Chapter 44 Xia Wei-War
The rushing river meanders by, its current swift and rapid, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore incessantly heard. Beneath the clear, rippling surface lies a deadly danger.
In the middle of the river, a scallop, about the size of a human, floated quietly. Its shell shimmered faintly, and within its open shell, a radiant pearl shone with a dazzling brilliance, as if amassed from the very essence of the sun and moon. This unearthly object was a dreamlike object, enough to drive the beholder mad.
A black line came silently from far away. The target in front of the black line was the shining pearl in the center of the shell. It was like a cartilaginous snake, staring at the unsuspecting prey, and was spitting out its tongue, ready to launch a fatal attack.
The black thread gently wrapped around the pearl, tightly entangling it. Then, with a strong pull, the pearl flew up and out of the scallop's mouth.
The scallop, sensing something was wrong, snapped shut with a bang, but was unable to clamp the clever black thread, and could only allow the pearl to be entangled by the black thread.
On the riverbank, Xia Wei retracted the Soul Binding Rope, which had transformed into a nimble long rope, and handed the clam pearl to Ye Jie: "Master, take it first."
Ye Jie nodded, picked up the pearl and examined it carefully, his eyes burning as he said:
"No wonder Qi Feng risked his life to get it. The spiritual power contained in this clam pearl is equivalent to the sum of hundreds of low-grade spirit stones. In the mortal world, it is worth at least a hundred taels of gold. As long as you absorb all the spiritual power within, you can at least reach the early stage of the third level, or even higher..."
Before he finished speaking, he saw waves surging on the river surface. The river water was lifted up by an invisible force, forming a huge water column. A majestic and terrifying aura suppressed it, making Xia Wei's expression tense.
As the breath approached, the monster's true appearance emerged from the flowing water. It was a monster with a shrimp head and a human body. Its bright red head shell, like armor, gave it excellent defensive capabilities, and its strong and sturdy body further highlighted its overwhelming power.
The shrimp-headed man held a seven-foot Mo Dao in his hand. The blade was made of fine steel, shining with cold light like a silver moon. The blade was stained with dark blood. If you listened carefully, you could hear the sad cries of the souls killed by the knife.
"Be careful..."
Ye Jie warned, and before he finished speaking, Xia Wei leaped towards the shrimp-headed man in the river. Filled with rage, she could no longer suppress her fighting spirit and growled:
"Today, Xia Wei will avenge Brother Qi Feng and the members of the Monster Hunting Team!"
Xia Wei was agile and had vigorous steps. The Xuanying Step she had just learned brought great convenience to her dodging and moving. In the blink of an eye, she was within three steps of the shrimp-headed man. Her extremely swift fists bombarded the shrimp-headed man's body like a storm, leaving a series of purple fist marks.
The shrimp-headed man was enraged by Xia Wei and swung his seven-foot Mo Dao violently. Every blow was powerful and heavy. The sword light was like thunder that cut through the sky, bringing out a heavy sound of breaking wind.
Facing the shrimp-headed man's fierce knife swings, Xia Wei dodged flexibly. However, the disadvantage of her weapon made her unable to confront the shrimp-headed man head-on. She could only counterattack in the gaps between her dodges, trying to hit the shrimp-headed man's vital points with every punch.
Suddenly, Xia Wei missed a step, her body lurching, and the river water beneath her feet interfered with her Black Shadow Step. The shrimp-headed man, seizing his opportunity, let out a strange cry, raised his sword, and was about to cut Xia Wei in half when he suddenly froze.
The shrimp-headed man struggled hard, and his stiff body recovered as before. Xia Wei, who had recovered, had already retreated to a safe distance. She looked at Ye Jie with gratitude: "Master..."
Ye Jie, still holding a section of the Soul Binding Rope that had been untied, hurriedly reminded Xia Wei:
"Don't fight him in the river; the environment there is not favorable for you. If you want to unleash the full power of the Mysterious Shadow Step in swamps, ponds, and mud, you must at least master this technique. Lure him to shore!"
"Xiao Wei understands!"
Xia Wei raised her hand, and a huge black arrow condensed in her palm, which contained the power to strike the soul directly. The black arrow cut through the sky and accurately hit the shrimp-headed man's body.
The pain of a wounded soul made the shrimp-headed man roar loudly. He picked up his Mo Dao and rushed towards Xia Wei, like a runaway carriage, vowing to crush everything in his way.
Xia Wei was not in a hurry. She used the Xuanying Step to evade backwards and led the angry shrimp-headed man to the shore.
From the previous test, Xia Wei saw that the shrimp-headed man was not as fast as herself, especially when they were both on the shore and the power of the Xuanying Step was fully exerted, he could only follow behind her and eat dust.
"As Master said, physical training is the most important skill."
The advantage in speed allowed Xia Wei to fight or retreat, firmly grasp the rhythm of the battle, and her admiration and gratitude for Ye Jie increased in her heart.
