Chapter 1178: The Siege Weapon – The Fire-breathing Cloud Beast

Since the Face-changing Fox initiated this forbidden-level mission at the Dragon Gate Inn, it has become the figure most closely linked to both the NPC and the clues to the Desert Palace. Not only did it act as the mission executor, but it also served as the source of mission clues…
From the moment it faced the mercury moat, the Face-changing Fox shifted from a follower role to that of a mission NPC clue provider.
As soon as Happy was triggered, he received a system notification:
Ding!
“Information obtained!”
“Based on the Face-changing Fox’s experience, it can be roughly concluded that the rumors about the treasures in the Desert Palace are pure nonsense. The real reason for the existence of the Desert Palace is to contain a terrifying forbidden artifact that causes chaos in the martial world, which is why it exists in the desert.”
“The danger level of the Desert Palace has risen!”
“Help the Face-changing Fox overcome difficulties and find the forbidden artifact sealed deep within the Desert Palace!”
The sudden system notification surprised Happy. This was his first mission related to the Desert Palace, but unexpectedly, it was his own follower—the Face-changing Fox—who issued the task.
What surprised Happy even more was that although the task wasn’t mandatory, it naturally forced him to carry it out!
At the same time…
There were no rewards for this task.
Disappointing.
Muttering to himself, Happy’s attention was suddenly drawn by the movements of several Heavenly Dao experts not far away, and he instinctively turned to look.
As Bi Xuan figured out the true nature of the mirage outside the mercury moat, the Heavenly Dao experts held an urgent discussion—for them, what seemed like an insurmountable barrier wasn’t so difficult to cross:
“The mercury moat can’t be endless. The few of us… can definitely take advantage of the situation to cross.”
“The moat contains deadly poisons and mirages; who knows if there are other traps…”
Some were in favor, while others were hesitant.
“Master Qin, if we follow your plan and keep delaying, the Black Storm will likely pass, and we’ll be buried under sandstorms again, decaying along with the Desert Palace,” Ye Gucheng said with sarcasm, glancing at Master Qin.
The latter replied calmly:
“I’m merely reminding everyone not to be overly hasty. The most important thing now is to stay calm and come up with the most suitable and safest strategy.”
“Alright, then what do you suggest?”
The group turned their attention to Master Qin.
After some thought, he indeed came up with a solution:

“The reach of the zither’s sound is far greater than that of ordinary martial artists; it’s extremely wide. If you all don’t mind, I’ll play a tune to explore the depth of this mercury moat…”
At these words, Ye Gucheng immediately shed his mocking expression and became solemn: “Then we rely on the master.”
The other Heavenly Dao experts also realized this was indeed a viable method and nodded in agreement: “Since that’s the case, there’s no time to lose. Master, please!”
“Very well!” Without hesitation, Old Master Qin sat cross-legged on the spot, took out an old, tattered zither from beneath his black cloak, placed it across his knees, and slowly pressed down his hand to pluck out a distant, melodious note:
Boom!!!!
It was as if drops of water sliding down a high mountain fell into a tranquil spring, creating ripples of profound resonance throughout the valley.
Everyone in the hall felt a shock in their hearts, experiencing a sense of exhilaration and spiritual uplift.
At the same time!
The thick mist above the mercury moat began to churn violently, as if stirred by some force, swirling backward like wind-driven waves—quite visibly.
“It works!”
Kai Xin and the Thousand-Faced Fox, who happened to be looking back, raised their eyebrows in surprise.
If Old Master Qin’s zither sound truly disrupted the airflow above the mercury moat, the mirage on its surface would surely collapse as well, allowing people to see clearly what lay behind it.
Old Master Qin did not disappoint them!
As the sound waves swept away like a storm, the zither music suddenly became bold and passionate, yet also carried a gentle, melodious strength. Like wave after wave, it forcefully tore apart the mist covering the surface of the mercury river.
Boom!!!
The splendid mirage swayed slightly under the impact of the churning mist and the sound waves, then quickly shattered into fragments of gold, disappearing completely from the surface of the mercury river.
“…”
Inside the grand hall, all the heroes were excited!
Everyone stared intently at the churning, murky mist, trying to see through it to what lay beyond, though it was clearly difficult.
Just then, a glint appeared in Old Master Qin’s eyes!
He plucked the zither at an accelerated pace, his six fingers moving swiftly like two butterflies fluttering around it. Using a highly unique technique, he strummed, plucked, swept, and picked—transforming two butterflies into four, and four into eight…

