Chapter 576: Chu Mo Island (41)
Chapter 576: Chu Mo Island (41)
"Right? Super powerful... I remember Kuang He Bing Lie (Pili puppet show character) died immediately after using this move..." Feng Bu Jue replied with narrowed eyes.
"Less talking!" Ji Bu snapped, "This is a One-Time Consumption Technique that combines martial arts B and spirit arts C. Normally, it's at least A-rank skills level."
"Sure sure... Then when we face Can Mu, this move will be our core attack", Feng Bu Jue said.
"Hmph, leaving distractions to us", Hong Hu nodded, "We'll create attack opportunities for you."
"You don't need to go out of your way really", Ji Bu continued, "Can Mu's size alone makes landing hits easy. And consumption techniques never fail to activate... Just confirm there's no silk net between me and her, and I can..."
As he spoke, he swept away a silk net before him. Unexpectedly, a shadow shot out from behind the net.
"Watch out!" Tian Ma Xing Kong warned as he threw a punch—not his Meteor Strike Fist, but a common attack. Even so, Brother Horse's strength blasted an invisible airwave.
The sudden shadow staggered from the wind. Seizing the gap, Ji Bu stepped back and swung his fan, forcing the attacker away.
Now they saw what attacked them.
A mushroom...
More accurately—a "mushroom person".
If you're imagining a Mario-style mushroom brother, you're wrong... This creature looked more like Bai Ju Zhi Shen (the mysterious organism seen by Matsuo Bashō after eating poisonous mushrooms in Hagane no Ko: Machiko)...
Standing about 1.6 meters tall, it was roughly humanoid. Its head bore a massive earthy-yellow mushroom cap, with a pale-yellow body and four limbs. However, no details existed—no muscle silhouettes, fingers, toes, skin texture, or hair... Even its head, torso, and hips merged into one shapeless mass. The "beast" looked like a rudimentary doodle, its face crudely outlined—a grotesque, vacant expression.
"Haiku... Bai Ju Zhi Shen!" Feng Bu Jue widened his eyes, instantly recognizing the mushroom.
"Sht!" The mushroom opened its mouth, actually making that sound. It struck a martial arts pose with its bucket-shaped body and kept shouting, "Sht—sh*t—"
"Compared to this guy, that earlier howling wild mountain goat was so common..." Hong Hu remarked, already retreating behind his teammates with the Infrared Lamp. He clearly had no intention of joining this fight.
Any party member could solo such a weak monster. Hong Hu prioritized maintaining the infrared beam to prevent accidental contact with silk nets.
"Hahaha..." Feng Bu Jue suddenly stepped forward, grinning, "Perfect! I was craving something vegetarian!"
"Again? You're gonna eat anything you see?" Ji Bu grimaced at the grotesque mushroom, "We've got rations. Who cares about meat-vegetable balance anymore?" He paused, suspicion dawning, "Wait... Your eating motives are skewed! You just eat for pleasure, right? Nothing to do with survival or clearing the game!"
"Sht—sht—" Unfazed, the mushroom yelled again and lunged with a side kick toward Feng Bu Jue's face.
"Hmph... This technique won't work on me!" Feng Bu Jue crossed his arms, blocking head-on.
With a "puff", their limbs collided. Both slid back nearly three meters.
"Sh*t!" Feng Bu Jue spat this time.
Not from the attack's force, but because he'd been poisoned.
"What the... Did it apply poison through clothing?" Feng Bu Jue thought.
He'd planned to let the monster hit him, using Hate Furnace to gain more stamina. Instead, it backfired.
"Can't afford carelessness", Feng Bu Jue muttered, preparing Storm Leg to end the bizarre foe.
But abruptly, he changed tactics...
In a flash, he feinted with his speed, circling behind the monster. Then he pulled out an object and hurled it.
You guessed right—the Unused Old Poké Ball.
Caught off guard and trapped in the narrow space, the mushroom couldn't evade the Elf Ball's effect radius.
The Elf Ball sprang open mid-air, firing a white beam. Hit by the light, the mushroom disintegrated into energy, shrinking into the ball.
Clang—
Two seconds later, the Elf Ball landed on the crystal crust and began rocking.
Strangely, the four stood frozen, holding their breath as they watched those three shakes...
Once... Twice... Thrice...
They finally exhaled in unison.
【Dingdingding-dengdengdeng~】 The system absurdly played a familiar sound effect.
Feng Bu Jue picked up the ball, grinning, "Ha! I caught Bai Ju Zhi Shen!"
