“Damn! Big Brother, Great Lord, I beg you. Please let me go. There are only a few zither puppets left. They will all be snatched away soon! I’ll call you grandfather, alright?” The yellow fairy finally gave in.
After listening to the yellow fairy prattle on for a long time, Gu Hai felt thoroughly confused.
This was definitely not Ensnaring Performance’s soul. It clearly was a hoodlum, a rascal, a spineless coward, and a shameless thing. How could such a thing be Ensnaring Performance’s soul?
——
Outside the ritual array:
At this moment, more fairies were shooting over from all over the sea, rushing towards the bronze statues. Countless zitherists and cultivators in pursuit arrived nearby.
Fairy Waner was at the point of losing all her previous calm.
“That’s impossible! Whose music Dao is it? Whose music Dao is so incredible? I was about to capture Ensnaring Performance’s soul already, but this person lured all the fairies away?
“This sound? This buzzing can lure the fairies?
“I don’t believe it. I don’t believe it. I refuse to accept this!
“Who is it? Who is it?”
The flying ship moved swiftly with Fairy Waner aboard.
From a distance, she saw the yellow fairy suddenly enter Gu Hai’s ritual array. Although she could tell that it was a ritual array, she simply could not be bothered, as she felt extremely anxious.
Whoosh!
Fairy Waner quickly entered the ritual array with the flying ship.
The moment she did so, she found herself in a foggy area.
“Huh?”
Fairy Waner’s expression changed. Only then did she realize how reckless she had been.
She looked around and happened to see Gu Hai in the distance.
At this moment, Gu Hai was looking at something in his right hand with open disdain.
The soul of Ensnaring Performance, which Fairy Waner nearly captured, was in Gu Hai’s right hand.
“You again?!” Fairy Waner roared out while glaring.
“Huh?” Gu Hai turned his head and saw Fairy Waner.
“Why is Ensnaring Performance’s soul in your hand?! Why is it in your hand?!” Fairy Waner felt like she was going mad.
I could accept it if another zitherist captured Ensnaring Performance’s soul, no matter who it is. However, why is it this fraud of all people? He does not even have the music Dao’s artistic conception. How could he possibly capture it? Why did I fail to capture it when I’m so incredible?
This is not fair!
“Oh? It’s Fairy Waner?” Gu Hai said indifferently.
“I’m asking you, why is Ensnaring Performance’s soul in your hand? Why is it in your hand?!” Fairy Waner yelled while glaring.
“I captured it,” Gu Hai answered bemusedly.
Is there a need to lose your temper like this?
“That’s impossible! That’s impossible! How did you catch it? How?!” Fairy Waner fell into despair.
“With my hand,” Gu Hai answered, still confused.
Fairy Waner: “…”
My music Dao is so incredible, yet I failed to capture it. You do not have the music Dao, yet you caught it. Are you joking?
However, facts were as such. Gu Hai did catch it. He really did catch the yellow fairy.
Frustration and depression filled Fairy Waner’s mind, making her want to vomit blood again. However, this time, it was her anger at Gu Hai causing it.
Whoosh!
Another wave of fairies charged to the bottom of the sea.
Fairy Waner forced herself to calm down and took a look.
“That’s not right. That’s not right. Something at the bottom of the sea is attracting Ensnaring Performance’s soul? You are just taking advantage?” Fairy Waner called out.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Long Wanqing, Venerable Liu Nian, and Shangguan Hen suddenly entered the ritual array from below.
“Your Majesty, it’s not good. Hurry! That group of bronze statues is turning violent!” Shangguan Hen said anxiously.
“Huh?” Gu Hai felt startled.
Gu Hai swung his arm, flinging his sleeve out. He immediately could see the situation at the bottom of the sea from the ritual array.
He saw a bronze statue charging at the ritual array with a ferocious expression.
Boom!
Suddenly, that bronze statue barged into the ritual array and scowled savagely at Gu Hai. Furthermore, ten more bronze statues at the bottom of the sea seemed to be charging up as well.
