Chapter 163: 163. Emergency (Requesting Monthly Votes)

163. Chapter 163: Emergency (Requesting Monthly Votes)

"Over there!"

"Indeed, the nine pyramids are all fakes."

An explosion erupted beneath the desert, immediately alerting many martial artists.

"Hunyuan Martial Array!"

Xin Xin Ruogui roared, and vast martial domains condensed into a towering figure of chaotic color.

Its face was indistinct, its body immense, nearly reaching heaven and earth, wreathed in earth, fire, wind, water, and lightning.

At that moment, the giant roared and slammed one palm down!

The dune collapsed with a thunderous crash, and several figures leapt out from within.

Among them were several mummies wrapped in pitch-black bandages, and a young student with blood streaming from his facial features—one of the earlier scouts!

He emitted a non-human shriek, his hands clawing forward as his domain energy surged forth.

"This isn't our comrade anymore—it's a puppeted corpse… 'Search the Soul Claws'? Can he still use his former martial arts? What kind of possessing demon is this? Blood Spirit Child? Puppet Eye?"

Hu Hu Yan Huyan Qiushui, seeing this, flickered a look of deep thought in her eyes.

Boom!

Boom!

But soon, she had no time to continue thinking.

The nine black pyramids roared, and several students fled in disarray, chased by pitch-black mummies, armored lion-headed humanoids, and grotesquely shaped thick worms.

A mixture of lower and upper servants formed an army of monsters.

Fang Xing followed a few unlucky students, retreating toward the Hunyuan Martial Array: "Quick… let us in!"

"No!"

Xin Xin Ruogui barked: "This lower servant clearly has mind-control abilities—who knows if any of you have been secretly manipulated? Now follow my order… form a harassment squad and support us from outside."

Upon hearing this, Hu Hu Yan Huyan Qiushui's heart stirred.

The hidden lower servant could only control corpses—this temporary commander's words clearly suspected pushing the students outside into the fire.

But as always: on the battlefield, if a commander gives a legitimate order, you go to your death!

So she tightly closed her mouth.

"Damn it!"

Fang Xing's face twisted in fury as he circled outside the Hunyuan Martial Array, staring at the servant army.

Among the army were several corpses—likely students who had died here earlier.

Their faces were blank, wounds still oozing blood, yet they advanced mechanically.

A student with long, slender legs leapt lightly into the air above Fang Xing, his leg shadows instantly surrounding him.

"Heaven-Ending, Earth-Annihilating Legs? Are you mocking me?"

Fang Xing raised both hands, blocking each leg strike like a giant axe, then suddenly flew backward.

Boom boom boom!

After he left, the black mummies each waved their hands, and countless black fireballs instantly struck the spot where he had stood—the sand turned to glass-like material, rapidly melted and burned by the black flames…

"Ah!"

Several students who couldn't dodge were hit by the servant army's concentrated fire and screamed as they turned to corpses.

Squeak squeak!

Fine threads descended from the sky, burrowing into the charred corpses.

The corpses twisted and trembled, then staggered upright, their steps growing steadier as they joined the servant army.

"Is this… spider silk?"

Fang Xing's eyes flickered.

"I get it—it's the Puppet God Spider!"

One student's voice trembled with fear.

"Indeed, using silk to control puppets is the Puppet God Spider's innate ability…"

Hu Hu Yan Huyan Qiushui's expression was complex: "The Puppet God Spider can turn corpses of its own rank or lower into puppets, with nearly unlimited numbers… if one were allowed to thrive, its nest would be terrifying… but the good news is it just broke through—it definitely has no lower servant-level puppets yet!"

Squeak squeak!

Almost as the threads appeared, a terrifying stream of pitch-black energy swirled across the entire battlefield.

This black energy seemed entirely condensed from despair, fear, hatred, and other negative emotions, violently assaulting every student's mind.

—Contamination Field!

"Martial Array… Defend!"

Xin Xin Ruogui roared, and layers of armor surfaced over the chaotic giant's body, blocking the black energy outside.

But the students outside were in dire straits!

This was an attack of servant energy comparable to a Jin Dan's domain—several surviving students collapsed instantly.

Even Fang Xing swayed precariously, barely maintaining his Dragon-Tiger Domain.

"Quick… save my boss! The Puppet God Spider can only control corpses—my boss clearly isn't one!"

Inside the battle array, Song Song Jingang shouted urgently.

"No! That lower servant is watching from outside—what if it strikes the moment we open the gate?"

Xin Xin Ruogui dismissed him with a flimsy excuse, secretly delighted: 'Is this the feeling of controlling others' lives?'

'That Fang Xing—no matter how talented, can he defy orders on the battlefield?'

'I must climb to the top of the Federation—someday I'll dominate more lives, not be dominated by others!'

