novelraw Chapter 221-1: Calamitous Fallen Dragon Embryo, Iya Palace (1)
Chapter 221-1: Calamitous Fallen Dragon Embryo, Iya Palace (1)
[You look toward the colossal corpse that nearly fills the entire barrier…]
[Shell of the Origin-Tracing Karasu Tengu: A great yokai renowned in Sakura Falls legend. Its true form is the immense body of a dog demon, with raven-black wings sprouting from its back. This powerful Karasu Tengu had been sealed here for many years; the barrier wore away so much of its strength that such a formidable yokai ended up falling to the hands of an unknown nobody. It died from a lethal blow that pierced the center of its brow. Compatibility: 64% (+55%)]
Lin Xun opened his inventory to check the loot he had just acquired.
The Karasu Tengu boss was indeed powerful, dropping six items in one go.
The large chunk of Spirit Essence was worth two hundred thousand, instantly replenishing the small treasury that had been running dry.
“I’ll head back to the library later and sell off this pile of equipment and skill books…”
The Karasu Tengu also dropped a material of excellent quality, usable for forging weapons.
[Ancient Grimoire of Yokai Arts – The Dreamer Awakens First (Epic+ grade item): A tome treasured by the Karasu Tengu, recording a unique art exclusive to certain yokai bloodlines.]
[By using this item, you will learn the shell skill Yokai Art: The Dreamer Awakens First.]
[Human shells cannot learn this skill; only shells containing yokai bloodlines can acquire it.]“Yokai bloodline…”
Lin Xun tried using the item on several shells and found that only the little dragonkin shell and the Deep-Sea Siren shell could learn it.
After a moment’s hesitation, he had the little dragonkin learn the skill.
An Epic+ skill was quite a decent quality, even if the benefits brought by devouring dragon bloodline would be divided among multiple skills, learning it would still be worthwhile.
Moreover, just from the name The Dreamer Awakens First, it was easy to associate it with how the Karasu Tengu broke free from the effects of Pleasure-Hazed Sight.
[You have used Ancient Grimoire of Yokai Arts – The Dreamer Awakens First (Epic+ grade item)!]
[Your shell Knowledge-Seeking Primordial Hermit has learned the shell skill Yokai Art: The Dreamer Awakens First!]
He opened the shell panel to check the new skill.
[Yokai Art: The Dreamer Awakens First (Epic+ grade skill): A unique art created by powerful yokai to resist the immobilizing arts of onmyoji.]
[This skill is passive. When you are affected by a mental-control skill, it will automatically activate, granting a chance to dispel the control.]
[The dispel chance is affected by the skill quality gap between you and the opponent, as well as the number of stacks of Calamitous Fallen Dragon Embryo.]
[You have not acquired the special attribute Calamitous Fallen Dragon Embryo and cannot trigger this skill!]
The skill text was dim, clearly in an inactive state.
Lin Xun frowned deeply.
“Calamitous Fallen Dragon Embryo?”
The name sounded quite similar to Calamitous Fallen Karmic Fire.
“Could this be a unique attribute of the yokai lineage… Come to think of it, my Calamitous Fallen Karmic Fire hasn’t increased in stacks for quite some time.”
Ever since he joined the oath faction of the Chaotic Origin Dragon, the special attribute Calamitous Fallen Karmic Fire had stopped increasing.
Whether killing the little boss Master Instructor or defeating the big boss Karasu Tengu, the Calamitous Fallen Karmic Fire simply wouldn’t grow.
[Karasu Tengu’s Yokai Heart (Rare grade item): The ‘yokai heart’ left behind after the death of a great yokai, containing some of the Karasu Tengu’s power essence. It’s just a pity that the ‘heart,’ once resplendent, had now turned dull and dim, perhaps because the long years of suppression had exhausted the yokai’s strength.]
[By using this item, you will gain a certain number of stacks of Calamitous Fallen Dragon Embryo!]
Without hesitation, Lin Xun clicked to use the item.
[You have used Karasu Tengu’s Yokai Heart (Rare grade item)!]
[You have acquired five stacks of Calamitous Fallen Dragon Embryo!]
[A blue-ink-colored dragon embryonic aura briefly emerged over your shell before sinking back and vanishing.]
In the shell panel, the text of Yokai Art: The Dreamer Awakens First suddenly turned bright and clear.
