As Long Hua and the others conversed—
"Dammit! Out of my way!"
"Move it!"
As the ferocity of the stone soldiers' attacks increased—along with the additional reach of their phantom spears, the situation turns chaotic, as weapon spirits attempt to run past one another to get into the imperial palace.
Just as one of the weapon spirits is about to emerge from the gateway—
*Boom!!!* a stone fist drops from above—crushing the individual to death.
As the fist raises itself off the ground—revealing the sight of crushed flesh, another stone soldier of equal stature appears in sight.
To the dread of the weapon spirits, who had been forced to halt their footsteps—
"Ah…"
"Th-There's more of them…!"
Due to the size of the gateway, it only allows two stone soldiers to pass through at once; and peering pass the first two, the weapon spirits see many more waiting for them inside the palace.
"…"
Landing onto the ground, Zhou Chen frowns.
Walking over, Yang Ning says—
"Forget about trying to defeat those things. You'd be better off charging through them, and heading for the tree directly."
Turning to Yang Ning, Zhou Chen asks—
"Is that what you intend to do?"
"Ally or foe, I can't tell which is which at this point. Until I know for certain, I might as well act alone."
Having said this, Yang Ning charges forth; however—
"Hm?"
*Boom!!!* leaping backwards, Yang Ning barely manages to avoid a black and white handprint.
Directing his focus upwards, Yang Ning sees—
"…"
Dressed in blue robes over a white layer is Long Hua, who still has the recognition inhibiting mask pasted onto his face.
Rather quickly, Yao Ying, Qing Ming Yang, and Lin Yu Heng—who are all dressed in the form of practitioners appears beside him.
"Tch."
Pushing back a rider, Shao Tianming turns in the direction of Long Hua and the others.
"Of all the times, those Immortals can choose to show themselves…"
Muttering this, Ye Chen pushes five lamellar armored ghosts back.
"…"
Gripping her spear tightly, Li Xue glares at Qing Ming Yang.
Since their faces were already known, neither Qing Ming Yang nor Lin Yu Heng had bothered to keep their recognition inhibiting masks on—now that Long Hua had decided to join the fray.
*Boom!!!* in the same instance, the two stone soldiers—that came from within the imperial palace, smashed what remained of the double doors apart!
"…"
Turning around, Long Hua casually throws out a punch that shatters the incoming debris to dust.
"…"
Thinking for a brief instance, Long Hua decides to toss the storage pouch with Tian Cheng in it to Yao Ying, and says—
"Little girl, once I've cleared the gateway, head in and find the treasury."
"…Un."
Receiving the storage pouch, Yao Ying nods.
Glancing at Qing Ming Yang, Long Hua says—
"If you feel like settling whatever it is that you're feeling towards those two, you're free to do so."
"…"
Throughout this entire time, Qing Ming Yang hasn't taken his eyes off Ye Chen and Li Xue.
"…"
Drawing his jade sword, Qing Ming Yang glances at it once, prior to directing it at Ye Chen and Li Xue—taunting the two to come at him.
Towards Lin Yu Heng, Long Hua says—
"Surnamed Lin, do whatever you see fit."
"Un."
Nodding his head, Lin Yu Heng draws his spear—itching to test out his new divine art.
"Final reminder, if any of you are low on spirit Qi—just retreat."
"Got it."
"Un."
"Understood."
As several more six-meter stone soldiers enter the gateway, Long Hua's eyes flash with coldness.
With the previous two being added into the count, there are a total of 12 stone soldiers.
"…"
Clenching his fists, and moving pass the others, Long Hua draws in a subtle breath of air, prior to—
*Boom!!! Boom!!! Boom!!!* throwing out a total of three punches—with each one ripping the air apart, as the shockwave of each strike causes the advancing stone soldiers to halt their movements.
*…!!! Kakaka…!!!* as the stone soldiers tremble, the cracks that were already present on their bodies widen, and momentarily—
*Boom!!! Boom!!! Boom!!!* the 12 stone soldiers collapsed into a pile of rubble.
"Shit…"
Seeing how much of the gateway had been blocked off by the freshly formed rubble, Shao Tianming cursed aloud, whereas—
"…"
Taking advantage of her flight abilities, Yao Ying charges over the rubble unhindered.
...…
[…]
[…]
[…]
For a brief instance, silence looms over the official chat box—in response to the drone's live footage.
Eventually—
[Three punches?!]
[This is the strength of an IML?!]
[How do you even fight that?!]
Comments of shock and astonishment appear one after the other.
...…
A few seconds after Yao Ying had entered the imperial palace, more lamellar armored ghosts rose from beneath the earth, and pressed themselves onto the pile of rubble.
Under the influence of the lamellar armored ghosts, the rubbles begin to show signs of reforming themselves.
However, instead of reforming separate stone soldiers, they seem to be combining themselves to create a single mass.
As Qing Ming Yang and Lin Yu Heng scatter, Long Hua is just about to take a step forward to enter the imperial palace's grounds, but—
"…"
Narrowing his eyes, Long Hua turns his head to the side—to see Yang Ning charging at him with their bow folded into the form of a sword.