Chapter 99 - 119-128

Chapter 119 ~ Core Splitting Realm

His attention turned to his gun. With six bullets now available to finally break through to the Core Splitting realm, he decided to absorb five while saving one bullet just in case.

As he descended through the air, Liu Xing adjusted his trajectory to glide toward the pillar where Prince Yang Jinyan and the rest of the Yang clan stood watching. Even from this distance, he could see their slack-jawed expressions, as if they were witnessing something beyond their wildest imagination. A smile cracked across his face as he wondered what they thought of him now, but he quickly cleared his mind to focus on the qi coursing through his body.

He closed his eyes mid-fall and entered a meditative state. Within his consciousness, he opened his eyes to behold the sight of a ball of lightning bound by silver chains, pulsing and growing like a newborn sun struggling to break free of its shackles.

Liu Xing examined the hole he'd created using Flowing Meditation and carefully widened it. Qi poured into his consciousness like a tsunami breaking through a dam, and he directed this torrent straight into his cultivation.

The ball of lightning absorbed the energy eagerly, like a starving dog presented with a feast, its form rippling with each surge of power as if on the verge of evolution.

Liu Xing sat down, settling himself on the white floor of his consciousness. Inside, his heart wanted to dance with joy like a celebrating monkey, but he forced himself to remain focused—this was too crucial a moment for distraction.

"All right, absorb all this qi," Liu Xing commanded softly.

The ball of lightning vibrated like an excited puppy sensing freedom, but the silver chains binding it—some now submerged within the lightning itself—resisted like anchor lines refusing to let their charge drift away.

Liu Xing had read about breaking through to the Core Splitting realm numerous times. The process itself was straightforward: channel enough qi into your cultivation, and it would break free from its shackles automatically.

However, many texts delved into the intricacies of this breakthrough. They discussed how long cultivators needed to consolidate their power beforehand, how to calculate the necessary qi, and other crucial details. Approximately sixty percent of the cultivators of the Lock Opening realm successfully advanced to the Core Splitting realm in their lifetime, a remarkably high percentage in the cultivation world, although the risk of failure remained.

His chances of advancing to the next realm looked promising. Liu Xing practiced the Lightning Scripture, which guaranteed that its disciples would advance to the Black Sun realm. Still, complications could always arise, so he steeled his heart and prepared himself.

Liu Xing felt his physical body hit something solid, accompanied by a loud thud and several startled cries. He had likely landed near the Yang clan members, who were probably concerned by his sudden descent. But they would understand he was undergoing a breakthrough, and they would protect him as he crossed into the next realm.

He focused on the lightning ball floating within his consciousness. It pulsed and vibrated, steadily expanding as qi from his body rushed toward it. Liu Xing commanded his cultivation to stabilize. He wanted the lightning ball to fully consume the chain, but not frantically.

Under his control, the lightning ball steadied and began to rotate on its axis to the right. This reminded him of an interesting detail he'd once read: when a cultivator's cultivation imagery resembled a ball, it would rotate on its axis either right or left, corresponding to whether they were right-handed or left-handed.

The ball of lightning spun faster, growing larger with each rotation. The silver chain began to sink into it until, several moments later, the lightning ball had grown to the size of a barrel and no trace of the chain remained visible.

The lightning ball vibrated with what seemed like joy, but the process wasn't finished. Qi continued to pour into his consciousness, orbiting the lightning ball before being absorbed. It created a spiraling ring around his cultivation, and though a silhouette of the chain still lurked within the lightning ball, Liu Xing commanded his cultivation to intensify—to digest that silver chain and convert it to qi.

The process continued steadily. Little by little, the chain's silhouette grew fainter until it vanished completely.

Seeing this, Liu Xing grinned. It was time to break through to the Core Splitting realm!

At that thought, his ball of lightning blazed brilliant white, forcing him to shield his eyes even within his consciousness. The radiant sphere rose higher, swelling from the size of a barrel to that of a house. Lightning struck across his pure white consciousness, but Liu Xing seized control, commanding it to calm and stabilize.

The ball of lightning began to shrink. Its light dimmed, but this wasn't failure—it was precisely what should happen. The ball needed to compress until it transformed into a core.

After several moments of compression, the lightning ball reduced to the size of a basketball, floating just above his right palm. It continued to shrink until it was no larger than a tennis ball. The white ball no longer seemed to be made of lightning, but of pure white energy. It is still made of lightning, but if not for its faint glow, it would be almost indistinguishable from the surrounding space.

Liu Xing's grin widened. The process was complete. The white space around him began to ripple, and suddenly he was thrust back into the physical world.

Liu Xing found himself lying on the ground, the blue sky filling his vision. He began to sit up in a meditative posture, ignoring the Yang Clan members gathered around him, and closed his eyes again.

Within his body, qi surged like a raging ocean. The energy felt heavy as it cycled through him, spreading to strengthen his entire form. Its power threatened to overwhelm him, like trying to contain a raging bull. Yet Liu Xing endured. With each passing second, he felt his body being reforged. His muscles melted away like sand castles before regenerating stronger and more durable. His heart beat faster as qi encased it, reforging it into something greater. His bones, skin, tendons, organs—everything in his body transformed, like rusted parts being cleaned and replaced by a master mechanic.

When the qi reached his brain, the world seemed to stop. When it resumed, his senses had sharpened dramatically. From his position, he could see to the edge of the City of Suns, where an abomination with a bat's head ambled about. His ears caught its footsteps, his nose detected the strong stench of blood permeating the air, and his skin registered even the slightest breeze.

His body was now stronger, his senses sharper. But becoming a Core Splitting realm cultivator wasn't just about physical evolution—it was about the transformation of qi itself.

Dense qi cycled through his body. Before, his qi had felt like water—pure, flowing, and light within his body. Now, while it still flowed with the same lightness, it had the density of molten steel.

Liu Xing commanded his qi to cycle faster around his body, and it responded so readily it almost made him stumble. Its obedience reminded him of potent qi.

He couldn't help but grin. Comparing himself now to who he had been this morning was like comparing a pebble to a mountain. The amount of qi cycling through his body was so vast, he felt he would never run out.

When he released qi from his body, it flowed out effortlessly, spreading around him while remaining under his complete control. This was one of the key aspects of the Core Splitting realm—not just the sheer quantity and the increase in the quality of qi, but the ability to control it even outside his body. This would allow him to learn new techniques that could be activated or controlled remotely.

Liu Xing cycled his qi faster and faster, marveling at his newfound power. He wondered about his current strength. Could he now defeat those abominations with snake limbs that had terrified him before? He wanted to say yes, but despite his vast qi reserves, they were still minuscule compared to those creatures.

"Congratulations," Prince Yang Jinyan said. "I can say that in the entire history of the Twelve Sun Empire, no one has ever advanced from Lock Opening realm's sixth stage to Core Splitting realm first core in less than a day."

Liu Xing smiled. Although he was happy about this breakthrough, he knew that it wasn't due to his talent, but rather Nui's gift. This made him even more grateful to his friend.

"Thanks for guarding me while I was breaking through."

Looking around, he saw the Yang clan members encircling him, their faces showing wide eyes and open mouths. Their expressions made him truly realize how extraordinary his achievement was. There were probably disciples in the Purple Moon Sect who had broken through from Lock Opening realm's sixth stage to Core Splitting realm's first core in a matter of hours, but they were the elite—and now, so was he.

Chapter 120 ~ Royal Barrier (1)

Liu Xing took several steps and stood at the edge of the tower, positioning himself where he could safely survey his surroundings. From his vantage point, he could see the remains of the City of Suns spread before him. Mutilated and charred corpses littered the city, with blood staining nearly every corner.

"We've likely missed some abominations," the prince said, "but I believe we've successfully culled their numbers. We've won."

Liu Xing smiled at those words, noting how the Yang clan members around him straightened with pride, chests puffing out. This was indeed a victory. While the underlying threat remained, the massive number of abominations they'd eliminated would certainly create problems for Yang Lihuo and Wei Yi. This might buy them the time they needed to await reinforcements from the Purple Moon Sect.

"Has there been any word from Elder Yang Zhaoyan while I was breaking through?" Liu Xing asked.

"We've had no contact, but that's not concerning. He said he would reach out if there were any problems." The prince pulled a small blue orb from within his inner robe as he spoke. Though smaller than the communication orb Wang Lin had brought to the Yang clan, its purpose was unmistakable.

"What's our next move?" A woman stepped toward the prince. Liu Xing recognized her as one of the prince's retainers. "Should we withdraw?"

The prince pinched his chin, assessing his clan members. While some bore wounds—like the man with a goatee sporting a long gash on his arm—most remained in fighting condition.

Liu Xing is actually neutral about what they would do next. He has accomplished his goal of eliminating at least five hundred abominations, and since he successfully broke through to the Core Splitting realm, he is in top condition. Still, it's up to the prince, because continuing the culling is a risk not only for him, but also for the rest of the clan members.

Turning toward the castle, the prince spoke carefully. "I want to press forward and confront Lihuo. But that would be unwise. Even though we have eliminated most of the abominations, the truly powerful ones—those at the Sun Refining realm—have yet to show themselves."

They'd faced the Wu clan, the Hei clan, the army, and their generals—all at the Core Splitting realm. But where were the stronger ones? They were probably waiting in the castle.

"We'll retreat," the prince declared. "We'll fall back, tend our wounds, and prepare for the next culling."

"Yes!" The clan members replied in unison, with Liu Xing nodding in agreement.

