NOVEL WEB Chapter 96:
Chapter 96:
No one expected that the skull contained something sinister within.
The black light that burst from the skull shot straight toward Lei Renjie’s forehead. Just as it was about to strike his brow, a hand suddenly extended from the side and pinched the light between two fingers.
Everyone stared in stunned silence.
Looking closely, they saw that the Enforcement Elder, Lei Lie, had caught a thin, lizard-like creature between his fingers. It writhed and struggled fiercely.
“What is that?” Lei Renjie stammered, his face pale. The creature had come within a hair’s breadth of his forehead and now clawed at him with its sharp talons, desperate to attack.
The others were equally shocked when they saw the creature—a black-scaled lizard, no bigger than a chopstick. Despite its small size, its teeth were razor-sharp, and its claws glinted menacingly.
The black-scaled lizard tried to bite Lei Lie’s hand, but with a slight exertion of his fingers, Lei Lie crushed it to death. He casually tossed the corpse onto the ground.
Lei Renjie’s face was ashen. If not for Lei Lie’s intervention, he would have been dead.
“This is a Black-Scaled Brain-Eater Lizard. How could it be here?” Lei Lie’s expression grew grave.
Creatures like these were native to the Demon Abyss, a place far from Black Wind City. Their presence here could only mean someone had deliberately brought them.
Could the bizarre events in Black Wind City be the work of remnants from the Demon Sect? The thought both alarmed and angered Lei Lie.
Just then, the eerie sound of opera singing drifted down the street again. The haunting melody carried an almost imperceptible allure, burrowing into the depths of the listeners’ minds, stirring up buried fears and unpleasant memories.
“Stay alert, everyone,” Lei Lie warned, striding forward. He was determined to uncover whoever was behind this eerie spectacle.
The group followed Lei Lie closely. After all, as a martial arts powerhouse in the Divine Martial Realm, Lei Lie’s presence offered the greatest protection.
When they reached the central plaza, they were taken aback by what they saw. A stage had been erected in the middle of the square, and the opera singing emanated from it. Yet, the stage was empty, and the seats before it were unoccupied.
The scene was unsettling.
“Show yourself!” Lei Lie roared, hurling a thunderous palm strike toward the stage. His attack crackled with lightning, surging forward with destructive energy.
But to everyone’s shock, the bolts of lightning passed straight through the stage as if it were an illusion.
“A mirage?” someone muttered, incredulous.
Before they could react, footsteps echoed around them. Shadows appeared in the mist, emerging from the streets surrounding the plaza.
“What’s going on?” someone whispered, trembling.
Figures moved like marionettes, their steps stiff and mechanical.
Jiang Ting felt her scalp tingle with fear, her face pale as she clung to Qin Fei. “This… this is horrifying.”
“Don’t worry, Senior Sister,” Qin Fei said, feigning concern.
“It’s… nothing,” Jiang Ting replied, trying to calm herself despite her growing dread.
The plaza was soon filled with these shadowy figures. Each one had lifeless eyes, pale faces, and rigid movements. Their lack of vitality was chilling.
“These are… corpses?” someone gasped, horrified.
They realized these were walking dead—corpses animated and moving through the city. The once-empty streets now teemed with them.
Lei Lie raised his hand, summoning a dome of crackling lightning that enveloped the group. “Stay inside this barrier,” he commanded.
The corpses ignored the barrier and shuffled past, taking seats before the stage. More corpses poured in, and soon, all the chairs were filled.
“Don’t leave the barrier, no matter what,” Lei Lie instructed before soaring into the air.
From above, he saw countless corpses emerging from the city’s alleys and streets, all converging on the plaza.
On the mountain outside the city, Xiao Yang watched the scene unfold. The lifeless city had suddenly come alive with these macabre figures. Were they the former residents of Black Wind City?
Back in the plaza, Lei Lie’s voice thundered through the air. “Show yourselves, cowards!”
No response.
“Fine, have it your way!” Lei Lie shouted, lifting his sword. “With the power of heavenly thunder, let the truth be revealed!”
He executed the True Thunder Sword Technique. The sky erupted with blinding lightning, illuminating the city and striking down on the plaza. The bolts tore through the sinister energy that hung over the square, scattering the gathered corpses.
In the chaos, a shadow darted down a nearby street.
“You’re not getting away!” Lei Lie roared, giving chase.
“Elder!” the disciples called out in alarm, but Lei Lie had already vanished.
“Stay inside the barrier,” his voice echoed from a distance.
The group was left trapped in the lightning dome, their anxiety mounting. The eerie opera singing continued, and ghostly silhouettes appeared on the stage. Though the figures were blurry and indistinct, their presence was undeniable.
“Who… are they?” someone muttered, shivering.
The lifeless audience of corpses turned their empty gazes toward the lightning barrier, their sudden movement startling the group.
“They’re looking at us!” Jiang Ting exclaimed, her voice trembling.
The corpses began pressing against the barrier, but the lightning held firm, keeping them out. However, their relentless assault unnerved everyone inside.
Thunder rumbled in the distance as Lei Lie’s battle raged on.
Suddenly, a streak of black light shot from the ground, heading straight for Jiang Ting. It collided with the barrier and was instantly incinerated by the protective lightning.
“Another Black-Scaled Brain-Eater Lizard!” Lei Renjie cried.
Looking down, the group saw the ground swarming with the tiny lizards, their black scales glinting ominously. The creatures repeatedly lunged at the barrier, only to be repelled by the lightning.
The group barely had time to catch their breath when an eerie flute melody filled the air. The haunting notes seeped into their minds, clouding their thoughts and threatening to overwhelm their senses.
The Black-Scaled Brain-Eater Lizards, seemingly controlled by the flute’s sound, began burrowing into the corpses. Once inside, the lizards took over, turning the bodies into frenzied puppets that slammed against the barrier with renewed force.
“Two forces are fighting for control of the corpses,” someone observed, their voice trembling.
The plaza descended into chaos.
Amidst the turmoil, a figure leaped onto the stage. His voice echoed confidently across the square: “Ah, so it’s just a few foxes playing tricks!”