Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 562 - 505 Mission

"Are you sure?"

Inside Dongjun Tower, a puppet servant named Ati asked expressionlessly.

"I’m sure," Li Ang nodded. "Open the door."

"Okay."

Seeing his determination, the servant didn’t speak further, unhooked the key from its waist, and opened the door to the secret room.

In the room, as spacious as a plaza, the quietly floating brown sludge seemed to sense something, its surface rippling in waves.

Li Ang stepped forward, holding a Radiant Crossbow in his left hand, the Triangular Spear in his right. The talisman plate on his arm lit up, indicating that the talisman was loaded and ready.

The Puppet Servant watched silently, picking up a bell from a small cart. It stood outside the white line, ready to intervene at any moment—Li Ang had been blasted out the door earlier that day. Even though his Spiritual Energy had fully recovered, the depletion in his Qi Sea, Spirit Vein, and even his mental state would not be replenished anytime soon. An accident could happen...

SHHAA!

A dense, fine noise suddenly erupted. The brown sludge rapidly expanded in a very short time, elongating at both ends, with snake-scale patterns appearing on its surface.

Before it could completely transform, the snake tail tore through the air, sweeping across like a city wall.

Li Ang’s expression was composed. Only when the gust of wind raised by the snake tail brushed his hair did he move his right arm to point to the ground on his left, slightly crooking his finger.

The copper ring on his finger was connected to a slender steel cable, triggering the talisman plate, which released a Wind Talisman.

As the talisman touched the ground, a whirlwind erupted, carrying his floating form toward the right wall of the room.

THUD!

Li Ang stomped heavily on the wall, turning and spinning in mid-air like a hawk, the Triangular Spear in his right hand tracing a semicircular arc.

Under his full-force swing, even the incredibly sturdy shaft of the Triangular Spear bent slightly.

At the same time, strands of Mo Si emerged from his arm, wrapping around the spear shaft and rapidly spreading along its length.

WHIZ—

Accompanied by a piercing shriek as it tore through the air, the spear blade struck the snake scales, eliciting a sharp clang of colliding metal.

Given the wall-like thickness of the snake scales and their hardness, far exceeding steel, a typical strike from the Triangular Spear would not only fail to cut through them but would likely shatter the spear blade.

Therefore, Li Ang had the Mo Si wrap around the Triangular Spear, extending the weapon to an exaggerated length of over six meters.

RIP!

The sharp spear blade sliced open the surface of the snake scales, revealing the brown sludge underneath that had not yet fully evolved into muscle tissue.

The sludge writhed and trembled, interconnected by countless threads, reminiscent of a dense spiderweb.

Now.

Still spiraling in mid-air, Li Ang aimed at the gash torn in the snake’s tail and pulled the trigger of the Radiant Crossbow.

A ball of light shot out, flying into the wound in the snake’s tail.

At that moment, the python’s long tail suddenly shuddered. On both sides of the gash cut by the Triangular Spear, all the brown sludge instantly hardened, like crystals in a mine.

BOOM!

The light ball from the Radiant Crossbow exploded, emitting intense light and heat. Li Ang, riding the shockwave, landed on the left side of the room. The Triangular Spear scraped against the ground, sending up a shower of sparks and arresting his backward momentum.

He slowly stood up from the ground, his brow slightly furrowed.

Because the tip of the python’s tail had crystallized and hardened in time, the light ball from the Radiant Crossbow hadn’t completely destroyed its long tail, only blasting away some rock fragments.

This minor injury, as the brown sludge re-melted, evolved, and hardened, was immediately restored.

"..."

This is truly troublesome.

Li Ang watched the giant python’s injuries heal in an instant and sighed inwardly. The same Mo Si that brought him such relief when healing his own transformations was now the source of his immense frustration.

I am human. Provided I’m willing to let the erosion worsen, any injury can be healed unless my head is instantly blown apart. The opponent, however, is in its complete form, with no so-called "weak points" or "vitals." Its regenerative ability is on another level. Moreover, it has no brain, or rather, every part of it is a brain. Whether I attack its tail or the vital seven-inch spot of a snake, it can instantly react and counter. Every part of it has the capacity to strike back.

"No wonder the Mountain Master said this thing is a scourge. If it escapes, devours more exotic metals, and continues to evolve, it’s hard to imagine what it will become."

Li Ang shook his head. The best way to defeat it is to use the most intense forms of attack, such as the Dragon Breath Technique, Burning Flame Technique, or the Ten Thousand Miles Ice Sealing Talisman from the Candle Cloud Realm, to directly shatter the python’s body. If once isn’t enough, then a second or third time will be necessary. This cycle would continue until the brown sludge’s regenerative ability reaches its limit in a short time and it can no longer sustain its basic form—at least that’s how the Mo Si within my body functions; regenerating too many times in a short period leads to a "metal fatigue" similar to that of metallic materials. The problem is...

Li Ang glanced at the Radiant Crossbow in his hands. The power of the light orbs it fires depends on the Spiritual Power injected into it. Even if I drain my Qi Sea dry, I can’t achieve the effects of a Telekinesis talisman from the Candle Cloud Realm...

THOOM!

As Li Ang contemplated, the giant python had already completely recovered from its injuries. It roared fiercely, its belly scales scraping against the ground as it charged with unstoppable momentum.

The distance between them closed rapidly. The Puppet Servant standing outside the white line watched Li Ang, who stood motionless in the distance, unsure if he was stunned by fear or simply couldn’t react in time. Its rigid hand had already begun to shake, preparing to ring the bell to activate the Prohibition in the room and drag Li Ang out.

However, just as the Puppet Servant shook the bell and the giant brown python’s jaws snapped down, Li Ang suddenly stomped on the ground and leapt up.

He swung his arm backward, and from beneath his sleeve, countless strands of Mo Si shot out, hooking onto the walls and floor of the room, pulling him backward and allowing him to narrowly avoid the jaws.

The python, its momentum undiminished, raised its head and continued to pursue Li Ang. The stark contrast in their sizes made Li Ang seem like a tiny mosquito, constantly facing mortal danger during the chase.

"..."

The Puppet Servant quietly watched all this, the bell in its hand slowly lowering.

At some point, Li Ang’s movements had become significantly more economical. He no longer needed to swing his arms to release the Mo Si; all the Mo Si seemed like an innate part of his body, obeying his command as if they were his own limbs.

"Heaven’s mandate is called nature; to follow nature is called the Dao; to cultivate the Dao is called teaching..."

Li Ang recalled his enlightenment from earlier in the day, his eyes sparkling with realization.

I no longer see Mo Si as an external, invasive parasite. Or rather, I’ve gained enough confidence in myself. I had always feared that Mo Si would erode my body and destroy the parts of me that were human, dreading it as one would a tiger or wolf. Until today. I saw the changes in Chang’an City and witnessed how my actions have altered the current state of the Human World. I no longer doubt or fear the reason for my awakened memories from the Otherworld. If I truly bear some irresistible mission, then I am already on the path to fulfilling it. The Mo Si erosion—so what? I am myself, Li Ang. My thoughts will not change regardless of how much of my human body remains or how it transforms. I believe this. I accept this.

Thus, the Qi Sea and Mo Si merged; the Spirit Vein and the threads blended. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

His Spiritual Energy circulated with unprecedented smoothness. With every breath, it felt as if every part of his body, down to his very bones, was exulting.