Chapter 20: The Riddle of the Runes

The weapons in the hands of the sentinels gleamed with a ghostly blue light, clashing with the heroes' attacks in a dazzling storm of sparks.Chen Jiuzhang swung the Broken Snake Blade, each slash imbued with the fused power of the Celestial Master Token and the Imperial Jade Seal.Yet, his strikes only left shallow marks on the sentinels' armor.

Nearby, Shen Qingluan maintained a weakening light shield with the jade seal fragment.Her face was pale, and sweat streamed down her brow.

"These sentinels' armor… there's something wrong with it!"Old Wu shouted, after knocking back one enemy with his smoking pipe.Even the pages of the Tui Bei Tu talismans were deflected by the armor."The runes are absorbing the energy from our attacks!"

Zhang Chengying dashed around on his broken scooter frame, jabbing his peachwood sword at a sentinel's neck.

"They're not even bleeding! These aren't humans—they're puppets!"

Su Nian swung her shattered bell; the chains wrapped around a sentinel's neck—But in a terrifying display of strength, the puppet grabbed the chains and hurled her into a boulder.Chen Jiuzhang's pupils shrank.Without hesitation, he leapt forward and shielded her with his body.The stone grazed his back, tearing a long, bloody gash.

"Cousin!"Su Nian looked at the blood oozing from Jiuzhang's back, eyes filled with guilt and emotion.

Shen Qingluan, watching this, felt a wave of conflicted emotion—But now was not the time for jealousy or doubt, as more sentinels swarmed in.

Amid the chaos, Chen Jiuzhang suddenly noticed the runes engraved on the Sky-Piercing Tower.They were pulsing more rapidly the longer the fight went on—A pattern that matched the behavior of the sentinels.

"Stop attacking the guards!"He yelled,"Target the runes on the tower! That's what's controlling them!"

The group hesitated only for a heartbeat—then acted without question.

Shen Qingluan channeled the last of her energy into the jade seal fragment.A beam of golden light shot toward the runes.

Zhang Chengying slapped a thunderwood talisman onto his sword and threw it with all his might.

Su Nian's chains, infused with spiritual power, wrapped around one of the rune-marked stones.

Old Wu pointed his smoking pipe at the runes, releasing a jet of roaring flame.

Under the combined assault, the runes began to crack.The sentinels staggered.The glow from their armor faded.

But just as the runes were about to shatter—A chilling laugh echoed from the sky.

"You think breaking the runes will be that easy?"

A figure emerged from the violet mist—Watanabe Miyuki, her Yin-Yang Orb pulsing with eerie purple light.

She waved her arm, and a surge of energy flowed from the orb into the sentinels' armor.They instantly became more ferocious, moving faster and hitting harder.

"Chen Jiuzhang," she sneered,"The secrets of Guixu belong to the Institute of Paranormal Research!You will all die here!"

Chen Jiuzhang gritted his teeth, eyes flashing with fury.

"Watanabe Miyuki—either you die here, or I do!"

A more savage battle was about to erupt—Right beneath the shadow of the Sky-Piercing Tower.