Chen Shi really wanted to jump down, grab a Red Barbarian Cannon, and place it at the village entrance. It would be so impressive that the village kids would surely kneel and bow to King Chen.
"Once back in the village, I can be crowned!"
Unfortunately, the carriage didn't stop.
Chen Shi's eyes swept over the bodies on the ground. They were dressed like the Divine Mechanism Battalion soldiers, but each had a small hole on their forehead, about the size of a finger, very thin.
The carriage sped away with him.
Not long after, another Red Barbarian Cannon came into view, also with its barrel cut off, surrounded by more bodies of the Divine Mechanism Battalion soldiers.
They all had the same wound on their foreheads, like a mark left by pinching with fingernails.
But fingernails can't pierce through a person's skull.
As they moved forward, there were more bodies and more damaged Red Barbarian Cannons.
Chen Shi was shocked and scared. Last night, he only saw a figure standing on the mountaintop with a cold light swirling around, but he didn't see anything flying down the mountain to kill!
"What kind of weapon could cause such wounds?"
Along the way, Chen Shi saw two or three hundred bodies and dozens of damaged Red Barbarian Cannons.
Sun Simiao of the Daoist sect was revered as the Medicine King for inventing gunpowder, which contained the extremely powerful thunder force.
Cultivators and divine beings fear thunder the most; heavenly tribulations are led by heavenly thunder.
Since then, mortals have had the power to slay gods and exterminate immortals.
Over time, gunpowder became the basis for firearms like muskets, flintlocks, and cannons, enhanced by cultivators' talismans, making them incredibly powerful.
The Divine Mechanism Battalion is the emperor's elite guard, and any new firearms can be found there.
But the battalion mostly uses muskets and Red Barbarian Cannons to deal with any expert who disobeys the emperor's orders.
Even if someone has cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage or formed their Primordial Spirit, a single cannon shot with five thunders can scatter their soul!
This time, the Divine Mechanism Battalion deployed so many Red Barbarian Cannons and soldiers, determined to succeed, but they suffered heavy casualties.
The carriage sped forward, and they didn't encounter any living people along the way!
Ahead, the mountain that was bombarded last night appeared, with smoke and still-flowing lava on the peak.
That was the terrifying destruction caused by the Red Barbarian Cannons combined with the Great Five Thunder Talismans!
But now, there was no sound of thunder, and the cannon fire had stopped.
Chen Shi looked up and saw that most of the mountaintop had been blasted flat, with only a single thick stone pillar, dozens of feet wide, still standing.
The stone pillar was over twenty feet tall, covered with marks from cannon and lightning strikes, with molten lava below, steaming hot.
The driver whipped the horses, urging the carriage straight toward that stone pillar.
From the stone pillar came a clanging sound, like metal striking stone.
At this time, the sky was not yet fully bright, the moon had just set, and the sun was just beginning to rise, casting a dim red light across the sky. If one looked into the distance, it was hard to see clearly.
Suddenly, a strange sound came from above the stone pillar, obscure and difficult to understand, like the low murmurs of gods and Buddhas. To the gods, it was a whisper, but to Chen Shi, it was a deafening roar, echoing in his head!
A brilliant divine light shot up into the sky!
In the clouds sat a supreme deity, surrounded by golden light, immense and unknowable, reaching down toward the stone pillar!
Suddenly, a flash of cold light shot up, and with a swift motion, the neck of the supreme deity glowed, and its head slowly slid off.
A scream came from the stone pillar, followed by a body falling and landing in front of the carriage.
The headless deity in the sky disintegrated, turning into spiritual energy, forming auspicious clouds that invigorated everything, making the vegetation on the other peaks lush and green.
"Prince Xiao is indeed extraordinary, I've learned my lesson!"
A woman's figure quickly retreated in the sky, her voice matching the one Chen Shi saw last night, Jin Hongying.
The stone pillar was almost vertical, making it impossible for the carriage to climb. Seeing this, Chen Shi jumped off the carriage.
The driver said, "Thank you, Young Master Chen."
