Chapter 227: Chapter 227: Stone Statue Sword Array

HUFF...

As he stepped into the plaza, his foot left a deep print. It seemed no one had been here for a very long time, judging by the thick layer of dust.

Once inside the plaza, Shen Haoran moved forward cautiously, his eyes glued to the sixteen enormous stone statues.

Only when Shen Haoran drew close to the statues did he feel the piercing, baleful aura they emanated. The aura was so dense it was nearly tangible, and it shook his Heart Spirit to its core.

However, Shen Haoran noticed the statues showed no signs of movement. Emboldened, he continued forward.

MOAN...

A cold wind whistled through the jagged stone forest, creating an eerie, hair-raising sound. Shen Haoran’s solitary figure moved slowly between the sixteen enormous stone statues, his nerves stretched taut as he watched for any change in his surroundings.

Yet, even when Shen Haoran reached the center of the plaza, the statues remained perfectly still, as if they were nothing more than decorations.

’Am I just being paranoid?’ Shen Haoran frowned, murmuring to himself as he looked at one of the huge statues beside him. ’But why does this feeling of unease persist? It’s only getting stronger!’

SCRAPE...

Suddenly, a faint sound shattered the silence. Shen Haoran whipped his head around, his pupils constricting. One of the statues behind him had moved! 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

’Damn it, I knew there was something wrong with these statues!’ Shen Haoran cursed inwardly. His figure blurred as he shot forward. He wasn’t far from the other side of the plaza; if he could just escape, he should be safe!

SWOOSH!

However, just as Shen Haoran was about to bolt, a massive Stone Sword swung down at his head from the side. The blade carried an oppressive aura, cutting off his escape and forcing him back.

CRACK... CRACK... CRACK...

Then, a series of cracking sounds echoed out. Before Shen Haoran’s shocked eyes, all sixteen of the enormous stone statues rose to their feet, completely encircling him.

’I’m screwed. This is big trouble!’ Shen Haoran cursed under his breath, feeling the oppressive presence radiating from the sixteen enormous statues. He scanned his surroundings, looking for an opportunity to break out, but the statues’ formation was too precise. There wasn’t a single gap for him to exploit!

THUD... THUD...

The sixteen colossi moved in perfect unison, stomping their feet hard against the ground and causing the entire plaza to tremble.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

The moment the colossi planted their feet, the Giant Swords in their hands swung at Shen Haoran. A series of sonic booms erupted by his ears. The blades became a blur of afterimages, reaching his head in an instant. Such speed was nothing like that of a statue; it was more like the strike of a living, breathing person!

Seeing this, a blur flashed under Shen Haoran’s feet as his body vanished from where he stood.

BOOM!

With a tremendous crash, the Giant Sword slammed into the plaza, the powerful shockwave kicking up all the dust. The plaza’s bluestone slabs fractured from the impact, but there wasn’t a single scratch on the massive Stone Sword itself.

However, before Shen Haoran could even catch his breath after the first sword missed, several more sharp torrents of wind shot toward him in mid-air. The bursts of Sword Qi completely cut off his escape!

"Shit!"

Shen Haoran cursed, his body twisting at an unbelievable angle to narrowly dodge the statues’ attacks.

But it wasn’t over. As Shen Haoran landed, his face fell as he saw the colossi all raising their Stone Swords again. Pushing his Nine Heavens Shocking Cloud Step to its absolute limit, he managed to evade the attacks of the Giant Swords, but only just barely each time.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The Giant Swords that missed Shen Haoran all crashed into the plaza. For a moment, rubble flew and the ground trembled, a testament to the terrifying power of the colossi’s attacks!

SWOOSH!

Once again, Shen Haoran narrowly dodged a Giant Sword’s attack. He stomped hard on the flat of the blade, launching himself like a cannonball toward one of the statues. His Spiritual Power flared, and he slammed a vicious elbow into the colossus’s head.

"Heaven-Breaking Kill!"

BOOM!

With a muffled THUD, Shen Haoran’s heavy blow landed on the colossus’s forehead, sending a tyrannical shockwave spreading outwards.

But this time, his usually infallible Heaven-Breaking Kill was completely useless. The strike, powerful enough to shatter boulders, failed to leave even a scratch on the colossus.

’Damn, what is this thing made of? It’s harder than a turtle’s shell!’ Shen Haoran cursed under his breath, rubbing his numb arm after the failed attack. He immediately flashed backward, because the massive Stone Sword was already swinging at him again!

’Damn it all!’ Shen Haoran’s expression was grim. His body flickered as he continuously dodged the statues’ attacks.

Gradually, beads of sweat began to form on Shen Haoran’s forehead. The statues’ attacks grew more frequent and faster, and his stamina was reaching its limit.

What made him even more anxious was his inability to find the core of this Stone Statue Sword Array. It seemed the statues weren’t being controlled by an Array at all, but rather possessed lives of their own. At this thought, a chill went down Shen Haoran’s spine. ’Stone statues with their own lives... what kind of monsters are these?!’

BAM!

With a dull thud, Shen Haoran had a lapse in concentration and was struck by a huge Stone Sword, sending him crashing hard onto the plaza.

Without even time to cry out in pain, Shen Haoran rolled away, dodging another Stone Sword that stabbed at him. He thought with a wry smile, ’Just what in the world are these statues? Normal attacks don’t damage them in the slightest, and even my Fire Spirit Black Obsidian is useless against them. How am I supposed to break this Array?’

Shen Haoran’s mind raced as he desperately searched for a solution, but he couldn’t come up with a single lead. With their powerful defense and ferocious attacks, these statues seemed to have no weakness at all!

"Huh?" Just as Shen Haoran’s head was throbbing with frustration, he suddenly noticed a faint crack on one of the statue’s legs.

’How could there be a crack there?’ Shen Haoran frowned. The statues had all been completely intact before, and his own attacks couldn’t have left a mark. That meant the source of the damage could only be... At this thought, Shen Haoran looked at the massive Stone Sword swinging toward him again, and a cold smirk played on his lips.

’Heh heh. Your attacks are powerful and your defense is invincible, but I wonder... can your defense withstand your own attacks?’ Shen Haoran licked his lips. His figure blurred as he leaped onto one of the statue’s shoulders and stood perfectly still.

The other statues, as expected, raised their Stone Swords and brought them smashing down on Shen Haoran. Just as a massive Giant Sword was about to cleave him in two, Shen Haoran finally moved. With a single leap, he narrowly dodged the incoming blade. Due to its momentum, the Giant Sword slammed violently into the shoulder of the statue he had been standing on!

BOOM!

With a thunderous crash, the powerful strike from the Stone Sword completely shattered the other statue’s shoulder, sending countless fragments of rock flying.

Seeing this, Shen Haoran’s face lit up with delight. "It worked! Using your own strength against you. Watch me shatter this Stone Statue Sword Array!"