Chapter 126: World-Toppling
Chapter 126: World-Toppling
The magnificent wall of light severed the night, standing imposingly before them.
Four lesser fiend lords roared in fury, their spells bombarding the light wall, yet it did not budge at all.
The Red-Back Centipede tried to skirt around. The knight captain gave a cold laugh, his eyes sharp like lightning. Raising his dragon lance high, he let out a furious shout.
“Forbidden Dragon Lance!”
Before his voice faded, all the knights moved as one. Their formation shifted from a linear wave into a sharp arrowhead, with the captain as its tip, and they charged forward!
The light wall shattered, but the glorious light did not vanish. Instead, it cascaded and gathered into a radiant dragon lance adorned with spreading runes, thrusting sideways in a sudden flash of light and crashing into the Red-Back Centipede.
Boom!
The Red-Back Centipede let out a mournful shriek, a huge hole now gaping in its body, blue blood pouring out.
“Since you’ve come, leave something behind!”
Tao Hua naturally wouldn’t miss the chance to beat a drowning dog. Her body became like an ephemeral illusion, landing on the Red-Back Centipede’s back. The twinned black lotus turned into a dark gleam, severing several of its claws.
“Night-Severing Long Wall!”
As the Red-Back Centipede retreated, the knights immediately wheeled around, transforming again into a wall of brilliant light, blocking the path of the four fiends.
Swift and fierce as fire, steady and immovable as a mountain. The words “elite troops” were truly well-deserved!
“Light’s Severance… huh?” Li Yi’s eyes flickered intensely, his mind stirred. “The Dao Transformation Armaments… they can actually connect their souls and resonate their power? Using this method, they condensed the might of furious rage!”
“And this is only with twelve Forbidden Garrison Cavalry.”
“What about twenty-four? Thirty-six? And further, a full legion?”
Running some calculations in his mind, Li Yi’s eyes trembled, a touch of fear creeping in.
“Let me see the knack in this.”
Morning light seemed to flow in his eyes. He pretended nonchalance and began observing earnestly.
“Ugh, I almost forgot…”
After only a few glances, Li Yi’s expression changed drastically. He clutched his head and groaned in pain.
The intense agony in his soul made his whole body convulse. It hurt so much he couldn’t speak.
“What happened to you?” Zhangsun Shenji’s face showed concern. He took a few steps closer, then noticed something, his expression turning grim. “You injured your Soul Origin?”
“Got hit by a Death Knight’s ‘Wailing Ghost Spear,’” Li Yi rubbed his temples and said tersely. “Surviving it was already pretty lucky…”
“How severe is the injury?”
“Complete recovery will take at least three months…” Li Yi wore a bitter expression.
“Damn it!” Zhangsun Shenji clenched his fist, smashing it hard into the empty air.
After a standoff and several more probing skirmishes where the fiends gained no advantage, they were forced to retreat unwillingly.
In terms of overall combat power, the fiend side was clearly stronger. But battle wasn’t simple addition. The four fiends distrusted each other, unable to unite as one, their strengths hampering one another. The Red-Back Centipede, which retreated first, was afraid the other lesser lords would take advantage, hence its escape.
The fighting ceased.
“Speak, how will you compensate Li Yi?” Zhangsun Shenji refused to let it go, saying coldly, “Serving the country deserves some reward…”
“His injury has nothing to do with me…” Tao Hua wanted to argue a little, but under Li Yi’s cold stare, she felt somewhat ashamed. “Fine, fine, these centipede legs can count as compensation! How’s that? Level Five fiend flesh and blood isn’t cheap.”
“Just this? Not enough!” Zhangsun Shenji looked displeased.
“Then what do you want? I have nothing else on me…” Tao Hua shook her body to show she possessed nothing of value, then suddenly remembered something. “Alright, fine, I’ll give you this!”
She flicked her slender hand, and a sword-shaped token struck the ground in front of Li Yi.
“Shadow-Bearing Token? This is your identity token, how can you give it away so casually?” Zhangsun Shenji was taken aback, then his face darkened.
“I’ll just say I lost it and get another one, that’s all,” Tao Hua shrugged. She seemed to have done this sort of thing often.
“Aren’t you afraid I might use this token to throw my weight around and commit evil deeds?” Li Yi picked up the Shadow-Bearing Token, puzzled.
“Evil deeds? Ordinary commoners don’t even recognize this token. Those who do are mostly high-ranking officials, whom this token cannot command anyway.” Tao Hua clearly spoke from personal experience, her face filled with indignation. “This thing is practically useless! But, if used appropriately, it might save your life sometimes.”
Li Yi had been considering getting closer to the Forbidden Garrison Cavalry to secretly study their Armed Equipment—”Light’s Severance”—but they had to return to report their mission, so he had to let it go.
