
Xie Lian instantly snapped out of it and reformed the hand seals, and right before that stone statue was about to fall face flat onto the ground, its arms forcefully reached out and supported itself off the ground.
Then soon after, it rose to its feet again!
Turns out, it wasn't that this giant stone statue appeared to be physically exhausted, it was that it really was physically exhausted. In order to control such a gigantic divine statue, the spiritual power required was insane, and that bit of spiritual power Hua Cheng lent him before had already been burnt out, so naturally it'd slow down and sway like it was going to collapse. Now that new spiritual powers were injected, it became 'alive' again. And this time, it ran faster than before, its movements also more agile. However, Hua Cheng said, "Gege, run faster!"
Xie Lian also wanted to run faster, but at the same time he was afraid this controlling spell exhausted too much spiritual power, and he said uncertainly, "Will it be able to hang on if we go faster? What if spiritual powers run out??"
However, Hua Cheng said next to his ear assuredly, "It won't, you just focus on running! Don't ever be afraid, I'm right here beside you!"
Hua Cheng only stood there behind his person, his hands supporting his waist steadily, but with just this person, it felt as if the entire world was behind him. Xie Lian inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, "Alright."
Then, he extended his arms forwards and unleashed all of his spiritual powers, offering up the strongest of hand seals and shouted, "–RUN!"
RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
That giant divine statue ran wildly, each step taking several miles, crossing over gullies in one step, flying over hills with another step, and sure enough, it left that black cloud and lava far behind in the distance. It really was a gigantic object that couldn't be ignored; with every step rocks fell and boulders tumbled, exciting waves of strong tremors.
Countless monsters and demons scattered throughout Mount TongLu all felt the ground shaking like crazy and were all terrified. When they looked up, many could see the black cloud swirling and spreading in the sky, and while a little amazed, they didn't really care for it. They were in Mount TongLu after all, so whatever bizarre sights that'd appear weren't anything rare. Weren't those resentful spirits inside the black clouds anyway? They themselves were creatures similar to resentful spirits, they'd seen it everyday, so what was there to be afraid of? Yet, when they saw that giant divine statue of a martial god stomping past, they were all petrified–
WHAT WAS THAT THING??
Instantly there were howling and wailing from all around, "WHAT A GIGANTIC MAN, AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!"
They had never seen such a huge statue before. It really was too terrifying!!!
Xie Lian had wanted to detour around the royal capital of WuYong at first, in case his divine statue trample those old houses with two thousand years of history into ruinous wreckage, but then he remembered something and asked, "San Lang, are General Pei, Lord Rain Master, and the others near here?"
"Yes." Hua Cheng replied.
Xie Lian quickly called out, "Come back, come back, something's been left behind, let's pick them up and carry them away!"
Thus, that giant stone statue that had run past the target retreated a few steps. Just as it was about to turn back, Xie Lian suddenly felt his body shake. He lost his footing, and his entire person was thrown into the air.
Only in mid air did he realize what had just happened.
The divine statue had tripped and fell!
Xie Lian and Hua Cheng landed steadily on the chest of the divine statue, and Xie Lian looked over as he tried to direct it to stand back up. What made this giant divine statue trip wasn't him but something else.
A majestic mountain.
Of course, this big mountain was far from the size of the Kiln itself, but compared to this giant stone statue, it was still much bigger. Xie Lian recalled clearly when they first came, they had never crossed through such a mountain. Thus, his sight went past this mountain, and gazed towards what was behind it.
Sure enough, behind it stood two other big mountains of similar size. Three large mountains blocked before this giant stone divine statue.
Hua Cheng spoke up, "Gege, be careful. They are the 'guards' of Mount TongLu – "Old Age", "Sickness" and "Death"."