Chen Shi listened carefully, hearing only the sound of solidifying lava cracking in the cold, with no other noises.
He steadied himself and climbed the rock, using both hands and feet, quickly reaching the top of the stone pillar, just a few steps from the summit.
"Crash—"
Some rocks were kicked down by him, splashing into the lava below.
Chen Shi nearly lost his footing, but luckily his hand gripped a crack in the stone. Looking down, the carriage seemed as small as a palm, while the lava beside it was a large patch, about half an acre.
"If I fall, even Grandpa's Water and Fire Refinement might not save me."
Chen Shi steadied himself and continued climbing, finally reaching the top of the stone pillar.
There were several bodies lying haphazardly on the pillar, each exuding a great sense of authority even in death, making it hard for Chen Shi to breathe.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!"
Chen Shi shouted a few times to boost his courage and moved forward, searching around until he found Prince Xiao behind a rock.
Prince Xiao lay on his back, blood pooling beneath him.
In front of him, a brilliantly shining slender sword was embedded in the rock. The sword had eight sides, a thin waist in the middle, and a hilt inlaid with treasures like tortoiseshell and turquoise.
The sword was like a gentleman, modest and gentle.
That's the feeling the sword gave Chen Shi.
Just as Chen Shi approached, a sharp buzzing sound reached his ears, and a cold light flashed before his eyes.
Chen Shi quickly stopped.
Strands of hair gently floated down.
Behind him came a cracking sound, followed by the sound of stone being cut. The rock was sliced by invisible sword energy and slowly slid away.
Chen Shi didn't dare move a muscle and shouted, "Senior Xiao, I'm Chen Shi! Can you hear me?"
Prince Xiao didn't respond for a long time.
Chen Shi cautiously lifted his foot, but no sword energy attacked.
He breathed a sigh of relief and was about to step down when he suddenly stopped mid-step.
A tiny sword appeared between his eyebrows, only three or four inches long, but the hilt and guard were clearly defined, and the sword even had eight sides.
This exquisite little sword hovered in the air, pointing at his forehead, making Chen Shi dare not move.
Now he finally understood how the Divine Mechanism Battalion soldiers died.
Prince Xiao had two swords, one long and one short.
The long sword cut through incoming cannonballs, while the short sword flew down the mountain, killing enemies and cutting Red Barbarian Cannons!
The two swords worked closely together, allowing him to defeat his opponents!
"Senior Xiao, I'm Chen Shi!"
Chen Shi shouted, but Prince Xiao remained silent.
Cold sweat dripped from Chen Shi's forehead, and he didn't dare put his foot down. These two swords were clearly intelligent, protecting their master on their own.
The long sword emitted sword energy, and the short sword flew to kill.
If he made any sudden moves, he would likely be killed on the spot by these two swords!
Chen Shi's eyes were fixed on the small sword in front of his forehead. Slowly, he moved his hand, inching it into his robe.
After a while, he pulled his hand out.
In his hand were several sticks of incense!
Chen Shi's other hand moved slowly to take out a fire starter.
After a long time, he finally lit the incense.
"Senior swords, I am Chen Shi, a friend of Senior Xiao. I came to rescue him, and if I'm late, it might cost him his life."
The incense smoke drifted toward the two swords. The long sword suddenly flew up and inserted itself into a nearby scabbard with a clang, while the short sword hesitated, swaying uncertainly.
Chen Shi held the incense and said, "If we don't save him now, it might be too late."
The short sword hesitated for a moment, then flew to Chen Shi's ear, moving with him. It seemed that if Chen Shi dared to harm Prince Xiao, it would immediately cut off his head.
Chen Shi breathed a sigh of relief. He guessed that the two swords had spirits, so he thought of using incense to communicate.
"Granny Sha was right, with respect in your heart, every path is clear; without respect, even a safe path can become a dead end."
Chen Shi approached, checked Prince Xiao's breathing, and found that he was still alive. He examined the injuries and saw that Prince Xiao was severely wounded, not only from cannon and lightning strikes but also from various spells and weapons, leaving him barely hanging on.
