Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 305

Lu Wei agreed with Xiao Meng's point of view, then turned to look around: "There's a lot of commotion here. Are there no other Yin Yang School disciples or Qin soldiers coming to support us?"

“They did at first, but then they realized they couldn’t help, so they left.” Xiaomeng and Lu Wei walked side by side, gradually approaching the higher-ups: “The retreat was very orderly; it seems they have another mission.”

"Numbers can be very useful on the battlefield, but they are not very effective in a complex internal environment like a mirage."

Lu Wei recalled the number of Yin Yang Clan patrolling disciples he had killed along the way; the number wasn't large.

Logically speaking, since the Mirage was suddenly activated by the Eastern Emperor tonight and sailed towards the sea, the ship should not be in such an orderly manner.

The only way this could have happened was if Donghuang had prepared a contingency plan in advance to quickly control his disciples and soldiers once the ship was in motion, a plan that could also be kept secret from Shao Siming... Normally, the Yin-Yang School shouldn't have such management talent, but considering it from the opposite perspective, there is indeed another way to achieve this...

Lu Wei had prepared himself for this, and casually reminded Xiaomeng beside him, "Of the five elders of the Yin Yang School, only Shao Siming has been captured by us; the other four elders have not yet shown themselves."

"Their combined strength is greater than that of the River God and Mountain Ghosts, who were abandoned as pawns."

"I know, but didn't you say that Hebo and Shangui are the most trusted confidants of the Ji clan of Donghuang? Would they be used as pawns?" Xiaomeng asked, somewhat puzzled.

“They are indeed trusted confidants, but on this mirage, they can only be used as expendable pawns.” Lu Wei explained calmly, his eyes fixed on the distance ahead.

'Is it ultimately a matter of insufficient ability?' Xiaomeng discerned the reason from the tone of the chivalrous leader.

The two had walked for about sixty breaths when they suddenly stopped at the same time, their eyes narrowing as they immediately became alert to their surroundings.

The ordinary passageways on either side were unremarkable, and no unfamiliar presences were approaching. However, the two corpses lying directly in front of them were none other than the murdered River God and Mountain Spirit...

Was it an illusion? Or had the two entered a maze and returned to their original position?

Upon closer inspection, every room on this floor of the Mirage is indeed identical, and it's easy to get lost if you're not paying attention... But that's for ordinary people. Lu Wei and Xiao Meng are both keen-eyed martial arts masters!

They found nothing unusual until they saw the two bodies.

Xiaomeng raised an eyebrow and carefully stepped forward to examine the corpse. Upon discovering that it was indeed the enemy she had killed with her own hands, she couldn't help but frown.

“It’s neither an illusion nor a maze.” Lu Wei defined the situation, first ruling out the two most likely possibilities: “I think only the last truth remains.”

"What is it?" Xiaomeng temporarily suppressed her pride and patiently asked for an explanation.

“This passage is a ‘living’ mechanical beast.” Lu Wei’s voice was low. He suddenly exerted force on Xiao Meng’s hand and rushed forward at a speed far exceeding the speed at which the two of them had traveled normally. At first, Xiao Meng was not even used to his pace. She only calmed down after receiving the help of Lu Wei’s internal energy to adjust her breathing.

With the powerful burst of internal energy accelerating the journey in a straight line, the 'self-adjustment' switching area of ​​this passage began to struggle to keep up, and some flaws started to emerge.

Finally, the sudden appearance of golden contraptions on the walls and ceiling completely exposed his intentions.

From these mechanisms called 'Yin-Yang Visions', countless fine silver needles were unleashed, attacking every moving object within the passage without any blind spots.

These silver needles are coated with the Yin-Yang School's secret medicine, "Hundred-Day Hemp," which will cause the affected area to lose sensation for up to one hundred days. For Lu Wei and Xiao Meng at this moment, there can be no mistakes.

At the same time, because these silver needles are extremely fine, ordinary internal energy release protection is too shallow and cannot effectively deflect them. The two can only increase their internal energy output to provide a thicker protective layer.

This is alright for Lu Wei, as his Rejuvenation Technique is working quickly, and Xiao Meng can support him for now. However, it's hard to say what will happen if there are any further depletions later on.

