Chapter 363: Mechanics and Stats Combined!
Chapter 363: Mechanics and Stats Coexist!
Lü Yang raced swiftly through the Southern Frontier, his qi aura blazing as he transformed into a magnificent sword light that locked onto the Myriad Poison Sect's mountain gate, heading straight for the Myriad Gu Cave.
Meanwhile, the two True Persons of the Myriad Poison Sect followed closely behind.
"This man... truly seeks death!"
True Person Dragon Centipede sneered coldly: "If he weren't a disciple of the Sword Pavilion, but just some wandering cultivator daring to flaunt himself like this in our Southern Frontier, I'd have long refined him into a human gu!"
True Person Huigu shook his head: "He's a disciple of a major sect and has just reached Foundation Establishment. It's normal for him to be arrogant. In fact, the more arrogant he is, the better it is for us. I was originally worried about how to lure him deeper into the Southern Frontier, but now that he's charging in on his own, it saves us the trouble."
"Well said, senior brother."
True Person Dragon Centipede scoffed: "Once we trap him, we'll make sure he suffers enough to learn that there's always someone stronger!"
Before long, Lü Yang had penetrated ten thousand miles deep into the Southern Frontier.
Looking back, the Sword Pavilion had vanished beyond the horizon, leaving only endless mountains and forests in sight. Above, sinister miasma began to drift across the sky.
The next moment, a sharp cry suddenly rang out.
"Screech!"
Following the sound, a colossal figure with a dragon's head and centipede's body crawled out from the clouds, stretching for miles as it fixed its crimson eyes upon him.
Lü Yang calculated with his fingers and instantly discerned its origin: '[Dragon Centipede Gu] requires true dragon's blood to nurture the gu seed, which is then implanted into one's own Dao foundation for gestation. Once the gu insect emerges from its cocoon, it becomes a life-bound gu, similar in nature to an ordinary True Person's life essence divine ability.'
"Fiends of the Myriad Poison Sect?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Lü Yang flicked his finger, causing thunderous sword cries to erupt around him like rolling thunder exploding across heaven and earth.
Instantly, the beasts in the forests below panicked.
"Where is the Myriad Poison Sect Leader?"
Holding a hand seal, Lü Yang calmly spoke, a sword light swirling around his fingertip:
"I come under orders from my master, True Person Dangmo, to investigate the disappearances of civilians in Jiangnan. Does the Myriad Poison Sect Leader not intend to come out and give me an explanation?"
Hearing this, True Person Dragon Centipede nearly laughed in anger.
"Outrageous!"
Their Myriad Poison Sect dominated the Southern Frontier, and their Sect Leader was a Grand True Person at the late Foundation Establishment stage. For the Sect Leader to personally receive him? Only True Person Dangmo himself would warrant such treatment!
A mere junior?
Who did he think he was? A great sword cultivator at late Foundation Establishment?
With this thought, True Person Dragon Centipede saw no need for further words. He abruptly opened his bloody maw and spewed a cloud of black gas toward Lü Yang.
True Persons of the Myriad Poison Sect refined gu insects by feeding them heavenly gang and earthly fiend essences. Thus, each divine ability was essentially a type of gu. The black gas True Person Dragon Centipede exhaled was one such gu—the [Soul-Overturning Gu]. Though appearing as black gas, it was actually composed of countless tiny black gu insects.
Once enveloped by the black gas, the gu insects would swarm inside.
No matter how strong one's protective treasures or indestructible body, these gu insects could infiltrate through the tiniest openings, devouring flesh before extracting the soul.
This was already True Person Dragon Centipede's strongest technique.
Though his words were dismissive, he was no fool who underestimated his enemy—he struck with full force from the outset, aiming to destroy Lü Yang's physical body and subdue him.
Yet Lü Yang showed no fear. Instead, he laughed heartily:
"Good, good, good."
"Faced with the Sword Pavilion's inquiry, the Myriad Poison Sect not only refuses to explain but dares to retaliate. Such profound demonic nature—this is no ordinary demonic cultivator..."
Heavy-handed measures were necessary!
Before he could finish, a sword cry rang out!
The sword light in Lü Yang's hand instantly multiplied—one into a hundred, a hundred into a thousand, a thousand into ten thousand—transforming in the blink of an eye into countless hair-thin strands of sword qi!