When the shrimp-headed man's charge was exhausted, Xia Wei turned from defense to offense, moved forward closely, and punched him like a tiger descending from the mountain, beating the shrimp-headed man so hard that he was at a loss. Bright red blood oozed from the purple wound.
The situation suddenly reversed. With the help of her martial arts skills, Xia Wei firmly gained the upper hand and beat up the shrimp-headed man. Just as she was about to win, Ye Jie frowned and shouted, "Be careful, retreat quickly!"
Unfortunately, Ye Jie's reminder was a beat too late. Seeing that she was sure to win, Xia Wei was eager to kill the shrimp-headed man in one breath, but ignored the potential danger. By the time she realized something was wrong, it was too late.
A cold light flashed in the shrimp-headed man's eyes. He gripped the hilt of the knife tightly with both hands, and his body spun violently on the spot, turning into a blade gyroscope that harvested flesh and blood, launching a tide of attacks on Xia Wei.
Xia Wei couldn't dodge, and could only shield herself with her arms. Blood and flesh flew everywhere as the knife danced, and Xia Wei was thrown back, landing on the sand, blood gushing from her arms.
Ye Jie was shocked and hurriedly threw the soul-binding rope in his hand. Before the black rope could wrap around the shrimp-headed man, it was cut into several pieces by the dancing Mo Dao and could not stop it at all.
"No……"
Ye Jie cried out in surprise and turned his head away, not wanting to see the tragic scene that followed. However, he caught a glimpse of a warm golden and red firelight from the corner of his eye. He raised his head tremblingly, and the scene before him shocked him.
Blazing flames shot out of Xia Wei's mouth, transforming into a crimson arrow that set the shrimp-headed man's body ablaze. The burning flames were so intense that the shrimp-headed man suffered terribly, forcing him to stop his sword dance and slap the burning parts of his body.
Xia Wei took a step forward, the flames in her mouth still blazing. At the same time, she used the Mysterious Shadow Step, circled around the shrimp-headed man, and sprayed flames all over his body.
The fire enveloped the shrimp-headed man's body. He threw down his Mo Dao and slapped the flames on his body with his hands, but it was of no use. Instead, he danced with joy under the burning flames, looking funny.
This time the shrimp-headed man was finally scared and turned around to escape. But after he had run a few steps, Xia Wei rushed up from behind him, holding the seven-foot Mo Dao he had just thrown away.
A cold blade flashed by, and the huge red-shelled shrimp head soared into the sky. The headless body fell to the ground and there was no trace of breath left.
The battle ended, and Xia Wei collapsed, seemingly powerless. The blade of her Mo Dao held her ground, preventing her from collapsing. A pool of blood formed beneath her. Her eyes were filled with exhaustion; the near-death experience of fighting against a higher-level opponent had greatly drained her mind.
"Are you okay?"
Ye Jie was about to help her up, but Xia Wei let go of Mo Dao and fell into his arms. It took her a while to recover and she said, "Master, Xiao Wei is fine."
Ye Jie looked at her arms and saw that the hideous knife wounds on Xia Wei's arms were slowly healing under the operation of the Hundred Refining Body. He couldn't help but sigh, "Fighting against opponents of higher rank is extremely dangerous. An ordinary person who does this will only end up dead. Even if you are the reincarnation of an immortal, you will be in danger of your life if you are not careful."
The painful injury on her arm caused Xia Wei's lips to lose their color, but she still forced a smile and said, "Master, didn't Xiaowei win?"
"You..." Ye Jie tapped her brow, "In battle, you must always remain vigilant. Don't get carried away just because you have the upper hand. Who knows what kind of killer moves the enemy has hidden? This time, that shrimp-headed man taught you a good lesson. If you weren't still carrying the burning mushroom left by Mint, I'm afraid the consequences would be disastrous."
Xia Wei stuck out her tongue in embarrassment. "Who knew that shrimp-headed guy actually had such a killer move? He actually didn't use it at the beginning. How despicable!"
Ye Jie was helpless: "Who would use a killing move at the beginning of a battle? At the beginning of a battle, both sides are in peak physical and mental condition. If a killing move is used at this moment, it will be easily dodged. Only when the battle is deadlocked and the strength is low can a killing move be used to turn the tide of the battle."
"By the way, the Mo Dao of the shrimp-headed man is also a rare treasure. The sword is stained with the blood of practitioners and contains the resentment of many dead people. It has transformed from a cold dead object into a ninth-grade spiritual weapon, which is just right to be your weapon." Ye Jie reminded.
After a pause, Ye Jie added, "Magical weapons are divided into nine grades. Grades nine to seven are spiritual weapons, grades six to four are magical weapons, and grades three to one are divine weapons. Although this Mo Dao is only a ninth-grade spiritual weapon, its power exceeds that of most ordinary items. Keep it safe."