If it weren't for the powerful and rapid recovery effect of the Rejuvenation Technique, the two of them might have collapsed before even seeing Donghuang due to the continuous drain on their energy.

At this moment, Lu Wei saw through part of Donghuang's plan: he wanted to use this entire mirage as a weapon to slowly wear them down.

Logically speaking, this part of the journey is just a means for Donghuang to deal with Xiaomeng. On the other hand, Shao Siming, who is using the identity of 'Lu Wei', is still facing unknown difficulties...

In the control room of the Mirage Tower, Gongshu Chou looked at the enemy breaking through the Yin-Yang Vision and scratched his head in amazement: "The enemy that broke in this time is extraordinary, even more difficult to deal with than what the Moon Goddess ordered."

"My mechanical arts have few limitations, unless I use the one from Cloud Pavilion... but judging from the situation, enemies have also infiltrated Cloud Pavilion, but that's none of my concern~"

The Mirage's intricate mechanisms are the result of the combined efforts of the Empire, the Yin-Yang School, and the Gongshu School, who spared no expense in creating it. The control rooms here are divided into three levels, each corresponding to a different area on the Mirage, making it several times more complex than the Mechanized City.

Tonight, the operation of the mirage was mainly carried out by Gongshu Chou and the craftsmen of the Gongshu family under his command, with some Qin soldiers assisting. They were told early on that they could not leave the control room, and under the orders of the black dragon scroll brought out by the Moon Goddess, everyone obediently complied.

"Continue to accelerate. According to the Moon Goddess's command, we can only stop when the 'Fairyland' opens."

After activating all the security mechanisms, Gongshu Chou turned around and went to the power room, where he loudly announced to everyone.

Encouraged by him, the mirage sped up its advance towards the deep sea...

------

"Did the Moon Goddess also instruct you to come to Cloud Pavilion to stop the enemy?"

Outside the Cloud Pavilion, the Grand Master of Fate, arms crossed and leaning against the wall, was utterly bored. He looked at the Lesser Master of Fate, who was walking towards him calmly, and asked in confusion.

Looking at her colleague who often went on missions with her, Shao Siming slowly nodded, recalling the instructions given by the Moon Goddess a long time ago.

The Grand Master of Fate and the Lesser Master of Fate are the pair of elders who go out on the field the most among the five elders of the Yin-Yang School. Because the two are directly under the command of the protector, their longest-serving superior is naturally the hardworking Moon Goddess among the Sun, Moon and Stars.

Besides that, there is Dongjun Yanfei.

If the sun, moon, and stars have rebelled in Donghuang's court, then the position of the Great Master of Fate is naturally unreliable.

Even if only the Lesser Master of Fate actually knew what the Moon Goddess was doing, the Greater Master of Fate was truly wronged.

Shao Siming knew that her partner was unaware of the current situation of the Mirage, and also unaware that she was no longer one of their own, so the 'naive and pure' Shao Siming decided to use her one more time.

'Lord Yunzhongjun's medicine room is very important; this enemy is very strong.'

With a blank expression, she skillfully communicated with her partner by writing in the air; Shao Siming's pale purple pupils were clear and bright.

"Even the strongest enemy is fragile in the face of Yin-Yang magic~" The Great Commander chuckled wickedly, his confidence shining through his outward display of his inner righteousness.

"Let's go to the Cloud Pavilion first and meet with Lord Yunzhong." Shao Siming didn't take it seriously. After writing down her opinion, she headed towards the Cloud Pavilion first. Da Siming didn't think there was anything wrong with the suggestion, so she followed her.

Among the five branches of the Yin-Yang School, Yun Zhongjun is probably the weakest in strength, but he has the highest status. Even though they are both elders, Da Shao Siming is roughly half a level lower in rank than the other, so he needs to be addressed as "Master".

Inside the Cloud Pavilion, Yun Zhongjun, who had received Donghuang's notification long ago, still had some memory loss. Lu Wei's hints were still effective, but they did not affect the overall situation.

He learned that the Great Master of Fate was a traitor to the Yin-Yang School, so even though he had many other things to do on the Mirage deck, he had to deal with these two former colleagues first.

