Chapter 168: A Member of the Spirit Tribe?!
Bang!
Lu Bu and Zi Yan landed heavily on the ground, kicking up clouds of bone dust that floated in the air like a pale, misty fog.
"So, you can't fly here?" Lu Bu frowned, his expression filled with astonishment. A mysterious force in the skies above prevented anyone from taking flight, forcibly grounding anyone who attempted it.
A no flight zone!
Lu Bu had encountered such phenomena before most notably on Queen Medusa's island within the Snake Person Tribe. However, back then, Yue Mei had been his guide, so Lu Bu hadn't personally experienced the restriction. Besides, the barriers of the Snake Person Tribe had been far weaker; with a bit of effort, he could've broken through.
But this place was different. The suppressive force felt insurmountable. Even with his mastery of formations, Lu Bu couldn't pinpoint the source of this no flight restriction, let alone find a way to dispel it.
"There are so many… things dead here…" Zi Yan, perched on Lu Bu's arm, raised her tiny hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight as she scanned the desolate surroundings.
She used the word "things" deliberately, for the skeletal remains scattered about were bizarre and grotesque human torsos with tiger heads, beast like bodies with human faces, and all manner of strange forms.
Both Lu Bu and Zi Yan were certain these bones didn't belong to humans. Nor could they have come from magical beasts, as a beast's body would revert to its original form upon death. But these skeletal remains, even in death, maintained their half human, half beast forms.
"Could these be the so called Barbarians?" Lu Bu wondered aloud. The Barbarians were a rumored race known for their mastery of beast souls. Their forms were said to resemble a mix of human and beast.
Lu Bu felt a pang of irritation. As expected, his "plot radar" had stopped working. He was now on equal footing with the locals like Xiao Yan, fumbling through the unknown.
"Zi Yan, where do you sense something you like… or something you hate?" Lu Bu asked, all the while extending his finger to tap the space between his eyebrows. His vast soul power surged outward like a tidal wave, unrestrained and overwhelming as it swept through the surrounding area.
He no longer felt the need to conceal his strength. At the Inner Academy, he had already achieved all his objectives. Even Su Qian, the Grand Elder, was aware of his abilities as an alchemist. There was no longer any point in hiding.
And besides, plot radar or not, Lu Bu prided himself on relying on his own abilities not on cheats like Xiao Yan!
"Hmm…" Zi Yan furrowed her small brows, her violet eyes glowing faintly. After a few breaths, she pointed southwest. "Over there. I can't say if I like it or hate it, but… it feels strange. I can sense it very clearly."
Lu Bu's gaze followed her direction, and his brows arched slightly. That area seemed… peculiar. The space appeared distorted, as if viewed through a funhouse mirror.
"Let's go take a look!" Lu Bu didn't doubt Zi Yan's instincts. Without hesitation, he carried her in his arms and dashed toward the location, his body leaving faint afterimages as lightning flickered beneath his feet. He executed Three Thousand Lightning Movement to its fullest potential.
The dusty yellow ground stretched endlessly until it blurred into the hazy sky, making it impossible to discern where the earth ended and the heavens began.
In a deep gorge more like a massive trench carved out by a sword three figures were engaged in an intense battle.
The combatants were the three Dou Wang elders of Demon flame Valley. Their opponent? A pale, bloodless corpse, its flesh almost entirely stripped away, yet its combat prowess was astonishing.
Floating beside the corpse was a mass of dark red flames. Strangely, at the center of the flames was a human like face. However, the face was devoid of emotion or intelligence, capable only of emitting nonsensical roars.
It was clear that endless years had eroded whatever sentience the flame once possessed.
"Second Brother, hold off that puppet! Third Brother, let's take the flame together!" Fang Yan roared, barking orders to the others.
"What do you think I'm doing?!" The Second Elder snapped back irritably. His eight star Dou Wang power erupted as he beat back the pale puppet, his gray white Dou Qi wings flapping behind him.
Meanwhile, Fang Yan and the Third Elder shouted in unison, their bodies engulfed in faint gray flames. Each extended a hand toward the other, their palms connecting.
