Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 598 - 30 R’lyeh Storm

Wushan donned his armor and grasped the sharp weapon, the cobalt blue gleam transforming into interlinked armor plates and a tight helmet, preventing the mists of Yunmeng Marsh’s calamitous waters from seeping in. The lava-colored polearm in his hand clashed intensely but briefly against the Tiger Head Great Spear before him, like a white and a red malevolent serpent wrestling with each other. After each collision, an explosion-like black splash would burst forth in the air, or else a fading multicolored radiance would dissipate.

The tentacle-shaped calamitous waters and the black and white Dragon Mist intertwined on Li Yan’s left and right, brimming with spirit.

Li Yan steadied his mind and breathed calmly, as the Tiger Head Great Spear in his hand writhed and dodged like a living creature. In terms of offense and defense with the long weapons, Li Yan was mostly on the attack, gaining some advantage. However, Wushan defended flawlessly without giving away a single opening, and there was no chance to use moves that could control the enemy, such as Tiger Rises, Dragon’s Craned Neck, or Swallow Through the Curtain.

One colorful and one black and white shadow moved in combat, and any onlooker would not think Wushan’s long weapon skills were inferior to Li Yan’s by much.

Keep in mind that during their last fierce battle, Li Yan had dominated Wushan in close combat, solely thanks to Wushan’s immensely powerful Five Elements Strengthening that they were evenly matched.

Now with Li Yan’s expertise exceeding 100%, and after having been through numerous battles, his skills with the great spear had undoubtedly risen a notch, yet upon observation, if one disregards the "Seven Great Stances of Spear and Sword," the gap in their weapon skills seemed to have narrowed instead!

[True Martial Avatar: Demon-Subduing Wind-Thunder Staff]

Category: Yan Fu Secret Treasure 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Quality: Rare

A unique secret treasure from Scale, Year of the Rat, No. 226.

The effects are as follows: Gain weapon skills equivalent to 99% of long weapon expertise and can use six self-realized skills from ’Demon-Subduing Wind-Thunder Staff’, but at an additional cost of stamina and energy.

Moreover, travelers of Yan Fu can gain insights from the True Martial Avatar to truly enhance their own expertise and strength.

Usage requirement: 80% expertise with long weapons or above.

Remarks: Those Proxy Travelers who blindly pursue and enhance high-ranking heritage will eventually taste the bitter fruit of their own making.

And yet, Wushan emanated an interwoven five-colored divine radiance with every move, the "Zhenjun Wuzao." Even when Li Yan mobilized both "Dragon Mist" and "Tentacle-Shaped Calamity Water" together, he was no match, for where the divine radiance passed, it would dissolve everything like snow in the sun. Regardless of Blood Dip, freezing, poisonous fogs—any of these that touched Zhenjun Wuzao’s radiance simply collapsed and vanished.

Moreover, Li Yan’s keen combat intuition constantly reminded him that he must not allow the colorful radiance on the long staff to touch him.

Fortunately, this "Zhenjun Wuzao" seemed as difficult to manipulate and produce as Li Yan’s Soul-forgiving Water. Wushan only used it to wrap around his hands and weapon. Otherwise, it’s likely that within a few confrontations, Li Yan would have been forced to use "Qilian Swordsmanship."

Crack~

Li Yan’s heart skipped a beat as he watched a finger-length crack appear on the head of the Tiger Head Great Spear.

Seizing the right moment, Wushan thrust the lava-colored staff forward, aiming directly for Li Yan’s throat!

Plop.

Li Yan’s entire body collapsed into a puddle of water, yet the "Zhenjun Wuzao" on the end of the staff still hit a water sphere.

Wushan swung his arms, wielding the long staff to create a fire-colored whirlwind that repelled Li Yan, who was trying to reform his body and launch a surprise attack from behind Wushan.

The scattered water could only flee in all directions, eventually gathering into a human shape on the ruins some tens of meters away from Wushan.

Li Yan looked down at the crack on the Tiger Head Great Spear and put it away.

With a sudden gesture, he flung a drop of golden Soul-forgiving Water straight at Wushan. Then it was mercilessly evaporated by the lava-colored staff.

"This thing really has no lethality."

Li Yan thought to himself.

The "True Martial Avatar: Demon-Subduing Wind-Thunder Staff" was clearly stronger than "Dragon Mist" and "Disaster Water". In terms of quality, only "Soul-forgiving Water" could compete, but sadly, "Soul-forgiving Water" was not meant to be used in this way. At least when the two met, "Soul-forgiving Water" had no way of dealing with the "True Martial Avatar: Demon-Subduing Wind-Thunder Staff".

