Chapter 33: Is It Naivety? This Trouble Is No Small Matter

At the same time, under the illumination of a purple sun, the number of guards stationed on the Ba Great Wall was triple the usual count. Endless hordes of fierce ghouls and corpses surged toward the wall like a tide. The sounds of slaughter roared across the battlements, and under the light of the Sacred Wood’s fire, countless ashes mingled with the remains of fallen warriors, piling up along the ramparts.

The heart of the Di Kingdom was the Great City built against the Great Wall. It stretched over a hundred miles from east to west and over four hundred miles from north to south. On its left stood the Ba Great Wall, spanning more than twelve hundred miles and bordering other nations; to the north, south, and east, there were only the inner city walls. Beyond the eastern wall, scattered across mines, forests, and farmlands, were dozens of small towns. These people made up the entire population of the Di Kingdom.

The highest structure in the kingdom was the watchtower atop the Great Wall. Piercing the clouds, it offered a panoramic view of the entire realm. Standing silently upon this tower was a slender figure clad in armor. A mask made of snake bone obscured his features, yet it could not mask the overwhelming aura of slaughter that clung to him. He was the Lord of the Di Kingdom, the spiritual pillar for every warrior on the wall. He stared quietly into the distant vast sea, watching as some colossal entity emerged from within the tide of corpses and ghosts, drawing ever closer.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind him: "Why are you here? Where is your brother?"

The masked man stiffened. He turned abruptly, removing the snake-bone mask. The face beneath was striking—even with a deathly pale complexion, deep shadows beneath his eyes, and a sharp, gaunt jawline. Yet, he was not frightening; instead, he possessed the tragic, exquisite beauty of a dying swan, captivating the soul and stirring an instinctive urge to protect the frail.

He looked at Ji Yaoguang, as if verifying if the man before him was real. After several breaths, he said slowly, "That is what I should be asking you. How did you get here?"

"I have urgent business. I did not intend to see you, but I discovered that a Source Ghost has planted a Source of Anomalies in the underground palace, so I came to inform your brother." Ji Yaoguang did not mince words; his relationship with Si Jin was not particularly good.

In the past, he had felt pity for Si Jin, whose bright future had been ruined so cruelly. But over time, the persistent illness seemed to have warped Si Jin’s character—he had become acerbic, indifferent to his brother's concerns, obsessed with hoarding wealth, and had even tried to stop his brother from supporting the Sea of No-Light. Although Si Li had arrived in time, the incident convinced Ji Yaoguang that he and Si Jin were not of the same path.

Si Jin looked at him with eyes so large they were unsettling, his expression nonchalant. "When has there ever been a shortage of Source Ghosts? I have long known they planted Beast Lizards in the underground palace. But those things require a higher level of 'Source' to take effect. The Di Kingdom has enough trouble as it is; we have no time to deal with you."

"I want to see Si Li. Where is he?" Ji Yaoguang did not dwell on the matter.

"Can’t you tell?" The youth, who looked like a walking corpse, cast a gloomy gaze toward the hazy, mountain-like shadow in the distance. "For some reason, the remains of the Xuanwu God have been disturbed. My brother’s 'Domain' cannot stop the 'Domain' from across the way, so he has decided to take the next step: Ascension."

Ji Yaoguang’s heart tightened. "That is too risky. Ascension requires the complete fusion of the soul and the totem, which must be anchored by the authority of heaven and earth. Without an anchor, he will never be able to return to human form."

"You know that doesn't matter to him," Si Jin said coldly. "If you have nothing else, you may leave. Or, if you want to help my brother and prevent him from fusing with the totem, go to the front line and stop that monstrosity."

"When did the disturbance begin?" Ji Yaoguang stepped forward, peering into the distance.

"The Black Tide saw small-scale activity two days ago, but the true eruption occurred twelve breaths ago. It came very suddenly, as if responding to some call," Si Jin said indifferently. "My brother made an immediate decision to fuse with the totem. You might still make it if you go to stop him now."

Ji Yaoguang said calmly, "I am no match for those divine remains now."

"So, you have no other business with him?" After asking, Si Jin seemed to trigger some internal injury, covering his mouth and coughing violently.

Ji Yaoguang waved his hand, and three humans tumbled out from his Ghost Mask totem. "I encountered Source Ghosts. They planted a Source Object in the city. I caught them, killed one, and captured another. The third is a new recruit; you should recognize him." Ji Yaoguang paused. "The Source Ghost I killed seems to have a Source undergoing a violent disturbance. This is likely what drew the Xuanwu divine remains. I used a secret technique to suppress it, but I cannot maintain it for long. I need Si Li to handle it."

Si Jin was silent for a moment. "That is truly arrogant of the Azure Emperor, but very well—I will help you."

He flipped his hand, and a small bird with a brown back and white belly danced in his palm, singing a crisp melody as it flew into the Great Wall. Immediately, an immense pressure locked onto him.

"Little brother, didn't I tell you to stand in for me for a quarter-hour? There must be a limit to your mischief. Do you know how critical the situation in the inner city is?" The wall trembled slightly as a deep voice resonated.

Si Jin glanced at Ji Yaoguang and said coldly, "Your real brother, Ji Yaoguang, is here."

The tremors stopped instantly. A second later, the deep voice was laced with fury: "What nonsense are you spouting? He would never return!"

Si Jin said languidly, "Not only has he returned, but judging by his expression, he looks like he wants all the money he gave you back."

