Peking Opera Cat: I Became A Zi's Brother

Chaotic energy, carrying decaying leaves and rubble, danced wildly above the mass grave, cutting the midday sunlight into fragmented, dim spots of light.

The tremors of the sealing stone grew more and more violent, and black cracks spread across the stone like a greedy spider web. Black gas seeping from the cracks spread along the ground, leaving gray marks on the soil, and even the surrounding weeds withered and turned black instantly.

Sugar stood suspended in mid-air, stepping on the Bell of Justice. A shimmering white aura burst forth from her fingertips, condensing into a sharp blade of light in front of her, aimed directly at the wrist of Ruthless, which was pressed against the groove of the sealing stone.

"This is your last warning! Stop right now!"

His voice carried the urgency unique to young people, yet it also revealed an undeniable firmness. The Bell of Justice spun continuously at his feet, emitting a crisp and rapid ringing sound. The light of the bell enveloped him like a thin veil, dispelling the chaotic energy that rushed towards him layer by layer.

She glanced at him without a trace of emotion in her usually calm eyes, as if the sugar obstruction was nothing more than insignificant dust.

With a slight flick of his wrist, the chaotic energy gathered in his palm instantly transformed into a jet-black claw, precisely striking Bai Tang's light blade.

"Sizzle—" The two forces collided violently, producing a piercing sound. White and black air waves crashed against each other, stirring up dust everywhere.

"Out of control."

The voice was deep and cold, devoid of any emotion. His other hand remained firmly pressed against the wooden box in the groove, his knuckles turning white from the force, and even the fine beads of blood seeping from his fingertips were quickly swallowed up by the chaotic energy.

Seeing this, Xiaoqing immediately waved her water sleeves, and the purifying aura of the shimmering blue water poured out like flowing water, transforming into two supple ribbons of light that wrapped around Wuqing's shoulders.

Her movements were light and decisive, her water sleeves drawing graceful arcs in the air, and wherever her energy passed, the chaotic energy melted away like ice and snow meeting fire.

"You know perfectly well the consequences of breaking the seal, so why are you so stubbornly persistent!"

Xiaoqing's tone carried a hint of admonition. She always remembered the regret that flashed in the eyes of Zhulong and Jumang when they were purifying them, and she always felt that Wuqing might still have a chance to turn back.

Xing Tian strode forward, carrying his giant axe. The axe blade, gleaming with golden light, surged with energy. He slammed the giant axe into the ground, and a golden wave of energy rushed down the ground towards Wuqing's legs, trying to force him to release the wooden box.

"Stop being so stubborn! Or we won't be so polite!"

Xing Tian's voice was deep and resonant, yet it carried immense power, causing the surrounding broken steles to tremble slightly.

Wu Song, gripping his staff, circled around to Wu Qing's side, the fiery energy at the tip of the staff leaping like a dancing crimson sprite. He didn't attack rashly, but kept a close eye on Wu Qing's movements, his eyes sharp as an eagle's—he was searching for Wu Qing's weakness, and also pondering the helplessness hidden in Wu Qing's words just now. However, the teachings of the clan elders and the current crisis made him dare not relax for a moment.

"White Sugar is right. The darkness you see is never the whole story of Cat Land."

Wu Song spoke in a deep voice, his staff turning slightly in his hand, the flame energy intensifying even further.

Despite being surrounded by four people, Wuqing remained calm and composed.

He lightly touched the ground with his left foot, and his body suddenly floated back several feet, avoiding Xing Tian's shockwave and Xiao Qing's water sleeves. At the same time, chaotic energy condensed into a thick barrier around him, blocking Bai Tang's light blade and Wu Song's ready-to-go flames.

"You can't stop me."

His tone remained calm, as if he had already foreseen the outcome. The chaotic energy at his fingertips flowed continuously into the wooden box, and the black light on the box grew stronger and stronger, echoing the black energy of the sealing stone, which intensified the trembling of the stone tablet.

Just then, two familiar sounds suddenly came from the woods—one was the heavy, rhythmic "thump-thump" of crutches striking the ground;

The other sound was the "whoosh" of a feather fan opening and closing, crisp yet carrying a strange chill.

The sound made Xiaoqing stop abruptly, and a look of astonishment appeared on her face:

"This is……"

Before the words were finished, two figures emerged from the mist of the dense forest.

Walking in front was Zhulong, still wearing his gray-black robes, his long red hair casually draped over his shoulders, the ends of which still held the faint, shimmering blue light left over from Xiaoqing's purification. But his eyes, which once held a look of guilt and struggle, were now covered by a thick, impenetrable gray-black, as if veiled by a heavy curtain, devoid of any spirit.

The bottom of his crutches was wrapped in dense chaotic energy. Each time he poked the ground, he left a deep black mark, and even the cracks in the ground extended outwards along the black mark.

Following closely behind was Jumang, whose black feather shawl was stained even darker by the chaotic energy. Her double fans were already open, and the original elegant patterns on the fan surfaces were covered by silver-gray data streams. Those data streams moved across the fan surfaces like living things, exuding an eerie sense of technology.

Her figure was lighter than before, but she had lost some of her agility and gained a mechanical stiffness. Her eyes were also empty, and only when she waved her feather fan would a cold light flash across them.

