The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind—Used as Pawns
The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind—Used as Pawns
“How did they find this place?”
Jiang Luoshen’s expression was none too pleasant. In her view, this place was riddled with branching paths—if one wanted to locate the main tomb, it should have taken considerable effort.
How had several Sect Master-level figures suddenly arrived?
“They likely split up and each chose a different path. This group just got lucky and happened to find this place. And we just happened to break the Restrictions and Array Patterns here for them, handing them the advantage.”
The blonde old woman beside Jiang Luoshen spoke in a low, heavy voice.
At the same time, she stepped forward, displaying her own formidable strength. Her Sacred King Realm cultivation erupted, directly shaking the various great sect leaders.
As Jiang Luoshen’s protector, her cultivation was naturally immensely powerful—she was Jiang Luoshen’s current pillar of support.
“You hold them off.”
“I’ll go retrieve the Founding Ancestor’s Divinity Crystal.”
Jiang Luoshen coldly swept her gaze over that group of great sect leaders, then stepped forward, transforming into a streak of golden light as she set off, intending to charge toward that Platform.
Meanwhile, the other members of the Godly Illusion Clan vigilantly scanned their surroundings, guarding against anyone else bursting in at this moment.
“That is the Divinity Crystal of the Godly Illusion Clan’s Founding Ancestor. Everyone, let us strike together to seize it. Once we have it, we each take a share—what say you?”
The several great sect leaders who had charged in stared somewhat feverishly at that purple crystal, sensing the vast aura and energy fluctuations emanating from within.
If they could refine and absorb it, their cultivation would naturally receive an enormous boost.
The bottleneck of the Sacred King Realm that they had failed to break through all these years might just be forced open with this opportunity.
These words immediately won everyone’s agreement. After all, that Divinity Crystal was the size of a fist.
Even if each person received only a small piece, it would be an extraordinary fortune—well worth the trip.
Although the blonde old woman was at the Sacred King Realm, in their eyes, she was no match for all of them combined.
“Princess, I can only hold them off for a while. You must quickly take the Founding Ancestor’s Divinity Crystal and leave.”
“Once I find a chance to break away, I’ll come find you.”
The blonde old woman transmitted her voice to Jiang Luoshen. As she finished speaking, an enormous golden pagoda materialized in her hand.
A full nine stories tall, golden light surging like a golden sun illuminating this place, radiating a blinding brilliance.
The fluctuations of a Sacred King erupted, like a mountain torrent unleashed, overturning heaven and earth with tremendous momentum.
“You cannot stop us. If you know what’s good for you, hand over that Divinity Crystal.”
“Don’t bring ruin upon yourselves. If you perish here, don’t blame us.”
The four great sect leader powerhouses before them wore indifferent expressions. Seeing this, they too began to strike.
All manner of divine chains of order were unleashed by them, dazzling and terrifying, interweaving here like countless stars exploding, the energy fluctuations utterly horrifying.
The void itself seemed about to shatter, barely able to withstand such fluctuations.
From the moment they struck, it was with supreme Transcendent techniques and treasured arts.
Were it not for the special Array Patterns of this place—the site where that Founding Ancestor of the Godly Illusion Clan had passed away—it would have long since collapsed into ruins under such fluctuations.
In an instant, a terrifying great battle erupted here.
Whether it was the blonde old woman or the four Sect Master-level figures, all were displaying their strongest methods. At their level, every exchange could destroy heaven and earth.
Though it appeared grand and sweeping, in truth it contained boundless destructive power within.
Jiang Chen’s legs went weak, a suffocating sense of dread gripping his heart. His strength, before such powerhouses, was truly no more than an ant’s.
“If things go wrong in a moment, we’ll have to flee for our lives first...”
Jiang Chen communicated with the Artifact Spirit of the Celestial Boat of Creation for a while, casting a worried glance at Jiang Luoshen.
Right now, Jiang Luoshen was their greatest safeguard.
If something happened to her here, these great sect leaders would absolutely not spare his life.
“Benefactor Jiang, the two of us should take this chance to...”
Monk Pu Du’s face was also somewhat pale. He had thought the Godly Illusion Clan’s forces were sufficient.
But under the siege of four great sect leaders...
Clearly, they couldn’t hold out for long.
The other powerhouses’ cultivation wasn’t weak, but compared to great sect leaders, they fell far short.
“Why is the Platform where the Founding Ancestor passed away... actually obstructing me? What is going on with these Array Patterns...”
At this moment, Jiang Luoshen’s voice rang out, her expression rather ugly.
Her figure had just rapidly approached that Platform, but a hazy golden mist permeated its surface. Then, ripple-like fluctuations spread out, incomparably vast, blocking her outside and preventing her from drawing near.
The Array Patterns within had been triggered by her and then revived.
Yet that aura clearly belonged to her clan’s Founding Ancestor—so why would it now refuse to let her pass?
“Jiang Chen, what is going on?”
Jiang Luoshen looked at Jiang Chen and asked coldly, noticing his intention to slip away.
“That should be Array Patterns specifically left behind to prevent anyone from stealing the Divinity Crystal after his passing. It will take some time to crack.”