This would not be their last culling. Although this raid had exceeded their original plans, it was only the first phase. They had been lucky enough to avoid a confrontation with the Sun Refining abominations, but the next time would be different. When that time came, Liu Xing would need the support of Elder Yang Zhaoyan.

After confirming all clan members had survived, the prince led them down the main tower, using the smaller towers as stairs. Once on the ground, they began their retreat, with the prince in the lead, Liu Xing on his right, and the woman on his left.

They'd barely covered a hundred meter when they felt qi presence so strong and ominous it felt like an old monster had fixed its gaze upon them. Liu Xing's eyes widened and his heart began hammering in his chest like a prisoner desperately trying to break free of its cage. What is this?

The prince halted abruptly, Liu Xing and the others following suit. Standing amidst the half-collapsed buildings, they all turned westward, toward the source of the qi pressure.

Black shadows writhed across both ground and sky, accompanied by a sound like thousands of buzzing bees.

Liu Xing channeled qi to enhance his vision, bringing the shadows several kilometers away into focus. His blood ran cold as he realized that they were thousands of abominations he knew all too well.

The snake-limbed abominations displayed an unsettling array of expressions. Some smiled contentedly, others wore psychotic grins, and others cackled madly. Yet more showed sadness, anger, and every emotion imaginable. Their snake limbs came in every color—yellow, brown, black, blue, green, and even rainbow-hued snakes. Each wore different accessories around their necks, from chains to cloth to rope, even what appeared to be floating mercury.

Above them, the winged pink worms buzzed like worker bees, their human faces each clutching a basketball-sized meatball in their mouths.

Seeing this is like seeing his nightmare come true. Wang Lin said that there were dozens of those abominations that attacked the Wang clan, and he imagined that there were at least hundreds of them. But to think that they are already divided into thousands of abominations. Their numbers are too great!

Liu Xing forced himself to calm down and assess the situation with a clear head. Although this third army surpassed the second in strength, it was not invincible. Not all of them had the presence of the abomination that had unleashed the Tiger Punch that had nearly killed him. Even though they were formidable, with Elder Yang Zhaoyan's help to defeat one, he could use its core to eliminate the rest.

"Move out," Prince Yang Jinyan commanded, "but suppress your cultivation and proceed with caution. They don't appear to be heading our way."

Upon closer observation, Liu Xing noticed the third army was indeed moving toward the castle, their pace steady but unhurried.

Liu Xing suppressed his cultivation—an old trick he'd learned to hide from bullies, one he'd rarely used since acquiring the gun that could thin his presence and render him invisible.

Their group moved cautiously, using rubble as cover while advancing as quickly as they dared. After about ten minutes, they reached the city's edge, where houses and stores still stood intact, with charred abomination corpses scattered across the streets and flower hills nearby.

In roughly three minutes, they would be clear of the City of Suns and able to make a dash for the Yang clan compound.

But as they crept along the city's periphery, a massive qi pressure descended upon them. The air seemed to solidify, weighing down on their shoulders like tons of steel. Liu Xing's head snapped around to see the golden castle suddenly surrounded by orange light. This radiance condensed into a single point atop the castle before erupting skyward in a brilliant tower.

The orange tower appeared to strike an invisible barrier high above, causing the sky over the City of Suns to pulse with orange light. The illumination spread outward, curving around the city's edges to form an enormous dome, effectively imprisoning everything within.

Beside him, the prince's jaw dropped, his eyes wide with horror. Liu Xing immediately recognized what they were witnessing.

"I-it's the Royal Barrier!" the prince exclaimed, his voice trembling.

Liu Xing's heart hammered against his ribs like a desperate man pounding on a doctor's door in the dead of night. His stomach churned as anxiety coursed through him. This was catastrophically bad. Their calculations had been wrong—the ritual wasn't scheduled for days, it was happening now!

Taking a deep breath, Liu Xing forced himself to think clearly. Their situation was dire. The sacrifice ritual beginning today meant everyone inside the barrier would become potential sacrifices. Yet, he realized, being outside would be even worse—they'd be powerless to stop what was coming. Being trapped inside with the prince and the Yang clan members at least meant they could act.

Liu Xing glanced at the third army and clenched his fists.

"Prince, contact Elder Yang Zhaoyan. We need to know his location immediately," Liu Xing said.

The prince snapped out of his shock and activated his communication orb. The orb glowed briefly, and a click indicated connection—but instead of Elder Yang Zhaoyan's steady voice, they heard laughter. Liu Xing had never heard the elder laugh, but he knew it wouldn't sound like this.

"Did you make a mistake, Prince? Did you activate the wrong communication orb?"

Prince Yang Jinyan's face had gone pale, and at Liu Xing's question, he snapped, "Of course not! Do you think I'm clumsy? This orb is connected directly to Elder Yang Zhao Yan!"

"Then why isn't it him answering?" Liu Xing's voice rose with his mounting tension. He addressed the orb directly: "Who are you?"

"Surely you know me. My name is Yang Lihuo, the rightful heir of the Twelve Sun Empire!"

Liu Xing turned to Prince Yang Jinyan, who gripped the communication orb so tightly his arm veins bulged.

"Lihuo, you bastard!" Raw fury filled the prince's voice. "How dare you make such ridiculous claims? The rightful heir of the Twelve Sun Empire? Nonsense! Can you see from your castle? Our capital lies in ruins! What kind of rightful heir willingly destroys his home? You're nothing but a foolish bastard who needs to be put down!"

"Don't insult me, you useless older brother. My plans are beyond your comprehension. Yes, the capital is ruined, but the Twelve Sun Empire won't merely rise from its ashes to rival the Purple Moon Sect. No, under my reign, the Twelve Sun Empire will grind the Purple Moon Sect to dust!"

Chapter 121 ~ Royal Barrier (2)

"You want to grind the Purple Moon Sect into dust?" The prince repeated, and then, as if he had suddenly understood something, his face turned crimson as he clenched his teeth and the veins in his neck bulged. "You killed our father, turned our closest allies into abominations, and ruined the future of our empire. All because you're bitter that the Purple Moon Sect rejected you as a disciple?"

Liu Xing eyebrow rose. Surely, that's not the reason Yang Lihuo did all of this?

"They wouldn't recognize greatness if it struck them in the face, and I'm not bitter!" Yang Lihuo's voice crackled through the communication orb. "As I said, you cannot comprehend my plan. Not that it matters—even if you understood it, you couldn't stop me. I admit, I'm surprised you managed to decimate half of Wei Yi's creations, but we've already been compensated for that loss, so it's all right."

"What do you mean?" the prince demanded.

Yang Lihuo's laughter erupted through the orb, an ugly sound that grated through the air like rusted metal. Liu Xing felt insulted by its mocking tone.

"You know exactly what I mean."

The prince's teeth ground together, and even Liu Xing understood what Yang Lihuo meant.

They had lost Elder Yang Zhaoyan.

The communication orbs in Yang Lihuo's possession were evidence enough—the elder had been captured or killed. Worse still, he might have already been transformed into one of those abominations.

This was the worst possible development. Elder Yang Zhaoyan had been their strongest cultivator. Losing him was like a sailing ship losing its sails in the middle of the ocean.

"I'll tell you one thing, Jinyan," Yang Lihuo continued, savoring each word. "The elder is under Wei Yi's control now, and they're modifying the Royal Barrier as we speak. But the main event won't begin for several hours."

"What are you saying?" The prince's voice was tight with barely contained rage.

Liu Xing could hear the smirk in Yang Lihuo's voice. "I'm inviting you, my dear elder brother, to witness my rebirth!"

The communication orb's glow suddenly vanished and the connection severed.

"That bastard!" The prince hurled the orb to the ground, shattering it into countless pieces. Still unsatisfied, he began stomping on the fragments as if they were responsible for his father's death.

Liu Xing understood Prince Yang Jinyan's anger, but he forced himself to take a deep breath and think logically as he surveyed the group. Some were clenching their fists, while others were staring at the castle with hatred in their eyes. But underneath their expressions, Liu Xing could see fear. A man with a recently healed wound on his chest stood pale, his eyes darting as if looking for a way out. The prince's retainer watched him with concern, while many of the clan members exchanged glances.

Liu Xing stepped forward and placed a hand on the prince's shoulder. "That's enough. The orb is nothing but dust now."

The prince whirled to face him, his complexion still crimson, veins prominent on his neck and temples, teeth grinding. His hands were clenched into fists, and for a moment Liu Xing thought he might lash out. Instead, the prince drew a deep breath and reined in his emotions.

"It seems I allowed my composure to slip before you. My apologies for such an unworthy display."

"Don't concern yourself with it. I understand your feelings. It's not just you who's angry," Liu Xing gestured to the group "we all are. Your younger brother is truly insufferable."

"He has always been smarter than me, especially in cultivation. But sometimes he does something so monumentally stupid that I wonder what's wrong with his head."

Liu Xing suspected that Yang Lihuo's rejection from the Purple Moon Sect wasn't the only reason for his betrayal. Humans were complex creatures, driven by countless emotions and motivations. There were likely numerous factors that had driven Yang Lihuo to this point—the sect's rejection had merely been the final thread to snap.

"Let's focus on what matters right now," Liu Xing said. "What do we need to do?"

The prince considered for a moment before turning his head. "Hong'er, check the barrier. Confirm whether we're trapped."

The woman nodded and rushed toward the orange wall near the flower hills. She returned after a minute, her grim expression answering their question before she shook her head.

They were trapped.

Liu Xing fought back the fear that threatened to overwhelm him. The situation was dire, but not hopeless. With his gun, he had a chance to survive. The real problem was protecting the prince and the rest of the Yang clan. He couldn't let them die here.

