Chapter 141 - Rock Dolls

There was no need to decipher what occurred. It was clear as day. They shrunk into miniature beings on the table. Xinyi got up on her feet but was still composed. Although the experience was shocking and worrisome, the newfound confidence blew all doubts and strengthened her heart to face any obstacle. She couldn't explain why, but this place was not scary for her. Rather, a presence was familiar in some ways.

She let the invincible Hutyuns fly around and practiced using them as eyes but saw the same thing with her n.a.k.e.d eyes. She slowly familiarized herself with the new powers acquired. Time manipulation was still not among them but her control with the Hutyuns and animals became stronger. 

The power of healing was also something she looked forward, believing she could heal Ming when they find him soon. Somehow, she had to explore this kind of ability to understand it strengths and limitations fully. Xinyi hadn't known the rest of the skills she got yet, but willing and excited to know more.

Then the silvery gray statues began to move forward as statue looking like guards pulled the kneeling headless body at the side while the next in queue knelt willingly. A multiple resounding sheek entered their ears and they flinched, looking at the heads rolling down simultaneously . General Lofey pulled Xinyi to hide behind a rock house. The rest followed.

"We fell into a trap." Lofey was sure of it but no one else voiced their opinions.

"Is this some sort of illusion?"Xinyi asked.

"I don't think so. It could be made of magic. Look above." They followed General Lofey's finger and saw giant wolf spider on the rock ceiling. The spider had white hair on its body but unusually had scaly legs. 

"Oh my, we would be these spider's dinner."

"Maybe not." Xinyi smiled, concentrating to communicate to the crawling being. The spider spurted a metallic web, making a loud twang when it hit the table at Xinyi's feet. She jumped back, grimmed face, offended by the spider's attack-like action. "Yipee!" The spider slid down sideways, surfing using his four legs and reached Xinyi's feet. It snapped its two feet and the web recoiled on its back, becoming part of it as though it didn't exist. 

"How ya, Sorceress? Nice meeting ya face to face. What can I do for ya?" The spider curtsied.

Everyone was wide-eyed to clearly hear the spider spoke the Youshi language. Mostly with its human-like actions. But Lofey and Tyriece directly reacted on the word, "Sorceress?" They never expected her title to be this great and powerful. 

No wonder she had someone as strong as Nianshi, Tyriece thought. He speculated Nianshi could be as great as her. While Lofey decided with no hint of doubts that Nianshi was the mythical lion-dragon. This was so because of General Lei Ming's stories he had read. A great creature as the dragon was mentioned there.

Xinyi didn't mind for the two men to know her true identity but was stunned for the spider's knowledge. Most animals she met before didn't know this. Only those who had met her predecessor to notice her aura.

"How come you know I'm a Sorceress?"

"The lazy spirit in the Cave of Truth spread yer news throughout 'tis mountain." It shrugged as it spoke.

Xinyi slapped her forehead. "Darn that, that…" Xinyi gritted her teeth in anger. The spirit knew all the while and yet it acted nonchalantly and had the gull to spread the news. "Grr. When I'm done here, I'll burn that spirit to ashes."

"He would be happy if you did."

"What do you mean?" Nianshi asked.

"Because it hated to be trapped in there."

"What do you mean?" Xinyi asked.

"We heard it was a human before and made a grievous mistake and the late Sorceress turned him into a spirit guardian in that place."

"Hmm, so that's the story…" Xinyi made a wide smirk, planning on facing that spirit someday. "Anyway, thank you for coming. Will you guide us out of this place and bring us to the chameleon's cave?"

The spider looked at her, confused. "Yer in here." The confusion was clear on their faces. "Haha, ye came and didn't know?"

"This is already the chameleon's cave? Or are you playing us?" Xinyi asked, annoyed by the spider's mocking tone.

"But it doesn't look like a cave," Nianshi said bluntly.

Yet, the spider didn't react with her annoyance but only crawled toward the headless rockman near the guillotine. "It is a cave but I designed it to look like this." 

In one wave of its front leg, the shiny web mummified the body. Then it pulled the web's tip and the mummy turned as fast as a tornado and flew to the table's edge. Before touching the table again, there was no web left on its body and became an armored man with helmet.

They stood with gaping mouth, stupefied with the stunning display. "So, you're the one who made this stone dolls," Nianshi said in disdain. 

"Yup, so enjoy ma little game." The spider roared into laughter as a twang echoed and the spider instantly reached the ceiling. "By the way, 'tis isn't an easy game, Sorceress. And ya rock Chiangda. Ya can't easily beat my rock dolls. If ya do, I'll teach ya to create one." And went into a crevice on the wall.

They gazed at each other and sighed. "The heck is that spider." Tyriece turned his head at Xinyi. "What are you going to do, Ma'am Sorceress?"

Xinyi heaved a deep sigh. "Frankly? No idea and don't call me Ma'am. But let's see how strong are these dolls. I think you're interested to learn to make one."

"I would be lying if I say I'm not, but I'm more interested in something else." Tyriece cupped the side of his lips and looked up, shouting, "Hey! Eight-legged, how are we going to go back to our own size?"

"That's up to ya to find out. If you're lucky in a day, I'll guide ya to the chameleon's abode, if not… Hahaha," they heard the spider without showing up.

Xinyi let the Hutyuns follow the spider but webs spun on them in a blink of an eye, capturing them in an instant. "Try nothing stupid, Sorceress. This is my domain and you have to respect me here. This is the law of Chiji." Tiny glistening balls hung outside the crevice.

The Hutyuns cried, "My queen, help us." They are trying to break free from the web but the string of web was strong as steel. 

Xinyi tried to free them but her connections to the Hutyuns bounced back to her. The rest looked at the rock dolls and saw them began walking toward them. Rock dolls with weapons were up front and pointed their spears at the humans. 

They ran around the houses and the rock soldiers were in pursuit. Tyriece clenched his fist and the dolls' bodies crumbled to pieces but it formed back as if nothing happened. However, their surface colors changed from gray to sparkling black.

"Dang it. They became stronger," Tyriece hissed. They ran inside an open house and Tyriece closed it with no gap for a hand to hold. Somehow, just a kick from the blackened soldiers broke it.

Nianshi tried to transform into a lion-dragon but only huffed in desperation. "Shit! The spider's domain won't let me transform."

Xinyi recalled the surprising shot against her mirror image back in the cave where she captured Mafan. Her chest glowed and made the spiraling white light hitting the rocks. The light bounced back to her and wasn't painful, but it didn't scratch the rock soldiers.

"Save your strength, Sorceress. That stone will only reflect your light," Tyriece yelled. 

General Lofey kicked a soldier, sending a domino effect to those behind. "If powers won't work, then use our mortal strength." He held two heads and smashed it against another, crashing it to pieces. 

"No, that won't wor…" Tyriece stopped short because the crushed stones didn't revert to its former shape. "It worked," he yelped in delight.

They went out of the house and followed Lofey's example, kicking and hurling rock dolls they met along the way.

"How do we get out of here and return to our normal size? Any ideas?" Tyriece looked at Xinyi and Nianshi, kneeling and placed his head and hands under a soldier and stood in an instant, carrying and flipping it, head first, cracking the head right away.

"I wish I knew, but being a Sorceress is useless here," Xinyi grunted as she picked a fallen head and used a separated hand as a bat as she hurled the head to another soldier, crushing it to the wall.

The spider looked down from the hole and smirked. "Whoa! Fast learners. Magic is indeed useless here, but let's see how you faired this time." His legs snapped again and smashed stones gathered together to form a giant soldier with a huge mace.

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