These sword qi were so fine they were nearly imperceptible even to divine sense, perfectly countering the black gas of the [Soul-Overturning Gu]. In an instant, they annihilated the swarming gu insects before slashing toward True Person Dragon Centipede, who let out a startled shriek and twisted his body, fleeing as a trail of black smoke.
"Mid Foundation Establishment!?"
The moment Lü Yang made his move, the two sword divine abilities he unleashed made his cultivation level unmistakable, immediately revealing his true strength to the two Myriad Poison Sect True Persons.
"Disastrous..."
True Person Huigu, who had been hiding in the shadows all along, inwardly cursed. Their earlier confidence stemmed from assuming Lü Yang was at most early Foundation Establishment.
Two mid Foundation Establishment cultivators against one early Foundation Establishment cultivator.
With such an advantage, defeat was impossible.
But now, with both sides at the same realm, the situation was entirely different. How could they possibly stand a chance against a sword cultivator of equal level?
"The situation is unfavorable. Retreat first..."
True Person Huigu arrived beside True Person Dragon Centipede, simultaneously raising the gu insect in his palm.
This was his life-bound gu—the [Huigu].
As the saying goes: Morning mushrooms know not the passing of dusk and dawn; the huigu insect knows not the cycle of spring and autumn.
As the name implied, this gu could sever divine sense perception, making it difficult to detect changes in the surroundings.
Now that True Person Huigu unleashed it, the world instantly turned murky, with only the gu master able to see clearly, unaffected by the gu insects.
"Now's the chance..."
True Person Huigu had no intention of prolonging the fight. He prepared to leave with True Person Dragon Centipede to regroup.
Yet at that moment—
"Thinking of leaving?"
A cold voice drifted over. True Person Huigu turned toward the sound and saw Lü Yang with his eyes closed, holding a radiant sword glowing with multicolored light.
[Brilliant Union with the Eternal, Upright Enforcement of the Sword of Gold]!
This sword was born from his Dao foundation—both his physical sword and his divine ability!
"[Mind Entrapment]!"
The next moment, True Person Huigu found himself still standing beside True Person Dragon Centipede.
The [Huigu] in his hand had yet to be unleashed.
Everything that had just transpired seemed like an illusion, as if it had never happened.
'What's going on!?'
True Person Huigu froze in place, only to be met with Lü Yang's faint smile.
This was the wonder of his life-bound divine ability, [Mind Entrapment]. The moment True Persons Huigu and Dragon Centipede revealed themselves, they had already been drawn into his divine ability.
From then on, any unfavorable developments would dissolve into illusory fantasies. Only outcomes advantageous to him could manifest as reality!
'That said, my magic power likely can't sustain [Mind Entrapment] too many times...'
To test his combat prowess, Lü Yang hadn't immediately assumed the position of a Grand True Person to crush his opponents effortlessly.
Thus, compared to True Persons Dragon Centipede and Huigu, though he held overwhelming superiority, stopping them if they fled single-mindedly would still require considerable effort.
Fortunately, he had another method.
'[Sign of Fortune Drawing]!'
With a thought, Lü Yang's vast fortune transformed before his eyes into three divination lots.
[Event: Slaying True Persons Dragon Centipede and Huigu]
[Great Fortune: Your strength holds overwhelming superiority, effortlessly killing both.]
[Minor Fortune: Though the opponents excel at fleeing, you expend some effort but ultimately slay them.]
[Least Fortune: The opponents are lucky and skilled at escape. Coinciding with your poor condition, the battle drags on. Enraged, you assume the position of a Grand True Person and crush them with a single slap.]
'The gap in strength is too vast—bad lots truly are hard to draw...'
With another thought, Lü Yang grasped the [Great Fortune] lot.
This outcome was already in his hands!
Combined with [Mind Entrapment], he could directly manifest this inevitable victory as reality!
This sword strike would not be drawn unless certain to kill!
"Boom!"
The next instant, Lü Yang unsheathed his sword. The dazzling sword light, as if divinely aided, flashed past True Persons Huigu and Dragon Centipede before the former could even unleash his gu.
By the time they realized what had happened, it was already too late.
At the last moment, they instinctively reached up to touch their faces.
'Is my head still there?'
Yet their hands grasped only empty air.
Their heads were gone.
The sword light had been too fast—their bodies and souls had perished before their consciousness could react.
But it was all meaningless now.
"Clang! Clang!"
The sword returned to its sheath.
Then, with a thunderous explosion, the two headless physical forms burst apart, transforming into a storm of spiritual energy!