"We have only two choices," the prince said, his expression now as calm as still water, as if his earlier anger had been merely an act. Liu Xing understood what he was doing—projecting confidence, creating an illusion of control. Even knowing the prince was likely as terrified as everyone else, the show of composure was oddly reassuring.

"Either we fight them," he pointed at the third army, "or we head toward the Emperors' Tomb and save Elder Yang Zhaoyan," he gestured toward the golden castle. "There's also the option of doing nothing, but I know none of you would choose that. So, two choices. What do you all want?"

"I want to fight." The voice came from behind them.

Liu Xing turned to see a young-looking man with scrawny arms and a lanky build. Despite his youthful appearance, he was a Core Splitting cultivator—Liu Xing wouldn't have been surprised if he was over eighty.

"I want to win," said Hong'er, taking her place beside the prince.

Similar declarations echoed around them—they wanted victory, survival, revenge, to reclaim the empire, to punish the betrayers. Their eyes burned with resolve.

"What do you want, Liu Xing?" the prince asked.

Liu Xing understood why he'd been singled out. Within this group, his opinion carried more weight than the rest of the Yang clan combined.

He pinched his chin, considering their options. Fight an army, or enter the Emperor's Tomb to save Elder Yang Zhaoyan? At first glance, the second option seemed better. If they succeeded, the Elder might be able to help them. Since he was the one who deployed the Royal Barrier, freeing him from Wei Yi's control could delay the impending sacrifice.

Yet Yang Lihuo and Wei Yi were there, likely with Sun Refining realm abominations under Wei Yi's control. Seen that way, facing an army of Core Splitting realm abominations almost felt like the safer choice. But choosing that path would mean abandoning Elder Yang Zhaoyan and letting Yang Lihuo and Wei Yi unchallenged.

"Prince, do you have any talismans that might help our situation?" Liu Xing asked.

"Several," he nodded.

"Anything that could help your people move undetected?"

"Unfortunately not, at least not on the scale we'd need."

"I see." Liu Xing wrestled with the decision, weighing their options. Neither choice seemed better than the other. He was even entertaining the idiotic notion of trying to do both when a thought popped into his head.

Liu Xing climbed atop an intact building and lay flat on its roof. He enhanced his vision, sharpening his focus until he could clearly see the spirit beasts marching toward the golden castle. From this distance, they looked like a colorful river flowing steadily.

"Have you thought of something?"

The prince lay beside him, and Liu Xing nodded.

"Remember what I told you about those spirit beasts?" As he spoke, he watched the countless abominations with their vibrant skin and varied ears walking on snake limbs. They laughed, cackled, smiled, and smirked while worms buzzed around them like bees.

"They're dangerous. They can split themselves and steal bloodlines." The Prince said.

"Yes, and they're exceptional fighters. Partly because they can choose which bloodlines give them the greatest advantage and adjust their fighting style. But to do that, they need to think and be creative. I'd say they're closer to humans than spirit beasts."

Beyond their raw cultivation power, those abominations were dangerous because they could think and fully utilize their stolen bloodlines. This set them apart from the first and second armies he'd fought, which had been nearly mindless. Those armies only showed coordinated movement when their general appeared, and even then, their reactions had been sluggish. That sluggishness had been key to Liu Xing's victory.

He explained this observation to the prince.

"I follow your train of thought," the prince said, "but I'm not sure I fully grasp your meaning."

"It's actually quite simple," Liu Xing replied. "Those abominations are formidable—but only when they can think for themselves. Since Wei Yi likely created them, there's a strong chance he can control them. But that control comes at a cost to their minds."

The prince paused, then his eyes widened. "So, when Wei Yi controls them, they're weaker."

"Exactly."

Chapter 122 ~ Royal Barrier (3)

"But why would Wei Yi want to control them if it makes them weaker?"

"From Wei Yi's perspective, there are scenarios where letting them rampage makes sense, but there are also times when control is preferable. For example, it would be disastrous if they rampaged inside a sensitive location—say, the Emperor's Tomb, where the formations controlling the Royal Barrier are housed."

Prince Yang Jinyan pinched his chin. "They're moving toward the castle now. Doesn't this mean they're already under Wei Yi's control?"

Liu Xing blinked several times. He had not considered this possibility before, but he could easily confirm it. He studied the abominations again as they marched towards the castle. Most wore expressions of joy or even glee, while others seemed shadowed by grief, anger, or stoic calm. But their eyes remained sharp, fully present.

"I'm fairly confident they aren't directly controlled by Wei Yi. After all, they can hunt people with bloodlines independently, which means they have independent thoughts. I suspect Wei Yi planted some kind of directive in them during their creation."

"All right," the prince said. "Your idea is essentially to lure this army into the Emperor's Tomb, which would force Wei Yi to control them and make them weaker. But there are still threats inside the castle."

"The Sun Refining abominations," Liu Xing added.

"As well as Wei Yi himself."

Liu Xing noticed that the prince hadn't counted Yang Lihuo. Either he didn't want to mention his brother's name, or Prince Yang Jinyan had decided he wasn't a threat.

"Still, this is actually better than just sneaking into the castle," Liu Xing added.

"How is it better? True, the army would be weaker, but even weakened, they're a threat we'd be willingly adding on top of bigger threats. It's like choosing to fight slightly weakened lions while battling dragons. Surely it's better to fight the dragons without the lions."

Liu Xing understood the prince's perspective, and his logic was sound. The prince just lacked some crucial information. Like the fact that Liu Xing basically wanted to use the third army as backup qi batteries. His intention was to kill them and use their beast cores to fuel the battle with the Sun Refining abominations. It was actually doable. He didn't expect to be able to kill the Sun Refining abominations with a single shot from his gun, but perhaps the combination of the Ethereal Pearl and the Thunderstrike Gauntlets could kill them if he had enough qi.

He weighed whether to tell the prince about his gun. He wanted to keep this gift from his friend a secret. But without knowing his full capabilities, Prince Yang Jinyan wouldn't be convinced. That's why he decided to compromise.

"Prince, how much qi do you think I have?" Liu Xing asked.

The prince turned his head. "A lot."

"Compared to you?"

"Since you've just advanced to the Core Splitting realm, and I've spent quite a lot of qi, the amount of our qi is actually comparable." He looked around before adding, "Yet, as a Lock Opening cultivator, the total amount of qi you've used to fight is more than mine. I didn't count how many times you used your lightning pillars, but that attack probably consumes a lot of qi."

Liu Xing nodded. "That technique needs quite a lot of qi, and believe it or not, as a Lock Opening cultivator, the amount of my qi, while larger than usual Lock Opening cultivators, is not more than yours."

"Then how have you unleashed so many attacks? How is that possible?"

Liu Xing decided he would hide his gun and the potent qi. The potent qi his gun produced made qi-extensive techniques manageable. But he would reveal the function of his gun that could absorb beast cores.

"Spirit beasts that I kill don't have their beast cores intact," Liu Xing said.

The prince blinked several times, trying to digest his meaning, then his eyes widened. "You extract their beast cores while fighting?"

"Yes, and I use their qi to fight."

"Is it some kind of technique? Bloodline? Treasure?" he asked rapidly.

Liu Xing decided to ignore his questions. He'd said enough. He knew that with just this information, the prince would understand his plan. And indeed, a moment later he nodded.

"I understand your plan now. In all my years, I've never heard of a Core Splitting cultivator surviving an encounter with a Sun Refining cultivator. Even disciples from the greatest sects would be crushed." He glanced at the third army—there were thousands of them. "But, if you extract their qi, then you have a chance to kill Sun Refining abominations. It's terrifying to think that a new Core Splitting Cultivator could challenge those monsters."

"So, do you want to follow my plan?"

"It's a good plan, but I actually have another one."

"Oh? Is it good?"

If the prince's plan was good, then Liu Xing would willingly abandon his own and go along with it.

"It's not, but it can complement your plan. You see, the golden castle is huge and split into several levels. The lower level is occupied by the army, the middle level by me and several important nobles, and the top floor is occupied by my father and his advisors. Each level has its own library and treasure room. The lower level treasure room is actually trash, the middle level is good—my cultivation and techniques are from the middle library—but the truly important treasures are in the upper treasure room. In the upper treasure room are pills that can make people breakthrough to the next realm, techniques integral to the royal family, as well as several other weapons so valuable."

"I assume you want to go to this upper treasure room," Liu Xing said. Though, he actually thought that retrieving techniques was a waste of time, since techniques needed to be learned before use. Pills that could force a breakthrough were valuable, but Liu Xing doubted that even if Prince Yang Jinyan broke through to the next stage, it wouldn't turn the tide of the battle. And weapons, while good, needed to be supplemented by a fitting fighting style. Still, there must be something worthwhile if the prince mentioned this treasure room.

"What I want to retrieve is armor. This armor belonged to the second empress of our empire, and it's quite strong and capable of enhancing every aspect of a cultivator."

Liu Xing nodded. Wearable armor is useful. And he suspected this armor had special properties that made it more valuable.

"But if this armor is so valuable, wouldn't Yang Lihuo already have it?" Liu Xing asked.

After all, if Prince Yang Jinyan knew how valuable this armor was, then there was a high chance that Yang Lihuo knew about it too.

"There is a chance that he and Wei Yi have already searched the treasure room," he said with a nod. "But my father mentioned that this armor can only be worn by a woman who meets certain criteria. So even if the upper treasure room was looted, there's a good chance they ignored this armor."

