CHAPTER 1600: CHAPTER 344: I’M GOING TO EXPLODE

Zheng Qing had no idea that, near the shores of Lin Zhong Lake, a little warlock was beside himself with joy after discovering the long-lost tracks of his pet.

Just as he didn’t know that his shadow black cat, "confiscated" during the school hunting competition, was now lazily perched atop a small hill by the shore, watching him; nor did he know that a Black Mountain Goat was stealthily swimming beneath the water’s surface, dozens of yards from Green Vine. Following close behind the goat was a massive blue fish.

And he had no inkling that the golden light hovering above his head was connected to the owner of Greenhill Mansion.

He was unaware that the School Guardian Array had locked onto him because of the windmill-like symbols on his Charm Gun—in his dreamscape, Zheng Qing had absorbed a strand of the Origin of Wind offered by Hastur. As it reflected into reality, the gun’s body bore those yellow runes.

These symbols strengthened Zheng Qing’s Charm Gun, making it sturdier and more powerful. At the same time, however, they branded the young warlock with the unmistakable mark of Hastur.

If he had known all this, he would surely have regretted climbing back to the First University via Green Vine—even with his mediocre divination skills, he could have easily foreseen the impending chaos brewing here, with himself standing squarely at its center.

Hastur was a being from the deeps of the starry sky, bearing the title of the King in Yellow.

The School Guardian Array was highly sensitive not only to demons listed on arrest warrants but also to those ever-watchful wanderers from the starry depths, who harbored covetous intentions toward this world.

Thus, upon detecting such traces, the autonomous Array immediately triggered its strongest reaction.

Concealed nodes of the Array all across campus began to light up, drawing upon the powerful magic accumulated over time. This magic channeled through the Magic Circuits bridging the void and reality, converging into a grand golden net.

This was the Heaven Luo Ground Net.

The Array locked its target, and the net steadily contracted, shrinking until it encompassed the vicinity of Lin Zhong Lake. It then transformed into a miniature golden sun, casting strands of dazzling light.

As the beams descended, they intertwined and wove together, drawing phantom, translucent golden charms in midair. These charms were imbued with the spell power of the School Guardian Array. Some were intended for breaking demons, shocking, banishing evil, or purifying; others served to expel, calm, resolve aggression, or avert disaster when confronting Outer Gods.

The demonic aura surrounding Nikita dissolved silently at the first touch of those golden charms.

Smack!

One pale golden charm, corroded by the demonic aura, fell onto the black robes of the female demon, leaving a faint golden imprint. Zheng Qing couldn’t discern whether the charm’s spellwork aimed to break demons or purify, but he could see the devastating effect it had on Nikita. She was utterly powerless, floating limply as if shocked by electricity, her body rigid.

Her mouth gaped, and her blank eyes stared into the distance. One arm reached forward while the other stretched back, as though grasping for something, her face bearing a lingering trace of struggle.

This was the work of a single charm.

Following this charm, more came in quick succession.

In midair, the golden spell-light conjured an unending rain of charms, which poured down incessantly. In mere moments, the hovering female demon was struck again and again by the barrage.

The once faint golden imprints on her black robes grew denser, their color deepening from pale gold to bright gold, then to golden yellow, dark gold, and even a bronze hue. The layered charms eventually encased the female demon entirely, transforming her into a piece of amber suspended in the air.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zheng Qing caught sight of the amber.

But he felt no joy for the school’s triumph.

For at the same time, he too had come under the same fate—a downpour of charms rained from above, attempting to engulf him. The difference was that, unlike Nikita, the charms failed to unleash their full power upon Zheng Qing.

He could clearly sense the immense spell power hidden within these phantom charms, yet that was all. As the power descended, it traced his aura downwards, heading straight for the depths of Zheng Qing’s Heart Lake.

There, the golden spell power encountered the enormous azure energy mass hovering above his Heart Lake.

Under normal circumstances, this spell power, like heavy snowflakes gently descending, would have blanketed the warlock’s Heart Lake completely, freezing it solid from the inside out, sealing everything the warlock possessed—from his most active magic power to his innermost vitality, from the minutest thoughts to his elusive streams of consciousness.

Only by wholly freezing and sealing the Heart Lake could the spirit enticed by an Outer God be fully suppressed.

But today, things were slightly different.

As the golden spell power plummeted into Zheng Qing’s Heart Lake, it vanished into the massive azure energy mass like weary birds returning to the forest, leaving no ripples in the lake’s surface.

Let alone any notion of "freezing."

The ceaselessly falling spell power entered Zheng Qing’s Heart Lake, consumed entirely by the azure energy mass. It was like a Gluttonous Beast, devouring every trace of the spell power.

To his horror, Zheng Qing realized that under the influx of spell power, the azure energy mass was expanding at a terrifying pace, visibly growing larger. By comparison, the magical conduits siphoning power from the mass seemed like mere trickles, utterly incapable of matching its frenzied growth.

Worse yet, while the faint golden charms could not seal Zheng Qing’s Heart Lake, they succeeded in sealing his Charm Gun.

It seemed the Guardian Array had recognized the markings infused with Outer God energy as the true threat, directing its attention specifically to the weapon. An incessant rain of charms fell upon it, wrapping the Charm Gun and Zheng Qing’s forearm together into a compact block of amber.

The young warlock wanted to cry but had no tears.

The magic within him surged uncontrollably, empowered by the external spell power, yet his outlet—the Charm Gun—was sealed away.

Zheng Qing could vividly feel it. Five minutes—no, not even five minutes. Perhaps just one minute. Once the forbidden curse seed absorbed enough magic, it would once more blossom and bear fruit, unleashing a spectacular firework over this tranquil lake.

"What’s happening?!"

The other members of the Absolution Hunting Team emerged from the lake one by one, climbing up via Green Vine. Seeing Zheng Qing’s contorted expression and hands ensnared in "amber," they looked utterly baffled.

"Get out of here!" Zheng Qing gritted his teeth and urged them. "Run as far as you can... I’m about to blow!"

"You’re about to blow?" Xin Fat Man didn’t quite understand what he meant. He blinked his small eyes, repeated the warlock’s words, and gave him a once-over, puzzled. "I don’t see any Explosion Charm."

Unlike him, Jiang Yu, who had experienced the explosion in the secret realm’s miniature world, reacted with horror.

Hearing Zheng Qing’s warning, the witch’s face turned pale. She pulled out a handful of Jade Talismans, throwing them at Zheng Qing while her trembling hands frantically flipped through her Law Book, desperately searching for any spell that might help.