Gengjin Sword Bamboo

On the third day after meeting Xiao Wu, Lin Yang finally entered the Heavenly Calamity Mountains region, then reached Heavenly Calamity Town, the town closest to the mountains.

Closest though it was, it still lay twenty to thirty kilometers from the edge of the mountains.

The Heavenly Calamity Mountains were far less famous than the Star Dou Great Forest, but quite a few powerful Soul Beasts lived there.

This town had been established around the Heavenly Calamity Mountains.

Should a beast tide arise, the town would be the first line of defense.

Small as it was, the town had all its vital organs, with shops of every kind lining the streets and practically anything one could want.

Of course, the prices were rather moving as well.

Lin Yang left the carriage at a carriage service, then found a fairly clean inn where they could rest.

After a simple meal, the two returned to their respective rooms.

After more than ten days of rushing along the road, Lin Yang desperately wanted a good soak in a hot bath.

In the room next to Lin Yang's, Xiao Wu had submerged her entire body in the bathtub.

Mist rose from the water, its surface scattered with petals of various colors.

Xiao Wu tipped her head back to look at the ceiling. Her waterfall of long hair clung wetly to her rounded shoulders, then spread out in the water, drifting with its ripples.

Splash!

A fair arm emerged from beneath the water. As she looked at the petals in her palm, a trace of longing showed in her eyes.

After being away for so long and going through so much, she missed Da Ming and Er Ming a little.

The next morning, Lin Yang stepped out of his room feeling refreshed, just as Xiao Wu emerged from the room next door.

"Morning!"

"Morning to you too!"

They exchanged casual greetings, then went downstairs for breakfast together.

The food tasted ordinary, but the portions were generous.

After eating, Lin Yang wiped his mouth, then said,

"Stay here. I'm going to the Heavenly Calamity Mountains."

Xiao Wu wrinkled her nose. "Then I'm coming too."

After spending these past few days with him, she had felt a measure of security at Lin Yang's side that she had not felt in a long time, and naturally did not want to part.

Lin Yang said nothing more. Since she wanted to follow, he would let her.

Besides, leaving the little rabbit alone in this town really would have been somewhat thoughtless.

After all, Soul Masters were the last thing this town lacked, and a One-Ring Soul Master really amounted to little.

Neither had anything to pack, so they headed straight for the Heavenly Calamity Mountains after breakfast.

Racing along the road, they soon reached the outskirts of the Heavenly Calamity Mountains.

Lin Yang took a map from his Storage Ring, briefly checked it against their surroundings, then set off at full speed in one direction.

That afternoon, they reached their destination.

As far as the eye could see stretched an endless sea of bamboo, its leaves rustling whenever the wind blew.

"So much bamboo." Xiao Wu looked around and could not help asking,

"Is this the Soul Beast you want?"

"Not these." Lin Yang slowly shook his head and explained,

"These are Gengxin bamboo, a lesser derivative Soul Beast of Gengjin Sword Bamboo."

"Gengjin Sword Bamboo is extremely domineering. Usually, an entire Gengxin Bamboo Forest has only one true Gengjin Sword Bamboo.

"Only after the previous Gengjin Sword Bamboo dies do the other Gengxin bamboo have a chance to grow into Gengjin Sword Bamboo."

"Then how do we get in?"

Looking at the densely packed bamboo forest before them, Xiao Wu felt somewhat troubled.

Gengxin bamboo had only one method of attack: shooting its leaves like throwing knives. Each individual leaf had only average offensive power.

But if the entire bamboo forest attacked together, quantity would become quality, and its power would be terrifying.

All the more so with such a vast bamboo forest.

Tug one hair and the whole body would move. Even an ordinary Soul King would probably come to grief by rashly forcing their way inside.

But Lin Yang had never intended to force his way through.

The Soul Ring at his feet lit up.

Invisibility could conceal their presence and distort the five senses, making it perfect for this situation.

With their presence concealed, the two were like a patch of "air," easily walking into the depths of the Gengxin Bamboo Forest.

Younger Gengjin Sword Bamboo closely resembled Gengxin bamboo and was difficult to distinguish.

But the older it grew, the easier it became to tell apart.

That was simply because its body grew increasingly metallic. Calling it a metal-type Soul Beast would not be wrong.

At last, amid the bamboo covering the mountains and plains, Lin Yang finally found the Gengjin Sword Bamboo.

Its age was suitable too, at around five thousand five hundred years.

At that moment, the Gengjin Sword Bamboo stood like a king guarded by the surrounding Gengxin bamboo.