Liu Xing instinctively glanced toward the woman the prince called Hong'er. From the way he addressed her, Liu Xing knew this woman was close to the prince. And she was also the second strongest person after Liu Xing in this group. Making her stronger would mean increasing the Yang clan's chance of survival. Moreover, Liu Xing suspected the prince also wanted to check the treasure rooms on the middle and lower levels, so he could equip his men with treasures. It was fundamentally a good idea.

"Is there anything that you think would fit me?"

The prince thought for a moment, then nodded. "There are several, and you can borrow as many treasures as you want."

Liu Xing nodded. The key word was borrow. Which meant Liu Xing needed to give them back after he used them. While he kind of regretted that he couldn't own the treasures he would get from the upper treasure room, it was still better than nothing. After all, since the prince only wanted to lend the treasures to Liu Xing, even when the Twelve Sun Empire was on the brink of destruction, it was a sign that those treasures were too valuable to give away.

"All right, I think we can do that too."

The prince nodded. "Give me five minutes. I'll create a simple plan that incorporates all of our discussion."

The prince got up from his position and began to regroup and discuss the plan with the rest of his clan members.

Liu Xing decided to observe the third army and clenched his hand. The situation was spiraling out of control. If what Yang Lihuo said was true, then his "rebirth" would occur in just several hours.

Several hours. If Yang Lihuo wasn't stopped, Liu Xing would be killed along with the prince and the rest of the Yang clan. They were all within the Royal Barrier, so they would be sacrificed as well. Even if they somehow survived the ritual, Yang Lihuo's "rebirth" would spell disaster. Liu Xing didn't know exactly what form this rebirth would take, but he was certain that it would be dangerous.

Either way, this day would be historic. Either it would mark Prince Yang Jinyan's triumph, or it would be the last day of the current Twelve Sun Empire.

After five minutes, the prince called him over and shared the plan he'd devised. The plan was so simple it barely qualified as one—more like guidelines with several objectives. And Liu Xing's objective was simple.

"You need to fight the third army alone," the prince said.

Chapter 123 ~ Twelve Sun Armor (1)

The gap between realms is like that between heaven and earth—so vast that most cultivators cannot cross it. Yet some manage this feat under the right conditions, typically when they are at their most powerful and their enemy at their weakest.

Liu Xing stands at his peak now. His mind is sharp, his qi is full, and he has a real chance to kill this third army. The only problem is taking that first step.

Walking slowly between rubble and charred bodies, Liu Xing observes the army's march. He only needs to kill one of them, and he has the means—a single bullet saved after killing the last general.

Liu Xing arrives at a deep trench carved into the earth—a mark left by the giant wind blades the general had unleashed. The memory of breaking that blade, tall as the city walls, feels surreal. He knows he managed it, yet the scale of that fight makes it seem like a dream.

He crosses the trench, landing as soft as a feather on the other side. Walking between charred corpses, he carefully avoids stepping in blood that would surely leave footprints. His invisibility would mean nothing if he exposed his position before the attack even began.

As he carefully moves between the remains of abominations strewn across the ground, Liu Xing focuses his mind to sense the qi around him. Being a Core Splitting cultivator has granted him several upgrades, but one of the most important is his ability to expel qi while maintaining control over it—a defining quality of the Core Splitting realm. He suspects this ability could vastly improve his fighting prowess.

Jumping toward a surprisingly intact building, Liu Xing releases qi through his breath and every pore of his skin. He lands on the roof and realizes that while the building stands, it slopes to one side. Still, it's high enough to scout the surrounding area and close enough to the third army that he can hear their footsteps. Above, the humming of the worms has subsided, most of the winged ones having already reached the giant castle.

Liu Xing inhales deeply.

The plan is simple. Five groups move separately. He forms the first group, tasked with distracting the third army. The prince wants him to lure out the abominations, allowing the second, third, fourth, and fifth groups to enter. The fifth group consists of Yang clan members with movement techniques, charged with scouting the entrance to the Emperor's Tomb in the lowest level, while the others check the castle's treasure rooms.

Liu Xing inhales again. He needs to create a significant commotion, but timing is crucial. In his inner robe lies a communication orb no larger than a giant pearl. When it vibrates, the operation begins.

His heart pounds steadily in his chest. Anxiety churns his stomach, a pessimistic voice insisting he cannot survive this fight. His logical side dismisses these doubts. He's now a Core Splitting cultivator with a bullet from a peak Core Splitting abomination. If he uses this bullet to kill one of the snake-limbed abominations, victory is possible.

This anxiety stems from his experience in the forest of white bones, where he nearly died fighting an abomination that killed and absorbed Elder Xia Juetian's bloodlines. As the memory surfaces, his eyes dart left and right, searching for abominations with black skin, golden snake limbs and coconut ears. He sees many with green ears and golden limbs, but that specific one isn't nearby.

"Calm yourself," Liu Xing whispers, taking several deep breaths.

He decides to explore his new abilities while waiting. Standing at a safe distance from the third army, trusting his invisibility, he expels his qi and guides it to swirl around him like an eel made purely of energy. His qi bears no special properties—neither cold nor prickly—just distinct from the surrounding qi..

He guides the qi in measured circles around himself, testing his control. While his qi proves obedient, it feels slightly more sluggish than the potent qi. Still, this ability to control qi outside his body holds promise. Many Lock Opening realm cultivators can manipulate external qi to some degree, like Yan Yu, who could materialize ice arrows and control their trajectory during their fight. But comparing Lock Opening and Core Splitting qi control is like comparing a pebble to a boulder. If Yan Yu broke through to the Core Splitting realm, she could probably control her arrows from kilometers away.

Liu Xing lacks techniques specifically designed to exploit this Core Splitting ability, but he sees potential applications. As a Lock Opening cultivator, he could only summon his shield nearby, but the Core Splitting realm should extend that range significantly. Though he's unsure how a distant shield might prove useful, he trusts it will serve some purpose.

For now, his focus turns to his gun. Liu Xing extends his left hand, aiming skyward. He wraps the qi around his hand and the gun, encasing his palm in his own energy. Though both gun and qi are invisible, if the energy could be seen, it would appear as a soft blue ball glowing with moonlight around his left hand.

Liu Xing slowly released his fingers from the gun one by one, until his left hand finally let go completely. The gun remained suspended in the air, held aloft by his qi alone.

A wide grin spread across his face as childish excitement filled his heart. He had a flying gun! How could it get any cooler than that? Stifling a giggle, Liu Xing began experimenting with control. He made the weapon float before him, drift behind his back, soar several meters into the sky, then return to hover half a meter above his head.

This wasn't just impressive—it was practical. With his left hand now free, he could deal more damage in combat. Though Liu Xing didn't dare test whether he could pull the trigger with qi alone—he hadn't received the signal to attack yet—he suspected it was possible.

But there was more. The qi currently holding his gun was just his normal qi. If he used the potent qi, he suspected its movements would become so fluid and swift that the weapon would seem to possess its own mind.

Unwilling to rely on mere speculation, Liu Xing channeled qi from his body toward the gun. When he commanded the weapon to absorb his qi, it did so greedily, nearly destabilizing the energy sphere keeping it afloat. Once it finished consuming qi, Liu Xing attempted to draw the energy back into his body.

The gun resisted at first, refusing to release the bullets. For a moment, he feared his experiment would end prematurely, but then he identified the problem. The potent qi needed a connection to him for proper reabsorption. He extended a thread of qi from the top of his head to the gun, linking it to the sphere of qi encasing the weapon.

As soon as the thread connected, the potent qi practically leaped from the gun into his body. The energy cycled through him several times before he commanded it to flow outward again.

Unlike his normal qi, the potent qi's exit sent a chill through him—like a ghost passing through his body. But the discomfort lasted only a moment, forgotten as he watched the potent qi swirl around him like a miniature tornado. It moved with the enthusiasm of an excited child, yet responded to his commands with the eagerness of a well-trained hound.

He replaced the normal qi encasing the gun with the potent energy. When he tested the weapon's movement again, it felt effortless—as though the gun could teleport wherever he wished. He settled on positioning it above his head, maintaining the qi thread connecting him to the weapon for easier qi transfer.

"It's amazing," Liu Xing muttered. It felt like having three hands instead of two.

His mind wandered to other possible experiments. Could he control the bullets after firing them? Make them curve through the air like Yan Yu's arrows? It seemed possible, though he suspected full bullet control would require new techniques—perhaps something like lightning arrows. Surely techniques like that existed somewhere in the Purple Moon Sect's library. He could only imagine what kinds of bullets such techniques might produce.

Liu Xing caught himself grinning foolishly. The possibilities seemed endless!

For now, though, he focused on exploring this newfound power, searching for creative ways to enhance his fighting style. Perhaps he could develop a new application of the Lightning Palm Technique that didn't require physical contact?

As he contemplated this, the small orb in his inner robe began to vibrate. Liu Xing's eyes snapped into focus, his lips pressing into a thin line. His mind centered, his heart hammered, pumping adrenaline through his body as his qi churned like a stormy ocean.

It was time.

Chapter 124 ~ Twelve Sun Armor (2)

Liu Xing drew a deep breath, then channeled qi into the communication orb. The prince's orb would be vibrating now—the signal that Liu Xing was about to make his move. All that remained was deciding how to strike.

"Let's begin with a kill shot."

His gun held only one bullet, but it was special—the last one he'd received from the general. In terms of raw power, it should be capable of obliterating one of the snake limbs to smithereens, though Liu Xing suspected it wouldn't be quite that simple.