“So the strange mist around the Karasu Tengu’s body was the aura of Calamitous Fallen Dragon Embryo.”
Lin Xun still had many things he didn’t understand about this newly obtained special attribute.
Perhaps when he returned to Dragon Marsh Temple, he could ask the Calamity Mage for answers.
[Pale Yellow Letter (Document)]
[Little Crow, Master has said that the notion of humans and yokai sharing the same origin is a lie spread by the Evil God to beguile the world. It is not the truth.]
[I’ve thought long and hard about it myself and feel that this idea is simply unrealistic. Humans and yokai are clearly two different species, how could they share a common ancestor?]
[Please don’t think I’m doubting your convictions. It’s just that if you want us to be together, you will face opposition from everyone.]
[I once thought about living with you in seclusion in the mountains, away from the world, but in the end, I carry the blood of the Otaki Clan. To abandon my parents, brothers and sisters… please forgive me, I simply cannot do it.]
[I believe you can understand, right?]
[Little Crow, you must be so sad reading this, thinking that I am leaving you behind.]
[Hehe, but in truth, I have good news.]
[After arguing with Master and the Clan Head for a whole day and night, I finally got them to compromise.]
[They agreed that you can stay by my side, as long as you can become my shikigami.]
[I know this is a bit of a grievance to you, but this is already the only way left.]
[As an apology, I secretly stole the Clan Head’s hidden chamber key. In that chamber, the Clan Head keeps the treasured blade Uzuki-Kiri.]
[Since you’re trying to leave your clan behind and blend into human cities, aren’t you studying human martial arts? Treat this sword as my compensation, because with your strength, becoming a shikigami truly is too demeaning.]
[The hidden chamber is located beneath the Clan Head’s bedchamber. Turn the vase at the head of the bed to open the underground passage. Be sure to move quietly and don’t let anyone catch you.]
[But even if you are discovered, I will still protect you…]
[…]
[Otaki Clan Hidden Chamber Key (Item): A peculiar artifact shaped like an ancient bronze key. It appears able to open the door to a hidden chamber that does not truly exist. The key-shaped artifact emits a strange fluctuation, so faint and concealed that it is difficult to detect.]
[Activating this item will weaken the attribute bonus of Calamitous Fallen Dragon Embryo on related shell skills.]
[This artifact is currently in an active state. Do you wish to deactivate it?]
“…”
After reading the document’s contents, Lin Xun let out a long sigh and silently deactivated the key artifact.
[Aside from the corpse of the Origin-Tracing Karasu Tengu, there was nothing else within the barrier.]
[You stepped onto the passage steps and returned to the Clan Head’s bedchamber.]
[No sooner had you returned than you saw the chamber was filled with a dense crowd of people…]
[Most were armored samurai wielding blades, along with a few gaunt men wearing tall eboshi caps and hunting robes.]
[These few held various ritual implements, their cold eyes fixed on you.]
[You have discovered Fire-Worshipping Iya Palace Onmyoji!]
[Seeing your dragon-headed humanoid form, the onmyoji’s eyes gleamed with excitement. They brandished their implements, chanting incantations…]
[Monstrous shikigami of every shape and size answered the summons, revealing their ferocious forms.]
[The figure at the head of the crowd wore sumptuous garments and had an extraordinary bearing. It glanced at the dead old Clan Head lying on the bed, then put on a look of sorrow.]
[Fire-Worshipping Otaki Eldest Son proclaimed to the gathered crowd that his younger brother had secretly conspired with ‘Evil God remnants’ to assassinate the Clan Head and attempt to free the great yokai sealed underground. Such crimes deserved execution!]
[A thin, young figure was dragged forward from the crowd. An armored samurai forced them to the ground, drew his sword, and beheaded them on the spot in a spray of blood.]
[Everyone burst into applause and cheers!]
[The Otaki Eldest Son showed a faint smile, pointing at you and declaring again that the ‘Evil God remnant’ clung to delusions, scheming to rescue its kin, and that you would be made a shikigami of the onmyoji, serving the Otaki Clan until death!]
[He stepped back behind the crowd as the samurai all drew their swords and advanced, the onmyoji waving their implements to drive the shikigami toward you…]
“Looks like I won’t be leaving until I wipe out the entire Otaki Clan…”
Lin Xun’s gaze turned cold.