Book 2: Chapter 98: Ingenious Scheme
After Long Wanqing and her two servants jumped into the death puzzle, they saw Meng Tai battering Li Haoran over and over again. Li Haoran repeatedly got back to his feet with a ferocious expression.
“What are you waiting for? Everyone, if you don’t fight back now, you will be drained dry later. Divine Strategy Battalion disciples, attack!” Li Haoran roared as he got back to his feet.
“Hoo-ah!”
A large number of cultivators immediately charged at Meng Tai. After all, everyone could tell that Meng Tai intended to drain them dry.
“A pawn will forever be just a pawn!” Meng Tai snorted coldly before extending his hand.
Boom!
Close to ten thousand cultivators rushed forward. However, Meng Tai instantly knocked them back by extending his hand. It was not that Meng Tai used immense force but that he grasped two golden Go stones. Using them, he moved the cultivators away like puppets on a string. Everyone was just a puppet while Meng Tai held the strings.
“Argh! Argh!”
Close to ten thousand cultivators flew back, unable to control themselves. After all, they were just Go stones while Meng Tai was the player.
“You overestimate yourselves! Humph!” Meng Tai coldly eyed the surrounding cultivators.
However, the surrounding cultivators did not give up. On the contrary, they charged relentlessly at Meng Tai, as they understood that doing so was their only hope of survival. If they did not charge forward, they could only wait to be drained dry.
Meng Tai sent away countless cultivators as he threw another palm strike at Li Haoran.
“Battalion Commander Li? Your cultivation with gold as a foundation is indeed strange. Even when I draw on your energy, it happens extremely slowly. However, there’s no need to worry. If it is slow, so be it. I will just slowly drain you dry!” Meng Tai looked at Li Haoran with a ferocious expression.
As Li Haoran got beaten up, Meng Tai drained his energy. His complexion already turned pale long ago, but he still showed a ferocious expression as he charged at Meng Tai.
“Attack!” Meng Tai extended his palm again.
Rumble…!
Tens of thousands of manifested palms struck Li Haoran.
“Argh!”
The attack knocked Li Haoran back again.
Just at this moment, the Divine Strategy Battalion disciples used their bows to shoot arrows at Meng Tai.
Whoosh!
Energy enveloped the thousands of arrows, making them incredibly sharp. Then, the arrows streaked towards Meng Tai.
The eyes of countless cultivators lit up. Meng Tai can control our bodies, but can he control the arrows? Are we saved?
Meng Tai simply ignored the approaching arrows. Instead, he revealed a faint sneer.
“Oh no!” The expression of Venerable Liu Nian, who was among the crowd, changed.
Boom!
Indeed, when the arrow rain reached within fifteen meters of Meng Tai, they exploded.
“What?” Countless cultivators goggled.
The arrow rain had crashed into a transparent, thirty-meter-wide bubble around Meng Tai.
“What is that? That is not a manifested shield. It did not even ripple when thousands of arrows crashed into it?” someone exclaimed.
“Hahahaha! Of course, it is useless! This is the player’s defensive barrier. Do you think that you Go stones can hurt me?” Meng Tai jeered.
“The player’s defensive barrier?” Everyone’s expression changed.
“Humph! Did you think that obtaining a golden Go stone is easy? Old Mister Guan Qi left three keys. Only these three keys can enter the barrier. Wei Yang, Fu Xue, and I fought for many days before managing to enter using the three keys and obtain the golden Go stones. So, you are thinking of benefiting without putting in the effort?” Meng Tai sneered.
“No! That’s impossible! Doesn’t that mean that you are undefeatable?” Countless cultivators stared at him in horrified disbelief.
Tens of thousands of cultivators frantically charged over again. Meng Tai smiled coldly as he thrust his hand forward, sending them all flying back again.
Meng Tai said disdainfully, “I am the player, undefeatable in the first place. Know your place as Go stones!”
“Nine Star Alignment!” Suddenly, a shout rang out.
Venerable Liu Nian’s Buddhist prayer beads turned into nine stars and charged at Meng Tai.
Meng Tai’s face sank as he extended his hand.
Bang! Meng Tai immediately sent Venerable Liu Nian flying. At the same time, he forcibly drew on Venerable Liu Nian’s energy.
“Argh!” Venerable Liu Nian cried out in pain in the distance.
