Chapter Forty-Eight: Soldiers

Tang Tian moved cautiously through the rows of faceless clay warriors. These figures appeared incredibly ancient, bearing the indelible marks left by time itself. Many were marred with cracks, others thick with dust—they seemed to have walked out of a distant age, shrouded in mystery and weariness.

What was this place?

Who had crafted these faceless warriors?

Suddenly, a sharp cracking sound startled Tang Tian. He spun around in alarm. One of the clay figures had abruptly shattered, collapsing into a heap of fragments.

That shattering seemed to signal something. One after another, the faceless terracotta warriors began to fall, crumbling in waves.

Hundreds of thousands of clay figures collapsed before his eyes, a spectacle so overwhelming that Tang Tian was left speechless. He stared, dumbfounded, at the incomprehensible scene, unable to grasp what was happening.

What… what kind of place is this?

Dust billowed up, blotting out the sky, and Tang Tian, covering his mouth, grew visibly tense. The entire place was steeped in strangeness—even someone as gifted as he found it hard to bear.

Could there be danger lurking in this dust? Could someone be lying in ambush?

On high alert, Tang Tian scanned his surroundings.

Gradually, the dust settled. Tang Tian, now covered in grime, looked around to find the ground littered with fragments. The once orderly and imposing army had been reduced to nothing in an instant.

For reasons he could not explain, a sudden sadness washed over him.

Time truly erases all things…

Lost in thought, he gazed into the distance. Suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply.

Wait!

There—one clay warrior remained, standing among the ruins.

A solitary, faceless soldier stood upright amid the shattered remains, its posture rigid and achingly lonely.

Without hesitation, Tang Tian dashed across the broken shards toward the lone surviving figure.

Panting, he reached the clay warrior. It looked just like the others: a blank face, gray body, intricately carved armor, and a long spear in hand, standing in silent vigilance.

Tang Tian tilted his head, scrutinizing it closely. He had a strong feeling that this one was different from the others—but he couldn’t say exactly why.

Just then, a crack appeared on the blank face.

Tang Tian froze. Could it be… was this last one also going to break?

Cracks spread rapidly, webbing across the figure’s entire body.

As Tang Tian stared in shock, a shard fell away with a snap.

Piece by piece, fragments rained down.

Wait—

Tang Tian suddenly noticed a faint glimmer where the shards had fallen away.

There was something inside!

His spirits rose instantly.

Fragment after fragment fell, revealing more and more of what lay beneath—a soft glow filled Tang Tian’s eyes. There really was something inside!

When the last piece dropped away, Tang Tian stood staring blankly.

A gray figure with a glazed luster appeared before him. It looked exactly like the terracotta warrior—same blank face, same armor, though seemingly even more refined, still holding a spear.

“Who… who are you?” Tang Tian asked in a daze.

A stiff, awkward voice sounded from within the glazed figure.

Tang Tian’s eyes widened as he stammered, “You… you can talk?”

The glazed warrior struggled to utter a single word.

Tang Tian stood rooted to the spot, his expression frozen.

A monster…

This creature was so strange…

Swallowing hard, Tang Tian tried to steady himself. Everything that had happened today stretched his imagination to the breaking point. He scratched his head and asked cautiously, “You’re not human, are you?”

“No,” said the glazed figure, seeming to grow accustomed to speech.

“Then what are you?” Tang Tian asked, brimming with curiosity.

“Soul General,” replied the figure.

“Soul General?” Tang Tian was stunned. He circled the figure twice, scratching his head and muttering, “So this is what a Soul General looks like…”

The figure remained silent.

“Ah, so your name is Soldier!” Tang Tian suddenly realized, awkwardly laughing.

The Soldier floated quietly in the air.

“Um, can I ask—why don’t you have a face?” Tang Tian couldn’t help himself.

“One who is faceless is a criminal.” Soldier’s voice was flat, utterly devoid of emotion. With more words, it sounded even stranger.

“A criminal…” Tang Tian paused. That question seemed to make Soldier sad… Maybe he should change the subject. Quickly, he asked, “Soldier, what is this place?”

“The Exile Tablet,” Soldier replied, his tone unchanged.

“How can a stone tablet float on the sea?” Tang Tian asked, bewildered.

“Sea of Banishment,” Soldier continued, saying things Tang Tian could not comprehend.

Tang Tian grew even more confused. “But I was clearly in the Maze of Souls—how did I end up here?”

Soldier remained silent.

“Uh… Soldier, do you know where the Soul Key is?” Tang Tian asked.

“I do not,” Soldier replied.

“Alright,” Tang Tian said, deciding to ask something practical. “Then how do I get out of here?”

“The clay body turns to soul, the crime atoned, stone shattered, sea vanished.” Soldier’s voice was as unchanging as ever, oddly unsettling.

“Stone shattered, sea vanished…” Tang Tian murmured.