Jiang Chen’s scalp tingled. Under Jiang Luoshen’s gaze, he felt his very soul tremble.
If Jiang Luoshen wanted to kill him right now, with his abilities, there was simply no way he could escape.
“If you can’t crack these Array Patterns, then you need not continue living today.”
Jiang Luoshen said coldly.
Jiang Chen cursed inwardly, but had no choice. Braving the terrifying fluctuations of this place, he steeled himself and hurried over.
With his own abilities, he naturally couldn’t crack these Array Patterns.
But given enough time, the Artifact Spirit of the Celestial Boat of Creation could indeed do it.
However, just then, the blonde old woman who was battling the four great sect leaders suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and fell from the sky, her hair disheveled, her body covered in blood, in an utterly wretched state.
Although she was at the Sacred King Realm, she had broken through by trickery back then and couldn’t compare to a true Sacred King.
Not to mention, before her were four great sect leader-level figures—in their youth, they had undoubtedly been invincible prodigies who swept all before them, their strength immensely powerful.
At first she could hold her own somewhat, but as time dragged on, she was bound to fall into a disadvantage.
“Granny Jin...”
Jiang Luoshen’s expression changed, her silver teeth secretly clenched.
Hearing her, the blonde old woman shook her head, swallowed a pill, and charged back into the fray once more, her entire body glowing, wreathed in golden radiance, urging her weapon onward to suppress and kill.
Jiang Luoshen grew even more anxious.
If that Elder from before hadn’t died at Gu Changge’s hands, how would she have ended up in such a passive position now, needing Granny Jin to desperately buy time?
“How much longer can you hold out? Resistance is futile. Obediently hand the Divinity Crystal over to us, and you may yet live today.”
The four Sect Master-level figures spoke coldly, their great hands sweeping across and slamming into the blonde old woman, making her cough up blood once more, her injuries grievous.
Their power was simply too great. Even though their cultivation had not reached the Sacred King Realm, their combat strength was not far off. Now, with the four of them joining forces, they were truly unstoppable.
“All of you, hold them off for me.”
Jiang Luoshen coldly swept her gaze over the four Sect Master-level figures, ordering those beside her to step forward and delay them.
“Jiang Chen, hurry up for me.”
Receiving the order, the other Godly Illusion Clan powerhouses also began charging forward without hesitation, bringing out all manner of weapons and displaying their strongest methods.
Only, their advance was futile—almost instantly they were coughing blood and falling back.
Many of them burst apart in an instant, body and soul annihilated.
This scene made Jiang Luoshen’s expression even uglier, her jade hands clenched tight.
Though she still had other means in hand, those were all life-saving trump cards reserved for critical moments.
She admitted she had been careless. She hadn’t brought enough people on this trip—otherwise, she wouldn’t be in such a humiliating position now.
“Done. These Array Patterns are resolved.”
At this moment, Jiang Chen’s voice came through. He exhaled in relief, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, somewhat as if a great weight had been lifted.
As a flash of light passed through his hand, the Array Patterns before him began to crack, then shattered into a rain of light.
The Artifact Spirit of the Celestial Boat of Creation had expended a great deal of power for this, nearly falling into slumber once again.
Jiang Luoshen felt that terrifying resistance vanish and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She was about to step forward, heading onto the Platform to collect that purple crystal-like Divinity Crystal.
Boom rumble rumble!!!
At that moment, an enormous commotion came once more from the direction of the corridor.
The expressions of everyone fighting here shifted slightly. Even the four Sect Master-level figures locked in combat with the blonde old woman had no choice but to halt, frowning as they looked over.
The void trembled as an incomparably sharp force suddenly descended.
Ripples spread out one after another, like petals blooming in the void, containing supreme laws, finally transforming into heaven-piercing Sword Qi that slashed toward the battling crowd!
Such a strike was truly domineering beyond compare, instantly causing the four Sect Master-level figures’ expressions to change. Somewhat daunted, they hastily retreated backward, not daring to take the blow head-on.
But even the aftershock left their blood and qi roiling, deeply uncomfortable.
“Who is it?”
Their expressions turned ugly. They felt like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind—they had actually been used as pawns.
Jiang Luoshen’s expression turned cold as she retrieved an item from her Storage Ring, ready to bring it out at any moment.
The Array Patterns on the Platform had only just been cracked when someone suddenly appeared, making her feel that the other party had likely arrived long ago, merely hiding in the shadows to watch the show.
“Why has someone else come?”
Jiang Chen’s brow furrowed tightly as he too looked toward the corridor.
“Oh? It seems Gu has arrived at an inopportune time? Why are you all looking at me like that?”
The next moment, accompanied by a light chuckle, the figures of a man and a woman appeared at the entrance of the corridor.
Between his palm and fingers, Sword Qi flickered in and out of existence, casually slashing out, giving everyone a heart-palpitating sensation as if the universe itself were collapsing into oblivion.
“Gu Changge!”
Jiang Luoshen’s golden eyes fixed dead upon the young man walking toward them, her gaze filled with undisguised hatred—and shock.