Ji Yaoguang immediately interjected, "I have no such intention."

Almost simultaneously, the Great Wall shuddered violently. Amidst the shaking, the thick ramparts revealed their true form. A terrifying figure rose from the ground—a colossal white python so large it induced a fear of giants. Its massive body *was* the wall itself. Its pupils were sharper and longer than a hundred-story building. As it lowered its head to gaze at the figures on the watchtower, it felt as if a massive mountain were about to collapse upon them.

Weisheng Wu knelt down before he could even react. His father and Bo Rang fared no better; under such terrifying pressure, even raising their heads was an impossible luxury.

The giant snake flicked its long tongue, the intense wind pressure carving gashes meters deep into the surrounding walls. It swept past Ji Yaoguang’s face like a bolt of lightning before emitting a sharp inquiry: "Hiss... A-Guang, is it really you?"

Ji Yaoguang gave a bitter smile. "There is a reason I returned, one I cannot disclose for now. But there is a 'thing' in the Academy about to erupt. I am burdened with a seal and dare not touch it lightly; I need your help to handle it."

The giant snake flicked its tongue again, leaning in with surprise. "Hiss-hiss... A-Guang, you smell of someone else. Didn't you hate it when others touched you?"

Ji Yaoguang remained expressionless, looking calmly at Si Jin. "He has lost the point again. You teach him."

"Ba-She is the most reckless and impulsive beast in the Vast Sea. It is already a miracle he could use his own brain to get here," Si Jin looked up. "Brother, I can only hold this position for you for another sixty-nine *kshanah*."

The giant snake immediately asked, "A-Guang, where is that thing?"

"The Academy, there!" Ji Yaoguang pointed. Trees in the Academy courtyard suddenly surged in growth, transforming into towering giants visible throughout the city.

The giant snake let out a roar, and its massive body began to move. The serpent’s form seemed capable of infinite extension. It moved with incredible speed, casting a massive shadow and wind pressure over the Di Kingdom, sending countless roof tiles and bamboo leaves flying. When the snake’s head reached the trees, it surveyed the area. Satisfied that no one else was there, it opened its jaws, releasing a stench, and bit down, swallowing the small courtyard along with the trees, soil, and buildings. The ground around the courtyard shook violently, leaving behind a crater over a hundred meters wide and ten meters deep.

The snake head retracted. As it passed over the Great Wall, it twisted sharply and, like an excavator, spat the "trash" in its mouth far into the direction of the Vast Sea. The soil, trees, and masonry fell heavily into the Black Tide like falling meteors, causing massive casualties among the ghouls.

However, at that very moment, their keen senses felt the blood-red fetal membrane beneath the trees rupture. A faint purple radiance formed a semi-circular light curtain, enveloping the nearest Black Tide, then continued to spread, covering the approaching Xuanwu remains, before heading toward the Great Wall.

Once enveloped by the purple light, the weak ghouls in the Black Tide instantly bloated and twisted. New monsters struggled out of their corpses, covered in fresh mucus, possessing power and corruption far more terrifying than before. As the Xuanwu remains were shrouded, the massive gap in its shell—previously pried open by Ji Yaoguang—closed in an instant. The head, which had only been twitching with snake bones, now roared at the heavens, joined by the turtle skull.

As the light hit the Great Wall, the giant snake that had become the ramparts shuddered as if scalded. The entire wall rippled, and the soldiers atop it could barely stand.

Ji Yaoguang’s expression changed. "As I feared."

"A-Guang, we have a problem. That thing... it seems no less formidable than the one in the Sea of No-Light last time. A relic that doesn't appear once in a thousand years—I don't know how they managed to get another one so quickly," the giant snake lifted its head helplessly, looking into the distance. "Hiss... I will go try to seal it. How much power do you have left? Can you help hold off the Xuanwu divine remains?"

Ji Yaoguang calculated. "Half an hour at most. I need to reserve some strength, or my own seal will break."

"Hiss-hiss... only half an hour..." The giant snake flicked its tongue. "Too short. Very well. Brother, you organize the people to retreat from the underground palace. Open all sixteen gates; save as many as you can. Whether they flee north to the Yu Kingdom or the Wu Kingdom, it is a way out."

Si Jin looked up at him. "And you? You haven't fully fused with your totem yet. You dare to touch that thing?"

"Hiss-hiss... Little brother, I leave it to you! You can certainly handle it!" With a thunderous roar, the giant snake moved at high speed. The warriors on the Great Wall could not keep their footing; the snake’s body shook, rolling them off like ants.

The giant snake’s roar echoed like rolling thunder, spreading across the entire kingdom: "Decree: The Black Cavalry and the Yuli Army are to abandon the Great Wall line. Retreat into the underground palace and assist the people in fleeing!"

Its massive body rotated, acting like a giant roller, crushing the ghouls outside the city into ash. It coiled carefully, intending to surround the Black Tide from the opposite direction.

Ji Yaoguang sighed softly, looked back in one direction, folded his arms, and bowed his head piously. In an instant, the great divine tree grew once more between heaven and earth.

Below the wall, Weisheng Wu was so overwhelmed by the series of shocks that he could barely think. After tumbling off the wall like a rolling gourd, he couldn't help but grab Bo Rang and howl, "What is going on? Is this a game? How could the Great Wall break so easily? Can't the Azure Emperor and the Lord of Di even stop this?"