Zzzt zzzt zzzt—
The Thunder Holder recalled his Nine-section Whip that had flown out, and at this moment, the Boat had already docked but was still within his striking range. He grasped one end of the Nine-section Whip with both hands and spun it around, the Thunder Whip lashing out across the sandy ground, creating black streaks before he suddenly stepped back.
Sonya paled at the sight and quickly hid behind Ashe: “Be careful!”
But it was already too late. The Thunder Holder stepped forward fiercely, his hands crossing and flipping the two Nine-section Thunder Whips like a pair of shears aimed viciously at Ashe!
This was the cruel move that almost drew out a psychological shadow in Sonya. Although it wasn’t considered a miracle, the destructive power was immense due to the kinetic energy of the spinning whip and the properties of Thunder Magic, making it extremely difficult to avoid. Being struck was almost as painful as the soul trembling, comparable to stubbing a toe against a piece of furniture, culminating in the crushing of the toenail.
“Quiet, you’re disturbing my contemplation of the ultimate mysteries of the world.”
Ashe raised an eyebrow and jabbed the Boat with his longsword, and the Sword Barrier enveloping them flickered with a pale Gold light, boldly withstanding the deadly thunder shears of the Thunder Holder!
Zzzt zzzt zzzt zzzt!
The Nine-section Whip wrapped around the Sword Barrier but couldn’t break through the transparent shield. Meanwhile, the longsword that Ashe was leaning on mysteriously developed several notches but quickly restored itself due to the properties of the Virtual Realm.
“With the glory of splendor as its essence, the dragon’s elegance and the phoenix’s grace.”The Thunder Holder’s eyes grew redder as he chanted a poem no one could understand. His body was wrapped in lightning, his veins bulging as if he had entered a berserk mode, relentlessly lashing the Nine-section Whip against the Sword Barrier.
Sonya calmed down and observed the Sword Barrier closely, noticing many details she had missed before—this transparent shield was actually composed of extremely sharp Sword Qi. It not only had a defensive effect but could also inflict damage back on the enemy during close combat, even breaking their weapons!
However, this was hard to demonstrate in the Virtual Realm because the weapons there are the products of a Sorcerer’s consciousness. As long as the Sorcerer’s mental endurance kept up, the weapons were virtually indestructible.
Similarly, in the Virtual Realm, there was no difference in weapon quality—the battle was a contest of arcane energy. Even if Sonya materialized a wooden sword, it could split mountains and stones. On the contrary, Gun Technique practitioners who were more powerful in reality would see a direct decrease in the potency of their manifested firearms if their understanding of gunnery was shallow.
The Sword Barrier, a technique that combined defense and counterattack, was certainly not something a single spirit could cast but rather a Counterattack Miracle constructed by a Composite Spirit!
Upon realizing this, Sonya couldn’t help but feel a bit gloomy—she had wanted to showcase her own martial prowess with the Water Moon Miracle, warning the Observer not to manipulate her like that again. But now, not only was she saved by the Observer, he had also used a defensive counterattack Miracle that was no less impressive than Water Moon.
Was he deliberately waiting for me to be in dire straits before swooping in to mess with my mindset?
While Sonya was lost in her thoughts, Ashe was looking at the familiar Sword Barrier in front of him, feeling inexplicably restless in his heart.
“Sorry, I’m in a really bad mood right now.”
Ashe lifted a finger.
“So, what I’m going to do next is purely out of venting.”
Clang!
When the sound of the Heart Sword’s ring overpowered the thunder, the Thunder Holder immediately retreated, spinning the Nine-section Whip into twin thunder shields to block the glint of flashing steel in the sky!
“Heart Sword spirit!”
Sonya recognized the trademark spirit of the Swordsmanship Department at a glance, her eyes nearly popping out in amazement: “Where did you get the Heart Sword spirit? Do you know how to assume the Heart Sword stance? Teach me, please—I’m practically begging you!”
She was like a child who had found her favorite bubble gun, barely able to contain her longing for the spirit.
There were rumors in the Swordsmanship Department of the ‘Peerless Secret Sword of the Five Spirits,’ suggesting that possessing one of these five spirits would allow you to construct a perfect system of swordsmanship around the Main Spirit.
