338 Native Specialty

"F*ck!" While cursing, Ye Qingxuan shot back instinctively, rolling out of the coffin and onto the ground. He had had so many near death experiences that his body could act on its own accord. This thought made Ye Qingxuan both happy and sad. Who wanted a talent that could only be had after almost dying too many times?!

Immediately after, the hammer shattered the coffin with a roar. The sounds of metal and stone clashing rose in the darkness. Ye Qingxuan scrambled back. Cautious of his surroundings, he snapped his fingers and the rune Light appeared, hovering over his head.

Everything looked normal in the long tunnel but two columns of three-meter-tall statues lined the two sides. They looked like armored warriors and held Romulusian swords and shields. However, their abnormal size was terrifying. Many of the weapons in the burlier statues were even more terrifying. There were long-handled stone axes and square-headed stone hammers. Someone even carried a fasces…

The statues looked extremely overbearing with beautiful intricacy. If it was any other time, Ye Qingxuan would study them closely and enjoy the art. However, he could not enjoy anything when the statues were activated by a foreign sound, their eyes flashed red and slowly walked toward the lower platform. He…had no tricks against these things.

Mind? Did these things have minds? He was not at the point that he could control everything in the world. It was impossible to control stone statues without being at least a Resonance musician!

Illusion? These things did not even have real eyes. Would they fall for illusions?

Revelations? Ha, what a joke. The School of Revelations did not lack anything other than combat abilities.

Ye Qingxuan did not know if the School of Abstinence was useful but he specialized in the construction of music theory. It could help him with controlling enchantments but was powerless against these soulless objects. He looked down at the amber gem on his black cane—Indrah's Eye. Was electricity useful against these non-flammable things?

Before his thinking ended, something cold whistled past him. It brushed past his body and fell onto the gradually incoming statue. Cold frost instantly spread and giant ice crystals formed rapidly, swallowing the entire statue. The sudden coldness froze the statue in place.

It was Sam.

"What the f*ck is this?" Sam had just climbed out of his coffin. His reaction speed was only a beat slower than Ye Qingxuan. Baro and Miller crowded over as well. They looked around at the few giant statues that were advancing toward them.

In the distance, the statues that had slept for eternity were now shaking off the dust. There were enough of them to form two battalions!

Ye Qingxuan had a headache. "I think these are the clay puppets, sacrificial objects made by Romulusian alchemists for the nobles. They replaced live slaves to guard the tomb. These guys are replicated from the most powerful Romulusian warriors. They even have some techniques and know how to work together so be careful."

Baro suddenly had a headache too. "How the f*ck are these things clay puppets?!"

"They're made out of clay." Ye Qingxuan had seen this with his Eye of Silence. "These guys have been burned to a ceramic-like quality and their durability is comparable to iron. Iron can corrode in a tomb but porcelain won't!" Now, he was sure that Indrah's Eye was useless. It would not have any effect other than raising the temperature. Porcelain did not conduct electricity.

"So what do we do?" Baro asked impatiently. "They don't have weaknesses?"

"Don't rush me!" Sweat beaded on Ye Qingxuan's forehead. The Eye of Silence was getting hot too. He could see the alchemy arrays buried within the shells of the clay puppets. Those were the things controlling the objects. Ye Qingxuan manipulated his mercury threads to read the music theory within!

"The joints! The weakest parts are the joints and heads!" Ye Qingxuan said quickly. "Their observation loops are in the heads and should use old-fashioned heat and auditory sensors! Try not to use attacks with high temperatures. Otherwise…" Glancing at the two columns of warriors that stretched into the distance, he gulped. "Otherwise, it'll be like attacking a beehive!"

"I get it. You're annoying!" Baro spat. Beastly nature appeared in his eyes as he began murmuring in a raspy voice. Under the faint melody, the wind around him instantly grew wild. Dozens of tiny vortexes appeared. Bat-like things flew out with incredible speed.

Immediately after, cracks began appearing in the charging clay puppets as if a sword was hacking at them. The eyes of a thin and lithe warrior flashed red. It flipped in the air and took out two scimitars. Gashes formed in the air.

Slice! With a small sound, the beasts in the wind had their wings broken and were revealed. Two bat wings fell from the body, which also ablated into the wind. It was the phantom beast Flying Sycle!

If one died, Baro would add another one. Instantly, Ye Qingxuan could see around fifteen Flying Sycles hovering around them. They hid in the wind and continuously attacked the awoken clay puppets.

"Only fifteen? Make some more." Ye Qingxuan pursed his lips. "I've seen musicians who could summon a pack of wolves and each one was realistic and powerful! They could even break through shields…"

"You think phantom beasts are mass produced? I'm not the kind to specialize in phantom beasts either. Raising fifteen of these aggressive things is already hard enough!" Baro's face was beet red and he almost spat out blood. "Don't compare me to those who had written their symphony of predestination and entered the Scepter level!"

"Really?" Ye Qingxuan chuckled. "Just say you can't do it."

Baro seriously was going to spit out blood as he glared. "Ye Qingxuan, if I really do reach the Scepter level, everyone like you will die!"

Pissed off, Baro was much more generous in casting the music scores in his instrument. The speed of the fifteen Flying Sycles instantly tripled. They broke through the air silently but when they attacked, they were like angry axes. They were so fast one could not process their speed.

With a roar, Baro played three accented notes. The Flying Sycles immediately grouped and transformed into a vortex of death, swarming toward the approaching clay puppets. With a muffled boom, even the cracks were cut off by their wings.

Four burly clay puppets broke apart instantly. They fell to the ground, the red light in their eyes dimmed, and they shattered. Ye Qingxuan's eyes twitched as he saw the artistic statues be pulverized. His heart was in pain.

"Don't do it too hard…ah, whatever!" Ye Qingxuan forced himself to stop. He never thought that he would do such a taboo thing. Romulus's history had already been cut off. There were not many resources or evidence in the world. Their history was a mystery as well.

If the researchers saw them destroy these precious objects like this, they would probably get a heart attack. But for now, it was more important to save themselves than ancient relics. Otherwise, the relics would not be protected and they would be dead. They would probably be written into the next edition of "Dumb Ways for Musicians to Die" and be tormented in death.

His thoughts were muddled but the historical scrolls Caligula had given him flashed through his memory. There was an entry in it that suddenly shocked him.

"We can't stay here for too long. Leave here first," he called. "Hurry up…as fast as possible!"

"Huh?" Sam, who was constructing a shield array, looked back. "What's wrong?"

"If I guessed correctly, it'll be worse later." Ye Qingxuan looked around at the gradually awakening warrior statues. More and more red eyes lit up in the darkness. He wiped at his cold sweat. "Do you…do you know what the Romulusian army is most famous for?"

No one replied. The three who did not know history at all exchanged confused glances.

Ye Qingxuan moaned and sighed dramatically. "Anyway, just hurry the f*ck out!"

What was the Romulusian army famous for? Was that even a question? Of course it was the Romulusian formation!

Boom! The giant boom was the sound of giant shields crashing onto the ground.

"Hoo ha!" Roars sounded amongst the clashing of metal and stone. Deep within the tunnel, nine statues stood shoulder to shoulder and put their shields together. On the ground, the metallic porcelain reflected the young musicians' faces. Then, the wall of shields pushed forward.

"Hoo ha!" The ground shook and whistles shot through the air. Lances! They were two-meter long red lances! The giant lances shot from the wall of shields like a thunderstorm. They broke through the ground with terrifying booms.

The booms sounded one after another. Scars were left in their path. The red lances burned like lava and arced through the air like falling stars. They had not yet arrived but the pressed down on the air, asphyxiating them.