"Zhulong! Jumang! How could you..."

Xiaoqing's voice was full of disbelief. She clearly remembered that when she purified them, she had completely dispelled the chaotic energy in their bodies. At that time, Zhulong was holding her wrist and whispered that he would make up for his mistakes. Jumang also nodded slightly, with regret hidden in his eyes.

But at this moment, the chaotic energy on the two of them not only returned, but was even more concentrated than before, and also had a few more unpredictable and strange powers.

Wu Song frowned, gripping his staff tightly, and slightly reducing the power of his flames. Although he had fought the two of them before, he admired their courage to admit their mistakes. Seeing them like this now, he felt a mix of emotions.

"Are you being controlled?"

He tentatively opened his mouth, his eyes fixed on the silver-gray data streams on the two of them, feeling that the patterns looked somewhat familiar.

Bai Tang landed beside Xiao Qing on the Justice Bell, looking at the empty eyes of Zhu Long and Ju Mang, feeling both anxious and angry:

"They've clearly all come to their senses, so who injected chaos back into their bodies?"

The bell of justice at his feet rang urgently, its shimmering white light flashing incessantly, as if it were worried about the two men's predicament.

Xing Tian held his giant axe horizontally in front of him, watching the two warily.

"No matter what, let's proceed with caution!"

Just as the Star Luo Class members were stunned, Wu Qing, who had been indifferent all along, suddenly changed his expression.

He was slightly taken aback at first, a faint look of surprise flashing in his eyes, as if he hadn't expected it to be Zhulong and Jumang. But in an instant, that surprise faded, replaced by a very faint, elusive smile.

This smile was neither mocking nor joyful; it was more like a certain "I knew it" kind of confidence, yet it also concealed a hint of unfathomable calculation. The corners of his mouth were only slightly curved, a fleeting moment that could not be detected without careful observation.

He withdrew his gaze from the Star Luo Clan, slowly lowered his hand from the wooden box, and the chaotic barrier around him quietly dissipated.

Without saying anything more, he simply took a few steps back, stood to the side of the sealing stone, put his hands behind his back, and quietly watched the scene unfold.

His demeanor was calm and composed, as if he believed that Zhulong and Jumang were enough to solve the current trouble, and that he only needed to stand here and wait for the outcome.

As if receiving a silent command, Zhulong and Jumang moved simultaneously in the instant they were retreating mercilessly.

Zhulong slammed his double crutches into the ground with a loud bang, and three wide black cracks suddenly appeared in the ground. Thick chaotic energy gushed out from the cracks and condensed into several thick black vines in the air. The vines were covered with sharp barbs and lashed out swiftly at Xingtian and Wusong.

"Well done!"

Xing Tian roared and gripped the giant axe with both hands, the axe blade, radiating golden light, slashing fiercely at the vines.

"Crack!" The first vine snapped, and black sap splattered onto the ground, making a "sizzling" sound and corroding small pits into the soil.

Before he could catch his breath, several more vines arrived one after another, some wrapping around his giant axe, others aiming straight for his vital points.

Xing Tian's steps were steady, and the giant axe was wielded with ease. Each strike carried immense power, and the golden aura collided with the black vines, sparks flying and waves of energy surging.

Jumang then flashed and floated in front of Xiaoqing like a ghost. With a gentle wave of his double fans, several sharp black blades of energy shot out from the fan surfaces. The blades of energy were also wrapped with silver-gray data streams, and their speed was so fast that they were difficult to catch.

Xiaoqing quickly pulled up her sleeves to block, and the purifying aura of the shimmering blue water sleeves condensed into a thick shield of light.

"Bang bang bang!" Blade energy crashed into the light shield one after another, making a dense sound. Ripples spread across the light shield, and Xiao Qing's figure was also shaken and retreated repeatedly, leaving two shallow marks on the soil beneath her feet.

"The power within these blade energies is strange; it's very difficult to completely dispel them with purifying energy!"

Xiaoqing frowned, her tone carrying a hint of seriousness.

She could sense that Jumang's blade energy not only had the corrosive properties of chaotic energy, but also a strange penetrating power. Even though it was blocked by the light shield, there were still subtle air currents that seeped through the gaps and brushed against her sleeves, instantly staining the fabric black.

Seeing this, Bai Tang immediately stepped on the Justice Bell and leaped behind Ju Mang, condensing a bright white fist in her palm and smashing it towards her back.

"Jumang! Wake up! Didn't you want to make amends for your mistakes? Don't let yourself be manipulated!"

As he attacked, he tried to awaken Jumang, still clinging to a sliver of hope.

But Jumang seemed not to hear him at all. He suddenly spun around, his two fans drawing an arc behind him, the tips of which accurately struck Baitang's fist of light.

"Sizzle—" The black and white forces collided, and Bai Tang felt a sharp pain in his palm. His body involuntarily floated back several feet, and the sound of the Justice Bell at his feet became a little disordered.

He looked down at his palm and saw a faint black mark on the surface of his skin, making his energy circulation somewhat sluggish.

"Such powerful strength... It's much stronger than before."

Sugar gritted his teeth, gathered his energy once more, and the light of the Justice Bell shone even brighter.