Chapter 164: The Puppet God
Chapter 164: The Puppet God
"Over there!"
"As expected, all nine pyramids are decoys."
An explosion reverberated from beneath the desert sand, immediately alerting the Wushu warriors.
"The Primal Chaos Martial Array!"
Xin Ruogu's voice boomed, and a vast amount of Wushu domains condensed, transforming into a giant shrouded in the colors of chaos.
The giant was blurry in appearance, towering to the heavens, surrounded by the elements of earth, fire, wind, water, and thunder.
With a roar, the giant slammed its palm down!
The sand dune collapsed, and several figures leaped out.
Among them were mummies wrapped in black bandages and a young student with bleeding orifices—one of the scouts from earlier!
He let out an inhuman howl, his hands transformed into claws, and his domain power surged forth.
"This is no longer our comrade, but a manipulated corpse... 'Soul-Searching Claws'? He can still use martial arts from his previous life? What kind of parasitic evil spirit is this? Blood God Child? Puppet Eye?"
Huyan Qiushui's eyes narrowed as she witnessed this scene, her mind racing.
Boom!
Boom!
But before long, she was interrupted from her thoughts.
The nine black pyramids rumbled, and several students scrambled out, pursued by black mummies, lion-faced humanoids in armor, and bizarre, thick worms with strange shapes—a legion of monsters.
A mix of lower and higher servants formed a monstrous army.
Fang Xing trailed behind the unfortunate students, fleeing toward the Primal Chaos Martial Array. "Quick... let us in!"
"No!"
Xin Ruogu refused: "It's clear that this lower-level minion has manipulation abilities. Who knows if any of you have been secretly plotted against? Now, listen to my command... you will form a harassment squad and coordinate from the outside."
Upon hearing this, Huyan Qiushui's heart stirred.
It was evident that the hidden lower-level minion could only manipulate corpses, and the temporary commander's order seemed to be pushing the students into a dangerous situation.
However, the old adage held true—on the battlefield, as long as there was a valid reason, a commander's order to face death must be obeyed.
Thus, she kept her mouth shut.
"Damn it!"
Fang Xing's face twisted in frustration as he hovered outside the Primal Chaos Martial Array, eyeing the army of servants.
Among them were even a few corpses, likely students who had perished earlier.
Their faces were blank, and their bodies still bore bleeding wounds. Yet, they mechanically marched forward.
A student with long legs leaped gracefully into the air above Fang Xing, surrounding him with an endless barrage of leg shadows.
"Heavenly Extinction Leg? Who do you think you are?"
Fang Xing raised his hands to block the relentless leg shadows, each strike as powerful as a chopping axe, and then retreated backward.
Rumble!
As he moved away, the black mummies waved their hands, and countless black fireballs rained down on his previous location, melting the sand into glass-like substances amidst the black flames...
"Ah!"
Several students who failed to dodge in time were struck by the concentrated fire of the servant army and turned into corpses, their screams echoing in the air.
Squeak!
Thin silk threads descended from the sky, drilling into the charred corpses.
The corpses twisted and convulsed before standing up unsteadily and joining the servant army, their steps gradually becoming steadier.
"This is... spider silk?"
Fang Xing's eyes narrowed.
"I think I know. It's the Puppet God Spider!"
A student's voice quivered with fear.
"Indeed, the Puppet God Spider can manipulate puppets with its spider silk. It's their innate talent..."
Huyan Qiushui's expression turned complex: "The Puppet God Spider can control corpses of the same rank or lower as its own as puppets, and the number is almost unlimited... If a lair is managed by a single 'Puppet God Spider,' it will undoubtedly be extremely terrifying... But the good news is that it has just broken through and won't have any puppets at the lower-level minion stage!"
Squeak!
Almost simultaneously with the appearance of the silk threads, a terrifying black aura enveloped the entire area.
This black aura seemed to be a concentration of negative emotions like despair, fear, and hatred, assaulting the minds of every student.
—Pollution Forcefield!
"Martial Array... Control!"
Xin Ruogu's voice thundered, and layers of armor materialized on the surface of the chaotic giant, repelling the black aura.
However, the students outside the array were not so fortunate.
This was a clan aura attack comparable to the Golden Core Law Domain, and several surviving students immediately collapsed.
Even Fang Xing struggled to maintain his balance, barely sustaining the Dragon and Tiger Domain.
"Quick... save our boss! The Puppet God Spider can only manipulate corpses, and our boss is clearly not one!"
Inside the battle formation, Song Jin'gang shouted anxiously.
"Impossible! With the lower-level minion lurking outside, what if it takes advantage of our vulnerability while we're letting people in? How will we deal with an attack then?"
Xin Ruogu quickly came up with an excuse to refuse, a dark pleasure filling his heart: 'Is this what it feels like to control the life and death of others?'
'That Fang Xing, no matter how talented he is, dares to defy orders on the battlefield?'
'I must climb to the upper echelons of the Federation and dominate the fates of countless others, rather than be controlled by them!'
At that moment, outside the array, as the servant legion drew closer, Fang Xing howled and continued to retreat.
At that moment, amidst the army of servants, a strange and pitch-black spider finally revealed itself.
