Chapter 450: 425 Contention

The lighting of a lamp is the birth of a patch of brightness, a patch of darkness being dispelled.

Perhaps the light of a mere Cloud Silk lamp is not bright enough to illuminate the earth like the sun, but wherever it drifts, it brings light with it.

Besides, who says there is only one lamp?

Succeeding on his first attempt, Tang Zhao grew increasingly accustomed to manipulating the Ruyi Thread, directing the miscellaneous items he had scavenged to first be dismantled into pure Cloud Silk, then woven into individual cloud lamps. He placed an Origin Talisman representing the source of sunlight inside each lamp; as the Origin Talisman lit up, the entire lamp transformed into a point of sunlight.

As each lamp lit up, Tang Zhao let go, allowing it to ride the air warmed by the sunlight and fly freely toward the horizon.

If it were any other light, the moment it touched the Shadow of the Wangliang, it would be swallowed whole; if one were to throw in only a sunlight Rune Stone, it might be attacked and destroyed by the dark ghosts hidden in the shadows. But the lamp shade made of Cloud Silk could protect the sun Origin Stone, and the sun Origin Stone could dispel the darkness; the inside and outside were a match made in heaven. The result was that lamp after lamp flew up smoothly, flying higher and higher, turning into starlight in the sky.

At first, the white fox was merely astonished, but as it watched lamp after lamp fly into the sky, the firmament was suddenly filled with lights. At first, they bloomed romantically like fireworks, a sky full of pyrotechnics, then flew higher and higher, turning into twinkling glimmers, as if a brilliant starry sky had illuminated the hundred-year darkness of the Wangliang realm. It was speechless for a moment, just staring blankly at the horizon.

"Back then... my sisters and I would also sit on the clouds together and watch the stars. At that time, there were no clouds for ten thousand miles, and even the night sky was as clear as jade. Every single star could be seen clearly, and there were too many to count. There was also the bright moon. Although legend says the moon already symbolizes disaster, I have always liked the moon. The moon is round, white and plump, like a beauty's face..."

Tang Zhao had been listening quietly, but upon hearing this, he couldn't help but tilt his head to look at her, wanting to say, "As expected of you."

But in the end, he didn't say it; he was just a little curious—what kind of person was such a face-obsessed Sword Hero herself?

The white fox said softly, "I want to thank you for making the starry sky reappear over the Xiancheng after a hundred years, but..."

Before the words were finished, a massive shadow was seen rushing out from the shadows in the sky. It was similar in stature to the Colorful Cloud Warrior, but it was not that square, upright face, but a huge fist.

The fist opened, and with one reach, it grabbed a handful of lamp fire. The shadow obstructed the light, and a large patch of the sky turned black instantly.

The white fox let out an "ah" and jumped up. Tang Zhao was very calm and said, "It's okay."

Sure enough, although the fist tightened more and more and the black shadow grew thicker, the lamp fire inside could still be vaguely seen, and the fist itself was rapidly collapsing under the pressure of the sunlight.

Before long, the massive black shadow had collapsed completely, leaving only the twinkling lamp lights.

The lamps were still those same lamps; almost not a single one was missing.

Tang Zhao breathed a sigh of relief; it was just as he had thought.

This Wangliang could easily drag in things it entangled, whether living or dead, but it seemed to have no ability for physical attacks, and the Cloud Silk creations were not eroded by the Wangliang. After all, the Wangliang hadn't even polluted the grass under the Moyun Tower. Once its own shadow nature was countered by someone, it had no other means.

Perhaps this was also because the main body of the Wangliang was not here; the monster in the shadows seemed to be driven primarily by instinct and did not have many methods. It stands to reason that the true Wangliang, feared by the world, would not be limited to this.

But at this moment, Tang Zhao still had to reiterate: Cloud Silk as the guardrail, Origin Stone as the inner lining—a match made in heaven!

It's just that...

"But what is the use of this?"

This sentence was actually spoken by the white fox. It had awakened from its reminiscence and astonishment, carrying a bit of sorrow and helplessness.

"These lamp lights are very beautiful, as if they could light up the sky. But actually, they are of no use. They can't dispel the Wangliang in the end, right? They aren't the sun. And they can't burn forever; I'm afraid they won't even last a day. It's just giving a few hours of hope, only to fall into eternal darkness again. And this hope, no one can see it except us, so what kind of hope is that?"

Tang Zhao looked at it in surprise and said, "I didn't count on them to begin with. Since you speak of hope, how can it not be hope to be able to illuminate a square inch in the darkness? Just because the lamps can light up, the shadows are not invincible; they can be expelled, and we have the hope of fighting and winning. To tell you the truth, I am full of fighting spirit right now, planning to burn through this Shadow Kingdom with my fire. These flying lamp lights are the reflection of my heart. If you don't believe in light, why not try believing in me?"

"As for whether no one sees it... what if?"

The white fox was stunned and said, "What 'what if'? Who would see it?"

Tang Zhao said, "Although the hope is slim, what if? What if your Highness wanted to protect everyone, but there were still people left in the Xiancheng? Even if there are thousands, I will go, holding the last line of defense to the death?"

The white fox frowned and said, "How is that possible... Under those circumstances, it's impossible to leave people behind. Leaving people isn't holding the line, it's sending them to their deaths. Even I wouldn't be so whimsical."

Tang Zhao smiled and said, "Then consider me whimsical. But if there really were such a miracle, if someone had lived alone in the shadows for over a hundred years, they would surely be overjoyed to see the twinkling lights from outside their window. These lamp lights are their hope. Thinking about it this way, isn't it very romantic?"

The white fox laughed and said, "Thinking about it this way... it's also quite nice. If there really were any brothers or sisters..."

