030. Tian Bugui’s Road of No Return

Lu Wu was like a vast sponge, ravenously absorbing everything he deemed worth absorbing. Of course, this “absorbing” referred only to what was valuable. He was unsure whether it was due to the Book of Knowledge or his own natural talent, but when it came to various cultivation methods and secret techniques, he could master them after a single reading. He encountered none of the difficulties so often mentioned in cultivation manuals and the notes of predecessors. Yet, it wasn't as if he learned new skills with a simple click like in a video game—he had to make the effort to study, but the process was unimpeded by obstacles.

So Lu Wu couldn’t say for certain whether it was the Book of Knowledge that was extraordinary or his own innate gifts. After mastering the Wandering Dragon Sword Technique and the Supreme Void Sword Formula, he soared toward the demon clan’s encampment.

Meanwhile, a group of scouts was stealthily approaching the outer hills near the demon camp. At their head was none other than Tian Bugui. After being replaced by Lu Wu for the quota to enter Supreme Void Peak, Tian Bugui had not chosen a sword embryo for himself; instead, Li Daoyun personally forged one and gifted it to him. Li Daoyun had said at the time, if it turned out well, it would be Tian Bugui’s good fortune; if it was a poor sword embryo, then bad luck for him. In the end, Tian Bugui lucked out—the sword embryo Li Daoyun forged was of the first spiritual grade, only a little inferior to Fenglong’s. Had Tian Bugui entered Supreme Void Peak himself, he might not have obtained such a fine sword embryo. Of course, if Tian Bugui had truly been unable to get a spiritual-grade sword embryo, his grandfather Tian Heng would certainly have spent lavishly to commission one.

Now, having cultivated for just over a month, the young Tian Bugui led five adult disciples at the Foundation Establishment stage, moving cautiously through the night. “Keep it down, I think I hear something,” he whispered. Tian Bugui activated a night-vision talisman, peering carefully ahead. Seeing nothing amiss, he gestured the group forward.

But their shadows began to twist and writhe. A strange demon burst forth from the darkness, transforming into a sky-obscuring shroud that blocked their retreat. Then, a towering minotaur demon, nearly twenty feet tall and wielding a bloody, mangled leg, strode out. With every word, bone fragments fell from his jaws.

“At last, I’ve caught one,” the minotaur demon gloated, tossing aside the leg. “A bunch of fools. Two days now and none of you has captured any scouts. But the moment I take action, it’s as easy as plucking fruit.”

Realizing they’d been exposed, Tian Bugui raised his spiritual sword embryo. “Beast, what are you eating?”

The minotaur demon grinned, a ghastly sight with his toothless bovine head. “Take a guess.”

A faint yellow flame flickered to life around Tian Bugui. “Die!”

The minotaur demon burst into laughter. “You, a mere novice at the Energy Gathering stage, think you can fight me? Kneel, and I’ll spare your life—let you become my human pet. Otherwise, you’ll be my supper tonight.”

At the title “General,” Tian Bugui’s heart quailed. Every major tribe in the Hundred-Thousand Demon Mountains had a general at the Energy Gathering stage—this minotaur must be the general of Oxhead Mountain, at least at the late Energy Gathering stage.

Tian Bugui spat, “You? Not worthy!”

“To harm a disciple of Supreme Void Palace is to court death! Brothers, attack!”

The shadowy demon, now a black shroud, suddenly lashed out from behind, binding the five Foundation Establishment disciples of Supreme Void Palace before they could even cry out, crushing them into pulp.

Having never witnessed such carnage, the youthful Tian Bugui screamed, “No!”

“Too late!” The minotaur demon raised a totem pole and brought it crashing down, sending a golden fissure splitting the earth. Tian Bugui leapt high, slashing at the golden light.

“Fool,” the minotaur demon sneered, leaping above him and smashing down the totem. Tian Bugui crashed to the ground, gouging a deep pit. The minotaur lifted him, about to bite him in two.

The shadow demon made a strange sound. “The Little Ape King wants a scout alive.”

With his victim’s head nearly in his mouth, the minotaur demon reluctantly stopped. “I nearly forgot. Save me a share of that meat.”