It was mountainously large, with countless scarlet eyes on its head, and each of its jet-black legs was like a blade, emitting a metallic luster.
"As expected, it's the Puppet God Spider!"
Xin Ruogu's eyes lit up.
The most terrifying aspect of the Puppet God Spider was its ability to create a large number of lower-level puppet minions.
Once it led an army to surround them, even an upper-level minion might not be able to escape with their life.
But within this secret realm, there were no other lower-level minions, so he had hit the jackpot!
'I'll get the lion's share of the credit for this battle, and on top of that, there's that guy...'
His eyes flickered as he looked at Fang Xing.
While he could directly order the latter to his death, doing so would definitely be investigated afterward, which would be troublesome.
"It's better to have him die from the aftermath of a big battle; that would be more reasonable..."
"Now that I control the battle array, the initiative is mine. Getting rid of him should be easy."
As the two behemoths, equivalent to Martial Golden Cores, clashed, it wouldn't be unusual for a few outsiders to be caught in the crossfire. Just as Xin Ruogu was about to make his move, he saw the Puppet God Spider move and position itself above Fang Xing's head.
Then, its eight spider legs, like eight long knives, slashed down fiercely!
Even though the Puppet God Spider specialized in manipulating puppets, it was indeed a lower-level minion-level demon!
The black energy flowing from its body burst forth, suppressing Fang Xing's Dragon and Tiger Domain.
Then, with successive slashes from its leg-knives, it shattered Fang Xing's resistance.
Swish! Swish!
It waved its leg-knives with incredible speed, like a peerless swordsman with eight arms!
Boom!
Fang Xing was struck by a knife-leg and screamed as he was buried deep into the desert.
"What an opportunity!"
Of course, Xin Ruogu wouldn't let this golden opportunity of the Puppet God Spider being distracted pass by.
He roared, and the Chaos Giant brought its right hand down, unleashing a palm strike that blotted out the sky.
The servant army couldn't defend against it and instantly turned into puddles of mud.
"Chi! Chi!"
The Puppet God Spider lifted its body, and a hint of doubt appeared in its myriad scarlet eyes.
It had clearly felt a more threatening aura from that tiny opponent compared to the Chaos Giant, so it chose to attack Fang Xing first.
But it hadn't expected that this tiny opponent would be so weak.
Although there was still a faint sign of life, it was unlikely to interfere with the subsequent battle.
Thus, it quickly changed its posture and pounced toward the Chaos Giant.
This was, of course, part of Fang Xing's plan!
His true body had incredible defense, and he deliberately leaked a bit of his aura to provoke the Puppet God Spider, then took a solid hit to smoothly exit the scene.
Now, it was time to watch the show.
Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!
The terrifying vibration reached deep underground, causing even him to reveal a thoughtful expression.
"Martial Golden Cores possess Golden Core Law Domains and Golden Core Yuan Power... Lower-level minions don't have these, but they have extremely bizarre abilities."
"Every time a large number of outsider warriors gang up on a lower-level minion, they pay a heavy price..."
"But this Puppet God Spider is a bit better; its ability has been restricted."
...
"So this is the might of a Martial Golden Core?"
With the combined strength of the group, Xin Ruogu felt his battle prowess soar to unimaginable heights.
He clasped his hands together, and a long spear appeared in the hands of the Chaos Giant. The spear was entirely blue, and countless wind blades followed in its wake.
The giant thrust the spear like a dragon, and as the spearhead turned, a dazzling array of fiery trees and silver flowers filled the sky.
The wind added to the fury of the flames!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several surviving upper-level servants instantly exploded in midair, and even the Puppet God Spider's body was left with deep, bone-exposing wounds.
It let out a miserable shriek and retreated.
"Haha, as expected, the true body of a puppet master can't take a beating..."
Xin Ruogu laughed heartily and manipulated the Chaos Giant to pursue and attack relentlessly.
"Wait..."
Huyan Qiushui's eyes flickered with a strange light as she hurriedly spoke up, but it was already too late.
Boom! Boom!
As the Chaos Giant marched forward, it suddenly staggered, and its two legs began to crumble.
"Ah!"
Even some of the students forming the Chaos Martial Array screamed as their upper bodies inexplicably separated from their lower bodies.
It was only when blood splattered that they could see the invisible, bloodstained 'spider silk' floating in the air!
This was obviously a trap; the Puppet God Spider had set up invisible spider silk in the air beforehand, using the Chaos Giant's momentum to tear itself apart...
The Evil God's minions weren't entirely insane; many of them had a certain degree of intelligence.
"Not good! Quick, quick! Reform the array!"
Xin Ruogu was stunned when he saw this scene.
However, at this moment, apart from the Blue Sea Team, which was unscathed due to their location, the other students all had varying degrees of injuries.
Some had even died, and with the slightest hesitation, they didn't move to regroup with Xin Ruogu.
"Chi! Chi!"
The Puppet God Spider seized the opportunity and charged into the group of students. With its sharp fangs, it grabbed one student and chewed him to pieces in the blink of an eye.
Invisible spider silk descended from the air, reassembling the torn-apart corpses and turning them against their companions.
