Chapter 756: Chapter 754: The Curse of Shattering (13)_1 Chapter 756: Chapter 754: The Curse of Shattering (13)_1 “`
“What does that mean?”
Kamakura Si was initially somewhat confused, but the next moment, Ni Huayuan had already stood up and walked toward the statue that only had half a body left.
“Don’t you think this statue is a bit different from the ones outside?”
After looking it over, he spoke without turning his head.
“It is a bit different.”
With Ni Huayuan’s reminder, including Brother Ah Kai, all nodded slightly.
“It has a stronger non-human feel to it.”
“Indeed…”
“It seems like…”
The researchers from the Academy were indeed observant, well above average.
As soon as Ah Kai made his remark, he immediately gained much agreement.
It wasn’t as if everyone had been aimlessly wandering outside; although they couldn’t find a complete statue either, they could still spot the oddities just by comparing the lower halves.
The statues outside were clearly individual people and almost human in appearance.
This one inside might have similar armor, but regardless of the proportions of the various parts or the stance it was in, it gave off a rather uncomfortable feeling.
In short, it didn’t quite look human.
“It really is different.”
Professional Tomb Keeper Kamakura Si finally noticed the anomaly and appeared surprised.
“This is the first time I’ve seen such a design.”
“Indeed a diligent Tomb Guardian,” Ni Huayuan said mockingly, “keeping yourself out of the loop.”
Kamakura Si’s face flushed with embarrassment, as his behavior just then left no grounds for rebuttal.
“So according to you, there are no other statues like this elsewhere?”
Fortunately, Ni Huayuan didn’t continue but promptly focused on the anomaly before him.
“To my knowledge, there aren’t any.”
Kamakura Si first shook his head firmly but, recalling the scrutiny he had faced just before, couldn’t help but look around for affirmation from the others.
“There shouldn’t be any…”
“I’ve never seen one…”
The other members of the Kamakura Family supported his viewpoint one after another.
“But your uncle died here, so at least he knew about it,” Ni Huayuan mused.
“And when faced with an insurmountable predicament, the first thing he thought to do was to come here looking for a solution…”
Turning his head to glance at Fu Qian and the others, seeing them looking on as if watching a show, Ni Huayuan snorted coldly the next moment and made a hand gesture.
“Step back a bit, toward the doorway.”
As Kamakura Si and his men hurriedly retreated, Ni Huayuan had already raised one hand, aiming at the statue.
To the Tomb Guardian family, this gesture, frankly speaking, was somewhat disrespectful, but their feelings clearly weren’t within Ni Huayuan’s considerations.
And the next moment, a somewhat horrifying scene occurred.
Ni Huayuan’s raised right arm, from the elbow down, began to undulate continuously, as if a series of bubbles were forming underneath, causing the arm to rapidly swell.
But upon closer inspection, these bubbles were somewhat ethereal and unreal, emerging like shadows above the skin.
After a few seconds, the gathered bubbles finally swelled to their limits, their color deepening, and began to slowly peel off from the arm, much like a snake shedding its skin.
This “skin” shed by the snake did not dissipate after hitting the ground but instead started to wriggle incessantly, first stretching out into the shape of limbs and a head, then rapidly transforming into a solid entity.
In just moments, a bizarre hunting hound with a mouth full of sharp teeth and a single blood-red One-Eyed eye appeared there.
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Even the hound’s body was drenched in blood, entwined with all sorts of rotting flesh and tendons. Fu Qian could even smell the pungent stench, reminiscent of a bioengineered canine infected with some T-virus.
What was this thing–a malevolent spirit? A demonic pet? An entity formed by intention?
To Fu Qian, the being’s existence seemed unique, as if straddling the line between spirit and flesh. It was possible to directly sense the chaos.
As an instructor at the Divine Ashes Institute, I’m not surprised you’d know some summoning techniques, but isn’t this form a bit too disgusting?
Fu Qian frowned as he watched.
Yet it wasn’t over.
As the bioengineered canine circled Ni Huayuan, he raised his other hand.
The same scenario played out again, but this time, the creature that struggled free from his left hand resembled a wolf or dog, with a somewhat more normal overall appearance and even grey-white fur.
The only problem was that, as it moved, the fur depicted human faces, complete with nearly tangible eyeballs.
What on earth is everyone researching these days!
While Fu Qian uttered his sarcasm, Ni Huayuan had already commanded the two gauntlet hounds into action.
Without a sound, they began to circle the statue and the bloodstains on the ground, then, seemingly in agreement, they turned and charged toward the wall behind the statue.
Had they really found something?
Everyone was focused on the hounds’ actions, and just as they reached the wall, appearing as if about to crash into it, the bodies of the gauntlet hounds simply passed through, shaking left and right as if the wall was nonexistent.
“It seems it’s not entirely without a trace,” Ni Huayuan remarked, his eyes sparkling with a strange light as he glanced at Cass.
His implication was that professionals should handle professional matters, suggesting that brutes from Heaven’s Commencement Institute like you should just stick to studying fireballs and not embarrass yourselves by stepping out of line, hehehe…
Of course, these last bits were all added by Fu Qian.
He deemed it quite fitting for the spirited Ni Huayuan.
Woo…
However, at the next moment, there were screams. The hounds, as if encountering some terrifying entity, turned and ran back in unison.
Alas, they didn’t run far before a giant One-Eyed hound head thudded to the ground, leaving the headless bodies to continue their frenzied dash.
The grey-furred one’s two front legs snapped off in unison and it flipped and fell to the ground.
But even with just two hind legs, it kept running resolutely until it, like its headless companion, broke into pieces scattered on the ground.
A stench of blood ten times more intense than before filled the entire space.
In the ensuing silence, Ni Huayuan’s face was terrifyingly pale.
“How could this happen?” Kamakura Si was the first to exclaim, unable to comprehend what had just occurred.
“It seems like someone else has mastered your Cursed Swordsmanship,” Jian Jingzheng chimed in.
Pointing at the scattered remains dissolving at a pace visible to the naked eye, he demonstrated his sharp insight into Sword Dao.
“The cuts seemed self-inflicted, and apparently none of you took action, right?”
“…No.”
As Kamakura Si shook his head subconsciously, Jian Jingzheng looked in the direction of the wall.
“So behind that wall, there seems to be another being capable of using the Cursed Swordsmanship. Could it be one of your Professional Tomb Keepers on duty?”
“Impossible.”
Kamakura Si immediately shook his head.
“Aside from us, all members of the Kamakura Family are on standby outside. They definitely wouldn’t be wandering around now.”
“Is that so?”
Ni Huayuan took over the conversation, his voice a bit hoarse.
“Then it seems we need to find a way to look behind that wall.”