“Can you tell us what we were risking our lives for?” Li Yi asked as they parted. He still had an unanswered question knotting his heart.
“Empire secret. No comment!”
It was the same rigid, official talk.
…
“Is that Mist-Hidden Epiphyllum still there?” Li Yi forced down his frustration, his mouth twitching as he asked.
“Gone long ago!” Zhangsun Shenji gently shook his head, his face full of bitterness. “Even if it were, in our current state, going in would be suicide…”
“Let’s go back!” Li Yi said wearily, languidly waving his hand.
Both of them felt resentful, nursing their own grievances.
Who could have predicted a simple trip to the marshes would lead to such upheaval?
During the journey, Zhangsun Shenji grew interested and asked about the Colossal Beast Scripture Lecture.
Li Yi answered in detail, recounting everything. Suddenly, a thought struck him, reminding him of something.
“Zhangsun, take a look at this for me…” The Sumeru Ring flashed with a dark gleam. Li Yi turned his hand over, and a lump of jade-silver appeared in his palm.
It resembled quicksilver, crystalline and translucent, shifting forms as if alive, mysterious and wondrous.
This was the gift from the Evil Eye.
Now far from the marshes, he could finally take it out with peace of mind.
“What… what is this?” Zhangsun Shenji looked astonished, examining it carefully. Suddenly, his expression changed dramatically, and he burst into laughter. “I know! This is World-Toppling Tear! Haha, Li Yi, you’re truly a lucky star! This trip was worth it, more than worth it!”
“World-Toppling Tear? What is that?” Looking at the ecstatic Zhangsun Shenji, Li Yi was utterly confused.
“Simply put, this is the old eye shed by an Evil Eye when it advances. However, ordinary Evil Eyes only leave behind a rotten husk. Only an Evil Eye possessing ‘World-Piercing Pupils’ can condense a World-Toppling Tear!”
“What’s it used for?” Li Yi pointed out the key question.
“It has great uses!” Zhangsun Shenji couldn’t contain his joy, his eyebrows practically flying upwards. “This World-Toppling Tear can be refined into one of two kinds of potions that bestow pupil techniques. You choose one.”
“Pupil techniques?”
“One is a Black Pupil Potion, which can forge ‘Tyrannical Black Pupils.’ Its effect is to unleash the Evil Eye’s innate spell—’Death’s Evil Kiss.’ The other is a White Pupil Potion, which can create ‘Insightful White Pupils,’ enabling one to vaguely perceive lines of Rule.” Zhangsun Shenji turned his head, asking with a smile, “Well? Which of the two pupil techniques do you want?”
“Insightful White Pupils!” Li Yi thought for a moment and said calmly.
“Oh? You’re not choosing Tyrannical Black Pupils? This pupil technique, true to its name, is tyrannical and powerful, simple and direct,” Zhangsun Shenji said, startled. “But Insightful White Pupils only allow you to perceive a few lines of Rule. Until you become an Archmage and comprehend Rules, it’s almost useless.”
“I am an Armament Master,” Li Yi gave a faint smile. “Besides, I already have Dawnlight Eyes. Perhaps they can complement each other and produce new mysteries. As for offensive methods, I already have enough!”
He thought to himself, once the Heavenly Prophecy Ring finished its advancement, his various abilities would surely improve again.
“Let me hold onto this World-Toppling Tear for three months first!” Zhangsun Shenji studied the item, unable to put it down.
“Oh?” Li Yi was curious. “What do you want with it?”
“This tear contains the various Rules personally experienced by the Evil Eye, akin to its memories! For me, this thing is no less valuable than the Mist-Hidden Epiphyllum!” Zhangsun Shenji’s eyes shone brightly, excited. “In exchange, three months later, I’ll personally concoct the potion for you, and I’ll also supply the other required materials.”
“No problem!” Li Yi waved a hand, smiling. “Between us brothers, why be nitpicky?”
“Oh, right. Within ten days, you’d better not meditate or cultivate,” Zhangsun Shenji suddenly remembered, saying seriously.
“Why?”
“According to my clan’s records, when the Soul Origin is damaged, you should wait ten days first, letting the soul repair itself, before meditating. If you rush to meditate and actively repair it, it will weaken the soul’s self-repair, or even cause it to lose that ability.”
“There’s such a thing?” Li Yi listened, dumbfounded.
Zhangsun Shenji nodded.
“Fine, I happen to have things to do as well!” Li Yi thought for a moment, then laughed heartily.
“What things?” Zhangsun Shenji looked curious.
“I’m filing a complaint!” A fierce light boiled in Li Yi’s eyes. “Yu Qian attempted to murder an Inner-Mansion Disciple. According to The Precipice’s decrees, that’s a serious crime!”
“Good, I’ll go too, as a witness!” Hearing this, Zhangsun Shenji also chuckled darkly.
Yu Qian, prepare to face the music!