"No... Jack!"
A female student trembled as she saw her lover transformed into a puppet and rushing towards her. Even the strongest of hearts would quiver at such a sight.
Pshh!
A flash of sword light, and Jack's head went flying.
"Gather with your respective squads immediately... disperse their attention!" Huyan Qiushui shouted, her eyes sharp as she gave the command.
She could see that the Primal Chaos Martial Array had been broken, and it would be difficult to reform it in a short time.
Moreover, with the surprise attack hitting right at the center, regrouping would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
It would be better to form smaller teams with familiar companions nearby and hunt in a wolf pack-like fashion—a group of wolves fighting a tiger. This would be their strategy to continue battling this lower-level minion!
'Damn that Xin Ruogu... I'll definitely report him when we get back!'
'Is he giving a zero for this command exercise? Uselessly giving orders and getting people killed!'
Huyan Qiushui's heart was filled with anger.
As the temporary commander, she had the power of life and death on the battlefield, but she would also be held responsible for the consequences of her actions afterward.
If Xin Ruogu had taken down this Puppet God Spider with minimal casualties, he would have been commended.
However, with the loss of so many scouts at the beginning and now the Puppet God Spider breaking through their formation, there would undoubtedly be repercussions when they returned.
Witnessing this scene, Xin Ruogu's lips twitched, but he ultimately remained silent.
He probably understood his current situation.
Authority was a mysterious thing; it depended on whether people were willing to follow your orders.
Due to his previous mistakes, he could now only effectively command his own Blue Sea Team.
As the other Wushu warriors joined the siege on the Puppet God Spider, it swiftly changed its strategy. Its body curled up, and secret silken threads formed a defensive barrier around it, layer after layer.
The terrifying black aura continued to surge, sweeping towards them like a tidal wave.
"Dark Star!"
Huyan Qiushui's eyes blazed as she saw her comrades falling one by one.
"Give me three seconds!"
Dark Star ripped off his clothes, revealing his chest, where sinister black veins pulsated. With each pulse, his heart seemed to glow through his transparent chest, a faint dark star twinkling within.
Boom!
The Puppet God Spider seemed to sense the impending danger. Its jet-black legs shimmered with a blood-red hue, and with a crosswise slash, a scarlet cross appeared in the air.
"Taiji!"
Huyan Qiushui's long sword danced, and her domain power spread, forming a black and white Taiji diagram in front of her.
The scarlet cross descended with overwhelming force.
Crack!
The Taiji diagram shattered, and Huyan Qiushui's chest caved in as she was sent flying backward, as if struck by a train.
"This sword is called Meteor!"
At that moment, Dark Star finally unsheathed his sword. His sword was pristine white, as if polished from the bones of an evil creature.
The faint dark star in his chest reached the tip of his sword, and it became a crimson meteor, streaking towards the Puppet God Spider.
The Puppet God Spider let out a painful shrill, and half of its countless scarlet eyes exploded.
Under that crimson meteor strike, its entire body seemed to tremble, and it did not dare to resist.
With a single sword strike, the Puppet God Spider was heavily wounded.
Dark Star, too, covered his chest and knelt on one knee. Evoking a strike comparable to a Martial Golden Core had taken a toll on him, and the backlash was enough to leave him severely injured.
"Haha... Well done, but in the end, it's still up to me to finish it off."
Gujian Tong laughed heartily. "I've finally understood my path of unique martial arts! In the future, there will be a place for me among Martial Saints and Martial Gods... Even above the Martial Gods, my name, 'Gujian Tong,' will be remembered!"
His aura surged at that moment, breaking through the limits of courage and external appearance, reaching the fifth realm of martial arts!
"Light!"
Gujian Tong's right hand reached out, and a spear made entirely of pure light appeared in his grasp.
He bent his waist and put force into his right arm.
Flash!
The pristine white spear vanished and then reappeared, piercing the badly wounded Puppet God Spider's abdomen, impaling it.
"Chichi!"
The Puppet God Spider let out a sharp hiss, and black threads emerged from its tail, spreading towards its surroundings.
An external appearance Wushu warrior, who hadn't dodged in time, screamed as his heart was pierced...
"Protect the damage dealers!"
Song Jin'gang roared, his body glowing with golden light as he shielded Dark Star.
Ding ding dang!
The black spider threads were momentarily blocked by his 'Golden Body,' but they soon pierced through his flesh, seemingly carrying a corrosive poison that made Song Jin'gang's face twist in pain.
"Now's our chance, kill it!"
Xin Ruogu, holding a long spear, charged towards the badly wounded Puppet God Spider with his team.
His eyes blazed with fervor, and his spear resembled a poisonous dragon as he aimed for the finishing blow.
"Human-faced dog!"
Gujian Tong, having just executed his powerful strike, was frustrated that he couldn't beat Xin Ruogu to the punch, and he cursed.
At that moment!
A sword rang out from the horizon, and a platinum sword radiance flashed by!
Xin Ruogu saw the platinum sword light, and then his head fell from his shoulders.
The Great Freedom Deep Gold Sword Qi, the fastest sword speed!
(End of Chapter)
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