The shadow demon grinned wickedly. “There’s still some left.”

Furious, the minotaur demon snapped off Tian Bugui’s left arm with a crack. “Hmph!”

The excruciating pain jolted Tian Bugui back to awareness. “Aaaaah! My senior brothers will tear you to pieces!”

The minotaur demon scoffed, “Your senior brothers? If it were army against army, perhaps you humans would stand a chance. But in single combat, what feeble human could challenge me?”

As a high-ranking demon, he was supremely confident in his strength. Tian Bugui fell silent, stifling his groans.

…

In the demon camp, Lu Wu was intimidating a rat demon, draining its blood. The rat demon, having lost too much vitality, could no longer resist, trembling and flailing in vain.

Lu Wu paused his feeding, glancing toward the entrance of the solitary barracks. A demon, fully transformed into human shape, entered.

The Book of Knowledge identified him as a flower demon. A male flower demon?

The flower demon noticed Lu Wu at once. “Huh? Mouse Ginseng, you’re so weak you let an ordinary little bug do this to you?”

“Bug, what clan are you from?”

Lu Wu eyed the flower demon, scanning the Book of Knowledge. This fellow was from the man-eating flower tribe—a king flower demon. These so-called man-eaters, before their transformation, mostly preyed on insect-type demons. The hunger in his gaze was all too apparent.

Lu Wu didn’t answer, instead flitting around the rat demon. The king flower demon frowned. “Strange. Is this just an ordinary insect? Then who attacked Mouse Ginseng?”

Deciding to err on the side of caution, the king flower demon resolved to kill and eat the unfamiliar bug, whatever it was. Lu Wu sighed. “You pass up your ride to paradise, insist on breaking into hell without a ticket.”

A dark green tendril shot toward him, but just then, the flower demon heard a soul-transmitted voice and hurriedly unfurled ten vines around himself in defense. He was nothing if not cautious.

Lu Wu had not intended to cross blades with an Energy Gathering stage demon in the midst of the demon army, but now he had no choice but to seize the chance for a swift kill.

He darted toward the green tendril. The king flower demon, seeing the bug’s apparent foolishness, laughed wildly. “So it was just a bluff. You don’t even recognize a hookworm tendril? These can slice through metal and jade, tougher than steel. You dare get close with such a frail body? Die!”

No sooner had he finished than a razor-sharp sword intent sliced through his tendril—Lu Wu, using his soul-forged coffin nail as a weapon, unleashed the Supreme Void Sword Formula’s Heaven-Piercing Thrust. The two-yard-long hookworm tendril was split clean in two.

The flower demon went berserk, vines lashing wildly through the air. “I’ll kill you!”

Lu Wu, having made his move, showed no mercy. “Mid-stage Energy Gathering? Using basic whip techniques with vines? Pathetic.”

Like a bolt of lightning, Lu Wu flashed through space, reappearing behind the flower demon. Before mastering the Supreme Void Sword Formula, he could at most pierce the flower demon and leave a small hole—a trivial wound for a plant-type demon. But now, the king flower demon was cut neatly in half, toppling left and right.

“Energy Gathering demons can stay fresh for dozens of breaths, and being a plant demon, he should last until I finish feeding. Maybe I’ll be able to simulate something useful this time? Carp? Not bad.”

Having finished, Lu Wu quickly changed locations, moving to another camp.

“Hey, did you hear? General Niu just caught a Supreme Void Palace scout.”

“I heard he wiped out their scout team and captured an inner disciple.”

“Supreme Void Palace isn’t so great after all. Looks like we’ll win this war for sure.”

Lu Wu hesitated for a moment, but chose not to investigate. Instead, he headed straight for the Supreme Void Palace’s main camp.

…

Yi Ya was shocked. “What? The whole squad wiped out? One disciple captured? Tian Bugui’s team is finished?”

Lu Wu, upon hearing the scout’s name, was puzzled. “Tian Bugui? That sounds familiar.” Then he recalled—that was the unlucky fellow who’d lost his spot in the Sword Tomb to him. That poor kid had reached the Energy Gathering stage already? So fast!