However, the Nine Star Alignment approached Meng Tai.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The nine stars crashed into the defensive barrier, causing it to tremble slightly. However, it did not break.
“Golden Arrow!”
Li Haoran shot a golden arrow. With the force of the arrow, it easily swept through everything in its path before it crashed into the defensive barrier.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion rang out as the barrier trembled slightly again. However, it did not break.
“Continue!” Venerable Liu Nian roared from afar as he controlled his Buddhist prayer beads to attack again.
Eighteen Buddhist prayer beads turned into two sets of Nine Star Alignment as they rammed the barrier.
“Golden Arrow!”
“Attack together!”
Countless cultivators charged at Meng Tai.
“Do you think that I do not dare to kill you?! Humph!” Meng Tai snorted coldly as he extended his hand. Then, he quickly drained the energy of everyone who charged over.
“Argh!”
Even if it was painful, the cultivators relentlessly charged forward. If they did not, they would die.
Rumble…!
The surroundings turned chaotic. The frontmost batch of cultivators reached the defensive barrier. However, no matter how strong their attacks, they could not deal significant damage to the barrier; it was simply unbreakable.
Meng Tai extended his hand repeatedly, sending the approaching people flying and falling far away. Many people suffered severe injuries when they fell.
“Hah!”
“Nine Star Alignment!”
“Golden Arrow!”
Countless cultivators charged forward. Meng Tai showed a sullen expression, but so far, no one managed to break the barrier, so he gradually relaxed.
“Go stones are just Go stones. I decide your fate. Those who charge forward will be the first to have their energy completely drained!” Meng Tai said coldly.
“Argh!”
“Argh!”
“Argh!”
The frontmost group of people let out pained cries as they dried out quickly.
“Hahahahaha!” Meng Tai laughed cockily.
Now, Meng Tai was a god. No one could stop him; no one could do anything to him. Everyone’s miserable fate seemed to be set in stone.
Whoosh!
Just at this moment, five figures suddenly and strangely barged into the barrier, appearing behind Meng Tai.
The instant these people entered, the withering cultivators goggled. Then, they revealed joy on their faces as they did their best to attack the barrier.
“Huh?” Meng Tai sensed something off with the people outside the barrier.
However, it was already too late. Two manifested palms suddenly thrust at Meng Tai’s back.
“What?”
Boom!
Meng Tai let out a startled cry as he suffered heavy attacks on his back. Then, he spewed out a mouthful of blood.
Although Meng Tai did his best to defend himself, a sharp sword suddenly struck Meng Tai’s wrist in that instant.
Phish!
Bang!
The sword stabbing Meng Tai’s wrist sent the two golden Go stones flying out of his palm.
Countless cultivators outside the barrier goggled at the scene.
Long Wanqing rushed forward and grabbed the two Go stones.
Boom!
Meng Tai stumbled and flew out of the barrier.
“No! My golden Go stones! Mine!” Meng Tai roared in horror as he tried to rush over.
However, Long Wanqing immediately leaped twice, jumping far away, and landed on top of a large rock while holding the golden Go stones.
Meng Tai rushed over, feeling horrified. Then, he crashed into the barrier.
Boom!
Meng Tai got blocked outside the defensive barrier.
The player changed?
Countless cultivators immediately cheered. The great demon Meng Tai finally lost his position of power.
They all glared at Meng Tai with hatred.
When Meng Tai turned his head, he understood what happened. Long Wanqing’s two servants approached him, carrying Li Wei and Wei Yang on their backs. The earlier two palm strikes came from these two servants. The sword strike to his wrist, which cost him the golden Go stones, was from Wei Yang.
“Meng Tai, you are finished!” Li Wei showed a ferocious smile.
“The key? The key? Li Wei? I should have killed you long ago! I should have killed you!” Meng Tai roared furiously as he charged at Li Wei.
“Protect Li Wei!” someone shouted.
“Capture Li Wei!” The surroundings turned chaotic.
Long Wanqing had just grasped the golden Go stones and was unfamiliar with their usage. However, she still gave it a try.
Boom!
Long Wanqing suddenly controlled the surrounding people to scatter.
“Hahahahahahaha! Meng Tai, you are eliminated! You are eliminated! Hahahahaha!” Wei Yang guffawed.