At the point where their hands met, a grayish brown flame erupted, surging skyward.
The appearance of this flame caused the surrounding temperature to spike dramatically, to the point where even the nearby space began to warp. Its heat was comparable to that of a Heavenly Flame.
Fang Yan and the Third Elder let out a thunderous cry, sending the Transforming Flame hurtling toward the dark red fire. The attack landed with devastating force, heavily injuring the target.
Seeing this, the pair closed in, continuing their relentless assault.
"Lu Bu, that grayish brown flame looks really powerful!" Zi Yan whispered from the shadows. Her small face was filled with awe as she watched the ongoing battle. Her sensitivity to flames allowed her to instinctively recognize their strength.
"Oh, that's called Nongyan Technique. The flame it produces is called Transforming Flame," Lu Bu replied casually. "It's decent, but nothing compared to a Heavenly Flame. Plus, it's extremely harmful to its users. If they overuse it a few more times, those two might be finished… Huh?"
The Nongyan Technique didn't just create the Transforming Flame; it also helped users quickly control and adapt to new flames. For fire attribute practitioners, it was a rare and valuable technique.
In the original story, Xiao Yan had practically drooled over it, itching to snatch it away.
However, Lu Bu already had the Five Ring Flame Technique. Compared to that, the Nongyan Technique? Trash. Not even worth learning.
With this realization, Lu Bu froze for a moment. His plot radar wasn't entirely useless after all! He chuckled to himself. Interesting. Very interesting.
"Lu Bu, look over there!" Zi Yan tugged on his sleeve, pointing to a spot behind the dark red flame and the pale puppet. The space in that area appeared twisted and distorted, resembling the reflection in a funhouse mirror.
"That's the place I mentioned earlier it feels so strange. Almost like… it's alive," Zi Yan murmured, her brows furrowing.
Lu Bu extended his soul perception further, carefully examining the distortion. His expression quickly mirrored Zi Yan's.
"No… it's not alive. It's… sentient," Lu Bu muttered. The sensation reminded him of the Fallen Heart Flame. Even though its consciousness had been shattered, its sentience remained, with the potential to regenerate its intelligence.
He turned his gaze to the dark red flame, which Fang Yan and the Third Elder had just subdued. The flame was now sealed, its struggling form contained by the pair's combined efforts.
"Could it be… that flame was given sentience, allowing it to develop intelligence, and tasked with guarding whatever lies beyond that distortion?" Lu Bu speculated.
No, wait. The puppet must've undergone the same process imbued with sentience, later evolving intelligence.
Lu Bu's eyes lit up with excitement. His mind conjured images of a practitioner controlling these sentient creations in battle a fiery humanoid attacking alongside a loyal puppet guardian.
This was…
A close combat mage!
This was like Charlotte Linlin one of the Four Emperors!
In that moment, Lu Bu trembled with excitement. This opportunity… it's destined to be mine. Nature itself has blessed me!
"Who's there?!"
The three Demon flame Valley elders suddenly snapped toward Lu Bu's hiding spot, their expressions dark and furious. In his excitement, Lu Bu had inadvertently leaked his aura, exposing his presence.
"Spying on us, are you? Tired of living?!" Fang Yan growled.
Carrying Zi Yan, Lu Bu stepped forward calmly, revealing himself from the shadows.
"Well, well… if it isn't you, kid," Fang Yan remarked, momentarily surprised. He and his companions clearly remembered Lu Bu they hadn't forgotten their previous encounter.
The atmosphere shifted as the three elders exchanged amused glances, their expressions turning playful.
"Bold, aren't you? Wandering off alone without Su Qian to protect you?" Fang Yan taunted, his tone laced with mockery.
"This place belongs to me. You lot can leave now," Lu Bu said with a chuckle, casually dismissing them. He even made it sound polite giving face to Demon flame Valley's Earth Demon Old Ghost.
The three elders froze for a moment before bursting into laughter, their faces filled with ridicule.
"What an arrogant brat! Do you even know how high the heavens are or how deep the earth is?"
