A sword, questioning the heavens!
Yan Shouyi's Zanpakuto, surrounded by black malevolent energy, unleashed blade qi sharper than any sword qi, pressing directly at the soul!
He raised his Zanpakuto high, imbued with sixty years of sword intent, and slanted it towards Huo Ban's soul!
This single strike contained not only sixty years of sword intent but also the accumulated battle spirit of General Qing Jiang from his years of military service, and his domineering spirit that dared to point a sword at the heavens and ask the Way!
The blade qi surged forth, utterly dominant, and the mercury river below seemed to be affected, the mercury parting to both sides!
The blade qi even left long gash marks on the bronze sarcophagus!
"Ah—"
Huo Ban's soul was still under the pressure of the Five Thunder Orthodox Law.
Seeing Yan Shouyi unleash such a terrifying sword strike, his blurred and ferocious face was etched with surprise and dread.
Ultimately, he could not evade it. Before his soul could even leave the bronze sarcophagus, it was pierced by the blade qi!
The blade qi directly split the bronze sarcophagus in half, then continued for dozens of meters, not only dividing the mercury river into two but also leaving a shocking gash on the imperial city wall by the bank!
And Huo Ban's soul trembled slightly, then twisted and was split into two from his left shoulder to his right hip!
"Die!"
Yan Shouyi roared, his voice overpowering the thunder and echoing over the mercury river!
His voice carried the joy of victory, conjuring the image of a handsome general returning triumphantly.
"Huo Ban is dead!"
Lin Zhitong, on the bank, showed a look of joy.
Taohua Ying, worried about Lin Zhitong getting too excited, quickly came to support her, only to find that Lin Zhitong's other hand was already being supported by Lian He.
The two "maids" exchanged glances, neither showing jealousy due to the other's presence.
Strictly speaking, Lian He served Princess Yushu. Although Lin Zhitong was the reincarnation of Princess Yushu, Lian He still held a concern for "another Princess Yushu" in her heart.
As for Taohua Ying, her thoughts were purely simple; she wished Lin Zhitong would find a few more "maids" to share her burden.
Seeing Huo Ban's soul split in two, the three women rejoiced, believing the catastrophe of the day was over.
Yan Shouyi, holding the Zanpakuto, felt his right hand tremble slightly.
The power of "A Sword Questioning the Heavens" was too immense, almost beyond Yan Shouyi's comprehension. He felt such a strike could only exist in cultivation novels.
Using such a move had depleted Yan Shouyi's internal strength, his arm aching so badly he could barely lift it.
However, he was relieved that he had dealt with Huo Ban.
Without Huo Ban, the road ahead would be much easier.
"Well done." General Qing Jiang's voice sounded. Although his tone was calm, it couldn't hide his admiration for Yan Shouyi.
Yan Shouyi was the reincarnation of General Qing Jiang. The two were originally one entity, but General Qing Jiang now viewed Yan Shouyi more as his successor.
However, he had inherited not only General Qing Jiang's abilities but also his memories, his will, and his spirit.
"Thank you for the praise."
However, just as Yan Shouyi was about to relax, General Qing Jiang's voice suddenly boomed in his mind:
"Wait… Huo Ban isn't dead yet! Don't let your guard down!"
"Not dead?!"
Yan Shouyi's heart sank to the bottom. He had just used "A Sword Questioning the Heavens," and although there was still some of General Qing Jiang's power left within him, if even that strike hadn't killed Huo Ban, how could he possibly be his opponent?!
He looked back and saw Huo Ban's soul, split in two by "A Sword Questioning the Heavens," trembling and miraculously reassembling!
The dark eyes on his soul stared intently at Yan Shouyi, filled with anger and greed.
"Damn it, this guy is lusting after my body!" Yan Shouyi couldn't help but curse.
As a man, when had he ever been stared at with such greedy eyes by another man?
This was Huo Ban, after all. If it were someone on the street, Yan Shouyi might have been tempted to throw a punch and call him a pervert.
Suddenly, Huo Ban's skeletal remains within the bronze sarcophagus all floated up!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Bone after bone shot out like arrows towards the mercury river!
In an instant, the mercury river boiled!
Lin Zhitong finally regained her senses, and her head no longer hurt as much.
But her complexion became even more grim.
She stared at the boiling mercury river, her beautiful eyes filled with dread, and said in a cold voice:
"There's something in the mercury river!"
This Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor was personally designed by Huo Ban, and was filled with traps and mechanisms everywhere.
It would be strange if Huo Ban hadn't hidden something in this vast mercury river.
Yan Shouyi also became wary of the mercury river; he too had a sense of foreboding.
Suddenly, a semi-transparent hand emerged from the mercury river.
The hand was thin and dry, like a reed growing by the riverbank, emerging from the mercury river and swaying left and right on the surface.
Then, more and more hands emerged from the mercury river!
In an instant, the wide mercury river was filled with pale, transparent hands, their movements distorted as if struggling!
Lin Zhitong gasped, "Could these… all be victims who drowned in the mercury river as sacrifices?"
The hands emerging from the mercury river were not real hands, but souls.
They seemed to be re-enacting their final moments before death.
They struggled, pleaded for help, and hoped for a miracle.
But no matter how hard they tried, how long they persevered, the outcome would not change. Pairs of desperate hands were destined to sink to the bottom of the mercury river.
Even Taohua Ying, born in a feudal society, couldn't help but cover her mouth.
As a Ghost King, she had never witnessed such a terrifying and shocking scene!
Yan Shouyi stared at the hands on the surface of the mercury river and asked Huo Ban's soul beside him, word by word, "This… all you did?!"
He suddenly understood something.
Perhaps Qin Shi Huang never intended for living people to be buried with him. Otherwise, why would he have gone to such lengths to build the terracotta army?
In that era, human lives were not as valuable as terracotta figures. Instead of creating the terracotta army, it would have been simpler to kill a hundred thousand people and throw them into the pits!
But after arriving at the imperial tomb, they had repeatedly encountered zombies and various forms of human sacrifice.
Yan Shouyi realized that none of this was Qin Shi Huang's intention, but Huo Ban's!
After all, when Qin Shi Huang died, the imperial tomb was not yet completed. Huo Ban was the one who orchestrated everything!
Huo Ban not only usurped the throne, occupying the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, but also defied Qin Shi Huang's will by burying living people alive.
The burial pits outside were nothing; the real burial pits were this mercury river!
Looking around, the mercury river was filled with struggling hands, countless beyond counting!
This showed how many people Huo Ban had sacrificed when he "moved in" to the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, and how cruel his methods were of throwing those living people into the mercury river!
All of this was Huo Ban's doing!