Book 3: Chapter 62: Breaking a Revolution
Liao Ya’s face sank.
“That’s impossible. What ritual array was it? You actually could not fight back?” Liao Ya said while glaring.
“I was the first to be suppressed, but that happened near the exit. Coincidentally, two flood dragons knocked away the fog ball suppressing me when they got suppressed. That allowed me to flee. That ritual array seemed to be targeting our draconic nature! It’s similar to the Dragon Fixing Hoop? Right, the Dragon Fixing Hoop!” the baxia shouted in horror.
Liao Ya’s expression changed.
The baxias and flood dragons fled in a rush. However, after entering and exiting, only five thousand of them remained. One thousand remained trapped inside.
——
At the same time:
Due to Army Breaker’s excellent hearing, he naturally heard everything from north of the Th.o.r.n.y Ritual Array. He relayed everything that happened in the east to Duke Lu Yang.
Ao Shun’s face sank. “Ritual array? The Dragon Fixing Hoop’s ritual array? How can that be? It must be new. Who laid it?”
Duke Lu Yang did not get angry. Instead, he appeared slightly surprised as he said, “Oh? Unexpectedly, there is such a harvest tonight.”
“Duke!” Ao Shun frowned.f???????ovel.c?m
“It’s fine. None of them can escape tonight. Initially, I was planning just to level the ritual array and capture Huangfu Chaoge. Since there is something new, let’s test it out. Perhaps it will be useful to this duke?” Duke Lu Yang showed an expression of arrogance.
“Liao Ya, go in and take a look,” Ao Shun commanded.
“Yes, Crown Prince!” Liao Ya answered when he heard the voice from afar.
“You lot, enter with me. Since it is the Dragon Fixing Hoop, then it only targets sub-dragons. Go in with me!” Liao Ya ordered coldly.
“Roar!”
One hundred gigantic dragons roared and charged to the bottom of the sea.
Boom!
The dragons immediately followed the path the flood dragons took, avoiding the poison from the thorns at the bottom of the sea and squeezing their way into the ritual array.
As the group squeezed in, Liao Ya hung back a little, letting the frontmost five gigantic dragons enter the sea within the ritual array first.
The five dragons only just poked their heads in when a bellow rang out: “I have the strength to pick up mountains, and my might conquers the world!”
Five halberds fell towards the five dragons.
“Roar!”
The dragons glared and roared. Then, they spewed out streams of icy breath, wanting to freeze the attacker.
However, the attacker was not human. Instead, it was the Xiang Yu cloud beast. Five Xiang Yu cloud beasts ignored the icy breath and landed their halberds on the dragons’ heads.
Boom!
The five dragons goggled, unable to move. Half their bodies were still stuck in the ground; only their heads were out.
Suddenly, a loud shout rang out. “Chop!”
A man stabbed a bone saber into a gigantic dragon’s forehead. Then, he jumped to another dragon and repeated the action until he had stabbed all five dragons.
“Roar!” The five dragons glared, wanting to struggle.
However, it was already too late. The Life Ender Saber had already cut them, and black energy surged into their heads through their wounds.
“Roar! Roar! Roar!”
The five dragons roared in pain as their bodies squirmed.
However, five halberds held down the dragons, preventing them from moving their heads. They could not flee; they could only squirm in pain.
“Roar! Roar!”
The five dragons howled in pain. However, the surging black energy had already manifested countless tiny skulls that frantically devoured their bodies.
The dragons behind these five saw the five dragons struggling frantically before going still.
“What’s going on?” Liao Ya goggled.
“Something happened?”
“Leader, they seem to be in pain? Quickly save them!”
“Ah! That black energy! The black energy! Ah! Their bodies are gone; only bones are left! They were eaten! The black energy ate them! Only bones remain?”
The dragons exclaimed wildly, and Liao Ya’s expression changed. “Retreat!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The dragons fled in horror.
“Crown Prince, the ritual array not only targets sub-dragons. The first five dragons got trapped and eaten in an instant. Now, only their skeletons remain!” Liao Ya shouted into the distance.
——
On Duke Lu Yang’s flying s.h.i.+p:
Ao Shun’s face sank. “How bold!”
However, Duke Lu Yang’s eyes filled with even more antic.i.p.ation as he raised his hand to stop Ao Shun.
“Our spy reported that it should be that Gu Hai who laid the ritual array in the east. Not bad. An excellent ritual array!” Duke Lu Yang’s eyes gleamed.
“Duke!” Ao Shun still showed anger on his face.
“If that person is capable and I can use him, it would be worth this trip.” Confidence flashed in Duke Lu Yang’s eyes.
“However, what are we going to do about those one thousand flood dragons and baxias? Are we just leaving them to die?” Ao Shun asked worriedly.
This was still a large force in the end. They could not be wasted there.
“That’s true!” Duke Lu Yang nodded.
Then, Duke Lu Yang narrowed his eyes at the Th.o.r.n.y Ritual Array and said, “The Th.o.r.n.y Ritual Array has a sound barrier. While those inside can hear what happens outside, those outside cannot hear what is happening inside. Army Breaker, ‘Breaking a Revolution.’”
“Yes!” Army Breaker nodded and stepped forward.
Ding!
Zither music suddenly rang out from nowhere. The zither music sounded cold, containing a somber and desolate air as it rushed towards the Th.o.r.n.y Ritual Array.
The cracks in the Th.o.r.n.y Ritual Array allowed the zither music to enter instantly.
Buzz!
The moment the zither music entered the ritual array, it immediately took form, manifesting a thirty-meter-tall skeleton warrior image. This skeleton warrior held up a saber as it charged at a treant.
“Ah! Oh, no!” That treant’s expression changed as it raised its hands. Then, vines shot towards the skeleton warrior.
Boom!
When the two crashed, a metallic sound rang out.
“Argh!”
This clash instantly knocked the treant into the air.
Then, the skeleton warrior continued charging in, flying deeper into Love Flower Valley.
“Break!”
A strong treant extended its hand.
Boom!
The skeleton warrior image exploded.
“‘Breaking a Revolution’?” Huangfu Chaoge’s face sank.
“A sound technique?” Granny Qing Hua’s face sank as well.
A skeleton warrior was nothing. However, this was just the beginning of “Breaking a Revolution.”
Ding! Ding ding! Ding ding!
Outside the ritual array, Army Breaker waved his hand. “Breaking a Revolution” only just started. The music seemed to take on physical form, appearing like a long, white river gus.h.i.+ng into the Th.o.r.n.y Ritual Array and entering through the seams. The moment the music entered the Th.o.r.n.y Ritual Array, it turned into images of skeleton warriors. While the skeleton army looked wispy like smoke or mist, they were incredibly ferocious.
Roar!
The skeleton army roared as it rushed out in all directions. The skeleton warriors swung their weapons at the various love flower treants.
“Argh! Granny! Save me!”
“Die!”
“You b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!”
Love Flower Valley instantly turned chaotic.
A one-million-strong skeleton army erupted in the valley, immediately bringing a h.e.l.lish calamity.
“Myriad Earthen Vines!” Granny Qing Hua shouted while glaring.
Rumble…!
Behind Granny Qing Hua, the largest love flower tree in Love Flower Valley shook. Then, many vines appeared in the valley, instantly protecting the various treants.
However, the music continued ringing outside. The skeleton army never stopped.
“Roar!”
Swis.h.!.+ Swis.h.!.+ Swis.h.!.+ Swis.h.!.+ Swis.h.!.+
Boom!
The skeleton army swung their weapons, attacking the vines as they chased after the treants.
Boom!
One skeleton soldier got shattered. However, ten more quickly formed. With music producing soldiers, this a.s.sault displayed endless might.
——
At the sh.o.r.e in the east of the ritual array, hundreds of skeleton soldiers poured in together with the zither music.
Long Wanqing’s expression changed. “‘Breaking a Revolution,’ manifesting music as an army?”
Long Wanqing quickly drew her sword in response to the change and started fighting a few skeleton soldiers.
Ding ding ding! Dang dang dang!
The skeleton soldiers could not be destroyed or eliminated. It seemed like they would be satisfied only after killing everyone.
“Hall Master Long, why can’t we kill these monsters?! Ah!” a few treants shouted in horror as they fought.
“This is a sound technique of the music Dao. A killing zither melody. I have no way to break this.” Long Wanqing appeared anxious.
Just at this moment, Mu Chenfeng brought Ensnaring Performance over from not far away.
“Ah? b.a.s.t.a.r.ds? Don’t kill me. This great one is a heaven-grade zither as well!” Ensnaring Performance ran about, dodging the attacks.
The skeleton army gave relentless chase. As Mu Chenfeng blocked the skeleton army, he called out to Ensnaring Performance, “Ensnaring Performance, make a counterattack! Make a counterattack!”
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The s.p.a.ce around Ensnaring Performance fluctuated, bringing out numerous fairies.
“Attack!”
A skeleton soldier swung its weapon.
Bang!
One skeleton soldier instantly ma.s.sacred the numerous fairies.
Ensnaring Performance: “…”
So many fairies killed in one attack?
“Hurry! Hurry!” Mu Chenfeng urged anxiously.
Cold sweat immediately filled Ensnaring Performance’s forehead. “I’m on it! I’m on it! However, the pieces I know are all peaceful. They are all positive pieces. I don’t have any ferocious ones like this.”
“This is Army Breaker’s sound technique. Both of you are heaven-grade zithers. You won’t differ by much, right? Just use whatever you know!” Long Wanqing yelled.
“‘b.u.t.terfly Lovers’ I know ‘b.u.t.terfly Lovers’!” Ensnaring Performance resorted to trying anything.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
As the zither music rang out, b.u.t.terflies filled the place.
Bang!
Ten soldiers swung their sabers and chopped all the b.u.t.terflies in half, leaving b.u.t.terfly corpses filling the air.
Long Wanqing: “…”
“I know the Canon! Yes, I know the Canon!” Ensnaring Performance cried out in a fl.u.s.ter.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
Suddenly, the image of a man playing the piano appeared. A young miss of a wealthy family listened in adoration.
Bang!
Fifty skeletons swung their weapons, shredding the man and the wealthy young miss into mincemeat.
Mu Chenfeng: “…”
“I also know ‘Sonata Pathétique Yes! I know ‘Sonata Pathétique’ That is a warrior’s song!” Ensnaring Performance’s eyes lit up.
Ding! Ding ding! Ding ding!
When Ensnaring Performance played “Sonata Pathétique,” a strong warrior suddenly appeared.
Boom!
The warrior punched the skeleton soldier in front.
“Haha! Success!” Ensnaring Performance’s eyes lit up.
“Roar!”
Hundreds of skeleton soldiers poured over.
“Die!”
The strong warrior charged over and outrageously fought against five hundred alone.
However, as the number of skeleton soldiers increased, the fight intensified. The warrior seemed like he could not last much longer.
“Why is there only one warrior? Bring out more! Hurry!” Long Wanqing cried out anxiously.
Ensnaring Performance’s expression turned dark as he said, “‘Sonata Pathétique’ has only one warrior.”
Long Wanqing: “…”
Mu Chenfeng: “…”
The “Breaking a Revolution” intensified further, resulting in more skeleton soldiers charging in.
The surroundings appeared chaotic. The treants cried out miserably as they fled in all directions.
“Where’s Gu Hai? Where’s Gu Hai?” Mu Chenfeng said anxiously.
Bang!
Gu Hai came out of the sea not far away while holding a bone saber.
The one thousand flood dragons and baxias at the bottom of the sea had already turned into piles of bones.
Gu Hai flushed red, nearly vomiting blood as he suppressed the chaotic energy in his body.
The moment Gu Hai exited the sea, he saw the countless skeleton soldiers rampaging everywhere, hunting down the treants.
“Master! Save me! I can’t last any longer! What should I do?!” Hundreds of skeleton soldiers were chasing Ensnaring Performance at this moment.
“Go!”
Gu Hai flung his hand, tossing out the Heaven Suppressing Divine Imperial Seal.
Boom!
The Heaven Suppressing Divine Imperial Seal immediately suppressed one hundred skeleton soldiers.
“What’s going on?” Gu Hai exclaimed as he looked at Long Wanqing, who was fighting ten skeleton soldiers.
“It’s ‘Breaking a Revolution,’ a war piece! We need to keep fighting until it stops. Gu Hai, do you have a piece to break this?” Long Wanqing asked anxiously.
“A war piece?” This startled Gu Hai.
“Ensnaring Performance, come over. I’ll teach you ‘Ambush from Ten Sides Gu Hai called out.
[TL Note: “Ambush from Ten Sides” is a difficult pipa solo piece normally played only by virtuosos. It is based on the Battle of Gaixia, a decisive battle in ancient China involving Xiang Yu, who lost, and Liu Bang, the victor. Here is a Wikipedia entry about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambush_from_Ten_Sides. Also, here is a Youtube link of a performance of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rx5uqX4mBA. The music might be familiar, as it has been used in many kungfu shows and movies.]