"These guys are so annoying," Zi Yan muttered, wrinkling her nose in disdain.
Fang Yan and the Second Elder of Demon flame Valley burst into laughter, treating Lu Bu's words as nothing more than the ramblings of a brash and arrogant youth.
The Third Elder, however, twitched his face, his black mole and its two wiry hairs quivering in irritation as he glared at Lu Bu. That smug, pretty boy face was utterly detestable! He wanted nothing more than to scratch it to shreds.
"Kid, I just subdued a rare flame, so I'm in a good mood. I won't bother with you two. Now, scram!" Fang Yan waved his hand dismissively, laughing heartily.
The truth was, there were plenty of reasons why he didn't want to fight Lu Bu. For one, their trio wasn't a match for Su Qian. They had come here to seek treasure, not to start unnecessary battles. Provoking Su Qian would bring them nothing but trouble, and Lu Bu and his companion weren't worth the effort.
Moreover, Lu Bu was the killer of Mo Tianxing's son. Why should they stick their necks out for Mo Tianxing? Even if they killed this brat, Mo Tianxing might hold a grudge against them, thinking they had stolen his revenge.
Simply put, it wasn't worth it.
The people of the Black Corner Region were notorious for prioritizing profit above all else. If there was a benefit to be gained, they would risk their lives for it. If not? Well, everyone could just get along and be "friends."
The Second Elder chuckled, fully understanding his leader's intentions. He wasn't stupid there was no benefit in making unnecessary enemies.
The Third Elder, however, remained silent. He understood the reasoning of his older brothers, but that didn't stop him from feeling annoyed. That smug, pretty boy face how he hated it!
"I won't repeat myself. Leave." Lu Bu smiled faintly. Seeing that they had at least been polite so far, he decided to give them one more chance.
"Che… You really don't know how to appreciate kindness, do you, kid?"
The Second Elder's expression darkened. A faint gray flame flickered to life around his body, causing the temperature within the gorge to spike dramatically. As someone who practiced fire attribute techniques, his temper was notoriously short.
"Brat, you don't know what's good for you, do you?" Fang Yan's face also darkened with displeasure. As the Grand Elder of Demon flame Valley, he was second only to the Earth Demon Old Ghost. Who would dare to disrespect him like this?
"Third Brother, go teach him a lesson. Slap him around a bit!" Fang Yan ordered coldly. A small punishment would suffice to remind this arrogant brat what respect for the strong looked like in the adult world.
The Third Elder rolled up his sleeves with a wicked grin, eagerly stepping toward Lu Bu. He had long wanted to mess up that pretty boy face!
"Kid, I hate useless pretty boys like you the most!" the Third Elder cackled, his muscles bulging as he strode forward.
His older brothers had told him not to kill, just to teach the brat a lesson. But that didn't mean he couldn't scratch up that face a little!
"Being handsome is such a curse…" Lu Bu sighed, shaking his head in mock despair. The world was so cruel to beautiful men like him.
"Pretty boy, die!" The Third Elder's cackling grew louder as he lunged at Lu Bu, his claw like fingers slicing through the air toward the younger man's face.
"Ugly freak, you're the one who should die!"
A loud shout rang out as Zi Yan leaped off Lu Bu's arm. With a swift kick, she launched herself into the air, her petite fist glowing with violet light as an unstoppable, crushing force burst forth.
"What ?!"
Boom!
Caught completely off guard, the Third Elder was sent flying by Zi Yan's punch. His face turned pale as his body slammed into the wall of the gorge.
"How dare you, you little " Fang Yan and the Second Elder shouted, their expressions dark with rage.
Boom!
Before they could finish, an overwhelming, mountain like aura descended upon them. It was as if the heavens themselves were collapsing. The three elders turned deathly pale, their bodies falling to the ground with a resounding thud as they gasped for breath.
"D Dou Zong?!" The three elders' eyes widened in terror, their eyeballs practically bulging out of their sockets.
"So, will you leave now, or do I need to beat you senseless first?" Lu Bu asked with a faint smile, his tone almost playful.