The Heart Sword spirit was indeed one of the Peerless Secret Sword of the Five Spirits.
In addition, there were also tales of the ‘Secret Sword Twenty-One Spirits’ and the ‘Wonderful Sword Fifty Spirits.’
The Vibration Sword spirit that Sonya possessed was one of the ‘Wonderful Sword Fifty Spirits.’
However, even the lowest tier ‘Wonderful Sword Fifty Spirits’ should not be underestimated, as the first Duke Vlozrada established his status as a ‘Noble of Swordsmanship’ precisely by using the Vibration Sword system. In Gales, there were no shortage of Swordcerers who sold themselves to the Vlozrada Family in order to obtain the Vibration Sword spirit.
As a caster with the Vibration Sword spirit, Sonya had personally experienced its power and potential. How much more powerful, then, must the ‘Secret Sword Twenty-One Spirits’ and ‘Peerless Secret Sword of the Five Spirits’ be?
Seeing the usually haughty Swordswoman awed by his display, Ashe felt quite pleased, “Don’t rush, let me take care of this juggling act first, then we can talk all you want.”
“Okay!”
Sonya watched with eager anticipation as the Observer unleashed his might, watching the Heart Sword attack get deflected by the Thunder Holder, the Heart Sword thrust repelled, the Heart Sword backstab also repelled…
“Your… swordsmanship has a lot of room for improvement.”
“I’ve already worn him down and made him reveal many flaws—go on, don’t waste this chance for revenge I’ve prepared especially for you.”
Sonya was increasingly convinced that the Observer was some ancient monster reincarnated.
Who else could cultivate such thick skin without thousands of years of endurance?
She mentally scoffed and leaped towards the Thunder Holder. Ashe wasn’t idle either; he summoned another Substitute with a sword, and together with his Heart Sword, they launched a three-pronged assault on the Thunder Holder.
Ultimately, the Thunder Holder only had two Nine-section Whips; he could defend the front but not the back, the back but not the sides. With two whips hard-pressed against three swords, and like a strong man outnumbered by an army, he let out a bizarre poetic cry before meeting his demise on the spot, turning into a wisp of smoke and dropping two spirits and a Sorcerer Handbook.
“Thunderwalk”
“One Wing spirit”
“Restriction: The medium used must be conductive to a certain extent.”
“Basic Effect: Releases a bolt of lightning.”
“Passive Effect: The body’s conductivity gradually increases.”
“‘Fire is the enlightener of wisdom, thunder the defender of reason. So when you encounter fools who defy reason, you know what to do, right?’”
“Pattern Lines”
“One Wing spirit”
“Restriction: Must inscribe pattern lines on an object in advance using the spirit’s excrement.”
“Basic Effect: Causes the effects of most spirits to flow along the Pattern Lines.”
“Passive Effect: The Pattern Lines gradually become permanent until they cannot be erased.”
“‘Paths lie beneath your feet, upon your body, and within your heart.’”
‘Thunderwalk’ resembles a mantis, while ‘Pattern Lines’ looks like a silkworm. Unquestionably, these two spirits form a very straightforward Miracle combination: first, you inscribe the Pattern Lines, then you let the lightning flow within them, turning a one-time consumption of Thunder Magic into a continuous enhancement—a simple yet practical Miracle concept.
No wonder the Thunder Holder we just faced was covered in those chaotic tattoo-like circuits; he had the electrical circuits etched onto his skin.
However, more intriguing to Ashe than this Miracle was a piece of information revealed in the spirit introduction.
“Do spirits actually poop?”
“Why wouldn’t they? You’ve seen spirits consume gold and silver coins, right? Coins are used up, and if spirits didn’t poop, then a link in the cycle would be missing, and the world’s supply of coins would keep diminishing.”
Sonya matter-of-factly explained, “It’s precisely because spirits can poop that coins continue to circulate. The silver coin you’re feeding to a spirit now might be the excrement of a spirit from thousands of years ago.”
“I’m glad I’m not a spirit,” Ashe muttered. “So, when do spirits poop? I’d like to plan ahead for when to let them out.”
“How should I know? I don’t have that kind of voyeuristic hobby.”
“Ah?”