Meanwhile, outside, as the servant army drew near, Fang Xing howled and retreated steadily.

Then, from within the servant army, a strange black spider finally revealed its form.

Its body was mountain-sized, its head covered in countless crimson eyes, each black leg like a blade, gleaming with metallic luster.

"It really is the Puppet God Spider!"

Xin Xin Ruogui's eyes gleamed brightly.

The Puppet God Spider's greatest terror lay in its ability to create countless lower servant-level puppets.

Once surrounded by its army, even upper servants might not survive.

But this secret realm held no other lower servants—he'd hit the jackpot!

'This battle's merit is mine as commander—I'll take the lion's share… and then there's that one…'

He glanced at Fang Xing, eyes glinting.

He could simply order Fang Xing to die—but such an order would invite investigation later, and that would be troublesome.

'Better to let him die in the crossfire—it'll look more natural…'

'Now that I control the array, I hold the initiative—killing him should be effortless.'

When two titans equal to Jin Dan martial artists clash, isn't it normal for the shockwaves to kill a few outer realm fighters?

Just as Xin Xin Ruogui prepared to act, he saw the Puppet God Spider move—suddenly appearing above Fang Xing.

Its eight spider legs descended like eight great blades, crashing down!

Though the Puppet God Spider excelled at puppet control, it was still a genuine lower servant-level demonic entity!

Black energy erupted from its body, crushing Fang Xing's Dragon-Tiger Domain.

Then, the blades slashed repeatedly, shattering his resistance.

Whoosh whoosh!

Its leg-blades moved with blinding speed, like a legendary swordsman with eight arms!

Boom!

Fang Xing was struck by one blow, screamed, and was buried deep into the desert.

"Perfect opportunity!"

Xin Xin Ruogui would never miss this golden chance—the Puppet God Spider's attention was diverted.

He roared, and the chaotic giant's right hand came down, summoning a palm print that covered the entire sky.

The servant army could not resist—it turned to sludge in an instant.

"Squeak!"

The Puppet God Spider reared up, its many crimson eyes flickering with confusion.

It had clearly sensed that the threat from this tiny figure was far greater than the giant opposite—so it chose to strike Fang Xing first.

Yet it hadn't expected this tiny figure to be so weak.

Though a trace of life remained, it could no longer interfere with the coming battle.

So it swiftly shifted its posture and lunged at the chaotic giant.

This was all Fang Xing's plan!

His true body had incredible defense—he deliberately leaked a hint of energy to provoke the Puppet God Spider, then took the blow to exit cleanly.

Now, he would watch the show.

Boom boom boom!

The terrifying vibrations reached deep underground, causing him to reveal a thoughtful expression. "Martial Jin Dan possesses a Jin Dan Domain and Jin Dan energy… lower servants lack these, yet they wield bizarre abilities."

"Every time large groups of outer realm martial artists hunt lower servants, they pay a heavy price…"

"But this Puppet God Spider is better off—its abilities are precisely restricted."

……

"Is this the power of a Martial Jin Dan?"

Xin Xin Ruogui gathered the strength of all, feeling his Wu Gong surge to an unimaginable level.

He clasped his hands together, and in the giant's grasp appeared a long spear, its entire body a deep blue, wreathed in countless wind blades.

The giant thrust the spear like a dragon; the tip spun, and suddenly the sky bloomed with fire trees and silver blossoms.

Wind fed the flames!

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Several surviving high-ranking servants exploded midair; even the Puppet Spider bore deep, bone-exposing gashes across its body.

It let out a shriek and recoiled backward.

"Hah! So the Puppet Master's true body really can't fight at all…"

Xin Xin Ruogui laughed loudly, commanding the Chaos Giant to stride forward in pursuit.

"Wait—"

Hu Hu Yanqiu's eyes flickered with alarm; she cried out in warning, but it was already too late.

Puff! Puff!

The advancing Chaos Giant suddenly froze, then its two thighs began to shatter into pieces.

"Ahh!"

Some students forming the Chaos Martial Array screamed as their upper and lower bodies split apart for no reason.

Only by the blood spattered in the air could one see countless transparent, blood-stained "spider threads"!

This was clearly a trap—the Puppet Spider had secretly woven invisible silk threads in the air beforehand, using the Chaos Giant's own momentum to tear itself apart…

The Demon God's retinue are not entirely mad; many possess a degree of reason.

"No good! Quickly, re-form!"

Seeing this, Xin Xin Ruogui froze in shock.

But now, apart from the core Blue Sea Team, who remained unharmed due to their position, all other students bore varying degrees of injury.

Some had died outright; others, hesitating, refused to draw near Xin Xin Ruogui.

"Zhi zhi!"

The Puppet Spider seized the chance, dashing into the student ranks, its sharp fangs snatching up a student and chewing him to pieces in seconds.