The staff in Wushan’s hands shone brilliantly, eventually enveloping his entire body.

"Had enough fun? Why don’t you make it rain again? Or can’t you do it?"

Li Yan did not answer, but simply lifted his hand gently, and a bronze-colored R’lyeh Water Tiger curled around his wrist lightly.

"The Force of Ten Thousand Aspects does not necessarily require rain. The Nine Variations of Calamity should not recklessly send all species to tear and bite."

An invisible wave spread from all around Li Yan, and the beautiful underwater scene swirled and transformed, reaching Wushan, who was at the heart of the Nine Variations of Calamity.

Wushan slammed his staff coated with the "True Martial Avatar: Demon-Subduing Wind-Thunder Staff" down, shattering the water ball of the Nine Variations of Calamity, moving aside by just over one foot from Wushan’s position, and then continued to spread in all directions.

Puff!

The molten staff led the charge, stirring the Nine Variations of Calamity into a gloomy mist, when suddenly, Wushan sensed something wrong and forcibly halted his murderous advance towards Li Yan.

The Nine Variations of Calamity avoided the "True Martial Avatar: Demon-Subduing Wind-Thunder Staff", and the nearby water dared not touch Wushan’s body. They could only stand in front of him, with various water spirits swimming back and forth, making Wushan feel as if he were in a magical aquarium.

A golden-red dragon circled around Wushan, followed by countless light-gold and light-blue Pig Dragons trailing its tail, all encircling Wushan.

The golden-red dragon roared, and with every gesture, countless whirlpools surged in the water, completely encircling Wushan. The smaller Pig Dragons were not to be outdone, and after a few leisurely breaths, they manifested their divine powers. Most of the water in the Nine Variations of Calamity was stirred, as the Pig Dragons turned the entire array into a vast whirlpool.

Within the rapidly swirling water, a weird trailing of bronze suddenly appeared. Soon, large areas of bronze were carried by the water, and the resentful spirits and demons from the deep abyss opened their toothed maws, merging into a terrifying living storm!

In the past, the great sage Wu Zhiqi sowed chaos in the Huai River, with over a hundred thousand mountain spirits and water monsters blocking Da Yu’s troops, preventing any forward movement. It was not simply blind charging; each water spirit relied on its strength, cooperated with one another, and formed various killing arrays. They relied on Wu Zhiqi’s command of their undying bodies to display such fierce might.

The "nine variations" in the Nine Variations of Calamity originally were killing arrays deduced by various water spirits.

After becoming the Proxy Traveler for Wu Zhiqi, one could accept exclusive events from Yan Fu, subdue the various creatures of the Huai River under Wu Zhiqi’s command, and understand their arrays and killing techniques to resurrect the might of the Dragon King of the Huai River.

If Li Yan had continued with the Divine Court path, he probably wouldn’t have the chance to follow the map to the treasure. But relying on subduing the abyssal creatures from the Abyssal Mouth and the enlightenment bestowed by Spring Yak, he had created and developed the "Nine Variations Killing Array", utilizing the cooperation between the Pig Dragons and the R’lyeh Water Tiger. He named this creation "R’lyeh Storm".

Without "Soul-forgiving Water", even if Wu Zhiqi were reborn, he would not be able to subdue such evil creatures as the R’lyeh Water Tiger.

The power of such a killing array was uncertain; perhaps no one could clearly say.

The green storm pressed towards Wushan.

On one side was the construction of the Five Virtues Divine Court, which was said to be able to suppress the Five Elements and all things – the "True Martial Avatar: Demon-Subduing Wind-Thunder Staff". On the other side, strengthened by the Chu Land Divine Court, the evil resentful spirits from the Abyssal Mouth, "R’lyeh Water Tiger", had the power to eternally gnaw at all extraordinary characteristics.

Who would win and who would lose remained uncertain.

The colorful divine radiance interwove with the bronze whirlpool, their mutual destruction sounding like muffled thunder. The ear-piercing explosions reverberated through the earth and shook the mountains. Wushan’s eyes nearly burst as he bared his teeth in a wild laugh. The "True Martial Avatar: Demon-Subduing Wind-Thunder Staff" on his body shattered inch by inch, while the R’lyeh Water Tiger’s bronze whirlpool was also ground away bit by bit. Both sides weakened in the great destruction until they both faded and vanished into nothingness.