“You don’t need to prepare in advance. Spirits will sneak out on their own to do their business. Their waste can be blown away by a breeze, hardly anyone notices. If you need to collect spirit excrement, just summon it, feed it, and then cover it with something and wait.”
“Sneak out… without a Sorcerer’s permission?”
“Spirits have their own thoughts and lives,” Sonya shrugged. “They’ll obey a Sorcerer’s commands when needed, but when your focus is elsewhere, like when you’re sleeping, distracted, or reading, they have a bit more freedom. They’ll take the chance to sneak out for a breath of fresh air. Some Sorcerers find their spirits slow to respond after long periods of immersion; it’s usually because the spirit has wandered too far to return quickly.”
Ashe got it; this was just like touch fish
1
.
Although he had been treating spirits as intelligent beings, he hadn’t expected them to be smart enough to learn human habits like touch fish. But since they used their touch fish time to poop, rather than using pooping as an excuse to touch fish, Ashe didn’t mind too much.
After a brief discussion, it seemed that ‘Thunderwalk’ and ‘Pattern Lines’ could fetch a high price at Sonya’s school, so he let her have the two spirits.
As for keeping them for themselves, neither had that in mind—the Thunder Magic Faction is known to be the most arduous and intense system. Starting from scratch to practice Thunder Magic sounded daunting just to hear about it.
As long as one sails far enough in the Sea of Knowledge, opportunities like stumbling upon a complete set of spirits will arise again. If a Sorcerer thought of keeping every set of spirits they found for personal use, they would run out of energy.
Learning to choose is a Required Course for a Sorcerer.
As for the Sorcerer Handbook, it was naturally used by Ashe, and Sonya only glanced at the first page before she retreated, even running to the side to gag.
In Ashe’s view, it was not too bad, just a ‘Cult Ritual Record,’ albeit the methods described within were somewhat brutal.
It was almost as bad as the sins once committed by Heath.
It seems that within the realm of cults, the Four Pillars Cult is considered to be particularly ferocious.
After reading the sacrifice records of the Thunder Holder, Ashe naturally learned a new skill: ‘Skinning Mastery.’
Fortunately, there were no Restrictions on the targets; it could come in handy when eating a rabbit after an escape from prison in the wild.
Once the spoils of battle were taken care of, Ashe sat at the prow of the Boat, utterly relaxed.
Sonya sat at the stern, silent as the grave.
Even as Inheritance Island completely sank, silence still reigned aboard the Boat.
After a long time, Sonya could no longer contain herself, bursting out with a few words from the corner of her mouth: “Where did you get those Swordmanship spirits?”
“Well, since you’ve asked with such Sincerity, I’m not heartless enough to withhold the answer—”
I knew it, Sonya cursed in her mind, giving him another chance to show off!
Actually, Ashe had been wanting to brag for a while. He cleared his throat softly and summoned three spirits. From left to right, they were a golden One Wing sword, an earthen Two Wings swordsman that looked like it was molded from clay, and a pale green One Wing bird.
“Heart Sword, Earth Sword, Wind Barrier, these are the spirits I’ve just acquired. Both Heart Sword and Wind Barrier are One Wing, while Earth Sword is Two Wings.”
“Just acquired? So you were late because you were getting these three spirits?”
“You could say that.”
Ashe looked into the depths of the white mist, as if gazing at some wandering apparition.
“After all, their former master had just killed me once.”
Footnote:
Touch fish (摸鱼):
The phrase refers to the act of not being diligent during work or study hours, looking for various excuses to be lazy, and engaging in activities unrelated to work or study. The term originates from the Chinese idiom “鱼目混珠”
2
(yú mù hùn zhū), which translates to “mixing fish eyes with pearls” and initially meant to deceive by passing off something fake as genuine. It has since evolved to describe the behavior of not working seriously and being lazy.
Mixing fish eyes with pearls (鱼目混珠)
:
The meaning is to mix fish eyes with pearls as a form of deception. This idiom originates from ancient times when pearls were highly valued. Some dishonest merchants, in pursuit of profit, might have mixed similar-looking but far less valuable fish eyes with real pearls to sell, thereby deceiving those who couldn’t tell the difference between the two.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter