The dewdrops hanging from the tree shimmered with crystal clarity. One by one, they slid silently from the edges of the leaves and fell to the ground.
landing softly upon Goku's face as he lay on the grassy field beneath the tree.
Beside him, Xiao Li sat quietly, cradling the now-shrunken Xiao Pixiu as she gazed into the distance at the dreamlike scenery.
The High Priestess stood near a pavilion, watching the endless sea of clouds. Mist veiled the view; towers and pavilions encircled the mountains, some spanning the sky into the depths of white cloud like dragons leaping toward the sky—lonely and majestic. A faint sound of running water drifted by. Under the sunlight, all of Loulan seemed wrapped in a fairyland's aura—resplendent, breathtaking.
"Lord Goku, we truly owe you our thanks! If not for you returning the Dragon Soul, Loulan would not be blessed with such beauty." The High Priestess turned to Goku, gratitude in her eyes.
"It's nothing. This place was already a hidden paradise. Letting her return to her true form is a good outcome."
Goku smiled faintly, then frowned, glancing toward the roadway. Rapid footsteps approached, and a man in silver-white armor rushed around the corner, face anxious.
"High Priestess, terrible news! A large Qin force has suddenly invaded Loulan and is slaughtering our people. There are far too many of them—we can't resist. Many clansmen have already been killed…"
"What did you say?!" The High Priestess was shocked.
"Could it be that Wei Zhuang and the others still refuse to give up?" Xiao Li rose to her feet, brows knitting as she turned to Goku.
"You seem to know something?" The High Priestess looked toward Xiao Li.
Xiao Li nodded. "If I'm not mistaken, it's Wei Zhuang's group. We fought before, but Goku drove them off. I didn't expect they would still refuse to give up—and that they would find this place."
"Then their goal must be…" The High Priestess's brows drew tighter, a strong sense of foreboding rising in her heart.
"It's quite clear," Goku said as he stood. "By the Qin Emperor's command, they're here to seize the Bing Mo Shen."
"So it is," the High Priestess murmured, frowning even more deeply. After a brief word to Goku, she hurried away.
Goku looked down over the cloud sea, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "Over fifty thousand troops? They think highly of me. Qin Shi Huang is naïve if he believes a human wave can pin me down."
"Goku… let's help them," Xiao Li said, looking up at him with hopeful eyes. Ending this calamity was her mission.
"Come on. We'll take a look," Goku replied with an easy smile.
Xiao Li's face lit with relief and joy as she fell in beside him. With Goku involved, her mission would be far lighter.
"Look! Atop the goddess statue—!" a Loulan citizen cried, pointing upward.
Everyone looked to see a white-haired man standing on the statue's right shoulder, hair and robes streaming, his sharp gaze exuding the aura of a tyrant. If not Wei Zhuang, who else?
He sprang toward the crown of the statue.
The High Priestess, just arriving, shouted, "His target is the Dragon Soul—stop him!"
"Protect the High Priestess! Protect the Dragon Soul!" Loulan soldiers roared, brandishing weapons as they charged without hesitation.
"Kill!"
With a commanding bark, ranks of disciplined Qin soldiers surged in and encircled the area within moments.
Loulan's forces were no match. The Qin troops were battle-hardened, well-armed, and grim—true veterans of the killing fields, utterly unlike Loulan's sheltered defenders.
"Haha—be smart and tell us where the Bing Mo Shen is, and we can avoid… unnecessary sacrifice."
From among the Qin stepped Gongshu Chou, iron feet clanking harshly on stone.
Behind him stood Da Shiming, Shao Shiming, Chi Lian, and Bai Feng.
"I will tell you nothing," the High Priestess said coldly, turning her head aside.
Da Shiming moved without warning—red light flashed, striking the High Priestess in the chest and dropping her to the ground.
"The High Priestess has fallen!" Loulan citizens and soldiers cried out, but Qin troops filled every approach. They could only watch, helpless to rescue her.
"Don't kill her. She's still useful," Gongshu Chou reminded as Da Shiming strode closer.
"I know what to do," Da Shiming said coolly. A blood-red hand extended, scarlet radiance curling around it. "Even if you refuse to speak, I have ways to know—secrets hidden in the deepest recesses of your mind are nothing to me."
