“Wind-Settling Pearl!”

The moment weightlessness spread through her body, Zi Jin took out a lustrous yellow pearl and placed it on her chest.

Though she had been blasted into the air, she now landed steadily. The swirling dust around her settled instantly.

Xiaoxiao, meanwhile, took out a pixel-style bucket.

She tossed it at her landing spot, splashing up a peculiar, blocky blob of pixelated water. She fell from mid-air onto the strange substance, taking no damage at all.

Qiao Biluo’s method was even more direct.

Her entire body slammed straight into the ground, creating another crater as if a meteorite had fallen from the sky. Yet, she stood up completely unscathed. A rocky texture had appeared on her skin, clearly the effect of some kind of body enhancement.

The other players also used their own methods to land safely.

Among them, the most at ease was the effeminate and handsome book-boy.

Rather than being blasted away, it seemed he had sensed the power of the Bright Silver Spear in advance and had actively leaped into the air to evade the damage.

He looked like a video game character with a hovering ability, floating down at a speed that completely defied gravity. When his feet touched the ground, they barely made a sound, a testament to the lightness of his movement skill.

“Everyone, I have an idea,” said Power King, the brawny man who most resembled a martial hero, his voice booming.

“Since this is the Battle of Changbanpo, can’t we just let him pass?”

He had some knowledge of the classic story and had noticed a majestic bridge far behind them. It was likely the “Dangyang Bridge” from the play. Zhao Zilong had crossed that bridge with the help of Zhang Yide, who then held the pass and destroyed it, frightening Cao’s army into retreating.

Since that was the original plot, couldn’t they just go with the flow?

“It’s not that simple,” Zi Jin said, shaking her head. “Don’t forget, the troupe leader said our performance can’t disappoint the Prince.”

“If we just move aside, this part of the plot would be ruined.”

“After all, the highlight of 《Changbanpo》 is the Wu Sheng’s combat scenes.”

“If the Prince is not satisfied with the opera, I doubt we’ll be able to bear the consequences.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a large number of soldiers and horses began to emerge around them. The sound of war drums rolled out from their ranks.

Since Zhao Zilong was breaking through an encirclement alone, these had to be Cao’s forces.

But, as if to confirm Zi Jin’s speculation, they showed no intention of stepping forward to help surround the enemy. Instead, they gave off the distinct air of military inspectors, there to supervise the players.

It seemed that if any of the players thought of retreating, these soldiers would suppress and execute them as deserters.

Now, everyone was numb.

They couldn’t run, and they couldn’t win. Wasn’t this just sending themselves to their deaths?

Just then, the book-boy weighed the broadsword in his hand.

“Everyone, let’s just do our best to survive while obstructing him,” he said with a smile.

With that, he raised a finger and lightly tapped the broadsword. Complex patterns immediately appeared on the blade, clearly enchanted with some kind of effect.

The next second, his figure moved, slithering low to the ground like a snake. He swiftly arrived beneath the towering, colossal steed and swung the broadsword in a single, fluid motion.

Screeeech!

A gash split open across the horse’s head. But instead of flesh and blood, there was only the sound of tearing paper.

On horseback, the Prince’s gaze hardened. He squeezed his legs and launched himself into the air, perfectly avoiding the ripping gash, completely unharmed.

He burst into loud laughter.

“Hahaha! Excellent!”

Along with his wild laughter, he drew the giant broadsword from his waist. He brought it down on the book-boy, who was just a short distance away, with the force of a thunderbolt.

In an instant, the towering steed and the ground beneath it were cleaved apart. A ravine, dozens of meters long and impossibly deep, appeared out of nowhere.

The book-boy’s body was naturally split in two as well.

On closer inspection, however, his corpse was as light and fragile as paper. It was clearly a substitute. His real body had probably taken the opportunity to hide somewhere on the battlefield, preparing for the next surprise attack.

Even so, the sight made Wu Wang’s heart tremble in the audience.

My goodness, that one strike nearly carved out the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon.

The Prince’s words had the distinct feel of that old meme, “The enemy not only refuses to surrender but even dares to fire back at me.”

This wasn’t Zhao Zilong charging in and out seven times. This was a Trisolaran curb-stomping Yin Hang.

What? You ask who Yin Hang is?

Yin Hang was the short, chubby kid in Wu Wang’s middle school class who sat in the front row, ate chalk dust every day, and never passed a single PE test. Before the Prince’s absolute power, there was no difference between the players and that unremarkable middle schooler.

“【Bullet One Flash】!” Xiaoxiao shouted from the side as the Prince leaped into the air and began to descend.

She pointed at his figure, and an invisible force surged toward him.

Xiaoxiao judged the attack was powerful enough to snap steel bars and leave an ordinary player on the brink of death. But the invisible force only earned a shake of the head and a sigh from the Prince.

“External power is not the true way. You’re putting the cart before the horse.”

Then, he raised his hand and swiped.

He took the full force of 【Bullet One Flash】 on the back of his hand, scattering the energy as if swatting a fly. Then, he slashed back at Xiaoxiao.

The biting blade energy seemed to compress the very air, making it difficult for Xiaoxiao to breathe.

Danger! Danger! Danger!

If this attack landed, death was certain!

She hurriedly threw the scarecrow tucked at her waist far away.

The moment before the blade energy struck, Xiaoxiao’s figure vanished, replaced by the pitiful-looking substitute.

Wu Wang raised an eyebrow. So the girl’s scarecrow could be used for swapping positions.

Bang!

The scarecrow, which already looked like it was about to fall apart, instantly turned to dust, scattered by the fierce wind.

The Prince stood in the center of the battlefield, holding his broadsword, and gazed indifferently into the distance. His aura was that of one man holding a pass against ten thousand, and the players all swallowed nervously.

Dong! Dong!

He walked toward the distant Dangyang Bridge. Every footstep landed with a soul-shaking thud.

Zi Jin, Power King, Qiao Biluo, and the blue-haired executioner all looked at each other. A hint of helplessness was in everyone’s eyes.

Yes, the book-boy’s approach had been the right one.

What they needed to do now was try their best to stop the Prince from reaching Dangyang Bridge. The original plot, where Zhao Zilong breaks through Cao’s army alone, wouldn’t change. Everyone knew in their hearts that they had no way of actually stopping the Prince.

So, they just had to “try their best.”

The only thing to worry about was how to survive while “trying their best.”

The Prince began to sing, his voice rising and falling in an operatic verse.

“Slaughtering through layer after layer! My spirit soars ever higher!”

“I pull the silk reins and open my eyes wide!”

“Oh~ in the distance, it seems a group of common folk are fleeing this way. Is my lady mistress among them?”

Hearing the lyrics, most of the players looked bewildered.

However, the expressions of Zi Jin, Power King, and Xiaoxiao, who knew a little about the Beijing opera 《Changbanpo》, turned increasingly grim.

In this opera, Zhao Zilong first looks for Lady Gan, then for Lady Mi. Only after Lady Mi throws herself into a well to commit suicide does he break out of the encirclement with the young lord, Ah Dou.

If the lyrics mentioned his “mistress,” then that meant one thing.

He was going to turn back to find Lady Gan.

This was bad. Was this Prince really going to slaughter his way through them seven times!?