Suddenly, several Ghost Soldiers Generals, riding Ghost Soldier warhorses and holding long spears, charged towards Zhou Yan. They moved with incredible speed, reaching him in an instant and thrusting their spears at him.
"How dare you harm my Lord!"
Bai Qi transformed into a streak of red light and charged directly at the Ghost Soldier Generals. A terrifying killing aura enveloped them, followed by a blood-red sword energy.
"Swish!"
The Ghost Soldier Generals raised their weapons to block, and were repelled several steps by Bai Qi's sword energy.
Even with Bai Qi's strength, he only managed to push them back a few steps, indicating that the three Ghost Soldier Generals were not weak.
Bai Qi also felt that these three Ghost Soldier Generals were difficult to deal with, and they must have been powerful in their lives.
Subsequently, Chen Qingzhi also arrived from another direction, saying, "How can I let General Bai Qi face them alone?"
"One for you, two for me," Bai Qi said.
"Alright!" Chen Qingzhi replied.
The three Ghost Soldier Generals did not hesitate and charged directly at Bai Qi and Chen Qingzhi. Bai Qi and Chen Qingzhi each stepped forward, engaging them in a fierce battle.
"Clang clang clang!!!!"
The three Ghost Soldier Generals were indeed extraordinary, with astonishing strength, fighting Bai Qi and Chen Qingzhi to a standstill.
Zhou Yan watched the battle between Bai Qi, Chen Qingzhi, and their opponents.
He then sensed even more powerful auras from deeper within the passage, significantly stronger than those of the three Ghost Soldier Generals.
Holding the Celestial Soul Sword, he ventured alone into the bottomless passage, remaining constantly vigilant.
He sensed that this aura was very special.
This aura was incredibly powerful, likely belonging to the biggest boss here.
After walking hundreds of meters, he saw a colossal sarcophagus.
This sarcophagus was suspended in mid-air by nine chains. Below it, nine dragon-shaped stone carvings were arranged, each with a unique design.
The sarcophagus exuded a heart-stopping deathly aura, far stronger than anything he had encountered before, by dozens of times.
In front of the sarcophagus stood many stone statues. To the left were three rows of civil official statues, and to the right were three rows of military general statues.
The civil officials held stone swords, and the military generals held stone spears.
The material of these weapons was the same as the stone of their bodies. The stone itself appeared somewhat peculiar, resembling white jade, yet not quite.
Zhou Yan could not identify the material, having never seen such stone statues before.
From these stone carvings, he also felt the presence of deathly aura, and a very potent one at that.
To approach the sarcophagus, he had to pass these stone statues.
He took the initiative, releasing his Yin and Yang energies, and the Celestial Soul Sword glowed with intense power.
The nine chains on the sarcophagus jingled, as if sensing a threat. They began to emit clouds of black deathly aura, far more potent than anything seen before.
A formidable being lay within the sarcophagus.
At that very moment, the eyes of the stone statues turned blood-red. A peculiar light flowed across their entire forms. Though faint, he noticed it; it was likely a special rune.
The stone statues began to move.
They moved rapidly, positioning themselves in front of the sarcophagus, forming a battle formation and fixing their blood-red gazes on Zhou Yan.
"This must be some kind of formation, capable of increasing their strength severalfold. This formation is quite interesting; learning it would be a good thing."
After careful observation, Zhou Yan realized that a powerful formation had been laid out around the sarcophagus, and the stone statues were likely there to guard it.
He held the Celestial Soul Sword, released his Yin and Yang energies, and then unleashed a strike.
"Bang!"
A sword light, hundreds of meters wide, descended upon the stone statues before him. However, a powerful energy shield appeared overhead, not only blocking his sword energy but also seeming to absorb the energy of his attack.
Zhou Yan's eyes widened in surprise, "I didn't expect this formation to be so powerful, capable of absorbing energy attacks. It seems I'll have to enter the formation and fight my way through."
He walked towards the great formation, sensing immense energy spreading beneath his feet. The entire ground was covered with peculiar array patterns, runes, inscriptions, and images.
This was a very potent formation.
If he had the time, he could study it. Unfortunately, he was pressed for time, and the stone statues would not afford him the luxury of research.
The stone statues began to approach him. Despite being made of stone, their movements were no slower than those of a normal person.
"Let me see what these stone statues are capable of."
Zhou Yan moved forward, and the stone statues attacked him, wielding their weapons and striking fiercely.
"Clang clang clang!!!"
He expected their weapons to shatter upon contact, but the result greatly surprised him.
The opponents' weapons were peculiar; after colliding with his Celestial Soul Sword, they showed no signs of damage.
Moreover, the strength of these stone statues was immense, their raw power comparable to that of a martial cultivator at the seventy-ninth level of martial arts.
If not for his own formidable strength, he would not have been able to contend with them head-on.
His Celestial Soul Sword was a Holy Artifact, and ordinary weapons could not contend with it. The fact that these stones could withstand his weapon truly shocked him.
"No, although their stone material is special, it's not enough to clash with a Holy Artifact like this. Unless their inherent material is extremely unique, coupled with the inscription of profound runes."
He examined them closely and exchanged dozens of blows with them. With each clash of weapons, he detected a subtle fluctuation of runes emanating from their weapons. It was these powerful runes that allowed them to clash head-on with his weapon.
"These runes are extremely profound, clearly not simple ones. And the material of the stone statues themselves is also a very rare substance. I wonder if I can obtain it."
The formation and these runes alone were a massive treasure trove, and he desperately wished to acquire them. However, he first had to break this formation.
This formation was incredibly powerful. Upon entering it, he discovered several peculiar characteristics that were highly disadvantageous to him.
For instance, his stamina and spiritual energy were being consumed twice as fast. There was a formation here that could devour his spiritual energy.
This formation was extremely bizarre, and coupled with the astonishing defense of the stone statues, even his Celestial Soul Sword attacks could not inflict any damage on them.
The stone statues coordinated their attacks seamlessly. Even their simple assaults were enough to overwhelm him.
He unleashed his powerful Yin and Yang energies, attempting to break through them. However, even his potent Yin and Yang energies only managed to push them back, and they could absorb this energy. It was incredibly strange.
He could only resort to using pure strength to confront these stone statues. But their sheer numbers and formidable defense meant that even he, at this moment, could not shatter a single one. He was genuinely unsure of how to defeat them.
This greatly astonished Zhou Yan. What were these stone statues made of?
What level were the runes inscribed upon them? They were so terrifying.
He had finally met his match, experiencing a genuine challenge for the first time.
He had been fighting within the formation against these stone statues for half an hour. His Celestial Soul Sword had struck countless times, but each time it could only push them back, not inflict any destructive damage. He had gained no ground.
Instead, his spiritual energy was nearly depleted.
His "Seven Star Sword Art," for the first time, encountered an opponent that could resist it. The terrifying strikes landed on the stone statues, only managing to push them back.
Conversely, his own weapon vibrated ominously.
The hardness of these stone statues surpassed his wildest imagination.