Chapter 533: Deception and Ambush

Reslin stepped out of the portal and appeared in a scorching desert.

The blazing sunlight made him instinctively raise a hand to shield his head.

After more than ten days and nights of nonstop research and rushed work, faint dark circles had appeared under his eyes, and his already frail body had grown even weaker; sweat broke out on him at once.

A wave of coolness welled up from his black magic robe, offsetting the heat, and only then did he feel a bit better. Without this enchanted robe, he would have collapsed from heatstroke within three minutes.

This was a hundred li from Anse's mausoleum. The setting sun hung at the horizon as ever, yellow sand filled the sky all around, and he listened to the Voice of All Things for a few seconds, confirming there was no danger nearby.

Reslin walked forward a few steps, raised his hand, and cast a spell; an invisible wind arose, smoothing the sand and clearing a flat patch of ground.

He touched the Nebula Ring on his hand, and a massive teleportation array appeared out of thin air.

This was the result of half a month of research by himself and his main body. The hexagonal teleportation array was fifteen meters in diameter, five inches thick, and forged entirely from precious magical alloy, weighing over thirty thousand pounds; the moment it was taken out, it plummeted downward, about to smash into the ground.

Reslin, unhurried, instantly cast a Float spell on it.

The teleportation array immediately became as light as a feather, drifting gently to the ground. The array was already assembled, covered with countless runes and etched lines, having been tested many times in advance, and twenty-four intact arcane crystals were also embedded in it.

Reslin quickly performed one final check, then input the current spacetime coordinates.

He stepped back a few paces and activated the teleportation array.

Amid a humming sound, the energy within the arcane crystals was drawn out, flowing along the etched lines to every rune and structure. Dazzling light lit up, and the space above the array distorted, but no passage opened. The crystals' energy drained furiously; the array's vibrations continued for about half a minute, yet nothing further happened.

Reslin watched calmly, not a ripple of emotion on his face.

The time for the portal to the Sun God's mausoleum was about to arrive, so he could only return first, lest he be unable to go back.

The mausoleum had spatial barriers; teleportation arrays could only be opened from the inside out, not the other way around.

Not long after Reslin left, at last, just as the arcane crystals' energy was nearly exhausted, a figure emerged from the void, standing in the center of the teleportation array.

It was Lei En's main body.

Lei En's face was pale. This cross-planar teleportation journey had not been pleasant—it was like being thrown into a tumbling washing machine and spun hundreds of times. His stomach churned, and he vomited the moment he opened his mouth.

The discomfort was one thing; what was more terrifying was the danger of the teleportation process.

Because the hastily constructed planar teleportation array omitted many protective runes used during teleportation, and the distance was extreme and the array unstable enough, his body had been stretched and torn by the void.

It was only because his body was tough enough; had it been Reslin, he would already have been reduced to a pile of minced flesh upon teleporting over.

After finishing vomiting, Lei En recovered immediately.

He stored the teleportation array into the Nebula Ring, a portal opened before him, and he immediately stepped through, appearing behind the pyramid.

After this sequence of actions, Lei En's main body and clone had both finally entered Anse's mausoleum.

Reslin glanced at Lei En and began casting silently. His gaunt frame swelled with strength as though being inflated, his stature grew taller, and his features shifted; within a few seconds, he became identical to Lei En. This was a fifth-ring Transmutation spell, capable of assuming a specified target's appearance, with a volume difference of no more than threefold.

After completing the transformation, Lei En took off the Blood Cloak and handed it to the other to wear, while he himself draped a crimson cape that looked exactly like the Blood Cloak, though it was merely ordinary enchanted equipment.

The Blood Cloak had the effect of concealing and suppressing one's aura, so that Reslin would not be detected as off by some keenly perceptive minotaurs.

The two Lei Ens stood face to face, as if looking into a mirror.

To make the disguise more convincing, Reslin drank a bottle of expensive "Strength of the Dragon" elixir, gaining strength, toughness, and stamina to rival a legendary warrior for half an hour, then took out a sapphire and handed it to Lei En, received the Hammer of Lightning, turned around, walked out from behind the pyramid, and headed toward the front entrance.

Lei En's main body stayed where he was, looking at the sapphire in his hand.

This was a "Blink Gem," found in the storeroom of Glamorgan Castle; it was the key item that let him enter the pyramid in advance.

A thread of soul power was injected into the gem, forming a blink rune within.

He swept his gaze around with the All-Seeing Eye, took out a steel ingot weighing several hundred pounds, pressed his hand against it, and activated "Animate Metal."

The steel ingot immediately softened into liquid form, and from it a thread of molten metal as thin as a finger extended out, like a snake raising its head, opening its mouth and biting down on the Blink Gem.

Then, under Lei En's control, the molten metal snake climbed onto the stone block and burrowed into the crevice.

The snake head, holding the gem in its mouth, slithered swiftly through the crevice, following the passage into the pyramid that the All-Seeing Eye had found, turning at forks—sometimes left, then climbing upward—the snake's tail end still connected to the steel ingot, stretching longer and thinner. After more than a dozen turns, its length already exceeded a hundred meters, yet it still had not reached the end.

