Chapter 136: Sudden Crisis! Sword and Axe Mantis
Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Sudden Crisis! Sword and Axe Mantis
Just passing by!
It was a phrase with a certain magic to it.
It meant that a person, or some other being, might have a destination, but that wouldn’t stop them from doing something along the way. Or from having something done *to* them.
Zhu Ge could guess that great droves of humans, members of the Demon Race, ghosts, sprites, monsters, gods, and other demons would soon be passing through Red River Prefecture.
Because Nanyue Mianhuang bordered Red River Prefecture.
Inevitably, fighting would break out.
Either the passersby would covet what Red River Prefecture had, or the people of the prefecture would covet what the passersby carried.
In short, Red River Prefecture, already a sprawling battlefield, was bound to erupt in even more violent conflict.
’No wonder such a powerful Historian as True Monarch of the Lantern came here.’
Zhu Ge had a vague idea of why True Monarch of the Lantern had come.
Amid the chaos and order of Red River Prefecture, someone was bound to rise above the rest.
’But would they be able to leave a significant mark on history?’
Zhu Ge knew just how difficult that was.
His studies had taught him just how hard some things could be.
A single line in a Historical Record could represent an entire, brilliant life.
Take Emperor Qin Shi Huang, for example. His most widely known legacies are phrases summarizing his accomplishments, like "The Six Kings finished, the Four Seas made one" and "A unified script for all."
But what about his personal life?
What he did as a child, the hardships he faced growing up—these details are hardly common knowledge.
In his previous life, especially among those less educated, more people probably knew about *My Fair Princess* than knew Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s personal name was Ying Zheng.
So, leaving a truly significant mark on history was exceptionally difficult.
Of course, Zhu Ge actually knew many ways to leave his mark in the Historical Records.
But most of them were dishonest or wicked paths.
In a world like the Da Sheng Dynasty, the most orthodox and powerful path was, and always had been, strength.
"Jianjian, come on, train with me!"
"Huh? Me?"
...
Red River Prefecture was already rife with danger. Now, with great chaos on the horizon, Zhu Ge felt an even greater sense of urgency.
’I have to get stronger!’
THWACK!!
Zhu Ge’s fist landed right on the bridge of Liu Jianjian’s nose.
"AAAAAHHH!" Liu Jianjian flew backward, clutching her nose and yelping, "Ow, ow, ow!"
Zhu Ge shook his head at Liu Jianjian’s distracted state.
’This girl is such a gossip.’
True Monarch Minmian had certainly made a flashy spectacle up in the sky.
The problem was, it had ignited the flame of gossip in Liu Jianjian’s heart.
How many living beings did True Monarch Minmian kill? There was a voice trying to stop him—who was it? What color was True Monarch Minmian’s underwear? And what about True Monarch of the Lantern? Why wasn’t he there? Were True Monarch Minmian and True Monarch of the Lantern a couple? ...In short, Liu Jianjian was full of questions.
She peppered Zhu Ge with them while they sparred, leaving him utterly speechless.
"Sword Hero, your master’s lost her mind! You train with me instead!" Zhu Ge shouted.
A single strand of Liu Jianjian’s hair floated out. Its tip began to glow, and Sword Hero’s figure instantly materialized.
"Right away, Great Master! Let’s go!" Sword Hero reverted to his true form, and the moment he landed, he charged.
Zhu Ge drew his silver staff and went to meet the charge.
Sword Hero used its six legs as clubs.
It also possessed a natural talent for refining metal and incorporating it into its body.
As a result, its six legs were essentially six powerful clubs.
Sword Hero had learned a few moves from its previous master, but now, under Zhu Ge, it had mastered even more martial arts, such as *Lighting the Incense* and *Tea Swordsmanship*.
Now, its fighting style was unpredictable; a moment of inattention and its six club-like legs would strike from the groin, the center of the back, or right up the rear.
Even an ordinary Second Realm expert would have trouble defeating Sword Hero.
But Zhu Ge was another story.
"Great Python Constriction!"
Zhu Ge thrust his staff forward. Just as Sword Hero moved to block, the top third of the silver staff suddenly went soft, lashing out like a whip.