While Yun Zhongjun might not be able to achieve this in terms of individual martial prowess, Yunxiao Pavilion also has a separate guardian: the Nine-Headed Jade Mechanical Beast!

Standing at the entrance to the secret chamber, Yun Zhongjun saw the two women approaching together from afar. A cruel smile played on his lips as he pulled the 'activation' mechanism...

Chapter 370 Killing Xiang Jun

The Grand Master of Fate walked casually across the misty, flat bridge, taking advantage of the fact that the imagined enemy had not yet arrived, and naturally began to admire the magnificent and solemn palace where the elixirs were stored.

Behind this seemingly magnificent, fairyland-like palace lies a terrifying elixir experimental factory. Almost all of Yun Zhongjun's newly produced elixir dolls come from here. Due to the chilling aura emanating from its exquisite appearance, even disciples of the Yin-Yang School are usually unwilling to approach this place too much.

Yun Zhongjun's experiments with human beings were incredibly cruel, but Da Siming was also a ruthless messenger of death. She was very interested in the methods of controlling the living dead with drugs, so she felt particularly close to the place because she knew the secret of Yunxiao Pavilion.

Shao Siming was on high alert along the way, paying particular attention to the nine-headed jade mechanical beast coiled around the ceiling of the Cloud Pavilion.

This mechanical serpent with nine heads is an enhanced version of the Crimson Chain Serpent used by the Gongshu family when they attacked the Mechanical City.

The serpent's body, made of metallic material, reflected a cold light under the illumination of the Cloud Pavilion. The eyes on its nine heads, adorned with rubies, appeared somewhat dim, but the moment they lit up was the moment of slaughter.

Even if Da Siming and Shao Siming joined forces, they would have a hard time dealing with such a metal monster: both the Skull Blood Handprint and the Myriad Leaves Flying Flower Stream are very effective against the fragile human body, but cutting and burning metal is really not their forte.

However, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this enormous nine-headed hydra mechanical beast will undoubtedly become their enemy: the reason Donghuang sent Da Siming here was that, regardless of her loyalty or rebellion, she would either die at Lu Wei's hands, wasting some of his inner energy, or be attacked by the nine-headed magatama along with Lu Wei...

Thinking of this, Shao Siming stopped and looked back at the gate of Yunxiao Pavilion.

Although no sound of gears turning could be heard, the only escape route was most likely blocked.

"What's wrong?" The oblivious Da Siming stopped in her red high heels after hearing her companion stop.

Shao Siming straightened up, shook her head, and was about to pretend nothing was wrong and continue forward when her eyes suddenly lit up when she noticed the nine-headed ruby ​​with magatama above her...

...

Lu Wei and Xiao Meng had just escaped the Yin-Yang Vision range and hadn't even had time to catch their breath when they immediately sensed a large number of auras approaching.

The war of attrition has only just begun.

The vanished Qin soldiers in black armor and the disciples of the Yin-Yang School reappeared, forming a military formation and solemnly coordinating with the Yin-Yang formation as they approached them.

This alone is far from enough to say they pose a threat to Lu Wei and Xiao Meng, but the state of these Qin soldiers and disciples has made the two even more concerned...

Apart from Wu Ling Xuan Tong, who is still learning his skills, most of the other ordinary disciples of the Yin-Yang School have a pale complexion and wear uniform long robes, giving them a gloomy appearance. After practicing Yin-Yang techniques, their self-awareness has obviously changed, but they have not completely lost their self-awareness.

Xu Wang, a former friend of Lu Wei in the martial arts world, is a good example. After leaving the Yin Yang School, he was able to cheerfully get married, have children, and return to a normal life.

However, the blank stares of the Yin-Yang School disciples and the masked Qin soldiers were clearly suspicious.

From them, Lord Xia Kui, who had dealt with Yun Zhongjun, could smell a faint scent of medicine and the aura of Donghuang Taiyi!

They are not complete medicine people, but rather half-medicine people who are vaguely controlled by Donghuang Yin-Yang techniques under the influence of trace amounts of the Ghost-Controlling Pill by Yunzhongjun through food or water!

