Chapter 32: Golden Body Sword Bamboo
Three days after meeting Xiao Wu, Lin Yang finally entered the range of the Calamity Mountain Range and subsequently arrived at Heavenly Disaster Town, the closest settlement to the mountains.
Although it was said to be the closest, it was still twenty to thirty kilometers away from the edge of the mountain range.
The Calamity Mountain Range was far less famous than the Star Dou Great Forest, but many powerful Soul Beasts lived within it.
This town had also been established by relying on the Calamity Mountain Range.
Once a beast tide occurred, this town would be the first line of defense.
Though the town was small, it was well-equipped with all the essentials; various shops lined the streets, and one could basically find whatever they wanted.
Of course, the prices were naturally quite steep.
Lin Yang left the carriage at a stable and found a rather clean restaurant to serve as a place to rest.
The two finished their meal simply and returned to their respective rooms.
After more than ten days of rushing on the road, Lin Yang urgently wanted to take a good hot bath.
In the room next to Lin Yang's, Xiao Wu's entire body was submerged in a bathtub.
Dense steam rose, and flower petals of various colors floated on the water's surface.
Xiao Wu looked up at the ceiling, her waterfall-like long hair clinging wetly to her rounded shoulders before spreading out in the water, flowing with the ripples.
Splash!
A snow-white arm reached out from under the water; looking at the petals in her palm, a hint of longing appeared in her eyes.
Having been out for so long and experienced so many things, she missed Da Ming and Er Ming a little.
The next day, Lin Yang walked out of his room feeling refreshed, just as Xiao Wu happened to step out from the room next door.
"Morning!"
"Morning to you too!"
The two greeted each other casually and then went downstairs to have breakfast together.
The food tasted average, but its saving grace was the generous portions.
After eating, Lin Yang wiped his mouth and then said,
"You stay here. I'm going to the Calamity Mountain Range."
Xiao Wu wrinkled her nose. "Then I'm going too."
After spending the last few days together, she felt a long-lost sense of security by Lin Yang's side and naturally didn't want to part.
Lin Yang didn't say much; since she wanted to come along, he would let her.
Besides, leaving the Little Rabbit alone in this town was indeed a bit inconsiderate.
One should know that the thing this town lacked least was Soul Masters; a One-Ring Soul Master really didn't amount to much here.
Neither of them had anything to pack, so they headed straight for the Calamity Mountain Range after breakfast.
Speeding along the way, the two soon arrived at the outskirts of the Calamity Mountain Range.
Lin Yang took out a map from his Storage Ring, made a quick comparison, and then headed in one direction at full speed.
That afternoon, they arrived at their destination.
Looking out, there was a vast, endless sea of bamboo; when the wind blew, the bamboo leaves rustled.
"So much bamboo," Xiao Wu looked around and couldn't help but ask,
"Is this the Soul Beast you want?"
"Not these," Lin Yang shook his head slowly and explained,
"These are Gengxin Bamboo, a secondary derivative Soul Beast of the Golden Body Sword Bamboo."
"The Golden Body Sword Bamboo is extremely overbearing. Usually, in a Gengxin Bamboo forest, there is only one true Golden Body Sword Bamboo.
Only after the previous Golden Body Sword Bamboo dies do the other Gengxin Bamboo have a chance to grow into a Golden Body Sword Bamboo."
"Then how do we get in?"
Xiao Wu looked at the dense bamboo forest before her, feeling a bit worried.
The Gengxin Bamboo's method of attack was very simple: it shot its bamboo leaves out like flying daggers. A single leaf's attack power was average.
But if the entire bamboo forest attacked together, the quantitative change would lead to a qualitative one, making the power extremely terrifying.
Not to mention such a vast bamboo forest.
A single move would affect the whole; if an ordinary Soul King were to barge in recklessly, they would likely suffer a setback.
However, Lin Yang had never intended to force his way in.
The Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up.
Blindfold could mask one's presence and distort the five senses, making it perfect for this situation.
After masking their presence, the two were like a mass of "air," easily walking into the interior of the Gengxin Bamboo forest.
Low-age Golden Body Sword Bamboo and Gengxin Bamboo were extremely similar and difficult to distinguish.
But as the age increased, they became easier to tell apart.
This was because their bodies would increasingly lean toward metal; it wouldn't be wrong to call them Metal-Attribute Spirit Beasts.
Finally, amidst the bamboo forest covering the mountains and plains, Lin Yang found the Golden Body Sword Bamboo.
Its age was also suitable, about five thousand five hundred years.
