Bab 6: Chapter 36- The Hidden Puppeteer
The fortress of the Zombie Alchemist was alight with the merriment of victory. The guards, who had been tirelessly hunting down the resistance group, were now indulging in a feast fit for a king.
The air was thick with the smell of roasted meats and the sound of glasses clinking in a toast. The tables were overflowing with food, and the floors slick with spilled alcohol. The atmosphere was one of debauchery, as the guards laughed and sang, their inhibitions loosened by the copious amounts of liquor consumed.
The female servers, dressed in nothing but revealing silks, were passed around like toys among the men, their bodies touched and fondled as if they were mere objects. Their faces were blank, their eyes glazed over as if in a trance, controlled by the spores.
The guards, lost in their revelry, were unaware of the resistance group closing in on them. They were unaware of the danger lurking just outside the walls of the fortress. They were unprepared for the attack that was about to be launched on them, and their downfall was imminent.
It was a scene of utter chaos, a culmination of months of planning and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The resistance group was ready, and tonight they would see things through. The time for celebration was over, and the time for action had come.
The celebration at the fortress of the Zombie Alchemist was in full swing, with people drunkenly stumbling about, their senses dulled by the endless flow of alcohol and the hypnotic dancing of the bare-skinned girls. But amidst the revelry, a sudden and deafening explosion rocked the crowd, catching everyone off guard and sending them into a panicked frenzy.
Alchemist Cui Bai, who had been indulging in his own debauchery, bellowed at the top of his lungs, demanding to know who dared to cause such disruption to his celebration. But before he could even finish his sentence, more explosions echoed throughout the fortress, and from all corners of the alley, hundreds of cultivators emerged, weapons at the ready, their eyes locked onto the shocked and bewildered Cui Bai.
Leading them was Madam Zhang Ai, her eyes filled with determination and a fierce sense of justice. She stepped forward, her voice ringing out clearly in the chaos, "The insanity of Alchemist Cui Bai ends tonight!"
Cui Bai's face twisted into a sneer, "You think a few puny cultivators can defeat me? I am the Zombie Alchemist, the master of death itself!"
Madam Zhang Ai's eyes flashed with a fierce light, "You may control death, but it is not yours to wield as you please. Tonight, heaven will smile upon the victors, and justice will be served."
With a wave of the hand, the members of the resistance group, together with Juanxiu's party, launched their attack. They were aggressive and fierce, fueled by years of pent up frustration and a desire for vengeance. They remembered how they had been driven to the edge, how their families had been taken from them, and how hopeless they had felt. Now, it was time for them to repay their tormentors.
One of the resistance fighters brandished a sword, its blade glinting in the firelight as he charged towards a group of guards. With precision and skill, he sliced through their defenses, cutting them down one by one. Another fighter wielded a pair of daggers, darting in and out of the fray with quick, deadly strikes.
Chen Wei, the leader of the resistance, fought with a spear, its tip glowing with a fiery energy as he thrust it into the chests of his enemies. He was a blur of motion as he fought, his attacks swift and deadly.
Juanxiu and his companions fought with a variety of weapons, from swords and axes to bows and arrows. They fought with grace and skill, their attacks precise and calculated. They moved in unison, their attacks coordinated to take down their enemies with maximum efficiency.
As the battle raged on, the intoxicated guards fought back with all their might, but they were no match for the well-trained and determined resistance fighters. They were quickly overwhelmed, their defenses crumbling as the resistance closed in for the kill.
Alchemist Cui Bai injected his Qi into his voice, calling out to all the citizens of District Four to defend the fortress, he was met with an eerie silence. It was as if his commands were falling on deaf ears.
A sinister grin appeared on Su Qiaolian's face as she mocked him, "It's no use, Cui Bai. We've already destroyed the fungi that produce your spores. You've lost your hold on the citizens."
Cui Bai's expression turned from one of confidence to one of defeat. He had grown complacent in his belief that no one could counter his plan, especially his mind-controlling spores.
Cui Bai bellowed with rage, his face contorting in fury as he glared at the resistance fighters. "How dare you!" he screamed, spittle flying from his lips. "You think you can defeat me so easily? I am the almighty Zombie Alchemist, the ruler of District Four!" But his words fell on deaf ears as the resistance fighters closed in on him, their weapons at the ready.
Cui Bai's eyes widened in realization as he realized that his plan has failed, and his reign of terror was coming to an end.
Without hesitation, Madam Zhang Ai signaled the members of the resistance group to attack Cui Bai, but their efforts were thwarted as he quickly summoned brainwashed alchemists to use as shields. With a single command from Cui Bai, the alchemists, most of them at the Expert rank, others on the General stage, launched a counterattack against the resistance fighters.
Alchemist Zhou was caught off guard as his friend, a fellow alchemist who he had trained with for years, lunged towards him with a sword in hand. He quickly raised his own weapon to defend himself, the clashing of metal ringing out in the chaos of battle. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he struggled to hold off his once-ally, the weight of their past friendship heavy on his mind. He desperately called out to his friend, trying to reach the person he once knew beneath the brainwashed exterior. But it was to no avail, his friend's eyes were blank and unresponsive.