In the blink of an eye, it seemed as if dozens of butterflies were fluttering on the strings of the guqin, dazzling the eyes and stirring the heart.
Boom!!!!
Layer upon layer of invisible musical energy surged forth!
The continuous waves of musical energy, like giant blades, effortlessly cut the mist over the River of Stars into countless fragments, then crushed them with irresistible force, transforming into hundreds of sound blades that shattered the mist into tiny pieces, preventing it from reassembling in a short time.
Wave after wave of musical energy completely severed the mist of the mirage, allowing everyone to finally see the real scene behind it through the countless layers of mist.
“…That’s…”
“How could such a thing exist here?”
“It’s impossible!”
“Could it also be created by the mirage???” Seeing what was behind the mirage, many people in the hall gasped in shock, their expressions filled with awe and disbelief.
Kai Xin, whose vision was no less sharp than those present, also saw what lay behind the mirage.
A dark and ferocious beast’s mouth was wide open, its long neck stretched out just fifty meters away from the mirage. It seemed fixed to the surface of the river by several half-meter-thick chains of black iron, resembling a giant beast guarding the river, exuding an intense sense of pressure and danger.
“What is that?”
Kai Xin had never seen such a creature before.
The Thousand-Faced Fox seemed to recall it, his complexion paling suddenly as he murmured, “An ancient siege weapon, the Fire-Spewing Cloud Beast! This is a divine siege tool—how could it appear in such a place? It must be fake, meant to scare people.”
But…
The sound of the guqin changed.
Even more powerful waves of musical energy surged forth, continuously cutting into the massive metal body of the Fire-Spewing Cloud Beast, producing a resounding clang. Yet, the sonic attacks from the Heavenly Dao masters failed to even shake this colossal siege weapon, which remained proudly suspended above the River of Stars, looking down on them with a disdainful gaze.
“It’s… real…”
A clear voice echoed in the ears of the heroes in the hall, causing the Heavenly Dao masters to change expressions.
“It’s really a Fire-Spewing Cloud Beast.”
The Fire-Spewing Cloud Beast, an ancient siege weapon capable of spraying phosphorescent flames that could burn anything—even the Heavenly Dao masters would suffer severe burns if touched by them.
“Look over there! There seems to be more than one!”
Bi Xuan whispered.

“Well, a Fire Cloud Beast is placed less than fifty meters apart—the amount of wealth spent on this Desert Palace is simply unimaginable. A declining imperial power has managed to create so many siege weapons. If these were used to attack the Central Plains, even the once-mightiest Qin Dynasty couldn’t withstand them!” Ye Gucheng’s eyes burned with passion…
But soon someone poured cold water on him:
“The Fire Cloud Beast has vanished from the martial world; even Tianji Valley can’t create them. You can take the ones here, but I advise you—you only have one day to get them out of the desert.” The Evil King sneered.
“It doesn’t matter if there are Fire Cloud Beasts or not. As long as I can obtain other things from the Desert Palace, I’ll be satisfied,” Ye Gucheng replied bluntly.
“Lord Ye is truly easy to satisfy.”
“One should eat according to one’s ability—rough words, but sound logic.” Ye Gucheng paid no attention to the Evil King’s sarcasm. “Shouldn’t the Evil King focus on finding a way to break through the Fire Cloud Beasts’ blockade? If these things really exist, does the Evil King also think they’re just tricks left by the Desert Palace’s master to scare people?”
“…”
Hearing this, the Evil King stopped arguing with Ye Gucheng. As the latter said, the Fire Cloud Beasts posed a serious threat even to experts of the Heavenly Dao—carelessness could mean death, so he couldn’t afford to be negligent.
Buzz!!!
With the last wave of musical energy dissipating, dozens of butterflies vanished instantly from the strings.
Elder Qin slowly opened his eyes and gazed deeply at the Fire Cloud Beast deep in the mercury river. A hint of resignation appeared on his aged face. “The Fire Cloud Beast is made entirely of black iron, weighing over ten thousand pounds. Even at the cost of my life, I can’t move this beast an inch. I’m sorry for disappointing you all.”
“How could that be? It’s already remarkable that Elder Qin can help us see the way ahead. Besides, the Fire Cloud Beast is an unparalleled wonder. Even if we all attack together, it would take a long time to destroy it. How could we blame Elder Qin?”
Bi Xuan and the other experts of the Heavenly Dao nodded in agreement.
“Time is running out. Let’s talk about what to do now… With the Fire Cloud Beasts guarding it, even we would find it hard to break through the blockade and cross this mercury moat,” said the Blue-Armed Fanged Man, speaking up for once. “Instead of wasting time on pleasantries, we should focus on finding a way to get through.”

“Huh…” Before the experts of the various heavens could react, they heard a clear voice beside them sneer, “Since entering the Desert Imperial Palace, your composure has led me to think that this palace is like your backyard—nothing should be able to trouble you. It turns out even you have times when you’re stuck.”