For a moment, he considered taking hold of the gun to shoot, an impulse born from anxiety about missing. But he knew better. Instead, he commanded the gun to float toward the third army's horde. He deliberately kept its movement slow, like a soap bubble drifting on a breeze. The orb in his robe, which had been vibrating like an impatient child, finally stilled—indicating the prince and other Yang clan members were in position.

The gun now hovered above the horde of spirit beasts with snake limbs. They continued their mad cackling, their movements strange and unsettling as they walked on serpentine feet. From a distance, they presented a ridiculous sight—like a parade of demented clowns with their colorful skin, ridiculous ears, and the various things bound around their necks.

Liu Xing settled on his target: one of the abominations marching at the edge of the formation. Unlike some of its grotesque companions, this one bore an unsettling beauty. Its skin wasn't chalk-white, but fair and healthy like a cultivator's. The creature's torso was lean, its face delicately feminine, with black hair cascading down its back. A blue cloth wrapped around its neck, matching the color of the snake-limbs that writhed where arms and legs should be. Each snake bore crimson eyes that gleamed with malice. The creature wore a soft, gentle smile, its eyes closed in an expression of serenity. But Liu Xing knew better. That same peaceful smile would remain fixed on its face even as it devoured a child.

He aimed his floating gun at the creature, its position on the formation's flank offering him an unobstructed shot. As he studied his target, something caught his attention.

This abomination, like most of its kind, was naked save for the cloth at its neck. Its entire body was exposed, yet Liu Xing couldn't spot what he was looking for—there was no pale arm protruding from its chest, no golden eye staring from its palm.

His mind raced to make sense of this revelation. This arm had been their weak point, the key to preventing their regeneration. But if this creature lacked such an arm, did that mean it couldn't regenerate?

Liu Xing's gaze darted across the marching horde. His suspicion was confirmed. While most lacked the telltale arm, he spotted one or two that bore them in their chests.

A hierarchy existed within this third army.

The armless ones were newer generations, while those with arm were originals, likely the first of their kind. Though their cultivation levels seemed equal, he suspected their abilities differed significantly.

The discovery lifted his spirits slightly. If not all could regenerate, his abysmal chances of survival had marginally improved.

A fierce smile crossed Liu Xing's face, his heart pounding like a war drum. For the newer abominations, their weaknesses would be conventional like the head and the torso. He decided to target them instead of the originals.

"Perhaps I can kill one with a single shot," he mused.

His gun hovered several meters above the marching creatures. He manipulated the qi around it, angling the barrel slightly downward. Through the tether connecting him to the weapon, he channeled the Exploding Fist technique, infusing its power into the waiting bullet.

Drawing another deep breath, he tracked his feminine target with the gun's tip. With a thought, he pulled the trigger using qi, the action as natural as breathing.

A blinding blue bolt materialized in the air. To any observer, it would have seemed to appear from nowhere.

Instantly, every spirit beast snapped to attention. The snake-limbs serving as hands and feet turned in unison, and they move like grotesque sunflowers tracking the sun.

His target and several nearby abominations cackled madly, their laughter echoing through the air. They coiled their snake-feet and tilted sideways to dodge, but before they could leap, the bolt struck his target's head.

An enormous explosion bloomed amid the marching army. The shockwave thundered outward, toppling standing buildings and scattering debris. The sound rivaled heaven's mightiest lightning strike, and a massive mushroom cloud of dust rose skyward, winds howling outward from ground zero.

Dozens of abominations were hurled into the air, their snake-limbs flailing like ribbons in a storm. Even Liu Xing was thrown back several meters before he could plant his feet and brace against the maelstrom of wind and force.

His gun now floated above his head. The mushroom cloud towered like a skyscraper, and he hoped his target—and perhaps several others—had been destroyed. But the strips on his gun's side told him otherwise. This mighty attack hadn't killed a single one of the snake-limbed abominations.

Liu Xing swallowed hard as he surveyed the aftermath. The abominations were scattered among the rubble, some piled on top of each other, some with their snake limbs tangled together, but their insane cackling still echoed throughout the City of Suns, probably as far as the Yang Clan compound.

Their heads and snake limbs moved frantically, searching for their attacker. A portion of the horde surged toward the golden castle—a worrying development, given that the Prince and his forces were hiding nearby, waiting for their chance to enter. Others scattered outward, but by some miracle, none moved in Liu Xing's direction. This posed its own problem—he needed to draw their attention.

For a moment, he wondered how to proceed. Then, letting instinct guide him, he dropped his invisibility.

When Liu Xing dropped his invisibility, every nearby abomination snapped their heads toward him. Even the originals fixed their gaze upon him.

He leaped atop a piece of rubble that had withstood both the windstorm and shockwave from his attack. Then he shouted.

His voice thundered like a lion's roar, cutting through the cackling and giggling of the abominations. The sound was so powerful that even the distant abominations rushing toward the castle froze in their tracks and turned.

Thousands of snake-limbed abominations now focused on him.

"Do you remember me?" Liu Xing roared, the veins in his neck straining. He didn't know if the originals passed their memories to their offspring, but that hardly mattered now.

Some abominations laughed harder, while others muttered madly about "disgusting arms."

"I came here to kill all of you!" A fierce smile split his face as he flared his qi to provoke them. Cold sweat drenched his back, but the declaration sent adrenaline surging through his veins, as if the words themselves granted him power.

Though meant as provocation, deep inside Liu Xing wanted to believe his own declaration. That he'd revealed himself to truly annihilate them all. Difficult, yes, but not impossible. Two hundred meters away lay the proof: an abomination charred from head to the tip of its snake limbs. Its black hair had melted, and its neck was burned to a fragile twig that could snap at any moment. Best of all, he saw no signs of regeneration.

"Come at me!" Liu Xing shouted.

Like a stone thrown at a wasp's nest, his challenge unleashed chaos. The first to charge was an abomination with a face deeply furrowed like tree bark, skin blood-red, with bright crimson apples as ears the size of elephant's ears. It surged forward on writhing green snake-feet.

More followed. From above, it would have looked like a breaking dam, spilling a tsunami of grotesque colors toward Liu Xing's position.

Facing the oncoming enemies, Liu Xing activated his Lightning Cloak, spun, and bolted. He summoned his shield and accelerated across the city's ruins. His enhanced Lightning Cloak pushed him faster than ever before. Each kick against his shield generated windstorms that scattered debris. Though the world blurred, he perceived it with startling clarity, as if reality had been reduced to stark grays against a black backdrop, each landmark precisely defined.

Liu Xing glanced back. The abominations pursued like an army of madmen, forming a wave. Some sprinted on the ground, others leapt through the air, many more conjured platforms to run across the sky, and dozens of abominations grew wings of different colors and shapes. Their cackling reached a fever pitch as they began to unleash their attacks.

One creature, its skin black and speckled with white dots like the night sky, soared high on ravens' wings made of writhing tentacles. It unhinged its jaw, spewing thousands black snakes like arrows that darkened the sky.

Behind the colorful tsunami, a massive golden tiger with black stripes materialized, its bulk rivaling a building. It pounced with maw agape, its tongue a golden snake.

A gigantic fireball studded with hundreds of eyes manifested at the horde's front, while an earthen serpent surged forward, growing larger with each moment. A yellow-skinned abomination extended its golden snakes, weaving a sphere of pure white energy aimed at Liu Xing, and countless more attacks emerged from the pursuing mass.

Chapter 125 ~ Twelve Sun Armor (3)

Liu Xing froze, his pupils dilating as he witnessed the barrage of devastating attacks approaching. Each strike commanded enough power to level a small area, making him question whether the generals he'd previously defeated were even in the same realm as these creatures. His mind switched instantly to survival mode, cycling qi at maximum speed while desperately plotting an escape route.

But there was no time to think. Suddenly, the first attack came—an abomination with arms and legs of blue snakes, its body crackling with lightning. It materialized in front of him, its face twisted in contempt, black eyebrows thick as caterpillars.

As it launched a snake punch straight at his face, every attack was already dangerously close. Black snake arrows rained from above, a golden tiger descended from mere tens of meters overhead, and a giant earth snake barreled forward, sending debris flying in its wake. Yellow plasma streaked through the air alongside fireballs, water spheres, and a projectile shaped like a laughing head—and that was just the beginning.

The world slowed to a crawl as adrenaline flooded his body. Pure instinct took over. In an instant, Liu Xing summoned lightning blades in both hands, called forth his turtle statue to block the abomination's punch and channeled his Exploding Fist technique through his gun to counter the barrage of black snake arrows.

The lightning-coated abomination struck his turtle statue with devastating force, the impact resonating like a massive gong. The statue lurched backwards and crashed into Liu Xing with the force of a speeding truck, sending him flying. Through the pain, he watched chaos unfold.

The earth snake and golden tiger crashed into the spot he'd just vacated, now occupied by the abomination coat with lightning. Their collision sent the ground surging skyward like a meteor impact. His gun, faithfully shooting down the black snake arrows, exploded in rapid succession, painting the sky with blooming clouds of black smoke. Water and fire projectiles struck the earth snake's back, triggering an explosion that sent the rising earth outward like a tidal wave and formed a huge mushroom cloud. A concentrated beam of yellow energy carved through the mushroom cloud and flying debris like a laser.

The world spun wildly as explosions, screams, and cackling merged into an indecipherable cacophony. When everything finally stopped spinning, he found himself pressed to the ground under the statue. A realization struck him—the turtle was surprisingly effective at absorbing impacts. A shield for future battles, he thought, before dismissing it and scrambling to his feet.

He began weaving through the battlefield as new threats emerged. An abomination with pure golden skin that shimmered in the sunlight launched blue orbs with bat wings. Another abomination, its skin is purple and its two ears is red cherry, transformed its snake arms into giant sickles glowing with an otherworldly purple hue and swung them in frenzied arcs.