"Where's this weird dissonance from..." Tian Ma Xing Kong muttered.
"Feels like we jumped into another game..." Hong Hu added.
Ji Bu's jab cut through, "Next, will you have to collect emblems at Chu Mo Island's gyms?"
"Enough nonsense! Who's got an Antidote?" Feng Bu Jue interrupted. Though the poison was weak, damage accumulation had already drained significant stamina.
...
Five minutes later, on the Fear Leaf.
"Hm? They actually came?" Can Mu, resting on a leaf vein, suddenly tensed, "Hehe... Seems they found the silk net scouting method..."
Can Mu lacked "vision" in the traditional sense. Her senses operated beyond human five senses. She didn't perceive infrared lamps, but could sense players' approach through subtle silk net vibrations.
"Interesting... Not bad for my elaborate preparations", she chuckled.
As she mused, red glows emerged from the crystal path, approaching Fear Leaf's edge.
Suddenly, two whistling sounds rang out. Blades slashed through a floating silk net. Four figures leaped through the opening.
In a blink, the four players landed on the Fear Leaf, taking defensive positions.
"Coming to rescue your companion?" Can Mu's childish voice teased, "How touching."
Ignoring her words, Feng Bu Jue analyzed the Fear Leaf's environment. After confirming terrain and boss positions, he exchanged glances with teammates, "Alright... Operation time."
Hong Hu, Ji Bu, and Tian Ma Xing Kong responded in unison, scattering into formation.
"Ha... What are you doing? Trying to fight me?" Can Mu scoffed, "Thought you'd be smarter..."
Before finishing her sentence, Luminous Arrows and fist energy barraged her sides. Ji Bu's giant fan unleashed gales, striking her tail.
Can Mu still remained nonchalant as she said, “For example… you could split into two groups. One group could distract me while the other rescues your captured comrade, then you scatter separately…”
Feng Bu Jue’s voice suddenly echoed from the air, “And how can you be sure… that’s not exactly what we planned?”
In just a few short seconds, Feng Bu Jue had already approached the tops of the giant crystal pillars, activating his Moon Step.
“Hmph… Not bad,” Can Mu scoffed coldly, then her entire body trembled.
In an instant, all the silk threads reappeared, transforming the Fear Leaf into a sea of pinkish-white.
At the same time, the six giant cocoons hanging high above suddenly stirred. Except for the humanoid cocoon imprisoning Fei Chai Shu, the other five grotesque cocoons exploded from within.
Six massive, hideously deformed creatures plummeted from the sky, blocking Feng Bu Jue’s path.
“So you were prepared after all,” Feng Bu Jue muttered, eyeing the charging monsters. “But… I was too…”
His calm gaze flickered with murderous intensity.
Blinding light erupted, revealing a purple-gold war shadow.
Feng Bu Jue tilted his head back, activating [Summoning - Masun]. A towering warrior spirit suddenly materialized behind him.
“Masun!” Feng Bu Jue barked.
“Present!” Masun responded.
Feng Bu Jue drew his military spade from his satchel, gripping it like a great blade before him, then executed a sweeping motion: “Chinese Cleave Dance!”
Masun understood instantly. Gathering spiritual energy, he solidified it into the true form of a Guan Dao.
Suddenly, golden light burst forth, creating overlapping blade shadows.
The six descending Phantoms were caught completely off guard, hacked apart chaotically until they scattered into pieces…
“Oh? So you have such combat power?” Can Mu murmured, but her next words turned into a furious screech: “Good… You’re practically begging for the ‘panic attack’ after going insane!”
Before her roar faded, Can Mu let loose another piercing scream.
“Zha——”
This was the first time she unleashed a direct, real attack on the players. The “cries” from their previous encounter were just greetings. This one was the real deal.
“Shit!” Ji Bu’s mind jolted as he was hit, cursing under his breath. He was already far from Can Mu’s body, yet still staggered dangerously, nearly falling.
Tian Ma Xing Kong on the other side wasn’t so lucky… Brother Horse stood closest to the boss, suffering the strongest impact. As the shriek erupted, he instinctively retreated several steps and collapsed. A chilling sensation quickly spread across his nose and lips. Reaching up, he found his nosebleed gushing like a breached dam.
“Tch… Affected the brain already?” Hong Hu crouched nearby, barely maintaining his stance. Although still standing, he lowered himself cautiously, fearing that any stumble might send him tumbling off the Fear Leaf and into the silk net below—a far worse predicament.
