Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Draw the Sword — Killing Blow!

"Ahem..." Wangshu cleared his throat, organized the information from the group chat, and relayed it quietly:

"The Marionette Octopus is a long-life species imbued by Yaoshi in Star Calendar Year 6296. It specializes in stealing minds and seizing wills, but apparently there's some kind of prerequisite for it to hijack someone."

Wangshu had consulted the group again. Something this basic wasn't worth exploring on his own — too dangerous and pointless.

"Prerequisite?" Jiye listened intently.

"The target has to be in a state of mental agitation, or the Octopus has to physically insert itself into the brain... Wait, doesn't getting something jammed into your brain just kill you?"

Wangshu rapped his own skull. Was that right?

Right, right — this was the long-life species' battlefield. Getting something lodged in your skull wasn't necessarily fatal. Parasitic races typically had some regeneration or life-support ability.

Jiye was quiet for a moment, then nodded: "A very dangerous long-life species indeed."

By now, their Cloud Knight scout vessel had touched down covertly. Its hull was coated in a special biological material that disrupted both organic and technological detection.

After they disembarked, the landscape was desolate. Jiye — for reasons known only to himself — sent everyone else away, instructing them to maintain a distance of several planetary lengths.

He still felt the gamble was necessary. Wangshu's physical stats were absurdly over-specced — reminiscent of the generals on other Xianzhou, the versions channeling Revered Spirits.

But Jiye quickly composed himself. He silently raised a finger, signaling quiet. The fox ears atop his head twitched faintly.

Objectively speaking, those ears were beautifully shaped — smooth fur, elegant lines. Pity he was a man. The moment you saw the face, the cuteness evaporated.

"People ahead. And blood."

Jiye's voice dropped to a whisper.

"Do we engage?"

Wangshu's hand had already settled on his sword hilt — silent, smooth, natural.

Jiye shook his head. He produced a pill from his pocket and swallowed it whole.

What followed made Wangshu's eyes widen. Jiye's fluffy fox ears began shifting — tips sharpening, inner fur transitioning toward Borisin characteristics.

"A little trick from the Age of Divine Descent. Works on other races too."

Noticing Wangshu's stare, Jiye tugged the corner of his mouth.

Wangshu wanted to say something but stopped. Weren't the Age of Divine Descent's techniques supposed to be sealed? No wonder you were so open to my asking about longevity methods — you're not exactly clean yourself!

Jiye explained casually: "My mother worked at the Alchemy Commission. Her skill and talent for teaching earned her a promotion to Commission Head. Growing up around that, I picked up a fair bit."

Then he handed Wangshu a pill.

Wangshu hesitated briefly. He first activated Xing's card, layering a Preservation ward internally, then swallowed.

The pill dissolved instantly into cool liquid, but nothing changed externally. Wangshu drew his sword and examined himself in the mirror-smooth blade.

Still nothing.

He blinked: "Uh, is this a pre-medicine sugar pill? It wasn't very sweet."

Speaking of sugar pills — he remembered the red candies from childhood vaccinations.

Jiye was floored: "...The dosage might just be too weak for your constitution. Your physique is really something."

Wangshu didn't deny it. 0.4 Jingliu + 0.4 Xing + 1.0 Propagation remnants — pure stat stacking. He hadn't even layered on 0.4 Herta and 0.4 Asta yet.

"I have two spares. Originally for emergencies — in case we needed to lie low a couple extra days."

Jiye hesitantly offered them. Honestly, his suspicion of Wangshu had just evaporated. A spy was a spy; a monster was a monster. The difference was vast. These pills were concentrated essence from the Age of Divine Descent — slightly illicit.

Wangshu downed them without hesitation. Still no visible change.

They stared at each other in mutual bewilderment. Awkward silence.

"Still going with infiltration?"

Wangshu pointed at his unchanged face.

Jiye studied him in silence — then declared with certainty: "No — there are changes! You're approaching the threshold!"

Something so obvious, yet his voice trembled with excitement.

"But you're out of pills."

"The ingredients..." Jiye took a deep breath, tilting his head slightly: "Are right over there."

Following his gaze, Wangshu spotted a dozen Borisin in the distance — muscles knotted, chests bared, mouths smeared with red. They radiated a primal, violent aura.

"..."

Wangshu looked at Jiye's calm expression, then back at the Borisin.

"Prescriptions aren't inherently good or evil. Even the most vile elixir, so long as it serves a righteous purpose, is no sin."

Wangshu started to speak, then stopped.

"Of course — don't repeat that. Just between us."

Wangshu nodded. He thought of Senior Jingliu — a lifetime obeying the Celestial Edicts, only to have her mental state shatter after falling to mara. Only the group chat had started pulling her back.

"Twelve of them."

Wangshu half-closed his eyes, steadying himself.

The air seemed to freeze. A blinding white arc tore through, making the air cry out, shredding dust and sand. Wangshu's figure reappeared behind the enemies in what felt like a teleport, holding the finishing posture.

Those twelve towering figures hadn't even reacted before they froze as one, then crumpled. Hair-thin lethal sword marks surfaced on necks and vital points.

"With little Jingliu not here — then this is for Senior Jingliu. To change her tragedy, and to save Cangcheng."

Wangshu twirled his blade, flicked off the blood, and smoothly sheathed it.

No psychological burden. It seemed that having a clear purpose was enough — the sword wouldn't hesitate.

Maybe he really was number one under heaven?

In the distance, Jiye's eyes went wide. Gamble! This was the right call! With stats like these — even without the Reignbow Arbiter's favor, Cangcheng would have backbone!

"Wangshu, give me a moment! I'm quite skilled in alchemy."

Jiye strode forward, voice hoarse with excitement. Compared to the Wind-Riding technique refined from Wing-Crafter marrow, he was far more practiced with Borisin materials.

"I'll keep watch."

Wangshu nodded and even helped move bodies behind a boulder.

But a subtle unease lingered. Something was off with his perception. He kept feeling watched. Hoolay... or Rahu itself beneath his feet?

Hadn't Rahu been awakened by this point in the timeline? Was the book about Rahu simply not published yet?