Compared to drug users, their motivation still comes from themselves. Compared to ordinary people, they are more likely to accept commands that are not contrary to their nature and remain quiet.

By using this method, Donghuang can avoid the chaos that would occur tonight when the disciples on the ship and the Qin army are unaware of the situation due to the sudden activation of the mirage.

At the same time, since the core driving force behind these disciples and the Qin army's actions is no longer the medicinal power, Lu Wei is unable to deal with them as quickly as he dealt with Yun Zhongjun's complete medicinal man in Sanghai a few days ago.

It was a rather complicated battle, but Lu Wei also discovered that Donghuang was not willing to go to any lengths just to wear them down: at least those young boys and girls were not used as sacrifices.

Donghuang still wanted to continue his journey to find immortals after tonight, and the mission of the Mirage Tower remained within Donghuang's concerns!

He exchanged a glance with Xiaomeng, whose colorless aura instantly expanded, enveloping all the nearby enemies. These cannon fodder failed to play the role expected by the Yin-Yang School. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lu Wei rushed out of the deck alone and headed straight for the highest point of the Mirage, the Toad Palace.

Inside the Moon Palace, sensing the approaching powerful aura, Donghuang opened his eyes wide. The unexpected turn of events shocked him: Lu Wei was not in the Cloud Pavilion that he had only vaguely sensed!

'The time isn't up yet.'

Shaking his head, the leader of the Yin-Yang School had no choice but to accelerate the output of his internal energy, regardless of the cost. On the table in front of him, the Illusionary Sound Box opened automatically, playing an ethereal melody...

Lu Wei stared sharply at the Toad Palace. When he heard the music from the Illusionary Sound Box, he drew his sword before he even arrived. The powerful Devouring Sea Sword Qi slashed out, but it was blocked by two chains of internal energy, one black and one yellow, just as it was about to hit its target in mid-air.

The Heavenly Emperor and Earthly Empress, along with the Supreme Goodness Like Water, are another pair of partners in Yin-Yang arts that can be integrated with each other. When Earth arts are combined with Water arts, their defensive power is greatly enhanced, and they can even counteract Lu Wei's sword energy.

Even if it's just one sword strike.

"The Xia Kui is a guest of our Yin Yang School, but he cannot destroy the Mirage."

The chieftain Xiangjun, who emerged from behind the Moon Palace, was dressed in a purple robe. His eyes were upright beneath his sword-like eyebrows, while the mustache on his lips added a touch of complex melancholy to his appearance.

Another beautiful and charming young woman, Lady Xiang, appeared. Her eyebrows were like peaks, gently curved like the moon, and her face revealed a faint trace of sorrow. She stood silently beside Lady Xiang.

It is said that there were two Xiang Lady figures in the Yin-Yang school, but only one has appeared now. It is unknown whether she is Ehuang or Nüying.

Xiangjun 'Shun' was clearly trying to stall for time. Lu Wei didn't respond verbally, but instead drew his sword to close the distance with these new enemies.

"We are all of noble birth..." Xiang Jun wanted to say a few more words, but Lu Wei suddenly disappeared in a flash, causing his expression to change drastically. Disregarding his dignity, he hurriedly tried to retreat. Madam Xiang didn't dare delay either; a ring of water emanated from her, but before she could detect anything amiss, Lu Wei's sword was already aimed at her throat...

In the face of life and death, there was no time to think too much. Lady Xiang's vision went black, and she subconsciously used the "Supreme Goodness is Like Water" technique. At the same time, a layer of frost formed on her other hand.

In the Yin-Yang School's Water Department, there are two supreme mental techniques: one is "The highest good is like water," and the other is "White dew deceives frost." But just like the Daoist Heavenly Sect's "The mind is as still as water" and "Ten thousand rivers flow like autumn water," these are two completely opposite ways of channeling energy.

Xiaomeng is exceptionally talented. At a young age, she was able to master the art of "stillness of mind" and "autumn waters of ten thousand rivers." Although Lady Xiang was not as talented as her, she also mastered both water techniques of the Yin-Yang School.

With the help of the combined ice shield, Lady Xiang managed to barely block the sharpness of the Devouring Sea Sword, but the sword energy still penetrated her body.