Liu Xing dodged left, evading the deadly sickles while his gun intercepted the winged orbs. A brown-skinned abomination's screech summoned an earth serpent that slithered toward him. Black-skinned abomination with green coconuts as its ears punches the air to create two massive tigers, cackling madly from atop one of the tiger. More snake-limbed abominations unleashed their attacks—elemental strikes, qi constructs of various beasts, blue walls, even a giant one-eyed monster crawling like an infant at bullet-train speeds.

For a moment, Liu Xing considered activating his invisibility to hide. One direct hit from any of these attacks would mean grievous injury. But a glance at the golden castle steeled his resolve. While most abominations pursued him, some remained behind—he couldn't stray too far. He needed to keep their attention.

As he accelerated using his shield, his mind cleared enough to analyze the situation. This third army was formidable, but their attacks weren't as chaotic as they appeared. Many abominations simply followed the pack, with only about twenty attacking simultaneously.

High above, a black-skinned abomination decorated with shining white dots and raven wings retreated, replaced by another propelling itself with snake-feet that spewed fire.

They were taking turns, he realized, while the others hung back, cackling and pointing their snake limbs at him like audience at a circus, and he was their clown.

Anger bubbled up from his core as his teeth clenched. This wouldn't do. Their coordinated attacks worked because he played the prey, running like a rabbit from hyenas.

A dangerous idea formed inside his mind. Instead of letting them use him for target practice, he needed to disrupt their formation by charging into their midst. On the surface, it seemed suicidal, like jumping into a pack of predators. But these weren't ordinary beasts—their attacks were powerful and struck over a wide area. If he could dodge while in their midst, their own attacks might catch their allies in the crossfire.

There might have been better plans, but time was short, and this strategy could also help him draw the unengaged abominations away from the castle. Liu Xing summoned his shield, kicked it, and charged directly at the third army.

Seeing him coming, some of the abominations cackled madly, as if watching a clown slip on a banana peel. Their mockery only hardened Liu Xing's resolve. He reactivated his lightning blades in both hands, extending them dozens of meters, and accelerated faster using his shield. This time, he wouldn't just run—he would attack, determined to take at least one down with his gun!

As he gained speed, the front-line spirit beasts unleashed their techniques. A yellow laser whipped toward him, thousands of fireballs rained from above, close-combat specialists leaped at him, and a creature with green skin and a single yellow eye in its head crawled forward at a frightening speed.

Liu Xing extended his lightning blades to their maximum length, whipping them against the yellow laser. Their collision created a blinding spark, both attacks shattering into brilliant fragments. His gun worked overtime, shooting down the falling fireballs, each hit creating impromptu fireworks in the sky.

Intensifying his Lightning Cloak technique, he cycled qi faster through his body, pushing for greater speed.

His goal seemed simple—reach the center of the third army. Yet every meter was a battle.

He weaved through snake-limbed abominations attempting close combat, his lightning blades dancing to parry their unorthodox strikes. When a creature with bright green, poison-coated snakes attempted to grapple him, Liu Xing maneuvered using his shield, only to face a green creature that exploded, sending shards of laughing stone flying—which he deflected with his newly-appreciated turtle statue.

He ascended skyward on his shield, thinking the attacks would diminish at height. He was wrong. Instead of just the front-line dozens, even the center ranks began their assault.

The air filled with an impossible array of projectiles coming at him—elemental balls and arrows of fire, water, lightning, wood, steel, and organic matter, alongside floating hearts and bone swords.

Some collided and exploded, releasing purple toxic mist, but most formed a dense, colorful wall with gaps barely wider than his pinky finger. Behind this curtain of death came golden tigers, earth-forged eagles, a rocket-propelled giant hand, a boulder wrapped in green miasma, and a giant abomination with green skin and yellowed teeth, leaping into the air and cackling maniacally.

Seeing this, Liu Xing steadied himself atop his shield and popped the Ethereal Pearl into his mouth. He stretched out both hands, covered with stable qi, and manifested two lightning balls in front of his hands.

To his surprise, they merged into one massive ball, growing beyond twenty meters in radius until it completely blocked his view. As a Lock Opening cultivator, he'd never imagined creating such a massive attack. While his Thunderstrike Gauntlets would break under such power, the enhanced quality and durability of his qi now made it possible.

"Eat this!" He unleashed a double palm strike, and a colossal white pillar erupted from his lightning ball. Though it couldn't match the entire wall of attacks, it carved through hundreds of projectiles and struck the giant abomination's head, making it shriek in agony and recoil until its body began to shrink.

The pillar's immense size made it unwieldy. He couldn't sweep it around. As it began to recede, Liu Xing kicked his shield and flew through the opening he had created. Countless attacks curved to follow him, but many couldn't change direction, resulting in a chain reaction of collisions.

After a moment, he came to a stop, standing on his shield as he finally reached the heart of the third army. Below him, the army converged like a massive, colorful sphere contracting inward. Then, as if in sync, the outer abominations began to leap upward, until Liu Xing found himself surrounded on all sides—abominations lunging from below, approaching from all four directions, and diving from above, their mad cackling filling the air.

He had achieved his goal—he was now truly at the center of the third army. Cold sweat drenched his back as he steadied himself, analyzing his precarious position. Any attack from above would endanger those below; any massive strike from the front would threaten those behind. His strategy could work, but there was one crucial catch—he had to survive each attack before it could create the desired collateral damage.

As a giant abomination swelled in size again, its snake limbs reaching for him like tentacles while attacks converged from every direction, Liu Xing acknowledged the dire nature of his situation.

Yet hope remained. His goal was simple: to be the last one standing. All he had to do was survive long enough to see an abomination fall to friendly fire. Or perhaps he would find the first abomination he had attacked. If he could finish it off, victory would be within his grasp.

Chapter 126 ~ Twelve Sun Armor (4)

Prince Yang Jinyan's heart hadn't beat steadily since the Royal Barrier's deployment began. It pounded frantically, like a drowning man desperately beating against a locked door in a flooding room. Despite his racing pulse, he forced himself to remain composed. After all, he would be emperor one day, and an emperor must always appear calm and dependable.

He crouched behind the rubble of what had once been the Hei clan compound, accompanied by Hong'er and ten of the Yang clan's strongest cultivators. The City of Suns bore countless scars now. Liu Xing's attack had been immensely powerful—the pillar of light he'd unleashed had flattened countless buildings, the Hei clan compound among them. If not for the wooden signboard bearing the clan's name and the remnants of their black gate, the ruins would have been unrecognizable.

Yang Jinyan peered around the rubble toward the looming castle. Its golden walls still gleamed pristinely and created an unsettling contrast against the surrounding devastation.

As he watched, he wondered whether Liu Xing had received his signal. His group and the others were already in position. The golden castle had many possible entry points. The main gate gaped wide, accommodating the thousands of abominations that had gathered there, but numerous smaller entrances dotted the castle's perimeter. There were passages for gardeners, chefs, workers, and servants scattered throughout, as well as special entrances for supporting clans and the most trusted retainers. These smaller entrances were typically concealed and discreetly guarded—after all, as his father had once said, it would be unseemly for the golden castle, a symbol of power, wealth, and glory, to appear riddled with doorways.

His group intended to use one of the most secure entrances, one reserved for only the most trusted individuals. It was the same passage his sister Yang Liangyu and her late nanny had used whenever they felt adventurous enough to explore the city.

His eyes focused on a bush some distance from the main gate. Near it should be a dragon mouth carving that would only appear in the presence of certain individuals. Though the bush was well-concealed and difficult to spot from the main gate, he wouldn't risk rushing toward it until Liu Xing had drawn away most of the spirit beasts.

"From this close, I've just realized how brave and yet foolish Liu Xing must be to take on this role," Hong'er commented beside him, her eyes focused on the marching abominations in the distance.

"His willingness to lure those powerful abominations could be seen as either tremendous bravery or pure recklessness. Though I'm inclined to believe that he's simply kind and understands that only he can lure them out," he replied.

The abominations were strong beyond comprehension. The qi emanating from each of them as they cackled and giggled felt like an ancient ocean stirring to life, threatening to unleash a world-swallowing tsunami. Though all twelve members of Yang Jinyan's group were Core Splitting realm cultivators, none had achieved seven cores, and even the most powerful Core Splitting cultivator in the Twelve Sun Empire would pale in comparison to these creatures. These abominations possessed strength reminiscent of the five great sects, capable of fighting far above their apparent level.

"It makes me wonder if he truly belongs to one of the great sects," Hong'er added.

At first, Yang Jinyan was confused by her meaning, but then he understood. She wasn't referring to Liu Xing's power. No, she was speaking of his character. People from the great sects were usually extraordinarily talented or came from prestigious backgrounds. Such individuals typically possessed tremendous pride, much like the elders of his clan, the Hei clan, the Wu clan, and even his brother. Indeed, many who held high positions within his empire shared this trait. Yang Jinyan himself possessed such pride and typically couldn't tolerate rudeness or foolishness in his presence.

He tried to view the situation from Liu Xing's perspective, imagining himself—a royal prince—discovering a village under attack by formidable spirit beasts. Would he risk his life to save that insignificant village, or return to the castle and ignore their plight? It was just a small village, after all. The empire wouldn't suffer greatly from its loss, and even though the spirit beasts were strong, they posed no real threat to the empire as a whole.

That was Liu Xing's position, and as Yang Jinyan considered it, gratitude welled up within him. Without Liu Xing's help, his sister would have been violated, and they would have had no hope of reclaiming the empire.