Suddenly, a sharp cracking sound came from beneath his feet. His expression froze as he looked down—the stone slab was now veined with jagged cracks spreading at alarming speed. In moments, a web of fissures covered the ground.

Tang Tian’s face paled.

At the same time, the sea level began to fall rapidly.

Suddenly, he felt a force grab him from behind—Soldier had seized Tang Tian, floating him into the air.

With a roar, the stone beneath them collapsed like an avalanche!

The seawater evaporated and vanished in an instant.

Utterly terrified, Tang Tian failed to notice the faint glow from the Southern Cross mark on his palm.

The world spun wildly; countless beams of light converged into a surreal vortex.

When Tang Tian opened his eyes again, he found himself inside a cave. Not far ahead floated a softly glowing silver key.

Could that be the Soul Key?

For some reason, Tang Tian let out a breath of relief.

So all those bizarre scenes had just been a dream!

“Is that the Soul Key?” An icy, even voice sounded behind him.

Tang Tian’s body went rigid.

After a moment, he turned his stiff neck to look behind him—Soldier was floating right there.

Tang Tian’s mouth twitched. His throat dry, he croaked, “Y-you… how did you follow me here?”

So it wasn’t a dream…

“There is something strange here,” Soldier replied, glancing at the cave and thrusting his spear into the wall.

A deep rumble shook the entire mountain, as if it might collapse at any moment.

Tang Tian was left speechless with shock.

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With a series of sharp pops, the shields on the walls burst like bubbles, one after another.

Mr. Wu stared, thunderstruck, as the wall vanished before his eyes. After a moment, he snapped back to himself and shrieked, “Impossible! Who is it? How could anyone break through the camouflage I laid with three bronze treasures? Impossible! How could there be such a master here?”

Di Han’s face had turned ashen. He knew all too well the immense cost Mr. Wu had paid for this setup.

Using the Maze of Souls as the core, three bronze treasures had been expended, layer upon layer of defenses, illusions, and traps.

Who could possibly be powerful enough to destroy such a meticulously arranged labyrinth so directly?

A chill ran up Di Han’s spine. Without hesitation, he turned and fled for his life.

“No! My Silver Bloodline…” Mr. Wu’s hysterical screams echoed behind him, but Di Han didn’t stop—he ran, head down, as fast as he could. He sensed several powerful presences racing toward them.

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Tang Tian stared at Soldier in disbelief.

This guy…

“I am going to sleep,” Soldier announced, then transformed into a streak of light and vanished into Tang Tian’s palm.

Startled, Tang Tian opened his hand to see the mark of the Southern Cross glowing faintly.

The Southern Cross…

Could it be…

A thunderous rumble shook the cave as massive rocks fell from above. Tang Tian’s shock quickly gave way to alarm. The walls of the cave shifted in color, revealing a passage just wide enough for a person.

At that moment, a cold, sinister voice echoed through the cave.

“Amory, is running all you know? Didn’t you act so convincingly? Today, I’ll make sure you die with no grave to return to!”

Tang Tian’s face fell—Fly-Cow! He instantly recognized Zhou Peng’s voice.

Without a second thought, Tang Tian dashed into the passage.

There was a fierce, murderous gleam in his eyes.

He didn’t realize that his Second Crane Flow was quietly accelerating.

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In the great hall of the cave, which connected to countless tunnels, people were pouring out, their faces full of fear. Was the Maze of Souls about to collapse? In no time, the hall was crowded.

Suddenly, a massive figure stumbled out, battered and bruised.

“Amory, today is the day you die!” A cold, venomous voice rang out.

A gray figure appeared by Amory’s side, spear darting at him like a venomous dragon.

Amory barely managed to parry with his blade, but was sent flying as if struck by a sledgehammer.

Soul-Hunting Spear!

Zhou Peng!

Sure enough, Zhou Peng appeared before the crowd, calm and collected.

The Soul-Hunting Spear moved with terrifying force—fourth-tier power, masterful skill, overwhelming strength. Amory could only defend, his body covered in wounds.

“Zhou Peng, that’s enough!” someone called out. It was Liang Qiu, eyes flashing with murderous intent.

“Oh, the Beast Chief?” Zhou Peng sneered. “So what? Kill him!”

The Soul General vanished and reappeared before Liang Qiu. The spear tip blurred from Liang Qiu’s sight—so fast! Liang Qiu’s pupils contracted. With no time to react, pain burst in his shoulder as a jet of blood spurted forth.

Everyone watched in utter shock. How could this be possible…?

Liang Qiu was wounded in a single strike…

“Hahaha! Chief Liang, so this is all you amount to!” Zhou Peng laughed madly, his eyes savage.

“As expected from a Soul General Card crafted by the master himself—not even Chief Liang could withstand a single blow. Too bad it’s not a Gold Soul General Card, but for the likes of you, a Silver Soul General is more than enough! Hahaha! Die!”

The tip of the Soul-Hunting Spear vanished in an instant.

Liang Qiu’s face turned ashen.

A silver flash exploded before his eyes!