Its segmented stalk stood straight as a spear, its entire body seemingly cast from gold, its slender leaves gleaming golden.

As it swayed gently, it actually gave off faint hissing sounds like a sword's edge slicing through the air.

"Are you insane? That's a five-thousand-year Soul Beast."

Xiao Wu realized what Lin Yang intended and immediately tried to stop him in a low voice.

"Don't worry. I'm rather special, and I'm very confident."

Lin Yang offered that casual reply, then had Xiao Wu stand farther away.

Then he activated Transparent World, completely suppressed his presence, and silently approached the Gengjin Sword Bamboo.

Invisibility could fool the Gengxin bamboo's senses, but it might alert the Gengjin Sword Bamboo.

With Transparent World, however, there would be no problem.

With Transparent World active, Lin Yang was like a blank patch of "nothing" in these plant Soul Beasts' perception, vanishing completely.

Like a shadow, he passed soundlessly through the bamboo forest and came straight before the proudly standing Gengjin Sword Bamboo.

He could even make out the golden patterns on its stalk.

The opportunity would vanish in a flash. Lin Yang's gaze sharpened, and he drew a deep breath.

Demon Slayer Mark, activate!

Bright Red Nichirin Sword, activate!

First Soul Skill, activate!

Sun Breathing, First Form: Dance!

Lin Yang shouted inwardly, and Crimson Interval slashed out in his hand, swiftly tracing an arc of searing light condensed to the utmost.

Hiss-!

With a soft sound, the arc swept unerringly across the base of the sword bamboo.

The sword bamboo trembled slightly, and a straight cut instantly severed its connection to the earth.

Before its Soul Ring had even finished forming, Lin Yang hoisted the Gengjin Sword Bamboo onto his shoulder, turned, and sprinted away.

"Go!"

Lin Yang's roar jolted Xiao Wu, who stood ready a short distance away.

Both reacted extremely quickly, racing one behind the other toward the edge of the bamboo forest without any regard for their Soul Power expenditure.

Yet Lin Yang's unsporting act of directly killing the Gengjin Sword Bamboo was like poking a hornet's nest, thoroughly enraging the entire Gengxin Bamboo Forest.

Rustle, rustle, rustle-!

The instant the two turned to flee, the entire bamboo forest seemed to come alive.

Countless Gengxin bamboo swayed madly, all their leaves falling from their branches at the same moment.

Like ten thousand arrows loosed at once, they became a bladed tornado that blotted out the sky and sun, sweeping toward the fleeing Lin Yang and Xiao Wu.

The shrill whistling behind them drew closer and closer.

Carrying the heavy Gengjin Sword Bamboo on his shoulder, Lin Yang pushed his speed to its limit, each step leaving a deep pit in the ground.

Xiao Wu's Soul Power fell short of Lin Yang's, but she had the advantage of being light and agile.

The two seemed to be racing against the god of death, not daring to stop.

Bang, bang, bang-!

Dense bamboo leaves whistled down, cracking like rain beating on broad banana leaves as they embedded themselves deep in the earth and rocks.

A few struck Lin Yang, leaving cuts across his body, but they healed in the blink of an eye.

Xiao Wu, meanwhile, was like a butterfly flitting among flowers, her waist supremely supple, her movements nimble and varied.

At every crucial moment, she avoided the sharp bamboo leaves by a hair's breadth.

After they had run for an unknown length of time, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

The endless sea of bamboo was gone, replaced by a bottomless mountain ravine nearly a hundred meters wide.

Rather than alarmed, Lin Yang was delighted. At last, they could shake off this annoying pursuit.

Keeping the Gengjin Sword Bamboo on one shoulder, he swiftly wrapped his other arm around Xiao Wu's waist and tucked her beneath his arm.

"Hold on tight!"

With a low shout, the muscles in his legs instantly tightened and bulged, unleashing astonishing strength as he stamped down hard.

Bang!

Several spiderweb cracks instantly appeared in the rocky ground.

The next moment, he shot toward the other side of the ravine like a cannonball leaving its barrel.

Fierce wind battered their faces, stinging their skin.

Beneath their feet lay a ten-thousand-zhang abyss. Falling would surely smash them to pieces, leaving not even their bones.

In the midst of their leap, just as their momentum was about to run out.

Xiao Wu suddenly wrapped her arms around Lin Yang's neck and bent both legs, bracing her knees against his abdomen.

Under Lin Yang's slightly startled gaze, her First Soul Ring suddenly lit up with a gentle glow.

"First Soul Skill: Waist Bow!"