At this moment, the Golden Body Sword Bamboo was like a king guarded by the Gengxin Bamboo.
Its bamboo joints were as straight as spears, its entire body appearing as if cast from gold, and its leaves were long and narrow, shimmering with golden light.
As it swayed gently, it actually emitted a faint whistling sound, like a sword blade slicing through the air.
"Are you crazy? This is a five-Thousand-Year Spirit Beast."
Xiao Wu saw through Lin Yang's plan and immediately tried to stop him in a low voice.
"Don't worry, I'm special, and I'm very confident."
Lin Yang said casually and then told Xiao Wu to stand a bit further away.
Then, he activated the Transparent World, completely concealing his presence as he noiselessly approached the Golden Body Sword Bamboo.
"Blindfold" could hide them from the Gengxin Bamboo's perception, but it might disturb the Golden Body Sword Bamboo.
But with Through Vision, there was no problem at all.
To the perception of these plant Soul Beasts, Lin Yang, with the Transparent World active, was like a blank "nothingness," having completely vanished.
Like a shadow, he passed through the bamboo forest silently and went straight to the proudly standing Golden Body Sword Bamboo.
He could even see the golden patterns on the bamboo.
The opportunity was fleeting; Lin Yang's gaze sharpened, and he took a deep breath.
Demon Slayer Mark, activate!
Nichirin Blade, activate!
First Soul Skill, activate!
Sun Breathing, First Form: Dance!
Lin Yang shouted inwardly, and the Scarlet Edge in his hand slashed out violently, a condensed, scorching arc of light quickly sweeping forth.
Chii—!
With a soft sound, the arc of light accurately passed through the root of the sword bamboo.
The sword bamboo's body trembled slightly, and a straight cut instantly severed its connection to the earth.
Before the Soul Ring could fully condense, Lin Yang hoisted the Golden Body Sword Bamboo onto his shoulder, turned around, and bolted.
"Go!"
Lin Yang shouted, startling Xiao Wu, who was waiting nearby in high alert.
The two reacted extremely fast, one after the other, ignoring the consumption of Soul Power as they quickly ran toward the outside of the bamboo forest.
However, Lin Yang's lack of martial ethics in directly killing the Golden Body Sword Bamboo was like poking a hornet's nest, completely enraging the entire Gengxin Bamboo forest.
"Sha sha sha—!"
The moment the two turned to flee, the entire bamboo forest seemed to come alive.
Countless Gengxin Bamboo swayed frantically, and all the bamboo leaves fell from the branches at the same time.
Like ten thousand arrows fired at once, they turned into a blade tornado that blotted out the sun, sweeping toward the direction where Lin Yang and Xiao Wu were escaping.
The sharp whistling sound behind them drew closer and closer.
Carrying the heavy Golden Body Sword Bamboo, Lin Yang pushed his speed to the limit, each step leaving a deep crater in the ground.
Xiao Wu's Soul Power was not as strong as Lin Yang's, but she excelled in lightness and agility.
The two were like they were racing against death, not daring to stop for a moment.
Bang bang bang—!
Dense bamboo leaves whistled down, making explosive sounds like rain hitting plantain leaves, embedding themselves deeply into the ground and rocks.
A few fell on Lin Yang's body, leaving several wounds, but they healed in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wu was like a Kochou flitting through flowers, her waist extremely supple, flexible, and versatile.
She always avoided the sharp edges of the bamboo leaves by a hair's breadth at the critical moments.
After running for an unknown amount of time, the scenery before them suddenly opened up.
It was no longer an endless sea of bamboo, but a bottomless mountain stream, nearly a hundred meters wide.
Lin Yang was not alarmed but delighted; he could finally get rid of this annoying pursuit.
With one hand carrying the Golden Body Sword Bamboo, he quickly wrapped his other arm around Xiao Wu's waist, tucking her under his arm.
"Hold tight!"
With a low shout, his leg muscles instantly tightened and bulged, exploding with astonishing power as he stepped heavily onto the ground.
Bang!
Several spiderweb-like cracks immediately appeared on the rocky ground.
In the next instant, like a cannonball fired from a barrel, he shot toward the other side of the mountain stream.
A violent gale whipped against their faces, making their skin sting.
Beneath them was a bottomless abyss; falling would surely mean being smashed to pieces, with no remains left.
During the flight, at the moment when the momentum was about to run out.
Xiao Wu suddenly hugged Lin Yang's neck, her knees bent, using them against his abdomen as a support point.
Under Lin Yang's slightly astonished gaze, her first soul ring suddenly lit up with a soft light.
"First Soul Skill, Bow Waist!"