His thoughts were interrupted by the vibration of his communication orbs. A sign that Liu Xing had accepted his signal and would soon make his move. A few moments later, there was a deafening explosion and a massive mushroom cloud bloomed in front of the golden castle, only to be split by a column of yellow, condensed qi.

Recognizing Liu Xing's signal, Yang Jinyan and his eleven retainers bolted toward the bush.

The bush nestled between two old trees near the white wall surrounding the golden castle. For a moment, Yang Jinyan considered simply jumping over the wall—there was a garden on the other side, and a straight run would lead to a stairway up to the middle levels. He quickly dismissed the foolish thought. The secret passage would be far safer.

Yang Jinyan ordered his retainers to search the area. It was Hong'er who found it—a dragon head carved with an open mouth and a green gem at its center, jutting out from the ground. Yang Jinyan crouched beside it and touched it with his index finger, channeling his qi into the stone. The green gem flared to life instantly, and a rumble echoed around them. Looking for the source, he saw one of the trees had revealed an entrance leading to underground stairs.

He led the group down the stairway, and the entrance sealed itself behind them. For a moment, they stood in complete darkness, but then light gems began to shine, illuminating the narrow passage.

Yang Jinyan had never actually used this secret entrance before—he'd never needed to. As a prince, he had always used the proper gates. The passage was tight, allowing only two people to walk side by side, with glowing gems studding the ceiling to light their way. At the base of the stairs, it widened just enough for three.

When they reached the bottom, a soft yellow light gently illuminated this section, casting a warm glow that stretched toward a plain door in the distance. According to Hong'er, this door led to one of the kitchen. She had also mentioned other secret passages branching from the kitchens up to the middle levels.

They moved briskly through the passage and reached the door. After confirming no presence on the other side, Yang Jinyan ordered Hong'er to take the lead. In the unfamiliar kitchen, Hong'er revealed another secret entrance. This passage was wider, but according to her, quite long with multiple connecting doors along its length.

As they hurried through, Yang Jinyan noticed chips in the paint and stains on the floor. Clearly, this passage saw frequent use.

"Our destination is the door at the end of this hallway," Hong'er said. "That one connects to the middle levels."

Yang Jinyan nodded and took the lead again. They soon reached the base of a wide, spiraling staircase. But they didn't rush to climb it. For the past minute, they'd been sensing increasingly powerful qi presences. Yang Jinyan knew with certainty that beyond their intended exit waited powerful spirit beasts.

He ascended first, with Hong'er behind him and the clan members following. At the top, they entered a long, brightly lit hallway. Unlike the yellowish glow of the secret passage, harsh white light illuminated everything here. Subtle, intricate carvings of the battle that led to the founding of the Twelve Sun Empire adorned the white walls. Part of him wanted to study these carvings, if only to delay confronting whatever emanated such overwhelming qi.

The double doors at the passage's end bore intricate carvings as well, but Yang Jinyan viewed them not as art to be appreciated, but as gates to hell itself. Still, they had to pass through them to reach the upper treasure room.

Yang Jinyan flicked his finger, summoning a yellow talisman. As he'd told Liu Xing, he possessed talismans that could help them move undetected. Rather than granting true invisibility, they merely diminished one's presence. Though valuable for its ability to conceal twenty people simultaneously, its effect will last for about twenty minutes.

He activated it without hesitation and began moving slowly forward.

Each step made his heart thunder. As they crept forward with careful steps, Yang Jinyan felt the walls and ceiling trembling slightly, catching distant rumbles and faint explosions. Liu Xing was likely still battling thousands of abominations outside. He hoped all the creatures inside the castle would rush out to join that fight, but the chance seemed low. The worms appeared more interested in entering the castle, and after counting their numbers, he knew they weren't much fewer than the snake-limbed abominations.

Chapter 127 ~ Twelve Sun Armor (5)

Yang Jinyan clenched his fists to control his shaking hands. He had to stay calm. Liu Xing was working hard outside, though he hadn't said it directly, his chances of survival were actually quite low. He was both outnumbered and outmatched. Those weren't normal abominations—if abominations had sects, those would belong to the great sects.

He eased the door open and peered into the hallway. While he didn't know every corner of the castle—he'd never visited the kitchens, for instance—he knew the middle levels well enough. What he saw, however, bore no resemblance to the familiar white walls, marble floors, and golden pillars adorned with elaborate engravings and statues.

Instead, an aberration greeted his eyes. The floor had transformed into living pink flesh, and as his gaze traveled upward, he discovered every surface coated in the same organic material. The castle's interior had become something grotesque—as if they stood within a giant spirit beast's stomach.

An open doorway to his right led to the lesser ballroom, a space typically reserved for entertaining guests of moderate status. Usually spacious and empty when not in use, the room now displayed a horrifying transformation. Through the open doors, he saw thousands of octagonal shapes carved into the flesh-covered walls, each the size of a dinner plate. At the center of every octagon sat what looked like a meatball, the pattern reminiscent of a massive beehive filled with larvae.

To his left, the hallway split in two directions. Down one path, he spotted a massive worm, as large as a cow, spraying yellow liquid against the wall. Where the substance touched the fleshy surface, the tissue writhed and formed new octagons. The worm then shifted aside, allowing another worm to deposit their meatballs into the fresh cavities. The other path hosted the same grotesque scene, although there were twice as many worms.

This posed a significant problem. The left hallway was their intended route to the treasure room above, but worms blocked that hallway.

They needed another path.

Yang Jinyan's gaze returned to the right. While the lesser ballroom was infested with flesh-walls and meatballs, he knew it also contained several doors leading to the upper floors. Studying the room more carefully, he detected no presence of the worms inside. Yet rushing across the hallway would expose them to the creatures' sight, even with their presence thinned. Liu Xing had already warned him about the worms' speed and strength.

He closed the door silently and turned to address his group.

"We need to reach the ballroom, and here's how." He tapped the wall beside them. "Direct passage through the hallway is too dangerous, so we'll create our own path. Hong'er, what lies behind this wall?"

Hong'er closed her eyes, recalling the castle's layout. "A dining room. It connects to another hallway leading to the guest chambers, but doesn't directly access the ballroom."

Yang Jinyan nodded.

"Can anyone here create an opening silently?" He indicated the wall. The wall would be as hard as diamond, and while his own techniques could breach it, the noise would draw unwanted attention.

"I can." A man stepped forward, standing over two meters tall with stern features. Yang Jinyan recognized him as one of the late Elder Yang Tianyun's sons, though he couldn't recall the name.

"Then do it," he commanded.

The man positioned himself before the wall and extended both hands. A blade of fire materialized before his palms, spinning until it formed a drill of intense heat. Most of the Yang clan possessed fire resistance, their techniques and cultivation methods centered around flame, but even they felt the scorching temperature against their skin. Yang Jinyan noted this with brief appreciation before concern set in—if they could feel the heat, the abominations might sense it too, so he began to absorb the excess heat into his body.

The tall cultivator acknowledged this assistance with a slight nod before pressing the fiery drill against the wall. Instead of the dreaded rumble of stone against fire, the wall melted silently, transforming into lava that Yang Jinyan immediately cooled into harmless pebbles.

"Faster," Yang Jinyan instructed quietly.

"Yes." The man increased the drill's rotation speed.

The process proved time-consuming. The wall, nearly three meters thick and reinforced with qi and formation arrays, resisted his efforts. But after five tense minutes, he managed to create a small opening. Yang Jinyan signaled the man to stop, then pressed close to examine his handiwork.

Through the hole, he confirmed Hong'er's assessment. It is a dining room. But this dining room had also succumbed to the same fleshy transformation. Octagonal patterns covered every surface—walls, floor, ceiling, and even the long dining table—each hosting one of those unsettling meatballs.

Each meatball emanated qi—some rivaling Core Splitting cultivators, others weaker, comparable to Lock Opening cultivators.

"Make the hole wider," Yang Jinyan said quietly.

The man at his side nodded. He reformed his fire drill, but instead of simply enlarging the hole, he began to carve horizontal lines, as if making a proper doorway.

"No need for anything big. A small gap we can slip through sideways will be enough," Yang Jinyan added.

The man acknowledged this with silent concentration. His technique, while impressive, revealed its limitations—the level of focus required made it impractical for combat.

Suddenly, the qi of the worms outside churned. Yang Jinyan's heart pounded against his ribs as he felt them rapidly approaching. Panic threatened to overwhelm him as an urgent question blazed through his mind: had they been discovered?

He glanced around, seeing how Hong'er and the others had gone pale with fear. When they looked to him for guidance, he forced his features into a mask of calm. Their visible relief told him he'd succeeded, though inside, his thoughts raced frantically.

If the abominations broke through the door, fighting was not a good option—even if he used all the talismans he had, they would die sooner or later. Retreat would take them further from the treasure room, wasting the precious time Liu Xing had bought them. They needed another solution, and quickly.

"Stop," he whispered to the man.

The cultivator, who was so focused on his task, only registered the overwhelming qi presence after he lowered his hands, and his face turned pale.

All twelve of them froze, becoming more lifeless than statues as the qi presences drew nearer. The pressure became suffocating when four abominations stopped directly outside their door.

Yang Jinyan silently prayed for them to move on. Instead, a heavy knock rattled the door, the sound echoing through the secret passage.

His throat tightened. The absurdity of a worm knocking momentarily distracted him from his fear. Why would it knock? And why so gently? Such creatures should have enough strength to shatter the door entirely. Another knock reverberated through the space. Yang Jinyan's eyes snapped to their unfinished doorway. Through it, he could see the dining room's octagonal nests with their ghastly contents. One meatball perched precariously in its nest several meters above the floor.