On the other side, Reslin returned to the front entrance of the pyramid.

The minotaurs who saw him noticed nothing amiss, and Dejike, in his anxiety, also failed to perceive that the Lei En before him had already been replaced.

Only the Extreme Warriors, as symbiotes, had sensed the Primarch moving far away when Lei En used Transposition to return to Glamorgan.

However, Lei En had secretly told them in advance not to panic and not to expose anything.

The Extreme Warriors did not know Lei En's plan, and Lei En had not explained, but this was the Primarch's order, and everyone obeyed unconditionally, showing not the slightest abnormality.

At this moment, they saw "Lei En" return and recognized at a glance that this was a fake.

A subtle glint of doubt and surprise flashed in Sicarius's eyes; this "boss" was too much like the real one—if not for sensing that the true Primarch was right behind the pyramid, he could never have discovered the truth.

Reslin sat down before the stone door, looking thoughtful, pretending to continue breaking the horn barrier.

Behind the pyramid, Lei En controlled the molten metal snake as it advanced through the crevice; the entire steel ingot now had only a small portion left outside. The longer the metal wire stretched, the more effort it took to control; Animate Metal had reached the third tier, and he had not strengthened it for a long time.

Through the All-Seeing Eye, he saw the molten metal snake slow down, its progress becoming difficult.

Lei En stopped to rest for a few minutes before continuing.

Finally, after more than thirty turns, the molten metal snake reached the end of the crevice between the stone blocks, cautiously extended out, entered the palace within the pyramid, and silently placed the sapphire in a remote, dim corner.

The crevice's entrance was far from the central altar and blocked by square pillars, so it did not disturb the sleeping Sunspot Viper.

"Phew…"

Lei En let out a breath of relief; at this point, the plan was already half successful.

Outside the main gate, Reslin suddenly spoke up: "It's done!"

All the minotaurs froze for a moment, then reacted; Dejike hurriedly ran over and asked excitedly, "My Lord, what's done? Can you open this door now?"

"Yes." Reslin's voice was exactly the same as Lei En's, and a hint of pride showed on his face. "I can open the mausoleum's great door right now and let us in."

"Wonderful!"

"My Lord's blessing, the Holy Light above!"

Dejike and the minotaurs were all overjoyed, happily crowding around one by one.

Yet Reslin's expression was grave. "Chieftain, are you certain you want to open it and go in? Beyond the door lies the resurrection ground of a deity. We don't know the situation inside—it may be very dangerous, and there's even a possibility of interrupting His resurrection plan."

"Uh…" Dejike hesitated, and the minotaurs' joy faded as they fell into silence.

But the minotaurs did not hesitate for long.

"Lord, we must go in." Dejiko's expression grew ever more resolute. "That was certainly not my Lord's voice. My Lord must have encountered some difficulty. As His faithful people, we must solve the problem for Him, no matter how great the cost."

"For the Holy Light!"

"For the Holy Light..."

The surrounding minotaurs shouted in unison, their faces devout, without the slightest wavering anymore.

"Very well, I shall follow the will of you, Chieftain, and everyone here." Reslin nodded and continued, "The protective array of this mausoleum is extremely sophisticated and ingenious. After each opening, it quickly closes again and the array automatically changes. The next time you want to open it, you have to study it anew."

"I can only crack it open once. If you want to open it again, it will take at least seven days or more."

Reslin earnestly emphasized the difficulty of opening the door. The part about the runic array was true, but needing seven days for a second opening was pure nonsense.

"In other words, we very likely only have one chance?" Dejiko said in a deep voice.

"Yes." Reslin nodded solemnly.

The minotaur chieftain did not shrink back; instead, his attitude grew even more resolute, as if already prepared to sacrifice everything. He said gravely, "I understand. Please begin, Lord. You can open a portal first and let the warriors leave the mausoleum. After opening the door, you can also leave immediately, with no need to risk yourself for the Sunstrider tribe."

Reslin smiled. This minotaur chieftain had a kind heart and was a truly honest man.

This gave him a measure of guilt about what he was about to do.

"We will not leave. The Extreme Warriors and I will fight alongside you, Chieftain, and face the enemy together." Reslin assumed a righteous bearing and called out loudly, "Brothers, prepare for battle!"

"Yes, Boss!"

Xikaliusi and two squads of Extreme Warriors responded with a thunderous roar, each holding a Bolt Gun in one hand and gripping a greatsword in the other, running to position themselves behind Reslin in formation.

The minotaurs were deeply moved.

"Thank you!" Dejiko bowed solemnly, his voice slightly trembling. "The Sunstrider tribe will forever remember your aid, Lord. If we can still leave the Dying Sun plane, we will certainly repay the kindness you have shown the Sunstrider tribe today. May the Holy Light be with you!"

"May the Holy Light be with you!"

All the minotaurs blessed him in loud voices, bright rays of light igniting from their bodies.

The way they looked at Lei En and the Extreme Warriors was filled with boundless trust, as if looking at their own kin and brothers.

The corners of Reslin's mouth turned up, revealing a fearless smile.