"Great Master, that’s a whip!" Sword Hero shrieked, tilting its head to dodge.
But with a light flick of his wrist, Zhu Ge changed the whip’s strike into a coil, wrapping the tip around Sword Hero’s head and swiftly tightening it.
Meanwhile, Sword Hero braced itself against the ground with one leg, leaving its other four legs to strike directly at Zhu Ge’s body.
Zhu Ge, however, simply blocked with his left hand, completely ignoring the blows that landed on his body.
"I give, I give! Great Master, stop!" Sword Hero’s voice was gasping for air.
Zhu Ge smiled and retracted his silver staff.
"You’re a cheat, Great Master," Sword Hero said helplessly. "When you hit me, it hurts like hell. When I hit you, you don’t feel a thing."
"Yeah, yeah! You’re a total cheat, Master!" Liu Jianjian fumed. "How could you punch me in the face like that? And to think you wanted to mate with me back in the day..."
"Don’t talk nonsense," Zhu Ge shot Liu Jianjian a glare, cutting her off. He then glanced guiltily toward the small hut.
Hua Liusha was inside, weaving and sewing a Soul Clothing. When she saw Zhu Ge look her way, she smiled and gave a small nod.
Seeing Hua Liusha, Liu Jianjian realized her blunder and quickly clapped a hand over her mouth. "I’ll shut up, I’ll shut up."
Zhu Ge sighed in resignation. "Alright, alright. Your strength has improved, but you’re still a total weakling compared to a real expert."
Just then, a voice suddenly echoed from up high:
"Hahaha, the little guy sure can talk big!"
’Someone’s here?!’
Startled, Zhu Ge immediately looked up.
He saw a massive mantis perched atop the mountain peak, its crimson compound eyes fixed on him.
’The Sword and Axe Mantis?!’
Zhu Ge’s pupils constricted.
This was an Essence-Devouring Demon Beast—the same Third Realm expert who had fought the Confucian Scholar, the Jianshui City Lord, to a standstill!
A Third Realm expert of the Demon Race, at the Essence-Devouring Realm!
A being at that level subsisted on devouring the essence of the heavens, the earth, the sun and moon—the essence of all living things.
’Seeing me, it will definitely want to eat me.’
More importantly, during the battle at Jianshui City, Zhu Ge had led a whole pack of Demon Beasts on a merry chase, causing the Sword and Axe Mantis’s siege to fail.
After that, the Sword and Axe Mantis had issued a kill order for him.
Anyone who killed Zhu Ge and brought back his head would be rewarded with a mid-grade, Spirit Level Ba Yuan Fruit.
That Ba Yuan Fruit was a Spirit Medicine capable of enhancing one’s Blood Qi.
Zhu Ge had even been wondering when he might use his [Secret] ability to steal one for himself.
After all, he’d learned from Cui Xu at Shihu Pavilion that the size of one’s Upper Yuan Palace—also known as the Mud Ball Palace—which was opened upon reaching the Three Realms of the Martial Dao, was determined by the strength of one’s Blood Qi.
’Who would have thought this Third Realm Sword and Axe Mantis would actually find me here!’
Zhu Ge didn’t hesitate for a second. His soul immediately made contact with the Fungus God seed in his mind.
’Fungus God Destruction Array!’
’Activate!’
With a single thought from Zhu Ge, the Fungus God Destruction Array activated instantly.
He wasn’t the type to stand around making pointless conversation with the Sword and Axe Mantis only to get himself killed.
’Too much talking gets the villain killed.’
’Perfect. The Fungus God Destruction Array is incredibly powerful. If this Sword and Axe Mantis is the least bit careless today, I can probably kill it on the spot!’
"What is this?!"
The Sword and Axe Mantis abruptly beat its wings and shot into the air, its eyes filled with panic as it stared down at the valley.
To the naked eye, the valley looked almost exactly the same.
But to an out-of-body soul, or to one’s Divine Sense, the valley now resembled a terrifying creature sprouting hundreds of white tentacles.
It was all mycelium!