Zhou reached into his pouch and pulled out the last remaining powder of the Hibernating Mortal Bloom. Without hesitation, he blew it into his friend's face, watching as the brainwashed alchemist collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
One by one, the brainwashed alchemists began to fall unconscious on the ground, their minds freed from the control of the spores. Cui Bai realized that his plan had been thwarted and he was filled with remorse for listening to the person who had given him the fungus.
Unknown to the people here, a mysterious figure was hidden in the shadows, watching the battle unfold. He was dressed in a long, flowing cape, his face covered by a bandage that concealed all but one of his eyes. As Alchemist Cui Bai realized that he was losing the battle, he attempted to flee. But with a simple hand seal, the mysterious figure put Cui Bai into a trance. Cui Bai was now nothing more than a puppet being manipulated by the true puppet master.
Suddenly, different types of fungi began to sprout from Cui Bai's body, writhing and wriggling as if they had a life of their own. Some of them had bulbous, pulsating heads that seemed to emit a sickly green glow, while others were long and thin, resembling twisted tendrils. Some of the fungi seemed to be causing hallucinations, as Cui Bai's eyes rolled back in his head and he let out a bloodcurdling scream. Other fungi were releasing a toxic gas that made it difficult for the cultivators to breathe, and still others seemed to be causing an acidic reaction, slowly burning the cultivators' skin.
It was as if his body had become a breeding ground for these deadly plants, and they were now taking over. The sight was both grotesque and terrifying, and it was clear that Cui Bai had lost all sense of reasoning as the mysterious figure controlled him.
Suddenly, Li Jing's eyes glazed over and she let out a blood-curdling scream. Du Hong, who was fighting alongside her, was shocked as he saw her attack him with a ferocity he had never seen before. He could see the hallucinations taking over her mind, causing her to see him as a monstrous creature. He tried to defend himself, but the attack was relentless. He could see the confusion and fear etched on her face as she fought against the hallucinations.
Some of the cultivators found themselves experiencing vivid hallucinations, seeing monsters and demons where there were none. Others were plagued by intense allergic reactions, their skin breaking out in boils and itchy blister that they couldn't stop scratching. Still, others found their skin corroding as if it was being eaten away by acid.
The attacks of Cui Bai, now controlled by the mysterious figure, did not discriminate. It affected everyone, friend and foe alike, disrupting their attacks and leaving them in a state of disarray. The scene was chaotic and terrifying, like something straight out of a nightmare.
As Madam Zhang Ai called out to Cui Bai, trying to reach the humanity within him, she deftly removed a hairpin from her long tresses. The hairpin, adorned with the image of a phoenix, glinted in the light as she infused it with her Qi.
In an instant, the hairpin transformed into a grandiose fiery bow. The bow, with its intricate designs and radiant aura, radiated with immense power as Madam Zhang aimed it towards Cui Bai.
With a swift release of her energy, she unleashed an arrow towards the engulfed Cui Bai, destroying the fungi that covered him. However, as soon as one set of fungi was eliminated, another seemed to take its place, an endless source of the deadly organisms. The battle was far from over as Madam Zhang readied herself for another round of attacks.
The others followed her lead, each unleashing their own powerful techniques. Li Jing summoned a whirlwind of blades, while Du Hong formed a massive hammer made of earth. Chen Wei unleashed a barrage of punches, each one infused with lightning. Dai Niu unleashed a torrent of water, and Su Qiaolian summoned a flock of birds made of fire. Juanxiu drew out his blade and performed the third step of the Hollylock Blade technique.
As they continued their assault, they noticed that the body of Alchemist Cui Bai was slowly thinning. The fungi seemed to be using his body as nourishment, devouring him from the inside out.
"We need to end this, now!" shouted Madam Zhang Ai, her voice filled with determination.
The resistance fighters were relentless, their attacks never stopping. They could see the body of the Zombie Alchemist becoming more and more emaciated, until he finally looked like a zombie, a fitting appearance to his moniker.
As the resistance fighters continued their relentless attack, they could see the defeat of Alchemist Cui Bai in sight. His body was becoming thinner and thinner, consumed by the never-ending source of fungi that had been feeding on him. The cultivators were determined to end this battle once and for all, their eyes set on the Zombie Alchemist.
With one final blow, Madam Zhang Ai unleashed all her energy and the fire on her bow turned into a fiery bird. Her eyes turned into a flame and with one draw of the strings, the bird flew towards Alchemist Cui Bai, engulfing him in a raging inferno.
As the fire died down, the resistance fighters noticed a maroon jewel glinting like a drop of blood on top of the ashes.
Suddenly, the mysterious figure watching them intently appeared and snatched the jewel. Feeling the menace on this new character, Madam Zhang Ai once again drew the strings of her bow, ready to unleash her elemental attack, but with a flick of his finger, the flame was extinguished.
She was shocked, as the ability to nullify an elemental attack was a skill only possessed by someone in the Master Swordsman class.
Hadiah
-- Hadiah diterima Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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