The third knock sent vibrations through the walls, causing the meatballs to tremble. The precarious one inched closer to the edge, like a person considering jumping off a bridge.

Yang Jinyan swallowed hard. If that meatball fell, would the sound draw the worms? There were no doors connecting the dining room to the hallway.

His mind raced through the possibilities: the sound would travel through their unfinished doorwand and lead the worms straight to them.

They needed to move. Now.

But before he could act—before he could even blink—another knock rattled the door. Time seemed to slow down. Adrenaline surged through his veins as he watched, wide-eyed and breathless, as that single meatball finally tipped over the edge, as if deliberately spelling their doom. The sound of its impact was surprisingly gentle, like a small vase falling onto a bearskin rug. But that soft thud could just as easily have been a killing blow.

Instantly, Yang Jinyan sucked in a sharp breath and his cheeks puffed. A split second later, a fireball materialized before his lips. With a forceful exhale, the projectile shot through the air and slammed into the wall like a meteor. Simultaneously, the still-trembling door exploded inward, accompanied by four piercing shrieks. The world seemed to slow down. He found himself staring into the face of a monstrous worm, the size of a cow. Its pink skin resembled raw, healing human flesh. The creature's face was disturbingly humanoid, dominated by a bushy mustache and thick eyebrows. Its nose was the size of his fist, while its eyes were tiny, almost slits.

"Run!" The prince shouted.

Chapter 128 ~ Twelve Sun Armor (6)

"Run!" The prince shouted.

Hong'er moved first. She pulled out a talisman and raced to the prince's side, the paper glowing with power. With a swift motion, she slapped it into the air. Qi roared from the talisman, launching a concentrated blast toward the four worms. The attack wouldn't kill them, but it would buy them time.

The prince leaped through the opening he'd created, landing atop a flesh-coated table in the dining room. Hong'er followed, with clan members diving through one after another. By some miracle, all twelve of them made it through. But their good fortune ended there.

A piercing screech split the air, followed by another, then a third and fourth, and fifth and so one. More screeches echoed in the distance, each call answered by another, until the sounds multiplied throughout the castle.

Prince Yang Jinyan gulped. Now every worm in the castle knew of their presence.

"Our cover is blown," he shouted. "Run as fast as you can!"

The Prince leaped from the dining table, his cheeks bulging, and shot a giant fireball toward the wall before him. The orange sphere blazed like a miniature sun, and when it struck the wall covered in octagonal nests, it exploded brilliantly, blasting a hole through the wall.

Leading the group, he flew through the smoking breach and landed in a tiny bathroom containing only a small pool. Instead of hot water, the pool brimmed with red blood. Ignoring this grotesque sight, the Prince cycled his qi and launched two more fireballs, each the size of his torso, at the next wall.

They needed to reach the ballroom—it connected to a stairway leading straight to the next floor. Since the secret passage lay about a hundred meters from the ballroom, they could reach it by blasting holes through the walls and moving directly through the adjacent rooms to their destination.

The Prince demolished wall after wall. Each time he created a breach, he leaped through, launching another blast before his feet touched the ground. To mortal eyes, his movements would appear as nothing but a blur. The rapid succession of explosions from his fireballs striking the walls thundered like war drums.

Several heartbeats later, the Prince found himself in a room beside the ballroom—a modest guest chamber with a bed that could accommodate five people side by side. Through its glass balcony doors, he glimpsed the ruined City of Suns. Clouds of dust filled the air, and a monstrous abomination, nearly as large as the golden castle itself, loomed in the distance. Thousands more creatures converged in the sky, where explosions, mad cackling, shouts, and incomprehensible sounds merged into a cacophonous roar.

The Prince suppressed his curiosity and turned his head, his cheeks bulging like a squirrel hoarding nuts. Under normal circumstances, a guest would need to walk for half an hour to reach their destination, but he preferred his shortcut.

He unleashed a barrage of fireballs: one as large as his head, accompanied by eleven smaller ones, each the size of his palm. They struck the wall in sequence—one massive explosion followed by eleven smaller blasts. The impact shook the room, filling the air with smoke and dust as cracks spider-webbed across the wall. Even before the dust settled, he knew his attack had succeeded.

His techniques was elegantly simple. Though each attack was a variant of the basic Fireball, its simplicity proved its strength. He could create countless versions in myriad sizes, each with unique effects—from fireballs that generated concealing mists to those that unleashed devastating shockwaves.

His group landed behind him, with Hong'er closest. As they touched down, the dust cloud dissipated, revealing a vast chamber beyond. The ballroom stretched wide with a high ceiling supported by pillars. Where it once hosted music, food, and entertainment, now pink flesh covered every surface from floor to ceiling, its octagonal nests giving it the appearance of a massive beehive.

Yang Jinyan glanced toward the huge golden double doors that remained intact on the far side. Beyond them lay a hallway leading to the wide stairway that would take them to the next floor.

He prepared to jump, but a vibration beneath his feet stopped him.

"Move!" he shouted, and his clansmen scrambled to jump to the side.

The flesh-covered floor where they had stood cracked open, revealing a massive pink worm with jaws spread impossibly wide. It burst upward beneath one of his clan members who reacted too slowly, attempting to swallow him whole. But instead of engulfing him completely, the worm's pristine white teeth snapped shut around his neck. Like a knife through tofu, they severed his head. The worm's momentum carried it toward the ceiling, knocking the severed head aside.

Yang Jinyan stared in horror at the creature. Though only the size of a cow, its maw could stretch wide enough to swallow a man whole. Its pink flesh writhed with terrifying human faces, as if dozens of people pressed against its skin from within, desperate to escape.

"Don't stop!" Yang Jinyan shouted.

The command broke his clansmen from their frozen state, and caused the worm to turn its body toward him.

Hong'er reacted first, leaping toward the breach in the wall followed by others.

Yang Jinyan pulled a brown talisman from his spatial ring. As the worm dove toward him, jaws gaping, he slapped the talisman against the ground. Instantly, the floor surged upward. A thick black pillar erupted from beneath the worm, growing as rapidly as a magical bamboo and driving the creature into the ceiling.

Without hesitation, Yang Jinyan spun and launched himself through the breach, bursting through the lingering dust cloud into the ballroom beyond.

As his feet touched down, more vibrations rippled through the floor. Worms erupted from the ground, walls, and ceiling around them—five monstrosities, each powerful enough to kill with a single strike.

Liu Xing had said their attack strategy wasn't complex—they simply tried to devour their prey. But that simplicity made them all the more terrifying.

"Run, damn it, run!" he shouted at his clansmen who stood frozen again, and Hong'er and the rest of the clansmen bolted.

Yang Jinyan sprinted forward, trying to close the gap between himself and the group Hong'er lead as they raced toward the double doors. But before he could reach them, a worm plunged from the ceiling between them.

He cut his run short, diving to the side and rolling. As he prepared to leap toward the group ahead, two more worms burst forth, blocking his path.

Yang Jinyan's hand flashed, producing a red talisman. Upon activation, it unleashed a wave of molten lava that forced the worms aside, creating a path to his companions. He launched himself forward with such force that the flesh-covered floor cracked beneath him. Mid-flight, he saw two more worms attacking the group while Hong'er activated talismans that split the ground and conjured binding vines.

The talismans stored in their spatial rings were their only effective weapons against the worms. Hong'er's green vines bought them mere moments of reprieve.

"Watch out!" Yang Jinyan's warning cut through the chaos as a worm with the face of an old woman lunged at the group.

His cry made the group turn and scatter—Hong'er and four others diving left, the rest right. Yang Jinyan landed near the right group, his eyes fixed on Hong'er across the divide created by the worm.

"We need to split up!" he called out. They couldn't stay grouped together. It made them an easy target for the worms' coordinated attacks. More importantly, clustering their forces would only give the abominations a chance to eliminate them all at once. "Ensure Hong'er's survival!"

The Twelve Sun Armor, their objective, could only be worn by a woman—created by the second emperor for his wife, who had been stronger than him and had transformed their fledgling empire into a flourishing realm. Her story was steeped in betrayal and tragedy, but such details meant nothing now. Hong'er, as the strongest and only suitable bearer of the armor, had to survive.

"Yes!" came their unified response, ready to protect her with their lives.

"I'll meet you all there!" he called to the group.

The promise to reunite in the upper treasure room rang hollow. Yang Jinyan knew with crushing certainty that of the eleven people remaining, more would fall. He might well be among them.

The worm between them turned its head, milky white eyes gleaming beneath its wrinkled face. When it turned toward Hong'er's group, the prince's heart clenched. In an instant, he decided to draw the attention of every abomination in the room, giving Hong'er's group a chance to reach the upper levels.

"Look at me!" he roared, infusing his voice with qi. The worms snapped their heads toward him. More burst forth—from floor, walls, and ceiling—until over fifteen abominations filled the vast ballroom. Each bore a different face: young, old, male, female. One particularly grotesque worm displayed a deer's features fused with human ones, flesh-forged antlers jutting from its forehead.

Hong'er's group fled at full speed. She activated another talisman to thin her presence, turning back once with worry-filled eyes, as if yearning to join him. Then her expression hardened and she rushed for the double doors. No worms tracked her movement—though he knew more obstacles awaited her group, for now, it was enough.

"P-prince, what should we do?" asked a man behind him.

Before he could answer, all fifteen abominations launched themselves at them like coiled springs unleashed.