"It is very unsafe inside the mausoleum. We cannot all crowd at the entrance." He began making arrangements. "I suggest that when the door opens, only you, Chieftain, and I will first face the unknown danger. Everyone else should fall back and keep a sufficiently safe distance."

"The Bolt Gun has a very long range, and the space out here is large enough. We must make good use of both advantages. What do you think, Chieftain?"

Reslin looked at Dejiko. After considering, the minotaur chieftain nodded in agreement.

He actually did not want the minotaurs to take the risk either. As the tribe's strongest Sunwalker, he would hold the front while the other minotaurs would decide whether to act based on the situation.

Soon, the Sunwalkers and Extreme Warriors each split into two groups, mixing into two teams.

One team was positioned on the platform outside the pyramid's entrance.

One team stayed farther back, retreating to the middle section of the stone passage below the platform.

More than fifty kodo beasts were also sent through the Gate of the Void to the desert outside. All battle preparations were ready.

Reslin took a deep breath and retrieved the Thunderforged Colossus from the Nebula Ring.

With a boom, the ten-meter-tall colossal construct slammed heavily onto the ground. Its eyes ignited with blue light, the Titan Furnace activated, and the hum of electrical current rang out from within, driving the heavy mechanical body. Amid thudding footsteps, it walked to the stone door of the pyramid.

The distant minotaurs erupted in an uproar, dumbfounded.

Dejiko stood at the feet of the Thunderforged Colossus, looking up to inspect it, and felt a terrifying threat.

"Lord, this..." The minotaur chieftain was also tongue-tied. "What is this thing?"

"My Thunderforged Colossus."

Reslin did not elaborate further. He said gravely, "I am beginning."

Saying so, he took out the Hammer of Thunder and held it in his hand. He pressed his left hand against the stone door, and streams of soul power flowed out, instantly activating the protective array on the door.

From the sky above, beams of "Light of Sunfire" shone down one after another.

The Thunderforged Colossus had already raised its left hand, spreading a layer of seemingly solid "Blue Crystal Shield." The beams struck the shield, stirring up ripples.

Dejiko, holding a shield in one hand and a hammer in the other, first cast "Light of Strength" on Reslin. He watched the shield overhead nervously and saw that while electrical light crackled across it, it stood as firm as a mountain, unlikely to be broken through anytime soon. Only then did he feel reassured.

Reslin's expression was focused as he continuously adjusted his soul power to crack the array.

Inside the pyramid, the tremendous commotion outside the door reached the palace. The sleeping Sunspot Viper was quickly roused. It raised its serpent head on the altar, its basket-sized pupils contracting into vertical slits, staring toward the great door, its eyes filled with confusion.

Its attention was entirely on the direction of the door, and it did not notice that in a blind spot of the palace's field of view, a sapphire was crushed by solidified metal.

Crack!

A sound barely audible to the ear—the jump gem shattered, and the jump runes within triggered spatial fluctuations, releasing a pre-prepared spell.

On the far side outside the pyramid, Lei En suddenly vanished.

The next instant, he jumped to the palace inside the pyramid and immediately triggered the invisibility ring on his hand, his figure disappearing from sight. He stayed motionless in invisibility for a few seconds. The All-Seeing Eye peered through the square pillars toward the Sunspot Viper on the altar, which still remained completely unaware.

With a thought, Lei En's permanent flight spell lifted him silently into the air, hovering above the ground.

The All-Seeing Eye observed the interior of the palace.

Several protective magics had originally been arranged around the altar, but over more than ten thousand years, the vast majority had already failed.

Some residual arrays had also been destroyed by the Sunspot Viper.

The only arrays left in the entire pyramid were the protection on that sturdy great door, and the spatial barrier array hidden within the body of the tower, which prohibited opening a portal from outside to enter.

Outside the stone door, the commotion caused by Reslin and the colossus grew ever louder, completely holding the Sunspot Viper's attention. After listening for several minutes, it finally could not hold back anymore. It unfurled its massive body over thirty meters long, slowly crawled down from the altar, and slithered toward the great door.

"Now is the time."

Lei En stepped out from behind the square stone pillar, still invisible.

He pulled out a six-ring "Magic Shielding" scroll and tore it open, concealing his casting fluctuations. Immediately after, he spent one second summoning the "Rending Sky Sword." The moment the five-meter-long cyan greatsword appeared, it was enhanced by a second torn "Silence" scroll, then transformed into a streak of cyan light shooting straight toward the Sunspot Viper.

The instant he finished casting, Lei En blinked over.

Despite the silence spell, when the Rending Sky Sword had flown halfway at high speed, the aura of danger it carried still triggered the Sunspot Viper's alertness, and its vicious head turned reflexively.

By then, Lei En had already blinked to its back, less than ten meters away.

He held the Arcane Torrent Staff, pre-activated the six-ring Arcane "Stasis Force Field"; an invisible binding force field instantly spread, enveloping the spotted viper.

Lei En shouted in a loud voice: "Five-ring, True Words Immobilization Technique!"

Note: The capacity of the Nebula Ring has been changed to one thousand cubic meters; previously it was not considered enough, the earlier text has been revised.

(End of chapter)