“Plan B!” Suddenly, Feng Bu Jue’s voice thundered from above as he flipped downward in a dive.
“Oh? Two plans prepared?” Can Mu sneered, “Let me guess… Plan B abandons rescue attempts in favor of all-out assault?”
Feng Bu Jue spat, “Damn you, smart-assed insect!” as he pulled two grenades from his vest, yanking the pins and hurling them down, “Peel off your pickled, fried, or spicy bean sauce—take your pick!”
A second later, twin explosions roared as grenades detonated on Can Mu’s back. Using Tavrin Step, Feng Bu Jue halted midair, avoiding the blast radius.
“What is this? A toy made of gunpowder and metal?” Can Mu’s massive, undamaged form emerged from the dissipating smoke, “Hehe… Speaking of toys… Did you forget something?”
In that instant, Feng Bu Jue’s pupils contracted sharply—he realized a grave mistake.
Shshsh—
Deadly flashes erupted, blood mist spraying.
Feng Bu Jue was struck repeatedly from behind, even Masun’s spirit-particle form dispersing under the assault.
He turned to see—the monsters sliced apart by Chinese Cleave Dance were all still moving. Though dismembered, their mechanical motions continued attacking.
“Didn’t expect that, did you?” Can Mu taunted, “As long as part of their nervous system remains intact, even a single arm or finger allows me to control them. I see now—you’re the strongest among the four, right? Their attacks were mere tickles, but you… might actually entertain me,” she said, manipulating the airborne corpse fragments to encircle Feng Bu Jue, “Come on, unleash your ultimate move! Make me happy, or…”
“That’s rich, you stinking bug!” Ji Bu’s ferocious roar cut in from afar, drawing her attention.
“What did you call me?” Can Mu’s face darkened, abandoning Feng Bu Jue to twist her massive body at improbable speed toward Ji Bu, “Say it again, human… if you dare.”
“Gladly!” Ji Bu gasped for breath, fighting to steady himself under her oppressive aura and fear, glaring at the boss, “You stinking bug makes me sick just looking at you! I wanna vomit!”
His voice grew louder with every word until the last words were a hoarse scream.
Ji Bu wasn’t a top-tier player then—or even now. He wasn’t Feng Bu Jue, nor a drug-enhanced powerhouse like Shi Dao. He was just a commoner who often felt fear facing bosses.
It was natural human behavior. When confronted with horrifying, grotesque monsters, anyone would feel dread. The difference was being behind a computer screen versus virtual reality.
Right now, facing a silkworm mother as thick as a train, Ji Bu holding his ground without trembling was already impressive—his brain kept reminding him this was “just a game.”
Yet after those two roars, he suddenly felt better. The fear, the oppressive aura, the anxiety for his comrades—all swept away by that fierce scream.
Perhaps facing his fear head-on showed him it wasn’t so terrifying after all…
“You impudent trash…” Enraged, Can Mu raised her massive head and brought it down like a hammer to crush Ji Bu.
“Pfft… Not even fast,” Ji Bu stepped back just in time, dodging while throwing in a mocking jab.
“Ahhh—” Furious, Can Mu lunged forward, her circular maw opening to reveal concentric layers of teeth, aiming to swallow Ji Bu whole.
Hhhh—
Suddenly, three powerful Light Blade slashes struck from behind, slamming into Can Mu’s back.
“Did you think I was dead?” Feng Bu Jue’s voice rang out again. Far from dead, though heavily wounded, he had escaped the encirclement using Moon Step and immediately counterattacked.
Unfortunately, Can Mu completely ignored those Storm Leg attacks, her speed unchanged.
But…
“Sigh… It’s always you reckless types that make plans go awry,” Hong Hu raised his left arm, gripping a silver cross pendant as he cast the spell, “Spirit Binding Formation!”
[Name: Spirit Binding Formation]
[Skill Card Attribute: Active Skill, Permanently Mastered]
[Skill Category: Spirit Arts]
[Effect: Suppresses all living beings within a range using powerful psionic energy]
[Consumption: 50% of maximum spirit energy value]
[Learning Condition: Spirit Arts Proficiency C, Level 35+]
[Background: 20-second cooldown, 20-second duration; ineffective against mechanical or soulless beings; reduced effect on boss-class monsters (basis on boss strength); cannot be canceled mid-cast; must pre-place spiritual artifacts at designated formation points (artifacts can be non-physical of same nature)]
(End of Chapter)
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