"W Who are you?" Fang Yan stammered. Gone was the calm demeanor he had displayed earlier. His face was now as pale as a ghost, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead like rain.
The other two elders fared even worse. They couldn't even speak. The Third Elder, in particular, was so terrified at the thought of having tried to scratch up a Dou Zong's face that his eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.
"Get lost. For the sake of the Earth Demon Old Ghost, I won't kill you," Lu Bu said with a light chuckle, his eyes flashing dangerously. The faint but unmistakable pressure of killing intent swept over the trio like a cold breeze.
"!!!"
Fang Yan's heart nearly stopped. Grabbing his two brothers, he scrambled to his feet and fled the gorge, not even daring to look back.
They understood all too well: Lu Bu's mercy likely stemmed from the fact that they had not shown killing intent earlier. As for relying on the Old Ghost's name for protection? Laughable. If they died here, no one would know who killed them.
Outside the gorge, the three elders collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. Their faces, pale as death moments before, finally regained a hint of color.
"Big Brother, what should we do now?" the Second Elder asked weakly.
"What do you mean, 'what'? We saw nothing, heard nothing, and met no one!" Fang Yan snapped, cutting him off. "As far as anyone's concerned, we found a rare and powerful flame. That's it!"
"Understood!" ×2
Both the Second and Third Elders nodded in unison. They had no intention of sharing the humiliation they had just endured.
If they couldn't have the treasure, then it was only fair for Mo Tianxing to suffer as well. Perhaps he could meet this terrifying monster of a youth and take a beating too!
"Let's go. We'll look elsewhere," Fang Yan ordered.
"Wait… Lu Bu… That name came up during the Inner Academy's battle with the Black Alliance, didn't it?" the Third Elder muttered, frowning as he wracked his brain.
"Damn it! Why didn't you say so earlier?!" the Second Elder snapped.
"He didn't tell us he was Lu Bu!" the Third Elder retorted, his voice filled with grievance.
"Enough. Just shut up and keep moving. We can't afford to mess with him. Let's find something else," Fang Yan barked, cutting off the argument.
Back in the gorge, the pale puppet had been rendered useless by the Second Elder's earlier attack, and the flame had been taken. The only thing that remained was the twisted, mirror like space.
"Zi Yan, can you undo this distorted space?" Lu Bu asked, stepping closer. He experimentally sent a burst of flame at it, but the space remained unyielding, absorbing the attack without a reaction.
"Hmm…" Zi Yan tilted her head, her ponytail swaying as she studied the distortion. After a moment, she nodded. "I think I can. Let me try!"
She walked to Lu Bu's side, raised her small hand, and gently placed it on the warped space. Violet gold light surged forth as her expression grew solemn.
Buzz, buzz, buzz…
A faint humming noise filled the air.
Lu Bu narrowed his eyes, his soul power fully extended and his guard raised, ready for any unexpected developments.
Snap!
A crisp sound rang out, like the snapping of a taut string. The distorted space shattered instantly, breaking apart into fragments that scattered in all directions.
Lu Bu's expression darkened as he waved his sleeve, summoning a silver and black puppet to shield Zi Yan. The metallic clinking of gears echoed as the puppet stood protectively before her.
"Huh?" Zi Yan exclaimed softly, her gaze falling on a white skeleton that was now visible. A deep sword mark ran through its chest and spine, a testament to the mortal wound it had suffered.
"Looks like it died from a severe injury…" Lu Bu murmured.
Before he could say more, the skeleton disintegrated into dust, scattering in the wind.
"Look! There's something on the ground!" Zi Yan pointed to the spot where the skeleton had been sitting. Two glowing jade slips lay there, faintly emitting light.
Lu Bu's brows lifted in surprise as he swept one of the jade slips into his hand. As his soul power touched it, a message flowed into his mind:
To the one who finds this, I am Ling Chang, a member of the Spirit Tribe, one of the seven great ancient clans…
Spirit Tribe?
Lu Bu's expression turned puzzled. Was there such a tribe in the original story?
(End of Chapter)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Johanssen