“You old thing! It’s all your fault! All yours!” Meng Tai stopped rushing at Li Wei and immediately headed for Wei Yang.
“Go!” Long Wanqing shouted and threw a palm strike, using what seemed like everyone’s energy to attack Meng Tai.
Tens of thousands of manifested palms suddenly appeared.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Argh!” Meng Tai screamed miserably as he flew back.
Blargh!
Meng Tai spewed out a mouthful of blood in midair before crashing far away. Blood covered him, and he could hardly move.
“No! No! No! It should not be like this! Long Wanqing? You? Cough! Cough! Cough! How did you appear there? Why did you appear where Li Wei was? I already placed Li Wei and that old thing in a dead end. That is a dead end; no one should be able to approach them. No one could. How did you do it?” Meng Tai demanded as he lay on the ground, unreconciled to his situation.
“The people in here cannot approach, but that does not mean that the people outside cannot!” Long Wanqing retorted coldly.
“Outside? You came from outside? How did you know which Go stone Li Wei was? How did you know where to jump to reach Li Wei? I don’t believe it. Even I cannot be that precise, what more you?! Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough!” Meng Tai said weakly with a skeptical expression.
“Gu Hai helped me!” Long Wanqing replied as she held the two golden Go stones.
“Gu Hai? Gu Hai again? How many times are you going to ruin my plans?! Gu Hai!” Meng Tai roared with a ferocious expression. As he did, he started to show bitterness.
“Meng Tai, I already said it before. You have nothing left. What else do you have? Your schemes are ingenious, but everyone abandoned you; even the person who remained faithful to you gave up on you. You obtained nothing. Your hands are empty, losing everything. You have nothing now! Hahahahahaha! Cough! Cough! Cough! Hahaha!” Wei Yang coughed as he laughed mockingly.
“Old fool, aren’t you left with nothing, either?” Meng Tai revealed a bleak smile.
“No winners? Haha! There are no winners!” Li Wei smiled sorrowfully.
Everyone looked at this group of people. Long Wanqing also looked coldly at the distant Meng Tai, not showing any compassion. It would be better if such a person died.
“Hall Master Long, help!” Long Wanqing suddenly heard a shout from nearby.
A group of Divine Strategy Battalion disciples carried a wizened Li Haoran to the edge of the barrier. Right now, blood covered him as he gasped for breath.
“Battalion Commander Li?” Long Wanqing’s expression changed.
“Hall Master Li, Meng Tai drained him of most of his essence blood and energy. He will die soon. Hurry, save Battalion Commander Li!” one of the Divine Strategy Battalion disciples urged anxiously.
“How do I help him?! How?” Long Wanqing asked anxiously.
“Replenish his essence blood and energy. Let the battalion commander into your barrier and lend him a golden Go stone. We are willing to offer some of our essence blood to the battalion commander. I beg you! Only you can save the battalion commander now. Hurry! The battalion commander cannot last for long!” that Divine Strategy Battalion disciple exhorted anxiously.
“Lend him a golden Go stone and let him draw on your essence blood and energy?” Long Wanqing’s expression changed.
“Only a portion. As long as the battalion commander can survive, that will do. We’re doing this willingly. Hurry! Hurry! You just need to lend one golden Go stone to the battalion commander. He is going to die soon!” that Divine Strategy Battalion disciple urged.
Long Wanqing frowned slightly as she suddenly recalled Gu Hai’s final instruction not to trust Li Haoran.
She was caught between a rock and a hard place. She had agreed to Gu Hai. However…however…
“Hall Master Long, please save the battalion commander. The battalion commander risked offending your older cousin when he saved your life back then! He saved you. Now that he is dying, are you not going to save him? He saved your life!” that Divine Strategy Battalion disciple said anxiously.
Long Wanqing felt conflicted. After some silence, she eventually nodded. “Alright. I’ll lend him one golden Go stone.”
Long Wanqing waved her hand, and a hole seemed to appear in the barrier.
The instant the hole appeared, the previously gasping Li Haoran suddenly became like a sharp arrow shooting into the hole.
“What?” Long Wanqing’s expression changed.
Right at this moment, the injured Venerable Liu Nian climbed out of the rubble in the distance. As he got to his feet, he saw this scene.
“No!” Venerable Liu Nian exclaimed.
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