"No—she's going to use the same trick she used on Grandpa Lü?!" Tianming cried from nearby.
"What trick?" Shaoyu asked, puzzled.
"I'm not sure… but it can read a person's mind."
"If that's true, this is bad," Shaoyu muttered, face paling.
"Oh? Da Shiming, only a few days and your tone's grown bold."
A figure suddenly flashed in front of the High Priestess, blocking Da Shiming's path—Goku, eyes amused.
"Goku…"
Da Shiming stiffened, and Chi Lian, Bai Feng, and the others all blanched. They retreated at once as Qin soldiers surged forward to surround Goku.
On the surrounding rooftops and towers, Qin archers leveled Gongshu Chou's custom crossbows at Goku. The arrowheads gleamed with a cold, ominous light—clearly crafted with him in mind.
"Oh? You really came prepared," Goku said, lips curling into a playful smile as he eyed the ring of drawn crossbows.
Meanwhile, atop the goddess statue, just as Wei Zhuang neared the Dragon Soul, Gai Nie intercepted him.
"Xiao Zhuang, long time no see," Gai Nie said evenly.
"Shifu-brother… what does Loulan have to do with you? You would fight for them too?"
"The meaning of my sword is to stop those like you," Gai Nie answered.
"The price of fighting me is losing what you want to protect," Wei Zhuang snapped, killing intent surging as his blade flashed down toward Gai Nie.
Wei Zhuang's hair whipped in the wind, expression unchanged. With one arm he raised his long sword and cleaved forward. Sword-qi arced like a rainbow, cold light glittering—
A ruthless vertical cut crashed down toward Gai Nie. Wielding a sword like a saber—only the wielder of Sha Chi (Shark Tooth) could do such a thing.
Gai Nie's face was solemn as he leveled Yuanhong across his body. In an instant, Sha Chi smashed down on Yuanhong.
A piercing clang rang out, setting ears ringing as the two swords locked and bright sparks flew.
At that moment, six identical figures flickered into being around them, each lunging from a different angle with the most insidious lines of attack.
Bai Feng had arrived—seizing the split-second opening as Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang contested blades, he unleashed his signature technique: Fengwu Six Illusions.
Gai Nie's eyes narrowed; the world around him fell into sharp relief. He slid his sword to deflect the strike, Yuanhong sweeping in a cold arc to force back the phantoms that had closed in.
But even as the illusions retreated, a chain-snake soft sword whipped in from the side of one phantom—Chi Lian's blade, darting like a viper straight for Gai Nie's heart!
Gai Nie shifted sideways in a flash, toes tapping stone as he twisted away—then he cut toward Chi Lian with a cross-slash.
Chi Lian's chain-snake sword did not slow; it stabbed into the goddess statue's face with a crack—shattering the features in a spray of stone.
"Seriously?! Such a beautiful statue and you cut its face?!"
Below, Goku yelped theatrically. Qin soldiers around him tensed, gripping spears and crossbows, fear in their eyes. Without Meng Tian's order, none dared loose the first shot.
Eyes on the duel above, Meng Tian held his command. Reports had warned him: this man was an unmatched master. As long as they could pin him without provoking him, he would not risk needless losses.
Goku, for his part, was perfectly content to watch—hands clasped behind his back as he admired Gai Nie single-handedly holding off the entire Wei Zhuang group.
Just as Yuanhong was about to reach Chi Lian, a blood-red giant hand swept at Gai Nie.
He frowned, abandoning the strike as he twisted midair to evade—only for a hail of razor-sharp green leaves to scythe toward him.
Da Shiming and Shao Shiming had attacked together.
Even someone of Gai Nie's caliber felt the strain when facing several top-tier masters at once. Yuanhong whirled in his hands, batting aside the storm of leaves as he landed atop the statue—
—but before his feet found purchase, Wei Zhuang's next strike was already upon him.
The Sword Saint's reactions were lightning-fast. He tapped his toes and vaulted back—
Sha Chi crashed into the statue's head with earth-shaking force, cleaving stone as though it weighed nothing.
Chunks of rock tumbled down; Loulan citizens and Qin soldiers alike scrambled aside in shock. Some stones shattered on the flagstones below; others plunged into the abyss, vanishing without a sound.