Threads of silk descended from the air, reassembling the dismembered corpses and turning them against their former companions.

"No… Jack!"

A female student saw her lover turned into a puppet, charging toward her—no matter how strong her spirit, it trembled.

Puff!

A flash of swordlight—Jack's head flew high into the air.

Hu Hu Yanqiu shouted: "Form up with your squads immediately… distract the enemy!"

She saw clearly: the Chaos Martial Array had been shattered and could not be reformed in the short term.

Added to the sudden ambush and the center's collapse, regrouping was as impossible as climbing to heaven.

Better to form small teams with familiar comrades—hunt in packs, like wolves fighting a tiger—and keep battling this lower-tier retinue!

"Damn Xin Xin Ruogui… when we get back, I'm reporting this!"

"What kind of command class gave him a zero? Playing hero, looking for death!"

Hu Hu Yanqiu was seething with rage.

As temporary commander, she held life and death on the battlefield—but she'd answer for the consequences afterward.

If Xin Xin Ruogui had taken down the Puppet Spider at minimal cost, he'd earn merit.

But with so many scouts dead at the start, and now the Puppet Spider breaching the formation, he'd face no mercy when they returned.

Seeing this, Xin Xin Ruogui's lips moved, but he said nothing.

He understood his situation.

Prestige is an elusive thing—it depends entirely on whether others will obey you.

Because of his earlier mistakes, he could now command only his own Blue Sea Team.

As other martial artists joined the assault, the Puppet Spider swiftly changed tactics, curling its body tightly, surrounded by layers of secret silk defenses.

Terrifying black energy surged like tidal waves, sweeping outward.

"Dark Star!"

Seeing comrades falling in droves, Hu Hu Yanqiu cried out sharply.

"Give me three seconds!"

Dark Star tore off his shirt—on his chest, where his heart lay, grotesque black veins writhed.

Each pulse made his chest appear translucent, revealing a single dark star flickering within.

Boom!

The Puppet Spider sensed danger; its black blade-legs glowed crimson and crossed in a slash!

A scarlet cross instantly appeared in midair.

"Taiji!"

Hu Hu Yanqiu swung her longsword; her domain spread, her body forming a yin-yang diagram of black and white before her.

Then the scarlet cross crashed down.

Crack!

The black-and-white Taiji shattered; Hu Hu Yanqiu's chest caved inward, her body flung backward as if struck by a locomotive.

"This sword… is called Meteor!"

At that moment, Dark Star finally drew his blade!

His sword was pure white, as if forged from the bone of some demonic entity.

Now, the dark-red star from his chest surged to the tip, turning the blade into a crimson meteor streaking toward the Puppet Spider.

The Puppet Spider let out a shriek of agony; most of its crimson eyes above its head exploded.

Beneath that dark-red meteor blade, it trembled violently, unable to resist.

One strike—its body was grievously wounded.

Dark Star clutched his chest, kneeling half-dead; clearly, unleashing a blow rivaling a Martial Jin Dan had backfired, leaving him critically injured.

"Hah… well done—but in the end, it still took me to finish it."

Gu Gu Jiantong laughed loudly: "I've finally awakened my Path of the Strange Martial Art! In the future, I shall claim my place among the Martial Saints and Martial Gods… even above the Wu Shen, my name—'Gu Gu Jiantong'—shall be engraved!"

His aura surged violently, breaking through the boundaries of Courage and External Manifestation, ascending to the Fifth Realm of Martial Cultivation!

"Light!"

Gu Gu Jiantong reached out with his right hand, and a spear formed entirely of pure radiance appeared in his grip.

He lowered his waist, squared his stance, and drove his right arm forward.

A flash of light!

The white spear vanished—then reappeared, piercing straight through the Puppet Spider's abdomen, impaling it completely.

"Zhi zhi!"

The Puppet Spider shrieked shrilly; black threads emerged from its tail, spreading outward.

One external manifestation martial artist, too slow to dodge, screamed as his heart was pierced…

"Protect the output!"

Song Song Jingang roared, his body glowing golden as he stepped before Dark Star.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

His "Golden Body" blocked the black threads for an instant—but they still pierced through flesh, carrying a corrosive poison that turned Song Song Jingang's face pale.

"Now! Kill it!"

Xin Xin Ruogui, spear in hand, charged toward the dying Puppet Spider, its power spent.

His eyes burned with hunger—he aimed to claim the final blow himself, his spear like a venomous dragon.

"Head-hound!"

Gu Gu Jiantong, clearly paying a heavy price for his previous strike, couldn't outpace Xin Xin Ruogui—only spat out a curse.

At that moment!

A sword's hum echoed from the horizon—a white-gold sword aura flashed and vanished.

Xin Xin Ruogui saw that white-gold swordlight—then his head fell off.

Great Freedom Azure Golden Sword Qi—the fastest sword speed in existence.