“Huh? It’s not good!”
Gu Hai’s expression changed as he extended his hand and waved.
Whoosh!
The fog of the ritual array immediately churned. The latter ten bronze statues failed to barge in, blocked outside as they crashed into it.
Boom! Boom!
After crashing into the ritual array, the ten bronze statues showed anxious expressions as they pounded on the ritual array with all their might.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ten bronze statues attacked the ritual array while the bronze statue that entered the ritual array instantly charged towards Gu Hai.
“Huh?” Fairy Waner felt startled. “A zither puppet?”
“I’ll deal with this.” Venerable Liu Nian shouted, “Nine Star Alignment!”
Nine Buddhist prayer beads suddenly turned into stars and flew towards that bronze statue.
“Roar!”
That bronze statue roared as it punched.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The bronze statue only moved back a little as it knocked away the nine Buddhist prayer beads.
Venerable Liu Nian’s expression changed as he exclaimed, “What? A peak Nascent Soul Realm zither puppet?”
“Roar!” The bronze statue charged over again.
“I have the strength to pick up mountains, and my might conquers the world!” Suddenly, a cloud beast appeared in the ritual array.
The Xiang Yu cloud beast swung its halberd at the bronze statue.
“Roar!”
The bronze statue roared as it punched with its right fist.
Boom! Screech!
The powerful clash resulted in sparks flying.
A white mark appeared on the bronze statue’s arm. However, it managed to block the halberd. The two forces appeared equal.
“Again!” Gu Hai shouted.
“I have the strength to pick up mountains, and my might conquers the world!”
Suddenly, another Xiang Yu cloud beast appeared and swung a halberd down from another direction.
Boom!
The bronze statue responded with its left fist. Like before, it resulted in a stalemate.
However, Gu Hai finally managed to suppress the bronze statue with two Xiang Yu cloud beasts. The two cloud beasts pressed down in it, making it bend over and unable to get free.
Grrr! Grrr! Grrr!
That bronze statue let out low growls as it stared at Gu Hai. More accurately, at Ensnaring Performance’s soul in his hand.
“This bronze statue is so strong and is impenetrable?” Long Wanqing’s expression changed.
Although Gu Hai suppressed the bronze statue, he understood that the ritual array was frantically draining spirit stones to do so.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
More bronze statues appeared outside the ritual array. Now, there were hundreds of them pounding away on the ritual array.
The ritual array trembled, causing the expressions of Gu Hai’s group to change.
——
The sea no longer looked calm to Sima Changkong and the other people outside.
Loud reports rang out as towering waves surged in the surrounding sea.
Rumble…!
The waves soared high into the sky, deterring the countless cultivators who wanted to charge in. The cultivators’ expressions changed.
“What’s going on? What’s happening here? Why are so many fairies charging towards this place?”
“I saw that demon woman, Fairy Waner, chasing Ensnaring Performance’s soul into that ritual array.”
“The demon woman obtained Ensnaring Performance’s soul?”
The many cultivators felt incredibly anxious.
——
Inside the ritual array:
Gu Hai’s surroundings shook intensely.
From hundreds of bronze statues, it already became tens of thousands of bronze statues. The impact from them striking the ritual array daunted Gu Hai’s group.
“What’s going on? These bronze statues seem to be targeting you?” Long Wanqing looked at Gu Hai.
Suddenly, Long Wanqing noticed Ensnaring Performance’s soul in Gu Hai’s hand.
“They are targeting this little thing, right? Ensnaring Performance’s soul?” Long Wanqing said in shock.
Gu Hai looked at Ensnaring Performance’s soul. Right now, the yellow fairy’s complexion appeared ashen as well.
“It’s over! It’s over! Those little things want to eat this great me!” the yellow fairy said in horror.
Thwack!
Gu Hai’s left hand swung over and flicked the yellow fairy’s head with a finger.
“How are you great? Speak properly. What’s going on?” Gu Hai said coldly.
After understanding the fairy’s personality, Gu Hai no longer remained polite with it. To deal with someone this shameless, he had to be firm and fierce.
“It is all these zither puppets’ fault. It is all their fault. Previously, I was the greatest among all these fairies. Those fools do not have any intelligence. Damn! Everywhere I went, they would make way for me. I could beat up anyone I wanted. It is all over now. They now obtained bodies. They are now the great ones. Sob! Sob! Had I obtained a body earlier, I wouldn’t have to fear them!” the yellow fairy explained while cursing.
“They want to capture you?” Gu Hai frowned.
“They want to eat me. After eating me, they will have everything and can live for a long time. In their current state, they can last for only two months at most. After eating me, they can continue living. It’s over! It’s over! How many zither puppets are there?” The yellow fairy looked at Gu Hai.
“One million,” Gu Hai said seriously.
“One million? There are two million azure fairies; there’s simply not enough. It’s over. One million zither puppets chasing after me? Just let me die. Heavens! Which bastard created so many zither puppets?” the yellow fairy said in despair.
“That bastard created you too,” Gu Hai said, nonplussed.
“Huh? Pretend I said nothing.” The yellow fairy’s expression turned stiff.
Boom!
Now, about four hundred thousand bronze statues were attacking the ritual array, causing it to shake. It looked like the ritual array would not last much longer.
“What should I do? What should I do?!” the yellow fairy wailed in despair.
“Aren’t you a soul body? They now have physical bodies and can’t catch you, right?” Long Wanqing said in confusion.
“They can catch me, as they are zither puppets. Zither puppets can catch us,” the yellow fairy said anxiously.
Long Wanqing and the others looked at Gu Hai.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The number of bronze statues attacking increased, making it harder for the ritual array to resist. Gu Hai felt very anxious.
——
Far in the distance, Sima Changkong and the others looked at the towering waves in the surroundings in horror.
“Bronze statues are attacking the ritual array from underwater!” someone reported to Sima Changkong.
“The ritual array? What an incredible ritual array! To think that it could block attacks of such a scale. Even a city’s defensive ritual array would not be this strong. Are you sure Gu Hai laid this in one day?” Sima Changkong exclaimed in admiration.
“Yes!”
“What a talent! How many other means does Gu Hai have at his disposal?” Sima Changkong’s eyes shone increasingly brighter.
——
Inside the ritual array:
Long Wanqing and Venerable Liu Nian each took out a flying ship.
“Gu Hai, are you really going to do this?” Long Wanqing said worriedly.
“Yes. Since heaven delivered Ensnaring Performance’s soul to me, why shouldn’t I try? I’ll ride your flying ship and flee. You all leave with Venerable Liu Nian. The bronze statues will not care about you,” Gu Hai explained.
“While we would be fine, you…”
“Don’t worry. I know to give up if left without a choice.” Gu Hai nodded.
“Gu Hai? Don’t! Milord! Big Brother! You are my big brother, alright? Don’t abandon me! If you abandon me, it will be over for me. I’ll sing for you every day!” Ensnaring Performance’s soul looked at Gu Hai earnestly.
All the yellow fairy received was a look of disdain from Gu Hai.
Boom!
The ritual array shook wildly, looking like it would break soon.
“Remember, go find City Lord He again. Perhaps something might change,” Gu Hai instructed.
“Yes!” everyone answered.
Venerable Liu Nian brought Shangguan Hen and Long Wanqing onto his flying ship. Then, they promptly charged out of the ritual array.
Nearby, Fairy Waner also charged out of the ritual array with a reluctant gaze. This left only Gu Hai standing on Long Wanqing’s White Cloud flying ship.
“Roar!”
Suddenly, the bronze statues outside roared as one.
Boom!
Gu Hai’s ritual array shattered. The strong impact sent waves surging seven hundred meters up in the surrounding sea. Countless cultivators hastily tried to protect themselves in horror.
Whoosh!
Gu Hai charged out on the flying ship, soaring into the sky the instant the ritual array exploded.
