Chapter 861: Death God Descends

The warriors from the Prince Qi's manor were elite, hand-picked experts. However, just moments before, He Li had thoroughly inspected the terracotta figures, swearing they were mere lifeless statues. How could they have known the figures would suddenly come to life?

Moreover, these terracotta figures moved with speed and precision, coordinating seamlessly, exactly like a rigorously trained army.

As a result, while the warriors could dodge one or two blades, they couldn't evade the long spears and halberds attacking from other directions.

One by one, before dying, they cursed He Li and his ancestors eighteen generations back, blaming the "pig-headed" teammate for their demise.

Seeing half his subordinates perish in the blink of an eye, Zhao Ruizhi roared in fury, "You're asking for death!"

An overwhelming pressure radiated outwards, and simultaneously, a golden light flashed. Before anyone could see what was happening, the terracotta warriors within dozens of feet around them shattered into pieces.

"This guy is indeed very strong," Mi Li's voice echoed in Zu An's ear, her tone clearly solemn.

Zu An gave a wry smile. "Grandma, you're only realizing it now? I've been aware of this for a while."

Mi Li snorted and stopped responding to him.

The remaining members of Prince Qi's manor quickly gathered around Zhao Ruizhi. While they all knew the Emperor might not spare them, that was a concern for later. Right now, these terracotta warriors were a direct threat to their lives.

As for their fallen comrades' bodies, no one paid them any mind. Even Zhao Ruizhi gazed with a grim expression at the vast, dark expanse of terracotta warriors in the distance.

Zu An, however, paid little attention to the terracotta warriors, considering them "old friends." His gaze fell upon the bodies of the Prince Qi's dead warriors, and he couldn't help but ask doubtfully, "Beautiful Master, don't you think there's unusually little blood from these people?"

"There is indeed less than usual. It seems their blood was absorbed by the ground as soon as it flowed out," Mi Li said, perplexed. "However, on such dry ground, wouldn't that be normal?"

"I hope I'm just overthinking it," a shadow fell over Zu An's heart.

Just then, a rumbling sound echoed from the distance. Everyone's expression changed, as they recognized it as the sound of an army marching.

Such uniform marching was clearly characteristic of a formidable, battle-hardened army. Moreover, the footsteps subtly resonated with the heavens and earth, indicating they had received the land's recognition.

Even Zhao Ruizhi instinctively recoiled.

As powerful as he was, he still lacked the strength to single-handedly counter a fully-equipped army.

At that moment, a phalanx behind the dense formation of terracotta warriors halted. They drew their bows and nocked their arrows. Almost instantly, a volley of arrows, like a torrential downpour, arced through the sky, accompanied by piercing whistling sounds, indicating their immense power.

Zhao Ruizhi dared not be slow. He raised his hand, slowly opening his palm above his head. A golden shield formed above him, enveloping everyone within its protective barrier.

He still needed Zu An and Bi Linglong for their usefulness. As for the others from Prince Qi's manor, he might need these "cannon fodder" later to explore the secret realm, so he had no immediate plans to abandon them.

Of course, he wasn't foolish enough to protect them at all costs. Should the situation turn dire, he would decisively shrink the golden shield's range to conserve his energy.

The dense volley of arrows struck the golden shield and were deflected to either side, as if the shield's surface was incredibly slick.

Mi Li's voice chimed in, "Learn from this. He isn't directly blocking those arrows. Instead, he's using minimal force to subtly alter their trajectory, redirecting them to the side. This consumes the least amount of energy. The biggest difference between high-level cultivators and low-level ones, apart from their cultivation base, is their mastery of force. Most of your daily power is wasted."

"Hmm, I understand," Zu An nodded.

"You understood that easily?" Mi Li sounded a little suspicious. She had intended to use this moment to properly instruct him and assert her presence as a master, but his immediate understanding left her feeling as though she had punched thin air.

"Of course. I've read countless theories like these in online novels before," Zu An replied casually.

Mi Li was speechless.

Having spent so much time with him, she naturally knew his way of thinking was quite different from others in this world, and he constantly uttered words she had never heard before.

"Hmm, I'll find an opportunity to ask him what 'online novels' are."