The Mo Dao weighed more than thirty pounds and was taller than Xia Wei when erected. Upon hearing this, Xia Wei activated her tortoise hand and swung the Mo Dao in her hand vigorously. The sword light swept across with astonishing power.
Xia Wei closed her eyes and thought for a moment, then said:
"Oh, Master, the shrimp-headed man's killing move is so unique that it has left a deep impression on me. Whenever I close my eyes, I see the shrimp-headed man dancing with his knife. I don't know why, but every time I think of it, a surge of spiritual energy surges through my body. The flow of spiritual energy is similar to the Mysterious Shadow Step, but there are subtle differences. What's going on?"
Ye Jie was stunned and asked in surprise: "Wait, could that be... a sudden enlightenment of the technique?"
Xia Wei was puzzled, her brows furrowed slightly. "Enlightenment of the technique? What is that?"
Ye Jie took a deep breath. "That's a rare opportunity. You have to know that the practice of a technique is by no means static. You don't have to do what the manual says. Gifted practitioners can modify the content of a technique, creating something new based on the original, incorporating the strengths of hundreds of schools, and transforming mediocre techniques into a new life, multiplying their power many times over. They can even create their own techniques."
After a pause, Ye Jie continued, "However, when modifying a technique, one also has to bear the risk of going astray and becoming possessed. Countless self-confident geniuses have tampered with their cultivation techniques, causing their spiritual energy to spiral out of control. Eventually, they've gone astray, their tendons and veins severed, and years of cultivation wasted. Generally speaking, only masters of a particular technique who have mastered it to the highest level are qualified to modify it."
Xia Wei was stunned, then looked at her hands: "What's this, Xiaowei..."
Ye Jie patted her shoulder, signaling her to be at ease. "You possess the nine talents of a first-grade reincarnation. No other genius in the world is more gifted than you; at best, they are on par with you. Since you've gained some enlightenment from the shrimp-headed man's sword dance, you might as well follow the direction of your enlightenment and deduce it. Don't miss this opportunity in vain."
"Well, Xiaowei will listen to Master."
Xia Wei smiled, then closed her eyes, her expression calm. The spiritual power in her body flowed, and she showed a hint of enlightenment from time to time.
About a cup of tea later, Xia Wei opened her eyes again, the divine light in her eyes dimmed, she raised the seven-foot Mo Dao, and took special steps, so fast that it left an afterimage, and then her body spun at high speed like a gyroscope, the knife light was sharp, and the speed was dazzling, as if a silver dragon was circling and rising.
"Looking at your movements, you're not just imitating the shrimp-headed man, you've integrated the sword dance into the Mysterious Shadow Step. Using the Mysterious Shadow Step to perform the sword dance has made it even more powerful."
After Xia Wei stopped dancing, Ye Jie clapped his hands in praise.
Xia Wei put the Mo Dao behind her, squinted her eyes in satisfaction, and tilted her head back, saying, "Master, please give me a name for this move."
Ye Jie pondered, "Since it's a killer move based on the Mysterious Shadow Step, I think it should be called the Mysterious Shadow Blade Dance."
Xia Wei nodded happily. Ye Jie took out the torn page from his arms, put it on her hand and examined it carefully.
【Life and Death Book Files:】
【Name: Xia Wei】
【Level: Second Level Body Building Realm Early Stage】
Skills Learned: Soul-Breaking Arrow (Minor Success), Soul-Binding Rope (Minor Success), Elephant Turtle Hand (Mastery), Cloud-Blinding Eyes (Mastery), Hundred Refined Body (Mastery), Mysterious Shadow Step (Mastery), Mysterious Shadow Blade Dance (Incomplete Move)
"Wait, didn't you just learn the Mysterious Shadow Step today? How did you reach the mastery stage already?"
Looking at the records on the torn page, Ye Jie was slightly stunned and asked Xia Wei in disbelief.
Xia Wei glanced at Ye Jie, leaned forward slightly, and said with her hands on her hips, "Didn't Master let me suddenly realize the martial arts? When I suddenly realized the Mysterious Shadow Blade Dance, I also gained a lot of new understanding of the Mysterious Shadow Step."
Ye Jie took a deep breath and sighed, "This kind of talent is truly terrifying..."
When taking back the torn pages, Ye Jie took the opportunity to take a look at his own information. There were only three lonely skills on it, which was less than half of Xia Wei's.
After killing the third-level monster, Xia Wei was filled with confidence: "Master, I did it. I have killed the shrimp-headed man in the middle stage of the third level. I can finally take revenge on the Hengshan bandit in the late stage of the third level!"
Ye Jie sighed when he heard this. "Before, I was afraid you would be distracted during the battle, so I didn't tell you that the Hengshan bandits have already arrived near Qingshi Town and are camped in the dilapidated temple where you rested some time ago. I'm afraid they will attack Qingshi Town within a day."