Chapter 124 - 106: Attending to the Master’s Bath
But shattering them wasn’t the end of it.
Countless illusory Spirits appeared before Lu Changyuan—all of them summoned by the two Venerables.
’I have to fight this many all by myself?’
The Nether Monarch’s voice drifted from a distance. "You’d best be careful."
Looking again, the scene on the battlefield had changed.
The Red Venerable and Blue Venerable had gotten to their feet at some point and were now joining forces to besiege the Nether Monarch. Although it still looked like a one-sided affair in the Nether Monarch’s favor, it meant she likely wouldn’t have a chance to help Lu Changyuan.
The Red Venerable roared, "So you’ve learned a few human tricks! But as a member of the Spirit Race, you haven’t mastered the art of using Servant Spirits. You want a Venerable’s title? Once I kill your Lifebound Spirit, the Spirit Race’s quota for Venerable titles won’t fall to you!"
Lu Changyuan now understood something.
In the Ancient Era, the number of Yao Guang was fixed. There was one per race, with the slots granted by the Celestial Dao.
’What a chaotic era the Ancient Era must have been.’
Lu Changyuan smiled. "Don’t worry about me. You kill those two, and I’ll kill their Spirits. You could say we’re each handling our own duties."
As his words fell, a fog once again spread, a thick, viscous, white mist that concealed everything.
Within the fog, the Spirits became disoriented, and flowers bloomed all over their bodies.
’This is really something.’
’I’ve never had such an easy fight.’
’Turning the battlefield to his own advantage right from the start.’
Lu Changyuan reflected on his own methods. In the past, whenever he fought—even when he was beating people up in the Cultivation Realm—he would just brute-force it, hacking at them with his sword.
’A bit inefficient.’
’I should learn from the Nether Monarch.’
He thought for a moment.
’Eh?’
’I actually thought of a move.’
He infused Broken Thought with the Five Desires and Six Dust Heart Transformation Technique, causing it to dissolve into an illusion as countless sword shadows floated into the air.
This wasn’t actually Lu Changyuan’s Sword Move.
It belonged to the Qingcao Sword Sect.
Its name was also very simple: the Little Grass Sword Technique.
It scattered one’s Sword Intent, creating the illusion of ten thousand swords raining down to inflict terrifying area-of-effect damage on the enemy.
Lu Changyuan was an old acquaintance of a former Sect Leader of the Qingcao Sword Sect and had learned a few moves from him. This was one of them.
In Lu Changyuan’s hands, however, this move had changed.
Some of the Spirits struck by the illusory swords hadn’t died yet. The tougher ones, those close to the Fifth Realm, struggled to their feet, looking as if they were about to tear Lu Changyuan apart.
But from their wounds, small blades of grass began to sprout strangely, siphoning their Thoughts to nourish Lu Changyuan in return.
It was just like the Nether Monarch’s Other Shore Flowers.
This group of Spirits summoned by the Red and Blue Venerables wandered lost in the fog, ultimately dying as they were drained by the little blades of grass.
’Pretty useful.’
’Cultivation also needs to keep up with the times,’ Lu Changyuan thought.
The Five Desires and Six Dust Heart Transformation Technique required Lu Changyuan to devour the desires of others, so the Spirits summoned by the Spirit Race were undoubtedly a great tonic for him.
Lu Changyuan suddenly had an idea. If he raised the Spirit Race in his backyard and had them produce Spirits for him to eat every day, could he quickly step into the Fifth Realm?
’That seems a bit unethical.’
BOOM.
Just as Lu Changyuan was lost in thought, Glowing Blue Ghost Flames suddenly ignited all around. The dense fog began to burn fiercely, tearing an opening through the mist.
"You’re underestimating me far too much."
The Nether Monarch suddenly appeared in front of Lu Changyuan, extending a fair, beautiful hand to catch the Glowing Blue Ghost Flame that was hurtling toward him.
BANG.
The ghost flame was crushed.
The fog dissipated, and only then did Lu Changyuan get a clear look at the miserable states of the Red Venerable and Blue Venerable.
The Red Venerable had only half a body left, while the Blue Venerable’s cheek was caved in, as if someone had brutally hammered their face inward.
"Go!"
The Blue Venerable abruptly swept up the Red Venerable, transforming into a gust of wind and attempting to flee into the distance.
"Thinking of leaving? You must be looking down on me," the Nether Monarch sneered.
The clusters of Other Shore Flowers drooping near the ground began to bloom with extreme brilliance. The bright moonlight seemed to reflect the red blossoms, turning a vivid scarlet in an instant.
BANG!
The Red Venerable and Blue Venerable crashed to the ground. Though not yet dead, they weren’t far from it.
’What a terrifying woman.’
Lu Changyuan carefully considered his own Kai Yang combat power from before he started re-treading the path of the Red Dust—that is, after leaving the Netherworld—and compared it to the Nether Monarch’s current strength.
HISS.
’It seems I wouldn’t have stood a chance against the current Sixth Realm Nether Monarch.’
Back then, he hadn’t yet comprehended the Supreme Pure Spirit Forget Immortal Technique, and his mastery of the Killing Dao was mediocre. There was no way he could have fought this Nether Monarch, who looked cool and beautiful but actually enjoyed beating people to a pulp with her bare fists.
The Nether Monarch’s voice echoed throughout the entire clan: "Chi and Lan have been vanquished. Within half a day, all who do not kneel at the crown of the tree will die."
Without the Red and Blue Venerables, the remaining members of the Spirit Race had no choice but to kneel before the Nether Monarch if they didn’t want to die.
Lu Changyuan breathed a sigh of relief.
He had initially thought there would be a vicious battle.
"So now we just have to wait for the Venerable title to be conferred?"
Lu Changyuan asked curiously.
The Nether Monarch beckoned to Lu Changyuan. "Let’s not worry about the title just yet."
’Then what should we be worrying about?’
Then Lu Changyuan heard the black-haired young woman say in an extremely relaxed tone,
"First, you will attend to your master’s bath and prepare a fresh change of clothes. Only then will I be ready to go to the treetop for my coronation."
The Nether Monarch was a girl who was obsessed with cleanliness. Even though she hadn’t been injured in her battle with the Red and Blue Venerables, the corners of her clothes had been dirtied, and that meant she had to get clean.
As for Lu Changyuan...
A Lifebound Spirit, naturally, had to take on the duty of serving their master.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Du was fleeing in a panic.
Just like the Nether Monarch had fled, many years ago.
She couldn’t worry about anything else, running wildly and without direction, desperate to get away from the vicinity of the World Tree.
She had already left when the Nether Monarch used the Sun and Moon Gnomon, so there was no Hourglass on her forehead.
BANG!
She fell to the ground.