novelraw Chapter 478 - 475: True Red Power
Chapter 478 - 475: True Red Power
With a thunderous crash, the Stone Golem fell before Bai Pu and the others, shattering into pieces.
The Door of Power slowly opened.
"This... doesn’t seem too difficult," Oshana said uncertainly.
Tom said, "The strength of this Stone Golem is roughly about the same as mine. If I were to face it alone, it would be a tough battle, but with the three of us together, it’s definitely no match."
"Let’s go," Bai Pu said, holding his Large Shield, and took the lead.
In Bai Pu’s mind, there were indeed questions.
If it were others, which of the three doors would they choose?
Most people would probably choose the Door of Power, right?
Because adventurers exploring the ruins would at least have some confidence in their own strength, thinking similarly to Tom, not wanting to place their fate on the fleeting whim of luck.
And facts proved that the test of the Door of Power wasn’t insurmountable.
It seemed like the "designer behind the scenes" had designated this path for outsiders...
However, Bai Pu couldn’t fathom the intentions of the designer, so he didn’t voice his thoughts to avoid causing panic among the team.
Entering the Door of Power, the four of them walked along the collapsed ruins of the city.
The ground beneath them was rocky and uneven, but overhead they could see relatively flat Great Paths, presumably the city streets of the Red Sand Kingdom back then. Occasionally, they spotted ancient relics like city squares and central fountains overhead, silently narrating the history of that era.
However, the city square had long turned into ruins, and the central fountain was only left with its base, dry and desolate.
Underneath the covered space of the city square, Bai Pu and the others encountered a group of monsters.
These were ghosts, drifting below with humanoid arms above, clutching ancient weapons and emitting silent screams.
Bai Pu scanned them; these ghosts had a combat power of around 250 points, approximately Level 7 Enhanced Elite.
However, their bodies were shrouded in a thin layer of Red Mist. When Bai Pu slashed at them, he noticed the mist rippling, deflecting part of the damage.
At the same time, when a ghost countered with a slash, Bai Pu tried to deflect, but the opponent’s weapon seemed incorporeal, bypassing his guard and striking Bai Pu’s body.
[The ancient ghosts of Naxitas were enhanced by the True Crimson Power, reducing all damage by 20% (up to 200 points).]
[The attacks of the ancient ghosts of Naxitas cannot be parried or blocked; if hit, they inflict True Crimson Power’s burning damage.]
Bai Pu received a hit, feeling as if his soul was on fire, with blood-red filling his vision and a surge of violence welling up inside.
"I can’t get hit again... if my guess is right, each hit adds another layer of the so-called True Crimson Power! Once it stacks to a high level, I might lose my sanity!"
Bai Pu was at the forefront, and seeing the ghost’s bizarre attacks, Tom and Oshana naturally prioritized dodging, completely abandoning any attempts to parry or block.
Bai Pu suddenly unleashed the Blood River Territory, engulfing all the ancient ghosts with Blood River Fighting Qi.
However, the red mist enveloping the ghosts slightly rippled, rendering Bai Pu’s Blood River Territory illusion powerless to penetrate.
The True Crimson Power of these ancient ghosts obviously had a high priority! It completely ignored Bai Pu’s Blood River Territory’s control effects.
Note that it’s a complete disregard, not a partial weakening!
Despite this, Bai Pu had to maintain the Blood River Territory, mainly to provide a speed boost to his teammates to avoid the ancient ghost’s attacks.
Tom and Oshana were parts of Main Quest 3, and Bai Pu had to ensure their safety.
If anything happened to them, even if they completed the quest, the final evaluation would be very low, likely forfeiting their opportunity to enter the Demon God’s Underground Palace granted by the academy.
Bai Pu sheathed his shield and lifted the Great Sword with both hands, simultaneously activating Genetic Fusion.
He sighed inwardly; in the mid-level Spirit Realm, only against Lord Level Peak Powerhouses would he need to use the bottom card of Genetic Fusion, never expecting to use it against a group of minion-level ghosts in the advanced Spirit Realm.
The reason being Bai Pu was only Level 6, yet to cultivate the Advanced Technique, hindering his strength from making a breakthrough.
After activating Genetic Fusion, his Two-Handed Swordsmanship Specialization reached Advanced Level 9.
Facing these ghosts, merely at Level 7 Enhanced Elite, Bai Pu’s technique mastery completely crushed them. Ghosts were slain left and right with swift maneuvers of his Great Sword.
However, after these ghosts "died", they transformed into Red Mist, swirling around, eventually coalescing into a large black-and-red cocoon.
Thump, thump, thump...
With each forceful heartbeat, the black-and-red cocoon throbbed like a massive heart, exuding a sinister and violent aura.
"This... this is the Devil’s Embryonic Membrane!"
Tano, who had been staying on the sidelines, clutched his head and shouted, "As the elders have passed down through generations... once the Devil’s Embryonic Membrane matures, it will hatch a powerful demon that will slaughter all living beings! No wonder, no wonder no one has ever returned alive during the Blood Moon..."
No need for Tano’s words; Tom and Oshana simultaneously launched their assault.
Tom chanted incantations, releasing a series of Wind Blades to try and slice open the outer wall of the Devil’s Embryonic Membrane, attempting a C-section.
Oshana stepped forward with a thrust; the spear’s blade emitted a fierce glow of Fighting Qi, aiming to pierce through the membrane.
Yet, the outer wall of the Devil’s Embryonic Membrane, with its thick membranous barrier, seemed to possess potent defensive capabilities; neither Magic Wind Blade nor Fighting Qi Combat Skill could do more than make it slightly deform, unable to genuinely tear it open.
"Step aside," Bai Pu said, stepping forward, and after taking a deep breath, the Chainsaw Greatsword in his hand glimmered.
Additional Skill: Cutting activated, in the buzzing sound of the Chainsaw Greatsword, the saw teeth whirred and slashed toward the Devil’s Embryonic Membrane.
The first strike left the membrane unscathed.
Bai Pu spun and sliced the second strike, activating the Repetitive Cutting Special Effect, further reducing the membrane’s Armor by 40 points, making it 80 Armor reduction in total through both strikes.
Now comes the crucial part.
The Volcano Shield on Bai Pu’s body surface consolidated Energy once again onto the blade.
Swoosh!
A Fighting Qi Slash swept across.
The Devil’s Embryonic Membrane, its Armor repeatedly weakened, finally couldn’t withstand the might of the Mountain Shattering Mystical Arts.
Ripping apart, the sinister fetal membrane that was still throbbing tore open, spilling murky amniotic fluid everywhere. Oddly, the "amniotic fluid" evaporated into thin smoke upon contact with the air.
A mutilated humanoid creature slowly rose from within.
Its face was riddled with scars and indentations, with one arm only grown to the elbow, clearly not fully formed yet.
Bai Pu’s gaze swept over it.
In the crimson light, a combat power value appeared: 470 points.