The previous arrow rain had blotted out the sky, but Zhao Ruizhi's shield had blocked it completely. Seeing only a few scattered arrows remaining in the air, he snorted, "Nothing special!"

Mi Li secretly chuckled. "This guy is just putting on a brave face."

Zu An asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"It's very difficult for a single cultivator to fight an army because armies comprise countless cultivators and employ special formations that significantly enhance their attack and defense. If a Grandmaster had faced an arrow volley of that magnitude, they would likely have been riddled with arrows by now. Although the Emperor successfully blocked it, it wasn't easy. Didn't you notice the shield around him is much dimmer than before?"

Zu An looked and indeed, it was true. Faint cracks were visible in a few places. However, the others, having narrowly escaped death, were too awestruck by the Emperor's divine skill to notice such details.

Just then, a terracotta figure, noticeably taller than its companions, leapt onto a chariot in the distant formation. It drew a colossal bow, an arrow in its hand shimmering with dark light. Instantly, the arrow transformed into a black bolt of lightning. In the blink of an eye, the massive, dark arrow struck the very center of the golden shield.

A searing, whistling sound filled the air!

A series of sharp, grating noises erupted, like two rough metal plates grinding against each other.

The dark arrow spun wildly, and where its tip struck the shield, a visible indentation formed.

Zhao Ruizhi's face flushed. He clasped his hands before his chest, holding a ball of golden energy, and slowly, steadily pushed the arrow back.

The wildly spinning arrow finally couldn't withstand the pressure. With a bang, it shattered into pieces, and the residual shockwave instantly reduced it to dust.

Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, another dark arrow whistled through the air, striking the exact same spot as the previous one.

This time, even the people from Prince Qi's manor noticed. In that instant, the surrounding golden shield instantly became covered in cracks.

Zu An clicked his tongue inwardly. "What kind of terracotta warrior is that, to push the Emperor to such a degree with just archery?"

Mi Li gazed towards the figure, a dazed look in her eyes. Hearing Zu An's question, she finally spoke with a complex expression, "That's Wang Jian, who helped Qin destroy the six states and unify the land."

"Wang Jian?" Zu An was startled. How could he not know the illustrious reputation of that man? "What state is he in now? A soul entity or an undead zombie?"

Mi Li shook her head. "I'm not sure. In any case, Wang Jian's cultivation level in life was no less than Zhao Hao's. However, his current aura seems weaker than it was at his peak."

Just then, a third arrow shot forth, directly striking the second. The second arrow exploded, and the third, carrying an unstoppable momentum, instantly shattered the flickering, rain-battered shield.

Zhao Ruizhi clasped his hands together, directly trapping the black streak of light. With a powerful tremor of his palms, he broke the arrow into two.

On the surface, he appeared to be at ease, but Zu An noticed his hands trembling slightly inside his sleeves.

Seeing the general prepare to fire again, Zhao Ruizhi's eyes flashed sharply. He shot forward like a cannonball, charging directly towards his opponent. He understood the principle of "catching the bandit by first catching their king"; passively defending from a distance would allow the enemy to "kite" him to death.

According to common knowledge in the cultivation world, those skilled in long-range attacks are usually not proficient in close combat. As long as he closed the distance, he was confident he could kill his opponent.

If he killed the main general, the rest of these strange troops might collapse on their own.

Seeing him charge, many terracotta warriors immediately formed ranks to shield Wang Jian. Their defense was as solid as a rock, but unfortunately for them, their opponent was a meteor!

"Get out of my way!" Zhao Ruizhi roared, striking without mercy. Almost instantly, all the terracotta warriors blocking his path crumbled into dust.

The general on the chariot drew his bow and fired another arrow at him. However, Zhao Ruizhi no longer needed to directly block it; with his movement technique, it would be difficult for the arrow to hit him.

Three consecutive arrows missed their mark, and the general no longer had time to loose a fourth.

A cruel smirk appeared on Zhao Ruizhi's lips. He swung his large hand, aiming to strike the general's skull. At such close range, and with his full power, he was confident he could defeat his opponent within a few moves.

But at that very moment, the air beside him suddenly split open. An ink-black sickle appeared out of nowhere, silently slicing towards his neck.