"If it were me, I'd probably be dead by now."
Chen Shi lifted him and carried him to the edge of the stone pillar. By now, the sky was fully bright, and the sun was gradually rising from a flat disc to a round orb.
Chen Shi hesitated. He wouldn't dare jump down from such a height alone, let alone while carrying the severely injured and unconscious Prince Xiao.
But how to get down was a problem.
At this moment, Prince Xiao groggily opened his eyes. Seeing Chen Shi, he hoarsely said, "Leave quickly... Jin Hongying will come back..."
"I can't get down the mountain! Can't leave!" Cold sweat broke out on Chen Shi's forehead.
Prince Xiao's hand drooped, and a finger pointed at the long sword, moving slightly.
The long sword, with its scabbard, flew up and appeared in front of Chen Shi's feet in the air, unmoving.
Chen Shi's heart stirred, and he tentatively stepped onto the scabbard. The scabbard sank slightly, carrying him slowly downward.
Soon after, Chen Shi's feet touched the ground, and he exclaimed happily, "Senior Xiao, we're down! Senior Xiao?"
Prince Xiao didn't respond, having fainted again.
Chen Shi quickly carried Prince Xiao to the carriage and urgently said, "Quick! Take us to Granny Zhuang!"
The driver was puzzled, not knowing where Granny Zhuang was.
"Follow me!"
Chen Shi jumped off the carriage and ran swiftly.
Seeing this, the driver whipped the horses, and the carriage followed Chen Shi at a gallop.
Chen Shi ran for dozens of miles, reaching the outskirts of Hillock Village, and entered the mountains. After traveling more than ten miles of mountain paths, he finally arrived at Granny Zhuang's place.
"Wait here for me! Please, Granny Zhuang, help save this man's life!"
Without saying much, Chen Shi set down Prince Xiao and immediately rushed towards the forest by the stream.
Half an hour later, Granny Zhuang's tree hollow was filled with "people," a few chubby children with tiger heads and tiger brains, crying and holding their heads. Their ginseng fruits had been picked again and given to the man lying on the bed.
"He has taken the ginseng fruits, so his life is no longer in danger, but his other injuries are too severe for the ginseng fruits to heal," Granny Zhuang said apologetically.
Prince Xiao remained unconscious. Although his external injuries had healed, the most serious ones were from lightning strikes and the spells of the Divine Mechanism Battalion's experts.
These injuries couldn't be cured by medicine alone.
"Thank you, Granny, thank you, little ones!"
Chen Shi hurriedly thanked them. The chubby children gathered around him, looking up, their little hands gesturing, asking for more toys.
Chen Shi agreed and once again carried Prince Xiao, placing him in the carriage. "We're going to Mirror Lake Manor."
The driver set off again, and the carriage sped away.
At midday, Mirror Lake Manor was as cold and quiet as ever, with no sound of cicadas or birds.
The water in the pool was icy cold, and the tall trees blocked all sunlight. The carriage rumbled to a stop outside the manor.
Chen Shi carried Prince Xiao inside, opening layer after layer of the coffin house and placing him inside.
As Chen Shi was about to close the layers of the coffin house, the long sword flew in and also settled inside.
The small sword, however, leisurely circled the coffin house, seemingly standing guard outside.
Chen Shi closed the five-layer coffin house, breathed a sigh of relief, and whispered, "Mirror Lake Manor can naturally save lives. Senior Xiao came here to recover from injuries last time. Moreover, outsiders can't enter this manor, so even if Jin Hongying finds this place, she can't get in."
Mirror Lake Manor was built by his grandfather, Prince Xiao, and others. The people residing in the coffins were no less skilled than Prince Xiao.
If Jin Hongying tracked them here, she would face several experts like Prince Xiao!
"With Senior Xiao's safety no longer a concern, now about the Red Barbarian Cannon and the crowning..." Chen Shi's heart burned with excitement as he looked toward the carriage outside the manor.