Chapter 37: The Divine Blade that Cleaves Moonlight Over the Vast Sea
“Awoo!”
The cry of the strange beast was so loud that within the serpent’s lair, where Lu Sheng was organizing his spoils and erasing traces, he heard it clearly as well.
“What’s that sound?”
“It seems somewhat similar to the Golden-Spined Dragon’s roar just now!”
Though the “awoo” differed from the dragon’s “ao,” the force it carried led Lu Sheng to associate them:
“The power in this cry is reminiscent of the legendary Dragon’s Might!”
“Could it be that the Sea Dragon Ginseng—or perhaps, its transformation into the Golden-Spined Dragon—has attracted another monster with dragon blood?”
He drew in a sharp breath, knowing trouble was at hand:
“The aura in this voice is even stronger than the Golden-Spined Dragon’s roar—”
“Which means it has at least reached the fourth tier, and its power is already stable!”
“A beast like this is far beyond my capabilities!”
Thinking quickly, Lu Sheng circulated the Three Treasures Auspicious Arts, gathering his essence, energy, and spirit, concealing himself completely. He expended merit once more, erasing every trace of his presence.
“I hope that beast outside hasn’t locked onto my trail yet!”
---
A rumble thundered overhead. Just as Lu Sheng finished, a great crash shook the serpent’s lair, dislodging loose stones from above.
“Damn!”
“The lair might collapse!”
“With such commotion—what’s happening outside?”
The serpent’s lair in Blackstone Mountain had stood for over a thousand years. Though the airflow was poor, it had not suffered much from erosion. Yet, the monstrous pythons and strange serpents had no concept of construction; their constant tunneling threatened the stability. If assaulted by outside forces, sections could collapse, or the entire cavern might cave in.
For Lu Sheng, deep within the lair, this spelled disaster.
“No, I must leave at once!”
“Or find somewhere safer!”
As he pondered, another crash echoed, raising a cloud of dust. With his enhanced vision—after opening his eye aperture—Lu Sheng saw clearly that the passage he had entered through had completely collapsed.
“This is—far too dangerous!”
“Auspicious Arts, release the Mind-Control Gu!”
Lu Sheng dared not rush outside, unsure of what transpired beyond—what if he encountered the fourth-tier beast upon exit? That would be a disaster.
He decided to use the Mind-Control Gu to command the Blue-Line Coral Snake and scout the situation outside.
---
Within his Sea of Spirit, the glow of Auspicious Arts withdrew, releasing the Mind-Control Gu from its restraint. Yet, the Gu did not stir; it even seemed to be fading.
Lu Sheng quickly shifted his essence, energy, and spirit, simulating the aura of Ten-Thousand Gu Howl. Sensing this, the Mind-Control Gu halted its dissipation. It also transmitted a craving, injured and in need of vital energy, beginning to draw upon Lu Sheng’s scattered spirit.
However, Lu Sheng had fully withdrawn his spirit, leaving the Gu unable to absorb it; it could only maintain its yearning, continuously sending signals.
“The Life Gu is indeed tied to the innate vital energy of a warrior!”
“When Ten-Thousand Gu Howl died, his vital energy dispersed, and the Mind-Control Gu, born from it, naturally began to fade.”
“After simulating his spirit, the Gu recognizes me as its master—”
“It now depends on my own vital energy!”
With this realization, Lu Sheng understood why before, when he simulated Ten-Thousand Gu Howl, he could only disrupt the Gu but not fully control it.
It must have been because Ten-Thousand Gu Howl was not dead; the Gu had not wholly accepted him as master. Moreover, since Ten-Thousand Gu Howl’s spirit was not fully withdrawn, the Gu could absorb what he emitted and remained closer, more responsive to his commands.
Lu Sheng, at that time, could only command it to stop.
Now, by simulating Ten-Thousand Gu Howl, he could control it completely.
“But I can’t remain as Ten-Thousand Gu Howl forever!”
“Nor can I allow the Gu to link to my spirit!”
A Life Gu was powerful but fraught with risk. For example, when Ten-Thousand Gu Howl’s Gu was restrained by Lu Sheng, though he survived, his vital energy was severely injured, his strength plummeting. Through the Gu’s influence, Lu Sheng easily killed him.
Having learned this lesson, Lu Sheng would never let a Mind-Control Gu become such a fatal flaw for himself.
---
“Auspicious Arts, use merit to heal the Mind-Control Gu!”
Unable to use his own spirit, he could only rely on the omnipotent power of merit. After slaying the serpents and destroying the Golden-Spined Dragon, Lu Sheng had earned over three hundred thousand points of merit. Even with constant expenditure, nearly three hundred thousand remained.
To preserve the immensely useful Mind-Control Gu, Lu Sheng spared no merit.
Two points of merit fell, and the Gu swiftly recovered, no longer craving his spirit.
Yet, this was not the end. Lu Sheng shifted his spirit again; seeing the Gu begin to fade, he commanded:
“Auspicious Arts, continue spending merit until it stops dissipating!”
At once, his merit drained rapidly—over sixty thousand points spent—until the Gu remained stable regardless of his spirit’s changes, yet still linked to his mind.
“Ten-Thousand Gu Howl’s spirit has fully left it—”
“In essence, the Mind-Control Gu now lives on merit!”
“It seems to have become a special magical instrument!”
Lu Sheng had no time to investigate further. Sensing that the Gu’s abilities were unchanged, perhaps even more nimble, he retrieved the stunned Blue-Line Coral Snake, attached the Gu to it, and sent it out of the lair along the shortest route.
He himself gathered the belongings of Ten-Thousand Gu Howl and Ma Buti into his spatial ring, fixed the beast pouch capable of containing live creatures from Ten-Thousand Gu Howl, and Ma Buti’s spatial pouch, to his person.
He then dove headlong into the pool.
Even though the corpse poison had not fully dissipated, in a lair at risk of total collapse, the pool was the safest option.
After all, falling stones would be slowed by water, giving Lu Sheng more time to dodge. Moreover, beneath the pool lay a passage left by Lu Sheng’s great-grandfather, leading directly to the sea.
---
The Blue-Line Coral Snake, controlled by the Mind-Control Gu, sped to the surface, even tunneling through collapsed sections. Its senses, now far superior since becoming a monster, allowed it to observe the scene outside.
Through their mental link, Lu Sheng witnessed the most magnificent sight since his arrival in this world:
An exquisitely beautiful woman, wielding a crescent-shaped blade, struck at a blood-soaked beast dozens of yards long.
As the blade descended, Lu Sheng’s mind envisioned a tranquil sea, above which rose a crescent moon. As it ascended, it became full, then returned to a crescent, suddenly plunging toward the ocean.
Within this breathtaking vision, Lu Sheng vaguely heard a voice:
“Boundless Sea—Bright Moon—Slash!”