Tang Zhao said solemnly, "Now I ask you, if there really were such a survivor, where should they be? Or rather, if we are to mobilize the power of the Xiancheng to do our best to expel the Wangliang, where should our destination be?"

The white fox had already ceded authority to him, thinking that giving him the map was no big deal, and said, "There are two places where it's possible. Look into my eyes." Having said that, a pair of greenish eyes lit up.

Suddenly, a large number of starlight flying lamps appeared in the sky, and Black Widow and the others were even more astonished. Even Yue Lai gradually believed that there were indeed people left in the Xiancheng, releasing lamp lights to welcome them.

Just at this moment, the cloud suddenly shook and began to turn slowly.

Originally, this cloud had been moving forward slowly, and its direction changed from time to time, which everyone took for granted, but this time, Black Widow felt something was wrong with the change in direction.

This turn was very sudden, almost a sharp angle; the cloud immediately turned in a different direction, and even the lamp lights on it flickered.

Did it change its destination? Where is it going this time?

Just as Black Widow's question arose, she felt a sway beneath her feet; the cloud turned again and shifted back.

"Why did it turn back again?"

Turning suddenly and then turning back suddenly—no matter how you look at it, it is extraordinary.

In the extremely short time that followed, the cloud changed direction rapidly several times, the intervals becoming shorter and shorter, until finally it was almost spinning in place, unable to move in any direction. It made Black Widow sway back and forth, as if sitting in a bumpy carriage, and she hurriedly sat into the pavilion and held onto a pillar to steady herself.

"What's happening now? How did it become like this for no reason? Could this cloud be broken?"

This was not good news. You must know that they could have a safe island to inhabit not only because they had the protection of the Hand Lamp's sunlight, but also because this cloud could be landed upon. The cloud could also move forward, preventing them from being stranded in place and waiting for death. If the cloud were broken, whether it lost its direction or fell apart completely, then everyone would be finished together.

However, sitting in the pavilion and feeling carefully, Black Widow felt it didn't seem like that, and couldn't help but turn her head and say, "Brother Yue, do you think there are two parties fighting for control of this cloud, which is why it's being torn back and forth like this..."

Halfway through her sentence, Black Widow stopped abruptly, stood up suddenly, and couldn't help but feel her hair stand on end.

She saw that the cloud was empty; except for herself, there was no sign of Yue Lai.

"Is... is there a ghost?!"

"This bastard is actually fighting us for control!"

In the hidden world over there, the white fox couldn't help but curse loudly.

It had just studied the map with Tang Zhao and confirmed two destinations: one was the "Qianqiu Tower," which had the best view in the Xiancheng, and the other was the center of the entire Xiancheng, which was the Gongcheng of that Sword Immortal Highness.

The two places were in different directions; the Qianqiu Tower was closer, so Tang Zhao intended to change direction to go there first.

Ever since he possessed the Ruyi Thread and connected with the cloud beneath his feet, regardless of whether he could still be considered the acting master of the Xiancheng, theoretically he had become the master of the local cloud. If he said to go, the cloud should be able to go.

Sure enough, Tang Zhao used the Ruyi Thread to manipulate the Cloud Silk, and the cloud turned smoothly, heading toward the Qianqiu Tower.

However, just after moving a few steps, Tang Zhao felt a resistance in his manipulation, and immediately after, the cloud made a U-turn and turned back toward the original direction.

Tang Zhao was startled and tried to turn again, but was turned back again.

At this point, the matter was clear beyond doubt—there was indeed someone fighting Tang Zhao for control of the cloud!

And here and now, who else could it be but Meng Huazhou who could contend with him?

In Meng Huazhou's hands, there was indeed the Original Thread inherited from Xu Congsheng, and he not only mastered the technique of turning the Original Thread into the Ruyi Thread, but also quietly connected to the cloud beneath them. Although he might not have been able to control the vast cloud entirely because he had too little Original Thread, he had already grasped a lot of control, which was enough for restraint and guidance.

Tang Zhao was fine, but the white fox was so angry she cursed loudly; fueled by new and old grudges, she cursed everyone from Xu Congsheng to Meng Huazhou, and from Meng Huazhou's eighteenth generation of ancestors to Xu Congsheng's eighteenth generation of descendants.

Here, Tang Zhao and Meng Huazhou were locked in a contest of strength from a distance, surprisingly evenly matched, stuck in a stalemate in the air. If it were a direct confrontation, Meng Huazhou would definitely be no match for Tang Zhao, and Tang Zhao could finish him off with a single sword strike. But at this moment, although Meng Huazhou had fewer Ruyi Threads in his hands, he had started earlier, was steady and solid, and controlled more Cloud Silk, while Tang Zhao's authorization had come too late and he had not yet gained full control.

It was fortunate that Tang Zhao's manipulation technique was not bad, and having more Ruyi Threads was also less strenuous, which allowed him to maintain a draw.

Seeing the white fox fuming with indignation, Tang Zhao reminded her, "Don't be in such a hurry to curse, come over and help me. Do you have a way to overcome him? Or can you make that white flower dissipate into Cloud Silk to reveal him, and I will finish him off with one sword strike."

The white fox caught her breath and said, "Fine, let me handle it. I am someone with an official position in Baiyujing; regardless of whether his surname is Xu or Meng, he cannot override my authority."

Tang Zhao let go of the Ruyi Threads with peace of mind and said, "You do it. But if you enter the fray directly, will it expose both of us?"

The white fox dismissed this, saying, "You are overthinking it—do you think we aren't exposed already?"

Tang Zhao was stunned, and the white fox pointed the tip of her tail to the side.

Tang Zhao turned his head and saw Yue Lai, who had also turned his head to look in this direction.