Chapter 111: Unexpected

Baohua was not to be outdone; it transformed into a streak of golden light and charged toward the dried corpse within the blood mist. Wherever it passed, the blood mist dissipated, revealing the dried corpse's twisted and terrifying visage.

Sensing the threat, the dried corpses unexpectedly opened their eyes, ghost fire flickering within them, and lunged toward Baohua.

Cheng Xi frowned deeply; she knew well that she could not let the dried corpses interfere with Baohua. Thus, she channeled her spiritual power into the Xingshutou, mobilizing the power of the other constellations. The light of the Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise constellations lit up one after another, and the phantom images of the three divine beasts leaped out from the Xingshutou, attacking the dried corpses.

The Vermilion Bird shrieked, its body burning with raging flames as it charged at the dried corpses, instantly enveloping several of them in a sea of fire.

The White Tiger roared, its claws swiping; every strike carried immense power, sending the dried corpses flying. The Black Tortoise transformed into a sturdy shield, guarding around Baohua and blocking the attacks of the dried corpses.

Li Zhi'an held his Long Sword and charged straight at Ji Hang.

Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Ji Hang increased his control over the Jade Seven Stars. The seven stars shone brilliantly, their black light acting like sharp blades, slicing into the body of the Azure Dragon. The Azure Dragon roared in pain, the starlight on its body gradually dimming.

"Cheng Xi, you are nothing more than this!" Ji Hang laughed triumphantly. "Once I complete the blood sacrifice and trigger the Heavenly Gate, this world will be under my control!"

Cheng Xi sneered, "You are nothing much yourself; we are one and the same!"

Since the power of the stars is not restricted by orientation, then let the power of these heavens and stars be fused into one!

Her gaze swept toward Li Zhi'an, and the two shared a mutual understanding.

Cheng Xi took a deep breath, slowly raised her hands, and the spiritual power around her surged wildly. She closed her eyes, using her heart to sense the power of the stars between heaven and earth. In an instant, the stars across the entire night sky seemed to resonate with her, and the starlight gathered toward her like a tidal wave.

At the same time, Li Zhi'an's sword tip changed direction; instead of stabbing at Ji Hang's sword, it turned and plunged into the Array.

Sensing this powerful force, Ji Hang's expression changed abruptly: "You... what are you doing?"

Neither Cheng Xi nor Li Zhi'an paid him any mind, continuing to guide the power of the stars. When the power reached its peak, she suddenly opened her eyes and shouted, "Heaven and earth shine together, ten thousand stars return to one!"

An incomparably dazzling light bloomed from her hands; the light, fused with the power of the twenty-eight constellations, surged toward Ji Hang and the blood mist like a new star.

Wherever the light passed, the blood mist instantly dissipated, and the Jade Seven Stars trembled incessantly under this force. Ji Hang himself was struck by the light and retreated repeatedly, his face full of terror.

The Azure Dragon also took the opportunity to recover its strength, letting out a heaven-shaking dragon roar as it lunged at Ji Hang. Ji Hang tried to dodge, but Li Zhi'an, who had flown over, kicked him toward the Azure Dragon.

The Azure Dragon's claws grabbed him fiercely; he let out a miserable scream, and his body gradually dissipated under the Azure Dragon's attack.

With the disappearance of Ji Hang, the abyss crack on the ground began to slowly heal, and the blood-colored Rune gradually dimmed.

Cheng Xi stood leaning against a wall, gasping heavily.

Although Ji Hang was dead, Cheng Xi and Li Zhi'an felt no relief. Cheng Xi leaned against the wall, breathing in large gulps; the excessive consumption of spiritual power left her barely able to stand.

Li Zhi'an sheathed his sword, walked quickly to her side, and supported her arm, his eyes full of concern: "How are you?"

Cheng Xi waved her hand and forced herself to say, "I'm fine, just a massive depletion of spiritual power; I'll be fine after a rest." Despite saying this, her complexion was deathly pale, and beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down her forehead.

Suddenly, a low rumbling sound came from the sky, as if some powerful force were awakening. Cheng Xi and Li Zhi'an looked up to see that the once-calm night sky now featured strange lights, which intertwined to form a massive vortex.

"What is happening?" Li Zhi'an asked with a frown.

Cheng Xi stared at the sky, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes: "I fear that although Ji Hang's blood sacrifice was stopped, the power he triggered was too great and has already caused uncontrollable changes. The spiritual power in this world seems to be reconverging to form this vortex; I don't know what consequences it will bring."

Just as they were puzzled, a beam of light suddenly shot out from the vortex toward the ground. Cheng Xi and Li Zhi'an exchanged a glance and flew up simultaneously, intending to stop the light. However, the light was too fast, and they were unable to intercept it.

The light landed on the mountain behind the City Lord's Mansion, instantly triggering a massive explosion. Dust filled the air, the mountain began to collapse, and huge boulders rolled down toward the surrounding villages.

"No, there are commoners below!" Cheng Xi exclaimed. Regardless of her unrecovered spiritual power, she mobilized the power within her once more to cast a spell to block the rolling boulders.

Li Zhi'an joined in as well, and the two combined their efforts to prop up a spiritual shield above, blocking the impact of the boulders.

As the vortex continued to rotate, more and more light shot out from within, flying in different directions; all of Wanxing City seemed to fall into chaos.

The light shot out from the vortex like a torrential rain, one after another. Every landing was accompanied by violent tremors and explosions. The streets and alleys of Wanxing City were filled with the acrid smell of gunpowder, and the commoners fled in panic; cries of alarm and calls for help intertwined.

Cheng Xi and Li Zhi'an tried their best to maintain the spiritual shield, but the endless boulders were like a surging tide, causing their spiritual power to deplete even more rapidly. Cheng Xi's face grew paler, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth. Seeing this, Li Zhi'an's heart was filled with heartache.

"Xixi, this cannot go on; we must think of a long-term solution." Li Zhi'an said while increasing his spiritual output to alleviate the pressure on Cheng Xi.

Cheng Xi took a deep breath, her gaze searching the chaotic city. Suddenly, she saw the ancient tower in the city, and an idea formed in her mind.

"We will lead these boulders to the barren mountains outside the city; no one lives there, so it won't cause casualties."

Li Zhi'an immediately understood her meaning, and the two tacitly adjusted the direction of their spiritual power, attempting to guide the rolling boulders to change their trajectory.

However, just as they had some success, an exceptionally powerful beam of light shot out from the vortex, aimed directly at the city market. The market was densely packed with people; if it were hit, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Cheng Xi had no time to think; she broke free from Li Zhi'an's support and rushed toward the light regardless of everything. She gathered all her spiritual power into her palms and struck out with all her might against the light, attempting to block it.

The light collided violently with her spiritual power, producing a deafening sound. The massive impact sent Cheng Xi flying backward instantly, and she fell heavily to the ground.

"Cheng Xi!" Li Zhi'an immediately flew to her side.

He gently picked Cheng Xi up and turned, wanting to find a safe place to treat her wounds. But just then, he discovered that the surrounding lights were beginning to turn strange; the lights that had been shooting everywhere seemed to be drawn by some mysterious force, gradually converging toward them.

Li Zhi'an looked around vigilantly, holding Cheng Xi tightly, his Long Sword drawn once again.